Here is a list of my inspirations and
influences:
Alan Young my former tutor on degree course
Bernard Herrmann Composer (Psycho, The Day the
Earth Stood Still
and Taxi Driver)
Black Narcissus Film 1947
Buster Keaton
Ennio Morricone Composer (Cinema Paradiso, The
Thing
and The Good the Bad and the Ugly)
French Cinema (1910 – present)
George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue performed by
Lang Lang
and Herbie Hancock
Gil Scott Heron Poet and Visionary
Hogarth Father the of Narrative Illustration
Jack Cardiff Cinematographer and Film Director
James Brown Godfather of my Soul
Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David
London, England
Manchester, England
Michael Eade my former art tutor at Secondary
School (Masseread)
New York City
Richard Serra Artist
Riddley Walker novel 1980 by Russell Hoban
Sergio Leone Film Director (The Good the Bad and
the Ugly, C'era una volta il West
and Once Upon a Time in America)
Spanish American Cinema
Spanish Cinema
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy
Test Cricket
The Barbican, London
The Chauvet Caves in France
William Blake Visionary
All these have shaped my ideas and
the focus during my studies.
THAT TITLE?
I will need to create a logo/ brand for the
title perhaps linked to the narrative. It might be a tattoo or serial number.
The company 100 DATES will of course have the same logo.
I’ve decided that Jobsworth’s
serial number will be the same as the tattoo on both Desta Finn and Williams
Frank’s left nipples.
I’ve broken down the title 100 is
binary code and the AT stand for DNA proteins. Tattoo could be SETAD 001.
Desta is an anagram of DATES.
For more background read Philip K.
Dick novels ‘Total Recall’, ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep’ and writings
about the influences of these novels.
BACK STORY DETAILS:
Geostationary Orbit for
communication satellites for broadcast. Pompas Glass is able to use these to
his advantage and he also discovers a broadcast embedded under a Satellite
signal that is instructing robots and Wilkinson Corp headquarters in Mannheim
Germany.
Scenario 1 Why is the world the
way it is in the story? Michael N’Aissem developed a weapon of mass destruction
the genetic weapon’ for the USA government. It was only to be deployed in the
event of a war with the USSR. The war was averted because the ‘genetic weapon’
escaped from the lab. It adapts human DNA to make all forms of flu fatal. Two
thirds of humanity was destroyed in just 5 years. Those who had survived had
some resistance to the ‘weapon’. It was decided that humans could only breed if
they passed on these resistant genes. Governments feared a regressive
‘vulnerable gene’.
100 DATES is a company that helps
to enforce the established specialist-breeding programme to avoid the spread of
‘vulnerable genes’. 100 DATES screens people so they can find compatible
genetic partners. Once cleared to breed couples must form a legal union.
Citizens who ignore these rules run the risk of sterilisation and also of their
offspring being susceptible to the ‘genetic weapon’. 100 DATES agency is at the
heart of human survival.
There is no cure as the genetic
weapon is part of the earth’s ecosystem. It doesn’t affect animals or plants.
Some governments suspect it is mutating and they want to create walled enclaves
to wait out this new threat. The disposal of so many bodies over the years has
led to ‘dead areas’ around most large human habitations. In London South East
London was sacrificed. The Peckham Badlands are where the incinerated bodies
were placed. In the Badlands are the people who live
on the edge of the new societies the one’s to be kept out of the new walled
cities. The death of so many humans led to
the development of sophisticated robots that perform the menial tasks that keep
societies functioning. They are accepted because humans have no choice. These
robots a self-sufficient and come out of fully automated plants. They are the
exclusive creation of Matthew Bent and Bruce Wilkinson.
Plot development:
bodies burned and buried in southern Southwark – 30 years since last mass
burials and the area became known as the Peckham Badlands. East London was also
used as a mass burial site (now underwater) and is still a biohazard.
Plot development: In the Badlands
people breed outside the law but the risk of outbreaks is high and the
Government are making plans to change this.
Plot development: Crowd the scene
develops then we close in on the narrative action. Michael Messian (as Michael
N’Aissem) develops the genetic weapon – for an USA corporation – he is fired
for suspected espionage and FBI called in. He escapes but the weapon has been
released by accident (he does feel responsible the four billion deaths that
occur). The ‘Plague’ then rages for 20 years. It manages to wipe out two thirds
of the earth’s population. Scientists and biochemists work for the next 30
years to find a cure. There is no cure but a genetic breeding system is
implemented to ensure only resistant genes are passed on.
The human faces of this ‘genetic
breeding system’ are agencies like 100 DATES. Marshall Law has been enforced
across the world in order to implement this policy. Tensions have broken out
across the world and decades that threaten to destabilise nations.
How have the human breeding
restrictions affected the characters in the story and their right to procreate?
MARRIED COUPLES AND THEIR CHILDREN IN 100
DATES:
Nat and John O’Brien (no children)
John and Jane Doe (1 child
kidnapped 20 years earlier and divorced)
Sleaze and Annie Jones (no
children)
Hugh and Claire Wycombe (1 son and
expecting a second child)
Bruce Wilkinson was married to
Arlene (5 children all deceased)
Matthew and Amelia Bent (3
children only James Bent survives)
Joris and Tatiana Bonnsson (6 children)
Livington and Jean Louise Ken (3
children)
The Jazz Evangelists
Augustus Winter (2 children)
Camp (1 child)
QC (no children)
OP (4 children)
Maggie Frank unmarried (2
children)
September
2012
Life seen through a lens floating as a ghost
across the daydreams of my mind.
What is the correct format for my film?
Original Recording, Naturalism, Impressionist,
Expressionist, Romantic, Documentary, Surrealism, Neo-Realist, Nouvelle Vague, Third
Cinema, Independent, Blockbuster, Post-Modern, Meta Film, CGI, Animation,
Comic, Parody, Cyber Punk.
Themes: Melodrama, Period Drama, Reinactment, Based
On A True Story, Biopic
Genres: Musical, Gangster, Western, Comedy, and
Historical
November 2012
I'm in the act of producing
an essay that will help me to construct a much better practical solution for my
design work. The reading and thinking I have conducted for my research essay
has led me to believe that my interests will be sufficient to help me with a
PhD question. I am enjoying writing (despite the fact that my
spelling skills are in decline) and will continue to build on my knowledge.
The deadline of 28
November 2012 is looming.
P.E.E.L. use this structure to help you write the
paragraphs
P = Point (what is the point that you are making?)
E = Evidence (you have to use a quote to illustrate
your point or back it up)
E = Explanation (provide and explanation for your
point or use of evidence quote)
L = Language (this is an academic essay aimed at
the knowledgeable)
Mainstream cinema opening credit convention:
Production Company presents
a NAME LASTNAME production
a NAME LASTNAME film
"TITLE"
Lead Cast
Supporting Cast
Casting Director
Music Composer
Costume Designer
Associate Producers
Editor(s)
Production Designer
Director of Photography
Executive Producer
Producer
Writer(s)
Director
December 2012
December is here again how
did that happen? I'm recovering from my encounter with my MA Research Essay,
which kicked my ass to the maximum. Despite that I feel I am not capable of
writing more academic papers in the future and also the essay will provide me
with source material for my PhD application. In my essay I tackled a subject that I knew a
great deal about but hadn't ever focused on its importance to visual communication. This has now
been addressed and I intend to continue exploring the subject through
contacting the academics and practitioners I discovered during my research and
analysis of the subject. What is this subject you ask? The design of Movie Title Sequences is the
answer. In my essay I reviewed what are considered very important phases
in the production of title sequence form. Analysed here are Lotte Reiniger’s
1926 film ‘Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed’, Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The
Lodger: A Story of London in the Fog’ from 1927. The titles designed by
Saul Bass and also Orson Welles’ ‘Touch of Evil’ from the 1950’s then
finally the work of Kyle Cooper, Daniel Kleinman and Tom Kan in the 21st
Century. The examples I reference can be said to contribute to the ‘graphic
world’ we live in.
In conclusion I believe the desire to engage or
entertain the gathering audience in the auditorium when coupled with the
designer or artists eye for sensitive and meaningful image sequences raises not
only the quality of the story but also gives us pause to reflect on the
significance of what I call the ‘introduction etiquette’ of cinema. The
communication of complex ideas to a diverse but visually sophisticated audience
is still paramount. Even after more than a 100 years of cinema we still need
our emotions catered for.
The research essay was
a disaster for me but it did wake me up to some useful facts for my future
direction. I’m going to adapt my essay so it can be delivered as a lecture or
seminar as part of my commitment to Teaching and Learning. My desire to gain a
PhD might be misguided. I work with a couple of MPhil/ PhD students and from
our discussion about the requirements of this level of study I am now worried
about the form used for writing these papers.
I think a period of
further reflection is required and also more research into possible alternative
curricula. I want people to read my writing and for it to enlighten the reader.
I don’t want my work to sit on a shelf or lie in a database only occasionally
to be read by MPhil/ PhD students. I need to speak to some published authors
and soon. I’m sad about this turn of events but at least I discovered this
early enough to change direction. Overall the MA has reinvigorated my making
skills and made me think about very different methods of pursuing my life as an
artist.
June 2013
The use of humanoid machines and technologies that hark back to the 1940’s
gives me the opportunity to open up my story and to add more drama and
questions in the narrative of the piece. I have used my knowledge of science
and technology to support the motivations of the manufactured being. The state
of being a machine with human qualities is always going to be of interest.
These large noisy Droids exist online a suspicious human population. Are they
threat or saviour that is the question I want to analyse further? As my
invented world turns it inhabitants human and machine will have to find a way
to co-exist. I will be glad to get this work finished the plan
is to have everything completed by the start of August. This will give me two
weeks to review everything and make amendments as required.
December 2011
Reflective Review of term here
Over the last couple of weeks
I've been reflecting on how information is usually communicated in a comic to
the audience/reader. I decided two years ago that thought bubbles are of no use
to me in this context. You cannot read other people's minds in real life so
this should be the same in a graphic narrative. I like the challenges this
poses also.
Dialogue is very hard to get right but it is only
required to help the reader understand the motivations of the characters in a
story and to lead them in certain directions. It may be unavoidable but I will
try to minimise the amount of speech bubbles in the 10 stories I'm writing. Finally
it is clear to me that the narrator's voice is the most powerful of all in the
her/history of western literature. I will try to use only narrator captions to
drive the stories along and of course rely heavily on the power of the visual
content.
The biggest challenge for me is to get audio into this 2D medium. More later.
March 2012
Time to reflect
Found a photo of myself aged 20. Boy I was young
then. I also found some artwork from those days it made me remember how hard we
worked to get our degrees. Tough then, tough right now. Students, work hard,
believe in your worth and fight hard to be successful.
Noir, noir, noir
Noir is my middle name. Now to find a blonde bombshell, a femme
fatale, a scarlet woman, a crooked cop, a bent lawyer, a sadistic doctor, an ex
con going straight and a good man in the wrong place at the wrong time a
four-time loser.
Revelations
After my group crit to today it seems that I have been avoiding the truth. I
need to accept that '100 DATES' text is for a screenplay and my illustrations
contain the information for a Storyboard. Thanks to my tutor Chris Brown for
this suggestion. I've got a lot of work to do.
It's cool stuff and it's about something important Civil Rights and
Jazz.
I'm investigating his output to see if I can use some of his ideas to help me
with the mise-en-scene for my storyboard project.
Review of Spring Term
My focus was poor I got lost
a bit because of the demands of my full-time job as a lecturer. How to achieve
the things necessary to gain a good degree mark and still support 200 undergrad
students to the best of my abilities.
I got back on track
though will no small help from my MA tutors and my partner. I’m looking forward
to a fantastic summer when my mind will grow some more.
Started reading The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories written
by Christopher Booker. I’m finding it useful and it covers much of what I’ve
been investigating myself over the last five years. It a big book so it’s
taking me some time to get through but rewarding non-the-less.
I haven’t read many graphic novels lately as I have immersed myself in films
and the dissection of the storytelling through editing process. This feeds
directly into my Storyboard artwork.
May 2012
Is teaching part of living the dream? When I
started out over 18 years ago to interact with curious minds as a lecturer did
I have any idea where this would lead me? One of
my MA peers is always mentioning that she's “living the dream” and we should
all do the same. I'm beginning to feel that I should adopt a similar attitude
to hers. I do have a problem
however; I've forgotten what the dream was. One
dream that is coming true is the arrival of a 2-screen cinema at the end of my
street. In September Barbican Cinema 2 and 3 will emerge and I will be a mere 5
minutes away from projected happiness.
I am organising my work so it is
ready for my 2nd Tutorial (with Jan Woolly) and the Part-time Year 1
Mid-point review.
Feedback notes from the Mid-point review
tutorials
• One or two stand out when
put up against the wall, it looks completely different when viewed from
different angles. Take a step back from the work and place against a plain
background in order to see what works best; this can help with the final
presentation.
• Time management is
an area to look at, creating a timetable including what hours within a day you
are able to work rather than what days are ideal. This will allow you to see
the amount of work that can be achieved but also to give yourself a variety of
possibilities and outcomes from your work.
• Try to step away
from individual panels, you can become so involved that you end up with too
much information and sometimes too much detail.
• Look at using more
conventions of storyboards, try to keep them simple.
• Using a small
amount of spot colour allows you to direct the viewer to areas you would like
to highlight, this will guide the eye in order for you to portray exactly what
you intend.
• Have a look at
Bruce Block, in particular his book 'The Visual Story". This book allows
people interested in cinematography, production design, directing and
screenwriting a clear view of the relationship between the story/script
structure and the visual structure of a film or video. This will be good for
your work to look at the contrast, affinity, space, line and shape, colour and
movement of your storyboard.
• Experiment with
the use of angles in your work, use different angles to create unusual
directions this could make the piece more interesting to look at and create
composition on the page. This also applies to the camera angles within
each panel; these can be inconsistent as to create a dynamic visual experience
within the work. Consider trying a widescreen angle in the panels this will
allow more areas to be covered.
• Have a look at
'Hit record', www.hitrecord.org, this website allows you to upload work and for
others to be able to edit your piece. This will allow you to become less
protective over your panels.
• www.cowbird.com is
another useful website to look at, this allows every member to upload their
diary, using single images to sum up a word such as 'Love' or 'sadness".
This website is multidimensional way of looking at stories.
February 2013
After reading my feedback for
Unit 1 I have realised that my intentions and the purpose of my project has not
been understood by the teaching staff on my MA. I will need to make sure I make
everything explicit in the future. I don’t want people to misunderstand my work
that was never the point. It has left me feeling that my direct and
decision-making is not as obvious as it has felt to me.
March 2013
I need to mention all the source materials I
have used to help me with my project. I have worked towards achieving excellent
results for my MA Certificate and want to apply this knowledge and experience
in the classroom and beyond. I’m not sure why I have mentioned so little about
my working methods. I think I assumed that at this level of study it was taken
as a given. I hear my own words used when advising students on their project
submission coming back to haunt me.
April
2013
Interim Exhibition at Beach London. 28 students hung their
work in this Brick Lane gallery. I was able to show my 100 DATES three act
moving image piece. This exhibition was not as well organized as the one as the
interim show in 2012.
Unit 2 for this you need to make sure you have
printed evidence to show what your focus is and how you constructed your
concept and storytelling process.
Tutorials it would be good to speak with Chris
Brown about my recent direction. It is clear that the production of storyboard
design and moving image will be my future output.
From ‘City Of Quartz’ by Mike Davis (1990) Verso
Chapter four – Fortress L.A. pg 251, 252
Technology helped insulate this paranoid esprit de corps. In doing so, it
virtually established a new epistemology of policing, where technologized
surveillance and response supplanted the traditional patrolman’s intimate
‘folk’ knowledge of specific communities. Thus back in the 1920’s the LAPD had
pioneered the replacement of the flatfoot or mounted officer with the radio
patrol car – the beginning of dispersed, mechanized policing. Under Parker,
ever alert to spinoffs from military technology, the LAPD introduced the first
police helicopters for systematic aerial surveillance. After the Watts
Rebellion of 1965 this airborne effort became the cornerstone of a policing
strategy for the entire inner city. As part of its ‘Astro’ program LAPD
helicopters maintain an average nineteen-hour-per-day vigil over ‘high crime
areas’, tactically coordinated to patrol car forces, and exceeding even the
British Army’s aerial surveillance of Belfast. To facilitate ground-air
synchronization, thousands of residential rooftops have been painted with
identifying street numbers, transforming the aerial view of the city into a
huge police grid.
My fear of the police state has led me to use the POV for my trailer of CCTV.
This technology is everywhere in London. I once counted over 200 cameras on the
12 minutes walk from my flat to Liverpool Street station. The majority positioned
high up on buildings but a significant amount were approx 4 metres from the
ground. In many of my scenes the CCTV appears at just above eye level. I prefer
this position as it allows you to see the action better. A more conventional 45
degree angle from above would give me a more realistic view but like the case
in the novel 1984 by Orwell I want these evil watchers to be right among my
characters giving them no where to hide. The square identity framers show that
this technology is using facial recognition to track individuals. This is a
technology under development and could be coming to a high street near you
soon. Watch out!
The Unreliable Witness
I'm thinking about how story makers weave truths and half-truths
together to form engaging content and I keep finding myself drawn to the notion
of the 'unreliable witness'. I like the way you can convince the gullible of
almost anything and how you can fool the world if your lie is big enough. I
think of the Adolf Hitler quote that alludes to the same (fucking hate Hitler).
Are there really people out there like Desta, William and Kathleen? Will you
believe them when they narrate their tales, I wonder? I am trying to locate
texts that are exemplars of the 'unreliable witness' rule. The plot
for '100 DATES' appears as fantasy or fable but could some of it be true?
February 2012
Film Noir?
I realised that I want to create a neo noir look for my comic. Watching Jules
Dassin's 'Night and the City' I got nostalgic about a lost and forgotten
London. I want my story to make the reader long for something lost. The story
could be described as elegiac or melancholic. The characters are out of time on
many levels. Loss and longing is very cliché and this is well traveled ground
but I think this will make my alternate world more believable if I can tap into
the human emotions that we all have. Monochrome city shot mostly at night,
underground or in claustrophobic rooms. Narration in, speech bubbles out. Time
to get back to drawing this project.
Progress of sorts
I've finally made the decision that my graphic novel will serve the purpose of
explaining how storytelling works. Each of the ten stories will retell the same
story from the perspective of the protagonist. Now to finish writing the
blessed things and draw the bastards. Oh BTW the noir post below is on hold
since I discovered Self Made Hero have published 'It's Dark in London'
featuring top flight artists and writers. I want to create something that will
rival this type of book.
Scenario
10 episodes set in a 'hotel'
room. 10 interweaving narratives that may or may not be told by unreliable
narrators. 'Hotel' room inspired by the Nostromo set for the movie Alien.
Looking at documentaries about the making of a movie has been instructive if a
little too much like Geekdom. It seems the more successful (or cult) a film the
more critical embellishments are desired. I’m mostly interested in how a
Director goes about their job and how lighting a set is integral to the
narrative tone and momentum of a filmed story.
All narrators are unreliable. Because we are
susceptible to untruths and we are able to suspend our disbelief the human
imagination is a perfect receptacle for stories. Enjoy my stories, fables,
myths and legends.
January 2013
iMovie. When I first saw this
feature on my Mac I thought meh! this is just for peoples boring holiday snaps.
I was wrong. I discovered that I could shape a crude narrative and include
music to accompany the sequence. This basic construction made me think more
about how we ‘read’ moving images. When I decided to change my project into a
Storyboard design for a possible film I also decided that I would look more at
the possibilities of using iMovie or Final Cut Pro to help me understand timing
and sound design. This has proved very fruitful and is already feeding back into
my teaching at LCC. The conversations I now have with students are framed by my
conviction that Moving Image is the dominant format for Graphic Design
communication of the near future.
I have made several
short film sequences so far. ‘Dirty Prototype’ (with full mix), ‘Sequence
Experiment’ i, ii & iii, ‘Title Sequence with adapted titles 27.12’, ‘Act
II Cityscape shots’ 1b & 1c, ‘100 DATES sequence’ 1, 2, a, b, c & d,
‘MAVA 100 DATES promo’ and ‘MAVA 100 DATES publicity.’ I also made an attempt
to create a Brand identity for my production company. Narcissus Productions
that I set up 10 years ago is how I sell my work to industry when that happens.
I realized that the new work, I have embarked upon this year needs to be
represented in a more strategic and appropriate manner.
Sound design is a
technology taught at Undergrad and post grad level at LCC. I want my work to
contain sound files that help the viewer feel more for the images that pass
before their eyes. I have recorded sounds available in London and on the North
Norfolk Coastline.
February 2013
Title Sequence process – Hours and hours go by as I refine the link between
sound and vision. I want to discover how to maintain high quality imagery from
iMovie to QuickTime movies. I recorded some live action pieces using a Flip
camera but the results are pretty useless. My photographs and illustrations
meet in Photoshop software. I have a definite vision for my dystopian London
and so far the photographic, hand drawn and archive textures
March 2013
Optical experiments. I’m keen to use reflections, mirrored
and light. I want to build an environment that I can light. After visiting the
Marcel Duchamp exhibition at the Barbican on Good Friday I was impressed by the
way organized elements from the readymade objects could evoke a sense of the
theatrical. I live near part of London Wall and I have photographed these old
structures and will adapt the images to serve as the backdrop to my animated
figures and machines.
April 2013
Flash software – What a delightful tool to help me achieve
real movement in my narrative. I have produced some moving type, a cityscape
contaminated by a red mist and my characters moving up and down left and right
around the cityscape. These are quite crude and very, very basic. However I
have now grasped the full power of the programme and created a 10 seconds
sequence showing animated Binary Code. My investigation of this software
continues and the work I have produced has helped me to control the pacing of
story.
June
2013
I have spent many hours working on my project to get to
the point that the story works and the timings run out correctly. This work
will get to the stage when it is right and I will feel some satisfaction. In my
use of software I have maintained my creative spark and pushed interpretations
and myself to locate a visual style that is open to adaptations. Though much of
what I tried didn’t really ‘work’ in the end this never stopped my desire to
create original outcomes. I returned to my sketchbook and film visual
references to keep my thinking fresh and to allow me to stay loose and not to
fret over perfection or slickness. I am not slick I am sincere and I want that
to be visible in my art.
July 2013
I’ve looked at the work of Roman Bittner and some of his free associations
have made me remember that every inch of the canvas has it’s role and dead
space is anathema to all great artists. I’ve also realized that parts of my
trailer should be calm to counterpoint the faster action and pivotal events in
the narrative. All round feeling invigorated and ready for the challenges
ahead.
TECHNICAL COMPETENCE
December
2012
Latest version of my title
sequence project. Composed of 36 key frames using simple cross dissolve
transitions. 56 seconds of information that helps me think about where I need
to go next with it. My sound design is coming on to. Mixture of Garage Band
loops and recorded live sounds. More to follow shortly. Posted on my blog.
Here is a variant on
my previous post. This one features my full mixdown audio. I had some trouble
syncing this one but it's getting there. Artwork and sound © Karl Foster 2012.
Here is my design with
the first set of titles added. This is only my initial design so look out for
more advanced versions in the near future. The sequence is 65 seconds long at
present. I'm working on an audiovisual version that will last 120 seconds in
total.
January 2013
This is the outcome of my
initial investigations into title sequence design. The work is still fairly
crude and needs to look and sound more professionally polished.
The process of designing and developing this
artwork has helped me to understand exactly what I wish to communicate and how
I might achieve this.
This sequence lasts 79 seconds but I will eventually design two designs for my
MA project that fully express my intentions and progress in this area of visual
communication. Enjoy the piece and look out for a very different approach in
the next installment of this project.
Handed in my work MAVA Unit 1 Research,
Development and Practice on 29.1.13. I predict a D grade for my research essay
and a C grade overall.
February 2013
I spent time producing very short length pieces that might express my brand
for my company ‘NARCISSUS PRODUCTIONS’. They were all pretty poor and not
suitable but I manage to gain useful knowledge about how elements can be
manipulated using iMovie. I moved away from the ‘films’ to concentrate on the
storytelling I’m so fond of. In my desire to create a title sequence that not
only incorporated my own musical compositions and voice over but also the
ability to understand timing I forgot about visual storytelling. My draft title
sequence was visually vey unrewarding and did not do justice to the sound
design. I received quite a bit of negative feedback on this part of my work.
I’m really shocked that a tutor wrote on my Unit 1 feedback sheet that I was
not working hard enough on my MA. I haven’t had more than four days off in the
last year from the MA and my full-time job. I haven’t been lazy at all. My slow
production rate is due to me trying to develop a new visual language that does not rely on what I made before when I was a freelance
illustrator. I want to make films and help students to make films. Storytelling
has always featured in my life and I may have lost my way somewhat.
I have returned to the story the characters and what this project is all about
– Communication. Now I’m working in sketchbooks to work through my process. It
is clear to me now that I am the only person who is intimate with my story. I
need to tell the audience who is in the story and what their role might be. I
have drawn out a storyboard that works on three levels at present.
• The
drawing or sketches that show what is going on
• The
camera movements and edits (CUTS)
• The
visual transitions (Where the eyes are meant to look during the sequence)
These elements are all
incorporated into a Master Storyboard that breaks down each shot into 1-second
intervals and divides each frame into a Continuum Grid. The 121 seconds Title Sequence
is shown in 3 Acts. This will help with the timing and also the narrative
rhythms.
Act I - Introduction
that contains the production companies and Title ‘100 DATES’ Dur: 00:45:00
seconds
Act II – Exposition
the peril of London Dur: 00:22:00 seconds
Act III – Cast list on
the ‘incident board’ Dur: 00:54:00 seconds
March 2013
I watch a lot of films and
one of my favourite genres is American Film Noir of the 40’s & 50’s
(incidentally I like Film Noir no matter where it appears). I have plowed
through several including ‘The Maltese Falcon’ John Huston 1941, ‘Murder My
Sweet’ Edward Dmytyrk 1944, ‘The Big Sleep’ Howard Hawks 1946, and ‘Night and
the City’ Jules Dassin 1950. These films and many others have given me some
inspiration for the stylization of some of the clothing and vehicles shown in
the sequence. I have also decided to pay homage to the great cinematographer John
Alton whose work on ‘Raw Deal’ 1948 and ‘The Big Combo’ 1955 stands out. The
visual qualities to express tone and atmosphere need to be harnessed to get my
work to shine again.
The tone, mood and
visual style are the important thing about these films rather than the crime
story plot at the heart of each. I want the law well away from this story but
perhaps I can use crime to establish the drama and it is universally relatable.
The locations are specific in some cases and not in others. But they are all
places where something wrong could be happening. ‘Sunset Boulevard’ 1950 has a
specific address in mind but has more to with the bauble of La La La Land and
what happens to the sanity of the people who live and work in this fantasy
world.
For my story I don’t
want it to look too Sci-Fi. Super slick technology and polished robots – after
all 2013 would look super advanced to someone living 150 years ago but the
world is still filled with grubbiness, bile, blood and ecological disasters.
Humans are still behaving like idiots. The future 2000 years from now will look
rancid to the contemporary eye. Human advances always lead to waste, regrets
and dislocation. ‘Our Nature’ is at odds with or ‘Invention’. I must try to
ensure styles I borrow work on more than just a superficial level.
April – July 2013
In this period I have been able to use four main software packages to help me
to express and control the sequences I am designing. Photoshop – this has
helped me to prepare files for print and conversion into elements for export to
Flash, Aftereffects and Illustrator. This new knowledge with Photoshop means I
am working at a faster rate and I can anticipate problems before they arrive.
Illustrator I’ve used principally to help me create graphic objects that will contrast with the more subtle tonal variation in my hand
drawn line work and digital drawings. Flash a web design package helped me to
get the timing right on my moving image ideas. Though labourious and ultimately
not suitable for the final trailer this software allowed me to see in real time
how a narrative could progress and what parts of a scene actually drove the
narrative and what might interrupt the flow of the action. A very valuable
experience for me without which there would be now moving image project. I
achieved many of the things I set out to.
Finally the best for last I was lucky to be instructed in the use of Aftereffects
by an award winning animator Steve May. Steve spent two sessions with me
helping me to shape my story and to overcome the limitations set by Flash
software. He taught me editing, key frame discipline and how to publish my
scenes correctly so they would function as finished moving image piece. I have
been using a selection of recorded and manipulated open source sounds as well
as my composition ‘Mixdown Three Three’ and ‘Mixdown Three Three a’. The
combination of these sounds with my vision is resulting in a richness that my
static hand drawing has never been able to achieve. I am fully converted to the
idea that my work will move from now on. This course of action has given me the
confidence to approach industry with my work. It’s a long road ahead but I have
been able to rely on my visual acuity to help me produce an engaging piece of
work that will leave the viewer wanting more. My use of video recording, sound
recording, location drawing, photography and technical specification documents
has resulted the augmentation of my making skills. I am able to present my work
to a range of audiences through my competence in all forms of audiovisual and
digital media.
COLABORATIVE AND/ OR INDEPENDENT PROFESSIONAL WORKING
January 2012
Ronald Searle 3/3/20 -
30/12/11 passed away peacefully in his sleep with his family beside him. He
requested a private cremation with no fuss and no flowers.
One of the legends of cartooning has passed into
a shadowy veil aged 91 years. A major influence on myself my contemporaries. Master
Searle's lines soared and his draftsmanship excelled. Oh to make at least one
mark as good as his. My favourite story (though rather grim) was when his
Japanese captors broke his right hand to stop him drawing. He was of course
left-handed and kept on drawing the most haunting images.
I raise my glass of Perrier Jouet to you and yours, cheers!
Craig Thompson in the UK
Craig Thompson in Conversation with Marcel Theroux Comica Event at the
St. Alban's Centre was an excellent diversion after a days teaching.
Craig Thompson almost single-handedly answered my MA research question. I came
away with lots to reflect upon and feeling very inspired. It's nice when
someone confirms that you are right in your assertions. If you don't know
Craig's work check out 'Goodbye Chunky Rice' (1999) 'Blankets' (2001) 'Carnet
De Voyage' (2004) and 'Habibi (2011). You won't be disappointed.
March 2012
The Pirates in an Adventure
with Scientists
Friday 30 March 2012
Q&A for 'The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists' chaired by
my good self went very well. Jonny Duddle answered many questions from the
audience. The film was hilarious and very entertaining.
Jonny was the Character Designer for the film working very closely
with legendary Director Peter Lord. He spent four years working on this project
for Aardman. Jonny also spoke about his work as an illustrator and
author.
I enjoyed the experience and would be happy to do
this type of work again. Big thanks to Tamlyn Francis at Arena Illustration
(Jonny's Agents) for asking me to chair the event.
30
March 2012 Q&A with Jonny Duddle at the Stratford Picture House
Welcome Jonny. We’ve just seen
The Pirates and the audience clearly enjoyed the film. I want to discuss with
you your involvement in the production of the film and your work as an author
and illustrator.
Q1. So far in your career you’ve spent a year working on a square-rigger
vessel, touring the UK dressed as a pirate, teaching children. You've
also worked in the games industry as an artist on the ‘Pirates of the
Caribbean’ computer game. You've also written and illustrated 2 picture books
about Pirates, ‘The Pirate Cruncher’ and ‘The Pirates Next Door’ two wonderful
books. Can you tell us why PIRATES seems to be a big theme in your life?
Q2. You're obviously very qualified for the job of character designer on a
film all about pirates, but what exactly is the role of a character
designer - can you explain the process to us?
Q3. What motivated you to get
into the film business?
Q4. What qualities do you think
you need to have to succeed as a character designer?
Q5. How has working with Aardman Animation influenced your illustration
work?
Q6. Finally what projects are you working on at the moment can you tell us
about them?
I’d like to open this up to
the audience; does anyone have a question for Jonny?
April 2012
‘From The Loom Room’ MA
students exhibition
After a successful private view on Thursday 12 April I thought you
might like to see some images from the exhibition. There has been a steady flow
of visitors to the Gallery with work sold and artists commissioned. Get
yourself down there if you want to see top quality work by some of the
brightest illustrators out there.
April 2013
MA Illustration Interim Show at Beach London - The small basement space for
this exhibition was disappointing but all students made the most of it by being
pragmatic and professional. The PV for this show was rather disappointing for
me as only 1 person out of the 200 I invited attended. Exhibitors plus their
close friends attended the PV. Our MA tutors were there too. It was clear to me
that many of my peers are inexperienced in organization and preparation. There
was also an incident when a disgruntled neighbour told some students that they
had to close the show early, as we didn’t have a Liquor License for selling
alcohol. He was wrong we served drinks but we were not selling them. We didn’t
need a liquor license. If I had been present at the time I would put this man
straight. The teething
problems on this show should help us to identify weaknesses and we have time to
address these before our Final show.
One positive of the show that has helped me to think about what I might do with
my new skills once the course finishes was discussed in my conversation with
Alison Eldred Artists Agent and Simon Bartram Picture Book Illustrator. They
both pointed out that they liked my trailer and maybe publishers of e-books
conventional books and event promotion could employ my storytelling techniques.
They noted that the market contained rather obvious examples of promotional
design that had no independent internal integrity. A thinking maker such as
myself would bring ideas and engaging content to this type of commercial
project. I intend to explore this possibility further.
April 2013
I went to ‘Pick Me Up’ again this year and it struck me as I entered the
initial exhibition space that something was very wrong with my work. Twelve
creative’s were selected and a sample of their work was on show. Each had a
space to display in and the quality of the work was very high. As I read the
biographies of these artists I realized that I was between 20 and 28 years
older than each artist. I started to feel shame. I had so much more experience
than these artists but my work for my MA was nowhere near as good. It was a
shock and I realized that I was kidding myself that what I am doing is good
enough for me. I have resolved to make a change and to focus much harder on
using my skills with more purpose. I am capable of so much and will demonstrate
that in Unit 2 of the MA course.
Simon Bartram’s Solo Show at The
Illustration Cupboard. I went to the opening event for this show and spoke
to a designer from Templar Publishing. I was told about a new project that
would be launched in October 2013. After the discussion it was agreed that I
would write a review of this product from the perspective of my role as a tutor
for Design studies.
August 2013
The final degree show has arrived. The spaces needed a lot of TLC. The
majority of students seemed engaged with some notable hard workers who deserve
praise. In every exhibition I have been involved in over the last 30 years
there have been shirkers and workers. I don’t believe this will ever change. One
innovation this year is the A1 – A0 single artwork on the wall has been
replaced with framed and large pieces on the walls with majority of works held
to wall by magnet system. These changes give the show a more polished and
professional look plus the students are learning important skills in how to
represent their work for an external audience with a strong emphasis on
commercial viability of their individual vision of image production.
My own
contribution is an iMac with my Trailer running on it as a loop atop a white
plinth. Two headphones attached by a splitter connection to the iMac will cover
sound output. In addition I have designed had professionally printed a 4 pages
newspaper that can be used as a record of my concept for 100 DATES and give the
audience a richer reading of the trailer and story it promotes. Now that my
work is in place I can feel more relaxed. Now only the anxiety of the marking
and final grades is left to tax my mind. I have invited over 200 persons to the degree show all
linked to art design and communication subjects. I look forward to when the
exhibition opens to the public on 4 September 2013 and greeting these guest and
other visitors. It is my hope
that commissions and academic opportunities arise from my efforts to bring 100
DATES to a wider audience.
Karl Foster August 2013
