Black & White Composition

Story: Typical Weekday for a Working Adult

Planning

Initial Sketches:

Proj 1 Sketch2

Flow of the sketches:

  1. Looks at watch
  2. Walks down the hallway along the desks
  3. Sits at desk and starts working
  4. Boss hands file to worker
  5. Stares at her workload
  6. Brainstorms and stressed out
  7. Clock strikes 6 p.m.
  8. Grabs handbag
  9. Leaves office

Final

Individual Cut-Outs:

The male lead drives to work. After getting off his car, he checks out the time on his watch to make sure that he is on time for work.

This image is designed in a way that his hand is situated at the centre and occupies close to 2/3 of the space to place sufficient emphasis on the wrist and his watch, and allow the current time 8:00 a.m. to stand out.

The man reaches office and drags his feet while walking to his desk. He is the earliest to report to work.

The Symmetrical Balance element is applied here to display a path that leads to his desk. Various elements (i.e. the shadows, path and his legs) are used in this image to create movement in the visual image. The path displays linear perspective, showing that he is walking from a distance. Besides that, there are shadows of his legs to bring out the feeling that a spotlight is shining on him and he is the focus in this image.

The man sits at his desk and does his work.

This image shows the front view of his desk, hence the clock is back-facing the audience. The Repetition element is used in the background to represent window blinds.

His boss hands a file the man.

Several elements in this image help to create an illusion of space. For instance, the hand and file occupy close to 2/3 of the space to appear larger and closer to the audience. The file also overlaps with the table. The curved lines show that someone is slowly approaching the man’s desk.

The man is busy clearing his work and feeling stressed out.

The man is represented in an abstract form. Lighting bolts are placed around the man’s head to indicate that he is brainstorming hard and having a headache. The striking lines also catch the attention of the audience due to the contrast with the white background. A Geometric shape is used as the border in this image too. The symmetrical border surrounds the man, giving a feeling like he is pressurized, trapped inside and has nowhere to escape.

The man takes a break and starts to daydream. He dreams about going on a vacation, travelling to somewhere and admiring the sunset at  a beach.

The Golden Ratio is applied in this image. 2/3 of the space is used to display the focus, which is the dream bubble and the workload. This creates a sense of dilemma.

The man notices that the clock strikes 6 p.m. and it is time to leave office!

The clock is displayed in a 3D form. Zigzag lines are used at the borders surrounding the clock. It brings out the excitement and liveliness of the man after knowing that work has ended. The contrast to the white background also makes the clock and time 6:00 p.m. stand out.

The man grabs his briefcase and gets ready to leave.

The Golden ratio is applied here. 2/3 of the space is used to show the focus of this image, which is the hand grabbing the briefcase handle.

The man leaves office.

Diagonal lines are used at the door to show that it is slowly closing.