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SURREAL

Definition

The adjective "surreal" is defined by Merriam-Webster as "marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream" or "unbelievable." More directly, it could be understood as something very strange; more like a dream than reality, with ideas and images mixed together in a strange way

Examples and Inspirations:

Punch-Drunk Love - Paul Thomas Anderson

The excellent picture by Paul Thomas Anderson beautifully conveys the word "surreal" by its truest meaning. The imagery of a man in a blue suit walking around places the entire film is so strange and quirky, the dreamy lighting and the soundtrack all combine together to create a mesmerizing atmosphere to the film. As a result, the surreal feeling is so pervasive in this context that the addition of a love story enhances the effect, giving the film a more dreamlike aesthetic.

Dreams - Akira Kurosawa

The movie's title pretty much speaks for itself, but I'll still go into more detail. Being an anthology of stories or in the context of the film: dreams that the director himself has experienced in the past, the bizarre aspects are relevant from the first frame of the movie, making it one of my favorite films as well. The word "surreal" was always present in my mind the first time I watched it. On the director's blank canvas, the costume design, the sets, the locations, the choreography in some sequences, and the cinematography come together to create the most vivid and colorful movie I've ever seen, almost like a painting. Given that I share the director's cultural background as an Asian, the inclusion of some religious elements in the movie gives the surreal events a sense of personal connection for me, though it may be off-putting to others.

One Piece - Eiichiro Oda

In terms of originality and surrealism, the world and character design from the manga One Piece by the renowned mangaka Eiichiro Oda are, in my opinion, the best in the business. As you can see above with his designs for some islands and characters in the story, Oda is a highly imaginative author. The design, which is still cartoonish and is set in a sea-based fantasy world full of pirates, was initially quite straightforward as you can see with the main character Luffy. As the plot developed, more and more absurd elements were added, but it was clear that these elements were inspired by aspects of everyday life, such as the scientist character who is based on Albert Einstein. I believe that Oda has successfully incorporated "surrealism" into his story with that stark contrast to the absurdity of the world he created and the inspiration that he draw from the real world.

The Story of the Moving Image - ACMI Museum

I recently visited a fantastic moving image history exhibition here in Melbourne, and it was amazing. For reasons I'll explain below, the experience was for me a mix of the mesmerizing and the surreal. Being able to see all the various pieces of gear and the various filmmaking processes in action before my very eyes as a movie enthusiast was astounding. I had the impression I was walking in a time capsule of all the greatest cinemas when I was touring the exhibition, it was almost transparent and surreal to learn about some of the lighting techniques and real-life stop-motion animation used to create the magic on screen; in some ways, this incredible exhibition made me feel like I was actually in a movie. The exhibition's design, which divided each section into time periods, was clever. Additionally, the moody lighting that permeated the space enhanced the surreal elements of the setting.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson is renowned for his highly stylized films, in which everything is both simultaneously realistic and fantastical, while what appears on screen seems to belong in a grounded reality, Anderson's vision gives the viewer the uncanny impression that there are abstract elements that can't possibly be real. For this example, I will talk about a personal favorite of mine from his: "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou". Because of the flatness of the images and the vibrant colors he uses in the sets and costumes, Anderson's visual style is frequently compared to a storybook. In the case of Steve Zissou, the iconic imagery of the red beanie in contrast with the light blue suit, the large set of a cruise ship, and the cinematography all ensuite with style and surrealism. While other directors strive to make their movies as seamless and true to life as possible, Anderson fully embraces the craft of filmmaking and lets the audience see how it's done, which distinguishes him as such a singular voice in contemporary cinema.

Nightcall - Kavinsky

The Nicolas Winding Refn-directed movie Drive, which stars Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan, featured this song during the title sequence. The song's Synthwave subgenre was primarily inspired by the music featured on the 1980s soundtracks for action, science-fiction, and horror movies. Consequently, it also explains the surrealistic feeling I experienced while listening to this song with its electronic vocal, intense beats, and sound wave. Drive's soundtrack did an excellent job of conveying the film's gloom and gloom; the main character experienced an unmatched sense of mystery as a result of the song, despite the realistic setting. Surrealism was unquestionably a major element of both the song and the movie, in my opinion, because of that combination up front.

Hanoi's Old Quarter

Hanoi's Old Quarter is well-known for its many attractions, delectable cuisine, exciting nightlife, and distinctive handicrafts. The city's ups and downs are evident in this downtown area. Since this blog is my opinion, I figure why not pay homage to my hometown here since something about Vietnam, or more specifically Hanoi, still has such a profound impact on me, and the walk through the Old Quarter was truly fantastical, despite the fact that I've traveled to many other countries. To the west and north of Hoan Kiem Lake is where you'll find the Old Quarter of Hanoi. The sensation of exploring a location where at least 36 trade guilds have operated since the fifteenth century was magical, just like with the exhibition I mentioned above, this also feels like a time capsule. Just the thought of something still standing to this day existing since the 15th century was mind-blowing enough, let alone I can walk through it every day for the last 20 years was truly surreal.

Switzerland - 2022 Trip

I got the chance to visit Switzerland last year and that would hand down be one of my favorite trips ever. The landscape in Switzerland was absolutely breathtaking and it was also the first time I got to see snow which brings the surreal aspect of the trip from a ten to an eleven. I am transported to another dimension by the mountain, snow, lake, ocean, and the clearest blue sky I have ever seen; it is truly a dream come true.

Van Gough's Works

Vincent Van Gough's masterpieces, which I had the opportunity to see at the Rebut Exhibition in Rome, undoubtedly achieve the adjective "surreal" through their distinct artistic elements. Van Gough's emotional intensity and vibrant use of color have created a transcendent and dream-like experience for the viewer. I was amazed by the way he offered a glimpse into a world where dreams and reality intertwine seamlessly. The exhibition in Rome allowed me to immerse myself in the surreal world of van Gogh's painting, where the ordinary transformed into the extraordinary.

Avatar: The Way of Water - James Cameron

From a technical standpoint, James Cameron's work in The Way of Water was unmatched and innovative, just like in the original film back in 2009. Ironically, James created a fantasy world that was so fantastical and out of this world in order to achieve the most realistic water effect ever captured on film with the help of flawless CGI and motion capture. The most hypnotic theatre experience, especially in IMAX, was created by the fantastical landscape, the fictional Na'vi people flying around the realistic water, and the various strange animals. The combination of practical effect and CGI mixed together strangely stands true to the definition of surreal.

With all those examples, I believe that the word "surreal" can refer to more than just its dictionary definition; it can also refer to an emotional experience, such as a memento.

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WEEK 2: A Turbulent Start to the Course

Reflection

The start of my Heightened Multisensory Experiences has been a turbulent one since due to unfortunate circumstances, I have to fly back to my home country and missed a week and a half of content on class. That was wild but from what I've been trying to catch up on, this week was dedicated to honing in on and perfecting the selected state, which I went with surreal. I went with the word since surrealism's always something that fascinated me in art or more specifically in films which is my favorite form of media and the thing that I'm most passionate about. Although surrealism has the most associated with painting and sculpting since it's a huge art movement from the 20th century that explored the inner workings of the mind while emphasizing the poetic, the revolutionary, and the irrational. I found its association with other media as interesting as ever and the emotional aspect it gave to the audience is unparallel and can be somewhat personal like a piece of memento.

Research

Some of the examples of Surrealism that I found in media and creative works (mostly films)

Punch-Drunk Love - Paul Thomas Anderson

The excellent picture by Paul Thomas Anderson beautifully conveys the word "surreal" by its truest meaning. The imagery of a man in a blue suit walking around places the entire film is so strange and quirky, the dreamy lighting and the soundtrack all combine together to create a mesmerizing atmosphere to the film. As a result, the surreal feeling is so pervasive in this context that the addition of a love story enhances the effect, giving the film a more dreamlike aesthetic.

Nightcall - Kavinsky

The Nicolas Winding Refn-directed movie Drive, which stars Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan, featured this song during the title sequence. The song's Synthwave subgenre was primarily inspired by the music featured on the 1980s soundtracks for action, science-fiction, and horror movies. Consequently, it also explains the surrealistic feeling I experienced while listening to this song with its electronic vocal, intense beats, and sound wave. Drive's soundtrack did an excellent job of conveying the film's gloom and gloom; the main character experienced an unmatched sense of mystery as a result of the song, despite the realistic setting. Surrealism was unquestionably a major element of both the song and the movie, in my opinion, because of that combination up front.

One Piece - Eiichiro Oda

In terms of originality and surrealism, the world and character design from the manga One Piece by the renowned mangaka Eiichiro Oda are, in my opinion, the best in the business. As you can see above with his designs for some islands and characters in the story, Oda is a highly imaginative author. The design, which is still cartoonish and is set in a sea-based fantasy world full of pirates, was initially quite straightforward as you can see with the main character Luffy. As the plot developed, more and more absurd elements were added, but it was clear that these elements were inspired by aspects of everyday life, such as the scientist character who is based on Albert Einstein. I believe that Oda has successfully incorporated "surrealism" into his story with that stark contrast to the absurdity of the world he created and the inspiration that he draw from the real world.

Progress

Since I've been busy back in my country so this week is mostly spent on researching and honing down my adjective of choice which I have done, the technical and academic I acknowledge is still lacking in this week's progress but when I get back to Australia I will try to work on it and catch up to the class.

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WEEK 1: Introduction to Heightened Multisensory Experiences

Reflection

When I first got into the class on the first day of this semester and we started talking about color theory and the relation between color and emotions, it took me right back to the last semester when I took on the TCRE (Transformative Colour-Resonance Environments) course by Cy Gorman. The impact of color and the theory all around it all fascinated me of how we assigned different emotions to color but it could differ from person to person, the whole psychological aspect of that could be said till infinite.

But now with some of that familiar concept with the addition of now have to apply it to my future project like stage lighting and sound mixing all combine together trying to create a Multisensory Experience. For me this course is almost like the continuation of TCRE to take the color theory or the concept of different emotions for everything in life in general and take it to the next level, now we're trying to somewhat manipulate the emotions of the audience to the tale that we want to tell on stage. Shape, sound, lighting, movement, composition,..etc are now all up to the table as tools for us students to utilize for our project.

And since I've had a cold last week so I couldn't attend the Thursday class so if I'm missing any new information or discussion on class I will try to catch up on it.

Research

For this week's research, I've just been looking through all of the examples on the module to have a taste of the course and what I'm gonna face for the next few assignments. Overall the projects that I've been looking through were really interesting and most importantly visually striking which serve the subject of this course to teeth. Some of the examples from the lecturer slide like EPA – Danny Kay (Form. The structural momentum of small windows into uncomfortable shots generates anxiety the further it progresses.

Some images are visually innocuous, but become problematized by the context. The incongruous elements are the elements that arguably prevent the whole experience from feeling like a trophy

Video – Richard Grant

Noise – Darrin Verhagen) really fascinated me with all of the eerie atmospheres that the video achieved through its sound design alone, the image was also really creepy as well not gonna lie but the environment that the sound alone created here I think was phenomenal. It also reminded me of the boat on the chocolate river from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory which also contain a range of sequence of creepy and confusing imagery and disturbing sound design, it was especially striking when contrasted with the lighthearted tone from the rest of the movie, that contrast of emotion's definitely something that I want to dive into more and experiment for my future project. Other works for the Capitol lighting system were also great and I'll definitely pursue one of those projects for my assignment.

Progress

Since it's the first week of the semester and I've missed out on one class due to illness so not much progress here just catching up on the lecture on class, some thoughts, and research that I've made for this week's first entry blog. For a preferred heightened multisensory experience from the list. I haven't quite decided yet, but I might go with either exhilarating, awesome, or surreal. I'm interested in those adjectives for now and I'll try to pin down 1 or 2 max next week for my assignment.