STUDIO PRACTISE AG385 CHLOE YAU L6 ILLUSTRATION
CONTENTS PAGE VIVA VOCE PROJECT QUORA PROJECT VISUAL SYNOPSIS PROJECT COLLABORATION PROJECT EXPLORING THE COMMUNICATION PROJECT ONE DAY PROJECT ISMS PROJECT OVERALL REFLECTION OF ‘STUDIO PRACTISE’ CLICK ON THE HEADINGS TO GO TO THE PROJECT! CLICK ON THIS ICON TO GO BACK TO THE CONTENTS PAGE THROUGHOUT THE PDF
VIVA VOCE PROJECT
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO ON VIMEO
FOR THIS PROJECT, WE HAD TO CREATE A ONE-MINUTE VIDEO ON INTRODUCING OURSELVES. IT COULD BE DONE IN ANY WAY, AS LONG AS IT’S CLEAR, CONCISE AND REPRESENTS US IN A CREATIVE MANNER. MY IMMEDIATE THOUGHT OF WHAT I CAN DO FOR THIS PROJECT WAS TO CREATE A ‘DRAW MY LIFE’ VIDEO THAT HAD BEEN AN OLD POPULAR TREND ON YOUTUBE (AROUND 2011 TO BE EXACT). LONG STORY SHORT, THEY WOULD ILLUSTRATE ALL THE EVENTS IN THEIR LIFE (ON A WHITEBOARD AND PEN) AND NARRATE OVER IT. IT WAS MOSTLY SPED UP AS WELL, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS VERY ENGAGING FOR THE VIEWER. THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS WAS THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO SEE A WIDE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT STYLES AND DIFFERENT NARRATIVES - WHETHER THE PERSON WAS A GOOD AT ILLUSTRATING OR COULD ONLY CONVEY A MESSAGE THROUGH STICK FIGURES, MOST HAD AN ENGAGING NARRATIVE.
PROCESS SHOTS: HERE ARE A FEW OF SCANS FROM MY NOTEBOOK PLANNING OUT THE VIDEO. I FOUND THAT IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE A SHORT VIDEO, I HAD TO CUT OUT A LOT OF THE DRAWING ELEMENT AND SKIP IT TO THE FINAL DRAWING. THEREFORE IT DOES LOOK VERY RUSHED AND PERHAPS TOO QUICK TO SEE EACH DRWAING.
SELF-REFLECTION: I INITIALLY WANTED TO USE A WHITEBOARD AND PEN AS IT GAVE A VERY HOMEMADE/RAW AESTHETIC, PLUS I LIKED THE LOOK OF THE WHITEBOARD ERASER RUBBING OUT THE PREVIOUS SCENE. HOWEVER, I RAN INTO SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE SET UP AND GENERAL TECHNICALITIES USING THIS METHOD. THE WHITEBOARD WAS VERY REFLECTIVE THEREFORE I COULDN’T RELY ON NATURAL LIGHT FROM THE WINDOW. ALSO, USING CHEAP MARKERS MEANT THAT THE BOARD GOT VERY DIRTY VERY QUICKLY SO IT DIDN’T LOOK AS GOOD AS I HOPED. I STRUGGLED A LOT WITH WANTING TO BE ABLE TO FILM MYSELF DRAW EACH SCENE IN ONE TAKE. I FOUND THAT I WAS TOO PRECIOUS WITH HOW EVERYTHING LOOKED AESTHETICALLY WHICH EVENTUALLY DROVE ME INSANE. AFTER FAFFING ABOUT FOR 12 HOURS TRYING TO MAKE THIS WHITEBOARD AND MARKER THING WORK, I DECIDED TO CALL IT QUITS. IT FRUSTRATED ME MORE THAN ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY SINCE TIME WASN’T ON MY SIDE. I THEN DECIDED THAT IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO TRY OUT ILLUSTRATING ON PHOTOSHOP AND DO A SCREEN RECORD OF EACH SCENE. THIS WAS A MUCH BETTER IDEA AND I DIDNT’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE VIDEO. THE PROCESS WAS FAIRLY SIMPLE. QUICKTIME PLAYER HAS AN OPTION WHERE YOU CAN RECORD WHAT YOU’RE DOING ON YOUR SCREEN. SO I RECORDED MYSELF DRAW ON PHOTOSHOP, THEN EDITED IT WITH THE AUDIO. UNFORTUNATELY, I STILL HAD THE MINDSET OF WANTING THE DRAWINGS TO BE ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS. THIS LEAD TO TIME WASTING AND A FEW MELTDOWNS. BUT AFTER I CALMED DOWN AND PUSHED IT AWAY FOR A WHILE, I REALISED THAT THE WHOLE POINT IN THIS PROJECT WAS TO CONVEY WHO WE ARE IN A CLEAR, COMMUNICATIVE WAY. THEREFORE IT DIDN’T MATTER IF THE DRAWINGS LOOKED SKETCHY. SO I ENDED UP COMPLETING THE VISUALS AND AUDIO IN TIME FOR THE REVIEW. IT ENDED UP NOT LOOKING AS ROUGH AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD. THE DRAWING STYLE ENDED UP MORE HUMOROUS DUE TO ITS QUICK/SKETCHY/ANIMATED AESTHETIC, AND NOT GOING TO LIE, I WISH I SOUNDED MORE ENTHUSIASTIC IN THE NARRATIVE BUT WHO CAN BLAME ME IF IT WAS THE FIRST TIME RECORDING MY VOICE AND SHOWING IT IN FRONT OF A LOT OF PEOPLE? IT WAS CRINGEY FOR SURE BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I AM PLEASED THAT IT WAS FINISHED AND I HAD A FEW GIGGLES AND CLAPS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
QUORA PROJECT
FOR THIS PROJECT, WE WERE ASKED TO FIND EITHER ONE OR A SERIES OF QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE PUBLIC ON A ONLINE FORUM/WEBSITE AND CREATE A SERIES OF OUTCOMES BASED ON THE QUESTION WE CHOSE. MY CHOSEN QUESTION WAS, “WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON DRAG QUEENS AROUND CHILDREN”. THE PERSON WHO WROTE THIS QUESTION WAS FAIRLY NEUTRAL AND WANTED TO HEAR PEOPLE’S OPINIONS. THEY ALSO PROVIDED A LINK TO A YOUTUBE VIDEO WHERE A DRAG QUEEN FROM NEW YORK WAS READING FOR THE CHILDREN AT THEIR LOCAL LIBRARY.
THE LINKED VIDEO: THE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING DRAG QUEENS AND CHILDREN TOGETHER FOR STORY HOUR. IT IS HOSTED AT THE BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY WHERE PERFORMERS SUCH AS ‘LIL’ MISS HOT MESS’, PRESENTS STORY TIME FOR THE CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO
DRAG QUEENS ARE ‘SUPPOSEDLY’ ECCENTRIC CHARACTERS WITH A BOLD PERSONALITY. THEIR WHOLE AESTHETIC GOES AGAINST TRADITIONAL GENDER ROLES OF ENTERTAINERS AND CAREERS - DESPITE THIS PROFESSION DATING BACK TO THE 1800’S. HOWEVER, DUE TO THEIR OWN INTERPRETATION OF COMEDY AND ENTERTAINMENT, IT WIDELY ISN’T RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN TO SEE THIS TYPE OF ENTERTAINMENT, MUCH LIKE MANY ACTS FROM ADULT COMEDIANS. MOREOVER, THIS DOESN’T MEAN THAT CHILDREN SHOULD BE FORBIDDEN TO SEE DRAG QUEENS. THEY ARE HUMAN AND A LOT OF QUEENS DO CARE ABOUT THEIR REPRESENTATION IN SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY TO THE NEXT GENERATION. THIS IS WHY NEW YORK HAS THIS EVENT IN THEIR LIBRARY OF DRAG QUEENS READING TO THE CHILDREN. NO DOUBT THAT THEY WILL GROW UP AND SEE THEM ANYWAY, SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL START OFF WITH SHOWING A POSITIVE SIDE TO THESE ENTERTAINERS BY SIMPLY READING A BOOK AND ENGAGING THE CHILDREN.
SKETCHBOOK SCANS:
FIRST I TRIED TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT A DRAG QUEEN COULD BE PERCEIVED AS IN THE EYES OF A CHILD (OR PARENT). HOWEVER THIS IDEA DIDN’T HAVE A PARTICULAR DIRECTION AS I FELT I WAS JUST SKETCHING DRAG QUEENS FOR THE SAKE OF IT. HOWEVER, I DID LIKE HOW I DREW THE CHILDREN SO I WANTED TO KEEP THIS STYLE. HAVING WATCHED THE VIDEO, I WONDERED IF THERE WERE PARTICULAR BOOKS THAT THE DRAG QUEENS CHOSE CONSCIOUSLY TO READ TO THE CHILDREN. THATS WHERE I HAD THE IDEA OF, ‘COULD I MAKE A CHILDREN’S BOOKS HIGHLIGHTING DRAG QUEENS IN SOCIETY?’. I COULD ADD SUBTLE THEMES SUCH AS GENDER ROLES.
SO FOR THE CHILDREN’S BOOK, I WANTED A SIMPLE STORY OF A FATHER GETTING READY FOR HIS PERFORMANCE (AS A DRAG QUEEN) WHILST HIS YOUNG DAUGHTER IS QUESTIONING EVERYTHING HE’S DOING.
HERE ARE SOME CHARCTER DEVELOPMENT SKETCHES FOR THE FATHER FIGURE. I WANTED HIM TO HAVE A BROAD BUILD WITH LOTS OF BODY HAIR (THE EPITIMY OF MASCULINITY). THIS WILL HOPEFULLY ADD TO THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE FOR WHEN HE BECOMES A GLAMOUROUS LADY.
THIS IS THE FINAL DESIGN FOR THE FATHER CHARACTER:
I WANTED TO MAKE A QUICK GIF AS A PROCESS SHOT THAT SHOWS A TRANSITIONING FROM MASCULINE MAN TO A BEAUTIFUL GLAMLOUROUS DRAG QUEEN. HERE ARE THE SCANS BEFORE I USED PHOTOSHOP TO GIVE THEM COLOUR.
TRANSFORMATION GIF:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS GIF ONLINE
LITTLE GIRL CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: I WANTED THE DAUGHTER TO BE QUITE SIMPLE IN TERMS OF STYLE THEREFORE I CHOSE A SIMPLISTIC DESIGN WITH HER IN A TOP AND SKIRT AND LONG HAIR. SINCE SHE’S GOING TO BE REALLY SMALL COMPARED TO HER FATHER, HER FACIAL FEATURES ARE NOT SIGNIFICANT IN MOST OF THE PAGES. I WANTED HER TO HAVE A SLIGHTLY BLANK EXPRESSION SO THERE ISN’T A SET TONE TO HER VOICE. I DIDN’T WANT THE READER TO THINK THAT THE GIRL ALREADY HAS A SET OPINION ON WHAT SHE THINKS OF HER FATHER.
HERE ARE SOME SKETCHES OF POTENTIAL SCENES AND POSITIONS OF THE CHARACTERS. I WANTED THE FOCUS TO BE ON THE FATHER GETTING READY AND HIS DAUGHTER BESIDE HIM WONDERING WHAT HE’S DOING.
I WANTED TO MAKE THE MESSAGE CLEAR THAT THE FATHER IS GETTING READY FOR WORK AS A DRAG QUEEN. SO THE FIRST FEW PAGES WILL SUGGEST HIM GETTING READY BUT IT IS NOT CLEAR AS TO WHAT JOB HE HAS. BASED ON THE CHOSEN BODY BUILD OF THE DAD, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT THE AUDIENCE, HOWEVER OLD, MAY ASSUME HIS JOB MAY BE A TRADITIONAL ‘MASCULINE’ JOB SUCH AS A FIRE-FIGHTER OR A BUSINESS MAN. AS THE STORY CONTINUES, GETTING READY BECOMES MORE ‘FEMININE’ WITH ACTIONS SUCH AS, PUTTING ON MAKEUP AND CHOOSING A DRESS. THE DAUGHTER IN THE STORY QUESTIONS THE FATHER BY ASKING HIM WHAT HE’S DOING, DESPITE WHAT ACTION IT IS AND ATTEMPTS TO JOIN IN. SHE HAS A VERY NEUTRAL FACE THAT IMPLIES SHE IS NOT NEGATIVELY WONDERING WHAT HE’S DOING AND WHY HE’S DOING IT. INSTEAD, SHE RUNS ALONG WITH IT AND EVEN GOES TO HELP OUT WITH PICKING DRESSES AND ACCESSORIES FOR HER FATHER. BY HAVING THIS TYPE OF PROTAGONIST IN THIS STORY, THE AUDIENCE ALREADY KNOWS THAT THE FATHER IS ACCEPTED FOR WHO HE IS AND WHAT JOB HE HAS. IT IS EVEN PROVEN THAT THE DAUGHTER IS HIS ‘BIOLOGICAL’ DAUGHTER BY SHOWING THE MOTHER CHARACTER AT THE END OF THE STORY; HER OCCUPATION, A FIRE FIGHTER, SHOWN BY HER UNIFORM.
I WANTED THE ILLUSTRATIONS TO BE THE MAIN FOCUS RATHER THAN THE WRITTEN STORY. SO I KEPT THE NARRATIVE VERY SIMPLE WITH REPETITIVE LINES TO SHOW A CLEAR CONVERSATION BETWEEN FATHER AND DAUGHTER. THIS TECHNIQUE IS USED A LOT IN CHILDREN’S BOOKS. IT IS EASIER TO RELATE TO THE STORY IF THERE ARE ILLUSTRATIONS TO CAPTURE THE STORY. WITH MY BOOK, I WANT THE ILLUSTRATIONS TO BE QUITE REPETITIVE (WITH THE FATHER BEING IN THE SAME ROOM DOING DIFFERENT THINGS) AS IT CAPTURES THE TYPICAL PARENT GETTING READY FOR THE DAY. I REMEMBER WATCHING MY MUM DRY HER HAIR AND PUT ON CLOTHES TO GET READY FOR THE DAY WHILST I LAID ON HER BED. HOWEVER, IT’S A LOT FEWER STEPS THAN WHEN A DRAG QUEEN GETS READY, THAT’S WHY I WANTED THE BOOK TO FOCUS ON THE LONG ROUTINE OF GETTING READY.
FINAL OUTCOME: CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE THE ONLINE PDF
FIRST DRAFT WITH OLD TYPE:
TYPEFACE: IN TERMS OF THE CHOSEN TYPEFACE FOR THE CHILDREN’S BOOK, I ORIGINALLY DIDN’T HAVE TIME BEFORE MY REVIEW TO SCAN IN TYPE. THEREFORE I USED A DEFAULT FONT FROM INDESIGN CALLED, ‘Noteworthy’ AS IT LOOKED CHILD-LIKE AND EASY TO READ. I WANTED A TYPEFACE THAT WOULD SUIT THE ILLUSTRATIONS THEREFORE I DIDN’T WANT TO USE A STANDARD FONT SUCH AS ‘Times New Roman’ - ALSO IT SUGGESTS THAT I DIDN’T CONSIDER THE TYPEFACE AT ALL. REFLECTING BACK ON MY REVIEW, I WAS TOLD THAT CREATING MY OWN TYPEFACE THAT’S MORE HANDWRITTEN MIGHT LOOK BETTER. FORTUNATELY I HAD CREATED A HANDWRITTEN INSPIRED TYPEFACE FOR MY COLLABORATION PROJECT, WHICH I USED FOR THE BOOK DRAFT. I THINK IT WOULD LOOK BETTER IN LOWER CASE BUT WHEN I WAS MAKING THAT TYPEFACE, I ONLY HAD TIME TO MAKE THE CAPS.
SELF-REFLECTION: OVERALL I AM QUITE PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME OF THIS PROJECT. I WOULD’VE LIKED TO EXPERIMENT MORE WITH DIFFERENT MEDIUMS AND NARRATIVES. I LOVED THAT THIS QUESTION ON QUORA TIES IN WITH MANY DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF NARRATIVES AS WELL AS ROLES WITHIN SOCIETY. IT’S VERY POSITIVE TO FIND INSPIRATION FOR A BRIEF THAT HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANT SOCIAL SITUATIONS. IF I WERE TO GO BACK ON THIS PROJECT, I WOULD DEFINITELY CREATE A NEW TYPEFACE TO GO WITH THE ILLUSTRATIONS AND PERHAPS ADD MORE PAINTINGS TO FURTHER ADD MORE NARRATIVE TO THE STORY. I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO PRINT IT AS A HARDBACK AND SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT AND WHAT THE CHOSEN AUDIENCE WOULD THINK OF IT.
VISUAL SYNOPSIS PROJECT
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO ON VIMEO THIS PROJECT AIMED TO HELP US NARROW DOWN THE DETAILS OF OUR DISSERTATION TOPIC AS WELL AS INFORMING THE TUTORS. WE WERE REQUIRED TO MAKE A ONE-MINUTE VIDEO ON OUR TOPIC BUT WITHOUT NARRATION. IT NEEDED TO BE VISUALLY CAPTURING FOR THE AUDIENCE AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WELL. FOR MY TOPIC, I WANTED TO EXPLORE THE CULTURE OF COLLECTING DESIGNER TOYS. DESIGNER TOYS, AS DESCRIBED IN THE MANY BOOKS I’VE READ, ARE TOYS DESIGNED AND MADE BY ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS IN LIMITED QUANTITY, THUS BRINGING THEIR VALUE HIGHER THAN REGULAR PLASTIC TOYS. THEY ARE NORMALLY MADE FROM CHEAP MATERIAL SUCH AS VINYL, WHICH IS WHERE THEY ALSO GOT THE NAME, VINYL TOYS. MOST OF THE DESIGNER TOYS YOU FIND COME FROM PREVIOUS CHARACTERS MADE BY THE ARTIST WITHOUT THE INTENTION OF IT BEING A THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECT. SO A LOT OF THE FIGURES COME FROM THEIR ARTWORK OR JUST DOODLES FROM A SKETCHBOOK THAT THEY LIKE THE LOOK OF.
IN ORDER TO VISUALLY COMMUNICATE THE NOTION OF COLLECTIONS AND DESIGNER TOYS, I WANTED TO SUGGEST THAT THESE TOYS ARE MUCH LIKE THE HOARDERS SERIES ON TV, WHERE THEY PAN AROUND THE ROOM TO SHOW HOW MUCH STUFF THEY HAVE ACCUMULATED OVER THE YEARS AND THE HORRORS OF LIVING IN THIS TYPE OF MESS. OBVIOUSLY TO THE AUDIENCE, ITS JUNK BUT TO THE HOMEOWNERS, ITS STUFF THEY’VE COLLECTED BUT NEVER GOT RID OF. IT’S ALMOST THE SAME CONCEPT APART FROM THAT THESE TOYS TOGETHER ARE WORTH MORE THAN THE DEPOSIT FOR A 3-BEDROOM HOUSE (IN BRIGHTON). INITIALLY I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE EXTREME COLLECTIONS FOR THESE TYPES OF FIGURES, THUS THE DRAMATIC AUDIO OF ‘O FORTUNA BY CARMINA BURNA’. I DID ORIGINALLY WANTED TO FILM SOMEONE’S COLLECTION AND RECREATE THE WHOLE ‘HOARDERS ON CHANNEL 4’ AESTHETIC, HOWEVER, TIME WAS SHORT AND I DIDN’T PERSONALLY KNOW ANYONE WHO LIVED IN BRIGHTON WITH AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION. THEREFORE I RESORTED TO GOOGLE IMAGES AND FORTUNATELY THEY HAD IT ALL. GOOGLE’S DEFINITION IS A BIT AMBIGUOUS WHEN IT COMES TO ‘COLLECTIONS OF TOYS’. AFTER THE TOP 20 IMAGES, IT THEN RESULTED IN JUST COLLECTIONS OF NON-DESIGNER TOYS SUCH AS BEANIE BABIES, TROLLS, BARBIE’S, ‘SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS’. THEREFORE I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THIS ISN’T WHAT I WANT TO FOCUS ON; I DIDN’T WANT THE AUDIENCE TO THINK THAT THEY CAN BE THE DEFINITION OF DESIGNER TOYS. SO I ADDED THEM IN THE VIDEO WITH BIG CROSSES ON TOP TO OBVIOUSLY EMPHASISE ON THAT. I PERSONALLY THINK THAT THIS PROJECT DEFINITELY LIMITED MY CREATIVITY IN TERMS OF HOW I WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THIS TYPE OF TOPIC. ALSO, THE REQUIREMENT TO MAKE THE VIDEO A MINUTE LONG DEFINITELY LIMITS HOW MUCH YOU CAN DO. DURING MY REVIEW, MY TUTORS EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE DEFINITION RATHER THAN JUST TAKING IMAGES AND THROWING THEM INTO A VIDEO. THEY MENTIONED THAT UPON WATCHING THE VIDEO, QUESTIONS POPPED UP IN THEIR MIND SUCH AS, SO IF THEY’RE NOT BEANIE BABIES, WHAT ARE THEY? ARE THEY PART OF THE TOY COMMUNITY? WHAT MAKES THEM SO SPECIAL? RATHER THAN ASSUMING THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THE DEFINITION IS. USE THE MINUTE TO REALLY FOCUS ON THE DEFINITION RATHER THAN THE VISUALS. TO SOME PEOPLE THEY STILL LOOK LIKE TOYS YOU WOULD FIND IN A TOYSHOP.
THE MAKING OF
SEND BOBS COLLABORATION PROJECT
OPTION A: WE DECIDED ON ‘OPTION A’ AS WE CHOSE THE SONG FIRST AND THOUGHT IT WAS BEST SUITED FOR A PROJECT THAT REQUIRED MORE DIGITAL DESIGN WORK. I ALSO THOUGHT THAT THIS PROJECT COULD GIVE US BOTH AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE OUR DIGITAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE.
CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO LISTEN TO THE SONG I ENCOUNTERED THE VIDEO FOR THIS SONG ONLINE WHERE IT WAS SHARED VIRALLY ON FACEBOOK. I BELIEVE IT WAS CREDITED FOR THE ‘MEME’ AESTHETIC RATHER THAN THE ARTIST HIMSELF. THE LYRICS OF THE SONG AND EVEN THE CONTENT OF THE VIDEO ARE BASED ON SCREENSHOTS THAT WOMEN HAVE POSTED ONLINE TO RIDICULE THE CREEPY MEN WHO SENT THEM SEXUAL MESSAGES THROUGH TEXT OR SOCIAL MEDIA.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE SCREENSHOTS I HAD FOUND THROUGH ‘GOOGLE IMAGES’ THAT THE ARTIST HAD USED IN HIS SONG/ VIDEO.
INTENTIONS: OUR INTENTIONS FOR THIS PROJECT WAS TO CREATE INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERS THAT FORMED A BAND; WHO CREATED THIS SONG AND ARE IN NEED FOR ALBUM COVERS AND PROMOTIONAL ADVERTISEMENTS. WE DECIDED THAT WE WANTED SOMETHING PHYSICAL TO SHOW THEREFORE WE WENT OUT AND PURCHASED A VARIETY OF VINYL COVERS, CASSETTE TAPES AND CD CASES IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A ‘DUMMY’ FOR WHAT THE FINAL FORMATS WILL LOOK LIKE.
ROLES: WE UTILISED EACH OTHER’S SKILL SETS BY SETTING ROLES THAT WERE BEST SUITED FOR THE BOTH OF US. I WAS MORE CONFIDENT IN USING ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE THEREFORE I WANTED TO FOCUS ON CURATING THE DIGITAL FORMATS AND THE TYPEFACE. THEA CHOSE THE ILLUSTRATOR ROLE AND FOCUSED ON CREATING THE CHARACTERS, SCENES AND POSTER AESTHETICS. SHE ALSO TOOK CHARGE OF THE PRODUCTION SIDE BY GETTING EVERYTHING PRINTED, RECREATING THE COVERS AND OVERALL ADDING THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO OUR FINAL PIECES.
SKETCHES FROM MY SKETCHBOOK: BEFORE WE WERE SET ON PARTICULAR ROLES, WE BOTH WENT OFF TO DO SOME QUICK SKETCHES OF CREEPY GUYS. I CHOSE A COMEDIC DRAWING STYLE AND EMPHASISED ON THEIR FACIAL FEATURES AND EXPRESSIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK ON THIS PROJECT AND RECREATE SOME NEW CHARACTERS FEATURING THIS STYLE.
THESE ARE TWO DIGITAL VERSIONS OF THE CHARACTERS THAT I RECREATED FROM THEA’S ILLUSTRATIONS. I THOUGHT I WOULD PRACTISE USING PHOTOSHOP SO I COULD GET COMFORTABLE WITH BEING ABLE TO ILLUSTRATE QUICKLY WITH A TABLET. I REALLY LIKED HOW THEY TURNED OUT. HOWEVER, I THINK THIS PARTICILUAR STYLE WOULD SUIT MORE DETAILS IN THE CHARACTERS, FOR EXAMPLE, BODY HAIR, WRINKLES, SHADOWS/ HIGHLIGHTS.
INSPIRATION: CHRIS (SIMPSONS ARTIST) - CLICK HOMERS FACE TO SEE HIS FACEBOOK
FOR THE CHARACTERS THAT THEA CREATED, THE STYLE THAT SHE TOOK INSPIRATION FROM IS CHRIS (SIMPSONS ARTIST). WE REALLY LIKE THE WAY THE PEOPLE ARE CRUDLY DRAWN, WHICH DEFINITELY ADDS TO THE ‘CREEPY GUY’ AESTHETIC. ALSO THE WAY THAT THE FEATURES ARE SUGGESTIVE GIVES IT A RAW FEEL TO THEM; IT’S CLEAR THAT IT ISN’T EXACTLY ANATOMICALLY CORRECT WHICH I FEEL IS MORE EXPRESSIVE. ALSO NO ONE WOULD REALLY FOCUS ON SMALL DETAILS, MORE OF THE OVERALL STORY AND WHAT IT IS CONVEYING.
SCANS OF THEA’S ILLUSTRATIONS
THESE ARE THE FIRST DESIGNS THAT THEA HAD SENT ME. I WAS REALLY KEEN ON THE COLOUR PALETTE AND THE COLOURS CHOSEN FOR THE CHARACTERS. THE DRAWING STYLE WORKS REALLY WELL WITH THE AESTHETIC AND I REALLY LIKE THE SIMPLICITY OF THE OVERALL LOOK OF EACH ILLUSTRATION.
PROBLEMS: UNFORTUNATELY THERES BEEN A BIG PROBLEM WITH TECHNICALITIES AND COMMUNICATION THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT WHICH MADE THINGS MORE TIME CONSUMING. THE ORGINAL SCANS THAT WERE SENT TO ME (TO BE USED FOR FORMATTING THE FINAL COVER DESIGNS) WERE REALLY PIXELATED. THEREFORE IN ORDER FOR ME TO CORRECT THE QUALITY, I HAD TO REDRAW THE ILLUSTRATION ON PHOTOSHOP. IT INITIALLY DIDN’T TAKE TOO LONG TO DO BUT IT DEFINITELY COULD’VE BEEN PREVENTED,
YOU CAN SEE IN THESE SCREENSHOTS THAT IT THE LINES ARE BLURRY AND PIXELATED. IN COMPARISON TO THE TYPE IN THE SECOND SCREENSHOT, IT CANNOT BE USED FOR ‘PROFESSIONAL’ PURPOSES.
I STARTED OUT BY TRACING THE OUTLINE IN A BRIGHT COLOUR BEFORE DELETING THE IMAGE AND USING THE OUTLINE AS THE STARTING POINT FOR THE ILLUSTRATION. DESPITE THIS BEING A SIMPLE TASK, IT GAVE ME MORE EXPERIENCE IN USING PHOTOSHOP AS A DIFFERENT STYLE OF MEDIA. NOT ONLY THAT, I WAS ABLE TO DO THIS TASK REALLY QUICKLY WHICH WAS BENEFICIAL IN COMPLETING THIS PROJECT.
ABOVE IS THE BEFORE AND AFTER OF THE REDRAWN ILLUSTRATION. BELOW IS THE FINAL RENDITION. I ALSO CHANGED THE GUN TO A PHONE AS IT RELATES TO THE NARRATIVE BETTER.
FINAL ILLUSTRATIONS: HERE ARE THE CHARACTERS FINALISED. WE DID TWO VERSIONS OF THEM - ONE WITH CLOTHES ON AND ANOTHER IN THEIR UNDERWEAR. THEA DID ILLUSTRATE THEM FULLY NAKED HOWEVER, I THINK THEY LOOK MORE TASTEFUL AND SUGGESTIVE IN THEIR UNDERWEAR. ALSO WE DIDN’T WANT THE INTENTION FOR THIS PROJECT TO BE OBSCURED BY THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF IMAGERY.
TITTY.WATCHER69 AKA TIM MURRAY VOCALS
FATBIKERBALLS AKA RICHARD DAMS DRUMMER
REDDY4PUSSY
JEHOVAHSWETNESS
AKA RAJ REDDY
AKA NIGEL HARRODS
LEAD GUITAR
KEYBOARD
DRBIGDICKMCJOHNSON AKA ANDREW JOHNSON BASS
TYPEFACE DESIGN: WE WANTED OUR TYPEFACE TO SUIT THE HANDRAWN STYLE OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS AS SOME OF THE TYPE THAT THEA TRIED OUT WITH THE CHARACTERS WERE TOO GRAPHIC. SO I TRIED OUT DIFFERENT MARKER PENS WITH DIFFERENT TIPS TO FIND A SUITABLE AESTHETIC.
FINALISED TYPEFACE DESIGN:
THE PROGRAM I USED TO MAKE THIS TYPE IS ‘TYPETOOL 3’. I START OFF BY CROPPING EACH GLYPH FROM THE SCAN SO THAT I CAN USE IT AS A BACKGROUND, THEN I TRACED IT WITH THE PEN TOOL TO MAKE UP THE GLYPH. BECAUSE THE TYPEFACE IS SUPPOSED TO MIMICK A MARKER PEN, THE IMPERFECTION OF THE CHARACTERS LOOKS MORE HANDWRITTEN WITH IT’S IRREGULAR HEIGHT AND WEIGHT. ALTHOUGH WE DID WANT IT TO LOOK LEGIBLE WHICH I THINK WE SUCCEEDED AT.
HERE, THE GLYPHS ARE SHOWN IN THE METRICS WINDOW WHICH HELPS ALIGN THE CHARACTERS TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE EQUALLY SPACED AND LEGIBLE.
BY CREATING THE ‘N’ AND ‘O’ FIRST, WE ARE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH THE FORM, SPACE AND BALANCE A LOT EASIER. IT ALSO HELPS GET STARTED A LOT QUICKER AS IT BUILDS A FOUNDATION FOR THE OTHER CHARACTERS TO FOLLOW.
FINAL TYPEFACE SHOWN IN FONTBOOK:
OVERALL I WAS REALLY PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME OF THIS TYPEFACE. I WAS FORTUNATE IN BEING ABLE TO LEARN HOW TO USE THE PROGRAM DURING SECOND YEAR IN MY TYPE DESIGN WORKSHOP. I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT IT’S AN IMPORTANT AND GREAT SKILL TO HAVE - KNOWING HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN TYPEFACE THAT YOU CAN USE FOR WHATEVER PROJECT DEEMS FIT. ALSO I’M REALLY CHUFFED THAT I MANAGED TO CREATE ONE IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. THE HANDRAWN STYLE WORKS REALLY WELL WITH THE ILLUSTRATIONS. BECAUSE THE TYPE WAS CREATED THROUGH TYPETOOL (AND NOT JUST DRAWN, SCANNED IN AND EDITED ON PHOTOSHOP), YOU CAN EASILY ALTER THE SIZE DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU’RE USING THE TYPE FOR, SPENDING A COUPLE OF DAYS WORKING ON THE TYPEFACE AND GETTING IT TO WORK BENEFITS THE PROJECT A LOT MORE THAN SCANNING EVERY WRITTEN WORD FOR EACH FORMAT. DUE TO THE TIME RESTRICTION, I DIDN’T HAVE THE TIME TO FULLY COMPLETE THE TYPEFACE, FOR EXAMPLE, CREATING THE LOWERCASE. BUT IT IN FUTURE I WILL DEFINITELY CONSIDER TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE IT. ALSO, I WISHED I CALLED IT ‘CHLOE SANS’ INSTEAD (FOR THE GIGGLES).
ILLUSTRATED QUOTES: TO BRING THE CHARACTERS ‘TO LIFE’ A LITTLE MORE, WE CHOSE TO ILLUSTRATE THE QUOTES USED IN THE SONG. I REALLY LOVED THE OVERALL LOOK AND HOW LITERAL THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE. IT DEFINITELY ADDS TO THE HUMOUROUS AESTHETIC.
"PUT MY ASS IN YOUR ASSHOLE"
"HI DEAR CAN YOU OPEN UP YOUR CLOTH?"
"IM NOT HAVING SEX WITH MY MOM"
"SHOW ME YOUR VEGANA"
"HELLO BITCH LASAGNA"
FINAL FORMATS: BIG VINYL:
SMALL VINYL:
CASSETTE COVER:
CD CASE COVER (FRONT AND BACK):
HERE ARE THE PHYSICAL PIECES FOR OUR FINAL FORMATS: FOR THE VINYL COVERS, WE UNFORTUNATELY COULDN’T GET IT PRINTED ONTO CARD AS IT WAS AN EXTORTION. THEREFORE WE PRINTED IT ON PAPER AND STUCK IT ON CARD. WE TAPED THE SIDES WITH WASHI/CABLE TAPE AND IT LOOKED SO GOOD. I REALLY LIKED HOW THE COLOURS TURNED OUT AND THEA DID A GREAT JOB PUTTING THEM TOGETHER. THE CD AND CASSETTE WERE RELATIVELY EASY TO PUT TOGETHER AND I THINK THEY LOOKED REALLY PROFESSIONAL WITH A TOUCH OF COMEDIC VALUE. THE BRIGHT COLOURS WOULD DEFINITELY CATCH SOMEONES EYE WHEN IN A VINYL RECORD/MUSIC SHOP. IT WOULD’VE BEEN AMAZING IF WE COULD RECORD THE SONG ONTO THE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS (DEFINITELY TOO COMPLICATED).
BIG VINYL:
SMALL VINYL:
CD CASE AND BOOKLET:
CASSETTE TAPE:
STICKERS: THEA DESIGNED AND PRINTED THESE STICKERS AS AN ADDITIONAL OUTCOME FOR OUR PROJECT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE COMPANY THAT PRINTS THESE STICKERS DIDN’T ALLOW MORE THAN ONE DESIGN SO WE HAD 100 OF THE SAME DESIGN. THEY TURNED OUT A HIT DURING OUR REVIEW (LOOK OUT FOR THEM ON EVERYONE’S MACBOOKS.
FINAL CD BOOKLET:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO ON VIMEO
WE MADE A CD BOOKLET TO GO IN THE CASE TO FURTHER ADD MORE TO THE PHYSICALITY OF THE FORMAT. WE PRINTED IT ON GLOSSY PAPER AS WELL TO MAKE IT AS REALISTIC AS POSSIBLE. IN ORDER TO SHOWCASE IT IN AN INTERACTIVE PDF, I UPLOADED IT ONTO ISSUU.COM SO THAT IT HAS THE ANIMATION OF CLICKING THROUGH THE BOOK. HOWEVER, I HAVE HAD THE BOOKLET FLAGGED FOR NOT MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THEIR ‘SAFE MODE’ THEREFORE IT MAY NOT WORK OUT. I AM ATTEMPTING TO SCREEN RECORD THE ANIMATION ON ISSUU AND THEN CREATING A MP4 FILE FOR IT TO BE SEEN ON THIS PDF.
CD BOOKLET PHOTOSHOOT:
FINAL POSTER:
GIF: AS A LAST MINUTE ADDITION TO THE PROJECT, I WANTED TO TRY CREATE A GIF THAT FEATURED A MAN TAKING A PHOTO OF HIS PRIVATE PARTS. I WANTED TO TRY OUT A QUICK ANIMATION AS IT’S BEEN A MEDIUM I HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE. THEREFORE I THOUGHT THIS BRIEF WAS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO TRY OUT NEW DIGITAL STYLES. NOW I CAN (ALMOST) SAY I AM CAPABLE OF DOING A BOIL!
CLICK HERE FOR DIRECT LINK TO GIF
SELF-REFLECTION: OVERALL, I FELT THAT THIS PROJECT WAS SUCCESSFUL IN TERMS OF MEETING THE BRIEF; WE COMPLETED SEVERAL FORMATS WITH STRONG VISUALS AND WERE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER USING OUR SKILL SET TO COMPLETE THIS BRIEF. HOWEVER, I DO HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I STRUGGLED WITH THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION WITH MY PARTNER. WE EXPERIENCED SOME ISSUES INVOLVING THE DIGITAL FORMATS OF HER ILLUSTRATIONS THAT SHE SENT TO ME TO USE FOR THE COVERS. SHE WOULD ‘UNKNOWINGLY’ SEND ME THE INCORRECT FILE FORMATS OF HER DRAWINGS AND IT WOULD TAKE A WHILE FOR HER TO RESPOND TO MY MESSAGES AND SEND ME THE ‘CORRECT’ FILES. WE HAD A PROBLEM OF THE FILES BEING PIXELATED SO I HAD TO REDRAW THEM ON PHOTOSHOP. NONETHELESS, I ENJOYED WORKING WITH THEA. I THINK SHE HAD A GREAT ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE BRIEF AND HAD A GREAT VISION OF WHAT WE BOTH WANTED THE ALBUM ART TO LOOK LIKE. HER STYLE OF ILLUSTRATION IS VERY DIFFERENT TO MINE AND THEREFORE IT WAS REFRESHING TO SEE BOTH OF OUR WORK COMBINED INTO ONE PROJECT. DURING OUR REVIEW, WE HAD REALLY GOOD CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM FROM OUR TUTORS (RODERICK, MARTIN AND PHIL LEE). THEY (AND OTHER STUDENTS IN THE REVIEW GROUP) REALLY LOVED THE SONG CHOICE TO WHICH THEY FOUND HUMOROUS AND A GOOD DIRECTION TO START OUR PROJECT. THEY REALLY LOVE THE VISUALS OF OUR WORK AND WERE IMPRESSED WITH THE ADDITIONS WE ADDED TO THE PROJECT. HOWEVER, THEY FELT THAT THE VINYL COVERS, CD CASES AND CASSETTE TAPE, AS A FINAL FORMAT, WAS TOO DATED AND THEREFORE WE COULD’VE USED THIS OPTION TO EXPLORE THE CURRENT USE OF DIGITAL MEDIA.
THEY REALLY LOVED THE GIF AND WANTED MORE OF THAT AS IT BRINGS THE CHARACTERS ALIVE AND ADDS TO THE NARRATIVE. ALSO WHEN WE SHOWED THE VIDEO OF THE SONG, ONE OF THE RESPONSES WAS TO RECREATE THE VIDEO (IT WAS TERRIBLE MUSIC VIDEO BUT I THINK THAT WAS THE MAIN AESTHETIC THE ARTIST WANTED TO GO FOR). PHIL WENT UP TO MYSELF AND THEA AFTER THE REVIEWS TO DISCUSS MORE ON WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THE PROJECT. HE MENTIONED THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE MORE GIFS AND PERHAPS COLLATE THEM TOGETHER INTO A SEPERATE VIDEO. I THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY GOOD IDEA AND WOULD DEFINITELY GO BACK TO THIS PROJECT TO PRACTISE UP MY ANIMATED GIF SKILLS. I AM PARTICULARLY VERY PROUD OF THE TYPEFACE I CREATED. I FEEL THAT DUE TO ITS CLEAN AESTHETIC, IT’V VERY VERSITILE IN ITS APPLICATION. WHILST IT WAS DESIGNED FOR THIS PROJECT IN MIND, I BELIEVE THAT IT COULD QUITE EASILY BE APPLIED TO DIFFERENT DESIGN PIECES IN THE FUTURE. PERHAPS I COULD EXPAND IT TO LOWERCASES AND SPECIAL CHARACTERS. I COULD EVEN MARKET IT AS A PRODUCT FOR OYHER CREATIVES TO USE IN THEIR WORK.
EXPLORING THE COMMUNICATION PROJECT THIS IS OUR CURRENT PROJECT THAT WE ARE BEGINNING TO WORK ON. WE HAD AN OPTION OF 4 DIFFERENT SOURCE MATERIALS TO CHOOSE AND FOCUS ON. IT IS A FAIRLY STRICT PROJECT WHERE WE NEED TO USE THE SOURCE MATERIAL AND CREATE A FINAL FORMAT TO COMMUNICATE THE SOURCE MATERIAL. I CHOSE THE NEWS ARTICLE ABOUT ‘HOW VR COULD BREAK AMERICA’S OPIOID ADDICTION’. I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY VISUALLY STIMULATING SOURCE THAT COULD BE AN INSPIRATION FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT FORMATS. IN A NUTSHELL, THE ARTICLE STATES THAT THERE IS AN UPCOMING COMPANY THAT USES VR HEADSETS ON THEIR PATIENTS TO DISTRACT THEM FROM THE PAIN THEY ARE FEELING. THEY CLAIM THAT IT IS A BETTER OPTION THAN ALL THE DRUGS THEY ARE PRESCRIBED TO, ESPECIALLY THE ANTIBIOTICS THAT ARE ADDICTIVE (CAUSED BY THE PATIENT TAKING MORE THAN THEY NEED IN ORDER TO EASE THE PAIN). THE ‘GAME’ IN THE VR HEADSET IS DESCRIBED AS A WALKTHROUGH OF BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES AND INTERACTING WITH PEACEFUL ANIMALS.
CLICK IMAGE TO SEE ARTICLE
THE INITIAL PROBLEM WITH THE SOURCE MATERIAL SO FAR IS THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE A STRONG VISUAL THAT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO IGNORE. I CAN SEE THAT THE FIRST RESPONSE TO THIS PARTICULAR SOURCE MATERIAL IS TO PROBABLY ILLUSTRATE THE USE OF THE VR HEADSET AND THE GAME, OR ANIMATE THE DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME. IN THE ARTICLE, THEY ALREADY HAVE VISUAL RESPONSES TO THE ARTICLE (CREDIT TO PARKIN PARKIN). WHICH IS A BIG RED LIGHT TO NOT DO THAT. OR YOU CAN, BUT IT ADDS TO THE NICHE-NESS. SINCE THAT I WAS MY FIRST INITIAL THOUGHT, I WANTED TO GO AGAINST THE CLICHE. INSTEAD, I FOUND A REALLY INTERESTING SECTION IN THE ARTICLE ABOUT THE RESPONSE THE COMPANY RECEIVED FROM A CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. LETS JUST SAY THAT IT MADE ME HAVE VERY STRONG NEGATIVE FEELINGS.
FIRST IDEA:
I REALLY ENJOYED ONE PART OF THE ARTICLE WHERE IT STATES THAT A NURSE AT A HOSPITAL DISREGARDED THE IDEA OF USING VR HEADSETS. “She wasn’t impressed. “It’s frustrating,” says Jones. “We gave her $15,000 and she’s going to buy more colouring books.” I THOUGHT I COULD LOOK INTO THE NURSE CHARACTER AND DEVELOP SOMETHING FROM THAT. HOWEVER, IN THE FORMATIVE REVIEW, IT WAS ADVISED TO ME THAT THIS IDEA IS TOO SPECIFIC AND DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE BRIEF. THEREFORE THIS IDEA WAS QUICKLY ABOLISHED AND I LOOKED AT THE BIGGER PICTURE.
NEW IDEA:
I REALLY WANTED TO GO BACK TO MY PUPPETRY DAYS. THEREFORE I CREATED THIS IDEA OF COMBINING PUPPETRY AND REALITY AS A WAY OF CONVEYING THE VR HEADSET GAME AND THE PATIENTS IN PAIN. THE ‘PUPPET’ WORLD WILL CONSIST OF BRIGHT COLOURS AND SOFT FABRICS TO MIMIC A DREAM-LIKE ENVIRONMENT. IN CONTRAST, THE REAL WORLD WILL BE BLEAK AND EERY, WITH REAL PEOPLE IINTERRACTING IN A SURGICAL ENVIRONMENT. THE IDEA FOR THIS OUTCOME IS TO FILM BOTH WORLDS AND CREATE A VERY GHASTLY, REPETITIVE TRANSITION BETWEEN THE TWO.
RESEARCH: I REALLY WANTED A STRONG CONTRAST BETWEEN THE PUPPETRY WORLD AND REALITY. THEREFORE I CHOSE MY INSPIRATIONS FROM CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMES THAT I GREW UP WITH. DUE TO THE CHARACTER IN FILM BEING ROUGHLY MY AGE, I WANTED TO HAVE HIM IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE HE HAS TAKEN INFLUENCE FROM OTHER TV PROGRAMMES AND MADE IT HIS OWN INCLUDING HAVING A VERSION OF HIM AS A PUPPET.
THE FIMBLES: THE FIMBLES WAS A PRE-SCHOOL CHILDRENS TELEVISION SERIES THAT WAS AIRED FROM 2002-2004. IT CONSISTED OF THREE DISTINCT HIPPO-LIKE CHARACTERS IN THEIR WORLD DOING ALL SORTS OF SHENANIGANS.
THEIR STRIPES AND ODD PROPORTIONS WERE WHAT SPARKED AN INFLUENCE IN WHAT I WANTED THE OTTER PUPPET IN MY FILM TO LOOK LIKE.
THE TV SET WAS A WORLD THAT HAD A MIXTURE OF COLOUR, TEXTURE AND A COMPLETE CONTRAST TO THE CHARACTERS. WHILST THE CHARACTERS ARE CUDDLY AND VERY COMICAL LOOKING. THE SET WAS THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE. ALTHOUGH IT WAS VERY COLOURFUL, IT WAS BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED WITH LOTS OF DETAIL GOING INTO IT. I REMEMBER THE TREES HAD STRINGS OF JEWELS AS LEAVES AND THERE WAS A LOT OF SOFT SURFACES TO MIMIC GRASS OR FLOWERS.
IF I HAD GIVEN MYSELF THE TIME TO CONCENTRATE MORE ON THE SET OF MY FILM, I WOULD’VE TAKEN MORE INFLUENCE IN THE SET OF THIS TV SERIES. HOWEVER, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE CHOSEN TO UTILISE MY TIME IN MAKING THE PUPPETS RATHER THAN THE SET.
THE TWEENIES: THE VISION I HAD FOR MY MAIN CHARACTER PUPPET WAS TAKEN FROM THE POPULAR CHILDREN’S TV SERIES, THE TWEENIES. I LOVED THEIR HIGH CONTRASTED AESTHETIC, ESPECIALLY THE CHOICE IN THEIR SKIN/HAIR COLOUR AS WELL AS THEIR CLOTHES.
ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT PUPPETS, I DID LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING MY PUPPETS MOUTH MOVE IN A SIMILAR WAY TO THE TWEENIES. HOWEVER I FELT LIKE IT WOULD MAKE THINGS MORE TIME-CONSUMING TO HAVE TWO PUPPETS WITH THE SAME STYLE OF MOVEMENT.
SET DESIGN SKETCHES:
THE DESIGN I WENT FOR COULD CONSIST OF TWO SETS. ONE SHOWING THE WHOLE LANDSCAPE AND THE OTHER, IN PORTRAIT, WOILD SHOW THE ‘END’ OF THE SET. I WANTED A SCENE THATS SIMILAR TO A FOREST GLADE WITH A WATERFALL AT THE END. THE TREES WOULD BE IN DIFFERENT COLOURS AND MADE UP OF SIMPLE SHAPES AND SOFT FABRIC. THE WATERFALL WOULD BE SHIMMERING FABRIC THAT CASCADES TO A POOL. I LIKED THE IDEA OF USING DIFFERENT FABRIC THAT WOULD HAVE A SPECIFIC ROLE IN THE FILM. I WANTED IT TO BE VERY SIMPLISTIC AND SUGGESTIVE BECAUSE I WANTED THE FOCUS TO BE MORE ON THE PUPPETS AND THEIR ACTIONS.
STORYBOARD:
I DREW A VERY QUICK, ROUGH STORYBOARD TO SHOWCASE THE SEQUENCE OF SHOTS THAT I WANT IN MY FILM. I LIKED THE IDEA OF USING QUICK CLOSE UP SHOTS TO MAKE IT VERY JUMPY SO THAT IT WOULD MIMIC THE IDEA THAT THE CHARACTER IS HAVING SURGERY WHILST BEING IN HIS VR WORLD.
SURGERY SCENE PROCESS: COSTUME/PROP DESIGN:
MY HOUSEMATES, WHO GLADLY VOLUNTEERED TO ACT IN THE FILM ARE ENGINNERING STUDENTS, THEREFORE THEIR SCRUBS COSTUME CONSISTED OF THEIR LAB COATS BEING WORN BACK TO FRONT. THEIR SCRUBS HATS WERE MADE OUT OF 2 LAYERS OF MINT COLOURED TISSUE PAPER FOLDED ROUND THEIR HEAD AND TAPED TOGETHER. THE GLOVES AND SURGICAL MASKS WERE GIVEN BY A HOUSEMATE’S SISTER WHO IS A VETERINARIAN.
THE PROPS I USED WERE TWO METAL DISHES THAT WE HAD IN THE HOUSE (USED FOR FOOD) AND I HAD SOME STAINLESS STEEL CARVING TOOLS THAT LOOKED LIKE SURGERY EQUIPMENT. WE ALSO HAD THE IDEA OF USING COTTON WOOL BALLS ATTACHED WITH LITTLE SCISSORS TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THE SURGEONS WERE CLEANING THE BLOOD AND PIECES OF PLASTIC TO LOOK LIKE GLASS SHARDS.
THE WOUND PROCESS:
I HAD NEVER DONE SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKEUP BEFORE SO I HAD TO DO A BIT OF RESEARCH BEFOREHAND AND HOPED FOR THE BEST WHEN IT CAME TO DOING IT. I FOUND A VIDEO (CLICK HERE!) OF A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE A WOUND. THE OPTION I CHOSE WAS TO USE LIQUID LATEX (THE PEACH COLOURED SUBSTANCE SHOWN IN IMAGE) AND STRIPS OF ROLLED OUT COTTON BALLS. AFTER CREATING THE TEXTURE OF THE WOUND, AN OPTION WAS TO USE FACEPAINT ON TOP. UNFORTUNATELY I DIDN’T HAVE ANY SO I USED ACRYLIC PAINT INSTEAD (IT WAS SAFE TO USE ON TOP OF COTTON WOOL AND LIQUID LATEX). I ORGINALLY WANTED TO USE FAKE BLOOD BUT I COULDN’T FIND ANY AND IT WAS TOO LATE TO BUY ONLINE.
ALTHOUGH I ADDED DEPTH AND HIGHLIGHT TO THE WOUND, IT LOOKED MATTE AND A VERY FLAT WHICH DEFINITELY DIDNT LOOK VERY WOUND LIKE. SO CAITLIN HAD THE IDEA OF ADDING HONEY TO THE WOUND RIGHT BEFORE FILMING TO ADD THAT GLOSS LIKE EFFECT. IT WORKED REALLY WELL AND VERY REALISTIC!
PROCESS SHOTS OF THE ACTION: THE SET WAS IN THE LIVING ROOM OF MY STUDENT HOUSE. THE SURGERY TABLE WAS THE DINING ROOM TABLE COVERED IN A BED SHEET, WE HAD A PILLOW UNDERNEATH TOMS HEAD TO PROP HIM, MAKING IT EASIER TO FILM AND A DUVET COVER TO COVER HIS LOWER BODY, THE LIGHTING CREATED SOME REALLY HOSTILE LIGHTING AS WELL AS SOME CONTRASTING SHADOWS.
PROCESS OF SET DESIGN:
THE TREES: THE TREES WAS THE FIRST PART OF THE SET THAT I STARTED BUILDING. I WANTED TO MAKE THEM OUT OF FELT BECAUSE OF THE COLOUR AND ADDED SOFTNESS. I DOWNLOADED A TEMPLATE TO MAKE A BALL OUT OF FABRIC AND I HAD COLLECTED A LOT OF TOILET ROLL TUBES WHICH MADE GREAT TREE TRUNKS. THEY WERE CUT TO SIZE AND COVERED IN FELT.
FOR THE BACKGROUND OF THE SET, I WANTED TO KEEP IT VERY NEUTRAL IN COLOUR SCHEME SO THAT THERE IS MORE CONTRAST IN THE FOREGROUND. I WANTED TO CREATE PASTEL MOUNTAINS. THEY WERE MADE OUT OF LAYERS OF CARDBOARD AND COVERED IN CRINKLED TISSUE PAPER TO MIMIC A ROCKY TEXTURE. THEN I ADDED COTTON WOOL CLOUDS ON TOP SO THEY WEREN’T MISTAKEN FOR HILLS. PLUS THEY ADDED MORE TEXTURE TO THE BACKGROUND. THE CARDBOARD SET WAS PAINTED WHITE AND COVERED IN A SHEER BLUE FABRIC TO RECREATE THE SKY.
FINAL SETS: SET 1:
SET 2:
FINAL SETS - THOUGHTS: THE CONCEPT FOR THESE TWO SETS WAS TO HAVE THAT HIGH CONTRAST IN COLOURS AND SOFT TEXTURES - MAINLY TO BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO THE SURGERY SCENE. THE SETS WERE COMPLETED IN 2 DAYS DUE TO THE TIME I MADE FOR MYSELF TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT, THEREFORE IT DOES LOOK A LITTLE ‘PRE-SCHOOL’ WITH THE LACK OF DETAILS AND STRUCTURAL BUILD. HOWEVER, IN TERMS OF THE COLOURS AND TEXTURES I USED, I FELT IT WAS A SUCCESS. THE SETS ARE ONLY FILMED IN SHORT SNIPPETS AND THEN EDITED DOWN IN THE VIDEO, SO THERE WOULDN’T BE MUCH POINT IN SPENDING A LONG TIME ON THE TINY DETAILS. THE LITTLE DETAILS OF THE POM POM FLOWERS AND THE FISH IN THE WATERFALL POOL ADDED MORE ‘REALISM’ TO THE SET. IT MADE IT LOOK NOT SO PLAIN EITHER. IF I WERE TO CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT THE SET, I WOULD ADD MORE INTRICATE DETAILS - LIKE THE SET OF THE FIMBLES, AND PERHAPS ADD MORE BACKGROUND DETAILS. BUT WHAT I MADE IN TWO DAYS (INCLUDING THE PUPPETS) I FELT WAS IMPRESSIVE AND I ENJOYED THAT I DIDN’T HAVE TO SLAVE AWAY AT TINY DETAILS THAT I DIDN’T HAVE TIME FOR.
PUPPET PROCESS:
THE OTTER/FERRET PUPPET I MADE BY FOLLOWING A TECHNIQUE I HAD LEARNED IN SECOND YEAR. THE MOUTH WAS MADE OUT OF FOLDED CARDBOARD AND THEN I STUCK A CAR WASHING SPONGE ON TOP TO MAKE THE HEAD AND JAW. AFTER THAT I SIMPLY COVERED IT IN FELT AND ATTACHED A SHEET OF FELT AROUND THE ARM TO MAKE ITS BODY. I CHOSE THIS PARTICULAR HAND PUPPET FOR THE OTTER AS I WANTED HIS MOUTH TO MOVE IN ORDER TO EAT AND CATCH FISH (A KNOWN SCENE IN THE ORIGINAL VR GAME IN THE ARTICLE).
THE MAIN CHARACTER IS A SIMPLE HAND PUPPET WITH ITS HEAD AND ARMS MOVEABLE VIA YOUR FINGERS. SINCE THE CHARACTER WILL BE JUST WALKING AROUND AND PICKING UP FISH, I THOUGHT THIS TYPE OF PUPPET WILL BE MOST SUITABLE. OBVIOUSLY DUE TO TIME RESTRICTION, I DIDN’T TAKE TOO MANY PROCESS SHOTS OF THE PUPPETS, I HAD TO MAKE THE TWO PUPPETS QUITE SIMPLE IN TERMS OF OPERATING AS I HAD TO BE THE ONES TO MOVE THEM DURING THE SCENES, WHILST MY HOUSEMATE WAS BEHIND THE CAMERA.
FINISHED PUPPETS: TOM THE PUPPET:
GIANT OTTER/FERRET PUPPET:
EDITING: THE EDITING OF THE FILM TOOK THE LONGEST AS I HAD AN IDEA IN MY HEAD BUT IT WAS QUITE DIFFICULT TO PORTRAY THEM IN FILM. I WANTED A FLICKER OF TV STATIC TO BE THE QUICK TRANSITION BETWEEN THE PUPPET WORLD AND THE HOSPITAL. DUE TO TIME AND LIMITED AFTER EFFECTS SKILLS, I HAD TO DOWNLOAD A FOLDER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF TV STATIC IN ORDER TO USE THEM IN MY FILM, THE OUTCOME WASN’T TOO BAD, I WOULD’VE PREFERRED SOMETHING LESS GARISH HOWEVER IT WAS EASILY AVAILABLE TO USE. I ALSO DOWNLOADED FREE SONGS THAT I THOUGHT SOUNDED LIKE AN UPBEAT 8-BIT GAME.
CHOSEN SONG: GREEN KANGAROO BY 8-BIT BETTY (FROM HERE)
VHS OVERLAYS: BY MAX NOVAK (FROM HERE)
DURING EDITING, I HAD TO CHANGE THE COLOUR OF THE FILM AS I THOUGHT IT WAS TOO WARM. MY IDEA WAS TO MAKE THE HOSPITAL SCENE AS BLEAK AS I COULD. FORTUNATEY THERE WAS AN EDITOR ON IMOVIE THAT ALLOWED TO CHANGE THE BRIGHTNESS AND COLOUR. I THINK IT COMMUNICATES WELL IN THE BLEAK COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL.
FINAL OUTCOME:
CLICK THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE SHORT FILM:
SCARING THE NEIGHBOURS (OUTTAKES) - CLICK HERE!
SELF-REFLECTION: OVERALL, I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BRIEF AS I GAVE MYSELF A CHANCE TO EXECUTE THE OUTCOME IN A WAY THAT I FEEL I AM MOST CONFIDENT IN. I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT THE TIME IT TOOK FOR ME TO MAKE TWO SETS AND TWO PUPPETS WERE IN THE SPACE OF TWO DAYS AND IT REALLY ENFORCED ME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS TYPE OF WORK IS WHAT I ENJOY MOST ABOUT ILLUSTRATION. THE QUICK, FAST-PACE, DON’T-THINK-ABOUT-ITTOO-MUCH AGENDA. AS THE ROLE OF ART DIRECTOR AND DESIGNER, I FELT THAT I HAVE ORGANISED EVERY LITTLE DETAIL IN ORDER FOR THIS OUTCOME TO BE SUCCESSFUL. IF I HAD GIVEN MYSELF MORE TIME TO EDIT THE FILM, I WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED PERHAPS EXPLORING MORE MUSIC THAT I COULD USE (MAYBE EVEN ATTEMPT TO MAKE MY OWN) AND LEARN HOW TO CREATE SPECIAL EFFECTS ON ‘AFTER EFFECTS’ TO MIMIC VHS STATIC/GLITCHES. HOWEVER, THE EFFECTS AND SOUNDS THAT I HAVE FOUND CONVEYS THE MESSAGE VERY CLEARLY.
ONE DAY PROJECT
FOR THIS PROJECT, I COLLABORATED WITH CAITLIN SHEPHARD TO PRODUCE A FILM POSTER BASED ON THE TITLE ‘21 COUGARS’. THE NAME CAME FROM THE FACT THAT MY NAILS WERE LONG, RED AND POINTY - ALL WHILST HOLDING A COFFEE CUP. THE ‘COUGAR-ESQUE’ NAILS THEN PROMPTED THE NUMBER ‘21’ BASED ON MY AGE, THEREFORE 21 COUGARS WAS BORN. THE FILM ‘21 COUGARS’ IS ABOUT A COUGAR WHO HAS A CLASS OF 21 WANNABE COUGARS. THE GENRE WOULD BE A COMEDY WITH A HINT OF VULGARITY.
‘STARBUCKS’ LOGO DESIGN:
ORIGINALLY WE HAD THE IDEA THAT WE COULD REINVENT THE ‘STARBUCKS’ LOGO DESIGN TO COMPLIMENT THE COFFEE CUP THAT WE WANTED TO FEATURE ON THE POSTER. WE COULDN’T DECIDE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE WANTED THE TITLE ON THE LOGO OR SOMEWHERE ON THE POSTER. IN THE END, WE DIDN’T USE THE LOGO AS IT COMPLICATED THE FORMATTING. ALSO WE ONLY HAD A COUPLE OF HOURS TO COMPLETE THE POSTER AND PRINT IT.
PROCESS OF THE GOLD COFFEE CUP:
IMAGES USED FOR THE POSTER:
SKETCHES OF TYPE DESIGN:
FINAL DESIGN:
DUE TO THE LIMITED TIME, WE ENDED UP WITH USING ONE OF THE MARKER PEN SKETCH EDITED IT ON PHOTOSHOP. ONE OF THE TUTORS HELPED US OUT WITH THE EDITING TO MAKE IT HAVE DOUBLE COLOURS. WHEN THE TUTOR TOOK A PHOTO OF THE TITLE OF HIS PHONE, THE LIGHT REFLECTED OFF THE SCREEN AND GAVE IT THIS INCREDIBLE NEON, GLOW TO IT, WHICH MADE THE TYPE LOOK REALLY ABSTRACT AND ‘COUGAR-ESQUE’. THEREFORE WE USED THE PHOTO AS PART OF THE POSTER.
FINAL OUTCOME:
ISMS
PROJECT
CHOSEN WORD:
FOR THIS PROJECT, I WANTED THE FINAL OUTCOME TO BE VERY EXPLICIT AND STRAIGHT-FORWARD. THE REASON WHY I CHOSE HEDONISM IS THAT THE SYMBOLISM AND WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE WORD IS SO STRONG AND EXTREME - WHICH WAS WHAT APPEALED TO ME. THE IDEA OF USING VISUALS THAT REPRESENT PLEASURE AND DESIRE COMPLETELY CONTRASTS WITH SOME OF THE PROJECTS I HAVE DONE. THE AIM FOR THE OUTCOME IS TO BE VERY CLEAR ON HOW IT CONVEYS THE WORD, HEDONISM. I DID NOT WANT TO INTERPRET IT IN ANY OTHER WAY OR BE TOO SUGGESTIVE OTHERWISE THE MEANING MAY BE OBSCURRED.
INITIAL IDEA:
THE IDEA FOR THIS PROJECT WAS TO HAVE A SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS DEPICTING HEDONISM. SEX AND FOOD ARE THE TWO MAIN THEMES THAT I WANTED TO CONVEY IN THE PROJECT. THE PHOTOS BEING USED IN THE OUTCOME, PLAYS ON THE NOTION THAT ‘PORNOGRAPHIC’ IMAGES ARE OBTAINED BY PHOTOGRAPHS RATHER THAN ILLUSTRATIONS. I THOUGHT THE IDEA OF USING A CAKE COULD BE A STRONG VISUAL ELEMENT FOR THIS CONCEPT, ESPECIALLY AS IT NOT ONLY CATERS TO CONSUMPTION BUT ALSO THE SHAPE IS VERY SUGGESTIVE
CAKE DESIGN: I ORIGINALLY WANTED TO MAKE A REAL CAKE AND DECORATE IT WITH BODY PARTS AND FLESH LIKE COLOURS. I DIDN’T WANT A CAKE WHERE YOU CAN BUY FROM A SHOP, NOR DID I WANT A NOVELTY CAKE THATS JUST A CARTOONISH PAIR OF BOOBS. HERE ARE A COUPLE OF PHOTOS OF A STYLE OF CAKE THAT I QUITE LIKE THE IDEA OF. I STILL WANTED THE CAKE TO REMAIN TRADITIONAL AND OBVIOUS, YET THERE ARE ELEMENTS IN THESE CAKES THAT I CAN ‘CHANGE’ AND ALTER TO MAKE IT MORE HEDONISTIC. EXAMPLES CAN INCLUDE, INSTEAD OF STRAWBERRIES, THEY COULD BE BOOBS MADE OUT OF FONDANT ICING, I LOVE THE WHIPPED CREAM THAT THE STRAWBERRIES SIT ON, SO THAT COULD BE A PLAY ON USING WHIPPED CREAM IN A SEXUAL WAY. ALSO THE CHOCOLATE DRIPS MAY INSINUATE ‘SOMETHING ELSE’ ASSOCIATED WITH SEX.
EXPERIMENT WITH REAL CAKE:
REFLECTION: BEFORE I INVEST IN A LOT OF TIME BAKING AND DECORATING A CAKE (WITH NOT MUCH BAKING EXPERIENCE), I THOUGHT I WOULD TRY IT OUT WITH A STORE BOUGHT CAKE AND ‘DECORATE’ IT TO INSINUATE OF WHAT THE FINAL CAKE WILL LOOK LIKE. HOWEVER, WHEN I TOOK THESE QUICK SHOTS, I DIDN’T REALLY LIKE THE WAY THE PHOTOS ARE PRESENTED. WITH THE CAKE BEING REAL, THE SYMBOL BECAME DISPOSABLE AS THE BITS OF THE CAKE IS BEING CONSUMED. IT WAS ALSO MESSY AND INCONVENIENT TO SHOOT THIS CAKE IN SUGGESTIVE POSITIONS.
NEW IDEA: WITH THE ‘CAKE BEING EDIBLE’ IDEA OUT THE WINDOW, I DECIDED TO MAKE A SCULPTURE INSTEAD. IT IS VERY POPULAR IN CAKE SHOPS THAT THEY WOULD MAKE ‘DUMMY CAKES’ OUT OF POLYSTYRENE AND FONDANT ICING. THAT WAY THEY ARE ABLE TO SHOWCASE THE DESIGN AND IT WON’T GET CRUSHED AND DAMAGED. I THOUGHT USING POLYSTYRENE WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD IDEA AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO MAKING IT OUT OF CLAY (IT WOULD BE TOO HEAVY TO HOLD AND TOO EXPENSIVE). NOT ONLY THAT BUT FONDANT WOULD ADD A REALISTIC TEXTURE TO THE CAKE, ESPECIALLY AS FONDANT IS VERY MALLUABLE AND YOU CAN EVEN PAINT IT WITH WATERCOLOUR AND ACRYLIC (ONLY WORKS WHEN THE SURFACE IS ROUGH).
PROCESS SHOTS OF THE SCULPTURE:
ADDING TEXTURE: FOR THE SPONGE, I COVERED THE SPACE IN WHITE FONDANT AND THEN USED A TOOTHPICK AND STIPPLED THE ICING WHILST IT WAS STILL SOFT. IT CREATED A VERY REALISTIC EFFECT THAT WORKED REALLY WELL. I THEN PAINTED OVER THE SPONGE WITH ACRYLIC PAINT.
THE ‘CHERRIES’ ON THE CAKE:
PHALLIC FLOWERS:
I THOUGHT ADDING FONDANT FLOWERS THAT LOOK PHALLIC (INSPIRATION TO THE LEFT) WOULD BE A NICE TOUCH TO THE CAKE. HOWEVER, WHEN I MADE IT, IT LOOKED TOO ‘REALISTIC’ COMPARED TO THE BOOBS AND OVERALL SHAPE OF THE CAKE.
THE DRIPPY ICING:
I HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH CREATING THE DRIPPING, SUGGESTIVE ICING EFFECT ON THIS CAKE. MY FIRST IDEA CONSISTED OF JUST PVA GLUE. THAT, OF COURSE DID NOT WORK AS THE PVA WENT CLEAR WITHIN A FEW MINUTES. THEN, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO ADD CORNSTARCH (TO THICKEN) AND ACRYLIC (FOR COLOUR) TO THE CONCOCTION. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WENT HORRIBLY WRONG. IT BEGAN TO SEPARATE AND DIDN’T DRY. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO PEEL IT OFF THE NEXT DAY AND HAD TO RECOVER THE CAKE.
DRIP ICING EXPERIMENT: I TOOK A SMALL PIECE OF POLYSTYRENE AND COVERED IT IN THE FONDANT. THEN I USED A SLIGHTLY LIGHTER COLOUR FOR THE DRIPS AND IT WORKED SUPRISINGLY WELL. A LITTLE ‘CARTOONISH’ BUT IT REALLY WORKS WITH THE AESTHETICS I WAS GOING FOR. I DID TRY TO ADD A SHEEN BY ADDING PVA GLUE BUT IT DRIED UN-SHINY SO I DIDN’T BOTHER RISKING EXPERIMENTING AGAIN. SO I RECOVERED THE CAKE AND ADDED THE DRIPS, IT LOOKS A LOT MORE POLISHED NOW.
WHIPPED CREAM: AGAIN, I STRUGGLED WITH CHEMISTRY AND MIXING THINGS TOGETHER. SO I READ ONLINE THAT YOU CAN CREATE FAKE WHIPPED CREAM BY MIXING AIR-DRYING CLAY, PVA GLUE AND WATER... IT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME OBVIOUSLY. IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING TO HAVE MADE ALL THESE CONCOCTIONS TO RESULT IN FAILURE. HOWEVER, FONDANT SAVED MY DAY AGAIN, I ADDED A BIT OF WATER AND GLYCERINE TO SOFTEN IT A LOT. THEN I PUSHED THE ICING THROUGH THE PIPING NOZZLE TO CREATE THE WHIPPED CREAM EFFECT. IT WAS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL AND I WAS SO HAPPY THAT EVERYTHING WORKED OUT AMAZINGLY IN THE END.
FINISHED CAKE: HERE ARE THE FINAL IMAGES FOR THE CAKE. I ADDED A PHOTO OF ONE WITH THE FLOWER AND I DON’T THINK IT WORKS QUITE AS WELL. OVERALL, I AM SO HAPPY WITH THIS CAKE SCULPTURE. THE APPEARANCE WORKS REALLY WELL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MODEL. AND I MADE A LOT OF MISTAKES IN REGARDS TO EXPERIMENTING. BUT IT JUST SHOWS THAT I SHOULD STICK TO THE PROCESSES I KNOW. IN THIS CASE, SCUPLTING OUT OF ICING ONLY.
EDITED SHORTLIST:
SELF-REFLECTION: OVERALL, I FELT THAT THIS PROJECT HAS DEFINITELY COMMUNICATED THE WORD HEDONISM VERY CLEARLY. MY INTENTIONS OF USING THE CAKE AND THE MODEL SHOWCASES STRONG SYMBOLISM AND THE CAKE SCUPLTURE WAS WELL EXECUTED IN PORTRAYING A STRONG SYMBOL. I BELIEVED THAT I HAVE MADE THE CORRECT DECISION OF NOT USING AN EDIBLE CAKE FOR THIS SERIES AS I FEEL IT WOULD DILUTE THE IMAGE AND MAKE IT ALMOST TACKY AND TOO MUCH LIKE ‘FOOD PORN’. INSTEAD, I MADE A SCULPTURE WHERE THE MODEL IS BEING USED AS A PEDESTAL OR PLATFORM RATHER THAN JUST EATING THE CAKE. DURING THE CRIT, I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN WITH HAVING 10 IMAGES AS THE FINAL OUTCOME - THINKING THAT IT IS TOO MANY. THE TUTORS AGREED THAT ONE IMAGE WOULD BE ABLE TO CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE DEFINITION OF HEDONISIM. HAVING 10 IMAGES WAS TOO REPETITIVE - WHICH I AGREED WITH. THEIR FAVOURITE PHOTO SHOWS THE ANGLES AND POSITIONING OF THE CAKE AND CONVEYS VERY STRONGLY. ALSO THE COOPERATION WITH THE CAKE AND THE MODEL IS EQUALLED. IF I WERE TO DISPLAY THIS PROJECT PHYSICALLY, I WOULD CONSIDER HAVING IT PRINTED ON A3 WITH AN EQUALLY EXTRAVAGENT FRAME, THEN PERHAPS MOUNTED ON A BRICK WALL OR IN A HOME ABOVE THE BED.
FINAL OUTCOME:
OVERALL REFLECTION OF ‘STUDIO PRACTISE’ I FOUND THAT WORKING WITH A SET BRIEF HAS BEEN MY STRONG POINT THROUGHOUT THIRD YEAR. I FEEL THAT I CAN WORK VERY CLEARLY IN ORDER TO CONVERY THE BEST AND CLEAREST COMMUNICATION THROUGH A PROJECT THAT HAS A SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT. I FELT I HAD THE STRONG OUTCOMES IN MY COLLABORATION PROJECT AND MY ISMS PROJECT. IN THE COLLABORATION PROJECT, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY INTEREST AND SKILLS IN TYPE DESIGN, WHICH LATER ON ENCOURAGED ME TO FOCUS ON THAT MORE WITH MY OTHER PROJECTS, I HAVE REALLY GROWN TO APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF TYPE DESIGN IN MY WORK AS I BELIEVE IT MAKES THE FINAL OUTCOME MORE POLISHED A LITTLE MORE PERSONAL TO THE ARTIST. NOT ONLY THAT BUT CREATING A TYPEFACE THAT IS VERSITILE BECAME AN ADVANTAGE AS I WAS ABLE TO USE IT IN MY PDF AND ALSO MY QUORA PROJECT. I DEFINITELY WANT TO EXPAND UPON THIS TYPEFACE AND MAYBE EVEN MAKE IT INTO A PRODUCT FOR OTHER CREATIVES. MY ISMS PROJECT WAS DEFINITELY A PORTRAYAL OF ME STAYING IN MY COMFORT ZONE OF USING THEMES THAT INTEREST ME, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, SETTING OFF FIREWORKS IN THE SAID ZONE - MY IMAGINATION WENT WILD. I HAD A LOT OF FUN DOING THAT PROJECT, DESPITE ALL THE TRIAL AND ERROR. THIS PROJECT ULTIMATELY GAVE ME THE ‘EUREKA’ MOMENT OF KNOWING THAT I LOVE MAKING PHYSICAL THINGS WAY MORE THAN DRAWING. THE QUORA PROJECT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE. I LOVED THE IDEA I HAD, BUT THE EXECUTION FELT A LITTLE TAME BECAUSE OF THE AUDIENCE I HAD IN MIND. MY WORK IS CLEARLY MADE FOR A MATURE AUDIENCE AS I’M MORE INTO CRUDE THEMES. HOWEVER, I DO LIKE THE CONTRAST BETWEEN CUTE AND VULGAR. I WILL DEFINITELY KEEP THIS IN MIND IN MY FUTURE CAREER OF A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY DESIGNER.