Wordless Sequence and Narrative Experiment

TITLE

To visualise a sequence of events that heighten suspense and tension in a narrative.

INTENT

To communicate a building of suspense or tension, using a wordless narrative.

EXAMPLE

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" - The Shining. (1)

ANALYSIS

The above clip made creative use of camera angles and movements throughout. The presence of slow panning shots and decreasing symmetry as the clip goes on reflects the character's descent into madness. This is complimented by the slow crescendo of stringed instruments in the background. A particular camera angle favoured in this clip is from below, looking up at the character(s), which conveys an element of vulnerability - increasing the suspenseful atmosphere even more.

Storyboard for "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" - The Shining.

When filming sequences that build suspense, it is important to have subjectivity. In the movies of Alfred Hitchcock, this is used to share the experience between a character and an audience, so that both feel suspense. "The audience will believe it is sharing something personal with the character. This is what Hitchcock calls "pure cinema"." (2) Another important element when building suspense is the ability to increase tension in the sequence. This can be done by having the audience receive information that the character does not possess, leading them to wonder what will happen when the character finds out for themselves. "Let the audience know something that your characters don't. If the audience is hooked, they'll want to know what happens, and if it matches what they believe." (3)

EXPERIMENT/CONTENT

I have illustrated a journey that I normally take, and have applied the devices analysed in the aforementioned film clip to add a sense of tension and drama to my sequence. The sequence is without narrative and drawn using fineliners and promarkers.

EVALUATE

I am pleased with the experiment, as I have managed to present suspense throughout by using different angles and changing the focus of the panels. The effective use of grey and black give form to shadows and mysterious elements - such as the silhouetting of the two figures. In this, I believe I have presented appropriate lighting - one example being the light filtering through the bus windows and onto the seats. I have replicated the repetition of shot seen in "The Shining" in the second and third panels, which demonstrate movement of the character while keeping the focus on the bus stop. Another effective element of the sequence is my use of perspective, which is noticeably consistent between the fourth and final panels.


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(1) YouTube. (2016). THE SHINING (1980) - "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" [HD]. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeOevu4zC5o [Accessed 4 Apr. 2016].

(2) The Art of the Guillotine. (2016). Suspense Film Editing | Art of the Guillotine. [online] Available at: http://www.aotg.com/index.php?page=suspense [Accessed 4 Apr. 2016].

(3) Perry, C. (2015). How to Keep the Audience on the Edge of Their Seat. [online] Film Slate Magazine: Your Hub for Moviemaking Tips and the Insightful Commentary on Indie Film, Television and Hollywood. Available at: http://www.filmslatemagazine.com/building-suspense-how-to-keep-the-audience-on-the-edge-of-their-seat/ [Accessed 4 Apr. 2016].

Research Project proposal

My Research Project will be focusing on concept art and science-fiction, as well as sci-fi for different audiences. I will be illustrating my response to, and interpretations of, different artistic themes surrounding science fiction. This will be done in the style of digital and traditional concept art.

For this project, I intend to educate my personal artistic skills and expand the range of mediums at my disposal. I will also put a larger focus on digital work, in order to become more proficient, and inform my own practice through my personal interests of concept art and sci-fi.

I plan to conduct several experiments during my research project. The first of which is “Anthropomorphism in sci-fi,” where I will research and respond to examples of humanised creatures / characters in different mediums of science-fiction. The second will be “Metaphor in sci-fi,” and will relate to the comparison between themes or ideas in sci-fi, and how they are visually described. For my third experiment, I will look into “Surrealism and symbolism in sci-fi,” or the dreamlike and symbolic qualities held by certain aspects of the genre. The next experiment will research “Sci-fi for children’s audiences,” specifically focusing on the presentation of characters and narrative in science-fiction aimed at younger audiences. My final research experiment will cover the “History of sci-fi,” and how developments with technology have changed, with examples from old and new films.

(1)    Sci-Fi Art: The 12th Colony 2321 – 2D Digital, Sci-fiCoolvibe – Digital Art (above)

Shows an example of digital concept art used to visually realise an idea, within the sci-fi genre.

The first experiment will be a concept for anthropomorphised characters that could live in a sci-fi world, based on examples from other artists. The second will be concepts for different representations of themes in a sci-fi aesthetic, with reference to metaphor in other creative mediums of sci-fi. The third will be experimental concepts of surrealism and symbolism found in sci-fi, created in an unrestricted artistic way to better reflect the messages symbolic imagery conveys. The fourth experiment will be simplified and colourful sci-fi concepts relating to child-focused cartoons/comics, with reference to presentation techniques learned from a previous Illustration for Children module. For the final experiment, I will create several concepts of differing styles to show the changes in technology from old to modern sci-fi films.

Instead of a final experiment, I decided to undertake artist research, focusing on a specific (concept) artist. This process involves a more personal critique of their work, visual responses, and an in-depth interview with them about their work and process. I have chosen to focus on concept artist Kory Hubbell for the artist research.

Research methods of experimentation in my research project are from concept art books, sci-fi movies and television shows, and internet resources. These mediums help me to analyse the style of sci-fi and concept art in different forms. The idea development strategies for the research project are similar to my FMP, and include imagining the aesthetic of different characters and locations in the story and creating extremely varied styles of concepts for them. From there I will chose a particular style and form for the object I like and continue visually creating down that path. This is particularly helpful when presenting obscure themes or unique environments.

(2) The Moon God – Kory Hubbell (above)

I believe I am prepared for the research project, as I understand and have responded to the topics I am aiming to explore in the project, but am not proficient enough in my ability to produce concept art in different mediums. This can be resolved by practicing my digital art skills and expanding the range of things I choose to illustrate. The Major Research and Project Planning module has helped me better understand how to analyse and interpret different artist’s work in relation to their intentions, in the sense that I have learned how to critically approach illustrative work. Because of this, I now have a greater understanding of my own practice and intentions, and am able to judge more clearly what works and what doesn’t when communicating through illustrations.

Bibliography

(1)   Science and Nature. (2016). Sci-Fi Art: The 12th Colony 2321 - 2D Digital, Sci-fiCoolvibe - Digital Art... - Science and Nature. [online] Available at: http://scienceandnature.xyz/?p=376  [Accessed 26 Mar. 2016].

(2)   Hubbell, K. (2015). The Moon God. [Digital] [online] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/WKnZN [Accessed 31 Mar. 2016].

Final Major Project proposal

My Final Major Project will be a science-fiction graphic novel in the style of a space adventure opera, based on my own personal written narrative. As the format will be mainly visually-based, I shall simplify the pre-existing narrative to better fit into a short graphic novel.

For this project, I intend to entertain, while provoking thought about deeper philosophical and existential subjects, such as morality, purpose, and what it means to be human. The graphic novel is aimed toward a young adult audience, and I hope to challenge them on topics that they may have never given thought to, as well as creating an emotional connection between this audience and the characters in the story.

The graphic novel will be a physical A5 32-page book, with traditionally drawn images and a digital formatting and printing process. The finished book will be bound or stapled together. It will be mostly black and white with graphic detail, accompanied by text interlaced with the illustrations in a standard graphic novel style.

Some skills I might need for this project are the ability to replicate a graphic novel format through placement of text and drawings, as well as being able to apply the correct shadow and line weight to the traditional illustrations. Other skills required include proficiency in editing software, such as GIMP and InDesign.                    

(1)    Page 6 from TMNT Tribute by Arena Comics. (above)

Demonstrates panel/text formatting amongst illustrations of varying sizes. Notice how the limited colour adds a focus for the reader.

The story of the graphic novel is a condensed version of a larger narrative, and as such, a lot of it will be told through the visual illustrations. It will be titled “Extinguish” as it places a heavy emphasis on the first part of a four-part narrative – the “Invasion of the Cryp’lar Series.” This leaves open the possibility of creating three other graphic novels in the future to complete the visualisation of my narrative.

The artistic techniques of creating the graphic novel are based on my own abilities to draw characters and locations. Other techniques and ideas for the format of each page have been influenced by a book called “Artists on Comic Art” by Mark Salisbury (2) – a compilation of interviews with renowned comic artists about the creation of their work. This is a useful resource and will help me to interpret and visualise my graphic novel better.

My primary research for this project will be based around character design, including the creative differences between alien races. Added to this, I will develop my own spaceship / city structures from various pre-existing sources. Also, it will be important for me to research potential future advancements in science and technology, in order to more accurately build a universe not set in our time.

My secondary research for this project will highlight the narrative and visual sources of inspiration for the graphic novel. More specifically, the writings of Eric Nylund and Joseph Staten, which brought the aforementioned themes and world-building into a universe of their own. The visual sources of inspiration are founded by the Halo videogame series, as well as artists working in the sci-fi genre.

(3) Cover art for Halo: Uprising Marvel comic series. (left)

The influences on my narrative can be seen here, with the alien invasion, armoured heroes, and sci-fi war.

Research methods of experimentation in this project are varying internet resources, comics, and art books where I can analyse the style of artists’ work in the same genre. The idea development strategies for my graphic novel include imagining the aesthetic of different characters and locations in the story and creating extremely varied styles of concepts for them. From there I will chose a particular style and form for the object I like and continue visually creating down that path. This is particularly helpful when designing the unique alien technology or world-building.

Bibliography

(1)   Old.brokenfrontier.com. (2016) TMNT Tribute By Arena Comics – Broken Frontier – Comic Book and Graphic Novel News & Community | Blog. [online] Available at: http://old.brokenfrontier.com/blog/p/detail/tmnt-tribute-by-arena-comics [Accessed 26 Mar. 2016].

(2)   Salisbury, M. (2000). Artists on comic art. London: Titan.

(3)   Bendis, B. and Maleev A. (2008). Halo: Uprising. New York: Marvel.