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Critcal Reflection
In this critical reflection of my work I will be focusing on Heterotopias as a concept, and where my research into them lead me with my final illustration. Throughout the second semester of this year-long topic, I have explored places, artists, storyboarding and my own ideas using a vague and interesting stimulus.
Heterotopias are locations which are embedded in aspects and stages of our lives and which in some way mirror and at the same time distort or unsettle or invert other spaces. Put simply a normal location rooted in reality which can be seen as a distortion of reality. This usually involves typical and atypical characteristics clashing within a single space. For example, my first heterotopia used for this module was a space station. Despite being surrounded by human technologies, the unknown environment of space changes the context of everything and shows a distortion of the indoor setting. Heterotopias can be sorted into different types, summarised into six different principles by the philosophical researcher Michel Foucault. The concept my heterotopia of this semester encapsulates most however, is that it ‘Encapsulates spatio-temporal discontinuities or intensities’. This is due to the structure of the overall city and how it functioned. Many things which should have been separate such as businesses, homes and advertisements where forced into the same location due to lack of space. That or aspects such as streets, signs and homes where packed beyond the normal limit within the typical amount of space. A normal seeming city was distorted to accommodate its huge population, giving it heterotopic features.
The heterotopia I chose to research and re-create was the now demolished but well documented walled city in Kowloon Hong Kong. The city stood for around 50 years before being demolished in 1994 by the Chinese government. Before then it stood as a safe haven for dangerous gangs and hosted many unlicensed medical practices, especially dentistry. The city despite having a police force was dangerous and fairly lawless, as the poor squatters which continuously moved in made makeshift homes on the roofs of other homes, which continuously stacked up creating dangerously high buildings. Most citizens however enjoyed living within the walled city, as those who could not normally practice medically with their licences in Hong Kong due to certain restrictions, were able to work. I believe the walled city of Kowloon is a heterotopia as it’s a city disconnected from everything around it operating using its rules and regulations, which distorted a highly urbanised city into an almost dystopian context.
The mood board I created for the city is a collection of images mainly demonstrating the dense population and structure of the building in the city. I used mainly real photographs with few drawings to illustrate the aesthetic and tone of the city. The mood board is oversaturated with images closing the text in-between to help conveys the hectic, overwhelming and oppressive feeling of the city. Collecting the images I needed made me realise how well documented the city was. Various photographers kept extensive portfolios depicting the city, and even multiple accounts of video footage showing locations and citizens exist.
The main idea for using the city as a heterotopia was to depict the city in a mostly negative light, highlighting the problems of an inconsistently modernised city which retains slum like aspects. My original storyboard ideas showed various shots a people, from various places in the city. I wanted to show how the city was perceived by different types of people from regular citizens to children, business owners and more. After I received feedback from presenting my ideas, I realised I needed to keep my focus on the location and focus less on the people and use them as more like accessories to the city environments which can help tell the story. I decide that instead of creating one image in aftereffects going horizontally across the city, I should change the image so that it pans vertically. By doing this I could emphasise the height of the city buildings, and still conveying the feeling of being small I wanted to get across with the characters with other shots. Working vertically at for example, street level for the whole animation would limit the scope in which the city would be perceived by the audience. I chose to pan downward starting at a clear sky before showing how the screen eventually becomes more and more filled and hectic. Starting with a few wires coming across the shot from the roofs until eventually its filled with advertisements and crowds.
I planned on making my final illustration of what the finished scene would look like, on paper with pencil instead of any other format. I have software that I’d likely be able to create this image in however I feel this was the more suitable choice. As I’ve had less experience drawing digitally overall, as well as more experience drawing characters over background art, I feel I’d be able to make an overall higher quality image using pencil and paper. Using paper however provides it own difficulties. Using colour is a lot more difficulty and complicated. Erasing mistakes with colour also may not be possible, so instead I used greyscale shading. I’d also have to use high quality drawing paper in a format where I could create a lengthy image. The final image turned out well as I started discovering how to use shading and outlines more effectively as I worked. I had the idea in retrospect to draw the initial image on paper, and transfer it over to a digital software to use a base, where I could then use colour and the other advantages or digital art.
One thing I struggled with was the perspective and angle of the shot. I wanted to be able warp the image and give a perspective of looking upwards, as that was one of my original ideas. I used references to try and create this and inadvertently found the two games in development which used the city as either inspiration or as a setting. I thought having a 3D representation of the city could help with this. I had to settle for a normal angle in the end however, as the overall composition and look of the image felt distorted and out of place in my trials. I also first envisioned creating character sheets for the people in the animation, but after feedback and realising that I’d have to make a crowd shot, I settled with making featureless silhouettes. Using silhouettes is simpler and also adds to the mysterious atmosphere of the city I’m trying to depict.
The sound design of the animation would also be fairly simple. I would start at the top of the image with quiet diegetic background noises such as wind. As the screen travels downwards, the noise would slowly get louder as voices of muffled crowds and domestic arguments will be heard as the screen travels down from the apartment windows, into the streets below. I likely would have found royalty free noises online instead of making these myself as it would be quite difficult to emulate this myself. Collecting these noises in the streets could also pose problems, as recording individuals without consent violates some ethics.
During this module I did some research into some ethical issues when it comes to animation. These being IP (Intellectual property) and Image Content. Once my work starts being used in a professional context, I need to be aware of not infringing upon any copyright with my animations and artwork. Along with the basic need to respect others work and IP rights, I need to make sure I never directly use other materials in my work. In this context, not using and publishing any photographers’ images and calling it my own. This is in exception to works in the public domain, in which I feel I should still provide credit. Another more difficult issue is that of Image Content. There are times where if work is too similar to other people’s there could be problems. It can be up to interpretation where materials are to similar, but I still have to be careful to avoid this kind of conflict.
Overall, I am content with the ideas I came up with for this module as the research into Kowloon City was extremely engaging and interesting. The abundance of materials available about my chosen topic area was incredibly useful in my research of the design and aesthetic of the city. Despite struggling to accurately depict the scene how I wanted, I found solutions and am happy with the overall product. In the near future I plan on improve my illustration skills both traditionally and digitally so I can properly express my ideas and concepts in the most appropriate format, as I feel a strong visual style and identity will greatly benefit my work.
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I visited the Hancock museums exhibition to do some research on how to construct storyboards and the ways of creating concept art. This was extremely fun and informative.
Character design is personalty extremely interesting to me. So being able to see a whole exhibition describing the techniques and methods used to make art that is bold, clear and stands out was incredibly useful
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Illustrator Practice
Using a picture of the Geisel Library I practised my skills using Adobe Illustrator, using the pen tool.
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Coloured Landscape
I’m new to drawing more detailed backgrounds and landscapes, so i’m pleased i was able to make a decent image form this exercise. The colours I used could be improved upon as well as using lighting better and showing more contrast in the shot
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Grey scale Landscape in Photoshop
In this exercise I used Photoshop to practice creating backgrounds. We started in Greyscale in order to show the contrast between the foreground, midground and background effectively.
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Film Scene Analysis
I redrew the main shots of the opening of the film Alita: Battle Angel studying the shot types and composition and analysing them. I chose Alita because the opening shows clear and well done symbolism through the lighting and contrast of the shots. Size is also depicted very effectively.
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A best version of my new storyboard building upon the feedback I’ve received. These would be connected moving downwards showing the decent from the roof to street level.
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Storyboard shot and composition ideas
These are some of the ideas for my Kowloon city animation, showing possible camera angles compositions and concepts. Most show a Characters interacting with the setting as this is where I feel the city is most interesting
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Collage
Scene example:
Static medium shot, Only diagetic sound, not much motion from characters. Dark somewhat depressive tone, juxtaposed with loud busy streets outside, somber quiet, sadness/confusion, reflect state of city and people in it. Slum-like. Emphasises the Inconsistencies of modernisation and slum like environments.
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Kowloon City Research
I've created a moodboard depicting The Walled City of Kowloon, my chosen Heterotopia. I've included images and research into the cities history and design. Its the cities unique dystopian aesthetic which interests me most.
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Brief
Create a 20-30 second animation which sets a heterotopic scene. Create a Portfolio of work E.g storyboard/ mood boards/concept art
I’m glad i’ll be able to explore Heterotopias in more detail this time with as full animation.I looked forwards to storyboard again and actuality using it to create an animation form. Making concept art is also something I really enjoy and hopefully I can find a heterotopia which interests and inspires me.
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