Preliminary Visual Research

Part of the challenge with the project meets exegesis thing is that you have to get your head around the fact that you aren't doing two separate components of a written and a film. Rather you are using the written research to inform the decisions that you make about your project and help to extend the knowledge base through your findings. Once I got my head around that I found it much easier to come close to a question to focus my research that contextualises my animated film.

Another challenge for me has been to see the act of drawing as research. Visual research is going to be a large part of my film given that I am not only focusing on environments and objects in animation, but I am also setting the narrative in a real place (Ashfield/ Croydon in Sydney) and in a real time (1930s-2000). So, in the spirit of visual research I have included some of my preliminary sketches of objects and places. What I will be doing at a later date is compiling a visual comparison of different objects and places cross referenced with an era in history. This process will allow me to see patterns in visual design including common shapes and colours that are present in objects and places from cars to cups (in some form) in a particular decade.

Scriptwriting

This week I've been working on rewriting the script to reflect my interest in presenting a film without a central protagonist- more on the topic of research later, I'm still playing with the question and direction of the exegesis.

Whilst reworking the script I focused more on the visual, seeing the story in my mind from the various perspectives and viewpoints rather than through language. Does this mean I'm finally becoming an animator? Hope so.

Below are some concept pieces that provide a birds eye view of 2 Walter Street Croydon. I'm thinking that a shot similar to this could be used as the opening credits, we shall see.

Both done in Photoshop CS3 with Wacom

Significant Objects

This will probably be the final in my series of objects of significance. I'm using objects that I connect with my nan's place so that I can a feel for colours and shapes that may form the basis of connectivity in the environments and objects that exist throughout the changing decades in my Hons project.

This illustration is of a Chinese Foo Cloisonne statuette that always had pride of place in my grandparents 'good room.' Nan was given the already antique dog by her aunt who owned an antique store at the time that they were married, the statue was a wedding gift and one of nan's most prized possessions.

Task for this Week

Quite a successful meeting this week to discuss both the exegesis and the project and I always seem to leave the meetings psyched and ready to get into my project. Task for this week is visual research which includes at least 4-5 full colour drawings of objects that are significant to the narrative and a further 15 sketches that capture the era/s in question. Will post a complete break-down of my exegesis and project once I have one (hopefully very soon). For now, some more concept art:

PShop CS3 and Wacom 

PShop CS3 and Wacom

The Project: Concept Art

Some early concept art based on the objects and locations around my nan's place. This is the master bedroom window and the colours always make me think of nan and are the epitome of the federation style of home found in inner Sydney. Original photography done by Bill Styles.

PShop CS3 and Wacom

For as long as I can remember, Nan always had the full dinner set of Royal Albert's Old Country Roses, the colours are almost a recurring theme in these objects.