Thursday 26 October 2017

Postmodern Definitions and Judith Butler - Week 6

Normativity - keeping with the norm and what is believed as the correct standards of behavior in society.

Binary Opposition - for example Male/female or Straight/gay. One of the terms has power and control over the other. This creates an unfair, cultural bias.

Deconstruction - means to dismantle or to re-inscribe. It becomes unstable and undecidable. Seeks to problematise all notions of knowledge and undermines all well ordered structures.

Differance -  the difference and contrast between something or someone.

Reinscribe - to rename or make something new.

Cognitive dissonance -  an inconsistency of  thoughts, beliefs or attitudes.

Judith Butler - Questions and deconstructs gender roles and stereotypes created by our culture. Judith explains how gender norms are culturally formed by society. She believes that the world acts out these gender roles as a "cultural performance."  Our biology has been manipulated to a set of beliefs and standards of how females and males should act and behave. If anyone changes, re - creates or breaks down these ideologies it can become uncomfortable or even shocking for some people. For example Conchita Wurst. This was a man dressed as a women, with a beard. Who won the Eurovision Song Contest. This could have been confusing for people as they couldn't place Conchita in a particular box or category: male or female? Or just simply neither!

"No one is really a gender from the start. I know its controversial. But that's my claim."
- Judith Butler


Tuesday 24 October 2017

Character and Storytelling - Skyfall (2012)




Thumbnails - Environment Ideas

I have always found environment difficult to draw, as I cant always grasp the right perspectives. However I think my drawings improve from thumbnails 8 - 13.

Thumbnails 1-5

Thumbnails 6 -7 

Thumbnails 8 - 13

Thursday 19 October 2017

5 Reasons why Moulin Rouge is Postmodern


Pastiche - The film is basically a mash - up of various love songs. Its known to be the "Romantic Pastiche Jukebox." Featuring songs such as Your Song, One day i'll fly away, Lady Marmalade and the list goes on!



Appropriation - the film takes various songs and gives them a new meaning to tell its own story. For example they use "The Sound of Music" in the musical that the characters are creating called "Spectacular, Spectacular."



Magic Realism - Although parts of the film involve realism it does have some hyper - real and fantastical moments. For example the singing moon or green fairy. The film also uses music that was written about 70 years after the time period the film is actually set in.



Intertextuality - the film conveys popular culture by playing pop music from artists such as David Bowie and Madonna. The elephant scene between the two lovers involves a medley of popular love songs. The film is also a story within a story and musical within a musical. Both having the same narrative.




Parody - The film has a lot of comedic moments that imitate the musical genre. There is a "playfulness" and melodramatic quality through out the entirety of the film.



Wednesday 18 October 2017

Postmodern Definitions - Week 5

The Canon - Cultural products accepted as superior, most meaningful, significant and better.

DWEMs - Dead White European Male, dominant in literature. Liked by critiques as they are DWEMs too.

Phallocentricism - A belief that centers around the male point of view and the dominance of the male sex.

Eurocentricism - Interpreting non-european societies through a European/Western perspective.

Postcolonialism - Controlling and placing a set of rules or values on a native society.

Multiculturalism - Supporting the diversity of multi - ethnic groups in society.

Feminism - Wanting equality between both women and men.



Life Drawing - Lesson 5

Red pencil and water colour - 20 mins
Orange pencil and water colour


5 minutes poses 

Tuesday 17 October 2017

The Incredibles (2004) - Structure


Exposition - The film begins with the characters Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone being interviewed on camera.  Later on, there is an incident with police cars and gunshots. Mr. Incredible tries to go after them but ends up having to help an old lady save her cat from a tree. He manages to use the tree to stop the other situation that he was originally dealing with. The next main character is introduced and his name is "Buddy." Who wants to help Mr.Incredible as "Incrediboy." Bob (Mr.Incredible) doesn't want his help.


Later on, Mr.Incredible comes across another scene of crime and smashes into a building only to find a new villain. Yet again "Incrediboy" comes flying in,  trying to help. However he makes the situation worse. We then come across another main character called "Frozone," who warns Mr. Incredible about being late for his own wedding. Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl get married and we are gradually introduced to their three children: Violet, Dash and Jack Jack.



Inciting Incident - Bob goes to find a new plate for Dash whilst a family feud breaks out at the dinner table. He starts to read the newspaper and comes across this "Man Missing. Simon J. Paladino, a long time outspoken advocate of superhero rights is missing."

Frozone knocks on the door and they head off to go bowling but end up listening to police scanners and trying to help a fire and robbery. They're unaware that they are being watched by a lady called "Mirage." We later discover that this lady is working in his office.


Plot Point 1 - Bob is in his office at home and comes across a technical, hand held device. Mirage starts to talk to Bob on the screen's device, persuading him to work for their company and to get paid triple his original salary.  They want his "unique abilities." He decides to ring her back, agreeing to come to the island. His task is to destroy the robot they invented because it has become too powerful and disruptive for them.



Plot Point 2 - Mr. Incredible is enjoying his new job. He's earning more money and making his wife and family very happy.

Rising Action/ Obstacles - Helen (Elastigirl) goes to meet Edna, after realizing her husband's super suite had been fixed. She discovers that her husband was suspended from work over two months ago and is working secretly on an Ireland. We later learn that Mr.Incredible is actually working for Buddy, who has now become a bitter, villain known as "Syndrome." He tries to attack Mr.Incredible with the robot but he manages to escape. Mr. Incredible tries to edge his way into Syndromes headquarters but gets caught and trapped by Syndrome.

Helen flies a jet over to the Island, but discovers that her children violet and dash have sneaked on the Jet with her. However before they reach the island Syndrome sends flying missiles to destroy the jet. They luckily escape but Bob thinks his family is dead and is left in utter despair.



Climax - Syndrome comes across the whole "Super family" in the jungle and tries to kill them all. He manages to trap them all but the family eventually escape back to the city. He destroys the city with the robot and fools the public into thinking that he is a Superhero. The Incredbiles and Frozone manage to defeat him.

Twist - The audience believe that Syndrome is locked up and handcuffed for his crimes. However he actually escapes and tries to kidnap the family's baby, Jack Jack. His plan fails when his cape gets stuck in the helicopter blades.



Resolution - Mr. Incredible has learned to be a better father to his family. The family are able to work together as Superhero's.

Partial Ending - All the problems are resolved. A new Villain called the "Underminer" comes to light at the end of the film. This may bring the family more adventures to take on.



Mini Plot -  We see all the different perspectives from each character, seeing the story from each individual point of view.

3 Act Structure - The film is 1hr and 51 minutes long. The film consists of a Exposition, Midpoint and Resolution.






Saturday 14 October 2017

Exploring Style - Influence Map

Cute and Simplistic Character Designs

I want my Cowgirl bug to have a cute, simplistic style. To gain some inspiration I've looked at some Disney Characters which I think have achieved this! I realize that many of these characters have smooth and rounded shapes. This creates an endearing and friendly look.

5 reasons why the film Scream is Postmodern


Pastiche - it replicates the movie plot of a slasher film. It follows the same formula of films from that genre.

Parody - Although it takes on this formula it almost makes a mockery of slasher films for being too predictable. For example the main character Sidney Prescott even says this about slasher films "Some stupid killer stalking some big - breasted girl who cant act who is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door. Its insulting." What she doesn't realize is that shes about to reenact that movie genre.



Appropriation - taking a piece of art work and giving it a new meaning. The evil villain in this film was named after a rubber Halloween mask, which was originally inspired by the Edvard Munch painting called "The Scream."

Scream Mask and "The Scream" by Edvard Munch

High and Low Culture - Craven has taken a massed produced and low cultured item (the rubber mask) that originated from a high cultured piece of art work and re-imagines this to create a slasher film. 


Intertextuality - the film references a lot of other movies from the Horror genre. Especially when the characters are discussing about horror movies themselves. Many of the characters, especially Randy Meeks understands the cliche of slasher films.










Postmodern Definitions and Sherri Levine

Avant - garde - this can be Modern art which presents a new style or method. Sometimes that may be provocative, abstract or even shocking.

Nostalgia -  something that provokes feelings from past memories.

Appropriation - copying or duplicating something but altering the meaning and context of it.

Pastiche - imitating a someones work. For example a piece of art or film genre.

Parody - for example, imitating a movie scene but exaggerating certain parts for a comedic effect.

Irony - using words or images to create something different to its actual meaning. Usually done to create a humorous effect.

Ideology - a system of beliefs and ideals formed by society.

Genre - for example a particular movie style or category.

Sherrie Levine - is an American painter, photographer and conceptual artist. She takes existing art and duplicates it. Forming her own critique around it.  She particularly uses male artist's work, for instance the "Fountain" by Marcel Duchamp.  This is done to make a point about how Female artists are undervalued for their work though out art history. I guess you could say that her art work is an example of Appropriation.

Sherrie Levine - Fountain (after Marcel Duchamp)




Head Modelling - Part 2 Rough Blocking

Rough Blocking

Wednesday 11 October 2017

Rules for My World?


Postmodern Definitions

Metanarrative - Are large scale theories and philosophies. For example religion and art.

Essentialism - George Lakoff summarizes Aristotle's view: "those properties that make the thing what it is, and without which it would be not that kind of thing."

Utopian - Moving forwards to achieve an ideal and "perfect" society.

Axiomatic - Something that is completely truthful and unquestionable

Dystopian - Meaning the opposite of "Utopian." An unpleasant or bad place.

Scepticism - Having a doubtful attitude towards the truth of something.

Pluralism - Allowing a variety of groups to function as one society. Working together despite cultural differences.

Life Drawing - Lesson 4

Pencil - 20 mins

Pencil - 20 mins

Pencil 2 - 5 minute poses