thesis ideas...
I've begun visualizing my thesis project. While watching Palendromes today and the forest scene was happening I got to thinking about different characters. I was thinking about having my main character as a "strange" man that has run away from civilization and now lives on a branch near the top of a tree deep in the forest.
Another thought was a dark comedy about a man that wants to commit suicide and just can't get it right!
Keeping in mind this is all with stop motion animation.
view movie
view Huaka'i Po.
Final project website
Here is a link the website splash screen I made for Huaka'i Po short animation:
http://a.parsons.edu/~kevinv/majstudio2/final_website.html
poster
Wow check out this amazing looking film that's coming out soon....
Working on the pre-production still
I just realized I still need to draw the bedroom walls and transfer them to wood. I must do this right away. I decided I will probably not have the words at the beginning of the film appear on a tree. I will do it this way if time permits at the end, but otherwise I will just add that to the title cards.
This weekend I go into full production mode! I must get the first scene all setup and hopefully animated fully.
Here is an elevator pitch...rough still?
A woodcut animation about the humorous encounter one man has with the night marchers of Hawaii, who are the ancient Hawaiian warrior spirits that now haunt their old battlegrounds at night and take the soul of anyone that disrupts them. The story shows that even those whom we fear can sometimes use our helping hand.
The night marchers
I reworked the script for the animation a little bit tonight, so I could have a better idea of what the character was going through. I may need to make it more apparent that Thomas is scared at first, untill he realizes that its quite funny that the spirits can't get out...
test run...
Here is an animation test for my project...
http://a.parsons.edu/~kevinv/majstudio2/test4.mov
The REAL thesis...perhaps...
Obviously I am busy working on my current project for Narrative Studio, but I have also been giving thought to some possible thesis projects...
I would really like to come up with a project where I can work with a few different media. Definitely a stop-motion animation (clay or laytex molded puppets), but I'm trying to think of ways to bring them into a digital environment. I'm interested in the interaction of the "real" with the digital. I really have a lot of thinking and researching to do, but I have some clear visions in my head as far as possible looks. Hopefully this summer I can do some testing with clay and other forms I haven't tried before, and shoot them on green screen.
Guiness Draught
I'm sitting here watching the Santa Anita horse races on NBC and they have a brilliant new commercial playing. It's cut out animation in the Monty Python style, much like I really enjoy doing myself - so it's great seeing such a huge ad campaign using the style effectively! I immediately told Lori Hoffman about it since its an amazing precedent for the animations in her Fur Kids documentary.
I will digitize them soon and put them on here...
http://windowsmedia.dvlabs.com/adcritic/guiness-bread.asf
and
http://www.guinness1759society.com/offer/Brann1759/33351392/EN/welcome.asp
donnie darko and loud music
It's been about 4 years I guess since I first saw Donnie Darko during it's original theatrical release. I loved it then, and I loved it just as much tonight when I saw the release of the directors cut at Loews Fan Favorites film series. I still have to see it a few more times though, before I have it completely figured out. But my friends and I discussed it a little after the movie tonight and came to some conclusions and filled in many holes from the first viewing several years earlier. I won't go into it here in case you've never seen it, since it's a cult classic and you should see it and anything I would say would be a spoiler.
Earlier today I bought 4 of the limited 2000 pre-sale special commorative tickets for this summers Lollapalooza 2-day music festival in Chicago! I'm so excited. They sold out in 80 minutes and I was able to go through the ticket buying process twice (2 different credit cards since they limit you to 2 per credit card). So far I got my friend Howard, Poornima (and some of her friends), Hayley, and maybe Ian coming on the trip too! Good times will be had in July and then I go back to school. Great way to end the summer!!!
Also once I find out about art submissions I may see about having something on display at the festival. Then I'll figure out how to get it to Chicago...
Amazing discovery!
Just had to post this since I found it amazing. NASA discovered water on Mars.
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050401.html
Checklist of wooden pieces
Elements To Be Designed In Wood:
SETS:
1. ________ Tree w/ prologue.
2. ___X____ Original house.
3. ________ Shore break
4. ________ Tidal Wave
5. ________ Land
6. ________ Destroyed house.
7. ___X____ Daytime background – Sunshine
8. ___X____ Rebuilt house
9. ________ Bedroom back wall
a. ___X____ Guy sleeping in bed.
b. ___X____ Empty bed.
10. ________ Bedroom doorway
11. __X_____ Living room walls including doorways
a. ___X____ Table
b. ___X____ Vase
c. ___X____ Flowers
d. ___X____ Television
12. ________ Doors for various doorways
CHARACTERS:
1. ___X____ Thomas (facing forward)
2. ________ Thomas (looking sideways)
3. ___X____ Thomas (back of head)
4. ___X____ Night Marcher Leader (side view)
5. ________ Night Marcher Leader (facing forward)
6. ________ Night Marcher Leader (rear view)
7. ________ Night Marcher (side view)
8. ________ Night Marcher (forward facing)
9. ________ Night Marcher (back view)
Thursday night movie series...
As I do every Thursday (or just about), I went to the movies on 34th Street since I get in free. This week I saw
The Ring 2. Let me start by saying, I saw the first one and loved every terrifying second of it. However I found myself falling asleep several times during the dull sequel. It was more of a suspense thriller than a horror flick, with very few horror in the entire film. They had a great story to work from then, unfortunately they didn't this time.
What a Jackass!
After seeing those great indie films I flip on Showtime and Jackass: The Movie is on. I can't believe I hadn't seen it before. It is classic gross humor.
I have been watching a lot of other television in the past week..for instance
SNL...great introduction by host Ashton Kutcher with a guest appearance by Demi Moore done up to look extra extra old and make fun of their relationship.
Remarkable films...
Today I continued my quest of watching Sundance Film Fest winning films, and in the process experienced one of the most effective love stories I have ever seen. "All The Reel Girls" from 2003. Having written scripts and shot films, I know how tough it is to really capture the true feeling of young love. This film captured every bit of awkwardness, passion, and heartbreak that comes along with young love and finding yourself. This is a film I am going to watch over and over again because it really had an effect on me.
I can't say enough good things about this film.
Earlier this evening I also saw another Sundance winner... "Angela" which was the directoral debut by Rebecca Miller who later won awards for the film Personal Velocity. The cinematography was breaktaking and the performances by the 2 young girls (not sure of their actual age, but their characters were 10 and 6 years old) in the lead were very impressive.
Animation designs...
Design for night marcher:
Design (rough) for part of room:
See style frame with everything combined:
