OUAN401: Context of practice , lecture 7 : Research

This is a rather interesting subject to me, in a sense that I've always acknowledged the importance of conducting research and recording sufficient evidence ever since my A-levels years ( which they really drilled into your head at that time ), yet I still find difficulty in stopping halfway to record stuffs rather than just push forward with the project. Most of this was due to the fact that I brainstorm ideas in my head , rather than putting EVERYTHING out on paper or a physical media, excepts for the really important ideas that signifies a change in style or method. Another major reason would be my early introduction to digital drawing , where the ability to easily edit and alter really caters for my sense of being a perfectionist , changing early concepts constantly until I've reached a point that I'm satisfied with , without documenting the process in between, since it'd gone by so quickly because it is so easy to  change ( a problem that still haunts me till this day , like during the character design brief for Visual language where I essentially finished the character by the end of the day) . I later would learned that this form is a very simplified version of what is the intuitive approach to research , which is done when you've already gain a status of being a specialist in your field and already have a library of knowledge in your head. The problem is that , I'm not there yet!

 .There is of course positive aspects about this , is that working digitally drastically increase the speed of production, which allow for MORE research/ concept designs to be carried out without impending on the whole process, and of course, the quality of digital art is in most cases superior. Of course though, documentation is important even in real world applicants where deadlines are always present, since we have to present them to the client, whose's demand will undoubtedly change from time to time based on what we have presented them with, hence any future work from then on would have to be based on those documentation . This is a situation that Fred listed out in this lecture.

Along with that he also present some of the key tips and idea to really help with developing research practices , that is first to acknowledge and embrace the fact that you have no idea where you are going and what to do , if you did , you wouldn't "research" you would just do. Parallel to that is a very interesting definition of research as based on what is already know , and is not the process of innovation, which make a lot of sense since you create by gathering the material produced by your research , not actually to creating in the middle of it . Following that was a break down of what is information. It is a result of organised data that deliver knowledge to the person receiving . More important were the key importance to information for research development is that it has to be sufficient , competent , relevant and useful. In my own view, my practices limits the quantities of research that I could provide (lack in sufficient )  , but those that are , I would argue delivers on the remaining qualities.

Ending on that positive note , I think the most fitting point that Fred gave was at the end where he listed out a general process for research involving analysis , research , evaluation and solution and the many connections in between , but would emphasise on the fact that we should not just systematically follow this pattern but to change and adapt and find our own practices , highlighted by the phrase : " you are the center of your research " . So in that sense, my practices might not be wrong at any point , but just need further refinement and improvement to get the best out of it , which is a very encouraging thing to hear

OUAN 401 : Context of practice - lecture 6: Digital culture

Today's lecture went into undoubtedly one of the most relatable subject to out generation , that is the digital aesthetic and culture that was brought about the information era. Right at the start , Fred really pointed out a very interesting fact about how we are essentially the first generation , born and raised in a digital-driven society ,while he was there at the beginning of it. Sometime taking a step back to view the bigger image like this really astonished you , and have been the case on a lot of occasion for me : Taking Youtube and Facebook as examples, both websites have played such a large part in my social life and we take it as norm so much that we don't even realised , they have been only around for 10 years or so. Or perhaps even  a bigger picture , in the 90s they were bringing out the first Macs and PCs, (in all their clunky glory ) and now we have laptops and processors that are twice as small and hundred times as powerful. Without a doubt , the advancement of digital technology has been one of the fastest in human history , and in turn has been one of the most influential to human behaviour, as I can see right now in my nephew , who is only 3 years old yet he is proficient with an ipad and the Internet. This was one of the major point that this lecture mentioned. Its also extremely interesting when Fred pointed out that this idea had already been existed and predicted in as far back as the 60s , by Marshall Mcluhan, philosopher and public intellectual.

Of course , the art industry has had an major influence from this change, especially in the field of industrial art production and professions like graphic designer and typographers. For example , the introduction of the Apple Mac, the first commercially affordable PC really propelled the industry to new heights , on the one hand , creating new platforms for designer to work on that is more accurate , more productive, more editable , making physical forms of production becoming more and more obsolete, and on the other hand, create an emphasis on individual creativeness that has been bounded by the rigid rules of modern and post-modernism aesthetic of the 60s to 80s. Especially right now , the art industry is ever moving toward digital production , especially noticeable in fields of graphic design and animation ( 2D animation - the most traditional form of animating, has , in the West , has move nearly full-digital , with old methods done purely for stylistic values and short films. ). Even in traditional art, digital painting has become a major player, and with the rise of the Internet and mass media , the distribution of it only becomes easier and easier , and kick start a whole new generation of artists and art types , such as , fan arts. 

During this change , the aesthetic is also gradually affected, which is the topic that Fred bring up next : The digital aesthetic. This is pushed by the increasing appearance of the visual language of digital technology and the blending of virtual reality. One of the interesting point of this is how our current technology alters our representation of the future. Take the image of the future in say Back to the Future and The new rebooted Star Trek, it is very different ( the BTTF being a cornier type of future, of crazy rubber suits and punk-type fashion that is very much influenced by the trends that was going on in the 80s and 90s , while Star Trek , uses our current view of the future, dominated by touch-screens, space exploration and high glass towers. 

 

With that said , it should be mention how much technological aesthetic has also had a hand in the overall aesthetic : like the association between "futuristic" object with the colour white and blue for example ( brought on by Apple ) , or starting with a single letter word for a name like an I phone , or an X box, and not just limited to real technology , but even fictional ones like the gadgets in Mission Impossible or Star Trek. As an illustrator and digital artist that have done many character design with futuristic aspects , I'm very aware of this aesthetic trends and always prepare myself to adapt to newer changes which will surely come. 

However , what happens when we cannot catch up to such fast-growing technologies, well that is discussed in one the most interesting part of the lecture : Nostalgia vs Innovation. Sometime , the innovation reach a point that we ourselves can not cope to comprehend ( aka , Snapchat ) , so we almost instinctively revert back to the aesthetic that we are familiar with ( Facebook in this case ) . For example , the re-introduction of Vinyl records or the recent re-production of the old NES ( that sold out COMPLETELY , how about that for nostalgia ) . In the animation industry , studio Ghibli would be a perfect example , as even though most animation nowadays are done fully in digital , they still take a stand on creating hand painted backgrounds and very traditional method of animation , that in turn ,  have the most artistic value that all modern animators, who while still focused on evolving CGI and 3D animation would still revert back to and praise them . So that idea of making everything seem "hand-made" again is a concept that many aspiring animators , especially this generation really strive to achieve, myself included. 

What I have taken from this is that , changes in society through time affects the cultural values and aesthetic of it , and it is my job as an animator to be able to acknowledge and  adapt to that change , and among it , find my own representation of what is considered "aesthetically pleasing "

OUAN401 : Brief 1 :study task 3: Animation analysis (overview #3:)

Semiotics analysis  :

In stark contrast to that , we have the step-mother who is considered by the later generation of animators to be one of Disney’s most terrifying villain, yet the most normal among them having no power or magical ability. The reason for this is brilliant subtleness and realism in the description of her.

During one of the first scene that we are introduced to her, we see Cinderella being called into her chambers. The room is dark , with black and purple as the main palette. And then , before we even get to see her full figure , her green piercing eyes are staring right at Cinderella like it is illuminated. She is then revealed , sitting in bed , doing nothing  but stroking Lucifer the cat with one of her hand, all the while still having that dead stare toward Cinderella and the audience.

Later on , we get a better look at the overall design of the step-mother.She is portray as always wearing dark high-neck dresses, with half-closed judging eyes, raised eyebrows and a darken aura that always spread over her in the scenes she appears, which effects even the backgrounds ( which are always dark and gloomy around her) . Moreover, her pointed chin and big nose reminisce that of an evil witch, which Disney has already established in Snow White, yet she always carrier a proper lady-like form. This of course is a symbol for her antagonistic nature, disciplines and harshness – one who is not only vicious but calculated and would look down upon Cinderella’s beauty through envious eyes and seek to cause her misery for it. She doesn’t need magical power because she is smart and she can take away anything she wants from the protagonist and she plans to take advantage of that every moment she gets. It is this realistic description of the relatable human nature that make her all the more terrifying to Cinderella and the audience.

On a slightly lower level than that, we have the step-sister , whose  rounded faces, big noses, overall “nasty” behaviors are the symbols of their antagonistic roles in the story . A slight different is , instead of having the icy, sinister aura of the mother, their appearance is more of a symbol for arrogance and idiocy ( the big noses and plump face – which signifies their spoiled nature and familiarity to being taking cared of ). This is perhaps why they served a more comedic role for the story.  ‘most of their scenes are played for laughs: they mangle ‘Oh Sing Sweet Nightingale’ (making even Lucifer cover his ears), prace like performing ponies at the ball, and have faces that could stop a sundial…The stepmother’s purpose in the film requires her to be more realistic in design because  she has to be a believable character that you relate to on the level of a real human being.’ The same with Cinderella and the Prince,… The stepsisters, the King, and the Grad Dauke are largely comic characters,’ ( Solomon,2015, A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes, p. 61.)

OUAN401 : Brief 1 :study task 3: Animation analysis (overview #2:)

.Genre/ Deep structure:

Cinderella would best fit in  that of the “formal” genre and the “political” genre. 

 Formal :The case can be argue for Cinderella to be considered a “formal” animation, is that it is an animation that is determined as an illustration of a novel/story/fairytale, a visual adaptation that leans toward children as it’s target audience. Therefore, the forms and style of animation that it used lies within those boundaries .To be more specific, it has to carry an aura of fantasy to highlight the “fairytale” aspect of the story , and did so through the image of the fairy god-mother figure, the pumpkin chariot, the talking animals, even the sparkling effects on Cinderella’s dress and glass heels,… all of which are considered the “formal” qualities of animation - things that only animation can do as opposed to live-action from a technical and story-telling stand point. Along side that, it still has to make characters that are important to the tale, relatable to the audience to effectively communicate the emotion of the story, that is why Cinderella and the step-mother are animated very realistically and behave very human-like, mimicking the realism of a live-action shot. So in the end, we have this mixture realism and fiction portray through the medium of different animation style, which are the bases of what is considered the formal genre of animation.

Political : Essentially , all fairytales carry some sort of moral that they want to convey , and an visual adaption of it certainly would carry on those messages. The story of Cinderella is the ground for the battle between good and evil, and in it , seeks to tell children that if your hardworking and kind like Cinderella you will eventually be able achieve your dreams and happiness, while the opposite can be said for those who are like the step-mother and the sisters.
Semiotics analysis :

1.     To go into more detail, the image of beauty, good and evil is portrayed through the use of signs and symbolism , with the tiniest of details of the character and scenes being signifiers Take the image of Cinderella herself perhaps. She is usually described as wearing brighter clothing, and in many cases , white and formal (the dress). She has beautiful golden locks, with big blue eyes , fair skin, red lips, v-line jaw and good forms. She was all in all presented as the icon of beauty, not just in the story but at that period of time in real-life society ( even until now ) . Moreover the use of white is a symbol for her purity and righteousness, the face of what is good , in contrast to the step-mother and sister. This kind of symbolism is also portrayed in other characters , such as the fairy god-mother with her white hair and old loving features, roundish figure ( which has been uses a lot since then as a symbolic trait for kind and loving characters ,as a round shape is usually taken as an icon for softness and huggability ); or the carriage and horses that Cinderella rode on to the ball, which carries an aura of nobility and most relevant , glamour to it ( white horse being reserved for kings or noble and costing a fortune) in real life to further emphasize and compliment her ability to capture attention and push that notion of a “magical transformation” . This syntagmatic relationship in the end form the idea of what is considered “good” within the story.