MAYA TUTORIAL // PIPELINE 1: BODY MODELLING PART 1-6

CHARACTER // PROP DESIGNS

CHARACTER // STORYBOARDS

NARRATIVE // REFLECTIVE STATEMENT

Overall I feel the project went well when there was work to do, I found creating the characters quite fun, especially the fox, as I am really not one for drawing animals that often so it was a challenge doing this, but I felt that it worked well. The environments were challenging to design due to the vast landscape but I had fun with the VFX that I layered upon the concept art to enhance the depth which again is something I don't do very often. The project as a whole was an eye opening experience.

NARRATIVE // THE ART OF 'PIKATTI'

CHARACTER // EXPRESSION SHEETS

FILM REVIEW // COMEDY // 'HOT ROD' (2007)

Fig.1 'Hot Rod' Poster

Directed, co-written and starring, Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone (members of comedy group The Lonely Island) 'Hot Rod' (2007) follows the journey of Rod, an rookie stuntman on the road to success and fame. His abusive step-father Frank constantly undermines him but when he falls ill, it is up to Rod to raise the money for his heart operation.

Fig.2 Film Still

 As well as the cast of The Lonely Island, the film also stars Danny Mcbride and Bill Hader. Veterans within the comedy genre. The comedy if reminiscent of that from the Saturday Night Live sketches, which is fitting considering the director of the film (Akiva Schaffer) has also directed many of airings of SNL. The humour within the film falls in to many categories first being schadenfreude (Harm-Joy). In a film that centres around an amateur stuntman it's pretty obvious at some point there will be failures, this happens more often than not.  The theatricality and the build up of these mishaps is what causes the laughs, it's over the top and sometimes ridiculous.

It is also quite juvenile, the characters themselves all act like they're still in their early years of high school. They are the outsiders to most of the people in their community and seem very isolated to reality, they all have a sense of angst about them. It's comedy derives from the issues surrounding the characters and their awkwardness.

There is a point in the film where it goes off on a complete tangent, for the most part of the movie the story is coherent and realistic but when Rod becomes sad/angry after a fight with Frank, he ventures out in to the woods and begins to dance...With a backflip here and a cartwheel there, Rod expresses his emotions through the medium of flashdance. Why? No idea, but it is pretty funny due to it's juvenile and surreal nature, it's like the film knows that it's a film but doesn't acknowledge it directly, instead it pays homage to well known 80's movie 'Flashdance' (1983) And then... he falls down a hill (for 5 minutes) landing awkwardly with every tumble. 

Fig.3 Film Still

In conclusion, 'Hot Rod'  is an entertaining film full of multiple styles of comedy, slapstick, juvenile and a lot of harm-joy which hopes to please a wide variety of audiences. It's an amalgamation of various gags all tied together by a simple storyline that goes out of its way to please the viewer. It's characters are awkwardly funny for most of the film. The film ends on a high but not without one last stint of failure and bones breaking. All in all 'Hot Rod' is, in the words of Rod himself, Cool beans.

Bibliography

Figure. 1 'Hot Rod' (2007) [Poster] At: http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/53/MPW-26636 Accessed on: 11/12/2016 

Figure. 2 [Film Still] At:https://dtmmr.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/rod.jpg Accessed on: 11/12/2016

Figure. 3 [Film Still] At: https://movieblort.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/img4106603.jpg Accessed on: 11/12/2016

MAYA TUTORIAL // LIP SYNC

FILM REVIEW // ADAPTATION // 'THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE' (2016)

Fig.1. 'The Angry Birds Movie' Poster

Over the years countless films have been made that have been adapted from other sources, whether that's video games, books or TV shows. The idea to do this has resulted in the creation of well loved franchises such as 'Harry Potter'. Due to the source material that it is working from not all adaptations work out, this is due to certain events having to be left out for the sake of making a movie. 'The Angry Birds Movie' (2016) directed by Clay Katis and Feral Reilly is another example of adaptation within hollywood cinema.

Fig.2 Film Still

If you know 'Angry Birds' the game, then you will know the film. The plot is simple. Why are the birds angry?? Well because the pigs have stolen their eggs and they want them back. The story follows the character of Red, an already angry bird, who doesn't understand why the rest of the community are always so happy and is the first to realise the pigs dastardly plan to steal their eggs. The entire movie is building up to the big climax which is when the key aspects of the game are incorporated within the film (catapulting birds to attack the pigs).  Film critic, Guy Lodge, writing for Variety.com says 'The Angry Birds Movie' knows it's about the candy-colored details rather than any bigger picture' (Lodge, 2016) it's true, the film knows it's not the next standout screenplay but it is a fun movie, that has been carefully crafted (visually) with an aim to please the eye. 

Fig.3 Film Still

As well as Red, there are two other main characters that work alongside him, Bomb and Chuck. Both characters exhibit the traits of their video game counterpart, Chuck (the yellow one) is fast and Bomb, well he is a bomb. It is quite obvious that this film is aimed at the younger generation, the characters are easy to read and you can guess who they are and what their purpose within the film is within the first five minutes of seeing them, but this doesn't mean that it doesn't make them fun, because fun is what this film is. It is rather enjoyable to see such mindless PG violence on the big screen involving birds and pigs.

The animation is great and the design work is ever so nice to look at, it brings a child-like and innocent aspect to and pretty violent and sometimes crude film. Yes there are some jokes in their for the adults although not always that funny, but all in all 'The Angry Birds Movie' is a great little movie that is worth a watch on a rainy day, or if you need to release some anger.

Bibliography

Lodge, G (2016) Film Review: The Angry Birds Movie At:http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/the-angry-birds-movie-review-1201768669/ Accessed on:07/12/2016

Illustrations

Figure 1. The Angry Birds Movie (2016) [Poster] At:http://www.impawards.com/2016/posters/angry_birds_ver2_xlg.jpg Accessed on: 07/12/2016

Figure 2. [Film Still] At:http://cdn1-www.comingsoon.net/assets/uploads/gallery/angry-birds-1412173620/angrybirdsmovie0001.jpg Accessed on: 07/12/2016

Figure 3. [Film Still] At:https://www.angrybirds.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/trio.png Accessed on: 07/12/2016

CHARACTER CLASS // WEEK 5 AND 6

MERRY CHRISTMAS

NARRATIVE// 'PIKATTI' LOGO