19 January 2011
Lecture given by Roger Sabian: “Deconstruction Comics”
Roger asked us to analyze a comic and try to understand what makes comics special. The comic that we have been given was Batman.
We came out with a lot of different observations: we didn’t like the fact that the comic was computerized or the design of the balloon. Furthermore it wasn’t easily legible as each page contained too many information as well as bad advertising. Sabian told us that the advertisements were all directed to young boys because they obviously were the main audience. It is still a matter of fact that the most profitable source for comics remains advertisements.
He spoke a lot about the economical implication of comics, explaining that the fact that comics are still printed and not just digital is because there are still many people that collect them. Sabian also spoke about the lobby. There are seven main lobbies among which the biggest one is “Time Worner”.
Lobbies, in fact, do have control on the creative industry, from movies to comics. A successful character of a comic is likely to be used for commercial purposes, to be become a toy perhaps. Lobbies can advertise a product through a variety of media, detaining the control of the market. Such control affects also the cartoonist’s creativity, for example by determining how the character should look like.
Roger explained to us that there are different types of comics. There is the simple comic, the basic one. Then there is the Comix, born in the sixties whose main subject where sex, politics and drugs.
The Graphic Novel is the comic expressed through books. Here cartoonist benefits of more creative freedom.
The Small Press are amatory comics, self produced, made out of photocopies.
The E-comics are the web comics. They have a different kind of both aesthetics and narration.
Then there are the Manga (Japanese) and the Anima (Chinese). Those are particular because they can be read in an opposite way: from the end of the book to the beginning and from the right to the left.
Monday, 24 January 2011
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Rapid Prototyping
Ben Knezvic
Knezvics lecture was a very informative talk about rapid prototyping.
“Rapid Prototyping is the automatic construction of physical objects using
additive manufacturing technology” (wikipedia) 6 Dec 2010
Many different types of Rapid Prototyping exist today and there are many different high tech machines and software systems that are used in the process. Rapid Proto typing is an invaluable method used in jewellrey design, architecture and graphic design. Using Cad and the data interface STL which is standard in industry, 3D designs can be produced into physical objects. Products can then be tested for their functionality before being produced for the mass market. However Rapid Prototyping is also used to produce objects for niche markets and the fine arts.
Knezvic also informed us about the many different products that rapid prototyping produces, fit and function models, master patterns, investment casting, wind funneling and clear modeling. Due to the advances in material development, bio materials, production time and larger machinery rapid prototyping is now becoming a much more economical process as prototypes are faster to produce.
In the final part of the lecture Knezvic began to talk about Laser cutting . Laser cutting is a fine clean way to cut paper and laser cutters can read data from photoshop unlike other rapid prototyping machines which can only process vectors. Laser cutting is quick and can be used to cut highly intricate patterns, it is similar to operating a 2D printer. The method can be used to cut a wide variety of materials acrylics, paper, leather, silk, and denim. It is used frequently by sign makers and it is also used to make stencils.
Knezvics lecture was full of practical information. I feel I now have the necessary information should I wish to produce a rapid prototype in Central Saint Martins.
Christina Moore : Production Designer and Art Director.
B.A Graphic Design Lecture
Christina Moore showcased some of her work and gave us an insight into Production Design and Art Direction.
Moore introduced herself by giving a brief history of her career before talking us through her work as a production designer and art director. During the lecture she concentrated on how managing a budget is as important as the quality of the design. She also highlighted what skills are essential in aspiring production designers.
Having started off training and qualifying as an architect Moore chose to return to film school, thereafter she was employed as a storyboard artist for Ang Lee’s production of "Sense and Sensibility". While working on this film she realized that her interest’s lay more on the side of Art Direction and Set Production.
Moore's first film commission was "Exodus" a modern day adaption of the story. Set in Margatte it had an extremely tight budget. The film involved the locals in all aspects of the production including acting in the film. Anthony Gormley the artist made the waste man which was a spectacular sculptor burnt in the film. Moore showed us clips from the film and talked us through how she went about creating the set, everything from the set was recycled afterwards. Describing herself as a magpie Moores passion lies in merging the real with the unreal creating worlds from found objects and recycled material creating impressive environments and sets using old car parts, aeroplanes and scaffolding.
Moore then went on to talk about the nitty gritty of production design focusing a lot on budget and how it affects production and in turn influences hiring a good team. Moore also discussed how the competition in film is incredibly high and how you should have excellent skills in 3D, draughtsmanship and design in order to compete with film school graduates.
The lecture was very inspiring, rubbish, old car parts and found objects were turned into beautiful sets and extraordinary worlds were created from the ordinary.
Mind Design
Professional Practice
Holger Jacobs and Craig Sinnamon.
Mind Design presented us with their work and thoughts on Design.
Mind Design have a strong passion for craftsmanship and this is evident throughout their work. They work for a wide variety of clients and their work consists of corporate identity, web design, interior and print design.
While having done work for very high profiled clients like Tess management a modeling agency that has Naomi Campbell on their books, Whistles clothing store and Paramount a new members club, they were equally as proud showing us work they designed for Murawa. Murawa is an international Hula Hoop star who had a very small budget of five hundred pounds. Jacobs and Sinnamon reiterated how they choose jobs for love not budget.
Mind Design have a very hands-on approach to their work. During the talk they repeated how form and content influence each other in their design process. This helps make the identities come alive. This was most apparent in the work they implemented for Circus restaurant. They produced an A3 dimensional version of the logo which was constructed and displayed in the restaraunt. By using many different sheets of perspex each with a slightly different tint it gave the logo gradation, and was also lit from the back. Mind Design have a strong sense of ethics when it comes to their own Design studio and at the end of the lecture they talked of the importance of paying their interns, having always done so, even in times even when they were struggling financially.
It was refreshing and inspiring to see a design company which oftentimes goes the extra mile in order to produce good design, even if it means loosing money or putting more work in than may be considered necessary.
Deconstructing Comics
Academic Practice: Roger Sabien
Roger Sabiens lecture was an investigation into how academics research comic books.
Each student was given a copy of “Superman Shazam” to critique. The class investigated the comic and raised certain issues regarding the comic, such as advertising, the style of drawing, and the international and cultural context of the publication. Sabien then lead us on an in-depth discussion of the historical and economic context of the publication and the implications that they might have on the comic.
On inspection into the economic context of the comic it was revealed that the “Superman Shazam” is published by DC Comics, which in turn is owned by a multi national company Time Warner. As soon as this fact was revealed the many implications of this could then be mapped onto the comic and a lot more questions arose, such as how the content is controlled and monitored? The comic book took on a whole new plethora of meanings, it wasn’t just a comic book but a platform to support and advertise for other companies within the Time Warner francahise. By deconstructing the comic with specific questions in mind the comic was viewed from many different perspectives.
By way of conclusion Sabien gave us an overview of some publications that were less mainstream than “Superman Shazam” A more philosophical approach to comic books was introduced. We looked at work by Scott Mc Cloud and Chris Wear and investigated time and space within the comic book structure how past and present co-exist. The space between the gutter is where the action happens where the reader fills in the gaps between frames.
Roger Sabiens talk was practical and theoretical and I was engaged and challenged throughout the talk.
Friday, 21 January 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)