Monday 27 November 2017

Thumbnail Storyboard - Progress so far

I need to figure out the ending to my story, I want it to be surprising and unexpected.

Frames 1 - 6
Frame 7

Saturday 25 November 2017

Serial Killer with Piers Morgan (2017)

Piers Morgan interviews a convicted killer, Mark Riebe who has admitted to killing 12  women.
"Mark Riebe, 56, is currently serving life in a Florida prison for the 1988 murder of pregnant mother Donna Callahan - but just one year into his sentence he began to share gruesome details of multiple other unsolved murders."  (Corner, 2017)

Figure 1 - Documentary Advertisement

At the start of the documentary Piers only states the facts about the cases made against Mark Riebe and doesn't seem to have any motives about finding out the truth. He just simply tells the story. Piers even says to one of the inspectors, named Dennis Haley "What would you like me to ask him?" Dennis Haley has committed his life to investigating the murders.


When Morgan begins the interview, he remains very calm and somewhat friendly towards Mark Riebe. However he is persistent with his questions and gradually more persuasive. This unfortunately results in Mark Riebe being uncomfortable and wanting to stop the conversation. Piers quickly sees the situation is becoming more intense making Mark less responsive to his questions. Piers even says to mark that he'll "show more respect"  but we know he's going back to his "friendly state" to get more answers.

Figure 2 - Documentary Film Still

After Piers states in the documentary that "it was just months into his sentence when he started to make a series of extraordinary confessions." his mode of address becomes more personal and direct as he hears of the gruesome details of his murders. For example he say's "I don't wanna be unfair on you Mark, but at the same time I do want to understand the mentality of a man, who would tell a grieving father whose lost his daughter that he killed her..."

Piers gradually shows his real personality as his patience is tested.
"The outspoken Good Morning Britain host wasted no time in challenging Riebe. Sitting close together, he confronts Riebe with photographs of his victims." (Barns, 2017)
The interview becomes more heated when Mark feels he's being interrogated and manipulated into giving answers:
Riebe responds by tearing off his microphone and storming out of the interview, telling Piers: 'Well you're wrong. This is over. We're done. I answered your questions.'
Piers continues to taunt him as he walks away: 'Why are you running away? Why don't you sit here like man and answer these questions? 
'I know I'm not a 110lb woman you can kill. You did kill them didn't you? You killed them all.' 
(Corner, 2017)

Figure 3 - Documentary Film Still

The program started as a documentary with Piers Morgan where he simply stated the facts on the murder case.  Mark Riebe, remained calm and un - emotional towards him, until the questions became a bit too personal and interrogation like.    Piers's  motive throughout the documentary was to gain the truth and a confession from Mark.  Piers, using different styles and techniques elicited different reactions from Riebe.  These techniques started with an apparent fake friendship but became more goading, confrontational and manipulative in its style.


Bibliography:
Natalie Corner (2017) 'Sit here like a man and answer these questions': Piers Morgan Taunts convicted who said he had murdered a DOZEN other women - before recanting his confession http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5085615/Piers-Morgan-taunts-convicted-killer-Mark-Riebe.html
(Accessed 25.11.17)

Sarah Barns (2017) WALKING AWAY Murderer Riebe who confessed to killing 13 women storms out of Piers Morgan interview 
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/4931267/murderer-mark-riebe-who-confessed-to-killing-13-women-storms-out-of-piers-morgan-interview/ He admits that he is struggling to "get much of the truth out of Mark." 
(Accessed 25.11.17)

Illustration List:
Figure 1. https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/nintchdbpict000363988910.jpg?strip=all&w=960
(Accessed 25.11.17)

Figure 3. https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/piers-morgan3.jpg?strip=all&w=960
(Accessed 25.11.17)

Figure 2. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Piers+Morgan+serial+killer&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwju9I2UptrXAhWqA8AKHXCnAwQQ_AUIDCgD&biw=1536&bih=759#imgrc=IvUJE0iXRCImUM:
(Accessed 25.11.17)









Final Design - Cowgirl Bug

Cowgirl Bug - Final Design

Tuesday 21 November 2017

Improving My Design - Cowgirl Bug

Justin's Advice

My design is almost done. However, I need to improve the hat slightly and make the wings more rounded and feminine.

Story Board/Staging - Exercise

Storyboard Thumbnails 
My task was to create a short sequence of frames for a rock star and a groupie. I really struggle with perspective and environments, which made this task very difficult for me. 

Improved Thumbnails

Initial Thumbnails

Fashion Man's Gloves - Orthograph

Gloves - Orthograph


Sunday 19 November 2017

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Through the Lens of Exploitation Cinema


Figure 1 - Movie Poster

Exploitation films benefit probably  financially  from controversial or trendy topics normally based round themes such as sex, violence and romance. Many of these films are often made on a low budget and screened in seedy cinema's.

The original Mad Max series is an example of "Ozploitation".  The criteria for such a title only required it to be an Australia genre film.  They were part of  "the Australian exploitation films that were produced during a fruitful period in the 1970's and 1980's." (The Grindhouse Cinema Database, 2017) The word was originally "Aussiesploitation." Which Quentin Tarantino used in his documentary called "Not Quite Hollywood." Director Mark Hartley eventually shortened and changed the word to "Ozploitation."

The genres included in these films are Sexploitation, Horror films, biker films and even Kung Fu.
Unfortunately many of these films "exploited Australian cultures and stereotypes to attain audiences within Australia and possibly overseas."  (The Grindhouse Cinema Database, 2017)

Figure 2 - Mad Max 1979

Although Mad Max: Fury Road is an an example of a recent Ozploitation film, it  it was made on a bigger budget, making the quality better.  Consequently the special effects and CGI were of a  superior standard. It had moved away from its origins.  "From humble beginnings as a low - budget revenge thriller shot guerilla - style on country lanes outside Melbourne, George Miller's post apocalyptic saga is preparing for its biggest and most artfully boisterous outing yet in Mad Max: Fury Road." (Conterio, 2017)

Despite the film being "Australia's ultimate contribution to its own genre-cinema output and a reaffirmation of Aussie imagination and craftsmanship." It is exploitation because of its themes of sex violence and nudity which attract a certain audience.

One example of this is the fact that: Lord Humungus wives wear very little through out the film. At the beginning of the film the wives are portrayed as weak females and seem to only be there as sexual objects. However as the film progresses the wives become braver as they take control of the situations they are put through.

Figure 3 - Movie Still

Some would say that although the film is titled "Mad Max" it is actually a film which also exploits feminism. "The title character is actually a secondary figure in the movie, which is not really about
the wanderings of post - apocolytic tough guy Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy). It's really the story of a feminist revolt led by Imperator Furiosa (Charlie Theron), who works as a top lieutenant to warlord Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne)." (Smith, 2015)

The costume designs in the film are very sexually explicit and are said to resemble "eye brow -raising S&M fashion." (Contario, 2017)



Figure 4 - Movie Still 

Many scenes from the film showcase car racing, fighting, guns and weaponry. Violence is certainly a key exploitation within this film. "Mad Max was released to a mixture of acclaim and disgust. A famous article by Philip Adams, titled The Dangerous Pornography of Death aired the opinion that Miller’s debut would appeal to “rapists, sadists, child-murderers and incipient Mansons”. (Conterio, 2017)

Bibliography:
Kyle Smith (2015) Why 'Mad Max: Fury Road' is the feminist picture of the year
https://nypost.com/2015/05/14/why-mad-max-fury-road-is-the-feminist-picture-of-the-year/
(Accessed on 19/11/17)

Martyn Conterio (2017) Mad Max: from the Ozploitation wilderness to the mainstream
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/07/mad-max-australian-cinema-ozploitation
(Accessed on 19/11/17)

The Grindhouse Cinema Database (2017) Ozploitation: Exploitation From Down Under
https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Ozploitation:_Exploitation_From_Down_Under
(Accessed on 19/11/17)


Illustration List:
Figure 1 https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1536&bih=759&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=4JkRWoqRBYqUaMeug-gI&q=mad+max+2015+&oq=mad+max+2015+&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l10.50715.65996.0.68429.3.2.1.0.0.0.115.213.1j1.2.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.3.216...0i8i30k1j0i24k1.0.hWbkMMFtkfc#imgrc=mgDH7z_SqOHL3M:
(Accessed 19.11.17)

Figure 2 https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Ozploitation+Mad+Max&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiM0cKg-crXAhUEnRoKHZnoCCMQ_AUICygC&biw=1536&bih=759#imgrc=nvHfrT_a1IurDM:
(Accessed 19.11.17)

Figure 3 https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1536&bih=759&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=v5YRWtikLMT7auiPl7gB&q=mad+max+2015+wives&oq=mad+max+2015+wives&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0.110704.111683.0.112735.6.6.0.0.0.0.382.870.2-2j1.3.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..3.3.870...0i24k1.0.6hqP6ZFNvGw#imgrc=tglLhq4hxjCUnM:
(Accessed 19.11.17)

Figure 4 https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1536&bih=759&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=4JkRWoqRBYqUaMeug-gI&q=mad+max+2015+&oq=mad+max+2015+&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l10.50715.65996.0.68429.3.2.1.0.0.0.115.213.1j1.2.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.3.216...0i8i30k1j0i24k1.0.hWbkMMFtkfc#imgrc=rivxcoqB_s8qFM:
(Accessed 19.11.17)

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Improved Cowgirl Bug - Designs

Cowgirl Bug Designs

Life Drawing - Lesson 8

Maker Pen and Charcoal - 20 mins

Marker Pen 1-3 minute poses

Marker Pen and Charcoal - 20 mins


Advice from Justin - Character Designs


  • Too relaxed
  • Add some eyebrows to show more emotion 
  • More angles to show anger
  • Have the eyes more inside the head
  • Rotate the head to view it from a different perspective
  • Study and observe hat designs

Character - Props and Sidekicks

Exercise 1 - to give Donkey a prop. Seeing as he has no hands, I decided to dress him up as a knight's horse:

Donkey from Shrek

Exercise 2 - I got the Medieval category. I had to make this category more comedic. So I exaggerated the ladies fashion during that time period.

Ladies from the Medieval Period





5 Reasons Why the film Dancer in the Dark (2001) is Postmodern



Hyperrealism - The film constantly switches from fantasy to reality. Especially when the main character, Selma begins to daydream about being in her own musical. Selma imagines a more fairer and better world, compared to the life that she is living.



Intertextuality - Its a musical within a musical. The film references other films. For example Selma is playing the lead role in The Sound Of Music, she not only sings these songs in rehearsal but also in other parts of the film.



Appropriation - Selma sings "My Favourite Things" from the sound of music. She gives the song a new context by singing it from her prison cell.


Fragmented - the narrative is broken into many different parts, we get to see the story from each characters perspective.

Deconstructs - it doesn't fulfill your expectations of a musical. Most musicals have a happy ending but this one ends with the main character dying!


Sunday 12 November 2017

Postmodern Definitions - Week 8

Hyperrealism - when reality and fiction are blended together. Until you are unable to tell the difference between what is "real" and what is not.

Simulacra - a sign that no longer has relation to reality.

Simulation - a representation of something that replaces the "real."



Fake News - a type of journalism which exaggerates or misrepresents its news stories. This deceives the public, as they think they're finding out the truth. Hence it being called "Fake News."

Donald Trump's thoughts on "Fake News".....