Everyone goes somewhere when looking for ideas, whether its a real place or imagined. My place right now is my latest project. I created a cavern, striped black and grey. A brown dirt road that forks in the middle serves as its center peice.
A sign in the middle points to two different places. 10 miles to Nowhere and 21 miles to No place in particular. The moon rises in the blackness surrounding the cavern. The road goes on forever, zigzagging left and right as it approaches mountains behind.
This is the main setting for what will take place in my next claymation. It is hell. My rendering of it at least. It has a black iron fence that serves as a crooked container for the slanted organ with skull pipes. It has a greyish atmosphere. Rarely seen is a color. It is desolate.
And it makes me think. This hell is like my template for creative thought. My only ideas are how to put as much bright light in it as possible. Color brought into a colorless environment. Yet every character will bring life to this place not just one or two.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Molding Manifesto
Now a claymator shouldn't quit, steal characters, or be unoriginal. But what should a claymator strive to do?
Work Hard
With all that life has to offer, it is easy to get drawn to other things when more important things are at hand. You have to spend at least a couple hours every week devoting time to making claymations. You have to motivate yourself. Take pride in it, and working hard for it will be enjoyable. You will be able to endure anything.
Be Creative
Easier said than done. But have fun being creative. Go out and isolate yourself for a little bit. Listen to peoples conversations, watch how they walk. Look at the clouds, look at everything. This is the fuel for creativity and your mind is the engine. Keep a notebook on you everywhere. If anything pops up in your head original or funny, write it down right away or it will leave you forever. Keep that notebook dear to you. Take pride in writing down things in it. If your not smart, not creative, not the material that you think doesn't make you right for what you want to be, keep doing it, if its what you want. Forget the odds, forget the others, overcome. Overcome yourself first.
Be Yourself
Know yourself. Take pride in who you are, no matter what you look like, or how you sound. Then you will be unstoppable. Don't let other people get you down. If others have nothing good to say about you, don't let their words carry feelings into your heart. They don't matter. But take advice, listen thoughtfully to criticism, it is fundamental to progression. And take in the compliments. Let them go to your head. Its what you work hard for. Let your compliments be you.
Work Hard
With all that life has to offer, it is easy to get drawn to other things when more important things are at hand. You have to spend at least a couple hours every week devoting time to making claymations. You have to motivate yourself. Take pride in it, and working hard for it will be enjoyable. You will be able to endure anything.
Be Creative
Easier said than done. But have fun being creative. Go out and isolate yourself for a little bit. Listen to peoples conversations, watch how they walk. Look at the clouds, look at everything. This is the fuel for creativity and your mind is the engine. Keep a notebook on you everywhere. If anything pops up in your head original or funny, write it down right away or it will leave you forever. Keep that notebook dear to you. Take pride in writing down things in it. If your not smart, not creative, not the material that you think doesn't make you right for what you want to be, keep doing it, if its what you want. Forget the odds, forget the others, overcome. Overcome yourself first.
Be Yourself
Know yourself. Take pride in who you are, no matter what you look like, or how you sound. Then you will be unstoppable. Don't let other people get you down. If others have nothing good to say about you, don't let their words carry feelings into your heart. They don't matter. But take advice, listen thoughtfully to criticism, it is fundamental to progression. And take in the compliments. Let them go to your head. Its what you work hard for. Let your compliments be you.
Claymators shouldn't...
Any manifesto for a young aspiring claymator, such as mois, have a list of to do's and to don'ts.
Claymators have responsibilities to themselves and others. Whether the hard work and discipline needed, to the originality it takes, you have to know where to bite off others and when to throw in the towel.
Now if you want to spend about three years of your life doing things the wrong way like I did, then by all means, don't listen to a single word I'm going to say. I congratulate you for taking my path but insist on you using every bit of information from others that you can.
Every filmmaker it seems bites a little off of others. With certain claymations, they need publicity so they make fun of blockbuster hits to get some air time. For me, I bite off of others techniques. That is, how they film certain things, how you can make something look like its flying, or how many frames per second should be used to show something moving fast.
A claymator, nor any filmmaker, shouldn't take ideas or characters away. If your going to make your mark, then like Nick Park, create some well developed characters and make them your own. I'm sick and tired of seeing redos of things already done. Sure there have been a few good shorts, (even non claymated features) that have made fun of Star Wars or Spiderman, but they seem to be piggy back riding other artists.
Originality is what anyone should strive for. Making your mark. I don't want to see twenty more spin offs of a certain show. No one does. Create two or three characters make a skit or two. And if you don't fall in love with their performance, start anew. And if you can't do that, then claymation sure as hell requires too much patience for you.
Quitting cannot be in your vocabulary unless you are absolutely sure that a film you are undertaking will not have the quality or output you need. It's a hard strive to make any movie let alone a claymation so don't hit yourself over the head when you make a failure, we all do.
Claymators have responsibilities to themselves and others. Whether the hard work and discipline needed, to the originality it takes, you have to know where to bite off others and when to throw in the towel.
Now if you want to spend about three years of your life doing things the wrong way like I did, then by all means, don't listen to a single word I'm going to say. I congratulate you for taking my path but insist on you using every bit of information from others that you can.
Every filmmaker it seems bites a little off of others. With certain claymations, they need publicity so they make fun of blockbuster hits to get some air time. For me, I bite off of others techniques. That is, how they film certain things, how you can make something look like its flying, or how many frames per second should be used to show something moving fast.
A claymator, nor any filmmaker, shouldn't take ideas or characters away. If your going to make your mark, then like Nick Park, create some well developed characters and make them your own. I'm sick and tired of seeing redos of things already done. Sure there have been a few good shorts, (even non claymated features) that have made fun of Star Wars or Spiderman, but they seem to be piggy back riding other artists.
Originality is what anyone should strive for. Making your mark. I don't want to see twenty more spin offs of a certain show. No one does. Create two or three characters make a skit or two. And if you don't fall in love with their performance, start anew. And if you can't do that, then claymation sure as hell requires too much patience for you.
Quitting cannot be in your vocabulary unless you are absolutely sure that a film you are undertaking will not have the quality or output you need. It's a hard strive to make any movie let alone a claymation so don't hit yourself over the head when you make a failure, we all do.
How to make a Clay Model: For Idiots
When ever I approach a new claymation, there's always 3 things I focus on:
1. The script.
2. The Characters
3. The layout (Backgrounds, stages, props etc.)
Everything else is second nature. The voices, the storyboards, the editing; I'm just not well planned enough as an individual making claymations all by my self to undertake every aspect.
I'm am foremost an artist. I love writing and love creating works of art. Making them funny, surreal, and interesting to the public make it even better. I usually try to cater to those qualities, but mostly I try to make my mark with new and eventful things like green baboons, and black and gray striped caverns.
Honestly I never start with the script first. I'm a visual artist first, and creating characters is essential for me to write about them. Every "real" movie I made, I always had friends or family perfect for the part. But in claymation I make a character and see what I want to do with him.
First comes the creativity. I love colors so first I cluster as much colors into one animal that I can.
For a green baboon I need:
-Green body frame in the shape of a pear with a long curly tail.
-Green head with yellow skin around the mouth and eyes,
-Huge yellow ears with two small white eyes
-two blue circles for its butt
-and big red lips surrounding razor sharp teeth.
I put it all together and hope for the best. If a color doesn't match I redo it. After that I cut it open and shove a wire skeleton covered with duct tape inside him.
Then I spend about ten hours writing jokes in a short movie with as little dialogue as possible.
And then around twenty backbreaking hours creating a perfect setting for the green baboon to frolic in. This is the most painstaking part as its no fun to spread green clay along the floors, and even less fun paying twenty bucks to do so.
Then film, edit, and everything else and you've got your first claymation. Easy huh.
1. The script.
2. The Characters
3. The layout (Backgrounds, stages, props etc.)
Everything else is second nature. The voices, the storyboards, the editing; I'm just not well planned enough as an individual making claymations all by my self to undertake every aspect.
I'm am foremost an artist. I love writing and love creating works of art. Making them funny, surreal, and interesting to the public make it even better. I usually try to cater to those qualities, but mostly I try to make my mark with new and eventful things like green baboons, and black and gray striped caverns.
Honestly I never start with the script first. I'm a visual artist first, and creating characters is essential for me to write about them. Every "real" movie I made, I always had friends or family perfect for the part. But in claymation I make a character and see what I want to do with him.
First comes the creativity. I love colors so first I cluster as much colors into one animal that I can.
For a green baboon I need:
-Green body frame in the shape of a pear with a long curly tail.
-Green head with yellow skin around the mouth and eyes,
-Huge yellow ears with two small white eyes
-two blue circles for its butt
-and big red lips surrounding razor sharp teeth.
I put it all together and hope for the best. If a color doesn't match I redo it. After that I cut it open and shove a wire skeleton covered with duct tape inside him.
Then I spend about ten hours writing jokes in a short movie with as little dialogue as possible.
And then around twenty backbreaking hours creating a perfect setting for the green baboon to frolic in. This is the most painstaking part as its no fun to spread green clay along the floors, and even less fun paying twenty bucks to do so.
Then film, edit, and everything else and you've got your first claymation. Easy huh.
Who has the Authority
Where should Authority come from:
Well, after looking at "Salaam" we can see there is a bit of a difference in two societies of where authority is derived.
Religion:
While most religions are well intentioned, the people who call themselves leaders in each sect can be seen as freedom fighters to terrorists. Even at the home front in USA, religious leaders and icons are far from what they preach. It is hard to say whether or not we should derive our authority from our pastors, preists and other leaders, because like us their are human, not ideals, and come to sin.
State:
A constantly shifting thing due to politics. When a hundred years ago certain things were blasphemy and condemnable, today they are the rights of man. They adhere to the majority of people living in the state, but what if the majority is wrong. Should they have authority of your life.
Yourself:
A constantly shifting form from day one to the end. You, yourself can determine whats right or wrong for yourself by what you see and feel and over all, this is the major right of authority. People kill, steal, cheat, harm and destroy. But they also heal, protect, love, share, contribute, and care as well.
Your authority shouldn't be one thing. The term "putting all your eggs in one basket", could it revel in evil when coming to how one rules their life. Authority should be derived from each and every person, for themselves. To rule over themselves. I should have authority over myself. But as the states are concerned, they should have authority over services and money. And as far as religion is concerned, their authority should have no place in society, at all, except in the lives of each person as an individual or a congregation of individuals. They have no right to force their God's on everyone but those who believe and have faith in them.
So authority of ones actions comes from themselves and authority over everything else comes from the state. But the states authority can only and should only come from the consent of the majority.
Well, after looking at "Salaam" we can see there is a bit of a difference in two societies of where authority is derived.
Religion:
While most religions are well intentioned, the people who call themselves leaders in each sect can be seen as freedom fighters to terrorists. Even at the home front in USA, religious leaders and icons are far from what they preach. It is hard to say whether or not we should derive our authority from our pastors, preists and other leaders, because like us their are human, not ideals, and come to sin.
State:
A constantly shifting thing due to politics. When a hundred years ago certain things were blasphemy and condemnable, today they are the rights of man. They adhere to the majority of people living in the state, but what if the majority is wrong. Should they have authority of your life.
Yourself:
A constantly shifting form from day one to the end. You, yourself can determine whats right or wrong for yourself by what you see and feel and over all, this is the major right of authority. People kill, steal, cheat, harm and destroy. But they also heal, protect, love, share, contribute, and care as well.
Your authority shouldn't be one thing. The term "putting all your eggs in one basket", could it revel in evil when coming to how one rules their life. Authority should be derived from each and every person, for themselves. To rule over themselves. I should have authority over myself. But as the states are concerned, they should have authority over services and money. And as far as religion is concerned, their authority should have no place in society, at all, except in the lives of each person as an individual or a congregation of individuals. They have no right to force their God's on everyone but those who believe and have faith in them.
So authority of ones actions comes from themselves and authority over everything else comes from the state. But the states authority can only and should only come from the consent of the majority.
Oh!!!! the Nightmares
When I was about six, the only nightmares I used to get before Christmas was not getting the new Lego set that I wanted. Boy was I wrong about nightmares when "The Nightmare before Christmas" came out.This movie spells out color and imagination. Taking in breaths of horror and exhaling candied gumdrops of death. This movie wasn't anywhere near the first Christmas movie, but it was the first incorporation of Halloween Holidays/Jesus day.
Who couldn't say this movie was pivotal. Of course it took America's population of parent hating teenagers (Emos) about ten years to realize how awesome it really is, it nevertheless remains a great movie. The pizazz, the music, the intricate designs of each character; they're all so gorgeous it makes me think how many people have committed suicide through the many back breaking hours it must have took to create such a piece.
This picture signifies so much meaning inherited in the format of this motion picture. A walking skeleton in front of snow top covered gingerbread homes shows the duality of the happy holidays. The mixture is fantastic as you have on one hand a celebration of toys, presents, and Jesus; and the other, well who knows anymore...something about witchcraft and satanism.
Anyways, isn't the face on Jack Skellington (The portrayed walking skeleton) just memorizing. Where even a character that could scare the pants off a little child could find comfort and warmth in, um well, an icy snow flake.
A great work, I definitely recommend it. Sure you've seen it a hundred times, or at least heard of it, but Tim Burton definitely brings a darker side to claymation.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Hard Work All Lost
The biggest shame of Virginia Tech is the waste of life. Hard work for nothing. Lives lost before the really start. Dreams shot down. Future families never to be. Sons and daughters never to be had. I hate when I lose a couple of hours worth of work. I can go hysterical.
But twenty years, that's the shame. Roughly 600 years of life was taken. Not to mention the lives they could have saved. The world will keep turning, and few will remember. I didn't know any of them, they were just numbers in a headline.
But the numbers that I saw, makes me want to dwell on living the years I have left then giving glory to the murderer and perhaps spawning more of them and creating future travesties. I don't want to be a number on a headline.
But twenty years, that's the shame. Roughly 600 years of life was taken. Not to mention the lives they could have saved. The world will keep turning, and few will remember. I didn't know any of them, they were just numbers in a headline.
But the numbers that I saw, makes me want to dwell on living the years I have left then giving glory to the murderer and perhaps spawning more of them and creating future travesties. I don't want to be a number on a headline.
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