Group Blog Work So Far...

After seeing Alan's recap post I've realised that I've been very silly and not posted any of my group work on my own blog so here it is! :D

Group Blog Work So Far

Fifties Book Research

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Making Wipes in After Effects

Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner', 1982...

Fig. 1 Blade Runner poster.

Ridley Scott's Blade Runner is a marvel of production design. Filmed on the same redressed back-lot at Warner Brother's studio as The Maltese Falcon, it seems the perfect place to record this neo-noir film.

Fig. 2 The interview room.

Blade Runner is perhaps best known for its use of visual language from the popular crime genre, film noir.  The cinematography, sets and lighting used are all influenced by this generation of films and because of that, it allows the film to be a stunning interpretation of a futuristic world full of the darkness and grime of that era. Paul Gormley mentions that "In Blade-Runner, the rain, like everything else in the film, seems artificial, while at the same time evoking nostalgia for noir films" (Gormley, 2005:172)  There is a clear nostlagia in this film, from the dark shadows cast across rooms to the wet and unpleasant weather that prevents you from knowing what time of day it is. Everything has an artificiality that the more theatrical film noirs seemed to have.  However, what makes this so intriguing is that for Blade Runner, this artificiality seeps deeper than just as a reference to the film noir genre. As Mark Conrad goes on to explain that "past noir is theological, and future noir is sci-fi. And, in the transition, God and the devil are replaced by science and technology." (Conrad, 2007:14)  Conrad is talking about the villainous superstitious and supernatural element that were perhaps featured in 'classic' film noirs being replaced by the artificial and man-made enemies seen in technology.  It is this that gives the film title 'neo-noir' or 'future noir' as the traditional elements begin to be replaced by the modern interpretations.  One example of this is seen in figure 1, where the mix of future technology is combined with traditional film noir valuse.  On the subject of testing whether someones human or a robot (Replicant), Conrad divulges that "the only way to test them is Voigt-Kampff, a kind of sci-fi Turing test used to tell robots from people, and this is also the future noir version of the classic noir “interview".” (Conrad, 2007:13)  Eventhough these characters are in a futuristic time where robots as sophisticated as humans are being built, the detectives are still using traditional interviewing techniques to unsettle and catch out their suspects.

Fig. 3 Replicant femme fatale.

This use of typical film noir techniques is continued in the exploration of the detective's sense of self.  One of the most impressive things in this genre is the ability to explore the private detective's (protagonist's) psychology and his own interpretations of the world.  Conrad believes that  "It’s this way in all future noirs— the detective must find himself, despite high technology, but using those same tools as well." (Conrad, 2007:14) This is more than true in Blade Runner as Deckard is so unsure about his own existence. Is he just another cop going around 'retiring' rogue replicants or was he built and given memories in order to serve a purpose, much like the female replicant in figure 3.  Not only does this film explore Deckard's own identity but whether his job of seeking out and 'retiring' replicants is morally sound, they are 'more human than human' afterall. Stephen M. Sanders explores that "Where Blade Runner initially positions viewers in relation to Deckard with the implicit understanding that he is human and the replicants are fabricated, nonhuman beings, the film eventually undermines and reverses this understanding so that we come to recognize the replicants as those who embody the values we believe define what it is to be human: empathy, trust, loyalty, love." (Sanders, 2007:35)  Sanders' interpretation is that Deckard begins as a traditional, cynical private detective figure and the audience is taken along with him to find out that these robots, that are at least as intelligent as a human, are on the run, killing people as they go.  These robots look identical to humans, bar a slight intermittent glow in their eyes, their one difference is that they aren't given emotions. The problem is that, because of their intelligence, they have started to develop them naturally and have gained the desire to survive.  As the film plays out the audience begins to relate more to the raw and uncertain emotions of the replicants than the stale, almost non-existant emotions from Deckard.  This makes Deckard so different to the replicants that the audience is unsure that he could be one himself, until little origami animals and photographs start to peak their interest.  Laid around Deckard's home are bits and pieces that hint at the possibility of his being a replicant, such as photos like those the femme fatale replicant, Rachael, possess' and a large piano placed in the centre of his apratment. Conrad explains that "the piano is the clue: Rachael also knows how to play piano, and we are given no good reason why Deckard (a cop) would own one...But, from the perspective of the history of the detective story, really, this makes perfect sense, for his imagination is infused with the same aesthetic creativity you find in all great detectives, from Edgar Allan Poe’s Auguste Dupin, to Sherlock Holmes...Deckard doesn’t have a past at all. He might as well have been built a week ago— just like Rachael." (Conrad, 2007:14)  Though it doesn't seem that shocking that he may have learnt a musical instrument, why would an insensitive cop have a piano, let alone play it.  His home and memories are being created in the same formula that these detective stories, such as Sherlock Holmes, are, thus allowing him to be considered fictional, man-made.

List of Illustrations

Figure 1. Blade Runner poster. At: http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_koxxipye6n1qza4ndo1_500.png (Accessed on: 28.11.11)

Figure 2. Blade Runner (1982) The interview room. At: http://mollybolder.blogspot.com/2010/12/blade-runner.html (Accessed on: 28.11.11)

Figure 3. Blade Runner (1982) Replicant femme fatale. At: http://mollybolder.blogspot.com/2010/12/blade-runner.html (Accessed on: 28.11.11)

Bibliography

Conard, Mark (2007) Philosophy of Neo-Noir. USA: University Press of Kentucky.

Gormley, Paul (2005) New-Brutality Film : Race and Affect in Contemporary American Film. GBR: Intellect Ltd.

Lev, Peter (2000) American Films of the 70s: Conflicting Visions. USA: University of Texas Press,

Sanders, Steven M.(2007) Philosophy of Popular Culture : Philosophy of Science Fiction Film. USA: University Press of Kentucky.

Postmodernism: Essay Research...

It'll change as I work but I want the raw research up so I can come back to it if I need to:

POMO Research

John Huston's 'Maltese Falcon', 1941...

Fig. 1 The Maltese Falcon poster.

The Maltese Falcon is the pinnacle of what a film noir movie should be. Filled with as much suspense as it is stunning visuals, this film is a great example of creating atmosphere with a redressed back-lot and some choice lighting.

Fig. 2  Image from The Maltese Falcon.

Before discussing the film, it is important to understand the genre and style in which it is filmed.  Film Noir movies are crime dramas, usually with a detective as the protagonist, they are considered a genre of film on their own due to their consistent themes and visuals. Mark Bould divulges that "The term 'film noir' is said to derive from the Série noire, the title of a series of crime novels edited by Marcel Duchamel for French publisher Gallimard, starting in 1945." (Bould, 2005:15) The narratives in these novels, much like the films,  are detective thrillers revolving around hard-boiled investigators.  These gritty themes are captured through theatre-like sets that come alive through the use of deep shadows cast across faces and walls, the traditional black and white film creates even bolder visuals.  Since the emergence of film noir as a genre there have been many interpretations of its style and themes, these are known as 'neo-noirs'. Andrew Spicer explains that 'neo-noir' is "the preferred term for film noir's made after the 'classical' period (1940-59)." (Spicer, 2002:130) These neo-noir's (basically meaning new noir films) can be very successful explorations of the genre as new technology in film and production allows for much grander potential than with the previous films, while still keeping the traditional imagery and narrative techniques.  Bould expresses that "the neo-noir film is the collapsing wavefront, stitching itself into a narrative trajectory and webbing itself into an intertext. Open and closed, looking forward and back, inward and outward, it is perpetually in bardo." (Bould, 2005:107)  This interprets the neo-noir films as obvious descendants of the genre, borrowing their themes and techniques to make something new but not entirely separate. Though some may view this as a negative trait, the constant borrowing or re-living of another section of films, it can also be interpreted as film-makers preventing a stunning and unusual style from being forgotten and lost.

Fig. 3 Sam Spade.

Whether these neo-noir films are an innovation or a rip-off, it is with one of the founding films of the genre can the themes can really be investigated.  The Maltese Falcon, based on a book by Dashiell Hammett, previously adapted twice for film, is perhaps best known for its iconic characters. There are particular archetypes associated with the film noir genre, the protagonist as gritty private detective, the dark and mysterious love interest as femme fatale and the cunning and untrustworthy villain. Philip Kiszely goes on to construe that "The Huston Falcon established...a major character archetype and an immediately recognisable aesthetic style. High contrast/low key lighting replaced the bright and objective cinematography of the 1930s, reflecting the altogether deeper and often darker psychological motivations of the characters in a profitable cycle" (Kiszely, 2006:84) It is this use of the psychological aspects of their characters that makes film noir, and The Maltese Falcon in particular, so powerful when compared to what came before. In this film, the audience follows the smart and savvy private detective, Sam Spade. The features that make Spade so interesting are the things missing when compared to detectives in previous crime thrillers.  Bould believes that "Whereas previous fictional detectives...were little more than perfectly functioning ratiocination devices, Hammett's [Sam Spade included]...were flawed characters. This difference...was manifest in the films' emphasis on character psychology rather than the investigation and retrospective reconstruction of particular crimes.  In these film noirs...the crime film was psychologised by first-person narration and closely-observed facial expressions, gestures and dialogue." (Bould, 2005:15) This interpretation shows that Spade has become more than just a vessel for what is right and wrong, he has become a character with his own views, no longer seeing what is right and wrong in black and white. He sees the world in his own way, the camera focusing on his face as he sits to think about his next move allows the audience to read his expressions and body language in a much more convincing way.  Kiszley went on to say that "Spade's cynicism is irredeemable, and he remains, from his introduction in the office of Spade and Archer to the particularly bitter end, a Hammett private eye in the aloof and unsentimental tradition of the Continental Op." (Kiszely, 2006:84)  The most important and powerful feature of the protagonist in a film noir is their ability to be flawed.  They are far from virtuous and honest and as Kiszley mentioned, Spade has traits that are far from redeemable, but it is these flaws in a character that make the character.  Of course, when paired alongside the dark and dirty set this leads to a wonderful concoction of ruthless crime and uncertain loyalties.  What more could you ask for in a detective thriller?

List of Illustrations

Figure 1. The Maltese Falcon (1941) The Maltese Falcon Poster. At: http://www.movieposterdb.com/posters/10_07/1941/33870/l_33870_c34813fd.jpg (Accessed on: 27.11.11)

Figure 2.  The Maltese Falcon (1941) Image from The Maltese Falcon. At: http://www.allmovia.com/c/436/436_1.jpg (Accessed on: 27.11.11)

Figure 3. The Maltese Falcon (1941) Sam Spade. At: http://chud.com/articles/content_images/58/maltese_falcon_blu-ray_1.jpg (Accessed on: 27.11.11)

Bibliography

Bould, Mark (2005) Film noir: from Berlin to Sin City. UK: Wallflower Press

Kiszely, Philip (2006) Hollywood through private eyes: the screen adaptation of the "hard-boiled" Private detective novel in the studio era. Switzerland: Peter Lang.

Spicer, Andrew (2002) Film noir. UK: Pearson Education Limited.

Maya Tutorials: Skinned Cartoon Character...

The picture isn't necessarily illustrative of the skinning but I promise it's done. Now, onwards to rigging! :)

Disc Design...

After my brain failed yesterday, here's my submission disc design:

Not so bad! :)

Presenting: Fantasy Ninjas!

I still don't know how to make it viewable in fullscreen mode but it's now re-ordered and fingers-crossed it's all okay other than that! :D

Fantasy Ninjas Character Bible

@Justin, @Phil, First Background and Title Attempt...

I was trying to get the old scroll/parchment look and it's not bad but I'm not sure if it's right yet.  The characters on the right are Japanese for 'Fantasy Ninja' and the orange circle is supposed to represent the rising sun in the Japanese flag (plus it acts as a quite nice frame for the characters). Also, I wasn't sure if I should use colours from the characters colour scheme or not?

Anyways. here's a few extra pages I've worked on today:

A lot of these are still going to be tweaked, epsecially when it comes to adding backgrounds but I'm looking forward to putting them all together and seeing how it looks. Good I hope! :D

Kitsune's Tweaked Scarves...

I used the advice that Justin gave me last week and hopefully the scarf looks like it's flowing a lot more naturally now :D

Tweaked Expressions Sheets...

Inari:


Oni:

Kitsune:

If I have time I'd like to add colour to these and tidy them up a bit as the line drawings aren't necessarily as clear as I'd like, and I'll make the text much more even as it's all a bit chaotic at the moment. Hopefully I've added enough body/neck and shoulder language to them to make them a bit easier to read.

Character Design: Week 8 & 9...

Ha! That totally rhymed :P

Anyway, week 8 was all about designing characters for a client. We had to create a set of characters in our groups that wouldn't look wrong in a 'Buck Rogers' show. Below are my designs for the hero, his gun and logo, and the villain:

Last week we were focusing on environments and were each given an environment and a tone to create within it, mine was a triumphant mansion:

It worked okay but I couldn't quite get the hang of it, I'm pretty poor when it comes to environment design so that didn't help much :P

This is the help I received from Justin on the last things I really need to tweak with my character design. The flowing fabric around Kitsune's neck isn't flowing at the moment and my expressions sheet needs to be more 3D than it is. Good stuff though all in all! :D

Maya Tutorial: UV Layout...

Just about got that done, now for skinning!

Maya Tutorial: Cartoon Character's Whole...

The eyebrows, eyes and putting him together.

Group Shot...

I just thought I'd get a bit of a size and appearance comparison here. I've just noticed Justin's comments so a few things will change accordingly :P

Oni's Pose...

A strong pose for the incredibly bulky demon. I think it works okay but I'll know for sure when I come back to it with fresh eyes.

Inari's Pose...

It's fairly strong I think. I'll know whether it's good enough when I get them all together though.

Kitsune's Pose...

This is her presentation pose that I think sums up her playful character quite nicely!

Kitsune's Improved Animal Shapes...

I'm not sure if I'll keep that colour as the background yet, that's still in progress but she's looking good! I may even draw a couple more if I have time but we'll see :)

Kitsune's Expression Sheet...

Again, there will be tweaking but at least she has a face! :D

Inari's Expressions Sheet...

Some definitely work better than others but I'm sure when I have fresh eyes I'll be able to fix them :)

Oni's Expression Sheet...

I may add colour yet and tweak some of them a little, we'll see how it all goes :P

Oni's Turnaround...

I have no idea why these keep coming up so small but at least you can just about see it.

Kitsune's Turnaround...

I don't think I should've drawn her sitting down but that only occurred to me after I was over halfway through so I'll just make sure to include some nice action shots to be clear on how she should look. I also wanted to draw her in purely fox form because that is how she would look until she starts playing around or helping Inari. Nice though, I like it :)

Inari's First Turnaround...

I'm pretty poor at doing side views which is why it looks a bit squiffy and her head might be a bit too big or face too low, but it's not too bad for a first attempt :D

@Phil, Postmodernism Essay Idea.

I've been really unsure about what to do my essay on for this and I've sort of thought that writing about Funny Games US would be a good idea. I'm not sure what to write about in particular except their breaking the fourth wall, the constant use of having things happen outside of shot and that it constantly reminds the audience that it's watching something for constructed for their entertainment. I was about to do some research into it now but I thought I'd ask before I got too far in.

Any suggestions or recommendations? :)

Character Design: Jungle Predator Creature Design...

Last weeks task was to design a creature based on a given environment. I was given jungle and I decided to go for a predator.

Can you tell what I was looking at? I couldn't help but draw something that looked like a big cat! The last two drawings were after Justin's help *in the red*. I wanted to make a mix of big cat and eagle but as you can see, it didn't really work (the last one even had a bit of chameleon in there because, why not really!)