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.