iTAP 02/11/10

'Every movie needs to have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order.' - Jean-Luc Godard

Three Act Structure

In modern cinema, the Three Act Structure has become a staple formula of storytelling, creating a framework that allows for appropriate pacing by creating a definite beginning, middle and end (often a 30:60:30 minute split). This can also be referred to as Establish:Crisis:Resolve. 


In order to show this Three Act Structure, I have decided to explore David Fincher's Fight Club and highlight the key plot components.


*Spoilers Alert*


Act 1: 

• We are introduced to the unnamed protagonist (and narrator), a travelling business man suffering from insomnia.
• On one of his many flights, he meets Tyler Durden, a soap salesmen and is given a business card.
• Upon complaining to his doctor about his insomnia, he is told to visit a support group in order to witness real suffering.
• Attends a support group for testicular cancer - ends up crying which inadvertently cures his insomnia.
• Becomes addicted to support groups.
• Support groups invaded by another 'faker'; Marla Singer. The Presence of Marla relapses the protagonist's insomnia. So he negotiates to split the support groups up so that they don't see eachother.

Act 2: 

• Protagonist's apartment is destroyed.
• Calls Tyler to ask for a place to stay. They end a night of drinking by fighting in a parking lot for fun.
• Protagonist moves in with Tyler.
• 'Fight Club' started.
• Marla calls and threatens suicide. Tyler ends up sleeping with her.
• Fight club grows.
• 'Project Mayhem' started.

Act 3: 

• Tyler dissapears. Protagonist tries to shut down Project Mayhem after a member is killed.
• Whilst searching for Tyler, the protagonist is greeted as 'Tyler Durden' by a member of Project Mayhem in another city. Marla also confirms that his name is Tyler Durden via a phone call.
• Tyler appears in the Hotel room and is revealed to be the split personality of the Protagonist who takes over when he goes to sleep. 
• Discovers Tyler's plans to destroy the buildings of major credit card companies.
• Attempts to foil the plan, but is stopped by Tyler.
• Tyler holds him at gun-point, but the protagonist, remembering that Tyler is his own split personality realises that the gun is actually in his hand and shoots himself.
• Tyler is 'killed'. The protagonist survives.

Monomyth - The Hero's Journey

The term Monomyth - also known as The Hero's Journey states that many stories share a similar structure, and often have re-occurring elements and themes. This is a trait which can often found in fairy-tales and fantasy stories, and is almost typical of epic fantasy genres. 


To highlight this I will be examining Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth, and identifying the stages of Monomyth present.

1. The Mundane World: Ofelia is a young girl, living in post-Cival War spain.
2. Call to Adventure: Following a fairy into the Labyrinth and meeting the Faun.
3. Crossing the Threshold: Entering the Labyrinth
4. The Prophecy: Ofelia is the reincarnation of the Princess of the Underworld
5. The Road of Trials: The Faun sets three tasks that must be completed before the full moon.
6. Supernatural Aid: The Fairies.
7. Belly of the Whale: The Child Eater's lair.
8. Master of Two Worlds: Sacrificing herself in the real world, and in turn, becoming a Princess in the Underworld.

iTAP 26/10/10

'I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else' - Picasso


What is the purpose of an RVJ?


The RVJ (Reflective Visual Journey) is important in an artist's practice as it allows freedom to explore thought processes and ideas by 'thinking on the page'. Rather being clearly defined as a 'sketchbook', the RVJ is a safe place where ideas (not art) are generated and explored, in order to visually represent one's thought process. 


Many creatives, including myself, have a lot of negative associations with their own work, which often hinders this process of visual experimentation. The aim of the RVJ is crush this negative thought process of being overly self critical, and let the artist explore freely - where the process is more important than the final outcome. 

Left Brain, Right Brain


This ties down to the Left Brain, Right Brain theory. The Analytical left brain can often hinder the creative process of the Right Brain by asking questions and criticising work that's not ready to be criticised  There's a time for analysis and refinement, but not during visual experimentation. The right brain should be left to 'play', free from the constant nagging of the left brain. 

iTAP 15/10/10

Tone of Voice

Do words and images have a tone of voice? Take the example below;

Which of these is more effective? It's an obvious example, but the bottom version is far more appropriate to convey the idea of a whisper, due to the smaller type face and subtler colour. The top example would be more fitting with the word 'shout' due to the bold, red typeface which, on it's own, visually shouts at us before we even read the text. 

Failing to understand how to use tone of voice can confuse your audience. This must be taken into account in my own work. What do I want the viewer to focus on first? Is the colour scheme, size and layout appropriate in achieving the effect I want?

Visual Hierachy

Visual Hierachy is the order in which visual information is identified. Take the below for example;

Where is the visual hierachy here? In this case, there is none. Everything is aimed to stand out, using block colours and bold type faces - but instead of being visually drawn to anything the customer is simply overwhelmed and bombarded with products all shouting for attention.

Magazines require effective visual heirachy in order to sell.

In this example, the first thing that catches our eye is the artwork in the centre of the page. This in an obvious draw to Fantasy art enthusiasts, where, amongst a shelf of other publications - the one with a piece of art will draw the most attention from artistically minded people. 


The bold typeface of the magazine title is the next thing to draw our attention, simply by having the largest font. This is also the first thing repeat buyers will look when finding the magazine on the shelf, and thus makes sense to draw attention to it.


'FANTASTIC ART' is a tag line that piques our attention, placing it below the illustration in the centre and boldening the type.

iTAP 05/10/10

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working.” - Picasso

Inspiration

Where does one find Inspiration? 

The answer: Everywhere

In order to be an effective Illustrator, or a creative in any field - one must draw inspiration from everything. Constantly inquiring, photographing, collaging, and sketching the world around us. When stuck in a rut it is often a good idea to take your eyes of the page and look around.

The above example is of my own work. I gain inspiration through scribbling down pages of notes upon notes, fleshing out my ideas and giving me a place to quickly jot down ideas and sketches as the thoughts come to me.

Ben Templesmith, an australian comic book Illustrator, gives his take on what inspires him:

'Like many artists I am frequently “borrowing” ideas and inspiration from other artists.  Depending on how my creativity is flowing – I may just see a flash of something and be inspired for weeks – or I can spend hours digging through and researching everything that I can get my hands on hoping that it will spawn ideas for me.  When time is against me, I usually prefer the first option – but I often end up with the second option.'


Researching other artists work is another way to get inspiration, and also gives you an idea of what's already out there in the market.
There are no limits to where inspiration can come from, and only depends on the artist's themselves.


Practices of Illustration


Practice is often achieved in the form of sketchbooks, observing and sketching - partly for inspiration (as demonstrated above) but as a way to hone one's craft. 

In this example, the Illustrator Guy Davis has sketched out his ideas for his part in Mike Mignolas B.P.R.D.


Annotations and notes are used to flesh out ideas

iTAP 28/09/10

'Bad artists copy. Good artists steal' - Picasso

Notions of Originality

Is there any such thing as originality? Almost any artwork can be drawn back its influences and inspirations. But where does one draw the line between plagiarism and paying homage to a piece of work?

Take Jean Auguste Dominque Ingres's 1832 painting of Louis Bertin;

And compare it to Etienne Carjat's portrait of Victor Hugo over fourty years later.

The similarities in style are apparent, from the masculine pose, the lighting and even down to the texture of the background. Etienne Carjats work is photography, whereas the original is a painting, but does the change in medium make this work original? Or is it simply a rip-off of previous work?

Can Recontextualized Ideas be Contemporary?


Old ideas can often be reused and updated to fit modern culture. Take for example, John Constable's The Haywain.

Considered as one of the most famous British paintings of all time, The Haywain depicts an idyllic, romanticized image of British countryside.
Over a decade later the image is recontextualised by Peter Kennard in 'Say No the Cruise Missiles' (1982);

One small edit changes the entire meaning of the painting; turning it from a peaceful image or rural England, into a political piece with a strong anti war message at its core. It's easy to see the irony in the juxtaposition of the cruise missiles; a device of war, against the peaceful scenery.
However, does this require the audiences knowledge of the original work in order to be effective? Or does this work as a stand-alone political piece?