Session 4 Homework

The article on Richard Taylor about the work of Weta on the Lord of The Rings trilogy.

It was interesting to see how the balance of special and visual effects was used. i think tht this is also a chancing trend and big budget filmmakers are increasingly moving to using more an d more visual effects.

However personally I find Wetas work on LoTR fascinating. the immense attention to detail and the sheer scale of ehat they accomplised in the trilogy in incredible. i think what they really did was create another world rather than the illusion of one for the screen.

In my research outside the article on the lord of te rings set design has lead to much about european ancient and classical fashions and design.

Weta took great care and consideration in the design of the different Cultures. Foe example with Rohirrin set design and costume had major Saxon and Dark ages scandanavian. I think that Looking to History is a vital part of trying to create reaistic worlds with in a fantasy one. I think this is something Art Director need to find inspirations. Looking at how people in the past thought about colour and Material.

Also the Logical aspects, What would these characters need in this world we are creating. I think that in creating a set of costume for a film, one has to stop and think, would tis work in real life? would they need this? Would they dress like this? Because if you don't believe it the Audience never will.

Also the Visual effects used in LoTR were I think very ground braking at the time. Taylor mentions in the article that they preoduced programmes in order to crete armys of orcs that could move independantly and as in dividuals. Another triumph was the character of Gollum who was ground braking in terms of how Visual effects were used. It is amazing omw much the character evolves in how realistic it is from the first film to the last. Wat they achived in it's creation was astounding.

Joel Peter Witkin

At first all I could think when looking Witkin's work was 'That's odd' but looking more closley I think one thing pops into my mind about it It seems to be commenting on Beauty ot at least the faults of beauty and femininity in the conventiona sense. His use of 'the deformd' in poses reminiscent of classicas materpiecs to me says that he is saying something about the ideas of beauty and normality in our society.

Fro mtis also there is something Uncanny in his work. The idea that smthing is slightly 'wrone' with these images. Something doesn't fit with the convention of normality. 

session 4 Moodboards and Photoshop

Not having useed photoshop before it took me a while to really get to grips with the software. I spent most of the session learning about the programme rather than actually creating anything decent.

I did learn a lot about mood boards and this is a ceoncept I am comfortable with and alos find ejoyable. I think for the mood boards we have t do for the module I will use a mixture of photoshop and physical copies. I think this way I will be able to cover a wide range of medium and practice photoshop skills aswell as hands on methods.

Fake wound Ideas

My group have been given the part of the scene where the actor has a scabby wound on their arm. I have been doing a bit of research on line and there are several good how t guides on you tibe. I started to wonder What kind of look we would want.

I think that It would be nice to have something that look like an 'entry point' for what is crawling under the skin. Soemthing a little like this:

This is created with liquid lates and I think That it looks both like a scab that the character could pick but also like where a small organism could get in or out. Like the horror stories we hear of people who are bitted by exotic and end up playing host to their young. Also I think it would be nice to surround it with irritated skin, looking like there has been a lot of scratching. Something like this,

It almost looks like the flesh has been burned. This will give an idea of the harm the thing moving under his skin is doing. Als the idea that something within his is sreading from this. I think this adds to the idea of the Uncanny, it reminds me of something from one of Paul Jennings Uncanny short stories.

Victorian decor

With the set design we seem to be going for with the group project being the idea of a victorian study I have done some research into what one might expect from that enviroment.

The prominent colours seem to be deep reds and greens aswell as a lot of dark wood. These prominet colours i feel would work well in the set as they give a vibrant back drop to the action. I also think it would bring the set to life as people do tend to associate these colours with the victorian era.

thre also seems to be a strong element of the floral world. This is prominent especially in the crockery. I think that it would be quiet nice to bring that into the set. However I think it might be a good idea to get some dead flowers t put in to the set to add to the creepy and uncanny atmosphere.
It might also work bringing this into the fabric choice. I think there is something somewhat chaotic about floral fabric with the mix of colours and shapes it presents.

 

On the theme of clutter. While looking through victorian furniture  have noticed several small stands or tables which reminded me of something that is in the store.I think it would be great to incorperate this and fill it's shelves with clutter.

 

 I think it would add to the uncanny edge by mixing up a few obviously modern objects with obviously oler ones. again this is something slightly odd and out of place I think some teacups, easily picked up in a charity shop for little money would add alot to the chaotic vibe if scattered and placed half hazardly on the stand.

 

 

In terms of the bed I think that it looks too bodern and wouldn't fit the set we are going for, however with a little dressing I think it could look better. I think a bed crown could be constructed with a little work and the curtain fabric we have. i have seen a few and I think that they could look good. It might be worth trying.

 

 

 

 

So there a few ideas for the decor and general vibe of the set. I think that the victorian idea described in class is something strong and I think audiences always associate the victorian era with a level of macabre and oddness, something that will work well with the uncanny Brief. 



Session 3 14/2/13

This session was very informative and it was good to start getting more hands on and seeing more about set designing.

The induction into the hand tools was useful for practical reasons. However it was also useful to get advice from someone who had worked designing sets in the industry.

I n the studio I enjoyed starting to bring the skeleton of the set together. With the ideas we have it was good to start puuting them together. Also learning about working in the studio gave ma another insight into what it means to work as an art director.

With rearanging the flats I began to get more of a complete picture of what we are creating. Alos looking at the fabrics that we have I was inspired to start thinking about what the set will look like with the victorian gentleman's office look.

In conclusion from this session I have now more knowledge of working with in a set and am thinking more about how we will design this set.

Home work session 3 Sandy Skoglund

the Article on this installations Artist is very interesting. It's focus on the 'Walking on Egshells' piece is enlightening. Both in terms of it's content and it's context wth in the wider world of instillation art, and contepary art as a whole.

The piece and what it represents I think will vary from person to person. However having read the article to me it seems a comment on the relationship between Humans and the anthropomorphism of the natural world, turning it into deighties, making them more human in an attemp to understand the natural world.

The idea of many of Skoglund's work seems to featuure the idea of the natural or certainly animal world encroaching on the human. Such as in 'Fox Games'. The fox seen often as an antagonist or evil character, crafty and cunning is encroaching on the civilised world of a restaurant.

 

From a personal perspective, what appeals to me about her work is her use of colour and unconventional material. One example is 'Cocktail Party' made from cheesey snacks. 

Pureley from an aesthetic point of view I find the piece 'Picnic on wine' very intriguing its uses of bright greens and the ruby of the wine make it a visually stunning piece.

Overall I think I have learned from thi sbothe the value of symbolsm in a setting and also that the use of inconventional materials and colours can be extremley effective in a space. Especially if trying to create a surrealist vibe.

Week two home work

The work of chiharu Shiota and Tomoko Shioyasu is incredibly stark amongs the back ground of how Japanese art is seen across the globe. It opposes teh idea of 'cuteness' that seems to eminate from the japanese culture as it is seen by many.

As I was re searching these artists I came across an Exhabition called 'bye bye kitty'  it 'does away with stereotypical notions of Japanese culture—such as the relentless focus on ‘kawaii,’ or cuteness' and features work by these two artists. In the ehebition they have instillations featured.

'Vortex'  by Tomoko Shioyasu is a piece constructed from paper that has been cut to create and incredible swirling pattern. The first thing that pops into my brain with this patter is a wave, swirling and dancing in a storm. I think though it would be viewed differently by different people. Some may see it as a swirling galaxy, but I think the title of vortex if fitting, it is a vortes but of what context we don't know. I think that's up to the viewer to decide. What else I find interesting is how the light falls through the paper cut, creating a differnt pattern on the floor and wall behind the piece. The shadow it casts is as fragile and beautiful as the piece its self. I think it shows how light can create beauty just as it can show it.

Chiharu Shuotta is an artist who uses performance art, body art and instillations. Het piece Dialouge with absense is very interesting. It is hard to know what to say when seeing it. It is so odd that it is difficult to pin down what it represents. Personally I think it is some comment on purity and the destruction of it. A white wedding dress is a representation of all that is pure, white is clean and bright and the white wedding dress represents viginity and purity of a bride. The 'blood' filled catheters that pierce teh dress are 'spoiling' the cleanness and completness of the dress and what it represents. Along with the visual element of the installation there is a soundtrack that it grotesque and disturbing. I think this adds to the idea of the pureness of the dress being defiled.

session 2 6/2/2013

we discussed several ideas for the group project. I represented this through a kind of flow diagram idea. One idea was: Getting ready infront of a mirror-notices blister-pulls it apart-out comes a smal person-jumps on hand.
 This however is a little over ambitios for our time constraint for our part of the project we will be working with green screen and liquid latex to create the visual and special effects of a would and the small person
. From this session we have a solid idea which is to film someone infront of a green screen who can be super imposed on the other set. Also this person will have something crawling underneath the skin of their arm which will erupt from a blister. We now have to plan how we will do this.

Also in this session we learned about the role of the producer. Producers turn story ideas into profitable cinematic entertainment an persuade others to share in their cretive vision. they are often the first person to become involved in a project. They Bring together screen writers, directors, production designers, cast, finances and a production team.
A producer needs extensice knowledge of cinematic narractive and is ultimatley responsible for the siccess of the finished film.

Session 1 31/1/12

In this frst session We were introuduced to the Module and the idea of the uncanny which it would centre on. I think that in this module it will be important to research a broad spectrum of artistic ideas. I think that it will enable me to be more creativ in the way I look at the worl and therefore help me in planning a representation of a fictional world on screen. Also I learned a lot about how important a proposal is and what it must contain. One must be able to picture the film in your head from a proposay,the filmic style shoulf be represented in the writing style. Also the technical elements such as writing it in the present tense. For me the most useful thing to come from this session was the free writing that it produced aftr learning more on the uncanny.

300 word proposal

In a dimly lit bedroom, a young girl lies still in slumber. The walls are adorned with the regalia of a fisherman’s boat. Drapes of nets and faded buoys suspended on tattered ropes hang from washed out green walls. The room, illuminated by a small oil lamp is filled with shadows, its small flame flickers, reverberating around the room. The girl sleeps in a large wooden bed, her body cocooned by a hand made quilt. Its colours of red and pink clashing with the greens and blues of the rest of the room. Outside a storm rages. The sea is crashing against the nearby rocky headland. The wind roars around the little cottage and the rain batters down against the window panes.

Slowly she wakes, eyelids flickering in the faint glow of the lamp. She sits up, her white, silk night gown, is clean and stark against the colourful sheets. Now she notices the storm that has woken her. She stands, tentatively placing her bare feet on the gold wooded floor. She looks down; delicate white smoke is emanating from a small patch on her floor. She carefully tiptoes towards it, the smoke clearing as she nears. There is a puddle like a mirror on the floor. Its surface still as glass. She touches it with her toe. The surface ripples. She kneels and peers into the endless pool. Staring into her own eyes that are reflected back at her.

She touches the edge of the puddle and hissed when a sharp edge cuts her dainty finger. She lifts her hand to her face to inspect it. Blood, bold against her pale skin drips slowly into the puddle disturbing the placid surface. The blood then lands on the face of her reflection and cascades down its face resembling ghastly tears.