Life Drawing Games

This life drawing wasn't like any other last year. In the first half of the session we played a game where the task was to work on a drawing for a minute and then move 2 easels to the left and work on what you've found there for a minute, till all of as made a full circle. Finally when we came back to our own easels, we had 3 minutes to work on what we found and add something to make the drawing "our own".

  

And we didn't have a model that day  ,so instead Jono, Paul and Godwin kindly posed for us :)

for more of Life drawing by J.J. *Jolanta Jasiulionyte* go here

Also, please consider following my blog, full of creative visuals, CGI and reflective writings on film, animation and art theory. Cheers! 

Car Modeling Progress

These tutorials really add up to the previous  experience of modeling for the summer project. The questions I had then are now answered. Talking in particular, mainly about the correct  flow of geometry. There were quite a few  very useful tips for some geometrical solutions (for instance, diamond face structure to get the fluid transition from sharp edge to  flat surface). Still lot is left to be done but so far so good I guess.

Vilain and Sidekicks design visual reference research

I'm going for two distinct feels in character design. For aliens I've researched bugs, insects and bacterias. The visual research boosted up my designs. I saw lots of new shapes and more important,  what feel it brings.

The Search for Shapes

This week's asignment was to try and think about our character designs, but only in terms of their shapes. As posted previously, shapes define the feel of the design so this was an atempt to try and capture the right feel for the appropriate design ( vilain's, sidekick's  or hero's) and to pick some of them to develope further.
Again, my words were Monsters ans aliens.
Also, this is the logic I'm following:

                            

  

What Inspires You?

Fidgit Box* , a network dedicated to the celebration and distribution of creativity and inspiration , invited students and lecturers to answer  the question of what inspires you  in only one word.  This video might be interesting for the firstyears to see,  there's a great compliment just  for you all :D

Fidgitbox:The One Word from Fidgit Box on Vimeo.

*FIDGIT BOX aims at being nothing less than the first spark of creativity and inspiration that gives life to the hopes and aspirations of the Twenty-First Century creative. FIDGIT BOX welcomes and encourages the interaction between creative individuals. 

The company interviews artists picking their experiences in the creative industry. The stories are great because of their information, but more importantly how inspirational they are. 

Visit the website @ http://fidgitbox.com/

Follow on facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Fidgit-Box/125098384202165?ref=ts

Character Design Lecture 2 : SHapes in design

 Diskussed By J.J. *Jolanta Jasiulionyte*

The second lecture of character design covered the importance of shapes in design.

Shapes are important in a way it can evoke a particular feeling and perception of the character.

To give few examples,circle is used mostly to create a feeling of security, harmlessness and cuteness. Its only because in our life the shapes that are round have this meaning. For example babies.

Contrary to that triangles are used to create uneasiness and a feeling of danger. Like Justin Wyatt explained, its deep in our subconscious – man is scared of sharp things and understands it as potential threat.

And squares should evoke a feeling of strength, reliability and security. Just like architecture is stable , so can  a design look,  made using lots of firm squarish shapes.

But the true designing begins when one try’s to employ a variety of shapes to convey the personality of the character. A great example Justin Whyet gave us was Obelix’s design.He’s a gentle giant, so the two main shapes used in his design are square for the upper part (firmness) and a circle for the lower part (soft and harmless).

After being  acquainted with shape purpose in design we were given a task to draw few designs using variety of shapes.

To see more examples of  theory application for character designs done by J.J. *Jolanta Jasiulionyte* go here

Ed Wood

Ed Wood is a film directed by Tim Burton. It’s a biographical drama about the, so titled, worst Hollywood director – Ed Wood. Edward Davis Wood made a sequence of cheep movies in 1950’s. His films were poorly produced, filled with technical errors and cheesy special effects. 

The film portrays the period when the director produced his most known films like “Glen or Glenda” and “Bride of the Monster “.

Unlike majority of other Tim Burton’s film this one isn’t style-driven . Although few times some resemblance to “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (Wiene, Robert; 1920) occurred (Tim Burton was influenced by this film).  In particular, the scene where Bela Lugosi (actor Martin Landau) was laying in the coffin at the coffin shop.  I noticed the make-up and the over all setting had the painted-light style. (Maybe the picture down under doesn’t quit show it , but it was better seen  as camera was tilting in the film).

But the concentration was on the life and experience of Ed Wood through his eyes. Film tells of his work methods when making a film, his love life and main connections he had. One perhaps could get a general idea about the persona of Ed Wood after seeing the film, even if not having heard of this director before.

Just some observations. The shots looked really well layered and quit usually the main action wouldn’t even happen in the first (the closest to camera) layer of the scene (for example in the restraint scene we see the woman talking with barmen in the first plan, in the second Ed Wood discussing the play with his crew, ant there’s a third layer with people passing by behind the window).  Perhaps it’s to create the vivid and energetic feel of the scene and the film in general.  

Over all, though slightly extended the film felt, it was interesting to see something of difference to other films Tim Burton directed and to get to see the biography of a personality you hear about from time to time.

Thumbnail Storyboards for The Attack of 50ft Alien from Toyland Trailer

Last week our studio Void Canvas was working on the development of the story. Then we (Bob, Ethan, Earl and me) came up with lots of ideas of what shots our trailer could include. As we were talking I tried to capture our thoughts with quick and veeery rough sketches. After these "workouts" (and these were real workouts, try to visualize and think of shots and the scenes, discuss it with the colleagues and draw all at the same time: D ) I would go back to the sketches and colour them ad add all the details and other elements . SO far these act as guidelines of the parameters of the world we're having so far. In near time we'll add some more shots, just not to leave it boring as it would be if the trailer had only that many shots in it.

And these were the original sketches :

Basic Plot and Influence Map for Character Design Project

There are few things to do before starting to think about villains, sidekick’s and hero’s character designs. We were asked to first think of what is the basic story in whicg these characters play.


The project asks to create these three designs for a Saturday show’s cartoon series.This means the show is family-friendly, and the genre is suited accordingly. So its necessary to think what’s a good approach for both the story and the design.






My words were Aliens and Monsters. And the story is simple:


There’s a planet where tyranny of evil ruler takes place. He’s a powerful vilain who’s much pleased of the extent of his power and feels the need to see evidence of it all the time. He’s accompanied by a loyal servant – his sidekick. In all his characteristis he compliments the Tyron –week and silly, he’s a mere follower, but faithful and concerned.

But like in many stories, there’s a hope for the people to be saved by a strong-harted hero. A trutfull, optimistic, a bit naive fighter for the good of people.




So far I think the idea and the feel of the story resembles that of Samurai Jack (Tartakovski, Genndy; 2001-2004).

The story doesn’t lack of action, humour but at the same time there’s the epic feel , since all the series emphasize and add up to the same goal – To defeat the evil ruler Aku. But the seemingly meaningful idea behind It soesn’t stop from making the animation highly stylized anf full of suggestive design decidions ( textured planes stad for fields of trees ect. )

I  imagine my character design’s to have freedom in style.


Just to give a glimpse of what I have in mind I collected some images on the influence map.

I was looking at all the most amazing designs of aliens and monsters, which still try to keep a good level of believability by paying attention to details (texturing, proportions, final resolution). I’d be reaching for something much like that, impressive original design but enough complex and finessed.  

How Postmodernism Relates to Kill Bill Vol.1

Quentin Tarantino, director of Pulp Fiction (1994) created another debatable film in 2003.

The film’s story is about a bride, who wakes up after a 4 year coma. She was crudely beaten by a group of people. As bad as it may look already, she was also pregnant but now the baby was gone. Subsequently she looks for revenge to the people who participated in the execution.






The story appears to be quit simplistic. But this is the first indicator of postmodern art work. Quentin Tarantino’s films are linked with postmodernism by many film reviewers.

So to introduce postmodernism, it is term defining the times from 1960s. As the author of ‘As Time Just Sits there’ defines, It’s a product of the occurring (and not radical) effect of a number of continuous historical processes connected with gradual globalization of capital and increasing invasion of consumerist practices. Postmodernism is a result of gradual change in man’s lifestyle (particularly the amount of information we are available to get today, the freedom of choice of experiences one prefers having ect.)


To buletpoint main characteristics of Postmodernism:


It’s a culture of fragmentary sensations. As Donald Barthelme, author of postmodernist fiction, notes this is simply the essence of art in the modern world, where the ultimate apotheosis (idolization) is collage and fragments are the only truly trustworthy form.




Eclectic (selective best peaces of styles/methods/ideas) Nostalgia, postmodern nostalgia, which is different from past nostalgias, as the author of ‘As time just sits there’ mentioned book notes, for it misses not the past but its culture. Nostalgia is eveident in the modern works which reference past times.


Promiscuous superficiality.


Postmodernist greets the absurd and favours ‘depthless’ fabulations (lies and stories),
Pastiche (art work made from different sources)
Bricolage (something made together using whatever materials were available)



Many of that mentioned above is evident in Kill Bill Vol. 1 :


It’s a nostalgic, fragmentary film. ‘Kill Bill makes no secret of the fact that this is a film that is informed by much of what has gone before’ (Hyde, Chris)

He references past times, a variety of cultures and puts it all in discontinuous time order.

Tarantino takes bits and peaces from cinematic canon and mixes them up. Film reviewer Chris Hyde names few of the things the director most likely referenced.For example, Film Lady Snowblood,(Fujita, Toshiya;1973) (“A young girl is born and raised to be an instrument of revenge”) could have influenced the creation of O-ren Ishii, character in Kill Bill Vol. 1. Thriller: A Cruel Picture (Vibenius, Bo Arne; 1974) , for the one-eyed killer Elle Driver. And other films, like Modesty Blaise (Losey, Joseph;1966), Black Sunday (Frankenheimer, John;1977); Five Deadly Venoms (Chang, Cheh; 1978) and many more. Cinematic reworking is evident in all Tarantino’s films.

But at the same time the film’s he create aren’t perceived as mere collage of various styles and cultural references, but as a great representation of current era – postmodernism and as Boxoffice prophets (boxofficeprophets.com/hyde/killbill.asp) reviewer concludes, Kill Bill is utterly representative of the zeitgeist (the spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time) of the current era.

Bad Kids Go to Hell Comic Book Review

I have to say few things before anything else:

First. I've never read a comics book in my life. Secondly I was reading this one in the train and..well,  I've missed my stop :D  I guess that sais something about the comic book :D

Thank you Matthew Spradlin for this gift and Alan for , I guess, having to abandon all the good stuff you could've taken in the limited flight baggage, in order to get these gifts to us  :D

Bad Kids go to Hell tells a story of 6 teenagers who are left  for detention at a newly built school's library.

Much Like in film  The Breakfast club (Hughes, John; 1985) kids are all different personalities with different anxietys, wich subsequently  lead them to different result. The  comic definitely has a flavor that of The Breakfast club. But differently to the film, the reader is introduced with the supernatural - the library was built on Indian cemetery. To name other differences it also was  more sarcastic, lot sexier and lots lots more violent than the film. 

I personally enjoyed how the story twisted unexpectedly from the very first pages. For instance, the comic starts with construction workers building the library and one of them in the excavator when  all of sudden he fall sin the hole in in the heart right to the hart of the smoky burial-ground. Few moments later he's taken out but now unrecognizably raddled himself... 

Till the very and (and especially at the very end!) such unexpected turns in story occur, what makes the comic's brilliant page-turning experience. 

Also I enjoyed each and every panel for they were highly expressive, visually strong and drawn in appealing style.

I'm thrilled to see the film know :)

Lost in Lamancha (2002)

Its a documentary of the preproduction and the production, or failed production of the film The man who killed Don Quixote. It tells a story of the hard work the team, and especially the director Terry Gilliam were putting to make the film or just event to keep it being made.

Having started as a typical documentary of the film creation it than reveals the chain of disastrous events that happened during the whole production of the film. The documentary is a '' must see'' if one wants to get a better understanding of what it takes to be a filmmaker , what challenges are always waiting ahead and how never smooth everything is.

the idea that a man can't control everything was clearly pronounced, since even if the team put all the efforts to keep the production going, the problems came from what a human being couldn't control: stormy weather, actors getting ill etc. Personally than I though its such an amazing thing that dealing with CG you're a  lot more in control, because of you don''t have to put in account a  range of real life circumstances the traditional filmmakers do.

In over all it was interesting to see the behind-the-scenes and how the process is actually happening

Exploring B-movies

The Narrative unit introduced us with a new term to define a certain group of films, and that is  B-movies. Not just only to familiarize but to make a b-movie type short film there's a need to get a clear understanding of what it is. 

While researching the topic there was an opportunity to actually watch a good example of B-movie. And it was The Fly (Neumann, Kurt; 1958).  The film tells a story of a scientist and his wife experiencing horrible chain of consequences because of curiosity overpowering reason. The scientist creates the most miraculous invention - the substance transporter. But instead of researching if it works as it’s supposed by gathering data from transportation experiments with animals, he examines the invention by transporting himself. The uplifting tone of the film is suddenly changed when we see the scientist half-turned into a fly. 

But to get back to the conception of what is a B-movie...

As B-movie central site ( http://www.bmoviecentral.com/bmc/bmc-articles/37-bmc-articles/145-what-exactly-is-a-b-movie.html) defines: " b-movie was the second movie on a double bill. It was typically a low budget formula type film, which fell somewhere in the suspense, horror, sci-fi, western, exploitation or gangster genres"

Likewise The Fly sits in mystery, horror and sci-fi genres

Today its often to hear that B movies are cheesy sci-fi movies from the 50's. The films are filled with cheesiest dialogues and acting. 

As perhaps one could notice watching The Fly, it doesn’t lack of cheesy acting, the feeling an action is "acted" (it’s not convincing or believable, you are constantly aware of the fact that this is only a film, not reality). Or reactions look over exaggerated and almost always leaves this feeling as if actor was just about few frames late to actually react.

Watching the film also I've marked , there's a feeling of "out of place" . Probably because of the difference of contexts in in which the film was created and in wich its now perceived by uc, viewers.  It looks sometimes the reaction or a detail or a peace of dialogue isn't used in a good way. for example: the scene where policeman and victims brother comes to speak with an anxious murderer- the wife of the victim, she suddenly after an emotional confession of killing her husband under the press  offers a cup of coffee or tea to gentlemens in a completely different emotional state  ect...

To summarize the impression formed so far it looks like a B-movie's use all the conventions of ,say horror genre to supposedly create  a scary film, but there's  more ( cheesyness,  wooden acting, campy feel) what makes it funny and amuzing.  


But all  works in its own way, for it creates a unique class of films with its unique set of "rules"

Introduction to Character Design

Today we were given a brief about Character Design unit. It asks to produce a three fully resolved character designs of a hero, villain and the sidekick in a particular set of random genres. The pro second part of submission is to produce a Character design  & Animation Bible which contains the three designs, synopsis of the story, turnarounds, expression sheets and completed tasks of weekly character design lectures .

So my set of genres is:

Monsters and Aliens

Having further discussed with Justin Wyatt, an experienced Disney's character designer, who's lecturing us for this unit, the first thing to do is to come up with a story, what will direct the further research, development and production of the designs. 

But before we engage with the project, today we had first lecture on Caracter Design in which we were asked to come up with designs for random  characters;

The first character I got was : Peaceloving cheerleader

The second was Insectoid football hooligan

New Part Time Job

I guess it had to happen one day, I mean saying good by to those cleaning and grape packing jobs. Well,  at least for a while.. :D

This summer I did one simple work for a guy ( The dorje turnaround I wrote before) and he was so pleased with what he got, He spread the word and in the middle of summer I got a call from a sculptor from Rochester asking if I could do some work for her as well.

It turned out she needs an ongoing ..sort of partner or.. just someone who could constantly work with the development of her ideas and its 3d representation . So this is what I'm doing now instead of cleaning - working something more related to the study field.

These are basic representations of the variety of ideas,  some examples of what sort of work I've done so far;

But one thing  really came as a huge surprise to me. Even though I'm not fully prepared or skilled enough for this sort of job (and I did tell that in advance to the sculptor) it was the connection what got me the job.

Of course these past two month was and still acts as a trial period but so far I'm only picking experience and already learned a lot. And I guess we'll see what happens next ..