Adaptation Part B: ideas

After a kind nudge away from my initial idea, Phil suggested this musical piece to see what I can come up with. I was listening to it on a loop for a couple of hours while painting. This is the music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwzrpuMt9Hw
 and this is the result:

Let me know what you think.

Dynamics Part 2: Particles Grids

 

Dynamics Part 1 Sketching Particles

 

Adaptation Part A: Narrowing down the beard facts

After a fascinating research into the world of facial hair I can only say that my love for beards was deepened to a point of an obsession :)

The Top ten facts about beards that made it to the list are:
10. Facial hair grows faster in the summer.
9. Protects your face from the elements and provide a cushion from a face injury.
8. 55% of men in the world have facial hair.
7. Touching a man's beard in the Middle Ages was considered offensive and grounds for a duel.
6. In 345 Alexander the Great forbade his soldiers to have beards to prevent enemies from pulling them in battle.
5. The longest beard in the world belonged to a Norwegian man and it was 17.4 feet long.
4. Beards can help filter out dust or pollen and help if you have allergies.
3. In ancient Egypt metal beards were a sign of godliness and status and even women wore them.
2. Someone who loves or studies beards is called a "pogonophile".
1. A man who shaves spends roughly 3,350 hours of his life in the bathroom. (what a wasted time)

After I come up with visuals for those facts I would like to add famous people with beards/facial hair at the end. Some names are:

Abraham Lincoln
Charlie Chaplin
Salvador Dali
Charles Darwin
Santa
Gandalf
Odin
Jesus

I think if we are OK with those facts I can start designing the look of the infographic, so feedback would be good :)

"Mary and Max" movie review

Fig. 1 – movie poster

 

“Mary and Max” (2010) is a claymation directed by Adam Elliot. The film is very striking not only by the very muted colour palettes used in the scenes (apart from the occasional jolt of highly saturated red) but the serious topics it discusses. As Andrew Pulver states: “You have to admire the ambition, even if Elliot doesn't always seem certain if he's laughing with or at his creations.” (Pulver, 2010)

The eccentricity with which the film reveals itself is very memorable as well, making it stand out.  This rather gloomy style seeps through not only the colours but the overall character design as well, each and every one has their own rich personal history with which they create an incredibly engaging world. Half way through the movie the viewer is fully immersed into this odd and a bit sad realm full of depressed misfits.

The actual story is interesting if at times a bit random. Mary is randomly choosing a name from a phone book that leads her to discover Max. They become pen pals for years even though they are on the opposite sides of the world. Their daily life is full of hardship and despair but the one remaining constant in it is their unlikely friendship. Tim Robey states that: “Elliot is a talent eccentric enough to make Nick Park look like an office drone, and the serious sadness underpinning his vision only makes the humour work better.” (Robey, 2010) In many instants the animation was humorous but personally that was overtaken a little by the seriousness of the issues raised.

Overall I found “Mary and Max” entertaining, skilfully made and immersive.

 

Illustrations:

Fig. 1 (movie poster) - Ecx.images-amazon.com, (2016). [online] Available at: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91QGxc07cXL._SL1500_.jpg [Accessed 14 Jan. 2016].

Bibliography:

Pulver, A. (2010). Mary and Max – review. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/21/mary-and-max-review [Accessed 14 Jan. 2016].

Robey, T. (2010). Mary and Max, review. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/8078477/Mary-and-Max-review.html [Accessed 14 Jan. 2016].

Mudbox first session

Getting to know where things are mostly, fun to work with.

Adaptation B: First concepts

Have a few concepts I've been working on for the past few days. They will make more sense once I explain the story at the tutorial session on Friday. This is the girl the fell under the strange illness (from the Uncanny, snake thingy)

 

The white crow is the bird the family is after.

 

This is how the Uncanny is being introduced to the main character.

 

The character from the village that the family talks to.

 

The bull(needs a lot of changes like colour and assets) that pulls the carriage.