Thesis Weekly Reflection Jan 30 — Feb 6
The start of the Spring semester — and for many of us here in the Interactive Multimedia Department at TCNJ, our last semester before graduation —heralds the second half of senior thesis (accompanied by excitement or screaming, depending on how research and development went last semester). As for me, I’ve tried to set myself up for this semester by crafting my classes around the skills needed for my project, which is essentially a culmination of my own abilities and passions. Before I continue, here’s a quick recap of my project, taken straight from my thesis proposal:
“HoloPlanet is an interactive exhibit piece that plays an animated narrative across multiple holographic devices. This project strives to tell a story centered around themes of deforestation and habitat loss, and it aims to do so in a unique format. This project will essentially exist as a conglomerate of three different mediums. First, it will feature a physical model of a mountain created from discarded recyclable material found around campus. It is upon this model the that the holographic devices and small LED lights will be arranged.
The second component is an animation, which will be played on the devices in extended display format. The storyline paints a symbolic picture that draws parallels between animals and humans and our own dependency on the planet.
The final component is the interactive aspect that will test my skills in physical computing. This includes a motion sensor to activate the LED lights and trigger the animation to play. The main goals of this project is to 1) exercise and push my abilities in the skillset required by each component of the project, and 2) create a unique experience for viewers that will inspire lasting contemplation on the subject.”
The courses I’m taking this semester include Senior Thesis: Process and Promotion, Digital Animation, Texturing for Games, Digital Fabrication, and UX/UI. The last course is for purely for my own interest in user interaction design and is not related to thesis, but can still still very well be incorporated into it somehow should I choose to do so. This past week was syllabus week, and I took the opportunity to not only plan how to use each course to develop the skills needed for my project, but also to speak with a few of my professors about it. The animation portion will be covered by my Digital Animation and Texturing courses, while the physical construction of the model and a little bit of the physical computing aspect will be aided by my Digital Fabrication class.
In addition, I’ve also been working on some style exploration and referencing a tutorial to craft a tree model, which I hope to be able to use in the CG environment construction. Admittedly, I was initially a little anxious about actually tackling such a big project on the first day of Thesis. But after beginning work and taking time to plan some things out, I feel much more comfortable having actually started the process and knowing I have knowledgeable individuals who can help me.
