Appendix 9 - Draft 3 and 10 - August 6 2012

Investigation Form

INTRODUCTION

Follow these steps to help you research information for your project. You must do the activity one step at the time.

STEP 1      TASK DEFINITION

A.     Defined Problem/Background

The background is my interest in arts and different art medias. I want to learn a new skill in art and a media that I am interested in is sand animation.

B.     Goal: 

To learn to create sand animations featuring 5 stories representing 5 countries.

C.    What is your inquiry question? 

1. What countries and stories can my artworks be about?

- What are 5 or more countries that my artworks can be about?

- What are iconic things that stand out about each country?

- What stories are famous from each country?

2. What do you need to know in order to create sand animation?

- What materials are needed (the sand type and such)?

- What tools are needed?

- What are the steps in creating the sand animation?

- What hand movement techniques are used in sand animation?

3. What animation principles can be applied to sand animation?

D.    What kinds of information are you looking for?

Examples, facts, statistics and diagrams.

IDENTIFY THE INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS. (What information do I need? i.e facts, examples, diagrams, table, graphs, experts.)    

Step 2.  INFORMATION SEEKING STRATEGIES Consider: accuracy- (complete); related (on the topic); availability (ease of use); appealing, etc.	Step 3  LOCATIONS  &  ACCESS
Consider possible sources. e.g. BOOKS, REFERENCE BOOKS (Encyclopedias, dictionaries,  almanacs, other reference materials); AUDIO VISUAL (CD roms, Videos / VCD’S & DVD’S, cassettes, others), PERSONAL INTERVIEWS; INTERNET (record websites used).  Indicate which maybe the best sources and why.	Locate sources (Where will I find these sources?). List call numbers
Primary Sources: Books, personal interview, video of an expert creating a sand animation, websites written by experts of the subject Secondary Sources: Internet  (websites from a second hand source)	I can find books in libraries and books stores, and I can interview people through the internet or by meeting theme depending on where they are at the time, I can find videos and websites on the internet, and I can find the internet at home and at school.

STEP 4. USE OF INFORMATION             NOTE-TAKING SHEET (show references in a bibliography (MLA)

Criterion A.  Process Journal Students should demonstrate information literacy, thinking and reflection. Research Topic 1/What inquiry question do you try to answer? What countries and stories can my artwork be about?
Sources (MLA) “Jawa Tengah.” Cerita Rakyat Nusantara. 29 July. 2012. <http://ceritarakyatnusantara.com/id/browse/375-Jawa-Tengah#>. “Paris Tourism.” Paris Tourism. 29 July. 2012. <http://www.paris-tourism.com/paris/us/patrimoine_loisirs/monuments.html>. “Most Famous Landmarks and Cultural Monuments in the World: Most Famous Monuments.” nationsonline. 19 July. 2012. <http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/most_famous_landmarks.htm>.	-       Indonesia: Timun Mas (folktale) -       India: Taj Mahal (the history behind its creation) -       France: Eiffel Tower (a story that includes the Eiffel Tower) -       China: the Great Wall (a story about it). -       USA: the Statue of Liberty (about the building of it).
Evaluate your sources!  (The Evaluation should be done per-topic research, not per-resource and draft should be posted on the journal) a.     How the information suited to the project? (Coverage)         Does the information help me respond to the inquiry question? Yes, the information helps me to list out possible countries and stories that my artwork can be about.         Does the information belong to my topic? Yes, the information belongs to my topic, which has to do with artworks that represents 5 countries.         Will the information help me to develop my project product? Yes, the information will help me to develop my project product as it allows me to have a focus for the story that is told through the sand animation.         Does the information connect clearly with the area of interaction or aspects of it? Yes, the information connects to the area of interaction of Human ingenuity as the stories were created by people and will help me to create my final product by interpreting the story through sand animation. B.     Is the information source reliable (Authority)?  Where does the information come from? C.     is the information accurate ? Can the information be verified in another source? D.    Is the information up-to-date? (Currency)  Is the information current or still valuable if it is older? E.     Is the information objective/not biased? (Objectivity) Yes, since the information is factual, about certain stories and places from different countries, and does not have to do with people’s opinions, it is not bias. F.     What information do I still need? I still need further information regarding each story and place so that I can work out the scenes that will make up the story in my sand animation. G.    What new questions does my research bring? My research brings the new questions of whom my target audience is through my artwork or the message that I want to put out, what would be the best story to tell, and how to depict the stories through the sand animation technique.
Criterion D.  Application of Information Students should transfer and apply information to make decisions, create solutions and develop understandings in connection with the project’s goal. (Note: Please include reference/in-text citation) How is this information useful throughout the project to achieve the goal for: 1.     Specifications of the product/outcomes: This information will help me in achieving the goal for the specifications of my product as it gives me a background on the content of my product, which are stories from different countries based on their culture or something famous from that country. There are listed 5 stories from 5 countries above, “Indonesia: Timun Mas (folktale) - India: Taj Mahal (the history behind its creation) - France: Eiffel Tower (a story that includes the Eiffel Tower) - China: the Great Wall (a story about it). - USA: the Statue of Liberty (about the building of it),” (ceritarakyatnusantara.com, Paris Tourism, nationsonline) this helps to fulfil that part of my goal. 1.     The techniques chosen in different stages:          Design: The information helps me create my design for my final product, as the sand animation created will feature the 5 mentioned stories from the 5 countries, and so my design will be based on stories mentioned above. Without this information I will not know what to base my designs upon.         Plan: The information will help me in the planning process as I can create my planning based on the 5 stories, so that I will create one story at a time based on the time given for us to create the product, this will make my planning more detailed and organized.         Create: It will help me to create my product as the content of my product is based on the 5 stories from the 5 countries. This information will help in the creation process so that I can always look back as the basis of my design and change it if necessary so that the design will be better suited to the information.         Evaluate/Testing Method: It will help me so that I know that I need to evaluate my product based on how well I have created a sand animation with the mentioned theme. I can also test to see if my product as filled the design specification of 5 stories from 5 countries which it has based on the information.

STEP 4. USE OF INFORMATION             NOTE-TAKING SHEET (show references in a bibliography (MLA)

Criterion A.  Process Journal Students should demonstrate information literacy, thinking and reflection. Research Topic 2/What inquiry question do you try to answer? What do you need to know in order to create sand animation?
Sources (MLA) Nurmatari, Avitia. “Sosok Denny Darko, Sand Animator Pertama di Indonesia.” detikBandung. 29 July. 2012. Web. <http://bandung.detik.com/read/2012/02/27/163050/1852678/661/sosok-denny-darko-sand-animator-pertama-di-indonesia>. “Kseniya Simonova - Sand Drawing.” Full Documentary. 29 July. 2012. Web. <http://fulldocumentary.com/performingarts/default.asp?action=listing&id=732>. Kenyon, Heather. “Animating Under the Camera.” Animation World Magazine Issue 3.2 May. 1998. Web. <http://www.awn.com/mag/issue3.2/3.2pages/3.2student.html>. “Life Story, written in the sand.” Ilana Yahav. 29 July. 2012. Web. <http://sandfantasy.com/about-me/>. “Emotions.” Ilana Yahav. 29 July. 2012. Web. <http://sandfantasy.com/video-clips/?tubepress_video=_jfS2rybDOg>. “Jungle Sandsation – Sand Art by Charlene Lanzel.” Sand Art by Charlene Lanzel. 12 Aug. 2012. Web. <http://www.youtube.com/user/CharleneLanzel>. “Alexandra Konofalskaya for Naturally Wood (Canada).” SANDART. To see unique. 12 Aug. 2012. Web. <http://www.artsand.org/en/video>. “Sand Art – Never Forget: A Memorial For Those Who Lost Their Lives On 9/11.” A Sand Story. 12 Aug. 2012 Web. <http://www.joecastillo.com/corporate.html>. “SAND ART – Live Sand animation Volkswagen Touareg.” Whisperingsand. 12 Aug. 2012. Web. <http://www.whisperingsand.net/Videogallery.htm>. “SAND ART INDIA – The Resurrection – Indian.”  Whisperingsand. 12 Aug. 2012. Web. <http://www.whisperingsand.net/video2.htm>.	Tools: -       Your hands -       Light box or overhead projector (or other flat translucent surfaces (such as glass) and a light source) -       Camera to video the sand animation Materials: -       Sand (volcanic sand (based on Kseniya Simonova who creates sand animation (the performance type (which I am doing)), white beach sand (based on Caroline Leaf who is a sand animator) Steps in creating a sand animation: “in most cases, customers request a special artistic creation based on a topic of their choice [first step (in my case I will have to choose the topic and idea for each artwork)], so that each performance requires lengthy preparations, starting with the many sketches that she makes in a notebook [second step], after which she proceeds to experiment on the sand table itself [third step]. Here, the creation generally undergoes extensive changes [fourth step] as a result of the emotions and feelings evoked within her as she works with the sand.” (sandfantasy.com) “Light and music also form important elements of Ilana’s creations. In her works, she uses lights that emerge from under a transparent table, sometimes even multicolored illumination. For the perfect soundtrack, Ilana carefully chooses music that matches the message and the sensations being conveyed. [this means that after I have created the video of my product I should also add a soundtrack]” (sandfantasy.com) Hand Movements: To add sand in a thick line, grip the sand and let it out by easing the grip on your bottom fingers. Controlling how much sand to let out at a time, you can create thinner and thicker lines. Grouping the fingers close together you can create lines close to each other in one movement. By controlling the space between fingers, you can create lines in one hand movement, either close together or further apart. When you want to add a layer of sand over an existing picture to make it darker but still visible you hold the sand high over the picture and move your hands from the edge of the picture to the middle back and forth while letting the sand fall out of your hands in thing layers. To swipe away the sand to create a thin line, use the nail of your finger instead of the whole tip of your finger. To swipe away the sand and create a clean area in smaller strokes, curve your hands like in the picture and use the middle segment of your fingers to swipe the sand away. To swipe away more sand than in the previous picture and create a larger clean area in a faster time, use the whole side of your hand to clean away the sand as needed. You can also use the shape of your hand in clearing away sand to crate an image, such as leaving the bit for the eyes in clearing away the area for the face in this picture. Using the curve of the fingers, the sand artist also creates the bend of the eyelid while clearing away the sand. You can swipe away a picture using your whole hands such as in the picture above and have the effect like the one above. You can use the nail of your thumb in the hand position shown to sharpen the shapes created in the sand so there are more angles and you can create thin lines from the sand such as the spire on top of the building. You can also use your finger to create a sharp points out of the sand (the crown of the statue of liberty), not only your thumb. Using your thumb and index finger, you can create very thin lines out of the sand by pinching the sand between those two fingers and letting very small amounts of sand fall out in the wanted shape. You can create the effect above sort of like a cloud by griping the sand in letting it out of your hand in a random pattern. You can manipulate the shape of your fingers to create shapes, for example, you can use the shape of your thumb to more easily create a curve. Simply using the tip of your finger like a pencil, pushing away the sand, can create most shapes such as the sailor’s hat. Using your index and little finger while curling away the other fingers, you can create identical shapes with a bit of space in between in one movement, such as the cross, above. You can also erase a picture by adding sand to it from outside of the picture area and swiping it into the area of the picture. You can create the flowers above using a quick hand gesture, by starting with your fingers together then spreading them out in a quick movement, so that you knuckles touch the sand. To create another type of flowers, which is more geometric, you start with your two hand close together, using a few finger tips from each hand and then swiping outwards, this creates an area of sand in the center (the center of the flower) and petals. Grouping the fingers of your hands closely together, you can use the tips of your fingers to create multiply dots in one movement. You can create a simple butterfly by starting with your thumb and index finger close together with a bit of space between them on the sand, then make a small motion, swiping upwards and outward. This creates a bigger top than a bottom and gives the feel of a butterfly.
Evaluate your sources!  (The Evaluation should be done per-topic research, not per-resource and draft should be posted on the journal) b.    How the information suited to the project? (Coverage)         Does the information help me respond to the inquiry question? Yes, the information helps me to respond to the question, as now I know what tools and materials are necessary to create sand animation, the steps taken to create sand animation and the techniques (hand movements) that can be used and practiced in creating sand animation.         Does the information belong to my topic? Yes, the information belongs to my topic as I need to create a sand animation artwork, and now I know what tools and materials are necessary to have, as well as the steps that I need to take and hand movements that I need to practice.         Will the information help me to develop my project product? Yes, the information will help me to develop my project product, as now I know the tools, materials, steps and hand gestures that I can use to create my project product.         Does the information connect clearly with the area of interaction or aspects of it? Yes, the information connects clearly with the area of interaction of Human Ingenuity as I will need the information to learn the skill of sand animation and create and product based on that skill. B.     Is the information source reliable (Authority)?  Where does the information come from? Yes, the source is reliable as it is based on those who are known for sand animation and have worked with sand animation. They can be considered as experts on the subject. C.     Is the information accurate? Can the information be verified in another source? Yes, the information is accurate as different sand animation artists, overall use the same tools; and in the information regarding the type of sand used, I have gotten a website talking about one sand animation artist and different websites which refer to her also say the same thing. Aside from this, for the steps in creating a sand animation, though I have not verified the information with another source, I am quite sure that the information is accurate as it comes from the artist’s own team and the process that she goes through in creating a design is the common process that is done in creating other pieces of artwork, where there is a design first, then practices and experiments before the final product. As for the information regarding the techniques (hand movements) used to create different effects, some of the information so far as I have found is quite unique to an artist but most of the techniques are applied by multiple sand artists, making the information accurate. D.    Is the information up-to-date? (Currency)  Is the information current or still valuable if it is older? Sand animation has been present for quite some time and the basic form of sand animation has not really changed so the information is stilly valuable if it is older, though the information is still up-to-date as sand animation artists are still practicing the art form/technique. E.     Is the information objective/not biased? (Objectivity) Overall the information is not biased as other sources give the same information regarding the tools and materials and the information regarding the type of sand used comes from more than one artist. Most of the information regarding the hand movements are also taken from more than one source, the piece of information that might be bias is the one about the steps used to create sand animation, as I got this information only from one source. F.     What information do I still need? I still need information on where I can get the various tools and materials and possible how to use tools I am not accustomed to such as a sand box or overhead projector as well as more detail in the steps used to create sand animation, and possible more techniques (hand movements) that are common or that can be used as a basis as I create my product. G.    What new questions does my research bring? My research brings the new questions of where to get the tools and materials as well as how to use the different tools and materials. It also gives the question of how to mimic the different hand movements to get the desired effect.
Criterion D.  Application of Information Students should transfer and apply information to make decisions, create solutions and develop understandings in connection with the project’s goal. (Note: Please include reference/in-text citation) How is this information useful throughout the project to achieve the goal for: 1.     Specifications of the product/outcomes: It helps me to fulfill the specification of the product of a sand animation, as the              information on the materials, tools, steps and techniques needed in creating a sand animation is essential to being able to create a quality product. For example without knowing the following, “Tools: - Your hands - Light box or overhead projector (or other flat translucent surfaces (such as glass) and a light source) - Camera to video the sand animation… Materials: - Sand (volcanic sand (based on Kseniya Simonova who creates sand animation (the performance type (which I am doing)), white beach sand (based on Caroline Leaf who is a sand animator),” (Kenyon, Heather, Kseniya Simonova) I cannot create my product. 2.     The techniques chosen in different stages:          Design: It will help me to think of the possibilities of the design and its limitations, for example the different hand movements show me the variety of shapes that I can create with lines of different thicknesses and this will help me in creating my design.         Plan: Based on the information, in the planning process I now know better the tools and materials that I need to prepare aside from simply creating a timetable.         Create: In the creation process, I now know how to create a good quality sand animation, and so I can create a sand animation that will be pleasing to my viewers.         Evaluate/Testing Method: In the evaluation, I will be able to use the information gathered, such as the techniques used, to judge whether or not my sand animation has met a good standard.

STEP 4. USE OF INFORMATION             NOTE-TAKING SHEET (show references in a bibliography (MLA)

Criterion A.  Process Journal Students should demonstrate information literacy, thinking and reflection. Research Topic 3/What inquiry question do you try to answer? What animation principles can be applied to sand animation?
Sources (MLA) Sanders, Andrien-Luc. “What is Sand Animation?” About.com. 2 Aug. 2012. <http://animation.about.com/od/faqs/f/What-Is-Sand-Animation.htm>. De Stefano, Ralph A. “Staging.” University of Illinois at Chicago. 2 Aug. 2012. <http://www.evl.uic.edu/ralph/508S99/staging.html>. De Stefano, Ralph A. “Exaggeration.” University of Illinois at Chicago. 2 Aug. 2012. <http://www.evl.uic.edu/ralph/508S99/exaggera.html>. De Stefano, Ralph A. “Appeal.” University of Illinois at Chicago. 2 Aug. 2012. <http://www.evl.uic.edu/ralph/508S99/appeal.html>.	Not all animation principles may apply to the sand animation form that I am practicing, which is the performance one, because of the following: "Sand animation" is a broad term used to refer to two methods of creating moving pictures / films of sand art; one method is an actual animation technique, while the other focuses more on capturing the act of painting with sand on film. They can end in the exact same result, but they're still different...and only one counts as real animation… In actual sand animation, each frame is created individually by the animator, then captured on camera, just like in cel animation. The only difference is that instead of using ink and paint on acetate cels, the animator is using sand on a flat surface, usually made of either wood or backlit glass. Because this form of sand animation still follows the basic definition of animation (still images arranged in sequence and played at a speed that creates the illusion of motion), it's still considered an animation technique… The other practice often referred to as "sand animation" isn't animation at all, but just video of sand painters creating their art. Instead of creating the illusion of motion, the camera is capturing actual motion on video…This practice is more accurately referred to as "sand painting." (about.com) Some animation principles can still be applied to ‘sand painting’ though: -       Staging: Readability: To draw the audience’s attention to a certain point within the animation frame. [This may be applied by the direction of the hand movements and the speed of the hand movements.] Personality: The features and body language of a character will help tell the audience about its personality Mood: The composition and light and dark can be used to give of a certain mood [the composition of the scenes and the amount of sand used (to create darker or lighter images) can help to give a mood as well as music] -       Exaggeration: You can exaggerate some things in a scene, such as expressions so it is easier for the audience to get the idea of the feeling expressed. You should also remember about balance, so don’t exaggerate all of the objects and features in a scene this will make the scene still look realistic. -       Appeal: Quality: The characters and pictures in a scene should have a good quality so that it will be pleasing to your audience and capture their attention. (University of Illinios at Chicago)
Evaluate your sources!  (The Evaluation should be done per-topic research, not per-resource and draft should be posted on the journal) a.     How the information suited to the project? (Coverage)         Does the information help me respond to the inquiry question? Yes, the information helps me to respond to the inquiry question as it teaches me that animation principles don’t necessarily apply to the form of sand animation, also called sand painting that I am studying. There are though, a few principles that can still be applied in the scenes I produce in my sand animation. Does the information belong to my topic? Yes, the information belongs to my topic as it will help me in creating my final product through the few applicable principles and it also teaches me that the direction that I go with this project is not necessarily pure animation. Will the information help me to develop my project product? Yes, the information will help me in developing my product through the information regarding the animation principles that can still be applied to my project and it teaches me that the development of my product is not truly in the direction of animation. Does the information connect clearly with the area of interaction or aspects of it? Yes, the information connects with the area of interaction of Human Ingenuity, as the principles show creation and creativity as people have developed sand art into different forms and people have developed animation till they have come up with basic principles. B.     Is the information source reliable (Authority)?  Where does the information come from? The information is reliable as about.com is still part of the New York Times Company and the other sources all come from Illinois University. C.     Is the information accurate? Can the information be verified in another source? Yes, the information is accurate as you can find the information regarding the definition of sand animation in other sources as well as the information on the principles of animation on other websites, such as: http://www.rizawerks.com/how/12principles/12%20principles.htm D.    Is the information up-to-date? (Currency)  Is the information current or still valuable if it is older? Sand animation has been around for quite some time so the information may not be that current but it is still valuable, as there are still those two branches of sand animation today. As for the information regarding animation principles, they are still valuable if they are older because though animation technologies may change, the basics of animation haven’t, so the principles related with animation should not change overtime. E.     Is the information objective/not biased ? (Objectivity) The information is not bias as other sources give the same information. F.     What information do I still need? In this topic I don’t think I still need that much information though I could do further research about other information regarding what is key points I should have in my sand animation. G.    What new questions does my research bring? My research brings the new questions of how to apply the applicable principles in my storyboard and design.
Criterion D.  Application of Information Students should transfer and apply information to make decisions, create solutions and develop understandings in connection with the project’s goal. (Note: Please include reference/in-text citation) How is this information useful throughout the project to achieve the goal for: 3.     Specifications of the product/outcomes: The information helps to achieve the product specifications as sand animation, from the name you can tell is a branch of animation. From the information above I can further understand what a sand animation is and so fulfill my design specification of creating a sand animation. For example, I have found that the type of sand animation I am aiming for is not an actual form of animation (about.com). Therefore not all the principles of animation can be applied to my product. 4.     The techniques chosen in different stages:          Design: I can use the information to create a design that fulfills the applicable principles of animation in this media of sand animation to create a better design outcome.         Plan: In planning, I will now know better how much time to allocate for the creation of the sand animation, which (the actual video of the sand animation) can take a shorter time to create then a video of real animation, as you do not need to move the sand bit by bit, but video the whole process of shifting the sand. This will make my plan more realistic.         Create: In the creation process, I can apply the applicable principles of animation in my sand animation; it also helps to give further points to check my product on.         Evaluate/Testing Method: The information helps me in evaluating as I can evaluate my product based on how well the principles of animation were applied.