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FOUNDATION 2D II – Project 2 (Zine: Neighborhood Explorer) – Research & Site Visit

February 19, 2017 / Mathias Choo / 0 Comments

The brief for our second project is rather interesting as it involves exploring a local neighborhood in which we are unfamiliar with. Our task is to find interesting features that makes the neighborhood unique, then consolidating our findings and presenting them to the class. As we drew lots to determine our neighborhood allocation, I was fortunate/unfortunate enough to receive my designated neighborhood – Queenstown. The only time that I can remember ever going to Queenstown was to patronize IKEA as the outlet at Tampines had run out of stock for a selected item. And that was about the last time I ever set foot into Queenstown again. That is, until now.

Site Research (Queenstown)

Most of my site research was done online prior to the site visit. My research gave me insights into the allocated neighborhood, and allowed me to focus and narrow down on my options while I was making my visit around the neighborhood. Most of my resources came from websites such as HistorySG (NLB eResources), Housing & Development Board (HDB infoWEB), Queenstown Community Centre, and forums/reviews that were related to the neighborhood itself.

Interestingly enough, I found out that Queenstown has it’s own heritage trail, and I managed to chance upon a website (MyCommunity) that provides a free tour for the trail.

screenshot-3

As I was about to sign up however, I realized that I had just missed the recent guided tour, and thus will be intending to join the next available slot for my next site visit!

History

Queenstown was named after Queen Elizabeth II to mark her coronation in 1952. It was initially a large swampy valley that was home to hundreds of people living in attap huts (a type of traditional housing with its walls and roof made from the leaves of the attap palm). It was then chosen by the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) as a site for housing development due to its proximity to the first successful public housing scheme in Tiong Bahru.

The developments to this very first satellite town in Singapore was later taken over by HDB in the 1960s. By the 1980s, Queenstown estate was becoming stagnant without much new developments. This made the younger generation of residents move into newer estates. As a result, Queenstown has one of the highest proportions of elderly aged 65 and above, and earned its unwanted reputation as an “elderly town”.

Facts and Figures

There is an estimated HDB resident population of 82,100 along with 30,546 flats that are being managed by HDB within Queenstown (as of 31 March 2015).

Notable Places

Forfar Heights – A 40-storey HDB development that occupies the site of the former Forfar House. Forfar House, the first high-rise apartment block built by the SIT was a 14-storey block that was regarded as a prominent landmark in old Queenstown because it was the tallest residential building in those days.

Queensway Shopping Centre – Built in the 1970s, was a popular haunt for residents growing up in the area. Today, the place is still known for its wide array of sporting goods sold.

Princess House – A 7-storey red bricked structure at the junction of Alexandra Road and Commonwealth Avenue that was an iconic landmark in Queenstown for many years. Built in 1956, its height and construction layout was reminiscence of other 7-storey flats that used to exist in the former Princess Estate, which was named after Princess Margaret.

IKEA – The Dutch multinational company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, appliances and home accessories. There are currently only 2 outlets in Singapore (Tampines & Queenstown), and is probably the most popular spot in Queenstown.

Site Visit

As I had performed such random acts of exploring unfamiliar neighborhoods in the past before, I felt that the best way to approach and experience a culture of a given space would be to dwell within the residential areas – to observe the everyday lives of people in that area. Thus, I did exactly that while moving between the supposed hot spots and landmarks of Queenstown.

(The first thing that caught my attention as I tapped out from the MRT gantry was the vast amounts of construction work that was ongoing around the vicinity. To be honest, it was not a pleasant sight.)

(I headed to Forfar Heights which was where the former Forfar House was located. I was told that I would be able to get a good view of Queenstown in all directions from the top.)

(I managed to find an information board that is supposedly part of the Queenstown heritage trail. As mentioned, the former Forfar House was once Singapore’s tallest public residential building, and is probably the reason why the area is listed in the trail.)

forfar-house-under-construction-1955 (An image of the Forfar House under construction in 1955.)

forfar-house (An image of the Forfar House after it’s construction in 1956.)

(The current Forfar Heights. A set of HDB blocks ranging from 30-40 storeys that have replaced the old blocks of the Forfar House.)

(As I took the lift up the structure, I could feel my ears popping – an experience one gets when approaching massive heights.)

(A view from above towards Queenstown Secondary School – Construction work seen yet again within the neighborhood.)

(A view from above towards Pasir Panjang – It was VERY windy & I was actually able to spot the ships at the back – probably around Pasir Panjang Terminal – from where I was standing, pretty decent view! After about 15 minutes of wind exposure, I continued on my journey along Dawson Road.)

(Automobile showrooms are clustered along Alexandra & Leng Kee Rd. Thus, I didn’t really bother exploring those areas during my site visit.)

(I was really hopeful and was anticipating to get a closer look at the princess house due to its historical background as the first HDB headquarters.)

(Then I was slapped in the face with a – no entry except to authorised personnel – board. Inserts sadanddisappointedface.jpg)

(While I was reading online on the “10 best kept secrets of Queenstown” on the smartlocal website, they mentioned that a group known as the Social Creatives had a campaign to design 20 murals all around Queenstown in the attempts to engage the community to think of what a home is. Although I could not find any of their murals, I managed to find a separate mural piece at Dawson Place that was done by Mike Maka Tron, a painter/visual artist based in Melbourne Australia.)

(I continued to walk through the private housing estates along Stirling Rd. On a weekday at 3pm, the street is void of any human existence.)

(My walk led me to Mei Ling St, which houses a cluster of apartment blocks within Queenstown.)

(Flats at Mei Ling Street appear to be slightly old and run down. The initial experience was very similar to when I was visiting Dakota Crescent for another project.)

(While I was walking around the vicinity, I noticed ALOT of stray cats that were loitering around. In the image above, 4 stray cats can be seen resting along the pavement on the first floor.)

(One interesting thing that I noticed was that the doors/gates of the flats were all very similar, and had this unique aesthetic to them which sets them apart from modern day HDB flats.)

(The layout of the flats at Mei Ling Street were interesting as there were many bridges that connected one block to another, which is not a common sight in my neighborhood – Hougang.)

(As I was about to come to the conclusion that Queenstown was a dead estate, I spotted a group of children who had gathered around a multi purpose hall to play. I then asked myself, why not go to a playground instead? – More on this below.)

(I managed to chance upon this stationary shop along Mei Ling Street. The owner, an elderly lady in her 60’s, was kind enough to converse with me about her experience living in Queenstown. She had begun business in 1968, with most of her transactions coming in from the nearby secondary school. However, business for her has been dwindling ever since the school relocated to another neighborhood.)

(The older blocks around Mei Chin Road were painted with stale colors and the use of rigid squares in the design further made the entire estate appear dull.)

(A signboard that states ‘A playground project by Tanjong Pagar Town Council 2003’.)

(The playground project by Tanjong Pagar Town Council 2003. I am starting to understand why Queenstown is dubbed as an “elderly town”.)

(Blk 168A Queensway was the first curved-shape block constructed by the Housing and Development Board. Because of it’s similar appearance to a butterfly, locals call it the Butterfly Block.)

(Of course I had to also check out the infamous Queensway Shopping Centre that is known by locals as “Singapore’s Sports Mall”, which is a popular spot for sporting items since its establishment.)

(The place where you can get a hot dog for a dollar, or combo 1 – 1 hot dog, 1 soft drink – for $1.50, OR combo 3 – 1 hot dog, 1 soft drink, 1 ice cream – for $2.)

Participant Observation & Ethnography

Participant Observation is a method of data collection: it can seem inherently messy, scrappy, tangential, arbitrary and unpredictable. Some methods include informal interviews, direct observation, participation in the life of the group, collective discussions, self-analysis, and life-histories.

One common misconception is that participant observation is simply just showing up at a site and writing things down. However, participant observation is actually a complex method that has many components. One of the first things that a researcher or individual must do after deciding to conduct participant observations to gather data is to decide what kind of participant observer he or she will be.

I managed to find this chart (as seen below) that was mentioned by James Spradley in his book – Participant Observation, 1980, which shows the various types of participant observation and their level of involvement imitations.

Type of Participant Observation	Level of Involvement	Limitations
Non-Participatory	No contact with population or field of study	unable to build rapport or ask questions as new information comes up.
Passive Participation	Researcher is only in the bystander role	limits ability to establish rapport and immersing oneself in the field.
Moderate Participation	Researcher maintains a balance between “insider” and “outsider” roles	this allows a good combination of involvement and necessary detachment to remain objective.
Active Participation	Researcher becomes a member of the group by fully embracing skills and customs for the sake of complete comprehension	This method permits the researcher to become more involved in the population. There is a risk of “going native” as the researcher strives for an in-depth understanding of the population studied.
Complete Participation	Researcher is completely integrated in population of study beforehand (i.e. he or she is already a member of particular population studied).	There is the risk of losing all levels of objectivity, thus risking what is analyzed and presented to the public.

Ethnography is the study and analysis of people in a given culture or society. This is usually based on participant-observation (as mentioned above), and results in a layered and in-depth written account of a person, place or institution that is being studied.

Qualitative & Quantitative Data

Qualitative research is primarily described as exploratory research, and is used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. It is also used to uncover trends in thoughts and opinions. The common methods of qualitative data collection includes focus groups (group discussions), individual interviews, and participation/observations. The sample size is typically small, and respondents are selected to fulfill a given quota.

Quantitative research on the other hand is used to generate numerical data into usable statistics, and generally acquire results from a larger sample population. It uses measurable data to formulate facts and uncover patterns in research. Quantitative data collection methods include various forms of surveys – online surveys, paper surveys, mobile surveys and kiosk surveys, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, and online polls.

In a nut shell, qualitative research generates non-numerical data while quantitative research generates numerical data or information that can be converted into numbers.

Primary & Secondary Sources of Data

Primary sources provides direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, or person. Primary sources of data include – historical and legal documents, eyewitness accounts, results of experiments, statistical data, pieces of creative writing, audio and video recordings, and speeches. Interviews, surveys, fieldwork, and Internet communications via email, blogs, and newsgroups are also primary sources.

Secondary sources describe, discuss, interpret, analyze, evaluate, summarize, and process primary sources. Secondary sources of data materials can be articles in newspapers or popular magazines, book or movie reviews, or articles found in scholarly journals that discuss or evaluate someone else’s original research.

Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of information or data (such as a chart or diagram), that are generally used to simplify a complicated subject matter, or/and turn an otherwise boring subject into a captivating experience.

what-is-an-infographic

I went ahead and researched on various infographics as seen below. I realized that infographics, like all other design related ‘works’, carry the same principles and elements of design. From the use and choice of color schemes to the composition layouts, the design language of the infographic will determine how effective it will appear to the audience.

545686367300a396eac4e28fe7c7b5fe 64d3a9620589ed2c987dddd4a0facea4 (The above infographic for example, manages to incorporate photographs into it’s design. However, I feel that because of the addition of photographs, the mix of colors together with the design’s color scheme creates for an uncomfortable viewing experience to the viewer.)

d917ec83d30e6711dc8da387b15458d2 (I was inspired and drawn towards the more vectored approach to my own designs – similarly to the one above – as I preferred the simplicity and minimalist style. I also feel that it may be a much stronger approach in the attempts to convey my design/message to the viewer.)

In addition to looking up for various infographics, I have been also trying to find various other ways of representing data, which includes barcharts, histograms, scatter plots, networks, and mindmaps.

References

1. Urban Redevelopment Authority (Singapore). (1994). Queenstown planning area: Planning report 1994 (p. 8). Singapore: The Authority. Call no.: RSING 711.4095957 SIN; Estate named for princess. (1953, August 6). The Straits Times, p. 4; The 8-ft. flats are opened. (1953, May 27). The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.

2. Wong, A. K., & Yeh, S. H. K. (Eds.). (1985). Housing a nation: 25 years of public housing in Singapore (p. 92). Singapore: Published by Maruzen Asia for Housing & Development Board. Call no.: RSING 36.5095957 HOU.

3. New Town for 70,000. (1953, September 28). The Straits Times, p. 1; What’s in a name? (2005, August 9). The Straits Times, p. 114. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.

4. New town for 70,000. (1953, September 28). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.

5. The Straits Times, 28 Sep 1953, p. 1.

6. The Straits Times, 28 Sep 1953, p. 1.

7. Wong & Yeh, 1985, p. 92.

8. Urban Redevelopment Authority, 1994, p. 8.

9. McLeod, S. A. (2008). Qualitative Quantitative. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/qualitative-quantitative.html

Quick Links:

Part I – Site Visit | Infographic Research & Process | Final

Part II – Research | Process | Final

FOUNDATION 4D II – Project 1 – Final Project

February 18, 2017 / Mathias Choo / 0 Comments

Final Project

In Search of a Dream

2017

Mathias Choo Rui Zhi

Digital Video, 8 Minutes

In Search of a Dream is a pseudo-documentary that displays the frustrations of a film maker – James Foo – who seeks to complete a film for a certain school project. The entire film attempts to blur the line between fiction and reality, and in that sense, questions how the medium of film making conveys certain narratives. Do facts constitute truth? Do facts create illumination?

The film starts on black with a voice saying the word “Rolling”. This is followed by a crash and a chuckle that lingers after. This establishes the context of the film without the need for visuals – which picks up from my previous critique video – and creates the expectation that this film will be a continuation about a karung guni man named Mr. Ismail. It also raises the question of whether that particular scene in the ending (where Mr. Ismail’s bicycle topples) is legitimate.

We then see the opening image of the film. A set of buttons in an elevator. Referencing back to the critique video, the film also starts off similarly in an elevator. This is meant to highlight the cameraman’s presence and his obsession with buttons – but in a deeper sense, symbolizes the vast amount of stories that can be unveiled depending on where one chooses to look.

sequence-1-00_00_27_10-still003 (Opening image from In Search of a Dream)

sequence-1-00_00_05_01-still002 (Opening image from critique video)

We are then introduced to a student/film maker – James Foo. The viewer learns that the critique video was not shot by the student himself, but from a hired friend. As the film progresses, it is revealed that due to unforeseen circumstances, Mr. Ismail is no longer able to participate in the filming process. This, along with the fact that Jame’s submission date is around the corner, drives him into a state of desperation as his initial attempts to brainstorm for new ideas seem futile.

sequence-1-00_02_28_17-still001 (Mirrored shot – car dashcam – from In Search of a Dream)

sequence-1-00_01_14_09-still001 (Mirrored shot from critique video)

The mirrored shot was designed to present the boundaries of reality and fiction – a shot from the car’s dashboard camera shows James smoking while seemingly appearing to be idle (a scripted scene). This is juxtaposed with a factual event that captures Mr. Ismail packing up from the critique video.

Towards the end of the film, James manages to come up with an idea for his project – to purchase a bunch of expired kodak cameras and then littering them around various places in Singapore, in the hopes that strangers would use them to take photographs and send the film roles back to him for his next assignment.

The jump to a camcorder format presents the idea of James assuming responsibility of his own project by attempting the project himself – without the help from his friend. The credits were also important in serving to separate myself from the character.

Conclusion

The frustration of being ‘played out’ along with an oncoming submission was a dreadful experience. Nonetheless, the turn of events made the entire process of this assignment interesting. Receiving the news that I could no longer stick to my original idea, I had to quickly come up with various other ideas for my final project. It was then when I went back to one of my artist references, Werner Herzog, and his idea of creating an ecstatic truth.

Then it came to me. I realized that as an artist and film maker, I needed to attempt a project in which I could challenge myself and not just to present facts to a viewer (as that would be the job of a journalist). Thus I went ahead and took a risk with the project, which resulted to a more honest and invested film that documented my process of assignment 1. Constructing the narrative was also an exciting learning experience as I had to make the story seem believable. Thus, every minor detail would play an important role in constructing the film (E.g Imposing a time and date to make the image look as if it was from a car’s dashboard camera – the actual time and date when filming the scene was on 12/02/2017 at 3PM). This process made me much more aware of the little details that contributes to creating a believable narrative, and also manages to open up various directions in which I could take for project 2 & 3.

“There are deeper strata of truth in cinema, and there is such a thing as poetic, ecstatic truth. It is mysterious and elusive, and can be reached only through fabrication and imagination and stylization.“ – Werner Herzog

FOUNDATION 4D II – Project 1 – Concept Development 4

February 16, 2017 / Mathias Choo / 0 Comments

Concept Development

Since my recent hurdle, I have been considering to take one of 2 directions with my project.

1.) A documentation of Singaporeans whose jobs are often unnoticed (probably buskers, janitors, etc), fusing the existing footage that I currently have into the final film.

[Still on the theme of dreams]

2.) An experimental pseudo documentary in which I play a character who hires others to complete his school projects. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the character is forced to produce a new project within his limited days toward the submission.

[Blurring the lines between reality and fiction]

After giving it much thought, I intend to attempt option 2 as option 1 seems to have been done multiple times before, and I wish to experiment with new methods and techniques to tell narratives.

James Foo is an alias that I often use when being credited as an extra in short films that I have ‘acted’ in. I intend to develop this character as someone who aspires to be a film maker, but lacks the required knowledge, skill set, and determination to do so. He eventually hires others to complete his projects and claims the credit for himself.

The idea of this narrative is to be laid across the 3 projects. In the first assignment, James fails to deliver his intended video due his case study backing out. The resulting film is the process in which he attempts to find another idea/approach – by purchasing expired kodak cameras and littering them around various places in Singapore. He documents these actions which sets him up for his next assignment.

For documentation purposes, I have uploaded an additional edit that I had done before the supposed filming hiccup. The edit below is a continuation from my first video (as seen in my previous post – concept development 2) which shows the intended direction of the original film.

There were originally supposed to be 4 chapters in the film (2 of which were from the first video). The chapters were meant to serve as markers for the film, and also to bring in certain expectations of what to expect in each scene.

Chapter 1: The Collector

Chapter 2: The Dance

Chapter 3: The Job

Chapter 4: The Dream

FOUNDATION 2D II – Project 1 (Que Sera) – Final Project

February 12, 2017 / Mathias Choo / 1 Comment

Final Designs (Digital)

MY NAME IS
AND I’M A WOODCUTTER

MY NAME ISAND I’M A OIL DRILLER

MY NAME IS AND I’M A SLAUGHTERHOUSE WORKER

MY NAME IS AND I’M A COAL MINER

Final Designs (Mounted)

Reflection

When I was first introduced to the project and saw the word typography, I immediately thought of the entire font vocabulary, from sans serif to kernings to glyphs. I was initially hesitant as I did not have much exposure with this particular set of design language – typography.

I would later learn that we were not limited to using fonts, but instead, were encouraged to use the technique of image as text. Even though it was pleasing to hear, I soon realized that there were some principles of typography that I could not disregard when attempting my own designs.

Another important aspect I learnt was how and when to use various mediums. As I initially wanted to experiment with more traditional mediums such as paper cut and collage, I learnt that there was no value or benefit to my message with those mediums in my designs. Thus, knowing how a medium can affect your message is integral when designing any piece of work.

I would consider the entire project to be a step up from Foundation 2D I. This was because our designs were not simply constructed to look aesthetically pleasing based on aesthetic symbolism, but also had to convey an overarching message within our composites.

I felt that the toughest part about the project was the execution phase. As I already had a clear and concise message, I was struggling to find various techniques and styles to come up with a cohesive and fresh design – all while achieving a dynamic and engaging composition. As I intended for a neutral stance, balancing the two sides were especially difficult in a visual language as a slight tweak would affect the entire perspective of the design.

When approaching my designs, the choices and selection of images and vectors had to be carefully selected to achieve the ‘less is more’ effect. Even though there were many changes made to my initial ideas, I believe that for each tweak made, my designs managed to become more concise and effective. Having said all this, I would continue to expand and develop on my knowledge on typography, as I believe that this set of design language is an important tool for any designer in any field.

Quick Links: Research | Process | Final

FOUNDATION 2D II – Project 1 (Que Sera) – Concept Development

February 12, 2017 / Mathias Choo / 0 Comments

To enable for a convenient way to access the documentation of my process, I have decided to compile all developments into a single post!

Concept Development 1

I started by mapping out various jobs that I could use for my designs. From jobs that I personally wanted to do when I was younger, to jobs that I assume to be pointless or tough.

After the initial consultations however, I realized that our designs should be built around a message that we intend to convey. Thus, I decided to source for a controversial and debatable subject matter that I could highlight within my designs. I felt that this approach was much more effective at conveying a message through a design as it sets the viewer thinking and allows them to decide for themselves to which side they choose to root for.

I came up with my concept, message, tone – along with the 4 jobs and initials that I would use for my designs as seen below.

Concept: 4 designs of jobs that are related to the environment.

Message: Do certain jobs that are beneficial to mankind harm the environment? If so, should they be pursued?

Tone: Slightly satirical, presenting both sides of the argument, allowing viewers to decide for themselves what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.

Jobs Chosen:

1. Woodcutter

2. Oil driller

3. Slaughterhouse worker

4. Coal miner

Initials Chosen: “MAT”

The jobs were chosen to reflect various pollution and interactions that mankind has to our environment. Woodcutter – land; Oil driller – ocean; slaughterhouse worker – animals; coal miner – Air. The message had to be clear, as it would serve as the backbone to my designs.

Composite 1 (Woodcutter)

I started by listing out everything that was related to the job of a woodcutter. By using those objects and scenes, I attempted to sketch out several possible composites for my designs. As seen above, I wanted to experiment with traditional mediums such as paper cut and collage (more on the chosen medium below).

I felt that the idea of perspective was important in my designs and wanted to employ a distant view to let the audience feel like a spectator and so decided to construct my designs with an overhead or side view.

Through the consultations, I realized that the various mediums that I had initially wanted to experiment with would not serve much purpose in pushing my message across. Thus, I stuck to digital collage as they were simple to manipulate and gave me a clearer idea of my composites as compared to a sketch. I sourced for an overhead view image of a cluster of trees and multiplied the cluster to form a forest.

Stumps were used to signify the aftermath of wood being chopped, which would tie in to my chosen job as a woodcutter.

I juxtaposed the remaining trees with the stumps to form my name, creating a contrast that would make my name stand out. I also decided not to add any background (grass, soil, etc) as I felt that the colors would serve as a distraction to the viewer.

Feedback:

The design seemed to present an imminent situation to viewers (as if nothing could be done to revert the situation), thus making me lose the ‘neutral stance’ that I was intending for. One suggestion was to reverse the image of the trees with the stumps. Another suggestion was to add various elements to make the scene feel like an on going process of wood being chopped by making neighboring trees threatened. Joy also mentioned that I should consider the readability of text as it currently seems to be rather messy.

Concept Development 2

After getting feedback for my 1st composite, I had a clearer idea in terms of the direction that I was going to take for my four designs. I went on to revise my first design while further developing 2 other composites (oil driller & slaughterhouse worker).

Composite 1 (Woodcutter)

As the readability of the initials from my previous design was hard to spot, I decided for a more rigid and planned layout for the trees. As mentioned in my previous developments, I decided to invert the trees and stumps to make the message more neutral.

3-1

I outlined my name to test the outcome of the readability. In the above test, I felt that the “A” and “T” were occupying too much space (too broad).

By reducing the broadness of both texts, it allowed for the initials to be much more noticeable.

I decided to add twigs and logs into my composition to make them look like fallen logs from the process of wood cutting.

As the background seemed too empty, I tried playing around with various designs to make the image more realistic and less of a vectorized form. For the image above, I added a slight grain to the background to simulate sawdust from the chopping of trees.

I ended up with a crumpled paper texture for the background as I felt that it brought out the consumerism end of my job as a woodcutter.

Feedback:

One of the issues in this design was that the trees were too rigid and sequenced, which made the entire design seem unnatural. The stumps could also have been darker to allow for the initials to stand out. Another suggestion was to have a straight cut through the cluster of trees to further emphasize the human interaction with the environment.

Composite 2 (Oil Driller)

As I was looking through objects that were related to the job of an oil driller, I came across various oil rigs that seemed to be able to form the shape of my initials. I also wanted to play around with the idea of oil spills in a body of water as that is the most common form of pollution from oil rigs.

I tried sequencing various machines and rigs in a diagonal fashion instead of a horizontal line to make the composite seem much more dynamic. However, the more I tried to play around with my designs, the more they seemed to feel static and boring (as seen in the images above).

I decided to turn to vectors and surprisingly found some suitable images that I felt could be used in my designs.

By combining various vectors together, I managed to come up with the design as seen above.

The image of a colorful swirling pool was added to simulate a layer of oil that was resting on the surface of the ocean.

Feedback:

The feedback for this design was that the oil rig seemed to be miniature in relation to the ocean. Other comments were that the spilling from the oil rig could be further integrated with the ocean, and that there could be multiple oil rigs (repeatedly placed) to give the sense of an industrialized territory. As the oil rig was designed as a black vector, It was also hard to distinguish the “M” from “A” and “T “.

Composite 3 (Slaughterhouse Worker)

I started by brainstorming on the various elements that I could use for my designs. From hooks to meat rails to the use of a piece of a meat’s marbling to display my initials.

As seen in the design above, I attempted to use a slaughterhouse apron as I felt that the attire – especially when tainted with blood – acted as a synecdoche to the job of a slaughterhouse worker. However, the resulting design felt too static and predictable for the chosen job.

Reworking on my designs, I attempted to approach it from a consumer’s point of view by using cutlery and various cuts of meat.

I wanted my design and layout to be neat (almost like fine dining), in which the raw cuts of meat would counter the tidiness to create a sense of uneasiness to the image.

Feedback:

One feedback was that I could try to remove a piece of meat, leaving a trail of blood on the plate which would form the other half of the text. Another suggestion was to have the utensils be used in place of the meat, further increasing the interactivity to make the design less static (designing it in a way that the consumer is in the process of consumption). One of my peers also mentioned that I could try incorporating livestock within the composite.

Concept Development 3

As the developments in this section leads to the final submission, the feedback for my final designs can be viewed in my visual journal.

Composite 1 (Woodcutter)

Following up from my previous developments, I reverted back to an organic cluster of trees while scaling them into various sizes as the previous design was too rigid.

I slightly darkened the stumps and logs, making straight cuts through the trees as per the feedback from the previous consultation. This suggests that the trees were razed by human interaction.

Final design for submission – I decided to stick to the paper texture and adjusted the colors of the composition so that the initials would stand out from the trees. The background was also tweaked to complement the earthly colors that were produced by the trees and logs/stumps.

Composite 2 (Oil Driller)

I experimented by adding various textures and separated the colors of the oil rig to make my initials stand out. However, the oil rig still felt out of place when viewed together as an entire composite with the ocean.

I went back and re-textured the oil rig by manipulating the colors and textures. I wanted the oil rig to posses a dull color to represent the environment that it was situated in. This would be juxtaposed by the rainbow colored oil spill which underlies a contradictory tone in the composite.

Final design for submission – I multiplied and repeated the same image of the oil rig across the composition to create a sense of depth and distance. This, along with the grainy texture in the background, was added to further complement the oil rig’s dullness, which emphasized the monotony and industrialized job of an oil driller. The oil spillage from the oil rig is meant to be black (the color of crude oil), and only becomes a rainbow when it comes into contact with the ocean (water).

Composite 3 (Slaughterhouse Worker)

With reference from my previous developments, my design for the composite was fairly static. I tried to resolve this by canting and off setting the plate of raw meat in the composition.

I enlarged the plate of meat so that it would occupy more space on the screen. In addition to that, I removed a piece of meat that formed the letter “M” and replaced it with a blood trail on the plate.

Taking feedback from the comments given during the consultations, I integrated a knife into the letter “A” so that there would be more interaction with the utensils and raw cuts of meat.

I attempted to add a background image – sort of like a table cloth – of the common livestock (cows, pigs, chickens, etc). However, I felt that the addition of the background made the entire composition distracting as there was far less focus on the plate of meat.

I also tried to add a reflection to the knife, which displayed the carcass of livestock being hung on a meat rail.

Final design for submission – I removed the reflection as it was too distracting to the entire composite, and added a cloth texture to the background as it allowed for the entire plate of meat to stand out. The colors of the raw meat were meant to look fairly pastel and light to symbolize the unnoticeable threat of human interaction with animals. The meat would be then juxtaposed with a crimson red (blood) that immediately catches the viewer’s attention – which is the image’s focal point. I feel that this design definitely looks much more dynamic than my earlier composites whereby the elements were all static.

Composite 4 (Coal Miner)

Although this was the last design to be worked on, I had spent a decent amount of time brainstorming for possible variations to the composition. It was slightly easier to list out ideas for the coal miner as there were much more elements that I could experiment with. I was inspired by the various machines that coal miners used, and decided to incorporate the design of an excavator, and the use of negative space from the act of ‘mining’ into my designs.

I wanted my design to have a form of interaction within the composite, and thus, constructed a heap of coal into the shape of an “M”, while an excavator which deposits the coal would be designed to form the letter “A”.

Shaving off the inclined land on the right (above image), I managed to form the shape of a “T”. I also started to add fossil fuel power plants and coal transportation trucks to make the scene feel like an ongoing process of coal mining.

I filled the background with smog, along with adding smoke trials coming from the fossil fuel power stations to create a sense of dread and ‘suffocation’ within the image.

13-4

Final design for submission – I highlighted my initials to match the color of the coal to make it more noticeable within the composite. I also decided to desaturate the image by limiting the colors to – black, white, grey – so that the notion of air pollution is subconsciously much more apparent.

Quick Links: Research | Process | Final

FOUNDATION 4D II – Project 1 – Concept Development 3

February 12, 2017 / Mathias Choo / 0 Comments

Concept Development

11/02/17

0400 – Prepping for full day shoot with Mr. Ismail.

0500 – Arrived on location, awaiting Mr. Ismail.

0530 – After 3 calls, no sign of Mr. Ismail.

0610 – 16 calls later, still no sign of Mr. Ismail.

0700 – Breakfast.

0743 – Attempted to call Mr. Ismail again. He finally picks up. He tells me that he does not want to be part of my film any more. He instructs me not to call him again. He hangs up the phone.

FOUNDATION 3D II – Project 1 (Volumetric Transformation) – Final Project

February 7, 2017 / Mathias Choo / 0 Comments

Previous developments can be referenced from earlier posts. I constructed a new model for my final composite, making minor adjustments with reference from my previous pre-final model (mainly extending the length of the model & adding more planes to make the transformation process much more noticeable and ‘smooth’). The submission for my final composite can be viewed below.

Final Composite

final (Final Composite with Layout)

ezgif-com-resize4

I titled my model ‘Helix’, as the torsion of the form acquired a helical movement in it’s design. The elements are scaled respectively to one another, which results in a volumetric transformation starting from a shape that sits parallel to the base, to one that ends off resting diagonally. I decided to use wood for the mounting base as it gives a complementary contrast to the model, allowing for the model to stand out within a cohesive composition.

PDF of Final Layout: Helix

FOUNDATION 3D II – Project 1 (Volumetric Transformation) – Pre-final Composite & Lighting Tests

February 4, 2017 / Mathias Choo / 0 Comments

Referencing from my previous post, I continued to work on ‘composite 3’, which resulted in the design of my pre-final composite (‘to scale’ model) as seen below.

Planning Phase

(Composite 3)

As mentioned, composite 3 was designed by borrowing elements from both composites 1 & 2. The combination of the selected elements enabled my model to be much more kinetic as the movement of the design allowed the composite to spring in various directions.

Attempting my pre-final composite was both time consuming and challenging as I had to approach it with greater emphasis in terms of the details and calculations of its dimensions. Constructing my model would take a total of about 40 planes. Hence, I split them into 4 – 10 piece planes which made it easier to organize and look out for any discrepancies.

Pre-final Composite

(Pre-final Composite)

As seen above, I attempted to make the necessary adjustments to my model based off previous comments. However, I realized that the mounting board was much thicker than the art card that I had used in my earlier test models, which resulted in a slightly different form as compared to composite 3. It was good that this issue surfaced during the construction of my pre-final model, as I am able to make tweaks and adjustments when attempting my final model.

Lighting Tests With Model

I went ahead and constructed a base for my model to test it out with some lights, which allowed me to get a sense of how my final model would look like with the light source. I had initially planned to use wood as spacers for my final model, but now plan to stick with foam as I feel that the foam has its own translucent qualities which compliments and illuminates the model far more suitably. In addition to that, the color contrast of the wood and my chosen material (snow white mounting board) might serve as a distraction to the entire model. I may also add a layer of tracing paper (reference to 2nd image below) which would help diffuse the light, making the light source less prominent and distracting. below are some photos and GIFs of the model interacting with the light source.

FOUNDATION 4D II – Project 1 – Concept Development 2

February 2, 2017 / Mathias Choo / 0 Comments

Concept Development

I started off by making a trip to one of Singapore’s oldest public housing estates, Dakota Crescent. The low-rise estate which was built in 1958 by the Singapore Improvement Trust is currently in the process of evicting its residents after redevelopment plans were announced last year in 2016. According to Robert and my peers, this would be a karung guni hotspot. Unfortunately, I was slightly late in the process as most of the residents had already been relocated, and thus, there weren’t as many karung guni men around.

I was however lucky to meet a karung guni man by the name of Ah Chai. I spotted him while he was cleaning a stack of magazines by the side of his truck in the carpark. He stopped cleaning a particular magazine, and started flipping through the pages. I would only later find out upon moving closer that it was a playboy magazine. We spent over an hour talking (I was mainly listening) about his past and his life working as a karung guni man. The unfortunate part – none of this was documented and he was not comfortable with the idea of me filming him.

Thus, I had to make a second trip.

That was when I met Mr. Ismail, who so happens to stay in one of the apartments at Dakota Crescent. I won’t go into too much detail about his backstory as I intend for that to be surfaced within my documentary. Linked below is the test footage that I will be presenting during the critique.

The core theme that I would like to explore within my documentary is on ‘Dreams’, be it dreams that you get while you are asleep or those of aspirations and ambitions. I hope that my documentary will be able to explore these aspects of my chosen topic, and hopefully my style and approach can be identified.

The test footage above however has not managed to get to that level yet as I have barely scratched the surface. Thus, I will be going down several more times to engage and document Mr Ismail’s story, finding a means to weave my concept to his narrative.

FOUNDATION 4D II – Project 1 – Concept Development 1

February 2, 2017 / Mathias Choo / 0 Comments

Concept Development

I had recently been watching a number of films – documentaries in particular – over the semester break, and was inspired by various directors and film makers. I realized that many great documentaries were not just ‘great’ because of the topics and themes that were covered, but because of the characters/people that were portrayed within the films.

My initial idea was to cover the story of a karung guni (rag-and-bone) man in Singapore (‘Karung guni’ means gunny sack in Malay) as I was interested to understand and know more about the day to day life of someone in that profession. I also wanted to document my findings as the practice of karung guni – which was common in the past – seems to be much less observed in our current time.

1.) Werner Herzog

“I think the worst that can happen in filmmaking is if you’re working with a storyboard. That kills all intuition, all fantasy, all creativity.” – Werner Herzog

Notable for his peculiar sense of treatment in his documentaries, I decided to reference Herzog’s directing style for my project. In his recent works, he poses as the narrator in his documentaries. His insistent and almost mundane voice is comical and instantly recognizable, as if he was a character in his own films.

It is also clear that Herzog blends the line between fiction and non-fiction in many of his documentaries, which is what he calls an “ecstatic truth”. This can be explained as a truth that breaks all our usual mental schemes in order to rise to a poetic level – to use the director’s own words – which can be attained only through fabrication, imagination and stylisation.

The quote above by Herzog pretty much sums up how I intend to approach my own film. To proceed without a storyboard and allow for surprises and spontaneous events to materialize. Nonetheless, there would be an intended theme that I will be sticking to, which would hopefully evolve throughout the course of the project.

Below are some film references by Herzog that have inspired me:

1.) Bells From The Deep (1993)

2.) Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997)

3.) The White Diamond (2004)

4.) Encounters At The End Of The World (2007)

Another film that I had not listed out (as we watched it in class last semester) was Grizzly man (2005), which I personally feel has the strongest character development out of all his documentaries. Some other pointers that I have studied which summarizes Herzog’s treatment of his films:

Be ruthless with your footage
Disorient your audience
Make catastrophes part of your story
Collect the remarkable, Not garbage

2.) Tan Pin Pin

“I think artists, and I think of myself as one, are as a breed, eminently adaptable. We have to be. Most of us are supplicants and we have to satisfy the whims of funders, (government or private), investors and for some, the audience too, as well as ourselves. Serving several masters, we are chameleons and Houdinis. Fortunately, the form is very malleable. It is, after all, a system of signs so we can, with some dexterity, serve all.” – Tan Pin Pin

Tan Pin Pin was recommended to me by Robert during our consultation. He mentioned that I could reference certain cinematographic styles that she had used in her documentaries. I went back and watched one of her films – “Singapore GaGa”, which was a 55 minute documentary that covered Singapore’s aural landscape. The documentary which heavily revolves around public displays and various performers, touches on the desire for them to be heard, seen and to belong in Singapore.

Above is a short 10 minute preview of Singapore GaGa. After renting and watching the entire film, I would have to say that my favorite character was the underground MRT busker Ying, whom Tan had actually met by accident in a train station (3:28 – 5:30). This re emphasizes the idea of improvisation and allowing a concept/idea to develop circumstantially as the best stories often happen unexpectedly. I have also noted the camera work (mostly shot on a tripod) that was used within the film, which is a style that I may want to try to attempt when attempting my documentary.