Who will survive and what will be left of them?

It's another one of those to do lists again. Damn, I've a lot on.

Right, my direction is going okay though I should have really started drawing the character parts in Flash by now. Now my storyboard is looking good and everything. Speaking of which I'll probably scan a few photies of it to put in here. This page is looking a little dark, it could do with the brightening up. Oh, I found a copy of Cronenberg's Crash the other day, I'll pick it up for the weekend and see if it turned out the way I imagined.

Videogames; my card game (now called 'Beans') needs for serious playtesting. Though it has potential so I'm hoping it'll be worth the time.

Animation, well I'm still really not confident with 3Ds Max but I've timetable myself sometime on the uni computers to try to catch up - I'd did a presentation on my first project the other day. It went really well, I hope I can keep up the pace.

At the moment of typing, I'm about to go to web design class. We've a project making a ad banner. Something I haven't seen since getting Firefox 2. Anyway, I appreciate the learning behind it so I'll treat it with as much respect as my other projects - despite not been able to get graded on it. It's important because, as a side project for my Japanese class, I want to try and make a website on basic learning of the language. Principally, it's for me. I figure, if I'm actively doing work in my Japanese other than revising from text books I'll come on stronger. But I have in mind that I could get some advertisement revenue or something. (Hey, I've got to make some cash some where.) As you can guess, I'm pretty confident about the idea. It is one of those Dragon's Den moments for me. I'll keep this blog updated on its progress anyway.

I'm trying to think if I'm missing anything out... I probably am. I mentioned Salvador earlier? That's a non-uni project under wraps. I just wish I had more time for it. I think I'll be able to get some money for it. Hey, I'm not getting a proper job okay? So stop judging me. I hate bar work. I hate hard work. And jobs that robots can do. That's what robots are for.

Take it uneasy, you cows.

Clowns, evil.

Right, the developing of our main project is coming on a fair bit so I’m putting my initial thoughts on here. Check it:

Clown.

This is the script I have chosen to develop into a film as part of my main project on my direction course. I actually found myself deciding quite quickly as I looked at each script as an animator. Of course, this isn’t part of the brief but it is how I’ll be producing the script.

Clown appealed to me because of the visual aspects of it. While reading the script, it was easy to visualise each scene in my mind. Furthermore, the story itself has dark undertones that the others didn’t. At least, none that could see. As we’ve already found out, I like keeping things dark and depressing. Though it’ll be pretty interesting to see if I can’t work some dark humour into it. Or out of it.

Principally, the story features 3 characters. The Harlequin, the Compere and the audience, with the audience not having any more distinction than the group it is. At the first half of the story we see the Harlequin on stage trying to entertain the audience. However, as his act develops it appears though the Harlequin has lost his love for his job. The act soon dies to the dismay of the Compere. The story finishes with the Compere roasting the Harlequin for his poor performance. He eventually sacks the Harlequin.

My feeling for the ending could have more closure. I’ll probably work something out. Other than that I can’t see any changes I want to make. I’ll develop the characters when my storyboards look more complete. For example, I’ve made the Harlequin a male, the script doesn’t give a sex to the figure. This is because I’m already aware of who will do the voice acting of this character. The audience will be as far removed from character as I can get them. I don’t want to complicate things by taking the focus off of the two other characters. Plus, this decision should add to the cold reception that the harlequin gets from them.

Seeing the Script, Crash.

So I've read the script for David Cronenberg's Crash. As part of my Seeing the Script project I've had to write about the outline of the film and the premise of how it's shown to the audience. Remember, the idea was to pick a film I haven't seen before. To avoid prejudice I guess. Anyway, my work follows. For anyone wondering, I got the script from www.script-o-rama.com (thanks again to Wikipedia for the image. Kisses.)



Crash (David Cronenberg, 1996)

Outline

James Ballard, a TV producer, and his relationship with his wife, Catherine, has fallen out of grace sexual. Reduced to swinging to get things turned on, their sex life is begging to be revitalised. This happens in the strangest of all places. One night, James Ballard travels in his car in bad weather conditions and he soon loses control. Veering into the oncoming traffic, he hits a car that will change his life. Surviving the car crash, he sees Dr Helen Remington for the first time. Remington’s husband dies in the crash yet in one moment both Ballard and Remington have a moment of sexual connection. Through her, James and Catherine meet with Vaughan, a stunt man who illegally recreates famous celebrity car crashes.

These recreations go deeper than morbid voyeurisms. James and Catherine soon become part of a cult of car crash fetishist. The followers use the raw shock and disorientation of severe car crashes to become aroused. In the wake of this dangerous foreplay, the scars that cover the willing victims become new sexual characteristics. James and Catherine find a new lease of life for their sexual relationship but how far can they take their dangerous sex game?

Premise

Crash asks how far would a person go to find sexual gratification? The unthinkable act of arousal through car crashes is the centre of the plot. It plays on the danger by making the act part of a snuff-like underground movement. The recreation of famous celebrity crashes further the idea of voyeurism by partaking fetishists. The film uses sexual imagery almost to the point of pornography. The same can be said of its visualisation of the car wrecks that get just as much attention as characters. Often, the vehicle is as much as a character as the cast sitting in it or about to crash it.

The main character James Ballard and his wife Catherine have succumb to swinging to get sexual gratification as their love life has gone stale. It is this frustration that leads them into this hidden world of dangerous sexual pleasure.

As the main character and almost narrator, it is James Ballard that the audience follows most. We see how the cult develops around his character also. The emotion connect between all of the cast and the audience seems fleeting. The deaths of the cults main characters, notably Vaughan and Seagrave, are less tragic than they are examples of martyrdom for their cause.

The story is suited to Cronenberg’s common themes of shock gore and uneasy horror. The way the characters are shown are often through space invading close ups and sexual represented scars. The mood of the film is set almost instantly with a strong sex scene. However, it doesn’t let the audience know what questions the film will ask of them by the end of the film.

Artistic Identity part 2, 'cus I'll never dance again.

Okay, the next part of the Artistic Identity is a study of my role models, heroes etc. I had to take a few from literature & fiction, celebrities & similar icons and people I know close to me. After I was to make a self-protrait from the list. Enough of my trash-typing, check the list out:

Fiction


Spiderman/Peter Parker – At the time of Spiderman the characters creation, he was an untraditional hero. Finally, a superhero appeared who teenagers could relate to. As well as have problems with supervillains and the change in his body, he has to deal with he love life, family and education. It is because of this that he is a cult icon.


Solid Snake – Physically strong, professional and not without morals, he represents a traditional hero. In the exposure of his character, we find he has a life as a normal person despite his background and the situations we find him in. He has also been shown as a teacher in his relationship with the character Raiden.

Snake isn’t without enemies, a lot of his character is revealed in his efforts to overcome them. Despite everything he’s always had a sense of humour to call upon.


Alex – Considered to be a pretty evil person, his exploits as a murderer, rapist and thug are not what appeal to me as a person. Instead, the distinction between him as a young man and the rest of society do. He is out for himself, a typical anti-hero.

Celebrity


Hunter S Thompson – A guy who lived for the moment. He had an amazing self-destructive quality that I can relate to sometimes. His work and life fascinates me. He’s an endless source of quotes too. I like this one; “If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up.”


Laurel & Hardy – I can’t separate these two. They were one person on screen and the screen was there life. They made slapstick seem easy creating many imitators, but none had the intelligence that Laurel & Hardy had.


Tim Burton – He tells fairy tales for adults. His eye for animation is near perfect too. A total role model for me.

People

Paul Jewess – A life long friend and a legend in the making. He aspires to be a director, he always has. We’ve always talked about our dreams and now I think he’s on the verge of living his.

Barry Brown – He believed in me and took a risk. You’ve got to be brave to do that.

A self-portrait from that list? I’m someone who likes the idea of a hero but with flaws. Someone who lives for the day and takes pride in his work whether it shows or not. There’s an unhealthy obsession with death as if to want an easy way out sometimes. But my trade keeps me going.”

How’s that sound? Know me better now do you? Think again because I’m like the wind. And the wind, you cannot kill.

(all photos, except Spiderman, are from the sexy www.wikipedia.org Wikipedia>you)

Stop, Artistic Identity part 1, Recover.

The first part of my Artist Identity study sees me exploring events that have shaped my life. I told you it was heavy. Now, to do this I had to make a list of around 10 events, experiences, flashpoints or whatever in my life. After, I was to make an honest assessment of the list; as if I was looking at another persons list.

So what is on my list? Well, it got pretty serious so I’ve decided not to show it. It’s personal stuff y’know, I’m not going to put it on a public blog. So deal with it. However, I still have work to do and I have decided to put my assessment of it on here. Hold on to your pants:

"Even from the earliest event on this list, there are negative feelings in each. Be it daunt, depression, guilt or inadequacy, it is a worryingly upsetting read. For every event that could be considered positive, there are negative undertones that spoil the mood somewhat

However, it seems that there is a positive upturn of outlook over the period of time it covers. It certainly seems that things are past their worst. The pleasure/pain ratio is slowly turning in favour of the pleasure. Though you are left to wonder; how fragile is the balance?

The themes in the list are the usual things that are important to a person, family, friends, health and careers. However, possessions feature. Questioning integrity somewhat.

Objectively, the list is full of achievements. There are examples of overcoming adversity. Perhaps this list is a good advert for the theory of karma?"

Well, I did get quite super cereal (read: serious) with my assessment didn’t I? Don’t worry; I’m mostly a happy person. But then again, we were told that Aliens mostly come out at night… mostly.

I think I can see how my life’s experiences affect my direction styles. However, I didn’t mention any of my directors or artists’ influences in my list. Surely, this can’t be ignored? It is still an interesting task.

A further extension of this piece of work is due soonish, so check back. What do you mean ‘no’?

Without the bitter, baby, the sweet ain't as sweet.

I'm just putting this post out as a 'to do' list for myself. I've a fair bit on. Don't worry, Grandma, it's nothing I can't handle but I could do with clearing my thoughts on to here.

It looks like I'm more or less clear on what I'm doing at uni. I've recently started Japanese and 3D Animation. Of the latter, I've missed a fair bit so I'm going to work damn hard to catch up. DAMN HARD. I consider the subject to be important to a possible career plan. It's good to start Japanese again, I did three years at college - I'm still rusty though.

I originally started with a web design course. That has be swapped with the animation. However, I'm hoping to still attend class since it covers image theory and similar subjects. Which blows my mind. Golden Ratio and all that? Awesome. Yes, I am being serious.

Of my two other subjects, Direction and Videogames, I've projects for each. The Videogames card game is coming on. Hopefully I'll have something close to a full game by next Tuesday. On that, I made the mistake of thinking we had to make it from a 52 card pack. This isn't so, we can design our own cards (within the brief.) How awesome is that?

Direction has two journal (read: blog) entries imminent. One is the script dissection, I'm reading through Crash now. Hopefully, I'll get to watch it over the weekend after my work. The other piece of work is called Artist Identity. It is meant to identify my personal themes as a director. Or maybe even an artist. Or a person(!) I'll go into it more on the actual entry as it sounds quite heavy. Seriously, I think a few skeletons might surface from the depths of my soul. Well, it looks fun anyway. And it will be a better attempt than the previous post to understand my direction style.

Finally, I have a few non-uni but uni-related projects hovering around me like a Back To The Future hoverboard in a windtunnel. These are Salvador (which is an animation series in which I'm to do a pilot,) an animation parodying video games, a drum n bass music video (just to practice working with fast edits) and a competition that has entrants making a music video for a selected track of their chosing. www.radarfestival.com is the site. Unfortunately, having taken on more than I'd imagined with my course choices these may have to go on the backburner. We'll just see how hard I can bust some balls I guess.

Keep it unreal, soldiers.