Happle tea

This guy, Scott Maynard is an amazing comic artist. But what keeps me as one of his followers is the fact that he is always posting about mythology, fairy tales and the analysis of storytelling devices, folklore and the monomyth.

His latest post was of my particular interest since it touches on the myth that has influenced my story so far. It is not so much that this post was particularly groundbreaking in terms of my research, but rather that it provided a fresh look to the concept itself.

Anyway, check the post and the webcomic itself is great.

happle tea

Why make this Grad Film...

Well, wouldn't you want to know?

Technical Intentions

The film is intended as a CG production with a Non-Photorealistic Render that approaches the treatment of traditional media. By incorporating hand-painted textures with a layered-textured model; the intention of successfully conveying a muralist aesthetic, for both the characters and the backgrounds in a quasi-2D look is meant to be achieved.

My character pipeline intends to start modelling, texturing and normal map creation in ZBrush. Hand painted-texture maps will be treated and exported to the model from Photoshop to ZBrush, later exporting the mesh to Maya for proper rigging and blend-shape creation for facial expressions.

The background and prop sets will follow the same procedure but will further be incorporated as a matte painting projection in Maya if needed, depending on their placing on the shot. I will ask assistance into modelling props and certain parts of the labyrinth.

Special effects (i.e. sparks from iron/stone clashing, dust and blood) will be incorporated as hand-drawn effects animated in Photoshop. The brief appearances of the Minotaur as a physical character will be incorporated as a hand-drawn shadow. For this task I will key frame the animations and ask my animation assistants to in-between and colour them.

I am well aware of the strains and technical obstacles I will face as I try to accomplish all of these goals, yet I am confident in my skills and my assistant’s skills as well.

Theoretical Concerns

Taking upon the already existing myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, this film adaptation Gears towards a depiction of Theseus’ prideful conduct and how it brought the demise of Ariadne, the girl who helped him find his way out of the Minotaur’s maze.

This film’s intention is to reflect on how pride can blind and corrupt a noble intention; on how this notion that sustains our ego for survival can become the beast of our personal and society’s undoing.

Taking upon the formulas and examples of the psychological thriller genre I’ve researched and analysed I intend to convey a story that marries both a lush and painterly render with a powerful and agile narrative that successfully entices the audience into following the main character’s pathos and downfall.

Research

Concerning the study of this particular character development is deeply linked to psychology and patient-case studies, I decided to take an approach to C.G. Jung’s theories about the Unconscious and the Archetypes.

I take particular interest in the chapter that discusses the process of Rebirth and how this ritual is interpreted by the unconscious mind as a model of many different kinds of rebirth itself.

Stemming from these studies of Rebirth I arrive at the study cases in film pointed out by Terrie Waddell in her book Mis/takes, where she analyses the movies Mullholland Drive, Memento and the Others as pieces centring upon the ego’s mistaken identities, self-deception and dealing with the notion of death. All of these, crucial to the pathos I intend for my main character.

Influential Artists/Works

Informing the content and aesthetics of this piece, one could say that could be basically the sum of all of my experiences. For this project, said experiences garnish themselves as a rowdy pack of conceptually volatile films (if so I shall say myself) films, like The Machinist, The Shining or Mullholland Drive, these are my muses in terms of conceptual and visual structure. For aesthetics, I’ve been quite drawn to French animation for quite a while, yet it is the successful marriage of 3D with a painterly/quasi 2Desque render which has captivated me and driven me to achieve its ways for a couple of years now. Example of such could be Anchored, grad film by Lindsay Olivares, Meet Buck by Cerf Team or Le Tableau by Jean François Laguionie, which is yet to be released.

Nevertheless, I could say that the fuel for this project is mainly the feelings that arise when thinking of the deadline, of the people I intend this to reach, but most importantly, the kind of places I hope this experience can take me. You could say that I’m chasing my own Minotaur in that aspect. I trust that in venturing this maze I’ll achieve more than just wrangling this beast down.

Bibliography

Waddell, Terrie. Mis/takes: Archetype, Myth and Identity in Screen Fiction. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print.

Jung, Carl Gustav. : Archetypes and the Unconscious. Trans. R.F.C. Hull. New Jersey: Princeton/Bolligen, 1968. Print.

Senior Project Proposal

Summary

The successful production of a 3 minute short film

Synopsis

This is a story about pride and its consequences. A young man is hell-bent on slaying a beast nobody has defeated before. Ignoring what is really important to him along the way, this reckless hunt will bring him dire consequences.

Project Description

Taking upon the already existing myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, this film adaptation Gears towards a depiction of Theseus’ prideful conduct and how it brought the demise of Ariadne, the girl who helped him find his way out of the Minotaur’s maze. This film’s intention is to reflect on how pride can blind and corrupt a noble intention; on how this notion that sustains our ego for survival can become the beast of our personal and society’s undoing. Taking upon the formulas and examples of the psychological thriller genre I’ve researched and analysed I intend to convey a story that marries both a lush and painterly render with a powerful and agile narrative that successfully entices the audience into following the main character’s pathos and downfall.

Visual Treatment

The film is intended as a CG production with a Non-Photorealistic Render that approaches the treatment of traditional media. By incorporating hand-painted textures with a layered-textured model; the intention of successfully conveying a muralist aesthetic, for both the characters and the backgrounds in a quasi-2D look is meant to be achieved.

My character pipeline intends to start modelling, texturing and normal map creation in ZBrush. Hand painted-texture maps will be treated and exported to the model from Photoshop to ZBrush, later exporting the mesh to Maya for proper rigging and blend-shape creation for facial expressions.

The background and prop sets will follow the same procedure but will further be incorporated as a matte painting projection in Maya if needed, depending on their placing on the shot. I will ask assistance into modelling props and certain parts of the labyrinth.

Special effects (i.e. sparks from iron/stone clashing, dust and blood) will be incorporated as hand-drawn effects animated in Photoshop. The brief appearances of the Minotaur as a physical character will be incorporated as a hand-drawn shadow. For this task I will key frame the animations and ask my animation assistants to in-between and colour them.

I am well aware of the strains and technical obstacles I will face as I try to accomplish all of these goals, yet I am confident in my skills and my assistant’s skills as well.

Sound Treatment

Regarding the ideas I have so far for sound treatment I intend this piece to be a non-dialogue film, I’m still toying with the idea of incorporating gibberish/grammelot as dialogue or just basic folly and the occasional gasp and scream from voice actors. As for the soundtrack I’m strong on the idea of incorporating a sort of ‘musical folly’ or subtle sounds that build up as if orchestrated that depict Theseus descent into madness and sheer anger.

Budget

• Hardware Expenses…………………………………………………..2000$

• Sound Composer………………………………………………………300$

• Sound Designer………………………………………………………..300$

• Press Kit…………………………………………………………………100$

• --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Subtotal………………………………………………………2700$

• Taxes………………………………………………………......340$

• --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• TOTAL…………………………………………………………………3040$