Repulsion: Roman Polanski

This film in certain aspects was brilliant. I haven't seen a film like it before. I mean it wasn't exactly the scariest film, but the camera use, by putting it up close to the actors, and the soundtrack freaked me out a little.

One part of the film really got to me though... When the guy who keeps pestering her breaks the door down, i actually wanted her to kill him because he was getting on my nerves so much. The way in which the corridor and rooms of the flat got bigger as the film went on, made you feel as if she had further places to hide.



The way 'Carol' Catherine Deneuve, used her eyes in the film gave the audience the presumption that she was in real pain.

After watching this, i had a few ideas for my final piece, and realized that i had been going in the wrong direction in regards to the dingy american bar. Obviously i could use that as a set, but i think completely misinterpreted the brief. However im now in full flow, and have a dozen ideas which i will sketch before i forget them.

American bar: Idea 1 continued

I also tried looking for the 'Leaky Cauldron' in the first Harry Potter film. However i couldnt find any images on that, so i looked at the environment within Hogwarts, and that dusty, dark feel you get that only happens when there is natural light, such as candle or torches alight.





Continuing on with the lighting theme, i looked at street lighting. The reason behind this was because i havent decided on a specific scene yet, and was tinkering with the idea of something outside.





I like the fact that a little piece of lighting can give you that creepy feeling, that there could be something just beyond the lights rays.

Maya tutorial: Pirates Cove scene

I really enjoyed producing this piece. Incoorporating maya with photoshop is something that gives me greater satisfaction with my final outcome.

I tried to texture the barrel using the wood attributes, however i cant seem to give it that look, as if has been left on an island for some time.

These are the steps i took to get to the stage i am at now.


Coin Texturing



Map Texturing



Gems, Pearls and Barrel Texturing

Idea 1 for unit 3: Dingy American style bar

I've been thinking about where to go with my environment project for a few days, and after looking at Edward Hopper's work, specifically the image where the audience are looking in on the bar through the window, i had a vibe about something around the pub style..

Unlike Hopper's image, i want to add more atmosphere into the image. Using lighting to give the scene a creepy, dingy feel. I have been having some difficulty in finding images and influences for this idea. After looking at my research so far, it would be very helpful if anyone has any ideas that could improve my ideas...

When in london a couple of months back, i visited Gordan's Wine Bar on a night out.. At the time even though i was taken in by the environment, i didnt think of taking any pictures. Also, it gets absolutely packed so the pictures wouldnt be that great.










The image where the bottle and glass are in the foreground really appeals to me, i am interested incorporating something similar to that in my image. The shadows cast by the candles in this bar are also something that i could use.

Invaders From Mars, 1953, William Menzies

Before we watched the film, we had a lecture on the meaning of the term 'UNCANNY', i found this very helpful. Before i had basically no idea how i could use this. Thanks to phil for that..

Now back to Invaders from mars... I was optimistic when the film started because i had seen films similar to this around the same time period.. However i was pleasantly suprised, even though some of the costumes were comical and the set was made from blown up condoms lol it shows the first signs of horror. Obviously nobody was scared when watching this, but back in the fifties people didnt imagine things that we see in our cinemas today, so this probably seemed terrifying.

Even though it was funny in some of acting scenes, there was still that sort of eeriness that you get from horror films.. I felt that before the aliens were introduced to the film, the film had something about it that kept you fixed and wanting to know what was under the ground.

What is Tableau Vivant-style?

When reading through the brief, i came across the term 'tableau vivant-style', i had never heard of this before, so i went on a little research hunt to find the meaning.

From research on the internet and dictionary, i found that tableau vivant means "living picture" in french. And tableau on its own means " A group of models or motionless figures representing a scene". From what i have understood about the expression is that it is basically a freeze-frame of a story. Basically the action in the story appears to stop momentarily..

Examples of Tableau Vivant





The two Hopper images give the audience the feel that maybe someone is looking in on the scene.. With image of the bar, the audiences imagination could be led to believe that someone is about to do something bad, because its quite and dark in the street, and there are only a few people in the building..

The image of the woman sitting by herself, gives me a different opinion. It seems as if she is sitting a train and the some has opened the carriage door to sit down, meanwhile, she is so rapped up in her own world. She looks as if shes reading a map, and with her face covered it makes her look as if shes running away or hiding from someone..

Giorgio De Chirico

Chiricos' work really interests me. There is something poignant in the way he gives his images depth, mainly when he uses the buildings. The way they shrink in a way is very powerful.

The piece named 'Love song' is amazing, the way he uses the objects gives the audience that same idea of bewilderment and confusion. When we were doing the critique for the last project, i cant remember who it was, but they put random images in the middle of one of their scenes and it reminds of this.



Another of De Chiricos' pieces that stands out for me, is 'The disquieting Muses', the way he uses objects to portray the muses is similar to the way you produce a collage when you are younger. Also the way in which the base where muses are placed is raised, you cant get a full view of the buildings in the background. So whilst the image makes you look directly at the foreground figures, you then want to move further into the image and see what is beyond.

Unit 3: Environment

So.... A new project awaits us. Im looking forward to attempting this piece as it incorporates both maya and photoshop, which is the first time we will have tried this. I had a quick read through the brief at the critique. But being so tired, i left it until monday.. Everything in the brief has made me feel very excited about this prospect, and the fact that we will have the christmas period to work on the projects..

Good luck everyone