brads-designs-blog

[brads-designs-blog]

Astro Spiral

Museum: London Film Museum Bond in Motion

Object: AMC Hornet Hatchback

 Welcome to bond in motion here at the London Film Museum. James bond theme tune plays

The exhibition starts right here at… (pauses audio guide) and enters the underground lair exhibition.

Featuring an extensive collection of original props and vehicles featured in the iconic film series including concept drawings, storyboards. Highlights include “numerous automobiles on display include the archetypal Bond car, the Aston Martin DB5, majestic Rolls-Royce Phantom III and the unforgettable Lotus Esprit S1 submersible… the exhibit also includes a variety of aircraft, boats and motorcycles.” (http://londonfilmmuseum.com/. Radim Malinic. 2018).

 On a stand in the back corner of the exhibit space, a sporty hot rod red car sits. A standard 1974 AMC (America Motor Corporation) manufactured Hornet Hatchback X, with a 2.5-litre engine, 6 cylinders, a power of 100bhp and a maximum speed of 101mph. The object brought back a memory of a car jump scene I saw when I was a kid; the barrel roll. In ‘The man with the golden gun’ Bond commandeers an AMC Hatchback from a Bangkok showroom. In pursuit of villain Scaramanga AMC Matador, they embark on a high-speed chase in Bangkok. The car famous moment comes when bond jumps the Hornet forty-feet over a Thai river performing a twisting three-hundred- and sixty-degree bowl turn in mid-air before landing on a partial bridge on the opposite bank. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzCIbhLUUA0. CinemaSlantsVideo. 2011).

 Did you know? “The placement of automobiles in films was pioneered by the American Motors Corporation for the ninth Bond film, The man with the golden gun”. – (https://www.amc.com/talk/2010/05/product-placement-in-the-movies. Sara Davis. 2010).

 The AMC Hornet is a compact automobile, manufactured and marketed by AMC in a single generation from model years 1970 through 1977 — in sedan, wagon, and hatchback coupe configurations. The car was advertised through a range of mediums; brochures, magazines, newspapers, posters, product placement, showrooms, television and radio commercial. The AMC promoted clienteles to view and test drive at their dealers. In 1974, the popular hatchback sold for $2,449, now the classic compact muscle car price is $8,995. Recently, the original (as-jumped condition) AMC Hornet went into an auction, where estimating to sell for $350,000 but sold for $110,000.

[brads-designs-blog]

Deer in headlights

I am walking down the street, people are staring at me. I catch them, suddenly they look elsewhere, through me or even dare to continue staring at me. A background character, someone you wouldn’t second glance, now I am out of the norm and in an unfamiliar environment. Overthinking? Paranoid? No, I’m no longer hidden.

Everyone participates in this social design. Unknown, unnoticed and never thought more than twice.

A similar design concept can be observed with other creatures. A squirrel, once detecting movement it will glance upon in wonder, from realisation the squirrel will assume the movement to be a danger and scatter up the nearest tree for shelter.

Wandering to the destination. To take in observations of the passing people. Observing their agenda.

Action. It begins and so does the vicious cycle. Yes, confusion.

In the hypothesis of ‘design’ during this episode, I explore the design role, functions and effects through architecture, interactive, and socially. Now question everything. Why is there no name?

Architecture, the layout of the road, there being two sides. Why? Matter! Of course, it doesn’t. Everything is irrelevant to cause relevance. Would walking on a certain side cause one to actively stare at another? How about that pavement? Under our feet it remains, does a soft or harsh path play a part? Or what about its own appearance? Filthy as a reason. Gleaming for distraction. What off the surrounding architecture, buildings, car parking lots, what of their appearances? Again, do they cause person attention for the satisfying smooth-edged or averts one’s eyes by deriving a fierce and sharp look. Do the architecture block out the path border view to force another to look at one?  

Interactive, one may communicate. It is still a thing where people who still greet other people in this manner a stranger saying hello. Unfamiliar to our generation, yes but maybe not so much in another. A look may signal a threat. What are thou looking at? Will you flee or fight your ground? After all, it was just a simple look? Or possibly more than just a look? Would I affect how they hold their head? In confidence, held high. In uncertainty, hung low. Is it their character to be oblivious or conscious?

Socially, the area, it is called society. Yes. Wearing rags while walking through an upper-class neighbourhood will raise an eyebrow, commonly looking onwards avoiding the homeless person. Conversely, dressed in a stylish outfit while amongst a lower-class community of people, the lost eyes roam to this character for food? Water? Shelter? In greed? Is it deemed upon what you are wearing for eagle eyes?

How about one day, the staring becomes a problem, in triggering a staring contest amongst people.

As easy as it may be to become lost, amongst questions, too many to count. This light should be left untouched. For it may be the smart thing to leave this unexplanatory design concept alone. As one may become paranoid over a simple but meaningless glance.