Sunday 25 September 2011

Animation Lip Syncing: Jaw Bounce

Character Design: Story Ideas

The MacGuffin

The MacGuffin for my character design idea is going to be some form of space fuel. Energy or fuel for the characters' space ships. This space fuel is only found in certain places.

Story Ideas 

The bikers goal is to get this fuel/energy from guarded space stations and planetary complexes. The fuel is being produced by a military force or government. This space fuel is expensive and only sold to those who can afford it. (Or they hoard it all for themselves) The bikers steal this fuel and give it to the poor colonies on planets scattered across the galaxy.       

Saturday 24 September 2011

Some Useful Space Opera Films

Star Wars VI Return of The Jedi


Star wars is set in a fictional galaxy containing many aliens, often humanoid in shape and advanced technology. Its large scale battles and adventure not only reside in space, but on many alien worlds too. Its basically about good verses evil, but on a larger scale.


Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan 


Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan is a space adventure that follows the crew of the starship U.S.S Enterprise as they pursue and stop Khan, who is a genetically engineered villain from activating a would destroying device. The adventure spans across not only space, but alien planets and space stations as well.

     
The Fifth Element


Set in a futuristic city with flying cars and advanced technology. The Fifth Element is about a great evil that returns and threatens all life in the universe and only the fifth element can stop it. An adventure that chases across this futuristic city and space in search of the fifth element and race back to Earth to stop this great evil.

   

Some Useful Biker Themed Films.

Beyond The Law


An undercover cop must infiltrate a biker gang and become one of them just so he can catch the gang leader, but things go to far as he starts committing dangerous crimes.


  
Easy Rider


Two bikers sell some drugs and stash their cash in their gas tanks and head across America leading their on personal lifestyles. They encounter hated from many people including small towns and the local law enforcement.



Review of Ed Wood

Review of Ed Wood (1994)

Ed Wood

Ed Wood is a film directed by Tim Burton, which is about a bad film director. Although it was made in 1994 it has a 1950s style and makes you believe it was created then. Roger Ebert describes the film's style in a review on Chicago Sun Times. "The movie's black and white photography convincingly recaptures the look and feel of 1950s sleaze, including some of the least convincing special effects in movie history. There are also running gags involving Wood's ability to write almost any piece of stock footage into almost any script." (Ebert, 1994) Why Burton done this style is explained by Janet Maslin in a review on The New York Times. "So here is the Z-movie ethos of Edward D. Wood Jr., as filtered through the dark wit and visual brilliance of Mr. Burton. Two questions immediately present themselves: Who and why? To answer the first, Ed Wood was a director working on the outermost fringes of Hollywood in the 1950's. He made the kind of science-fiction film that used Cadillac hubcaps for flying saucers." (Maslin, 1994) 

Johnny Depp as Ed Wood

Although Ed Wood was the worst film director he had a hidden passion for dressing up in women's clothes. He creates a film where this is depicted, perhaps by using this film he could slowly get people to understand why he likes to dress this way, as explained by Todd McCarthy in a review on Variety. "Wood's other claim to fame was that, although apparently straight, he was an avid transvestite, with a particular taste for Angora sweaters. This predilection was dramatized, if that is the word, in "Glen or Glenda," in which Wood himself starred as a young man seeking understanding for his odd habit." (McCarthy, 1994)  

Ed Wood Dressed in Women's Clothes

List of Illustrations


Figure 2. Burton, Tim (1994) Johnny Depp as Ed Wood. [Screen cap] At: http://www.philonfilm.net/2011/01/reviewing-90s-phil-on-film-readers-poll.html (Accessed on: 24.09.11)

Figure 3. Burton, Tim (1994) Ed Wood Dressed in Women's Clothes. [Screen cap] At: http://www.fanpop.com/spots/colleen-atwood/images/22377484/title/ed-wood-1994-photo (Accessed on: 24.09.11) 

Bibliography


McCarthy, Todd (1994) Ed Woodhttp://www.variety.com/review/VE1117903075?refcatid=31 (accessed on: 24.09.11)

Friday 23 September 2011

Character Design Random Themes

My two themes that I got are; Space Opera and Bikers


Space Opera is a sub genre of Science Fiction. It is on a large scale that includes many going ons in space, such as vast galactic battles between races, adventure, advanced technology and twisted villains.

Examples of Space Opera films;
Star Wars  
Star Trek
The Fifth Element
The Chronicles of Riddick


Bikers are gang like and often cause trouble amongst small towns. They travel across the county looking for adventure and favor the motorcycles; Harley Davidson and Choppers. Their lifestyle is gritty, rouge like and living on the open road. 

Example of Biker films;
Easy Rider
Mad Max 2
Beyond The Law