BACK TO BASICS

I have been researching elements of Mise-En-Scène in order to understand and make better choices. I do not want to create something that is too dark but then in animation B i do want an element of darkness. I have looked at this book by John Gibbs and selected parts of case studies in order to help myself with different elements of Mise-En-Scene. I've done a lot work around this in the past but it's nice just to refresh my memory so I can get clearer ideas of specifics in my head rather than just going off and picking up a camera not necessarily thinking about what i'm doing...



This is an early and famous example of a piece of film which demonstrates concepts of Mise En Scene successfully and clearly to it's audiences. It's a horror film from the 1920 directed by Robert Wiene.

The demonstration of Mise En Scene is just as important in Animation. Here's an example of an animation from a similar era, which i feel encompasses a good sense of Mise En Scene...


From around 4 minutes in there's some really nice closeups of the characters and scenes of a forest or jungle. Although it's black & white and can't project colour at all, it still uses other areas of Mise En Scene to evoke empathy with the characters and a sense of their surroundings. I particularly like around 6:20 where Betty Boop dances next to the waves with the sunset in the background. It's framed really nicely and doesn't have to have much movement in the background as she takes up most of the shot with her dancing

"Is anybody lookin'!?" Awww, amazing.

TWINKLE

Here's one of my favourite books, I feel it inadvertantly inspires the way I draw faces since it's something I ALWAYS refer too. I can definately see that my final version of Jack is a representation of this inspiration.

PAPER FLOWERS

DESIGN PROBLEM

Helpful.

SCHMOHAWK

Here are some of my very own silhouette's...

HAND SHADOWS

Found this interesting wee book. Photographed by 'prob' on flickr.

LOVE IT!

My dad gave me the idea of doing an animation with just Shadow Pupets. So would that be more like a video or would i still capture each from as if i were doing stop frame? Hm, something to think about....

PICA PICA

Here's a beeeautiful book of birds I found in the Vernon street library. It's got gorgeous illustrations, they're so bright and realistic. I love them. I could never illustrate like this but it's certainly taught me how to draw a magpie properly.

HELLO LIVE BRIEF

HELLO! HELLO!

This is from this years YCN book. I'm not that interested in the entry's in comparison to the teamwork that put together the artwork for the book itself. OH WELL! It's the perfect starting point!

BOOK WORM

CHECK IT OUT!

THE SILENT FILM POSTER

I've been scouring the library since seeing all that amazing Russian 1920's art on the Culture Show. I've come across some incredible work! Mainly by the Stenburg Brothers.







As i've been comparing American & Russian contrasts in Animation from around the time of the space race it's really interesting to contrasting film posters. These Russian exmaples are really reminiscent of Constructivism but also I feel when compared to American film posters from the same time they almost almost express the contrasts between art nouveau & art deco.



This 1920's Nikolai Prusakov poster of 'The Glass Eye' from 1929 is a really good example of what an Art Deco inspired piece may represent. Although when compared to a poster from the 1920's in America like this one... Hells Angels in 1928. The angular use of line, shape and blocks of colour are still apparent but there is still a softness reminiscent of Art Nouveau. This is just a small observation but I feel it kind of represents the constraints of Russia at the time where as America expresses the opposite approach



It's really hard to express what I mean, but the contrasts I have highlighted are ones i've seen throughout the comparisons I have made in my research. America's expression of "free thinking" through art & advertising and Russia's stricter approach is always really obvious in early representations of culture.

WANNIT!

SHOULD HAVE SAVED MY CASH!

GOOD READS

The Film Factory:

Although 1939 is not quite as close to the 1950's as I'd have liked...It has some really in depth and useful analysis of Soviet Film history. It's quite startling the amount of information in it. It's got plenty of stills along with newspaper articles, letters and interviews (amongst other useful propaganda). I've been looking to buy it from Amazon but it's a bit pricey for me at the minute, but whilst searching I found it on Google Books. This is a different cover to the one I got from the Library but it's the whole book by the look of things... wont have to buy it after all!

I ♥ GOOGLEBOOKS

Film Propaganda: Soviet Russia & Nazi Germany:

This book explains how Soviet Russia & Nazi Germany used film as 'a weapon for mass political propaganda'.

I STILL ♥ GOOGLEBOOKS

BRAIN FOOD

These books are like carrots & banana's, good for the eyes & the brain!

Cold War Years:

Oh god look at the pt size.

This is more brain food than eye food...I did say good for the brain, but in small doses! It's a bit intense and includes such a sparse and diverse history that I just can't seem to grasp. A bit too...Soviet?! At least it's keeping with the theme of the information in it! Too wordy for my liking. It does have really good information and is complete with maps, keys and diagrams. But, i've got to admit, I've been having to re-read everything and I'm not getting a hell of a lot of info stay in my brain, just thinking "shit, there's a hell of a lot I still don't know!" This book would definitely laugh at me if it could...It's certainly not a beginners guide!

I'm in desperate need for some visual treats here!!! Big headings and synopses are more my cup of tea on this subject...

Red Star Over Russia:

This is more like it... I definitely prefer carrots. Lots of information that has seeped through my eye sockets and curled up for what I hope will be a long time.



Lenin & Stalin...





This is just a bit of insight into Stalin's regime...