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Ideas:
[click
links for more info.]
Design activities at Comedy Central
are divided into three departments:
- ON
LINE (the web site)
- OFF
LINE (bags, posters, hats, etc.)
- ON
AIR (television)
  Our
tour focused on On Air design and specifically how visual effects
are created for the television channel.
First
of all, everyone wanted to know about South Park. We learned that
the TV show and movies are not created in New York. They're made
in California. In New York, the work focuses more on creating: Promotional
spots, packaging spots, and IDs.
 Promotional
spots are short
segments that advertise different shows on the channel. So, for
example, if you're watching South Park, you might see a promotional
spot for Beat the Geeks. It will try to get you to watch
that show also.
Packaging
spots are segments
that introduce a show, end a show, and transition into commercials.
Packaging spots establish the look and feel for a particular show.
For example, the packaging of Jim
Breuer: Hardcore has a metallic, kind of punk feel to
it because that's what the comedy is like on that show. The packaging
of the show Win
Ben Stein's Money is more zany and brainy because this
show is more about absurdity and trivia.
 IDs
are
network identifications (logos). They usually last for 10 seconds
or less and help to brand the name and concept of Comedy Central.
BRANDING is a strategy used by a company
to give its product/program a personality that is unique, appealing,
and appropriate so that the viewers or consumers will want to
choose it over other shows or products.
The
way to know that a company has succeeded in BRANDING their product
or company is when the viewer/consumer can identify their company
or product just by looking at a simple logo. For instance can
you name the companies being represented by the logos below:
If
you were able to guess the right answers, this means that nike
and the United Way are doing a good job at BRANDING their products/companies.
The
designers at Comedy Central walked us through their design process
(see Tools & Techniques), but
before that, they explained the difference between 3-D animation
and Live Action animation.
 3-D
animation,
like what you might see in the movie Monsters, Inc. is done almost
entirely on computers. When Comedy Central uses 3-D animation,
it hires other companies who specialize in that to do the work.
Live
Action, Most
of the work done at Comedy Central headquarters in NY is Live
Action animation. With this kind of animation, designers
shoot video of different objects-like people or hands or couches
or buildings-and then they use the computer to add movement, effects
and to combine different objects in creative ways. They mix things
that are filmed with things that are created digitally.
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