Tuesday 1 December 2015

Visual Culture #11

In Malcolm's lecture, we looked at 'Creativity as a symptom of Change' (which in my opinion makes creativity sound like a disease), with a focus on Mid-Victorian creativity (1837-1901). 

This era was a huge arts and crafts movement as well as architecture, with a particular focus on the working class. We looked briefly at Morris, a socialist for the equality and freedom of the worker, but he was also a multi-millionaire. Bias much? He then said;


"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or beautiful"
Which I found was a really nice quote, but I am a shameless hoarder, and so were many Victorians.


http://itstartsatmidnight.com/2015/05/a-guide-to-epic-book-hoarding/

Old relationships between artists and their art and society were preserved, which is why the Kelmscott Press became popular. They used printing presses and created wonderful pieces of art in books with different fonts. Some examples also look very much like Lord of the Rings (it is likely Tolkien was inspired by them).

We then looked at the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. I was already aware of the basics, not because of art or history, but because of the TV series Desperate Romantics (fab series. Plus it has Aidan Turner in it.) I couldn't find a specific clip, so here's a trailer.


The Brotherhood wanted a artistic renewal, with serious, sincerity and a truth to nature in their paintings, with various symbolism.

We focused on the paintings of Christ in the house of His Parents and Isabella and the pot of Basil for symbolism. Christ in the house of His Parents having various religious connotations like the stigmata and John the Baptist carrying a bowl of water, and Isabella and the pot of Basil with a foreshadowing of death from Keats's poem the painting is based off. 


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_in_the_House_of_His_Parents

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_and_the_Pot_of_Basil

In Di's session, we looked at Cinema vs. TV and the technological trail. On the discussion on Moodle, we were told to identify and offer an analysis of examples of media production that has evolved out of existing codes and conventions to create new forms and platforms for entertainment. And to also include any thoughts you have on how it may develop or evolve to meet future needs and expectations. 

I decided to look at a film and a TV example (hence 'examples') and my TV example is the Netflix series Jessica Jones.

Marvel has undergone a huge technological trail of development from being a comic, to films to TV series to VOD. VOD is also a huge technology development with the success of Netflix and now having their original series'.
Jessica Jones also has various references to the comics (this maybe going off topic, but I'd say it's all under the same umbrella with development).

Trish/Jewel holds up a costume similar to Jessica Jones' superhero costume in the comics.
http://comment.blog.hu/2015/11/27/10_csodas_easter_egg_a_jessica_jonesbol



A scene exactly the same in the comics as the TV series. 
http://www.adorocinema.com/slideshows/series/slideshow-117477/

Going with the Marvel theme, the film I decided to look at is Avengers Assemble (Joss Whedon, 2012). 

Avengers is a huge movie and box office success, being a summer blockbuster and the hugeness of the film adding to the multiplex experience. However, I'm particularly looking at the motion capture of the Hulk in the film for technological development.

http://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/scifi/sidebyside-motion-capture-photos-show.html

Fair enough, Lord of the Rings also did this with Gollum. However, this newest version of the suit and technological development managed to capture Mark Ruffalo's facial features, making it look more realistic and proportionate, making audiences believe and more immersed in the film environment.

The future could mean that VOD or films could become legally free. However, this could loose the quality of the TV series, going back to the old studio system where films were mass produced. Technology could also advance to something similar to the Oculus Rift (Virtual Reality) to actually put you in the movie? Cool idea, but I can't see into the future.

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