Redhill (2015)

Redhill (2015)

“Redhill” is inspired by “The Legend of Bukit Merah”.

The Legend of Bukit Merah
A long time ago, the seas of Singapura was inhabited by many dangerous swordfish that attacked the villagers living by the sea. The king tried several methods to solve this problem, but to no avail.

A clever little boy saw what was happening and suggested the king to make a trap for the swordfish along the beach with soft banana tree trunks. So, the king sent his soldiers to cut down all the banana trees nearby and built a barrier along the beach. When it was high tide again, the swordfish swam up to the beach. However, instead of attacking villagers, the swordfish found their sharp noses stuck onto the banana tree trunks.

The little boy’s plan had succeeded and the grateful villagers thanked the boy for saving their lives. The jealous King grew worried that the boy might grow up and take away his throne. So he plotted to kill the boy.

One night, he sent his soldiers to murder the boy who lived on top of a hill. The boy was killed and his blood flowed down the hill making it red. The blood eventually caused the soil to turn red and the hill became today’s Bukit Merah or Red Hill.

Reinterpreting the story, we seek to explore the idea of betrayal. The captain represents the King and the protagonist represents the clever boy. The masked men in the HQ represents the Silver Fishes. We used the ring as a bridge to relate the captain’s relation to the silver fishes (They are in cahoots trying to kill off the clever boy (Protagonist)).

In the end, the hero was betrayed and shot dead while the Captain claims the credit.

Sourcing of Locations

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Grass patch along NIE. We have to ensure that there is a wide space for shooting and an area where buildings are not as visible in order to show the realness of a hill.

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Big, open space behind ADM

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Along ADM’s corridors. We have to ensure that the corridors are litter-free and have long pathways for the protagonist to run across. At the same time, we have to ensure that there are not much alleys and twists to prevent confusion.

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Short pose for our film (Excited for filiming!)

References

Biting Elbows – ‘Bad Motherfucker’ Official Music Video

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Snippet from “Robocorp”

 Script & Storyboard

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Using our knowledge from Writing Narratives class, we came up with a script for familiarisation. We decide what scenes need to be shot first and what props are needed for different scenes. This script enables us to visualise how the actual scenes going to be like and how we can portray our characters better.

Props

Some of the issues throughout the project is low budget props. We have to find suitable toy guns that look realistic in mini marts, Daiso, etc… In the end, we got a pretty realistic gun for the protagonist and sprayed painted it white to make it look more futuristic.

In addition, when it comes to creating a bomb, we bought a bottle and sprayed painted the cap silver to give it a more sophisticated and high-tech look. We also coil metal wires around the glow stick and stuck it onto the cap to make it look special.

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The end result was a futuristic gun.

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The bomb

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We got white masks to hide the identities of the ‘Silver fishes’ and also got the enemies to don on their berets and same top colour to act as soldiers.

On Set

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Our ‘Silver Fishes’ had to fall onto the ground umpteen times to capture the exact perfect shot. One where the Gopro didn’t cut off the head and where the fall is realistic and impactful. They fell so much that their hands turned red. A big shout out to our enemies for falling for this video!

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We tried to capture the best angle possible for every scene and every clip. Both on the protagonist as well as the captain on the hill. The clips are taken at different timings of the day and most of it are taken in the late afternoon where the lights are slowly dimming.

Colour Correction

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As mentioned above, the clips are taken at different timings of the day and most of it are taken in the late afternoon where the lights are slowly dimming. Some clips thus turn out darker than other clips. Hence, in order to compensate the lack of light, we have to colour correct the clips such that it looks like it is filmed at the same timing.

User Interface Design

User Interface Design

Bomb Tracking

Target Tracking

Sound Design

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 When it comes to sound design, there are a lot of layerings to do.

Firstly, we have to make sure that the audio voice over sounds like a walkie talkie where the protagonist is communicating with his captain.

Secondly, we have to separately record the audio of the protagonist breathing heavily after he got shot for a better sound and voice effect. (The original audio was a little soft).

Thirdly, to give the video an even realistic feel, we individually added in subtle sound effects such as foot stepping on the grass, windows breaking, fingers breaking and placing of the bomb.

Lastly, we have to ensure certain audio does not overpower or drown other audios such as the alarm ringing which became softer after some time. This is to heighten the sound of other audio and also to create the effect that the protagonist is reaching near the exit of the building.

Promotion

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We want to get our audiences to anticipate for our video project. Hence, we decided to do a countdown promotion on social media e.g Facebook & Instagram. We’re glad that our friends were supportive of us by commenting how much they look forward to it!

Bloopers

Just for Laughs

Reflections

James

“This project can be considered a nostalgic one as I am able to go back to making my own short film which I have not done since I graduated from Polytechnic. The idea of working on the legend of Bukit Merah started off from me as I felt the calling to make an alternative film with a futuristic take that is similar to the story I did for my Final Year Project (FYP) in Polytechnic. After several rounds of discussion and consideration related to budget and time, my team is able to come up with a concise plan to portray our story in the best way possible. With artistic and practical inputs from each and everyone, we are able to work together closely to get the final product done. As each of us are talented and well versed in our own ways, we contributed to the film in the best way possible.

Similarly to my FYP in Polytechnic, I am also the editor for this film and in charge of doing the colour correction and grading. This task was a challenging one was we took multiple takes and had to take into consideration continuity issues in editing as well as matching the different colour temperature and exposure of different shots together to give a coherent look across scenes. There is also a challenge in arranging the different layers of sound together to make them sync in harmony and help to tell the story better. There is a need for an awareness of how loud each audio clip should be in correlation with one another – dialogue, foleys & background music. This narrative is extremely dependent on sound design and more than 15 audio tracks were used for this project. There is also a need for an awareness to layer these clips together to form a harmonious piece.

Finally, all visuals and audio has to come together perfectly to give a sense of professionalism and colour grading has to be done to give the desired look and feel to the final product. To increase the production value, I gave special attention to create extras such as muzzle flashes coming from the firing of guns in the film as well as creating the opening and ending motion graphic title sequences.

On the final note, it is really enjoyable working with the team as each of them are really professional and there is a very strong team dynamic behind us to spur and get things going in the right direction. Much effort was put into the making of this film and we are glad and honoured to have our viewers enjoying our short film. Thank you all for the support and I look forward to creating more compelling visuals for everyone to enjoy!”

Long Fei

It’s our first biggest assignment and we put as much effort as possible to make it look polished. As our group’s story is set in a futuristic style, it is really difficult to find a place to fit the concept. And plus the tide schedule, we decided to film it in ADM. But we managed to maintain the look in the post production.

And it was also my first time using GoPro, which is very interesting. But it is hard to control the shutter speed and aperture, it turned out it has a lot of motion blur.

For the UI design, I quite enjoy doing it and always want to learn more about it in deep.

Stuart

This project has been an eye opener for me, revealing a world that had long been hidden from me behind the curtains. The process to making a film is a lot more complex than one would imagine. I learned that a single scene can take 10 to 15 shots, before an ideal scene can be done, lighting is a lot more important than I thought and editing is something that can take weeks on end even if you finish filming in a day. I still have much to learn in the use of sounds in a film figuring how a scene, but I now have a better understanding of the process that go into making a great film.

Dan

It’s been a long time since I last acted for a project and the last one was for my JC’s drama SYF. It was fun portraying a hero – a dying hero that struggles to stay alive. I understand the importance of having to replay certain emotions in order to capture the perfect shot. Through this project, I learnt a lot of things. I learned the importance of sound layering and making sure how certain audios can give a different mood. Background music is very important and that impacts the overall feel of the video. In addition, it is good to input different angle shots such as wide shot, close up shot in order to give a variety to the video. Colour correction is equally important as well because it affects the mood and overall style of the video. I had a fun and awesome time working together with my group mates and I seriously wouldn’t choose anybody else to work with. After the end of the presentation, I realised that every individual have their own style and that putting an individual into another group will change the mood and tone of the final video. When it comes to team work, synergy is crucial. I will always remember how our first meeting was held in can 2 and we simply bought coffee and dim sum and discussed, brainstormed about the project. The energy was great and ideas just kept coming in. It was a very memorable experience for me.

FIN

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Ego.

I was given the task to deliver 12 representations of myself in a creative way. This theme and project is especially interesting because I get to explore and discover myself and ask myself who exactly am I?

Initial idea draft

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I changed all of my initial idea because I felt that they don’t represent the idea of colours well. They deal more with theatricality rather than colours. Hence, I decided to drop my initial idea.

Main idea draft

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What do I like about myself? What do I dislike about myself? Who do I want to be in the future?

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Starting off with my current self,

Plain Empty Shell + Inner Creativity = Explosion of Imagination

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I find myself to be a empty shell. I believe that a body is an empty shell that exist to hold the inner soul that resides within. I consider myself to be plain and perhaps, not much of an interest. However, I love to indulge myself in the realm of creativity and I love to discover amazing and interesting artworks delivered by talented artists around the world.

Research

These are the few Facebook pages that I frequently visit to seek inspirations. Screen Shot 2015-11-12 at 15.15.18

JUICE magazine that frequently features artists around the world.

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MTV page. Their content was managed by a team of 4-5 writers that frequently updates the page with juicy and interesting news of Hollywood and celebrations and really cool stuffs.

I feel that the constant exposure of such media allows and encourages me to try out new ideas. In addition, such media sparks my imagination and creativity further.

Even though the delivery of the first equation is not inspired by any artist but I happened to chanced upon an artist that produced similar works. Her name is Agnes Cecile. She play with watercolours paint and fades to produce a series of emotional portraitures. intimacy_on_display_by_agnes_cecile-d77ulj0 l__assenza_by_agnes_cecile-d4y6tsc miss_universe_03_pic_by_agnes_cecile-d5uh3ze

More of her works are available for view here. http://agnes-cecile.deviantart.com/

Execution

On the first equation, to represent an plain empty shell, I used the technique of the previous assignment which is to posterise myself to show only a black and white self. Adding up, to show a creativity imagination, I play with a myriad of colours using smoke brushes.

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Finally, the addition of an plain empty shell and a colourful inner creativity gives a explosion of imagination.

Moving on,

More Fruits & Vegetables – Less Reliance on Coffee & Pills = In the Pink of Health

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I guess a better me would be me loving myself more. I don’t take as much fruits and vegetables to compensate for the amount of coffee and pills I’m consuming.

I always get headaches. Small and big headaches and it has been affecting me for quite some time. So I usually eat painkillers to ease off the pain. Especially nearing the submission period, I tend to take in more coffee as well. I have been drinking coffee every day and I cannot start my day without a cup of coffee. However, drinking it every day can actually be bad to health in a long run. Hence, I feel that I should cut down on pills and coffee and take in more of fruits and vegetables.

Execution

More Fruits & Vegetables-min

To represent the idea eating more fruits and vegetables, I initially wanted to juxtapose a image of myself with fruits and vegetables in me. However, after consultation, I was advised to instead composite 3 fruits or vegetables together while applying the concept of composition that I learnt in assignment 2. Hence, using the theory of contrasting colours in colour palette, I chose orange and green to compose my image. I play with colour burn, linear burn and opacity and background foreground to deliver the image. At the background, there is cucumbers and at the foreground, there’s papayas, durians and tomato. I played with lines such that it is converging and diverting my audiences’ attention to the tomato.

Less Reliance on Coffee & Pills-min

Moving on to less reliance on coffee and pills, I using coffee stain brushes to dap on the white image. I played with opacity. After which I duplicate the layer and drag it slightly to the left before fading it.

On pills, I use a myriad of colourful pills and increase the number of pills as it moves from the left to right. Duplicating two layers, I remove the reds and cyan and blue respectively before dragging both on opposite directions. The end state is a 3D effect.

In totality, I want to convey the idea of hallucination. The effects of taking in too much coffee and pills. The idea of seeing what’s not there. This image concept is one of my personal favourite because it successfully delivered the concept and idea well.

In the Pink of Health-min

Moving on to the answer to a better me, I want to convey the idea of the pink of health after removing the reliance of coffee and pills. Hence, I crossed my arms to signify strength and I use digital manipulation to show myself in pink flames. I played with contrast and fade to composite this image. Fire is often associated with energy, vitality and power. Hence, it further accentuates my position of in the pink of health. I contrast the pink flames with a black background because it has a greater contrast as compared to white.

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Wisdom + Hardworking = CONFIDENT

This is my favourite series of all. There are a lot of things to learn and discover in the world. I guess I know barely 1% of all the information available around the world. Hence, I hope to acquire more wisdom in the future to expand my knowledge.

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I was advised on doing a shoot of myself wearing an owl mask to show the idea of wisdom. I bought a white mask and pasted feathers on the mask. I perched myself on a rock as if I’m a bird looking out.

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I also always find myself to be lazy and I tend to procrastinate a lot. Hence, I hope to be more hardworking in the future. I chose to represent myself as a bull because a bull is always doing work; seldom rests. I wore a white horned headgear to represent myself as a bull. I got all my limbs on the ground to display strength.

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Lastly, the combination of both images is a Confident me looking out to the wilderness, ready for adventure.

Execution

Coming to colours, I once again experimented with contrasting colours. I increased the saturation to contrast the green forest with my warm skin. I increase the contrast as well to accentuate the strong lines on my body.

As for aesthetic purposes, I bought stick on metal tattoos and pasted it on my face and body. It was also partially inspired by the art direction seen on the models walking for Jarkata Fashion Week where they had stick on tattoos pasted on their faces.

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Abundance of Money + Abundance of Freedom = Travel Around the World

In 5 years’ time, I hope to have a sea of money and freedom to explore the world.

Abundance of Money-min

To convey the idea of abundance of money, I ask myself what is vast? The sea. Hence, I played with linear burn to juxtapose $50 notes with the raging waves. Also, I played with Analogous colours of green, turquoise and blue to compose my image.

Abundance of Freedom-min

For abundance of freedom, I played with white and blue because they both represent the colours of freedom and wideness. Instead of actual wings, I used white doves to form the shape of my wings. I added lens flare to show myself flying up to the sun above.

Travel Around the World-min

Lastly, to show myself travelling around the world, I placed the earth in the middle and placed iconic monuments around the world around the globe. Most of the icons are from the 7 wonders of the world. I also placed one of the temples around the globe. It is located in Tibet. I always wanted to visit Tibet where it is not easily accessible. I adore the peace and serenity there where the pace of life is much slower and enjoyable.

Although not much colours are represented in this image, I tried to compensate it by playing with composition. The taller buildings are placed on the north and south of the globe  while the wider ones are placed on the east and west.

Reflections

This project enables me to explore more about myself and also to better apply the theory of colours in the composition of images. I had a great time finding inspirations and showing the class what interest me and who do I want to be in the future.

Colours Palette

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Colors affect us in numerous ways, both mentally and physically. A strong red color has been shown to raise the blood pressure, while a blue color has a calming effect. With colors you can set a mood, attract attention, or make a statement. You can use color to energize, or to cool down. By selecting the right color scheme, you can create an ambiance of elegance, warmth or tranquility, or you can convey an image of playful youthfulness.

Being able to use colors consciously and harmoniously can help you create spectacular results.

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The color wheel or color circle is the basic tool for combining colors. The color wheel is designed so that virtually any colors you pick from it will look good together.

In the RYB (or subtractive) color model, the primary colors are red, yellow and blue.

The three secondary colors (green, orange and purple) are created by mixing two primary colors.

Another six tertiary colors are created by mixing primary and secondary colors.

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The color circle can be divided into warm and cool colors.

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Warm colors are vivid and energetic, and tend to advance in space.

Cool colors give an impression of calm, and create a soothing impression.

White, black and gray are considered to be neutral.

Complementary color scheme

Complementary
Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel are considered to be complementary colors (example: red and green).

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Dakore Akande at Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards.

Mix of yellow and purple for contrasting palette.

 

The high contrast of complementary colors creates a vibrant look especially when used at full saturation. This color scheme must be managed well so it is not jarring.

Complementary color schemes are tricky to use in large doses, but work well when you want something to stand out.

Complementary colors are really bad for text.

Analogous color scheme

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Analogous color schemes use colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. They usually match well and create serene and comfortable designs.

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As seen on Fan Bing Bing at Met Gala 2015. Mix of yellow, green and turquoise along the analogous palette. 

Analogous color schemes are often found in nature and are harmonious and pleasing to the eye.

Make sure you have enough contrast when choosing an analogous color scheme.

Choose one color to dominate, a second to support. The third color is used (along with black, white or gray) as an accent.

Triadic color scheme

Triad
A triadic color scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel.

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 04: Karen Elson attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
Mix of red, yellow and blue. 
Blue in this case is very very subtle. 
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Mix of yellow, blue and red.
Triadic color schemes tend to be quite vibrant, even if you use pale or unsaturated versions of your hues.

To use a triadic harmony successfully, the colors should be carefully balanced – let one color dominate and use the two others for accent.

All in all, when it comes to coordinating colours, there are principles and rules to follow to make the subject appealing. The play of colours is always fun and exciting to explore.

Impossibilities of Being

https://vimeo.com/143613931

Concept

Have you ever had a heartbreak? How does it feel? Painful? Why is it that when we went through an emotional turmoil, it felt as if we can physically feel the pain coming from the heart.

In A Day After a Heartbreak, I want to convey the idea of despondency. I related the emotion really closely to a hangover. I get hangovers frequently after a night of drinking and the effects are devastating. I woke up feeling absolutely worthless, lethargic and useless. The feeling was intense and uncomfortable. I cannot breathe, I cannot eat. Neither can I drink water. The irony: I will do it all over again the next week. Why are we so attached to something that hurts us? Is it because we value that few hours of pure pleasure more than the immense amount of pain?

I decide to use the song ‘Til’ it Happens to You’ by Lady Gaga because I felt that this song is the most suitable music to accompany the images. I realised that sometimes it very hard to sympathise with people when they tell you about their troubles in their relationship. “Just move on.”, “Don’t think so much about it!”, “You’re just overthinking,” I sometimes feel that such words are sweeping remarks. They wouldn’t know the feeling of such pain until it happens to them. Probably then will they know the pain.

What do the images signify?

In the 3 series of transformation, the rose represents love in tangible form. In a relationship, am I consuming love; indulging in the passionate abyss of love or am I being consumed by love itself? It happens in us as well. Being in a poisonous relationship and knowing that your partner will only bring you down yet you still choose to stay. Why?

Moving on, the smoke represents love in intangible form. Smoke hurts and it kills you from within. Slowly. People are aware of its effects yet they still ‘consume’ it. Why? Is the minutes of pleasure and satisfaction enough to compensate for the long term damage? Is it worth it to indulge in spiritual, physically and psychologically satisfaction yet sacrificing the sanctity of the pure human body?

Lastly, love in tangible and intangible. Water is often seen as a cleansing ritual, to rid the body of dirt and impurity. Yet, in the video I explore and put the water in another light. I want to convey the idea that water is instead a burden, a liability. Something that left you in a mess. In the end, the only one who gets hurt is the one who turns on the tap. (Decides to commit to the relationship).

Research Links

I am a big fan of romance and heartbreaks. There are boundless of imagination to exploring the idea of heartbreaks.

These are some of the quotes I personally love because they are full of emotions and deep understandings behind those words.

In the 500 Days of Summer, Summer explained to Tom the reason why she didn’t choose him in the end.

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Summer: Well, you know, I guess it’s ’cause I was sitting in a deli and reading Dorian Gray and a guy comes up to me and asks me about it and… now he’s my husband.

Tom: Yeah. And… so?

Summer: So, what if I’d gone to the movies? What if I had gone somewhere else for lunch? What if I’d gotten there 10 minutes later? It was – it was meant to be. And… I just kept thinking… Tom was right.

Tom: No.

Summer: Yeah, I did.

[laughs]

Summer: I did. It just wasn’t me that you were right about.

In American Horror Story: Hotel Episode 3, Elizabeth portrayed by Lady Gaga explained to Donnovan the very thing that made one person is actually heartbreaks.

“You will learn, it isn’t our precious virus that makes you. It isn’t who you kill or who you screw. It’s the heartbreaks. Bigger, the better. I know better than any of us.”

In ‘Love & Other Adventures’ by Lang Leav, I was particularly intrigued by this poem titled ‘The Keeper’.quote-5

You were like a dream, I wish I hadn’t slept through

Within it I fell deeper, than your heart would care to let you

I thought you were a keeper, I wish I could have kept you

In the poisonous rose that appeared in the first part of the video, it was inspired by the song, “Poison” by Rita Ora specifically the lyrics:

I pick my poison and it’s you

Nothing can kill me like you do

You’re going straight to my head

And I’m heading straight for the edge

When it comes to love, there is no common sense. We choose to embrace it even if we know it’s detrimental to our health. I guess this is addiction. The addiction to love. The addiction to pain.

Reflections

This project is rather personal and intimate for me because I did this project alone to form the idea of love and heartbreaks from my own perspective. I like the idea of using symbolism to express my emotions and feelings. I enjoy using various objects to convey my idea. Furthermore, the close-up shots frequent in the video enable me to better understand myself and the project.

Project 2 – Nursery Rhymes

Nursery Rhymes

Here goal is to manipulate, alter and deconstruct the give graphic imagery to transcend its original meaning through the creation of the indicated narratives. 

 Hey Diddle Diddle

The little dog laughed to see such sport

Research

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Experiment

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I looked up for pictures of dogs and tried to experiment with the Perspective and Skew tool of Photoshop to add interest to the image. I played around with the angles to give the animal more dimensions.

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Playing around with laughing smile, I positioned the smile to the dogs’ faces.

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I asked myself whose smile is iconic and memorable and I immediately remembered Marilyn Monroe. Hence, I tried to play around the iconic laughter with images of dogs.

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However, I felt that the final design that I produced is too literal and lacked interest to captivate the viewers. Hence, I decided to ditch the line and move on to experiment with other lines.

Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall

Research & Experiment

When I think of walls, I thought of The Great Wall of China, hence I tried to play around the image of the wall with Humpty Dumpty.

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I experiment the designs of the wall by rotating the directions and angles of the wall. Using what I learnt from class, I made use of the directional lines of the wall to bring my viewers’ attention to my subject (Humpty Dumpty).

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Experimenting with Skew and Perspective.

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Once again, I felt that my design is a little too literal for understanding. It seems too easy and achievable. Hence, I decided to abandon this line and went on to explore more lines.

Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall

Research

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When I thought of Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, I immediately thought of the act of cracking an egg and the raw egg falls out of the shell as gravity acts on it. I tried to create a symmetrical design of the egg being broken as it landed and many pieces of broken egg shells rises upwards from the impact.

Experiment

Setting the Threshold of the shell gave me a small degree of shade change of the eggshell. This is probably because the overall colour of shell is constant (White), hence it is not really interesting.

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I screen shot one side of the scattered egg shells and flipped it to create a symmetrical effect.

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I tried the idea of the raw egg falling out of its shell from the top. I also tried the idea of the egg hitting the ground and the raw egg raising up. In addition, I played around with brush tools of shattered glass to accentuate the severity of the impact.

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In addition, on top of shattered glass I also experimented with falling sparks brushes. I positioned the egg in the center and expands it from there.

Final Chosen Design

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My final design for ‘Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall’ is a combine of the different elements of designs that I explored. It is a mix of the shattered glass, falling sparks and splattered paint as the fallen egg received maximum impact of hitting the ground. The rising raw egg represents the soul of Humpty Dumpty as he was broken into two. The black circle of the raw egg represents the yolk of the egg. With the use of different brushes being splattered across the whole design, I am able to convey the phrase of ‘Had a Great Fall’ as the shattered pieces congregate from the start and scatter thinly as it rises upwards.

Couldn’t Put Him Back Together Again

Research

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My tutor mentioned that our designs is best not to be too literal. Hence I tried to avoid the idea of people trying to piece back the shattered pieces of egg shells together or anything related to recovery. I asked myself again, what will I feel if I know I’m physically broken permanently? I guess my heart will shatter together with my body. I know that the people around me and I will be devastated and there will be a lot of tears. Hence, I made sure to incorporated tears in my design.

I always have the same sentiments every time I broke something. Once, I discovered that there’s a crack on my iPad and I told myself that my heart had cracked together with my iPad’s screen.

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I came across this symmetrical smoke design online and felt intrigued by it. It was the choice of colours, movement and tones of the smoke that attracted me. Hence, I decided to try to incorporate smoke into my design.

Experiment

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I wanted to use this as my final design. However, after getting some feedback from my friends, I decided to modify the design a little bit more. This is because they noticed that the design above has no context and could easily fit into any lines.

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The round shape of the design above is meant to be the egg although it’s not too obvious.

Heart

This was actually my final draft. A symmetrical design of two crying comic woman shedding tears (smoke) into the broken egg. However, my tutor mentioned that even though there is beauty in symmetry, it is always fun to play around with the on third rule and asymmetry. Hence, at the very last minute, I change my design and place the broken egg in the middle.

Final Chosen Design

Heart confirm

In my final design, the broken egg is placed on the one third of the image. The addition of a shadow below the egg suggests that it is floating. It is broken into two and in it reveals the heart of the egg being shattered together with the body. If you noticed, the heart shattered into numerous pieces than the body. I was trying to covey the feeling of the heart being in more pain than the body experienced. I used scattered glass as holes within the broken pieces to accentuate the severity of broken-ness. In addition, I also use it as the fragments of the heart falling into the shell. I placed the crying women on the top left of the image as she looks down at the broken pieces. The position of the lady is also to direct the viewers’ attention to the egg. Tears of sadness represented by the smoke flows down into the eggshell as sadness bath within the shattered fragments of the broken egg.

And The Fork Ran Away with the Spoon

Research

When I encountered this line I asked myself,

What always come with fork? Spoon. What always come with spoon? Fork.

They are pretty much inseparable and they always come in a pair when we dine. Hence, I know it will be interesting if I were to use a couple to represent the fork and spoon.

In addition, another keyword is ‘Ran Away’. What could make a couple run away? Did they do something wrong? What are they running away from? Are they running away because they did something unacceptable?

I used Bonnie & Clyde as my subject because they are often used in popular culture as their wrongdoings became a fantasy for many couples. The act of being bad and doing it together with your loved one. I used the original image of Bonnie & Clyde.

This is an undated photo of bandits Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. (AP Photo) --

These are some of the media references I got for inspirations.

Rihanna and The Lonely Island collaborated together to retell Bonnie & Clyde in a comical music video. 

Beyonce & her husband, Jay-Z based their ‘On The Run’ concert on Bonnie & Clyde. The theme was dark and they glorified criminalism.

Experiment

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I wanted to show the idea of the Bonnie running away from Clyde as he cheats on his wife; leaving the wife crying. I placed the couple around the crying woman making sure I left a small gap to represent that the woman will never have any contact with the couple.

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I played with sizes and expands the couple as they move from right to left. However, I left that the focus is more on the crying woman rather than Bonnie & Clyde and it does not represent the idea of ‘running away’. Hence, I decided to change the design.

Final Chosen Design

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In my final design, I played with different sizes of the couple as they expands with they move from right to left. This is to capture and direct my viewers’ attention to my subject on the left which is the biggest Bonnie & Clyde. I placed multiple couples leading along the pathway to symbolise that they came a long way from running away together. The birds at the background the freedom that they got from escaping. The sky lightens from right to left to represent that the birds and them are going towards a brighter future. Lastly, the heart-shaped tree represent the passion of their love.

She Had So Many Children; She Didn’t Know What to Do

Research

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I got my inspiration from Portis Wasp, A designer of MTV USA. He received a post on MTV about his designs. His designs are mostly juxtaposing Greek-like models to Disney theme scenes. I felt that mixing humans with cartoons gives a sense of surrealism. Hence, I tried to incorporate that in my designs.

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Experiment

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I thought of the Whistler’s Mother when I thought of Old Woman. Hence I tried to play around using two paintings of different drawing styles.

I am a big fan of Margaret Keane. She is an artist that loves to draw children and animals with big eyes. She even got a movie made about her life story. I decided to use the pictures of children that she drew and juxtaposed it with her.

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I left the middle blank to represent the phrase ‘She Didn’t Know What to Do’. However, I felt that it is too literally. Hence I decided to set this design aside.

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Final Chosen Design

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In my final design, I try not to let my designs to be too literal. Hence, I linked children to toys. I used the toys seen in Toy Story as they are relatable and created a symmetrical pattern. I played with sizes and tones of black and white. The biggest design on the edge before it shrinks as it moves to the center. In the middle is a blank brain to represent the phrase ‘She Didn’t Know What to Do’.

Reflections

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It is interesting to use different mediums and images as symbolism. It is also engaging to use graphic design to reinterpret poems in a fun way. It is important to note that there is beauty in both symmetry and asymmetry. One has to use it intelligently to manipulate and capture the viewers’ attention.

Anchor & Relay

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“I guess we are both tired.”

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“I don’t see it in your eyes anymore.”

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“I finally understood what they meant when they said ‘Love runs out’. Yes, people change; feelings change but that doesn’t mean the love once shared wasn’t true and real.

It just simply means that sometimes when people grow, they grow apart.”

Fire & Ice – Project 1B

Fire & Ice

Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

To be honest, the first time I read this poem I didn’t quite understand it. I tried to google for the meaning and metephor yet for a reason or two I couldn’t relate to the idea that the author was trying to convey. I researched that the poem is about world destruction and despair. I find that the overall tone and mood of this poem is quite dark and moody.

Tone (Treatment of Photos)

The images were taken after a heavy downpour. In order to further amplified the idea of the poem, the tone of the photos are treated slightly colder to match the idea of the poem. When viewed, it is supposed to evoke cold and isolated feeling from the audience.

Interpretation

I decided to break down the poem and interpreted it my own way instead. When I re-read the poem again and I am actually more comfortable relating it to human’s relationship and desires instead. I took the poem personally. In addition, the direction of my interpretation is slightly similar to the original meaning: Dark and moody. How I see this poem is about ultimate doom and destruction and tragic ending. It’s as if there is a fair share of indulgence set aside for despair.

I shall break down the poem and place them accordingly to the images as seen below.

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Some say the world will end in fire

Relating the image to this line, how I view this line is, you can have multiple partners in your life. You can choose to live your life flamboyantly with many different companions. You can choose to colour your blank canvas with the wide spectrum of colours that painted your life. You can spend it promiscuously and live onto the fact that ‘you only live once’.

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Some say in ice.

You can also choose to live your life faithfully with one partner. You will stay loyal and never stray. You can and will only pay tribute to your sole partner and no one else. You will spend the life of your life with your special someone and you focus all your attention solely on your partner. It can potentially become a form of obsession that your partner even becomes your religion.

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From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate

In anyways, whether you choose to live with multiple partners or with a faithful lover, both is able to satisfy your inner craving and spiritual desires. Ultimately, how you choose to live your life, is your decision. In the end everybody is going to end up dying and succumbed to death itself. There are numerous ways to die and perish yet we will all remain in the urns systematically placed in the columbarium.

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To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

They say life is a journey, not a destination. Life is all about what you make it. Life is about your achievements in life. Life is this, life is that. Yet, what exactly is the destination? Death. Even though we may perish in different ways, in glorified manner with our lover or sinfully with multiple partners, we are still heading towards the same direction: Death. It is only a one way ticket.

How you want to live your life, you live it, you choose it. 

 

Curating Myself – Project 1A

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Me

Paint

Research 

To be honest, I did not do any research for Paint. The idea just come to my mind. However, if I were to come up with similar projects that uses paint on their body, that would be in Cycle 12 of America’s Next Top Model where the contestants used paint over their faces for photo shoot.

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Experimentation

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I mixed red paint with a little pinch of black paint. I dapped the paint, spread it across the brush before painting it on my back. I used a self timer for this shot.

Commando

Research

I got my inspiration from Beyoncé’s ‘Mine’ music video. There was an interesting scene of a couple with t shirt written ‘Mine’ and ‘Yours’. I find the concept really interesting. Hence, I decided to adapt the idea.

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Experimentation

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It was a little hard trying to get this shot because my head is covered with the t shirt and I had to adjust the t shirt such that the wordings can be seen. At the same time, I have to press the remote control on my phone.

Piercings

Research

I was influenced by John Coplans and the style of this photography. Coplans’ work are mostly black and white series and he never photograph his face to assume anonymous identity or gender. Coplans took extreme close up shots of his own bare body to question the taboo of age in a provocative style.

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Experimentation

I bought red strings from a textile shop and I ensure that there’s sufficient thickness so that the strings are obvious in the photo.

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Final Chosen Images

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Paint

To me, art is a form of self-expression.
Red is my favourite colour; It represents passion & love thus showing my fervour for painting.
I feel that whenever I paint, I’m expressing emotions that I cannot present orally.
I also feel that whenever I paint, I’m showing the world the vulnerable side of myself.
Thus, the act of painting on myself.

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Commando

I was serving in 1st Commando Battalion during my national service.
Throughout the 2 years, I endured tough times with my comrades. We forged a strong bond as we climbed up steep hills, struggled through muddy swamps and fought through numerous missions.
Commando has become part of my identity so much so that people sometimes remember me as a Commando rather than my name.
The use of my hand holding on to the shirt symbolises that it’s an identity that I cannot and will not remove.
The colour of my beret is red. Hence, the use of a shirt with red ‘Commando’ imprint draping over my head to symbolise the tagline of ‘Once a Commando, Always a Commando’.

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Piercings

I have a penchant for piercings and I feel that it is a form of self-expression.
I feel that all of my piercings are inter-connected. Hence, the use of a red string to connect all of them together.
My piercings all meant something to me. Thus, the use of red string to symbolise that it’s something that I hold close to my heart

Presentation

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Tone

The tone of the 3 images are highly contrasted and structured to show the strength and toughness of each photo.

Composition of the 3 images is based on direction of the body.

In the Commando photo, I was facing to my left looking over to Piercing. In the Piercing photo I was looking over to my top right towards the Paint photo. Even though my body is facing away from the the other two photos, I was actually facing down over to the bottom left towards Commando. This thus creates a synergy within the 3 composed images thus producing the ‘certain reality’ that the project required.

Object

Research & Experimentation

I chose to use my earpiece as my object because I use my earpiece to listen to music every single day. I feel that I’m locked in another world whenever I plugged in my earpiece. I use it for casual listening and also when I work out.

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Interacting with the object and making use of the reflected background to add interest in the photo.

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I made use of the rounded lines of the platform and the pointed edges to draw the audience’s attention to me.

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I tried to place myself in the middle of the line between the sunlight and shade.

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Final Chosen Images

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My earpiece is a good investment because it provided good bass and sound quality. The strength and image of the fierce Rottweiler accentuates the power of the earpiece. I feel that this image is able to fully represent the mood and energy that the earpiece delivered.

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I chose this shot because I feel that this photo is the most suitable photo to convey the idea of me wearing my earpiece. Also, I explored the idea of not shooting with a background behind me but instead, took a reflected shot of ADM’s architecture and environment.

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I chose this image because of the lines seen on the pavements, stairs, railings and trees. In addition, I appreciate the contrast in the lighting because I deliberately took this shot while the Sun is still up. I placed myself in the middle of the gap to lead the audience’s attention towards me.

Presentation

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The composition of this task is based on the process. First I place the solo close-up shot of the earpiece on the top. Followed by me wearing it and ending it with me working out with my earpiece.

World

I shot my world at my late grandfather’s kampong house. It is one of the last few kampongs in Singapore. It is located at Buangkok. I shot this place because it gives me a sense of familiarity. I have been visiting this house for as long as I can remember. There are numerous memories surrounding this house. My very big family usually gather together during festivals such as Chinese New Year.

Research & Experimentation

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This place is usually quiet and isolated. Somehow or another I felt that the animals here are not as lonely because they form a community within themselves. My father told me that the streets here used to be filled with many people.

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Some of my relatives or visitors will sit outside the house at the front yard when there are not enough space inside the house. It is quite therapeutic because the time and pace past by really slowly here. A totally different vibe from city area.

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The side of the house.

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We still use the traditional mouse trap to catch rats.

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My father recounting the good old days to my maid.

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Final Chosen Images

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I chose this image because it gave me a sense of familiarity. I used to sit here with my silbings whenever we are bored from interacting with our seniors. We will sit around here and swing our day by.

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Our family is a great fan of the bamboo shoots and braised pork slowly cooked using the charcoal stove here. Somehow the food taste much more authentic and special.

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Stray dogs are free to roam around the house. They became part of our family over time and I feel like they are the ‘guardians’ of the kampong house.

Presentation

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Tone

The composition of these images are based on the journey through the house. I deliberately add a little fade to the images to give a sense of nostalgia.

First you enter the house on the top left corner and as you walk into the house, you can see the entry towards the bedroom as seen on the top right corner. Beside the bedroom, there are charcoal stoves used to cook food traditionally. After you journey though the house, you exit the house as seen on the bottom left corner where the stray dog is looking out. The rounded swinging chair in the middle is used to complete the four images. It is also a key image to maintain the synergy within the composition.

Reflections

There are boundless opportunities when it comes to using yourself, your body, the things you use and also the environment surrounding you to produce a narrative to captivate the audience. Photos can be an powerful tool to convey ideas and imagination that one simply cannot convey verbally.