The Cabinet of Dr Caligari

Finally had the pleasure to watch the Cabinet of Dr Caligari this week - I knew LoveFilm would come in useful at some point. It relates to my animation because it is a silent film and the score really reflects the atmosphere of the narrative. The film goes through various colour tints, denoting time of day and location. I really like the use of vignettes to 'pan in' to subjects, although this was out of necessity. Light and dark are exploited, particularly in the facial expressions of Doctor Caligari and Cesare.

My favourite thing about the film though, has to be the beautiful sets, thanks to the German expressionist movement. As they are entirely fabricated the director had full control over the composition of each shot, and many scenes employ white painted shapes to give a sense of movement and space. They are abstract and get gradually more surreal as the plot progresses in its bizarre way. Each scene could be a painting and they really appeal to me, but I'm not sure their dark quality [the sort of thing I'm usually drawn to] would suit my narrative.

Of the scenes, I particularly like the staircase and prison cell [with the cross painted on the floor], and also the mountains.  The pace of the film felt quite slow, but if the scenes were cut short I imagine much of the 'suspense' would have been lost. I guess I should to mention my enjoyment of the "Du musst Caligari werden" sequence, where the obsessive thoughts of the doctor are visualised in the space. I wonder if there is a place for text within my animation?

The DVD has an audio essay which I haven't had chance to watch yet, I hope I'll have chance before I return it. And now for the good stuff, a selection of stills:

British Museum

I spent a couple of hours in the British Museum on Friday after a meeting with Phil at Meanwhile. Spent most of the time looking at the Greek pots and some of the friezes. My camera was playing up so I didn't get as many photographs as I wanted, but got a little bit of drawing in too. I really like the technique that's used on some of the pots, where a ground is laid on the surface and then details scratched away - like scraper-board. There is so much detail in everything.

I find the pot paintings to be quite a contrast to Greek sculpture, the paintings are quite stylised in contrast the the realism of the sculpture; they are figurative, but the stylistic quality seems to have been enforced by the medium.

Small selection of photographs from Friday, plus a couple of drawings, I'll revisit this week to spend more time with the sculpture [when I'm not so ill...]:

 

Preparation

I spent a substantial amount of time planning the next five months today, I'm going to be so incredibly busy I'll probably go insane when it's all over, if I don't go insane during... Feeling extremely positive and energised after a lengthy Christmas break. It's great to reach the point where I have recouped enough that I'm so enthusiastic about getting back to work that I don't have to try to be enthusiastic. I have gone into a ridiculous amount of detail, so even though it's a lot of work, if I meet the hundreds of tiny 'deadlines' it's manageable.

I've been thinking about the music for the animation and in my research I came across Alexander Scriabin, who composed a symphony called Prometheus: The Poem of Fire. It's only loosely based on the myth itself, but he designed an instrument called a "clavier à lumières", which was a kind of colour piano - each note assigned a colour [akin to sound > colour synaesthesia] which would be projected as part of the performance. I've only found one bit of film showing this, but I found it quite interesting as I'm interested in the visual being entwined with the aural and how they can respond to each other.

I've listened to it several times now and I think it's pretty close to what I was after with the dynamics of the music, although at twenty minutes long it needs some thoughtful editing. Others on my shortlist include: Explosions in the Sky - Look Into The Air or A Poor Man's Memory, Jethro Tull - Post Last, Ludovico Einaudi - Questa Notte, Enya - Cursum Perfico, 65 Days of Static - 65 Doesn't Understand You. I'm fairly sure there was also a Mogwai track that I had in mind too. I'll have to go through this list again when I have the storyboard done and I can put together an animatic or two to see how they could work together.

A few more drawings of my Prometheus from today:

Prometheus, Zeus and a few others...

The animation project stems from my work with developing insect characters previously. I'm trying to find the right balance between their insect and humanoid aspects, the intention is that their insect side makes them stand out as the Immortals that they are - something otherworldly [as insects often appear to be] and fantastic [as Gods and Goddesses should be, really?].

Vaguely in chronological order, small backlog of character drawings from over Christmas:

 

 

Greek Myths

The biggest project I have planned for this year is an animation to music of the Prometheus myth from Greek mythology; his creation of man to the wrath of Zeus having disobeyed him by giving man the gift of fire. The more I think about it the bigger it becomes, so I think it's best not to think about it and just do...

Been looking at Greek art, mostly the sculpture and frieze, in A Handbook of Greek Art [Gisela M.A. Richter]. Now I'm back in London it's time to go along to the British Museum I think and have a good proper look at them. They're all very sequential, and perhaps I can borrow something from the style? I'm finding it difficult to find good visuals of their vase paintings.

Some studies...