Kyle Kemp - BA (Hons) Computer Animation Arts - UCA Rochester: September 2013

Sunday, 29 September 2013

Influence Maps - Metropole

The pictures displayed in these influence maps are of ideas that have alot of potential and evocative imagery for further designs and developments.My first influence map features some macabre pictures of slaughtered animals, but also includes a painting by L.S. Lowry whos industrial landscapes and simplification of people will undoubtably play a large role in convey and illustrating the strange world and crowded streets described in Metropole.

This second map provides insight into numerous ideas I have formulated and allow me to look towards more abstract ideas and concepts. The images are valuable both in giving both a feel for different perspectives, but also ideas of composition, architecture, clothing for certain characters, etc. Through doing these influence maps, I have definitely gained renewed insight into my subject matter and the different and exciting ways I can develop my drawings.

Wednesday, 25 September 2013

Autodesk Maya Modelling Practice

After a look at the first Maya tutorial decide to experiment in the program. The test took me about 40 mins and is my very first attempt at modelling in Maya. I think it turned out quite well.

Le Voyage Dans La Lune (1902) Film Review

Fig 1 - Le Voyage Dans La Lune's Title card.

The film “Le Voyage Dans La Lune” is a black and white silent movie produced in 1902 by George Melies. The film is, as stated in its title, about a group of scientists/magicians who achieve flight to the moon, a preposterous theory just after the turn of the century. This can be seen through the use of wizards and magic and can be seen as alluding to how mystifying and magical science seems, as well as also allowing the use of the more questionable means of transportation to the moon, as is seen when they use a enormous cannon to accomplish the task.

Melies portrays his environments with a tremendous sense of scale and depth, using illusion and perspective to create, what would have seemed in 1902, an entirely believable world. It is scenes like the one below in which Melies creates a feeling of wonder and awe in his audience even now. Its mysticism invigorates the imaginations of its audience with Melies' own "Typical Imaginative Flamboyance"(David Parkinson, 2011) providing some of more inspiring and eccentric scenes in this film, such as the mushroom cave scene or the alien camp scene where a certain type of eccentricity gives life to these odd creations.

"Each image just another piece of magic"(Will, 2011) is a quotation that relates partially to the the enormous landscapes and vivid locations and partially to the early special effects employed by Melies to stun, captivate and amaze his audiences. The effects used for conjuring chairs out of tubes and making the alien life forms turn to smoke when hit were cutting edge for their time, using stop and start techniques that would have had audiences astounded and mystified as they tried to workout just how it had been done.

Fig 2 - The moon scene where the
adventurous scientists sleep for the night.

The industrial scene captures the essence of what would have been reality and adds flair of innovation to it, the use of perspective and the illusion of space drags the viewer deeper into Melies' world and gives the scene a sense of realism and give it a believable quality. It is this sense of realism that really brings the charm of this silent film to life, the fact that this could have been reality, what may seem like outlandish inventions and completely insane notions to us now gave audiences an exciting but all too possible future.

Fig 3 - The industrial landscape scene showing
the construction of the large cannon.

"The primitive silent landmark has more charm and originality than many modern CGI-cluttered epics."(Phil Hall, 2004) This quotation shows how this "silent landmark" has the originality that far surpasses modern films, Melies' film captures something from audiences that its modern counterparts have lost sight of. It is in the notion of realism and the coming future that Melies captures his audiences hopes and fears, what is to come with the new century, what strange and otherworldly concoctions and inventions will revolutionize humanity and what great feats of innovation and engineering will reshape the common mans way of life.

List of Illustrations:

Figure 1: Title card from Le Voyage Dans La Lune (1902)
Directed by George Melies At: http://annyas.com/screenshots/images/1902/voyage-dans-la-lune-title-still-small.jpg ( Accessed 25/09/13)

Figure 2: Moon sleep scene from Le Voyage Dans La Lune (1902)
Directed by George Melies. At: http://drnorth.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/le-voyage-dans-la-lune-georges-melies-1902-tableau-7d.png?w=584&h=438 ( accessed 25/09/13)

Figure 3: Industrial landscape scene from Le Voyage Dans La Lune (1902)
Directed by George Melies At: http://drnorth.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/le-voyage-dans-la-lune-georges-melies-1902-tableau-3.png?w=584&h=438 ( Accessed 25/09/13)

Bibliography:

Hall, Phil (2004) http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/trip_to_the_moon-1902/ (Online Review)

Parkinson, David (2011) http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=134388 (Online Review)

Will (2011) http://www.the-filmreel.com/2011/02/25/a-trip-to-the-moon-1902-film-reel-reviews/ (Online Review)

Tuesday, 24 September 2013

Space and Enviroment - Project 1: Cinematic Spaces

This is the first project on CG Arts & Animation and it is all about pre-production.

The goal of this project is to complete three fully resolved concept paintings, these must be painted digitally and be to a resolution of 16:9.

For the project I will be working from source material which is a 32 page extract from Metropole, a book by the Hungarian novelist Ferenc Karinthy. I decided to crack right on with thumbnail designs for the project and used Adobe Photoshop (to further reinforce what we covered yesterday) and came up with a number of ideas.