Title Sequence: Kiss the Girls Storyboard

Final storyboard for the Kiss the Girls title sequence (left) and Style/media experimentation (right)

Photo is authors own

Creating the final storyboard for Kiss the Girls was great as a starting point for how I would like the sequence to look and what medium I could use to effectively produce the ideas seen within it. I really like the potential for a strong sense of style and atmosphere for the sequence. However, I'm not sure how well the first box, which would be live action, will fit in with the rest of the sequence. I was surprised how hard it was to find purpose in the flow of the sequence as it did not have a narrative and was relying solely on visual representations.

Experimenting with the style/medium a of the title sequence was the most creatively rewarding part of the process. I was able to explore ideas and identify what would work best in representing the themes of the film. I initially started working with newspaper print in relation to a scene in the movie where one of the killers has a safe full of newspaper clippings. Once I had tried out a few different ideas, I took them into flash and made a series of short animations. This gave me a clear indication of what would work best on the whole. It was a shock to find how engrossed you can become in exploring ideas and metaphors. In future I will definitely give myself a stricter amount of time in which I'm allowed to do this. 

3DD: Final Bridge

This is the final bridge that we made as a group, taking inspiration from our design ideas we done in our sketchbooks. Overall, the bridge was not very successful as it collapsed underneath the weight of a remote control car, travelling across it. We used cardboard and sticks to make the bridge.

If I were to build the bridge again I would have compact the sticks together more to toughen the frame of the bridge.

3DD: Protection Results

This is a before (birds eye view) and after of my Spaghetti structure. The second photo demonstrates the destructive results of the basketball's impact.

You can see that from the outside the structure seemed to have held it's shape rather well. However, the protection mainly held the spaghetti in place, but did not manage to prevent the pieces braking. In order to improve the design I would have to create a stronger shield that surrounds the entire structure.

Tate Modern, Energy and Process: Review

(Emin, Hate and Power can be a Terrible Thing, 2005. Author's own photo, 2013) 

Tracey Emin’s piece, ‘Hate and Power can be a Terrible Thing’ (2004) illuminated the room, casting the other works in shadow at the Tate Modern’s Energy and Process exhibition. Situated in the room entitled ‘Homeworkers’, curated by Ann Coxon and Valentina Ravaglia, was a series of textile-based works all produced by female artists, playing on the outdated idea of female domestic work and gender stereotypes.

Originally, Margaret Harrison’s piece, ‘Homeworker’ (1977) was supposed to be the main attraction of the room, commenting on the exploitation of female labour in resent pasts. However, Emin’s piece completely overpowered the room, grabbing everyone’s attention. What first drew me in was the ironic juxtaposition of unnerving words such as, “THERES NO ONE IN THIS ROOM WHO HAS NOT THOUGHT OF KILLING” (Emin, 2005, Hate and Power can be a terrible thing), which were stitched onto a pink quilt, an object usually used to comfort it’s user. Emin’s angered lines stitched over floral patterns, which usually stimulate tender thoughts, further employed this contrast in mood.

As viewers we can pick up on this passionate fury through error in grammar, for example, “GUESS WHAT THE WORSE I COULD DO IS BETRAYE” (Emin, 2005, Hate and Power can be a terrible thing). Here there is a lack of punctuation and a spelling mistake, “BETRAYE”, which makes it hard for us to comprehend what Emin is trying to communicate. These two points could signify that in her blind rage Emin was completely consumed by her emotions and unaware or careless of any grammatical issues.  

The heavy use of text was present in both Emin and Harrison’s work, a compelling attribute that connects visually art with other art forms, something that I am very keen to work with in my own practise. Interestingly, Harrison opted for more handwritten text, perhaps to further install the idea of hard work, harmonising well with her repeated illustrations of hands – a “hands on” approach. Alternatively, Emin stitched each letter into the quilt. You can just imaging Emin sitting there with a needle, thread and murderous look in her eyes as she stabbed wound upon wound into the quilt in an attempt to exert all of her negative energy. ‘Hate and Power can be a Terrible Thing’ certainly sparkled up a multitude of thoughts within me, especially when compared to ‘Homeworker’ as a more recent, contemporary piece. The works are similar in medium and content, as both are trying to express negative feelings towards certain injustices, but with separate moods. Whilst Harrison uses hand-scripted text, browns and reds I feel a sense of militant, political purpose, perhaps relating to feminist posters, and Emin uses softer, gentler aesthetics, producing an uncomfortable, ambiguity due to all of her piece’s clashing attributes. Perhaps, it relates to the stories that inspired the piece, posing as something safe and inviting, but when the viewer acquaints themselves with it, it becomes something monstrous; ”A mother who Reiked [sic] of Power CRAZY Hate and Fear”(Emin, 2005, Hate and Power can be a terrible thing).

Bibliography

Exhibition Visit

Emin, Tracey. Hate and Power can be a Terrible Thing, 2005, Tate Modern, Energy and Process. 

Rastman Final Image: 2

This image depicts the second stage of my story, where the Doll feels for Rastaman and decides to present him with a flyer advertising the Path to Enlightenment. It is a over the shoulder view however, some of my peers did not at first understand this concept and mistook his head for something else. I found it quite hard to create a high level of drama in this scene as the props are was working with were quite mundane. Although, by creating blurred areas I was able to highlight the main message of the image, which in turn uplifted the drama, I feel.

Rastaman Final Image: 1

This is the film still for the beginning of my Rastaman story. Here, Rastaman has collapsed on the floor due to OD'ing on cocaine as an attempted to numb the pain of his wife leaving him for a Doll. I found the task rewarding as I was able to see my story come to life in a small. but I feel effective, kind of way.  I really like my use of illustration over a photograph, each medium compliments each other well as the photography brings an element of reality to the image, whilst the illustration keeps the image light-hearted to avoid completely depressing the viewer. However, in contrast, if was wanting to creat a very serious vibe throughout my story illustration would hinder that goal.
Other students found the illustration to not be quite bold enough, only by studying the image did they notice the body I had draw onto the photo. In future I will make sure my illustrations are bold enough in contrast with the image.