An Interesting student project box set by Andre O. Ellis
Blood Simple DVDs
Millers Crossing DVDs
Barton Fink
No Country For Old Men
Thursday 17 December 2009
DVD Packaging Research
Coen Brother existing box sets:
An Interesting student project box set by Andre O. Ellis
Blood Simple DVDs
Millers Crossing DVDs
Barton Fink
No Country For Old Men
An Interesting student project box set by Andre O. Ellis
Blood Simple DVDs
Millers Crossing DVDs
Barton Fink
No Country For Old Men
Wednesday 16 December 2009
Tuesday 15 December 2009
Tuesday 10 November 2009
E4 Ident Structure
After doing test shots for my E4 Ident (which can be found on my design practice blog), and focusing mainly on composition i was analysing the shots in the studio when Karl mentioned it looked a lot like the 1st Simpsons movie teaser below.
As each section of my own ident will be around 5 seconds long i dont have the time to include such a long pan around the chest, but this is a great example of the effect i want to create. A slow tense pan of the chest revealing small aspects of the character and then jumping back with a quick zoom out to reveal the full subject.
As each section of my own ident will be around 5 seconds long i dont have the time to include such a long pan around the chest, but this is a great example of the effect i want to create. A slow tense pan of the chest revealing small aspects of the character and then jumping back with a quick zoom out to reveal the full subject.
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Barton Fink Footage
I Have collected these clips from the film Barton Fink in order to manipulate and reference when constructing my own DVD menu.
Title
Typewriter Clips
Title
Typewriter Clips
Tuesday 3 November 2009
Stop Motion - Tribute to 8-Bit using lego
This is one of the most dedicated independent stop-motion projects i have ever seen, I love the comedy game content, the diverse use of lego blocks and the classic stopmotion style.
http://chedonline.com/paying-tribute-to-8-bit-using-legos
http://chedonline.com/paying-tribute-to-8-bit-using-legos
Wednesday 21 October 2009
E4 Movie Research
E4's Monday Night Movie features films such as Crocodile Dundee, Cocktail, Ghost Busters, Buffy the vampire slayer and Mr & Mrs Smith, films which they say are not necessarily good, or bad but they are all guilty pleasures.
Crocodile Dundee.
Michael J. "Crocodile" Dundee is an Australian crocodile hunter who lives in the Australian outback and runs a safari business with his trusted friend and mentor Walter Reilly. After surviving a crocodile attack, a New York journalist named Sue arrives to interview Mick about how he survived and learns more about the crocodile hunter. After saving Sue from a crocodile, Sue invites Mick to visit New York City, since Mick has never been to a city. Mick finds the culture and life in New York City a lot different than his home and he finds himself falling in love with Sue.
Cocktail.
After leaving the Army, Brian Flanagan tries to get a marketing job in New York. But without a college degree, this was not possible. He then decides to start studying for a business degree at the local City College and gets a part time job as a bartender. He realizes that its not that easy, but when his new boss Douglas Coughlin teaches him the secrets of the bar trade and they become the most famous bartenders in town. Both Brian and Doug Coughlin want their own top class cocktail bars someday and Brian's Cocktail Bar is to be called 'Cocktails & Dreams', and in order to get the necessary money to open it, Brian travels to Jamaica to work as a bartender at a resort Tiki Bar, and the pay is good. There he meets Jordan Mooney, a young and pretty, up and coming American artist on vacation with her girlfriend from New York, staying at the Island resort. Jordan and Brian spend some quality time together and fall in love. But when Brian takes a dare from his old buddy, Doug Coughlin to sleep with an older woman, who is also staying at the resort. Jordan, herself the daughter of wealthy parents back in New York, leaves the Island overnight, after seeing Brian and the older woman together after closing... Will Jordan ever forgive Brian and will they get back together?
Ghostbuster
Three odd-ball scientists get kicked out of their cushy positions at a university in New York City where they studied the occult. They decide to set up shop in an old firehouse and become Ghostbusters, trapping pesky ghosts, spirits, haunts, and poltergeists for money. They wise-crack their way through the city, and stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, one which will release untold evil upon the city. The Ghostbusters are called on to save the Big Apple.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
(was unable to find movie trailer)
Buffy Summers has the lifestyle any young woman could want. Cheerleading, dating the captain of the basketball team, and copious amounts of time spent shopping with friends. She had no idea of her true calling until a mysterious man named Merrick approached her and told her that she is the Slayer; one woman called to defend the world from vampires. Reluctant to concede to the fact, Buffy soon learns that Merrick speaks the truth and so begins to take her new life seriously while trying to maintain the sense of normality her life had once been. With her best friends slowly abandoning her, Buffy finds solace in the town outcast, Pike, who knows very well the terrors that have arisen. Together, they combat the forces of the old and powerful vampire, Lothos, who has his eyes set on Buffy.
Mr & Mrs Smith
John and Jane Smith are a normal married couple, living a normal life in a normal suburb, working normal jobs...well, if you can call secretly being assassins "normal". But neither Jane nor John knows about their spouse's secret, until they are surprised to find each other as targets! But on their quest to kill each other, they learn a lot more about each other than they ever did in five (or six) years of marriage.
Crocodile Dundee.
Michael J. "Crocodile" Dundee is an Australian crocodile hunter who lives in the Australian outback and runs a safari business with his trusted friend and mentor Walter Reilly. After surviving a crocodile attack, a New York journalist named Sue arrives to interview Mick about how he survived and learns more about the crocodile hunter. After saving Sue from a crocodile, Sue invites Mick to visit New York City, since Mick has never been to a city. Mick finds the culture and life in New York City a lot different than his home and he finds himself falling in love with Sue.
Cocktail.
After leaving the Army, Brian Flanagan tries to get a marketing job in New York. But without a college degree, this was not possible. He then decides to start studying for a business degree at the local City College and gets a part time job as a bartender. He realizes that its not that easy, but when his new boss Douglas Coughlin teaches him the secrets of the bar trade and they become the most famous bartenders in town. Both Brian and Doug Coughlin want their own top class cocktail bars someday and Brian's Cocktail Bar is to be called 'Cocktails & Dreams', and in order to get the necessary money to open it, Brian travels to Jamaica to work as a bartender at a resort Tiki Bar, and the pay is good. There he meets Jordan Mooney, a young and pretty, up and coming American artist on vacation with her girlfriend from New York, staying at the Island resort. Jordan and Brian spend some quality time together and fall in love. But when Brian takes a dare from his old buddy, Doug Coughlin to sleep with an older woman, who is also staying at the resort. Jordan, herself the daughter of wealthy parents back in New York, leaves the Island overnight, after seeing Brian and the older woman together after closing... Will Jordan ever forgive Brian and will they get back together?
Ghostbuster
Three odd-ball scientists get kicked out of their cushy positions at a university in New York City where they studied the occult. They decide to set up shop in an old firehouse and become Ghostbusters, trapping pesky ghosts, spirits, haunts, and poltergeists for money. They wise-crack their way through the city, and stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, one which will release untold evil upon the city. The Ghostbusters are called on to save the Big Apple.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
(was unable to find movie trailer)
Buffy Summers has the lifestyle any young woman could want. Cheerleading, dating the captain of the basketball team, and copious amounts of time spent shopping with friends. She had no idea of her true calling until a mysterious man named Merrick approached her and told her that she is the Slayer; one woman called to defend the world from vampires. Reluctant to concede to the fact, Buffy soon learns that Merrick speaks the truth and so begins to take her new life seriously while trying to maintain the sense of normality her life had once been. With her best friends slowly abandoning her, Buffy finds solace in the town outcast, Pike, who knows very well the terrors that have arisen. Together, they combat the forces of the old and powerful vampire, Lothos, who has his eyes set on Buffy.
Mr & Mrs Smith
John and Jane Smith are a normal married couple, living a normal life in a normal suburb, working normal jobs...well, if you can call secretly being assassins "normal". But neither Jane nor John knows about their spouse's secret, until they are surprised to find each other as targets! But on their quest to kill each other, they learn a lot more about each other than they ever did in five (or six) years of marriage.
Wednesday 14 October 2009
E4 Research
E4 Use Idents to advertise everything new they do, from second chance sunday to the last episode of scrubs. Their idents are always querky, fun, branded with the E4 Logo and colour and have been produced in stop-motion, Video and CG Animation.
In order to stand a chance of wining the competition i am going to need to understand E4's Style and Humor, whilst producing a professional Outcome.
Second Chance Sunday:
Sunday Ruddy Sunday:
First Look
E4 Idents have always amused the country, and have been popular for a number of years but when they released this following set of stop motion and CG Idents the bar for channel Promotion was raised.
Personally whilst the previous idents were all good and the stop-motion set is incredibly impressive, these short animated 'EStings' are still my favorite part of E4's Promotion. I feel they hold a great style with out trying to be incredibly fashionable, or technically impressive.
In order to stand a chance of wining the competition i am going to need to understand E4's Style and Humor, whilst producing a professional Outcome.
Second Chance Sunday:
Sunday Ruddy Sunday:
First Look
E4 Idents have always amused the country, and have been popular for a number of years but when they released this following set of stop motion and CG Idents the bar for channel Promotion was raised.
Personally whilst the previous idents were all good and the stop-motion set is incredibly impressive, these short animated 'EStings' are still my favorite part of E4's Promotion. I feel they hold a great style with out trying to be incredibly fashionable, or technically impressive.
Coen Brother Research
The Coen Brothers:
Ethan Coen
(1957 - )
Biography from Baseline's Encyclopedia of Film
Occupation: Producer
Also: Screenwriter
Born: September 21, 1957, St. Louis Park, MN
Education:
Simon's Rock of Bard College,
Massachusetts; Princeton University, NJ (philosophy)
Joel Coen
(1954 - )
Biography from Baseline's Encyclopedia of Film
Occupation: Director
Also: Screenwriter
Born: November 29, 1954, St. Louis Park, MN
Education:
Simon's Rock of Bard College;
Institute of Film and TV, NYU
The Coen Brothers Biography:http://www.coenbrothers.net/coens.html
Films:
1-Blood Simple
2-Raising Arizona
3-Miller's Crossing
4-Barton Fink
5-The Hudsucker Proxy
6-Fargo
7-The Big Lebowski
8-O Brother, Where Art Thou?
9-The Man Who Wasn't There
10-Intolerable Cruelty
11-The Ladykillers
12-No Country For Old Men
13-Burn After Reading
14-A Serious Man
The Coen Brothers Films:http://www.coenbrothers.net/movies.html
Actors:
The Coen Brothers Have a great eye for casting roles and enjoy using the same actors to convey their unusual characters. Actors such as George Clooney, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro among with many others have all been used in more than one of their productions.
"My favorite review described me as the cinematic equivalent of junk mail. I don't know what that means, but it sounds like a dig." - Steve Buscemi
"Joel and Ethan had just finished the script of Raising Arizona (1987), and they asked me to read it and said that they`d written this part for me and would I be interested in doing it? So that was the beginning of my feature film career. "- Holly Hunter on Raising Arizona
The Coen Brothers Actors:http://www.coenbrothers.net/actors.html
Burn After Reading
Burn after reading is a brilliantly bizarre film, the non-sinister comedy spy/crime genre that it falls into were nothing actually happens is one that not many storytellers (let alone directors) could achieve. A Star studded cast with George Clooney and Brad Pitt playing very odd roles certainly helps.
In a Cinematic sense the film is increadibly well shot, with an edgy but clean look.
The tone of voice of this film is an odd one, it has a sinister undertone with adultery and murder and yet it defiantly fits the comedy genre, much like many of the coen brothers films the characters bring comedy to the situation with their peculiar out looks.
Film Poster - Pre final cut
Film Poster - Pre Film Release
DVD Cover
From the beginning of production this film had a very stylish look, the hand renederd type and silhouetted people intrigued me as soon as i saw them. The Promo Designs have a 1930s DIY Detective air to them. The seemingly loose placement of photographs reminds me of detective photographs and files. And all of these things fit the film perfectly.
Ethan Coen
(1957 - )Biography from Baseline's Encyclopedia of Film
Occupation: Producer
Also: Screenwriter
Born: September 21, 1957, St. Louis Park, MN
Education:
Simon's Rock of Bard College,
Massachusetts; Princeton University, NJ (philosophy)
Joel Coen
(1954 - )Biography from Baseline's Encyclopedia of Film
Occupation: Director
Also: Screenwriter
Born: November 29, 1954, St. Louis Park, MN
Education:
Simon's Rock of Bard College;
Institute of Film and TV, NYU
The Coen Brothers Biography:http://www.coenbrothers.net/coens.html
Films:
1-Blood Simple
2-Raising Arizona
3-Miller's Crossing
4-Barton Fink
5-The Hudsucker Proxy
6-Fargo
7-The Big Lebowski
8-O Brother, Where Art Thou?
9-The Man Who Wasn't There
10-Intolerable Cruelty
11-The Ladykillers
12-No Country For Old Men
13-Burn After Reading
14-A Serious Man
The Coen Brothers Films:http://www.coenbrothers.net/movies.html
Actors:
The Coen Brothers Have a great eye for casting roles and enjoy using the same actors to convey their unusual characters. Actors such as George Clooney, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro among with many others have all been used in more than one of their productions.
"My favorite review described me as the cinematic equivalent of junk mail. I don't know what that means, but it sounds like a dig." - Steve Buscemi
"Joel and Ethan had just finished the script of Raising Arizona (1987), and they asked me to read it and said that they`d written this part for me and would I be interested in doing it? So that was the beginning of my feature film career. "- Holly Hunter on Raising Arizona
The Coen Brothers Actors:http://www.coenbrothers.net/actors.html
Burn After Reading
Burn after reading is a brilliantly bizarre film, the non-sinister comedy spy/crime genre that it falls into were nothing actually happens is one that not many storytellers (let alone directors) could achieve. A Star studded cast with George Clooney and Brad Pitt playing very odd roles certainly helps.
In a Cinematic sense the film is increadibly well shot, with an edgy but clean look.
The tone of voice of this film is an odd one, it has a sinister undertone with adultery and murder and yet it defiantly fits the comedy genre, much like many of the coen brothers films the characters bring comedy to the situation with their peculiar out looks.
Film Poster - Pre final cut
Film Poster - Pre Film Release
DVD Cover
From the beginning of production this film had a very stylish look, the hand renederd type and silhouetted people intrigued me as soon as i saw them. The Promo Designs have a 1930s DIY Detective air to them. The seemingly loose placement of photographs reminds me of detective photographs and files. And all of these things fit the film perfectly.
Comedy Central Research
Comedy Central is the UK’s biggest comedy network – comprising 4 channels, mobile TV service and dedicated website.
Comedy Central launched in the UK on Monday 6th April 2009; the first show broadcast at 9pm was season 6 exclusive première of America’s biggest sitcom Two and a Half Men.
Comedy Central - The UK’s Premiere Destination for Comedy
Whether your taste is sharp and satirical, warm hearted and familiar, fast paced and glossy, there is something for everyone on Comedy Central, the UK’s brand new Capital of Comedy.
Comedy Central features an incomparable line up of award-winning comedies, big name British stand-up and brand new UK commissions.
Catch premieres of Two and a Half Men, new big hitter Rules of Engagement, Steve Carrell’s The Office, The Sarah Silverman Program and for the first time catch brand new episodes of South Park as they TX in the US.
Comedy Central brings you big name stand up from the likes of Chris Rock, Dara O’Briain, Alan Carr, Russell Howard and Lee Evans and UK commissions with rising star Jim Jeffries as well as a special of Grumpy Young Men narrated by Robert Webb.
Comedy Central Extra – A Feast of Favourites
The channel to indulge in your favourite Comedy Central shows like Rules of Engagement, Everybody Hates Chris, Sex And The City, The Office and South Park with stacks of well loved entertainment.
Comedy Central Extra – Bigger, Brighter, Bolder, Badder
Comedy Central is available in 10 million homes as a top 10 pay TV channel, Comedy Central is 75% owned by Paramount British Pictures (Viacom) with 25% owned by BskyB.
Comedy Central launched in the UK on Monday 6th April 2009; the first show broadcast at 9pm was season 6 exclusive première of America’s biggest sitcom Two and a Half Men.
Comedy Central - The UK’s Premiere Destination for Comedy
Whether your taste is sharp and satirical, warm hearted and familiar, fast paced and glossy, there is something for everyone on Comedy Central, the UK’s brand new Capital of Comedy.
Comedy Central features an incomparable line up of award-winning comedies, big name British stand-up and brand new UK commissions.
Catch premieres of Two and a Half Men, new big hitter Rules of Engagement, Steve Carrell’s The Office, The Sarah Silverman Program and for the first time catch brand new episodes of South Park as they TX in the US.
Comedy Central brings you big name stand up from the likes of Chris Rock, Dara O’Briain, Alan Carr, Russell Howard and Lee Evans and UK commissions with rising star Jim Jeffries as well as a special of Grumpy Young Men narrated by Robert Webb.
Comedy Central Extra – A Feast of Favourites
The channel to indulge in your favourite Comedy Central shows like Rules of Engagement, Everybody Hates Chris, Sex And The City, The Office and South Park with stacks of well loved entertainment.
Comedy Central Extra – Bigger, Brighter, Bolder, Badder
Comedy Central is available in 10 million homes as a top 10 pay TV channel, Comedy Central is 75% owned by Paramount British Pictures (Viacom) with 25% owned by BskyB.
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Mad Men Opening Credits
[Click Here]
The Link above will take you to the opening title sequence for the series Mad Men.
I really like the simplicity, and graphic illustrated style of this animation, the silhouettes with minor white highlights of the shirt work really well.
The image of a man falling down the side of these massive advertisements, as he suddenly loses the ground from his feet is a beautifully simple metaphor for the program, watching this man lose control of the situation which he was previously comfortable in and then finally regaining himself sat smug in a couch.
Weeds Intro
The Series Weeds has had the same Title Sequence for 4 Seasons, It featured shots of the town "Majestic" in which the series was based for the first 4 seasons and then changed to a set of new intros.
The Older Which is featured in the link above, Has some titles which appear interacting with the video sequences, I have always liked for example the way in which the titles appear and disappear in the scene with 3 of the same runner.
An Odd aspect of these titles is that after the 1st season the background song remains the same but is sung by a different artist, the link above shows 29 examples of the same intro sequence with different musicians.
The Sopranos Title Sequence
The Sopranos has been around since 1999 and have always kept the same 1ntro sequence "Woke Up This Morning" has now become renowned for being the sopranos theme tune.
I have watched the sopranos since it was 1st aired on UK TV and nothing got me as excited as the buildup that this intro produces.
The shots of new jersey give the audience a great location, a location which is known worldwide for its hard work and unappreciated aesthetic. Also quite conveniently its the home of Italian organized crime (Mafia)
The close up shots of tony soprano gives the audience a sense of his wealth, stature and power over the surrounding areas.
It is the subtle inclusion of all components to the program, the music is bluesy but exciting, with the mention of guns relating to the crime and more violent parts of the series, the extreme close ups not giving away the identity of the character tony soprano and yet his power and wealth are not missed. The landscape shots combined with the confident nature of the character shows an idea of ownership. All in all a fantastic stylish sum up of the series which has never needed to be changed.
True Blood Title Sequence.
The title sequence for HBO original series true blood. Created by LA/NY based studio Digital Kitchen.
This Sequence is brilliant, it sums up the show with only glimpses of horrible content, its seems to be the normal lives of red neck America, from the glossy family scenes, landscape shots, to the grittier sexual scenes. All of them however have hints of the true nature of the program.
Splashes of blood and quick cuts of red scenes don't over whelm the audience but confirm the content of the program, and if you didn't know what the program was about you may just think it was just another southern American town.
This Sequence is brilliant, it sums up the show with only glimpses of horrible content, its seems to be the normal lives of red neck America, from the glossy family scenes, landscape shots, to the grittier sexual scenes. All of them however have hints of the true nature of the program.
Splashes of blood and quick cuts of red scenes don't over whelm the audience but confirm the content of the program, and if you didn't know what the program was about you may just think it was just another southern American town.
Dexter Title Sequence
Developed by James Manos, Jr.
Theme music composed by Rolfe Kent
Dexter Morgan played by Michael C. Hall
The series won an Emmy Award in 2007 for "Outstanding Main Title Design", while the title music was also nominated for "Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music" in the same season.
I Love the extreme closeups used in this, the music is eerie and unsettling with its tones and yet very calm with its pace. The timing and pace of the footage is outstanding, i love the way the editor has cut small sections out to compress the actions of Dexter's morning routine, lets say cutting up an orange, the edit keeps its pace with the orange scene being the right length in comparison to the others and yet the whole action of cutting and squeezing the orange is present. The jumps within the clips are placed in conjunction with the music.
To me this is a brilliant example of how Title Sequences for TV Series have improved, and i hope to one day produce one with such professionalism and style.
Theme music composed by Rolfe Kent
Dexter Morgan played by Michael C. Hall
The series won an Emmy Award in 2007 for "Outstanding Main Title Design", while the title music was also nominated for "Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music" in the same season.
I Love the extreme closeups used in this, the music is eerie and unsettling with its tones and yet very calm with its pace. The timing and pace of the footage is outstanding, i love the way the editor has cut small sections out to compress the actions of Dexter's morning routine, lets say cutting up an orange, the edit keeps its pace with the orange scene being the right length in comparison to the others and yet the whole action of cutting and squeezing the orange is present. The jumps within the clips are placed in conjunction with the music.
To me this is a brilliant example of how Title Sequences for TV Series have improved, and i hope to one day produce one with such professionalism and style.
Monday 12 October 2009
Treatment Construction
This is a treatment which i got from tiger aspect, its for their new show Me and My Monsters, It came with a CD with storyboards, scripts and mood tapes and is a perfect example of the level of professionalism which i wish to achieve with my own treatments.
Maxim Zhestkov
These 3D Animations were done by Maxim Zhestkov, i have been following his Vimeo channel for a while now and i really like the simplicity of his shapes, i think the lighting is done to an amazing standard, especially his most recent.
I am learning Maya currently so that i have the ability to work with 3d animation, although i wouldnt produce work like this i think it shows a standard of technical ability which i wish to achieve.
I am learning Maya currently so that i have the ability to work with 3d animation, although i wouldnt produce work like this i think it shows a standard of technical ability which i wish to achieve.
onedreamrush / zhestkov.com from Maxim Zhestkov on Vimeo.
modul / zhestkov.com from Maxim Zhestkov on Vimeo.
005 / zhestkov.com from Maxim Zhestkov on Vimeo.
m_001 / zhestkov.com from Maxim Zhestkov on Vimeo.
Maya
I found this example of CGI 3D Animation whilst browsing vimeo and thought it was a perfect example of what i one day hope 2 achieve by attempting 2 learn maya.
My 1st Maya workshop was today, i learnt the basic tools of construction and how to build shapes effectively for 3D animation, I will post an image of what i made tomorrow.
modul / zhestkov.com from Maxim Zhestkov on Vimeo.
My 1st Maya workshop was today, i learnt the basic tools of construction and how to build shapes effectively for 3D animation, I will post an image of what i made tomorrow.
Thursday 1 October 2009
By the end of the year
I have decided that at the end of my final year at university i want to have developed my ability in:
Character based animation
Moving type
Story telling
Video Production
DVD Menu design
Online design
and treatment construction.
This list is basically what i want to prove i can produce in order to feel confident moving into the professional industry.
My Design Context Blog will therefor be a catalogue of my Aspirations, including examples of pieces iv found and done, and basically showing what I'm into.
Character based animation
Moving type
Story telling
Video Production
DVD Menu design
Online design
and treatment construction.
This list is basically what i want to prove i can produce in order to feel confident moving into the professional industry.
My Design Context Blog will therefor be a catalogue of my Aspirations, including examples of pieces iv found and done, and basically showing what I'm into.
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