Project Log #VCD302 | Blog 4

For my final project, I’m creating a series of three AR (augmented reality) promotional posters for the Sydney band Salted Ham. The posters are intended to create a promotional theme for the band which can be used as a backdrop for gig promotions, either in printed form or as motion content for social media promotions.  The designs use a mix of print styles and bold motion graphics to present the band’s chaotic, humorous and rebellious persona. These three posters show an interactive experience, in each poster the designs are brought to life through the Eyejack app, mixing the dynamic between analog print and digital motion.

The posters are intended to advertise the band and give people a sense of what their live shows are like. Instead of just using still images, I want to make something more interactive and exciting, using AR elements help bring this to life by adding movement, and animation to the printed designs. Each poster captures a different side of Salted Ham, helping viewers understand their style and music through visuals.

I want to focus on a few motion design techniques like kinetic typography (moving text), rhythm and pace (how fast things move), and layering different animations together. I’ll use Adobe After Effects to build the animations, playing around with effects like fading in and out, zooming, and quick changes in size and position. I want to mirror the antics and unpredictable feel of the band. I’m experimenting with scaling objects, opacity fades, sequencing, and jittery text to achieve this. I’m also exploring frame-by-frame rough transitions to exaggerate physicality in the animations. 

The inspiration for the poster concepts come from the band’s name - Salted Ham, as well the design style of promotional posters for bands that are Salted Ham’s own inspiration, like Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Sticky Fingers, Arctic Monkeys, and Dire Straits. Some of my design ideas include creating  imagery of a butcher shop and meat cuts, or to create cuts of meat, with overlay of band images, or even to merge images of the band to become the animals or the cuts of meat. I may use the meat in the posters in the same way as the band does, which is to throw ‘hams’ into the audience as part of their shows.