Video

Here is the final animation for the posters, for these animations I have made each mobile device large and in the way of the image, then over time it moves out of the way to reveal the real image behind, after this the text appears saying "Some things are better in real life". The meaning behind these animations are to get the audience to think about moving away from their phones and technology, to see what is really out there. Its showing you that real life needs to be experienced and not just seen in pixels. 

Along with this I have made some of the posters into images that represent some of the places they could possibly be shown.

Posters

The three themes that I have selected for my posters are Castle covering the buildings section of the trust, Gardens showing the beauty of the trust and wildlife representing the good the trust does for nature. The three background images I have chosen are below.

For each of these I have added Pixel art that represents something in the original image as you can see here.

These are the finished posters without the branded frame work suggested by The National Trust

And here are the same images made to fit the frame templates given by the Trust

Pixel Style

Looking at the last mock up I did for these posters, I feel there needs to be a dramatic difference between real and on screen, to do this I have been looking into some classic computer graphics, while doing this I wanted to also keep current styles in mind so I dont end up disconnecting from half of my target audience. 
The perfect half way house between classic on screen styles and whats currently popular is pixel art. 
Pixel art can be dated back to the 1970's where it was used because of low graphics capabilities and low resolutions and is similar in style to cross stitching. The pixel style has made a come back in fashion with popular games using it such as Minecraft and Flappy bird.

For these reasons I feel that pixel art is the style that would best suit inside of each screen on my posters. I have set up a grid in illustrator so that I can have the appearance of pixel art with the connivence of vector images. Here is the first images that I have recreated in this style. The original image is of Bodiam Castle which is one owned by the National Trust.

Further Ideas

Following on from the previous idea which was saying the right thing in its concept but not in its finish and style. I have followed the idea of wanting to get people away from their technology and outdoors by having a photograph of a beautiful garden which is partially covered by a mobile phone that has a virtual garden app loading on it, the concept behind this idea is to make people question WHY they are not experiencing the real thing when it is right in front of them and to get them to realise that its much better to really be there.

I feel that this concept is very strong and is exactly what I want to develop further, however I am not sold on the look and feel of this piece as it stands. I think to make a series of these posters with technology partially covering the images in the background all look coherent, I need to define a proper style to show the dramatic difference between "the real thing" and whats on screen. 

Ideas

Having read over the brief a few more times I feel like the key point is that people arent going outside as much in todays society. Because of this I want my campaign to encourage people to step outside and not miss out on the beauty of it for the sake of their TV or their IPad. 
The idea that this has lead to to is to have someone missing from a poster, to show other people outdoors enjoying their time while the main subject is in cut out form, similar to when you join a social networking site and they have a simple face shaped outline where you are meant to insert your photograph. 
The slogans that I have come up with for this piece are along the lines of 
"Be there" or "Dont miss out"

Here are the slightly different variations of this initial idea

While I like this idea, I feel that it isnt quite showing as i'd hoped and I feel it could give the impression of a missing person or hidden identity rather than the idea of missing out on fun.

Branding

The branding guidelines for the national trust are quite strict and detailed so I have made a list of bullet points to outline the three most important parts of these guidelines.

• The logo must stay the same (except for colour change)

                  The below colours are approved for use:

• Leave breathing space for the logo, do not put it next close to another image or text

               This is the recommended clear area

• Where appropriate, the layout of covers and posters is based on the idea of a picture frame

                Here are some examples of the picture frame templates to use

National Trust

Because I have been struggling to come up with an idea for my XL Recordings brief it was suggested that I consider changing the brief all together to start on something new that I can enjoy and sink my teeth into. This is something that I have not wanted to do as we are getting closer and closer to the deadline for this project, however I feel that the work I will produce from the XL Recordings brief will be half hearted as I have had such difficulties with it. 
For that reason I am changing to the National Trust brief. 
We now only have one week till the hand in date so getting through the research and idea generating will have to be quick.

The national trust brief 

Aim: To connect people back with nature and the outdoors, to attract a younger audience.

Reason for this: The national trust has been given an image that it is for old people and cream tea on the lawn and it wants to show the younger audience that it is more than that. They want to reconnect people with the great outdoors and strengthen peoples bond with nature. 

Things to consider: Video format must be MPEG or MOV, Images must be JPEG only. Consider print, digital and experiential when creating work. Abide by branding guidelines.

Outcome: A campaign that consists of either a video (max 2 mins) or up to eight images. Supporting materials can also be added to the main hand in.


The national trust was set up in 1895 and has been going ever since, this long lasting trust has the aim to "Look after Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty permanently for the benefit of the nation across England, Wales and Northern Ireland". In 2010 the trusts membership count hit over 3.7 million and this brief is set out to make sure that number continues to grow. As the national trust is such a long lasting company they do have strict guidelines to keep them easily recognised. My first step in the process is to look though these and make sure that I know exactly what I can and cant change about their current set up.

Models

After a brief 1 to 1 with my tutor the idea of creating small models of the band came up, I decided to try the idea to see where it lead and started creating my miniature Thom Yorke. 

This took me quite a while and I realised it wasnt viable to do all of the members of the band. I also realised that the idea only lead as far as making the models. After a long time trying to come up with an idea I decided to wave the white flag on the models.