UV Layout - Part 1: Head Details

UV Layout - Part 1: Head Details

Film Review - Waltz With Bashir (2008)

Fig 1. Film Poster 

Waltz With Bashir' was written, directed and produced by Ari Folman. The film's original language is Hebrew but it has English and French subtitles. The film is an animated war documentary which depicts the sad and horrific moments of the Lebanon War in 1982.

"The 1982 Lebanon War began on June 6, 1982, as what was supposed to be a short-term military operation - Operation Peace for Galilee. The operation was meant to destroy militant infrastructure on the Lebanese-Israeli border, which had been used by terrorists to attack IDF forces, as well as the Israeli communities abject to the border." Ynetnews, 2008) In the film a man named Ari is trying to uncover the memories from his past as a soldier from the Lebanon War. He has trouble remembering this period of his life, so decides to search for his fellow friends and comrades who explain their experiences of the war from their point of view.

The film presents itself in a graphic, novel style. All the scenes are beautifully illustrated with matching colour schemes. Many of the scenes have thick, black, sharp lines and shadows, giving it a 2D, cartoon effect. However, this contrasts with the use of bold colours to create light, making the characters and buildings less flat and more 3D. "Planes and surfaces stir and throb with colours harder, sharper, brighter than before. It looks like one long hallucination, and therefore perfect for the trauma of Folman's recovered memories." (Bradshaw P, 2008)

Fig 2. Film Still

The film was originally a 90 minute, real life video, with 90 pages worth of script. "From there 2,300 original illustrations were drawn based on the storyboard, which together formed the actual film scenes using Flash animation, classic animation, and 3D technologies” (Zumberg, 2008).
This made critiques question  how the movement of characters were done so well? The director had even been accused by some, of using the method of Rotoscoping: "When using this technique, animators trace over live action film movement on each frame to use in an animated film." (Tech FAQ) 

The Director denies using this method: "It’s important for me to make clear that by all means this film was not made by rotoscope animation, meaning that we did not illustrate and paint over the real video. We drew it again from scratch with the great talent of art director David Polonsky and his three assistants." (Folman)

Some may say that it is unusual to use animation for something as formal as a documentary. Most animations resemble family friendly topics but this film was solely adult themed. Using animation to tell his story,  worked to the Directors advantage because there are less limitations when it comes to  animating. Animation provides the opportunity to flit between tenses, exploring the past, present and future in any one scene more easily.

Foleman had originally done documentaries without the use of animation, he explains why he made it this way: "A middleaged man being interviewed against a black background, telling stories that happened 25 years ago, without any archival footage to support them. That would have been SO BORING! Then I figured out it could be done only in animation with fantastic drawings. War is so surreal, and memory is so tricky that I thought I’d better go all along the memory journey with the help of very fine illustrators." (Folman)

At the very end of the film the animation takes a turn to real life footage from the chaotic, horrifying and tragic scenes from the Lebanon War "...there is a bold shift from animation to TV news footage. I am not sure quite what to make of this shift, and have an uncomfortable feeling that it is an aesthetic error..." (Bradshaw P, 2008) This part I found took us back to the harsh reality of war. It reminds the viewer that although this is an animation, it is not fictional. The events depicted in the film were once real nightmares for those experiencing the Lebanon War.

Fig 3. Film Still

Illustration List
Figure 1. Film Poster https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Waltz_with_Bashir_Poster.jpg
(Accessed 06.02.18)

Figure 2. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh042rus4anIR2CFircRHSm2haGSIme4QcSEASqZY8G_5F80jpsZBvZm5Q1cfRF5EsFQGgdcL976eFEQ-RLq377Fsxju_EzhaXJuMLh4N_7DcN63i5tXpZlDYQ9Gs68Bdr349Sn_v7Dclzo/s1600/2.jpg
(Accessed 06.02.18)

Figure 3. http://3ipycv2ugat81cqgps20hwke-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/waltz-with-bashir-1024x576.jpg
(Accessed 06.02.18)

Bibliography 
Bradshaw P, (2008) Waltz With Bashir https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/nov/21/waltz-with-bashir-folman
(Accessed 06.02.18)

Waltz With Bashir (2009) Film

(Tech FAQ) What is Rotoscoping? http://www.tech-faq.com/rotoscoping.html
(Accessed 06.02.18)

Ynetnews, (2008) The Lebanon, (1982) War https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3631005,00.html
(Accessed 06.02.18)

Zumberg, J (2008). Israeli filmmakers head to Cannes with animated documentary
http:// www.israel21c.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2026&catid=59:culture&Itemid=109
(Accessed 06.02.18)

Lorman, R Waltz With Bashi, An Ari Folman Film
http://ucarochester-cgartsandanimation.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/fao-year-2-interview-with-ari-folman.html
(Accessed 06.02.18)

Part 6 - Hands and the Final Model

Part 6 - Hands and the Final Model

Plum Turnaround

Plum Turnaround Final from Jennifer Ball on Vimeo.

I really struggled creating this fruit's shape but I am happy with what I've managed to achieve.

Skull Animation - Test Run

Skull Animation - Test Run from Jennifer Ball on Vimeo.

New Wheel Design

Scroll Design

I have designed my own scroll to go inside the wheel. For inspiration, I looked at the intricate patterns within the pirate props and costumes from Stranger Tides. I think it makes the wheel look more interesting to look at.

Paprika (2006) - Film Review

Fig 1. Poster Art 

Paprika is a science - fiction, Japanese, Anime film directed by Satoshi Kon. He is known for being  unique in the way that he makes animated films, steering away from the "cliches of mass-produced Japanese animation – "robots and beautiful little girls," as he once put it – Kon sought to make animation that used ambitious and often disorientating editing, intercutting and scene-shifting." (Osmond, 2010)

The film enters the minds of its characters, letting the audience see all their weird and theatrical dreams. Through the surreal universes we can discover a person's true feelings and understand why they might be having those dreams.  In this case some of the feelings  were caused by stress, anxiety, guilt and loss of control.

The film stretches past the impossibilities of reality which is difficult to achieve in a live action. Kon even refers to the reasons why he did this: "In animation, only what is intended to be communicated is there," he once said. "If I had a chance to edit live-action, it would be too fast for audiences to follow." Kon made only sparing use of CGI in his mostly drawn films, relying on such superb animators as Shinji Otsuka and Toshiyuki Inoue." (Osmond, 2010) 

With the use of this medium the Director is able to achieve almost anything they want. Having this ability meant that Kon could even  morph and shape shift characters. Their technique really reflects how our wildest fantasies can always be achieved through a dream.  "Nolan has acknowledged Paprika as an influence, but Kon's film has far more fun with its dream worlds. Its titular heroine dashes through paintings and signboards while transforming into everything from a fairy to a mermaid to Pinocchio." (Osmond, 2010) This would have been much harder and more expensive by only using CGI. 

Fig 2. Film still

Although the film can be pretty creepy and "adult like in its nature"at times, the style of the film can often distract you from this, it "is a visually gripping film that renews one's faith in the power, imagination and beauty of hand-drawn animation." (Singer, 2007)
The film uses a beautiful array of colours. Each of the dreams portray masses of detail, creating carefully crafted scenes. The animation replicates a 2D, hand drawn style, making the animation a piece of art in itself. 

The film was often confusing at times. For example, the main character known as Paprika was actually the alter ego of Chiba. This character may be Chiba's real or alternative personality, that she suppresses in reality. "One of these people is the titular Paprika, a colorful and perky young dream therapist. She's the dream avatar of Chiba, one of the scientists involved in the creation of the DC." (Tv Tropes, n.d) The DC is a machine in which you can enter your own dreams or watch them. However the machine gets into the wrong hands and becomes a machine that brings nightmares into reality. 

Fig 3. Film still 

Illustration List
Figure 1. Poster Art https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNGQ2NDUyZGItZTFmYS00YjIzLWFmZDYtZWFiZWUzZDcxYzIxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjE5MjUyOTM@._V1_.jpg
(Accessed 25.1.18)

Figure 2. Film still https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/sm/upload/mp/6e/wk/u5/paprika-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg?k=88023c17ba
(Accessed 25.1.18)

Figure 3. Film still https://a.ltrbxd.com/resized/sm/upload/mp/6e/wk/u5/paprika-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg?k=88023c17ba
(Accessed 25.1.18)

Bibliography
Singer G 'Paprika': Satori With Satoshi https://www.awn.com/animationworld/paprika-satori-satoshi
(Accessed 25.1.18)

Osmond A Satoshi Kon obituary https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/26/satoshi-kon-obituary
(Accessed 25.1.18)

Tv Tropes, n.d http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/Paprika
(Accessed 25.1.18)

Paprika (2006)