Thursday, 26 April 2012

ARD504 Creative Futures 2 - Influence boards

For this module I was required to create six influence boards that provide meaning to me. It was designed to be an effective approach to start my PDP/Creative Futures work for semester 2. I needed to research areas of interest that I admired and evaluate why I selected them. Below are the results of this research:
















One of my very first influences was the cinema. My earliest memory was queuing outside the Gaumont cinema in Birmingham City Centre for the film Star Wars. I can’t remember how long we queued for but I do recall there being a long queue of parents and excited children wrapped around the building waiting to see this new film. Star Wars introduced me to the ‘Magic of Cinema’, the massive screen (The Gaumont had the largest screen in Europe) and fantastic sound were unforgettable and a big influence.

  

Films



Above is montage of some of my favourite films. As mentioned previously Star Wars was one of the first films I saw at the cinema. Many of these films have been critically acclaimed and some are Oscar winners. I enjoy all genres of films although I do sway towards Sci-Fi and Fantasy films. However, true life stories such as GoodFellas and Raging Bull are amongst my favourites.

Books



I also get influence and inspiration from books. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy are some of my favourite books, I enjoy the epic journey the characters take through a fantasy world that has so much depth. I also enjoy real life stories such as Bravo Two Zero by Andy McNabb which tells the story of the SAS whilst in Iraq. I like Dan Brown’s books as they are fast paced, exciting, mysterious and contain a number of little known historical facts. The Ghost Map is a thrilling account of the most intense cholera outbreak to strike Victorian London and a powerful explanation of how it has shaped the world we live in. I always find that there is always so much more content and detail in books that in the films. The Harry Potter books are a good example of this.

Sport



I find Sport influential. For example sportsmen like Lance Armstrong who won the Tour De France 7 times after surviving testicular cancer. Darren Clarke who won the open last year at the age of 42 year, particularly poignant having gone through the tragedy of losing his wife to cancer. Muhammed Ali for self belief and confidence in his own ability. Their never say die attitude is inspiring. Oscar Pistorius a Greek disabled athlete that runs against able bodied athletes. Nigel Benn’s courage in the ring. Jonny Wilkinson’s dedication to ‘practice makes perfect’, Rafael Nadal for never giving up.

Camerawork



Pioneering camerawork in documentaries such as The Blue Planet, Planet Earth and Earth flight inspire me. The crew often endure physically challenging conditions and wait for days to get the shots they need. Due to the environments they travel to, carrying all of the usual equipment is impossible, they often have to improvise creating equipment from the resources available to them. The environments are often hazardous and there are always risks whether it be the weather or an attack from Polar Bears to take into consideration. The dedication and tenacious commitment of the crew to get the best shot is admirable and inspires me to try out some of their techniques (in a safer environment!).

Visual Effects
 
 




I also gain inspiration and influence from companies such as Red Giant Software and Video Co-Pilot.  I enjoy post-production techniques and I'm considering this as a future career. The websites provide a number of examples of what is achievable using software such as After Effects with plugins like Trapcode Form and Particular. They also have tutorials and blogs containing information on how to create special effects and I am learning how to apply these techniques to my own work. Vimeo.com is also an important source of inspiration for me as it's a site used by creatives to showcase their work. It helps me generate ideas and also shows me the standard I need to be aiming for with my work.

Directors



Not surprisingly some of my favourite films have been directed and/or produced by these men. Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill etc), George Lucas (Star Wars), Oliver Stone (Platoon, JFK, Wall Street), James Cameron (Aliens, Avatar, Terminator 2), Martin Scorsese (Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Good Fellas, Casino, The Departed), Steven Spielberg (Close Encounters, E.T, Jurassic Park), Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Cast Away), Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings Trilogy).
  • Quentin Tarantino's films are often violent but stylishly shot to enhance the story and bring life to characters
  • Martin Scorsese's films are often based on the Mafia and give a violent and disturbing insight into this world (see below for further information)   
  • I admire Peter Jackson for the immense challenge of bringing the Lord of the Rings Trilogy to life in the films
  • Steven Spielberg has made a number of ground breaking films, many of his films contain fantastic special effects and he has often been a pioneer in this area.

I particularly admire the camera work in Martin Scorseee films. For example in the film GoodFellas there’s a tracking shot that lasts nearly 2 and a half minutes. The shot is used to demonstrate how the characters world is shaped by influence and money. It has also been used in films such as Kill Bill and Taxi Driver.

A fantastic reverse tracking shot that helps create tension between the two characters in the film GoodFellas, this type of shot has also been used in the films Vertigo, Jaws and Lord of the Rings to create atmosphere and tension. These shots are stylish and help bring the story to life and demonstrate the technical ability required to operate a camera. Both are examples of work I would like to attempt in future productions I’m working on.

Long panning shot to establish a scene in Taxi Driver. This is a shot that I’ve not seen that often in films. The camera is in a fixed position, most likely on a tripod. It does nearly a 360 degree rotation as it begins with the character entering his place of work (A Taxi Rank) and ends up with him leaving the other side of the building. The shots aren’t new from a cinema perspective but I like the way that in Scorsese’s films he always tries something different.

I enjoyed creating the influences boards as they really made me think about my values and beliefs and the way they influence my creativity and work decisions.  As a Photographer and Filmmaker I now have a good insight into what motivates me and how I can use these influences to enhance my personal development.