Postmodern Definitions

High Modernism - is a form of Modernism, relating to whats known as the 'modern era.' However High Modernism focuses on the improvement of science and technology to benefit society.

Capitalist - a person of wealth who invests their money into a business, industry or trade.  Whilst following the principles of capitalism.

Disconnected - when the connection from something is broken, or being disengaged from reality.

Superabundance - meaning excessive amounts of something.

Simulacra - came from the French theorist Jean Baudrillard in 1981. He explores how signs and symbols effect society.

Superficiality -  being shallow or lacking in any depth or substance.

Fragmentary - when parts are incomplete, broken or disconnected.

Pop - something that is modern or popular within the mass media.

Eclectic Nostalgia - Eclectic means choosing from different sources. Nostalgia is feeling you get from remembering certain moments from the past.

Depthless - something that is superficial and shallow. Or even to deep to measure.

Flippant - having the wrong attitude in a serious setting in an attempt to be funny.

Pastiche - imitates various style and genres.

Bricolage - A piece of work involving a diverse range of mediums.

Aleatory - relying on unpredictable outcomes. Foe example rolling a Dice.

5 Reasons Why the film "Kill Bill" is Postmodern

Postmodern Elements

The film Kill Bill came out in 2003, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film is an Action/thriller. 

Figure 1

1. Pastiche - the film imitates many different styles and genres: Tarantino was inspired by the film Lady Snowblood, a Japanese film made in 1973. He copied many of the shots from this film. (See figure 2)

Figure 2

2. Intertextuality - Tarantino combines different genres by referencing Japanese Cinema, Horror, Western, Action and even scenes from his own films.

3. The Animated Scene - the character O - Ren Ishi's backstory is told within an animation, which is done in the style of Anime.This might be considered unusual in an Action/Thriller film, however seeing horror portrayed through this medium makes it new and different.

Figure 3

4. Hyper Reality - the film has many elements of hyperrealism. For example many of the fight scenes are really exaggerated to the point where people appear to defy the laws of gravity and fly through the air. The  excessive use of  blood that  spurts and spays out of the bodies is also a  little bit hard to believe!

Figure 4

5. The Music - most of the music played through out the film doesn't really match whats happening in the scene. For instance one of the fight scenes had pop music playing in the background and didn't appear to relate at all to what was on the screen

Tarantino breaks whats known as the "norm" in cinema, ie: the conventional, traditional portrayal of a horror story.  He does his own thing which does not conform to the stereotype of action thriller.

Life Drawing - Lesson 1

Charcoal - 20 minutes

Charcoal - 5 minute poses

Pencil - 20 minutes

Logo Design Idea

Cosmic Orchid Studio - Logo Idea 

Here is my first logo idea. I decided to place a single Orchid on the moon as I didn't want to over complicate the design. Hopefully this will make it easier to remember as a viewer. 

Logo Design Influence Maps

Cosmic Influence Map

Orchid Influence Map

As a group we wanted our studio name to be more personal. We did this by discussing our likes and interests. From this information we found two words that appealed to us: "Cosmic" and "Orchid." By adding Studios on the end we eventually came up with "Cosmic Orchid Studios." Although the words don't relate to each other we thought it made our name more unique and interesting.

Personal Work - Butterfly Tree

Here I have designed a simplistic butterfly tree in Maya. My Mum is helping run a residential weekend for families and needed a design for the ongoing theme.

The quote underneath says "There are two gifts we should give our children: one is roots and the other is wings."

Reflective Statement - Fantastic Voyage

I was daunted by the size of this project and the scientific aspect I would need to understand for it to be successful. However once I had the idea of seeing the human cell as a marble on a marble run I was more able to grasp the cell cycle process. I focused initially was on creating the marble run stage and because I felt comfortable with idea I probably spent too long on it. Strengths of this phase were that:

• The scenes were colourful
• Fun
• Varied in their style and direction of travel
• I learnt new skills in using a deformer

If I was to do the project again I would:

• Make sure that the marble could be seen more clearly through the tunnel
• Add suitable sounds to the marble run
• Shorten the time of this phase

I most enjoyed creating the marble because:

• I could experiment with colours
• I was managing a perfect shape
• It looked like a marble and it looked like a cell
• The frame containing the mass of marbles is colourful fun, inviting and pleasing to the eye

I probably wouldn't alter the marble in any way. 

As I moved into the cell cycle phases I tried to retain the child like, toy like theme and I looked for inspiration in children toys. The DNA was not easy to create in this respect but by adding a fork and suggesting that it was like spaghetti I felt it was something the viewer would relate to. Using the curve tool in Maya I made, then duplicated and then rotated the shapes. The main difficulty was trying to make the entire cycle plastic looking. 

The chromosomes were difficult to animate but I was inspired by the idea that they were trapeze artists. Using the squash and stretch method I was able to present there act. 

I do recognize that there were a lot of different styles in my animation and therefor the film did not always flow seamlessly. If I were to do the project again Id keep the art style more consistent and less varied.

I had originally thought about using a jack in the box to sign post my animation but instead used a spring and an arrow. I do feel that this was my most effective movement because its shape and sound flowed well. 

As has happened previously I become so engrossed and obsessed with the creation and animation that I loose site of the importance and help that sound design can provide. I was pleased that I was able to synchronize the sound and identify an effective voice over. 

On reflection the target audience than I had originally planned. Although I have had feedback from current GCSE students who have enjoyed the animation. 

I cannot deny that I have worked every waking hour on this project. When I compare my initial attempts at the beginning of the year I can see the extent of my improvement and I am proud. I know that I still have a long way to go but will benefit from being able to find my way easily around the Software Process and I look forward to Year 2!