Wednesday, 19 December 2012

Music

As part of the audio realisation for my idea, i had Luke Robinson, a music student at Huddersfield university compose a piece of music for me, i have just received the final copy:


Location Scouting

I have done a quick location scout in a woods near where i live in Greasbrough. The woods is known as 'Fenton woods'.
Here are the pictures i took:









Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Landscape concept art

I have received the concept art for the landscapes from Charlotte Taylor:

The first are all the forest as it starts:


These are the fantasy world:


And finally the horror world:





I'm very happy With how these have come out, i feel they really show how the film will look and feel.

Idea - Creatures and costumes.

The main part of my idea is the creatures within the world the girl creates.

The first creature i would think about creating would be the Faun. As my idea was inspired alot by Pan's Labyrinth. i decided to have a look at how the faun was made in that film.


I do believe that the facial part of the faun was done using Foam Latex which is widely used in Big Budget and Hollywood Films.

I believe the best way to create the creature as it is in concept art is to use a foam latex mask - as foam latex can be molded around a model. and then add the horns over the top as done in the above video.

As for the Troll and the Fairies i believe it would probably be better to create them digitally as it would be easier than trying to do it on set. However for the troll it could be an interesting idea to attempt to film someone in a sensor suit and then manipulate the image and size through the computer as seen with 'Gollum' in 'Lord of the Rings'


References:

Pan's Labyrinth making - (Youtube Video) [online] - last accessed on 18th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-sSsRaoohc

Bringing Gollum to life - (YouTube Video) [online] - last accessed on 18th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0Krx0ozjJA

Monday, 17 December 2012

Idea effects - tree roots

Another effect in my piece is the living tree roots.

This effect has been used before in a film called 'The evil dead' in which the roots came alive and rape a girl. I believe that in that particular case they used robotics / animatronics.



However i have decided to use both special and visual effects.
So for the first part where the roots are pertruding out of the oil and slashing at the girl i would use 'After Effects'
Here is a video showing the type of thing that is achievable -
When the girl is actually caught by the tree and bound in place, i would use pre-made vines on set as i believe trying to create vines around a person on a computer would be very difficult and would take alot of time.

References:

After Effects VideoCopilot 3D Vines (YouTube Video) [online] last accessed 17th December 2012 at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5tePLbD-04

- Tree-Rape - Google images [online] last accessed 17th December 2012 on http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=the+evil+dead+tree&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&biw=1024&bih=1233&tbm=isch&tbnid=HVAsY7Y4A5WFnM:&imgrefurl=http://haffandhaff.wordpress.com/page/6/&docid=M_VdLMtQTjjqsM&imgurl=http://haffandhaff.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/tree-rape.jpg&w=505&h=465&ei=KmzQUJX9HYOL4ATkpoDACQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=751&vpy=270&dur=667&hovh=215&hovw=234&tx=158&ty=106&sig=111639871220691663455&page=1&tbnh=141&tbnw=147&start=0&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0,i:112


Idea Effects - Lightning

This is probably the easiest effect to figure out.

Lightning can be done in many different ways depending on what outcome you're looking for.
The first and probably the most obvious is 'After Effects' there are many tutorials online about how to create lightning. Most of these sprung up when the newest starwars films were released and many focus on how to make lightning appear form the hands. However i have easily found one to show how to do it.


This effect creates forked lightning, however in some cases sheet lightning could also be very effective. Sheet lightning is a very bright flash rather than a spiky trail as above.

To create sheet lightning the best way to my knowledge would be to use a lighting to do it.
I would imagine this would be a case of using a very large strobe light on set using perhaps a blue filter, this would then create the flashes necessary to create a realistic sheet lightning effect.

However for the purposes of my idea, i think that using after effects would be the better option, simply as a case of budget.

References:

After Effects Lightning Strike (YouTube Video) [online] last accessed 17th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxnXtYfy19s


Idea effects - Growing grass and flowers

This has been one of the hardest Effects to consider.
I have searched high and low for a tutorial of some form that might help me work out how to do it.

Unfortunately i have not found one, however many things i have seen have led me to the conclusion that it would probably be done using 'Maya' and 'Adobe after effects'.
I did find one tutorial that hinted towards the use of Maya for this particular effect which was called 'Organic line growth'. however the tutorial turned out to be about something different.

In the idea the flowers turn out to be paper - which would be a simple matter of folding paper flowers and placing them onset. and after the grass has grown, putting grass on the set as well would be fairly easy as it is my understand that grass can be bought in rolled up strips.

I will continue to search for some tutorials.


Idea effects - Creatures into dust

In my idea, when the circle of light hits the evil creatures they turn to dust. I imagined this would be done using camera and editing techniques. Simply by filming the creatures, then stop the recording removing the creatures from the shot, start recording again and throw a big handful of collected dust onto shot where the creature was stood. Then using simple edit techniques cut the shot together in the right place to make it look like they have simply turned to dust: An example of this was done with coins in 'Edger Wrights' - 'Scott Pilgrim vs the world'. Here is an example of the same effect someone has done and uploaded to youtube.



References:

Scott Pilgrim Coin-Burst Effect (KO) (YouTube Video) [online] last accessed 17th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egdFChekChE

Idea effects - Glowing eyes and balls of light.

As part of my Idea the girls eyes glow when the balls of light shoot into her. This would be achieved purely through Visual effects e.g. entirely computer generated.
This effect could easily be done on after effects and a program called 'Mocha' which comes free with after effects.

I have found a tutorial online that shows exactly how it can be done:



Balls of light.

As the Girls eyes are glowing Balls of light or energy are flying into her from the ground and sky.
To create these balls of light Adobe after effects would be used again rather than creating them on set.

I have found a tutorial on how to do it:


Finally when the girl is filled with this light, the light explodes in a circle around her. This is probably one of the hardest of all the effects.
After much research i have concluded that it would again be in After effects.
Here is a tutorial i have found:


To get the explosion/ expanding effect i would manipulate the size of if using key frames, so that it gets bigger very rapidly.


References:

Glowing eye replacement Effect Tutorial (YouTube Video) [Online] last accessed 17th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvHXmT0NeZQ

Adobe After Effects CS4: Energy Ball Tutorial (YouTube Video) [online] last accessed 17th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt8M_p6qAz0

"Force Field" After Effects Tutorial (YouTube Video) [online] last accessed 17th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aba4mZ0DMQM


Idea effects

In order to think about how i would achieve the effects in my idea. i thought it would be easier to list them all first, and then research into them one by one. This way i am unlikely to overlook something.


  • Grass growing
  • Flowers growing
  • Paper flowers
  • Sky changing color
  • Fairies
  • Faun
  • Lightning and black clouds forming
  • Blood flying from fauns mouth
  • Grass turning to oil
  • Oil sprouting arms
  • Tree roots coming alive.
  • cutting into arms and legs
  • Troll
  • Balls of white light
  • Light exploding from the girl
  • Creatures turning to dust

Concept Art

I put an advertisement out within the university for concept artists to design the creatures and landscapes within my idea.
I did this so that people including myself would have a better idea of the look and feel of the piece.
I had a lot of replies and i eventually found 2 people i wanted to do it. Because they were students i did not want to burden them with the project as they have their own deadlines. So i split the workload, one artist (Bethan Roberts) Worked on the creatures and the other (Charlotte Taylor) Worked on the landscape designs.

I have been sent the design done by Bethan Roberts.


The Faun or Satyr on the left is the Faun as it is first seen, the friendly version. and the Faun on the right is the Faun as it will look when it turns evil. 


These are the fairy designs. The fairy on the left is the friendly version seen first. the fairy on the right is as it will be when it turns evil after being grabbed by the girl.


This is the design for the troll.

Monday, 3 December 2012

Visual Realisation

After writing my idea down in full, i started thinking about what i wanted it to look like. so i started searching for pictures on Google images just to give an idea of what i picture in the idea.

First location - Forest (unaltered)



These two pictures show a regular forest, dead (probably from winter) that appear quite spooky and creepy as they are. I would imagine, would a child be walking through these on their own they might become quite scared.

The next pictures are ideas for the fantasy world the child creates:





 These two images are taken from Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland'
The reason i have chosen these two images is the 'Wonderland' in the story represents (in my opinion) the ultimate childhood fantasy world. lush flowers, magical creatures and multicolored skies.





The next picture is what the dark world that appears could look like:










I will soon be location scouting for a possible forest to use. and i am currently trying to find someone to do some concept art.

references:

The-misty-forest-Sequoia-Bayview-Trail-Joaquin-Miller-Park-Oakland-CA - Google images [online] last accessed 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=709&q=creepy+forest&oq=creepy+forest&gs_l=img.3..0l9j0i5.62.3045.0.3119.17.15.1.0.0.0.158.1338.11j3.14.0...0.0...1ac.1.fmUv7ZRJdSU#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&spell=1&q=creepy+forest+path&sa=X&ei=44HQUMXtH4iB4gSh54F4&ved=0CFIQvwUoAA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.bGE&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=709&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.lovethesepics.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F10%252FThe-misty-forest-Sequoia-Bayview-Trail-Joaquin-Miller-Park-Oakland-CA.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.lovethesepics.com%252F2012%252F10%252Fwhen-the-woods-are-scary-enchanted-forests-like-brothers-grimm-broken-fairytales%252F%3BbQc6I3IoP1MbXM%3BxbZ8nAj-Bxe3wM%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B990%3B743

fantasy,landscape,alice,in,wonderland,movies,tim,burton-c3a1e470709c219027fac9592ed6e3ee_h - Google images [online] last accessed 18th December 2012 on                                   https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=709&q=creepy+forest&oq=creepy+forest&gs_l=img.3..0l9j0i5.62.3045.0.3119.17.15.1.0.0.0.158.1338.11j3.14.0...0.0...1ac.1.fmUv7ZRJdSU#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=alice+in+wonderland+landscape&oq=alice+in+wonderland+landscape&gs_l=img.3..0.141043.145726.6.145875.22.2.20.0.5.0.81.160.2.2.0...0.0...1c.1.G8kfVAMsqSY&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.bGE&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fcdnimg.visualizeus.com%252Fthumbs%252Fc3%252Fa1%252Ffantasy%252Clandscape%252Calice%252Cin%252Cwonderland%252Cmovies%252Ctim%252Cburton-c3a1e470709c219027fac9592ed6e3ee_h.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fvi.sualize.us%252Fupdate_new_images_from_tim_burtons_comingsoon_fantasy_alice_in_wonderland_movies_landscape_picture_5c3U.html%3BSuyAGBerNmjqNM%3B0PUJWb0AC3du2M%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B500%3B247

alice-in-wonderland-movie-image-5 - Google images [online] last accessed 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=709&q=creepy+forest&oq=creepy+forest&gs_l=img.3..0l9j0i5.62.3045.0.3119.17.15.1.0.0.0.158.1338.11j3.14.0...0.0...1ac.1.fmUv7ZRJdSU#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=alice+in+wonderland+landscape&oq=alice+in+wonderland+landscape&gs_l=img.3..0.141043.145726.6.145875.22.2.20.0.5.0.81.160.2.2.0...0.0...1c.1.G8kfVAMsqSY&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.bGE&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fcollider.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252Falice-in-wonderland-movie-image-5.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcollider.com%252F27-high-resolution-images-from-tim-burtons-alice-in-wonderland%252F17329%252F%3BEIKHsSng9MtLGM%3BBSyvjIMQGQQxtM%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B1920%3B1188


evil-forest-cropped - Google Images [online] last accessed 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=709&q=creepy+forest&oq=creepy+forest&gs_l=img.3..0l9j0i5.62.3045.0.3119.17.15.1.0.0.0.158.1338.11j3.14.0...0.0...1ac.1.fmUv7ZRJdSU#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=evil+forest+trees&oq=evil+forest+trees&gs_l=img.3...15446.16583.7.17347.7.7.0.0.0.0.90.506.7.7.0...0.0...1c.1.g5U4oDwl8rY&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fcrowhollow.files.wordpress.com%252F2010%252F04%252Fevil-forest-cropped.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcrowhollow.wordpress.com%252F2010%252F04%252F22%252Fthe-blight%252F%3BcAZFnAPBWy9sdM%3BZQRO0GK0WhwSfM%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B340%3B400

Idea Walk through

I have been given feedback on my idea and progress so far. It has been suggested that I need to consider why the girls imagination turns against her, like a trigger of some kind.

After giving this much thought, i realized the creatures i researched and like in many of the literary and film depictions of them, they only attacked humans if they felt threatened, so i thought this would be the best idea. 
Below is a draft run through of my how i picture my idea going:


Audio/visual run through
A young girl in a white dress is standing in a forest. The Forest is dead and dark, the sun is covered by grey clouds. The ground is muddy and wet; the girl’s bare feet are covered in dirt. She starts to walk slowly and cautiously down the dirt path. She does not seem frightened; she appears to be in awe.
Fantastical Music starts. The girl continues to walk. The trees begin to grow many different colored flowers. Grass starts to grow under her feet in place of the mud, the clouds part to show a blue sky, the sky changes color from blue to purple then red then yellow, and continues to change through many different bright colors.
The girl crouches to sniff one of the flowers to find that it is made of paper. She smiles. She stands up and starts running through the forest happy and laughing. She comes across a beautiful stream. She runs her foot through the water and the mud washes away.
Then something small and glowing appears from behind the girl, she see’s it, it flies around her head and around her body. It stops on the branch of a tree. It is a fairy. The girl stands looking up at the fairy. Soon more fairies start to appear, some from the trees, some from behind flowers and in flowers, some from water and some in the grass. They fly around the girl, dancing in the air.
A friendly looking faun appears from behind a tree. And walks across to the girl, it starts dancing with her. She breaks away and starts chasing the fairies trying to catch one, She catches one in her hands and it struggles to get free, she does not let it go, the fairy in her hands becomes angry and turns black. It bites her hand and she lets go. Lightning flashes and black clouds quickly form over head. The Other fairies turn black and started darting at the girl like bullets. She runs to the Faun for help but the faun also has turned dark and grown fangs. It roars at the girl blood flying from it’s mouth. The girl runs away but the grass turns to black oil and she slips and slides, the oil grabs at the girl as though arms are sprouting from the earth. The roots of the trees come alive and start slashing and grabbing the girl as the fairies continue to fly at the girl. The girl screams cries and pulls against the trees roots; they cut into her arms and legs. A troll emerges from the oil right next to the girl. It’s teeth bared, oil dripping down its face and body. It reaches out for the girl.
The girl looks up into the eyes of the troll, determination in her eyes. Big balls of white light start flying from the ground and the sky into the girl, her eyes start to glow, brighter with each ball of light. She lets out a scream and the lights shoots from her in a wide circle. The troll, the fairies and the Faun turn to dust. The oil turns back into grass and the sky turns back to blue. The tree roots release her and sink back into the ground. The girl looks around, and then skips down the path humming as she does.

Thursday, 29 November 2012

Adobe Aftereffects lesson

Today in lesson, we learnt how to put effects onto green screen.
I worked with Aaron as he did not have a computer.

To start with we got to the image we wanted to start with:

In this shot we had green screened the mirror as we wanted to add a different version of the character in its place.

To start with we had to go onto 'keying' presets and choose 'linear color key' and add it to the clip

We then had to choose the the key color by using the dripper to match the color to the green screen. We then adjusted the 'match tolerance' and 'matching softness' and changed the 'match colors' to "using chroma". This is the result:

After that we added 'Spill suppressor' from the 'Keying' presets.
Then changed the 'Color to suppress' to green.

This didn't do a big amount, but it did change the color of some of the flowers on the wall.








To then soften the edges of we added a 'Matte choker' from the 'Matte' presets


After this we added the clip we wanted in the mirror underneath the first in the 'comp' window as a new layer.





We then played around with the size and placement to make it look realistic.






We filmed the second clip on green screen. We did this so we could add fire to the background.
So we repeated the above steps.













The final result looked like this.










Last came the ripple effect on the mirror. this was a simple preset called 'Ripple' then the radios was increased.




I am very confident now that i will be able to use the green screen effect in future projects.







some of the problems we encountered today were:


  • Shadows - The first clip was filmed in very low lighting, which to start with makes it hard to see what's going on in the clip, but did actually cast shadows of the actresses arm over the green screened mirror when raised. which can be seen in the last image. this caused continuity problems mainly as the shadow would not be visible on a mirror. From this i have learnt that when using green screen, it is best to do it in full lighting so no shadows are cast.
  • Editing - It would probably be best to edit the clips you wanted to use in final cut first, so you could get them in time and cut down to the size needed, then import them directly into After effects, do the effects, then import it directly back into final cut. this saves time in the long run as you would not need to keep exporting and re-importing clips which could ultimately lead into loss of quality and clips taking up a lot of storage space. 
Oh and the last problem we encountered was that our editing screen randomly turned blue and we couldn't figure out why, cmd + z did nothing:


Thursday, 15 November 2012

Shoot write up

Todays shooting went pretty well. we managed to get everything we needed to film.

There were a few hiccups along the way. the first was mainly the set up. it took a long time to get the first lighting set up... set up, i think this was due to the cinematographers not knowing exactly what it was we were aiming for, perhaps if we had met with them before hand to discuss what we shots we wanted, this may have made things go faster as they wouldn't have had to improvise.
Also in my opinion there were too many people on set which made the room very crowded and hard to move around. This could've been combated by maybe not having two groups filming at once, and the third group that wasn't filming not being there. although i understand that they were there to observe, they really wern't needed and this just crowded the room even more.

Another problem we had was the actresses dress. because we got the actress this week and we did not have the chance to measure her or buy a dress. because of this we had to improvise on the spot and make one. To do this Joley used a white shirt and a strip of long lacey material. She cut the sleeves off the shirt and wrapped the material around the actressess (victoria) waste under the shirt using a bobble to secure it. she then tied a strip of what i think was a curtain tie around her waste as a belt. i think the finished dress was good considering the time it was done in.

For the effects we used a green screen where the mirror should be. To do this we removed the glass from the mirror and hung a green sheet in it's place. To achieve the look of an arm coming through the mirror, we left the glass out and set up a long shot from the side so the face of the mirror could not be seen, we then had Joley stand behind the set and put her hand through the hole - this then cut down time needed to shoot.

In order to make fake blood, i mixed golden syrup, chocolate sauce, red food colouring and water. This is the same recipe that is used on many feature films, the good thing about this recipe is that it's edible as our actress needed to spill it from her mouth.
From what i saw while filming the camera did not pick up the fack blood, this could have been because of the lighting or camera angle or the fact that Victoria's hair was in the way. however i hope that i am wrong.

I am confident that we have achieved what we had originally planned and that the concept of uncanny is clear thoughout. During this shoot i have learnt  how important it is to plan extensivly before a shoot especially in using special effects, and to have a run through with cinematogrophers and actors, as this cuts down the time taken on the day of the shoot, which was especially important today. I have also realised how important it is to only have essential personel on set as anyone who isn't needed ends up getting in the way.

Friday, 9 November 2012

Evanescence - Imaginary

I have recently listened to a song that i have not heard in a long time.

the song is called 'Imaginary' by Evanescence:


This song caught my attention for many reasons, not simply because it is about the imagination. but because some of the lyrics, specifically:

"let me stay where the wind will whisper to me"

"and candy clouds of lullaby"

"and watch my purple sky fly over me"

All of these lines have given me some inspirations and thoughts which i will incorperate into my own idea.
the first line has given me the idea of hearing words come out of nowhere in a whispering tone. much like that in The Torchwood episode "Small worlds". I will not use the same poem, i will either find one or write my own thing to be "heard in the wind".

the second line along with the third have given me the idea of a sky that changes colour. this will help show the difference between the 'normal world' and the 'fantasy worlds'.

Imaginary - Evanescence - Lyrics (YouTube Video) [online] last accessed 18th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQgfrjMXy_w

Set building

For the past two sessions of Creative Project realisation we have been building out sets for next Thursdays shoot.
For our set we were going for a girly type of look, beige and light colours with fairy lights and flowers posted over the walls.
i was incharge of wallpapering... having never wallpapered before, this didn't go as well as it could have. the main problem i encountered was that air bubbles got caught under the paper - even though i tried to brush them out, they still appeared.

I am very happy with the finished set, the fact that the wallpaper does not look perfect, adds to the concept of the uncanny, as we were trying to make it look perfect, but it is not, it has been made to look like something it is not.

for the mirror effects we have decided to green screen the mirror, to do this we have removed the back from the mirror so that the glass can be removed and replaced with a green sheet, we have had to cut a hole behind the mirror frame as it has been attached to the set.

here are some pictures of the finished set:



Thursday, 8 November 2012

Idea Premise


Name:                    Joseph Bowles
Working Title:      In a child’s eyes
Film Genre:          Fantasy/ Horror
Length:                 10 - 15 minutes
Target Audience:  15 +
Tag line:                Innocence will save the world

               

Premise:                 In a lonely dark Forest an innocent girl lives in her own little fantasy world. However everything goes awry when her own imagination turns against her.  

 

Synopsis:               Set in a lonely forest, dark and dead. A young girl uses her imagination to bring life and colour to the dingy forest.

But everything goes from good to bad to worse when her imagination goes darker than the forest and turns against her. Can she escape the nightmare world that she has created?


Visual Realisation: ‘In a child’s eyes’ journeys into a dark, dead, scary forest. Carpeted by fallen leaves and mud and murky swamps, when subjected to a world of imagination, the forest is transformed into a Childs utopia of colourful flowers and lush green grass. A land of wonderful creatures from myth and legend makes it the ultimate children’s fantasy world.
But when the Childs fantasy turns nightmare, the lush green grass and flowers are morphed into living black oil and black thorns and thistles. The creatures of horror lurk in the shadows, fuelled by fear and a lust for blood.

 

Statement of Intent:      ‘In a child’s eyes’ Starts as a fantasy, showing the wonders and limitless of the imagination and dreams of an innocent child. However there is a second half to the Childs imagination, which is the half where nightmares and fears are born –this is the horror part of it. I intend these two worlds to be almost the complete opposites of each other. the first will be vibrant colours and be very happy and playful, especially with the creatures I will include such as fairies. And the second will be very dark and scary with a lot of emphasis on shadows and peripheral vision to show how a Childs imagination could make anything, such as a tree, be frightening. Both the worlds will be shown against the ‘Real world’ which will represent normality. I also plan to incorporate an underlying message “innocence will save the world” i want to make a statement of how industry is destroying the beauty of the natural world and it is the “un-innocent, industrial adult world” which is destroying it. To do this I will put a big focus on things becoming almost mechanical and oil orientated when the nightmare world begins.

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

Imaginaerum – Nightwish


Going back to my research into the imagination and dreams, I have recently been listening to a band called “Nightwish”. They are a Finnish Symphony metal band, (this means they use a lot of orchestral music along with guitars, drums and bass, as well as operatic singing) that has recently released an album called ‘Imaginaerum’.






Two specific songs on this Album caught my attention. They are:

Storytime

This song is generally about the childhood bedtime story and the wonderful journey it takes you on.
(I would include the lyrics but they are very long, so instead here the is the link to the official website where you can read them)



The song can also be heard on the video below.



Scaretale


This song is like the first; however it talks about nightmares and fears of childhood. The scary stories of spiders and monsters in the cupboard and under the bed, as you can imagine it’s a very different feel. (Here is the link to the lyrics)

and the song


The reason I am writing about them and specifically these two songs will become apparent soon.

I went to see the band live in concert on Sunday 4th November 2012 at Manchester o2 arena. While there I saw a t-shirt that someone was wearing, on the back of this t-shirt said the words “innocence will save the world”. Personally I thought this statement was amazingly powerful and the upkeep and preservation of what I like to call “the wild earth” i.e. nature is something I feel incredibly strongly about. It is for this reason I was once involved in ‘Green peace’ and my chosen religion is that of the Native American Indians (which doesn’t have a name) which focuses on the spirits of the earth and specifically its divinity and protection. A good way of seeing it: is “mother nature” or “mother earth” a great spirit that is within everything and all of us. It is very similar to ‘Paganism’ which I did also practise for a time.

Anyway this phrase along with these songs and my previous research has inspired my idea.

 
I will write up a premise for my idea and it shall be in my next blog entry.
here is a video of the band live - i'm sorry for the quality it was taken on my phone. the song is called "Over the hills and far away"


references:

imaginaerum_panorama-web - Google Images [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=imaginarium&oq=imaginarium&gs_l=img.3..0l10.773.3340.0.3550.11.8.0.3.3.0.111.732.6j2.8.0...0.0...1ac.1.QOrY2Pg_ZiQ#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&spell=1&q=imaginaerum+album&sa=X&ei=mobQUKutCY_74QSm74CYBA&ved=0CFIQBSgA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.bGE&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fcalibermag.org%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F01%252Fimaginaerum_panorama-web.jpeg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcalibermag.org%252Farticles%252Falbum-review-imaginaerum-by-nightwish%252F%3BXnO3OhEpLgPXYM%3BI0i0xosEIws-gM%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B1500%3B581

Nightwish - Storytime (lyrics) HD - (YouTube Video) [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5i7htF2AwY

Nightwish - Scaretail (+ lyrics) - (YouTube Video) [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QNIWAdvSVw


Fauns and Trolls research


Carol rose    2000.                        Giants, Monsters and Dragons.                 California


Faun



 In this book there is not much written about the Faun in this book. It simply said that the Faun is the offspring of a Demigod called Faunus (further research). The Faun is semi-human, half goat and half human, specifically human males. And that they are likened to ‘Satyrs’ (further research) and they are the guardians of the wild.  

Satyrs

The same book describes Satyrs as a hybrid humanoid creature from Greek mythology. Originally depicted the same as The Faun, male upper body and head and legs of a goat. Many different types of Satyrs were described including some that breathed through a hole in their chests and with no nose. The most recent description of Satyrs was that of a creature with a human head, pointy ears, horns and a hairy body and legs. They were led by a drunken master ‘Silenus’. 
Satyrs lived in the woods, mountains and countryside – much like fairies. It is because of their choice of habitat that they were known in some places as ‘Silvani’ or Forest people, they were renowned for pursuing nymphs, rudeness and playing pranks, their response to humans was very unpredictable and could be extremely harmful.


Troll

 The Troll originates from Scandinavia, however variations of with differences in characteristics and appearance have been recorded in other countries with troll’s in their folklore. They were noted to have a lot of hair and be very ugly. They were also described as ogres or giant like which were very hateful, however in some parts their women were described as being beautiful. They live in communities under the hills. Trolls hate loud noises and villages drove them away by ringing their church bells. They were very malicious creatures and have been known to steal women and children for cannibalistic purposes or slavery. They could only be seen between dusk and dawn because the sun caused them to turn to stone. It has been said that ancient standing stones are the remainder of trolls caught in the sun.  (see image right)




Many different versions of trolls come from throughout the world, however many of their visible characteristics remain the same. In literature the most well known version of the troll is probably from J.R.R Tolkiens ‘Lord of the Rings’ and even The Grimm Brothers ‘Three Billy goats Gruff’








References:

satyr-faun - Google images [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 - https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=fauns&oq=fauns&gs_l=img.3..0l3j0i5j0i24l3j0i10i24l3.391.974.0.1119.5.5.0.0.0.0.102.367.4j1.5.0...0.0...1ac.1.TDM-IXtlHR0#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=evil+faun&oq=evil+faun&gs_l=img.3..0.59201.60580.6.60802.9.9.0.0.0.0.163.751.6j3.9.0...0.0...1c.1.MW8nYLYA8ZQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.Yms&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fopenbooksociety.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F09%252Fsatyr-faun.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fopenbooksociety.com%252Farticle%252Fsatyrs-fauns-mythical-creatures-throughout-history%252Fsatyr-faun%252F%3BYYH3oe4W4pybqM%3BvkWC2WmNUZEFgM%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B595%3B429

Satyr/ Narnia fans - Google images [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=fauns&oq=fauns&gs_l=img.3..0l3j0i5j0i24l3j0i10i24l3.391.974.0.1119.5.5.0.0.0.0.102.367.4j1.5.0...0.0...1ac.1.TDM-IXtlHR0#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=satyr&oq=satyr&gs_l=img.3..0l5j0i10j0l4.61368.62300.10.62809.5.5.0.0.0.0.137.435.3j2.5.0...0.0...1c.1.DQL8ddU-FQQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.Yms&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fnarniafans.s3.amazonaws.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2007%252F09%252Fpc_satyr1_9-24-07.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.narniafans.com%252Farchives%252Ftag%252Fsatyr%3BM2PXOwc6Vna0FM%3BAXF94WB1w0XeoM%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B1405%3B1080

Troll - Google images [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=fauns&oq=fauns&gs_l=img.3..0l3j0i5j0i24l3j0i10i24l3.391.974.0.1119.5.5.0.0.0.0.102.367.4j1.5.0...0.0...1ac.1.TDM-IXtlHR0#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&q=evil+trolls&revid=1202625347&sa=X&ei=CozQUJOgM6SY0QXWo4DgBw&ved=0CG4QgxY&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.Yms&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252F25.media.tumblr.com%252Ftumblr_mauev56lqP1rrr6fso1_400.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fdjcblog.tumblr.com%252Fpost%252F32431925452%252Fmonsters-that-scared-steve-as-a-kid-trolls-when%3BgWjOaApqnyfbTM%3Bf_IccsHyo5QA5M%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B394%3B406

Standing stone - Google Images [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=fauns&oq=fauns&gs_l=img.3..0l3j0i5j0i24l3j0i10i24l3.391.974.0.1119.5.5.0.0.0.0.102.367.4j1.5.0...0.0...1ac.1.TDM-IXtlHR0#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=standing+stone+of+the+north&oq=standing+stone+of+the+north&gs_l=img.3...28575.29892.19.30050.13.12.0.0.0.0.160.1002.7j5.12.0...0.0...1c.1.RZ68IF4X1es&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.Yms&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fs0.geograph.org.uk%252Fphotos%252F00%252F28%252F002859_d63572d7.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.geograph.org.uk%252Fphoto%252F2859%3BeDL87xoDv7UgaM%3BoiXHTv8e15NM5M%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B640%3B480

Tuesday, 30 October 2012

Films with fairies and mythological creatures

There are many films in circulation that feature fairies and mythical creatures. the number could range in the hundreds. i have picked a few that i feel i might think about using in my upcoming idea development and also some of my favourites.

The first is 'Pans Labyrinth' directed by Guillermo del Toro and released in 2006.
the film is about a young girl in fascist Spain 1944 who is the step daughter of a sadistic army officer. she escapes into her own fantasy world.

There are many reasons why i have chosen this film: firstly it utilises the idea of the imagination and dreams. Also in the film when the young girl tries to tell the adults about her 'visions' and fantasies, they turn her away and tell her to grow up. This ties into a point of my earlier research that stated that the world of childhood fantasies are not accessable to adults.
secondly the main mythical creature (i am aware that there is a difference between the words mythological and mythical, in this case both could apply) is a faun. in myth the Faun was a creature that was half man and half goat (top half goat). the creature in the film known as Pan, is a friendly creature however it looks rather intimedating and scary. (right)

Other well known references to the Faun are: the narnia chronicles by C.S Lewis.

the Faun comes from ancient Greek and Roman Mythology, they were associated with forests and forest gods, and the Greek god was called Pan - like the film. other than this i do not know much about the origins of the creature. this will be something i will have to research further.


At this point i would like to stress that i am looking at creatures that as a university students with limited means i may be able to create. otherwise i'd be looking at things like Dragons.


the second film is 'Hook' directed by Steven Spielberg released in 1991. this film features Peter Pan as a grown up, returning to Neverland to save his children from the grips of Captain Hook. the film obviously features the fairy 'Tinkerbell' who in all literary versions of Peter Pan to my knowledge has been represented as a friendly fairy. This film is no different, however there is a scene where 'Tinkerbell' has a pretty impressive fight scene with a group of pirates which shows her to be very dangerous for a small creature.




The next film is 'The Lord of the Rings' Directed by Peter Jackson released in 2001. This film shows the creature known as the Troll (left). the Troll has only ever been shown in a bad light. as a very dangerous creature. The best reference to it in my knowledge is: The Grimm Brothers 'Billy goats gruff' with the troll under the bridge. other similar creatures include the 'Ogre'






I will look further into the Faun and the Troll to find out the origins and characteristics.

References:

Pans labyrinth faun - Google images [online] last accessed 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=fauns&oq=fauns&gs_l=img.3..0l3j0i5j0i24l3j0i10i24l3.391.974.0.1119.5.5.0.0.0.0.102.367.4j1.5.0...0.0...1ac.1.TDM-IXtlHR0#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&q=pan%27s+labyrinth+faun&revid=224291262&sa=X&ei=gI3QUMuoLsK30QXFlIHQCg&ved=0CHgQgxY&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.Yms&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-rYzGtI062j8%252FT51a3SXXSJI%252FAAAAAAAAABc%252FTx-kNMlq0Bo%252Fs1600%252Fpanslabyrinthfaun.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fdaylifebims.blogspot.com%252F2012%252F04%252Fpans-labyrinth-s-sexuality-question.html%3BII0vkVi3MbxnFM%3B4m6a7joH5UqmzM%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B277%3B300

Lord of the rings troll - Google images [online] last accessed 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=fauns&oq=fauns&gs_l=img.3..0l3j0i5j0i24l3j0i10i24l3.391.974.0.1119.5.5.0.0.0.0.102.367.4j1.5.0...0.0...1ac.1.TDM-IXtlHR0#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=lord+of+the+rigns+troll&oq=lord+of+the+rigns+troll&gs_l=img.3...190136.193681.24.193860.24.17.0.6.6.0.111.1369.16j1.17.0...0.0...1c.1.KiDcUxD_uhc&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.Yms&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fimages3.wikia.nocookie.net%252F__cb20101218100435%252Flotr%252Fimages%252F8%252F88%252FCtrol.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Flotr.wikia.com%252Fwiki%252FTrolls%3B6QkFhc8EBNsmUM%3BpAFK068ijhPO4M%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B527%3B354

Imdb - [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on http://www.imdb.com/

Colours and Emotional Response


I have decided to look into different colours and their associated meanings in terms of emotional responses.

I tried a quick ‘Google’ search, i entered “Colours and emotion” the first website I found was: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

Just as a side note everything below is copied and pasted from the website mentioned above, none of it is in my own words. this is because the website is not a reliable source of information and was only used as a starting point to further research.


Which said:

(Mostly paraphrased / copy & pasted)

Red 

Red is the colour of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love.

It raises blood pressure and respiration rate. It also has a high visibility and should therefore be used to bring things into focus and the foreground.

Light red represents joy, sexuality, passion, sensitivity, and love

Pink signifies romance, love, and friendship. It denotes feminine qualities and passiveness

Dark red is associated with vigor, willpower, rage, anger, leadership, courage, longing, malice, and wrath.

Brown suggests stability and denotes masculine qualities.


Orange  

Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.

Humans perceive orange as a very hot colour so it should be used to give the sensation of heat, but it is not an aggressive colour like red.

Dark orange can mean deceit and distrust.

Red-orange corresponds to desire, sexual passion, pleasure, domination, aggression, and thirst for action

Gold evokes the feeling of prestige. The meaning of gold is illumination, wisdom, and wealth. Gold often symbolizes high quality.


Yellow

Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.

Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy

Dull (dingy) yellow represents caution, decay, sickness, and jealousy.
Light yellow is associated with intellect, freshness, and joy

Green 

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance.

Dark green is associated with ambition, greed, and jealousy.
Yellow-green can indicate sickness, cowardice, discord, and jealousy.
Aqua is associated with emotional healing and protection.
Olive green is the traditional color of peace.

Blue

Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven.

Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness.

Blue is a masculine color; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability;

Light blue is associated with health, healing, tranquility, understanding, and softness.
Dark blue represents knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness


Purple 

Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.

According to surveys, almost 75 percent of pre-adolescent children prefer purple to all other colors. Purple is a very rare color in nature; some people consider it to be artificial.

Light purple evokes romantic and nostalgic feelings.
Dark purple evokes gloom and sad feelings. It can cause frustration.



White

White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the color of perfection

White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity.


Black

Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.

Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown (black holes). It usually has a negative connotation (blacklist, black humor, 'black death'). Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color (black tie, black Mercedes). In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief.

Black gives the feeling of perspective and depth, but a black background diminishes readability. A black suit or dress can make you look thinner. When designing for a gallery of art or photography, you can use a black or gray background to make the other colors stand out. Black contrasts well with bright colors. Combined with red or orange – other very powerful colors – black gives a very aggressive color scheme.



Although this might be a good start to research into colour and emotion, i cannot say for sure that this website is a reliable source of information which is why i have copied and pasted the information and paraphrased. So in the near future i am going to be looking for an academic text that goes into detail about colours and emotional responses specifically in film, and if possible fantasy film.

Colour meaning - [online] last accessed 30th December 2012 on http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html