ASSIGNMENT 2

Here’s the Project Development:
project development

And here’s the Self Evaluation:
self evaluation

Virtual Spaces: Assignment 1

Here is the Contextual Analysis:

Contextual analysis

And Here’s the Concept Proposal:

concept proposal

The Last Unicorn

Ahh, one of my-all time favourite animated movies. I’ve chosen this one to suit my virtual fantasy environment idea. The movie contains scenes which show transitions from a tapestry or medieval style wall painting, to an animated scene. It is virtually using the animated techniques to prove to the audience that a beautiful painting can come to life. Watch the opening scene below (and enjoy the moving soundtrack):

http://youtube.com/

Possible Ideas

1) Modern Myths

I think I’ve done Greek Mythology to death with my art projects, but there is a possibilty of re-writing the myths so that the events take place in the modern real world. It would involve exploring how the myths appeal to people of modern times. How the classical myths have been either forgotten, ignored or abused. And how the majority of people are anaware of how the myths really reflect life and challenge the cultures and beliefs of people in the Western world.

2) Ghosts

The supernatural does fascinate me, although I haven’t really explored the supernatural through any of my art projects. I am very open minded to the possibility of the dead communicating with the living. Some of my relatives have told me stories about experiences they’ve had in haunted houses. How would I explore this idea? well, it could be a virtual haunted house that the user gets to explore. This idea sounds corny, like a virtual ghost train ride at a fair ground, so I would have to avoid a lot of cliches. Or it could be a narrative (animation) that allows the audience to have a haunting experience. Or possibly an experience that allows the audience to feel what it’s like being a ghost. This all sounds complicated and a lot more ambitious than my mythology idea.

3) Fantasy Landscape

Another easy way out for me, this is well within my comfort zone. It could simply be a fantasy landscape to accompany a story idea for one of my animations. Fantasy scenarios always place characters in a situation, such as a cave, castle, forest or mountain side. How about an experience that allows the audience to explore the locations themselves, before or after they go off and watch a trailor for the animated story idea?

Dungeons & Dragons: The Animated Series

This was my first experience with Dungeons and Dragons. I was a kid when this was on the Childrens Channel, and I had no idea it was based on a game with a dice. I didn’t pay too much attention when it was on- I think I was a bit scared of this show when i was about 6 or 7. It wasn’t just the monsters, it had very dark locations (forests and caves and spooky castles) and very dangerous situations (people falling off cliffs and being buried under rocks and hanging over larva pits).

A lot of this scarey content had been used in Disney movies, like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty (dark forests and wicked witches and goblins), but I don’t know why I didn’t make the connection between fantasy stories at such a young age. Perhaps it was the drawing style and quality of the animation. The Disney movies had very cute animals that would sing and dance around the princess, while Dungeons & Dragons attempted to appeal to a younger audience with the Uni character (Uni the baby unicorn was not very cute at all.)

The Dungeons & Dragons characters were drawn in a very serious style, which meant it contrasted dramatically against other Saturday Morning cartoons. However, now that I am ion my 20s and making my own animated fantasy movies, I appreciate the Dungeons & Dragons cartoons a lot more than I ever did as a child, and I now have all the episodes on DVD.

the intro to the D&D cartoons series. There’s no episode explaining the events that lead the children into the realm of Dungeons & Dragons; it was all layed out in the intro to every episode.

when the second series of D&D was aired, the creators originally came up with a new intro to build up the excitment and drama and to show how the kids had developed in the use of their weapons and how they survive. Unfortunately, the intro was never used on the TV series. You can watch it on the DVD special features, or download it on Youtube.

http://youtube.com/

Resident Evil Vs Dungeons & Dragons

They do not resemble eachother visually, but play a Resident Evil game, and it’s basically a modern day D&D with a horror theme. You gather different types of weapons and face different kinds of opponents. The locations are like dungeons, in that you have to solve puzzles and find the right keys in order to access certain areas. And you play different characters, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. This is mainly in the Outbreak games, for example you choose the Police Officer, who is good with weapons and physical combat, the Doctor, who specialises in healing, and the Reporter, who can pick locks and find hidden items.
That’s the modern day equivalent of playing the Knight, the Cleric and the Thief.

Tori Amos on Neil Gaiman

Tori Amos is a musician I have admired since I was 16. I love the way her songs allow the listener to experience another world, or another life. Many of her songs mention a character called Neill it’s not until some time later that I discovered she was talking about the author, Neil Gaiman.

I think there is a definite similarity between Amos’s lyrics and Gaiman’s writing, in the way they describe things and their use of imagery. When i try to imagine a movie to a Tori Amos song, it’s not too disimilar to how I envision Neill Gaiman’s stories.

http://youtube.com/

Neil Gaiman: Smoke and Mirrors

I’ve begun reading Neil Gaiman’s work at last! And I’m pretty impressed. IT’s not traditional fantasy- historical, mythical worlds with wizards, dragons and knights- but it does contain those elements.

Characters and locations depicted in Smoke and Mirrors are realistic; they resemble real life, every day events. But there is something that interferes with the normailty of the tales- something from another world. They are like modern day fairy tales- Mythology coming to life. Where a lot of other fantasy novels might be trying to make you think that all this magical stuff may have happened a long time ago or in another world, Neil gaiman’s stories make you think this kind of stuff can and does happen to people we know around us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_and_Mirrors_(book)

Bob Ross

When I hear the word “Landscape” I immediately think of the painter Bob Ross. I also think it’s sad that hardly any of my art teachers have even heard of him (you know, because of all the digital crap)

But I think you’d all recognise Bob Ross from his TV programme, “The Joy of Painting”.
White man with a jolly face, gentle voice, bushy beard and big brown afro, I don’t think you’d forget his physical appearance any more than you could forget his beautiful paintings. Every programme, he starts off with a sky, then places the mountains, then the forest, then whatever else comes to his mind. As you watch him paint his master piece, he takes you on a journey, mentioning “Happy little trees” as if he is placing characters in his scenes. He makes it look so natural, that you believe somebody really does find joy in painting.

Right now I’m looking at a copy (It’s my brother’s copy) of Bob Ross’ book, “Discover The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross” by Annette Kowalski. I’ve been using it as reference to do my own acryllic paintings. Acryllics are a formidible medium. They are bold, and they dry quickly, so I’m still trying to get used to them. I will be posting up some of my personal attempts at landscape paintings, but for now, please enjoy viewing some of the example’s I’ve found of Bob Ross’ work.

http://www.art-supplies-plus.com/bob-ross-videos1.htm
http://www.bergoiata.org/fe/Bob-Ross/10.htm

Resident Evil Outbreak: Happy Endings

After completing the End of the Road scenario (you must have fulfilled a certain ammount of tasks before reaching the end), you are rewarded with a movie of your chosen character’s happy ending. This shows us what the characters get up to once they have escaped the horrific events of Raccoon City, and are given a chance to get back to their ordinary lives.

After retrieting from Raccoon City, Kevin sets off for a new job in sunny Miami to find some less complicated crime scenes.

Dave actually seems to have mellowed, now that the worst experience of his life is over, and he’s made plenty of new friends.

George seems much more comfortable, now that he’s on a plane with working technology, and no freaky accidents and illnesses that he can not deal with.

Alyssa’s not as relaxed as everyone else- she’s training hard for the next job that leads her into danger. And with good cause, as it looks like Umbrella are still out there…

Now that she’s got her life back, Yoko finishes her schooling and goes off to live a happy, successful life.

We see that Cindy moves into a nice big house of her own. Not bad for a humble waitress-turned-zombie-slayer.

http://youtube.com/