Storyboards are In!

Thanks to Tyquane, I now have storyboards ready for posting. So here is the revised storyline for seduction.

Style frame

This is a style frame I created this weekend. I have a set style in mind, but I wanted to explore some creative options before my choices are set in stone. Feedback wanted!!!!

Choosing to shoot in DV

Throughout the semester I have been researching the pros and cons on digital video versus film. I have decided to go with DV. After speak to Bobby Yan and Antonella Farruggia , I have found out some of the major issues that may arise with each scenario. Shooting in film will go outside my thesis budget, and may cause difficulities that I do not have time to fix nor can I afford. Though the quality maybe better in film, I have been referenced to several digital camcorders that will produce quality footage.

Thesis changes

I have decided to cut a scene and drop a character from my thesis project. After listening to several classmates, and the critique from Steve Mann, I have come to the conclusion that the scene is unnecessary and takes away from the overall piece. I am now developing another way for the character to enter and exit the fantasy world. Though this cut may cause a minor set back, it is very important that I take out any scenes that will make the scene to long, or take me over my 30 second time slot. Luckily, I have had ideas from several consultants on how to approach the entering and exiting process. I am hoping to have fully developed this idea by tonight. So i can redesign my storyboards and focus on the technical aspects of my thesis.

research paper

http://homepages.nyu.edu/~tpj209/ResearchMidterm.pdf

Images that Influence me

Here are some images that are influencing how I want my thesis to look.

I love how this illustration unites punk rock, exoticism, and yet innocence. The image is japanese influenced

David Bowie video

Pacing is everything in film. The timing of a cut, the speed at which the camera zooms in and out, are all factors in what kind of mood will be captured. The David Bowie video "Im afraid of Americans" is one of my favorites. Though nothing spectacular takes place, the video just seems to capture the fear that one may have when feeling under pressure that someone is chasing or following them. The mood itself is developed by the pacing of the camera zooming out, and then cutting to a close up shot. Below is a link to the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RmHq5EwCH4

Research

This weekend I sat down, and did lots of thinking and analyzing on my thesis project. I started asking myself what is it I am trying to say, do and prove with this project. Have I clearly stated my agenda, do I know any of my history on this subject, and how will I do this?

First let me start by restating what my thesis is all about.

My thesis statement is to use compostiting, painting, and cameras, to turn the real world into a surreal world. Painting and compositing will be the primary focus as cameras will have a minor role.

To showcase these skills I will make a commercial between 30 to 45 seconds long. The story will be based on a fake clothing line called seduction. In the commercial a young man is seduced by a woman who steps out of a graffiti poster.

The Story:
The story begins when 2 young males walk down the street discussing who is the better sportsman. As they approach the corner one of them realizes that they left their cell phone in their apartment. He then turns back to go get it . The other young man waits for im at the corner. While waiting he notices grafitti poster on the wall, advertising the Seduction clothing line. He pulls out his cd player and turns the volume up. The graffiti poster begins to bulge out. He quickly turns the volume down, everything goes back to normal. He turns the volume back up again. The poster again bulges out. He turns the volume back down. The poster returns to its normal state. Suddenly the volume automatically goes back up. He drops the cd player! The poster bulges out, the model steps out of the poster, and the grafitti art comes to life. The woman begins to observe her reality looking around embracing her new surroundings. While she embraces her suroundings butterflies, stars, flowers, and other psychedellic images and designs begin to paint the atmosphere. The young man stares in amazement until his friend taps him on his shoulder. The poster goes back to normal. The young male continues to stare at the poster in amazement. His friend shakes him. He responds "Man... Did you see that?" "See what?" says the friend. "The girl just stepped out of the poster." "So easily seduced. ( in a pathetic tone) . The scene ends with the two of them walking away. The frame is then burnt up with fire, as seduction bulges out in flames. ( a girl whispers seduction)

Who's done this before?

Stepping in and out of worlds has been done numerous times before, in many different ways. One of the major films that comes to mind is Wizard of Oz. In this film, Dorothy enters a false dream to escpe her problems in the real world, only to find that "there is no place like home." This idea known as escapism, was popular in film in the 1930s in Hollywood. Other films today tackle this same idea but in a new way. For example, The Matrix had it lead character awake from a false world that seemed real, only to find that the real world was nothing like that in which he was living in. Rather than enter a new world to escape his problems, he escaped the false world, to fight his problems. The techniques for entering the escapism world is what draws viewers to buy into the idea or to sit in utter shame for purchasing the ticket to the movie in the first place. In the Wizard of Oz, viewers easily buy into the idea because the new world is introduded through a dream. In the Matrix we are taken in and out of the different worlds through tactics like taking a pill, undergoing machines that make your mind operate as if it were a PS2 and different games could be plugged in or out. Or exiting a world by answering phone call. While the Matrix looked for new innovative and somewhat complicated ideas for entering and exiting new worlds, audiences found themselves indulging in the fantasy life of the Matrix. Other movies like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, found less complicated ways. In the scene where Harry Potter is leaving for Hogwarts for the first time, he finds himself confused, on how to board the train at track 9 3/4. The track inside of a brick wall between track 9 and 10, seems a little weary and skeptical to young Harry Potter. After watching 3 other wizards go straight through, he gets enough courage to try it as well. He grabs his cart and runs throught the brick wall where he is surrounded by other young wizards boarding for their first venture to Hogwarts. The transition between worlds in this scene is seamless. The scene is not hard to follow and comes off very realistic. Introducing the idea of making a surreal world seem real. In the Chronicles of Narnia "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," a simple tactic is used again for entering in out of worlds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zBwzsaPPh8
In this novel turned movie, the characters walk into the wardrobe (pushing coats aside) and end up in the world of Narnia. The idea presented seems unreal to even the characters in the movie, until they all find themselves their at the same time. But science fiction and fantasy genres, are not the only ones to tackle this idea. In the movie Beavis and Butthead and do America, there is a scene where both characters digest mushrooms (a hallucinate drug) . After digesting the drug, Beavis and Butthead begin to hallucinate themselves being in another world. This scene is actually very inspiring to my thesis project because of the pychedelic look that it provides. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQuJmPcMYE0&mode=related&search=
A similar idea was used in the Love Rollercoaster music video by Red Hot Chili Peppers (one of the tracks from the Beavis and Butthead do America Soundtrack). Here is link to the video on you tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bmLrQX5u_w

Creating Style Frame

This past week, I have been in the process of developing a style frame. So far I've been having alot of trial and error. I emailed my model, asking for permission to post her picture on the web. Right now, I am waiting on a response.

I want my story board to be black and white, with specs of color on the outside. My biggest struggle right now is trying to recreate a style seen in the work of Ena, a Japanese digital illustrator. I have been playing with the gray scale and the threshhold to get the look I desire, however I am having some problems getting the face to show white with black outlining. Hopefully, I will be able to fix this problem by tommorow afternoon. That way I can begin to work on the storyboard.

Another major focus last week was re-establishing my storyline. The narrative before entailed a woman walking down the street and seducing a man to step into her world. I have decided to change that concept to something a little different.

The story line will now center around a woman stepping out of a graffiti poster on the back of a building. I am now debating whether I want to add to more actors, or find away to tell my story and avoid introducing more characters.

Morphing

I've been watching lots of movies this past weekend, and I have decided that I want to transitionmy model from a still image to moving through morphing techniques.

I did some research and here are some links and tutorials on morphing that I found.

http://www.fho-emden.de/~hoffmann/morph27092003.pdf

http://www.vfx.co.nz/Tutorials1.html
http://www.creativecow.net/articles/zwar_chris/morph/index.html

ReThinking Thesis

I am debating my thesis story. I am thinking of changing the storyline to a girl stepping out of a wall. She then begins to enter into different worlds as she walks. Listed below are links to some of my influences as well as some pics.
http://www.adapter.jp/
http://www.digmeout.net/artist.cfm?id=2
http://www.pearcestoner.com/main.html

Exploring Chroma Key Effects

After reflecting on Tuesdays class, I have decided to rethink the focus of my thesis project. While the storyline is a very strong part, I feel that is a very strong part, I feel that I must first have a clear understanding of the technology and resources I plan to use. Therefore I have spent today researching how and what I will use to demonstrate my story.

Since compositing will be a major part of thesis objective , I feel I must first rename and research the tools green screen I have pulled out my old DPP book "Television Production."

The first thing I must focus on is my camera techniques. My idea for thesis is to mix green with live action.

Green screen also known as chroma keying, is the process of replacing an evenly lighted blue or green background with something else.

Gap Commercial

The new Gap commercial has transitions that I love. The girl in the video literally steps from one location into another. For my thesis I want that same impression. I want it to look realistic, and not cheesey. Nor do I want it be similar to the transitions in the past.

Preliminary Thesis Proposal

Thesis Statement:
My thesis will be a commercial that uses compositing techniques to make real life become surreal.

Thesis Proposal:
Seduction is defined as leading astray by persuasion. As a compositor, my primary duty will be to make audiences believe that an idea in the make believe world, exist here in reality. For my thesis I will present an old concept in a new way. I will introduce the idea of stepping out of this world and entering into a new one. Using the old concept of boy meets girl as a commercial for an upscale clothing line “Seduction.”

Short Thesis Narrative:
A young woman dressed in “Seductions” new line walks down a narrow street. As she comes down the road a young man reading a paper on a play from the night before, takes a glance at her and is amazed at her beauty. He looks away pretending as if he didn’t see her. When he lifts his head to take a second look, he finds himself stepping into another world. The two begin two dance as if they were the actors from the play in the paper. As the couple dances, they step into 3 different locations. The first location will be that of the play (classic look), the second and third location will have a theme of exotic, and sexy. These different styles will be a collective of what the clothing line represents.