Computer Animation Arts

Illustrator  W. Scott Forbes ' A Good Wife - a poignant, filmic short, in which environments are used to great effect and actual 'animation' is minimal.  The long slow zoom that concludes the film is like a drawn out ache of loneliness and ennui - a clear example of how a choice of shot actually creates emotional content. A Good Wife from W. Scott Forbes on Vimeo .

Found this in my travels - Adobe Kuler http://kuler.adobe.com/#themes/rating?time=30 , a website with a massive archive of colour palettes. Handy little tool for when you're stuck for colour ideas. Because it's user generated content some palettes are good, others not so much, but stick to 'highest rated' or 'most popular' and you'll be okay.

After Andi's Tidy Monster One-A-Day , something in a similarly 'unheimlich' vein - this time, a properly surreal tale about a very strange and very empty hospital and (I think!) body dysmorphia.  It may be my imagination, but the character design for this animation's protagonist reminds me of face-transplant recipient,  Isabelle Dinoire .  Give this one some time - it will get its hooks in you... "The Wonder Hospital" [Full film, 12min] from Beomsik Shimbe Shim on Vimeo .

Think a room is not enough to give you goosebumps? Have a look at this. 

Unit 3's preoccupation with all things 'unheimlich' may have been and gone, but I saw these installations by Nicola Yeoman and was so reminded of Urvashi's 'birdcage place' and Chrissie's dressing table-in-the-forest , that I wanted to share. "Yorkshire born Nicola Yeoman moved to London in 2001 and worked at the Guardian as a picture editor whilst studying furniture at Guildhall University. Her combined love of photography and her practical skills as a designer led to an accidental career as a set designer. Now, at first glance at least, it is her eye for the theatrical, honed and developed in this latter role, that most informs her current artworks. Yeoman’s childhood spent growing up on a farm in North Yorkshire is also a big influence on her work: the dens she made in barns are still evident in her work today. Her sets range from elaborate interiors, to junk yard sculptures and ethereal and dreamlike worlds. She uses a wide array of diffe...

The Night Before Christmas 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there… As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound: He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot…"

"Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" You better watch out You better not cry You better not pout I'm telling you why Santa Claus is coming to town Santa Claus is coming to town Santa Claus is coming to town He's making a list, Checking it twice; Gonna find out who's naughty or nice. Santa Claus is coming to town Santa Claus is coming to town Santa Claus is coming to town He sees you when you're sleeping He knows when you're awake He knows if you've been bad or good So be good for goodness sake... Not yet convinced that Father Christmas has an unheimlich vibe? Go here for some seriously creepy Santas...

Robin Hardy's follow-up to his 1973 cult classic The Wicker Man - which may (or may not) be of interest to CGAA year 1 and their continuing investigation of all things 'unheimlich'...

Peter Ilsted was a Danish Printmaker working in the early 20th Century. Ilsted, along with Vilhelm Hammershoi and Carl Holsoe were a trio of remarkably similar artists working in a classical style who created images described as ‘Sunshine and Silent Rooms’ . Taking influence from the Dutch master painter Johanness Vermeer, his work features quaint homely scenes which reflect the tranquillity of everyday life. Though it can be argued he’s only capturing a certain class of individuals. Personally, I find his prints a touch rarefied. Still, I can’t help but admire the compositional qualities - the way we sometimes see beyond the room or when we have to look through another room to see into the paintings narrative. Along with his beautiful rendering of light and realism I think there’s a lot that can be taken away. I can’t help but be reminded of some of the imagery in P icnic at Hanging Rock . It’s probably the frilly dresses.

Clothing retailer H&M have recently admitted to creating "completely virtual" models for their online catalogue, by photographing clothing on mannequins and then 'humanizing' them by superimposing elements of actual human models over the top. This is apparently to ensure a uniform shape and pose throughout the catalogue, as well as making shopping in H&M like visiting Madame Tussauds. The original article can be found at Jezebel.com http://jezebel.com/5865114/hm-puts-real-model-heads-on-fake-bodies Steven Payne

Okay - so this advertising strawberry milk and isn't unnerving in the slightest... and yet...

Summary: An American ballet dancer transfers to a prestigious ballet academy. Disturbed by the schools uncomfortable atmosphere and strange occurrences, she gradually realises the staff are a coven of witches. Dario Argento’s Suspiria is a delirious and surreal Horror film that eschews typical Italian Giallo conventions to a meld film that is quite remarkable. Plot and characters become embroiled in the films hallucinogenic use of warped set design, complex aural design and fantastical Technicolor. Analysis: “Suspiria is like a high concept Madchen in Uniform meets The Cabinet of Dr Caligari...Few Horror films have made such bravura use of colored lights (bright blues, oranges, greens) or of such deliriously geometric set design that itself suggests madness and promotes sensory overload” (Derry, 207:2009) Derry, C. (2009) Dark Dreams 2.0: a psychological history of the modern horror film from the 1950s to the 21st Century USA: MacFarland and Company Inc. Release: 1977 Director: Dari...

Summary: One part horror, another part musical -The Wicker Man is as eclectic a British Horror film could be. Police Sergeant, Neil Howie, travels to Summerisle, a remote island situated off the west coast of Scotland to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. A devout Christian, he is horrified at the islanders outwardly Pagan beliefs encouraged by the enigmatic Lord Summerisle. Bewildered at their consistently strange behaviour, he suspects the girl may have been killed by the islanders for sacrificial purposes after a poor harvest. Analysis: “Howie arrives at the Scottish island to a find a secretive, tightly knit neo-pagan society, a world where couples copulate on gravestones, women breast feed in a desecrated church and young children are taught about the importance of the phallus. He is shocked by the islanders open sexuality and devotion to pre-Christian gods.” (Davies, 22:2003) Davies, S. Paul (2003) A-Z of cult films and film-makers USA: Batsford Release: 1973 Direc...

Summary: Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock tells the story about the disappearance of several young school girls and teacher who vanish without explanation, while exploring the mysterious Hanging Rock in the Australian outback. Though primarily a mystery film with horror elements it also deals greatly with the subsequent mental anxiety of the people who witnessed the girls final moments. Analysis: “Picnic earned praise for its period recreation, and it helped establish some of the elements of Weir’s style and vision: the amalgamation of the normal and abnormal; collisions between society and individuals, and between societies and external forces, visual hallmarks of bleached, pale lighting, soft-focused nostalgic haze, and meticulous art direction; and powerful usage of soundtrack and music, reinforcing and undermining the image with conspicuous or incongruous sound.” (Rayner 59:2003) Rayner J. (2003) The films of Peter Weir USA: The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. Rel...

Summary: Set to the backdrop of 1970’s Venice, Nick Roeg’s Don’t Look Now is a subtle and unconventional thriller about a married couple coming to terms with the death of their daughter. The meandering streets and canals of Venice are used a narrative device to present the viewer with symbolic imagery and recurring motifs. These techniques coupled with the films notably unusual fragmented editing style, assist in manipulating and adjusting way the viewer perceives the reality and themes of the characters in the film. Analysis: “It is a film which explores beautifully the effects of location upon individuals. Out of season is major character in the film and is shot with an eye for the locale’s decaying grandeur. It delicately presents totally believable and fully rounded characters and their relationship to us” (Nicholas and Price 1998:119) Nicholas J. And Price J (1998) Advanced studies in media Cheltenham:Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd Release: 1973 Director: Nicolas Roeg Screenplay by...

Summary: An adaptation of Henry James’ famed novella The Turn of the Screw. A hedonistic and wealthy bachelor hires Miss Giddens as governess to look after his adopted niece and nephew at his enormous countryside mansion house. Enamoured with their charm at first - she is later unsettled by the strange behaviour of the children and mysterious figures she see’s on the mansion grounds, Miss Giddens is convinced the spirits of two dead workers have possessed the bodies of the children. Analysis: “Just as Hitchcock had gone back to black and white for Psycho, director Jack Clayton shot The Innocents in black and white, which, by 1961, had the curious effect of intensifying drama while creating distance between audience and characters...Cinematographer Freddie Francis reported that he devised special filters to blur the sides of the frame to make the film more claustrophobic and an element of mystery as to what was lurking in the corners...the result was an enduring gem of a ghost movie. It...

Your  Unit 3: Environment 2011/12  timetable, brief and supporting materials are now available on  myUCA.   Please ensure you've read the brief carefully prior to the briefing presentation on Monday 28th November @ 3pm in Lecture Theatre 1 . A selection of student work from previous  Environment  projects   is featured below.  The student names  hyperlink to their respective blogs for Unit 3.  Please take the time to review their archives in preparation for your own creative project. Leo Tsang Final Scene/Digital Set + Matte Painting Matte Painting Daniel Rolph Final Scene/Digital Set + Matte Painting Matte Painting Andriana Laskari Final Scene/Digital Set + Matte Painting Matte Painting Katy Negus Final Scene/Digital Set + Matte Painting Matte Painting Ruben Martins Final Scene/Digital Set + Matte Painting Matte Painting Y...