Graphic narrative - EvaluationTask 3

Image construction The overall illustration I ended up with (top right) was rotoscoped, like I said in my experiments section. The colours that I used for the image stuck to the original image, however, I had to change the colour of cape because the colour was white as well so it just blended into one piece of clothing. This is when I decided to change the colour overlay to Black, so you could now differentiate between the items of clothing.

What I like• The quality and finish I managed to get from the illustration. It looks like the

outline of the original image but with my own twist added to it. • The gaps where I’ve put the parts together are not that evident in my illustration.

This could have changed the effectiveness if there were more gaps.

What I would change if I repeated the project• Close the gap between the two bits of leg armour on my character. On the other

hand, if you filled the gap, the legs would merge into one. • Remove the sword trailing down from the character, you can not identify what it is

when you see it in the product.

How does it compare to existing products?This illustration from ‘a scanner darkly’ has more detailed features compared to my image, such as the texture of the hair and facial hair, as well as detail on the facial features. I needed to construct my illustrations in a short space of time to ensure I would complete the production part of the project by the deadline, this is why I didn’t spend much time on each, because I was conscious of time. Where as, to construct an illustration like the existing product, it would have taken me longer than the deadline.

Anchorage

James tells the King that it might not be the best day to go hunting. The king forgets he has sent Mamad to the summer palace, James’s plan is working

Maybe it’s not the best day for

hunting

Maybe you’re right

James

The anchorage I have used in my graphic novel is effective in helping to communicate the narrative to the consumer. Without these pieces my story wouldn’t make sense and the effectiveness would definitely be compromised. They also fit with the images well to make it look professional and well finished, as well as matching the text boxes in colour, which I thought about in the different drafts of my production. During the third draft, I was going to change the colour of the text boxes but I wanted to match the colours with the caption box. As you can see, along with the comic book effect background, the anchorage looks effective.

What I like• The anchorage boxes are the same colour throughout my production, it

makes it look more professional than if it was multi-coloured. • The way the text fits perfectly in the box and doesn’t block much of the

image behind.

What I would change if I repeated the project• Leave more of a gap in between each word, at points, it’s very difficult to

read the anchorage.• Change the colour of the text, White works well but I think Black will work

even better.

How does it compare to existing products?On this particular graphic novel, Artemis Fowl, the anchorage is at a minimum. There are only three caption boxes and two text boxes on the page, which, at time, leads to confusion on what is happening. My story may have too much anchorage at times but my story is easy to follow and clear, which I wanted it to be when planning the product.

Signification The signification in my graphic novel is at a minimum. However, one element of signification I used was that I designed the King to be wearing Red, which, in royalty, connotes pride. Another connotation I played on was to try and communicate similar conventions from other graphic novels. The middle picture shows a graphic novel version of Lord of the rings, I was trying to emulate the signification from this existing product.

What I like• The way I have used connotations to try and make my product more effective and

engaging for the consumer. • The way I emulated conventions from existing products to try and create my own images,

this helped because I at least had an idea of what sort of thing I wanted to produce at the production stage.

What I would change if I repeated the project• Add more signification to my product because I only have a few things that the consumer

can connote from my illustrations, where as existing products have a lot of things you can connote from the illustrations.

How does it compare to existing products?The signification inside my graphic novel is not as evident as other graphic novels in the market at the moment. Like, Bat Storm (bottom), it’s signification is evident from the first page; the bats red colouring suggests that it is dangerous. However, my concerns were with making this product look medieval and to try and emulate a graphic novel set in the middle ages, this, I think, was carried out well.

Representation

My graphic novel features a couple of representations of different groups, including the upper/ruling class and different races. In my narrative, I portray the ruling class, predominantly, as the evil class that betrays the hero. This is carried out by James and the corrupt Noblemen been of an upper class, who, in my novel, are portrayed as the bad side. Like previously mentioned, James is the bad character because he frames Mamad, which leads to his execution, while killing the king as well. The other representation in my story involves two races, white British and Eastern European. I do this in my story by making the main character, Mamad, of an Eastern European heritage, while designing everyone else as white British. I portrayed Mamad as the main character, who was good, but was framed by James. This representation of the White British characters been dominant is not one I considered in my considerations planning piece, but would be a representation/stereotype that would be held in the time when this narrative was set.

What I like • That I made a narrative with different representation in. My main goal at the start of the project was to make a graphic novel that featured different ages, genders and races.• The different races who were represented in my graphic novel were historically correct and would be the representations that would be held by many people in Britain at that time.

What I would change if I repeated the project•Create more representations of different groups in my graphic narrative. However, I didn’t want to create too many racially different characters and portray the characters different from the other, this would give my novel that suggested racially inequalities, which I didn’t want to create.

How does it compare to existing products?The representations in this graphic novel, Vampire Academy, are not as noticeable or as high in quantity. The only representation that can be found in the narrative is gender representations. The female is portrayed as equal as the male in this particular graphic narrative, which is unconventional, due to the female normally been the vulnerable character type that needs rescuing in traditional story types. Apart from this, the graphic novel has no other representations of different groups.

Historical and Cultural context Layout – The layout of the existing product, ‘Twilight’, is conventional with the 8 or 6 slide approach to a graphic novel. However, the slides not been the same size is quite unconventional, and while I’ve emulated this technique, same size slides is the traditional layout.

Illustrations – The illustrations in the twilight graphic novel are created by hand drawing. This technique was considered by me for my graphic novel but was adjudged to be too time consuming and with the quality of the work I could produce been poor, I decided on rotoscope and comic book effect. These illustrations that are shown on the right are of a better quality to mine, but the time I had to produce my product, this illustration type was not feasible. My illustrations using Rotoscope and comic book effect are suffice for what I needed them for.

Anchorage – Twilight doesn’t convey much anchorage on the various pages of the graphic novel. This sometimes makes it difficult to understand the narrative, which eventually turns out to be less effective as once thought. The anchorage of my graphic novel maybe overused but you can understand my narrative from start to finish and the effectiveness still stands.

Signification – Apart from the Vampire references and the signs at the start of the book that show that some characters are vampires, the signification is few and far between. This takes a bit of enigma off the whole graphic novel because consumers aren’t wondering what things connote. However, my narrative doesn’t contain much signification, which may detract from the effectiveness, but it doesn’t make the graphic novel any less successful.

Representation – In twilight, a story based largely on vampires, portrays Vampires as a close knit group, who are outsiders from the human race and can’t fit in. Again, like a previous graphic novel I analysed, the women and men were shown as equal, which is unconventional but seems to increasingly more popular. There are different races in this graphic narrative, but they aren’t portrayed much different from the vampires, unlike my graphic narrative that represents different races extensively.

Historical and Cultural context

Layout - 10 slides per page, instead of a more conventional technique of 6 or 8 slides per page.

Illustrations – They have had a lot of time spent on them, this explains the accuracy and a high standard finish on them.

Anchorage – There is anchorage on most of the slides, this helps the consumer follow the story easily, while optimising effectiveness.

Signification – The guys Fawkes mask may give you an idea of what may be about to happen, so the events that unfold may not be much of a surprise.

Representation – In the graphic novel, V for Vendetta, the character V is portrayed as smart but ruthless.

Layout – Unlike the V for Vendetta graphic novel, my narrative only has 6 slides a page, one of the traditional figures for a conventional graphic novel.

Illustrations – Less time spent on images that have been rotoscoped, not drawn like the existing product. However, a larger quantity of products were created to complete my product.

Anchorage – This element is used on every slide of my graphic novel, like the V for Vendetta narrative. It helps to the story throughout the product.

Signification – Not as subtle as in V for Vendetta, but colours such as Red are meant to connote pride in royalty in my graphic novel.

Representation – It represents different classes and races in my narrative, where as the V for Vendetta novel doesn’t represent any group differently, just individuals.

Historical and Cultural context

Production processes How well has the work been put together?I think my product has been constructed and produced to a high standard, there are no big blank spaces where I could have produced more, the images are completed to a good standard and the backgrounds, like on slide 21 and many other, have been completed to a high standard.

How well has technology been used to create your product?The technology which I used, Adobe Photoshop, allowed me to complete my work to the best standard I could with the time I had. Within the software, the text, lasso and magic wand tools were the tools that were used the most. The technology also enabled me to create illustrations that, otherwise, I would have not been able to produce without it.

Most creative parts of the product• The backgrounds of the slides, using the comic book effect• The characters and the detail on those characters• The front cover, using the comic book effect, as well as the texture tool on the filter gallery.

Least creative• The anchorage, which could have been created a lot better than it was, whether it was the colour or style of it.• The positioning of the text boxes and the character, they could have been created better when arranging them on Photoshop.

Time management:I think I made use of my time to the best of my ability, with tasks getting completeOn time and handed in on deadlines. I stuck to my schedule on well and made Sure I had contingency time added to my schedule, just in case I hit a glitch in the project. However, I didn’t have any hiccups and had spare time to make sure my work was completed to the maximum standard I aimed for while in the planning stages of this project. I managed to use my time well by viewing my schedule regularly to check I was on course to complete my work by the time I expected, while adding contingency time was also important to the success of time management for this project. Without contingency time, you think you have more time than you do and end up rushing the end part of your work.

Production processes

FeedbackMany of the pieces of feedback I received for my work on the project was constructive and made amendments where necessary. These helped my work to be better and, overall, a more complete and professionally looking product. The only bits of feedback I didn’t agree with were the parts that hadn’t be viewed correctly by the reviewer, such as a suggestion that an illustration section should be added to the planning section, when it was initially already on my blog.

However, the pieces of feedback that stated more words would be helpful to the success and effectiveness of the product, which I will now use for future tasks and generate more words, rather than try and get away with a little bit of text and a picture.

This was a talking point of both feedback pieces I received. An amendment of mine was then to add text to the slides, such as this one on the right.