Best documentary
One more addition to my film viewing for the day. Since it finally went into wide release, I rushed out today to see the 2005 academy award winning documentary
Born Into Brothels. It was great what they did with those kids, but heartbreaking how only one actually stays in school at the end. The film really pulls you in, and I was finding myself really [quietly] cheering on the kids and hoping they would make it. The photography by both the children and the cinematography is gorgeous. I can't spend much time talking about this right now, but I recommend seeing it asap! It's no wonder why it won best documentary this year, and I feel lucky to have experienced this film.
British indie...
Just a quick note...
I just viewed a great indie flick called Young Adam by
David Mackenzie. A very interesting and well made film dealing with guilt on many levels. I'd write more but i'm beat...perhaps in the morning.
Perhaps even greater, was Mean Creek by
Jacob Aaron Estes. A tragic story of a group of kids that set out for simple revenge, which quickly turns deadly. Outstanding cast of young actors. It's no wonder that it was an official selection at both Cannes and Sundance.
Earlier tonight I got the wood burning kit in the mail and did a prototype of one of the Night Marchers on the heavier grain wood. It looks great when I burn the illustration into the wood. But it's a long process. So I have to assess whether it's worth doing or not.
Hawaiian mythological spirits...
Mini-Thesis: Design Questions - How does Hawaiian mythology affect the lives of those who live in and visit the islands of Hawaii?
- What is Hawaiian mythology?
- What evidence exists to support the existence of the ghosts, gods, goddesses in the myths?
- Of the various mythological encounters , which have been the most commonly experienced?
- Are there any noticeable trends in where/when these encounters take place? What are they?
- Has anyone really died after looking into the eyes of Huaka’i Po (night marchers)?
For this project I will research the history of Hawaii mythology, but also want to look at how these myths from hundreds of years ago are still affecting the lives of people in Hawaii. I have begun sending questions out to people in Hawaii and reading several books on the subject.
I see the product part of the project as a narrative animation dealing with this topic. I have given thought to how I would like to execute the animation in the best way to represent the feel of old Hawaii. Most likely it will involve using wooden cutouts for the characters, and backgrounds built of layered wood cutouts and illustrations. I am experimenting with the best way to do the illustrations. I started by creating my first prototype with acrylic paints on wood. But I think I may do wood burning for the lines and paint for any color I decide to add.
Leo's other oscar nomination..
Today I watched another film I hadn't seen since it was in the theatre back in 1993,
What's Eating Gilbert Grape? starring Leonardo DiCaprio (who was nominated for best supporting actor), Johnny Depp, and Juliette Lewis. Living in cities like New York or Los Angeles its sometimes hard to imagine that there are being out there living a life that is going nowhere. But this movie captured that beautifully, considering all the heartbreak that goes along with that sort of existance. It's the story of a family's ups and downs, a mother that won't leave her house since the suicide of her husband (which leads to her becoming incredibly obese), Arnie the son who is mentally handicapped and relies on the help of his family to do everything and stay out of trouble, and caring but overly burdened Gilbert who starts out ashamed of his mother but by the end of the film accepts who she is and stops laughing at her. Everyone seems to need Gilbert for something and it seems he will never leave the town. So when a young lady comes and her grandmother come to town and their trailer breaks down, its his saving grace. Gilbert and Becky develop a relationship which takes him away from many of his problems. After the death of his mother, Arnie and Gilbert join Becky when she once again drives through town (as the trailers do every year at the same time).
This was an incredibly touching story, and it's no wonder that Leo was nominated for his brilliant portrayal of the charming yet damaged soul, Arnie.
Inspiration for my project...
Here is one example which has inspired my project style. I actually didn't see it till after I thought of doing wood cutouts, but the style of the characters and animation is like what I hope to do (click the play button to start):
