Self Directed - Building Scenes in Cinema 4D

As I'm trying to make the standard of my 3D work better so that it can work alongside my filming and editing, I'm putting all my learning to the test. I really feel like I'm getting the hang of the physics of Cinema 4D.
Here I'm making a 3D object fit into film footage perfectly including shadows in the right places. To do this I have to build a set with 3 lights and projections of the footage onto appropriately placed planes. I would have never been able to create the scenes in my head before this project so I really feel like my hard work is paying off!

Self Directed - Location shooting

Last week I embarked on a mission to find beautiful unconsidered spaces within nature for my final video. I had an idea in my head that I want the film to appreciate the real beauty of sparse nature like the moors in the Peak District.
I filmed a lot of footage from different angles and can now move on to editing.
I went with the moors, this place in particular where there have been main roads carved into the beautiful scenery and where people drive through without a second glance at it sometimes. I can imagine what the hills might be saying and I make characters up for them. I suppose the soundtrack could be something like a monologue of the hills.

Self Directed - Skeleton rigging in Cinema 4d

My first successful attempt at character rigging! It's very simple but it works perfectly. This is just going to be a small part of the film I'm making because I want the 3D to begin to incorporate with films I already make.
I'm therefore going to use the 3D to compliment the filming rather than become the focus. I'm also trying to make the overall standard of the objects I animate better - this means spending more time on quality (and render time) than quantity of 3D. This can make the standard of my 3D work good enough to raise the professionalism of my music videos.

Self Directed - Final film plan

I feel like lately my way of working has been more towards learning 3D software and less towards creative. So with this piece of work I'm going to really try and find my old sense of fun and playfulness in my work whilst bringing in everything I've learnt about 3D in just to compliment what I would have otherwise been making.
I'm going to carry on focusing on nature and organic forms in my filming and 3D design however I plan to mix it up a bit with colours, flashing and general hard to make out form, direction or meaning. This relates back to my initial restraint idea in my self directed - whilst the viewer knows there is a meaning there somewhere, the film doesn't flow with the expected route to let them figure it out. (However the soundtrack will give them a hand in this!)
This combination of colourful poppy and typically kitsch imagery with the restraint in the telling the story of the film which is the opposite of kitsch, brings me back to my continued interest in playing with kitsch.

Self Directed - Soundtrack ideas

This Imogen Heap song is a brilliant example of what I would want my soundtrack to sound like - I would like the music in the background to be more atmospheric however and less like a song.

As I want my final piece to focus on landscapes and spaces we don't notice or normally pay attention to the speaking from a landscapes POV is an interesting idea.

Self Directed - Music Video research

Simplistic, repeats, walking through scenes, animation, could be used with organic blobs in 3d. just slight movements in the beat of the song. unexplained, just visionary.

Just focuses on colours and movement to loosely represent the music ( on the beat).

 Bizarrely similiar to the things I have been trying to create within my own work. Higher quality blending of the scenes, hues, colours everything works together. No story line, no link, just the shapes in the sky and the desolate scenes.

Perfect example of simple video editing to create a new dimension to a subject you would never normally look twice at.

Self Directed - Inspiration

Bonobo - Cirrus. Video by Cyriak. 

This is a technique I have been wanting to learn within video editing for a while where you mask moving characters without a green screen. 

I have finally learnt how to do this within After Effects. Although it is potentially a long process which involves moving frame by frame through the film, I simply draw out the outline with the Roto Brush Tool. 

Self Directed - Tutorial no. 2

Due to the large amount of commissions I have to complete, it was suggested that this project is completed as 3/4s commission and 1/4 self directed. Also as I am currently applying for several forms of placement within both artistic and animation jobs, I am not sure of the grip I have on my animation skills. I also wouldn't know how to show my skills so I'm going to use my self directed as a way of setting myself little challenges and to play with my skills so that each little film shows a different skill.
This will make me more confident and also more clear to employers on my abilities as an animator/filmographer.

Self Directed - The Vanishing (1988)

Today I watched a film by recommendation of my tutor called The Vanishing (1988). After talking about what I wanted to get out of my work and how the interaction between the viewer and my work is actually part of my art, and how I want to make the unexpected happen, James recommended a few things to me. 

First of all we discussed how Hollywood and modern culture to an extent only gives us what we want to see, yet there are many fantastic films that shake us due to the fact that they are unexpected and restrain from giving us what we want to see. I thought that the idea of restraint was very interesting and it is expressed perfectly within this film. 

I like how important you are made to feel the significance of the golden eggs are in the beginning yet there is no further explanation or exploration of the idea. The building of suspense is fantastic yet nothing shocking ever happens; when it does happen, there is no focus on the gore or the event (as would be expected in Hollywood thrillers) simply the effects of the event and the characterisation. 

It is the restraint that I want to take from this film and put into my own project - not to bend to ideals, to ask questions and to play with the atmosphere that I can create - the interaction with the viewer. 

Self Directed - Japanese Horror.

I spent today revisiting some of my old favourite Japanese Horror films. I forgot how much I loved this genre of film and how well the Japanese do horror. I think it's due to the fact that I'm older and think more, but I found myself questioning just what it was that makes Japanese horror so much more appealing that Hollywood horror. I came to the conclusion that it is the careful consideration of taking the normal situation and making it abnormal, sinister and horrifying. This is a skill that the Japanese seem to have perfected and not just within the horror genre.

There is no jumping out scare tactics, and blood and gore is not used as a tool, more of an effect. 

It is this taking the normal and transforming it before our eyes in a way that makes us consider our surroundings in a way we never normally do that I crave to do with my work and that I have already experimented with. I have decided that this is what I want to explore within my self directed study. 

Self Directed - Beginnings

I have started gathering images for my self directed study - I'm not sure what my brief will be but it normally emerges through my work. So far I've taken some photographs of things that I've seen around that interest me. These always seem to go back to derelict, passed by places. As I want to continue experimenting using 3D software and creating interactive work I began forming organic blob like shapes that interact with the  photographs in some way.
I think that my work will therefore use animation to interact with spaces that people would otherwise pass by - this is the recurring theme throughout my work inside and outside of university.

Class - Heads Only

I've decided to give up on trying to create a full body animation and just stick to the head. Christmas is just around the corner and I don't have the access to the correct software to continue to build a character if I'm going to have a functioning body too. However I practically have a finished head which I can begin filming with.

Here are 2 artists that helped me come to terms with this arrangement:

Alan Bennett - Talking Heads

Bennett takes ordinary characters and lets them tell their ordinary day to day stories, simply following their heads and shoulders round their homes. I love how revealing this is of working class in particular as it just shows personality - something we can all relate to. It reveals how we're all the same, we all have boring complaints or issues that we love to drone on about. 

Max Headroom

Max Headroom is another artist that I love the style of. He has practically created what I aim to do, just in an older software. he has made a 3D head and shoulders and has it speak nonsense in front of a glitchy computerised background. I love the clashing colours and the electronic feel of his work - it also reminds me of my poor image project I did last year. 

Class - and Kistch

I'm finally starting to get somewhere with my character design so I need to start visualising some films.
In my lecture the other day there was mention of Clement Greenburg and his views on Kitsch. As we all know, kitsch is my thing. I love kitsch. I want to be kitsch and I'll be damned if this projects doesn't have some kind of kitsch in there too.
Well anyway, Clement Greenburg said this (or near enough) "Repin paints effect. He predigests the art for the spectator and spares him the effort." Basically art which exists to produce effect is kitsch.
Everything that is blaringly obvious is kitsch. I want to do this with my work and I have an idea.
I think that I want to create characters that are so over the top stereotypically working class that people will take one look and think "this girl's a snob just showing the appearance of a chav". However, as I want my characters to be moving breathing characters I'm going to get them to talk and tell their stories. These stories will be taken from quotes I've collected or stories I've read in zines.

Class - Interactive?

From my previous project I decided I would quite like to go into creating interactive pieces. For this project I was thinking of having a character that the viewer could control what class they are. The Snob Nob was the original idea.
The only problem with this being that I already feel creatively smothered because I'm trying to learn Cinema 4D and that isn't working out very well already. I spoke to my tutors about it and he said that the only way I would be able to make it interactive is to export the character to Flash. I have no idea how to use Flash and I really don't think I have the time in this project. Especially with Christmas in the middle of it where I have no access to the uni computers or the tutors to teach me.
However, this is definitely something to think about for next time. As I'm becoming more interested in animation, the next step would be something interactive almost like a game.
Maybe there is another way to make my work interactive without having to do it on software. If the way I exhibited it was quite interactive that would be interesting. Like different rooms or something.
Hmmm.. something to think about.

Class - Software is the bane of my life.

Cinema 4D is driving me insane. About 3 weeks have passed now and I have practically nothing to show for it in the way of 3D drawing. Every time I've attempted to create a character something's gone wrong. I finally settled down and watched about 6 hours of tutorials on Lynda.com and now have something that slightly resembles an upright ape but it's still not animatable. And I can't find any good tutorials on how to animate the character once it's created.
I've created a sketchbook where I'm putting in screenshots of all my failed attempts so at least everyone knows I've not just been doing nothing for the past three weeks. I've spent nearly all day every day in the Printing room at university. Also the only version of the software that I have available on my Mac doesn't have Pose Morph or Scultping which I need to sculpt (obviously) and animate.
At least I know not to overestimate what I can produce and learn now.

Class - Research

To try and find out more about working class and what really goes on, I've started watching some documentaries that explore home lives and follow people around on their day to day business. 

My favourite show is Skint. 

From this programme I've been quite shocked at stories some of the people tell. Stories of prostitution and drug addiction from very young ages - just to support themselves or to shut out reality. There have also been some extremely funny yet insightful quotes. A lot of cursing yet the things said are very intelligent. 

A few of my favourites being "Don't disrespect the fuckin' queen" and "When it comes to christmas you get a loan, buy your kids what everyone else has, spend the rest of the year paying it off then do it again next year!"

I want to incorporate these quotes into my films to reveal the truth behind the stereotypes and bring a personal level to the films. 

I also have been watching Gogglebox, partly because I enjoy it but also because I get to see the reactions from mainly working class audiences to current TV. One episode in particular was interesting as they all watched a programme called Inside Tattler and were astounded that some of the women hadn't ever heard of Poundland. They were laughing hysterically at her disbelief at the bargains. 

Class - Cinema 4D Character Design & Jesse Kanda

As a follow on from my last project I know that I want to continue furthering my skills in this software. Last time all I worked with was squares really, but character design is something completely different and more the kind of direction I want to go in. 

I found an artist called Jesse Kanda who does music videos, something I am also doing outside my course and he uses C4D to create 3D bizarre characters. I love the atmosphere his films create, like a sinister disturbing feel. I also think his use of colour is amazing, the flashing and clashing is something I'm particularly fond of using too. 

Jesse Kanda Website

Although I doubt I'll be able to create something as accurate and fluid by the end of this project, this is certainly the standard I want to be at one day! 

Class - Observational Drawings

As I sit and draw I find myself drawn much more towards those I categorise as working class. As I draw them I know that I prefer their lined faces, eyes that actually look around and interact with their surroundings and their open actions. They look happy, sad, drawn, stressed, angry - there is no pretending or putting up appearances with them. They're out with their friends or alone shopping or simply walking around taking in everything around them. I start to pay attention to how I define them, making lists and collecting quotes and in the end creating little scenes myself applying the lists to them. 

I know now that I want to focus on the stereotypes of Working Class. I want to explore these stereotypes and reveal the nature behind them, to get a little more understanding of their situations and shed some light on the real deal. 

Class - Brief and initial thoughts

Aims
This project will enable you to investigate, document, translate and create narratives of Culture, Class and Taste after visiting the Grayson Perry tapestries ‘ The Vanity of Small Differences’ at Temple Newsam House, Leeds.

Your research should reflect some of the ‘narratives’ undertaken by Grayson Perry in his series of films in examining how ‘Identities’ can be translated and understood
The project provides an opportunity to develop specific relationships as artists and illustrators, through the making of objects and images, to ‘Culture’ and notions of Taste acquired through Socio-Cultural and Class contexts.

Areas of research:
political or ideological affiliation
family and community background.
inherited skills and interests
peer group cultures
collective identities and culture
manners, etiquette, social rules
communities and collective interests
fashions
dominant, alternative or sub-cultures
education and social mobility
communication of Narratives through media; films, music, television, Internet, and social media
entertainment
technologies
gender
notions of similarity and difference; culture, race, sexuality, religion
shared community, regional, global values
customs, histories and traditions
hierarchies ; ‘top down’ or ‘bottom up’ influences
personal expression, consensus and individualism
wealth
kitsch
high, popular and low culture
cultural accessibility
re-defining and free-floating markers of taste

Introduction:
Group tasks and discussion: Christian Lloyd, Bob Partridge (T1/06) Tuesday 18 November 11.15am (all Strands)

How does an understanding of Culture and Taste guide the way we acknowledge, interpret, value and understand cultural objects/cultural capital?
How are cultural artefacts and behaviour codified and how do we decode and employ the codes ourselves as artists?
What makes ‘Art’ contemporary and what essential differences exist in recognising cultural or cross-cultural influences on the ‘modern’ or ‘postmodern’ when responding to cultural artefacts and images?

Stage 1:
Define the following terms:
Culture
Taste
Class
Art
(These can become the introductory source of enquiry in sketchbooks and journals as well as ‘umbrella’ terms in the Blog)

Stage 2
With this Research in mind
Choose objects, images, sections of film, graphic novels and comics, wallpaper pattern books, gallery catalogues, interior design magazines, antiques or works of art catalogues, car manuals, DIY guides, ‘household/lifestyle catalogues eg Ikea? Liberty, B&Q, holiday brochures, menu cards, online clothing catalogues, Deviant Art, Tate gallery guide, etc. that determine and refine aspects of your approach to the Culture/Taste.

Make a series of small drawings, colour studies, prints, montages and collages that experiment with the notion of ‘coding’, ‘signifiers’ and the semiotic of groupings. Work from these small works on other scales and in changes of media.
Analyse and deconstruct the ‘iconic’ stereotypical and eccentric in pursuing your own developing interests and reflections on Taste and Culture. Extend this to include video and 3D structures. Use visual art elements –composition, colour, structure, dynamic, line, shape, pattern etc to develop particular ways the viewer might ‘read’ these images, films or objects.

Stage 3
Develop a series of works that demonstrate your understanding, as a contemporary artist or illustrator of the narrative subject matter as a:
Focus
Challenge
Critique
Celebration
Develop an appropriate language that conforms to, extends or proposes alternatives to current paradigms
Consider the context for the output: gallery, book, zine, site specific, lens-based, magazine, internet, collaboration, community, performance
Use sketchbooks, journals, notebooks and Blogs in tracing your development of idea and imagery and the cultural/artistic contexts for this production

The first thing that comes to mind when I read this brief is the stereotypes that surround the different classes. How do we define who is in what class? I know I'm not alone in walking around and categorising people into how rich they are. What I want to know is where these categories come from and if there is actually any truth in them - if there is, what is the reason for them? 

Each class faces a negative stereotype somewhere or other. Working class = chavs/aggressive/benefit dependent. Upper/middle class = snobs/uncaring/tax frauds. 

I'm going to begin how I begin every project, with observation. I'll go out and sit and draw and take notes on anything I think is relevant.