Room 101

Room 101

Here we are able to see another idea. I’m sorry that my concept art is not presented perfectly, I just tried to reveal the idea and make it clear to the viewers.
Anyway, some comments. I want to make a seduction room. This is a mix of hotel and simple living room with a little story in it.
On the right side you are able to see a wardrobe with a secret passage. There we can see another room with a camera. On the ground there will be some cassettes. The camera is filming those who are in bed. We are able to see a part of the bed so we can only imagine what is going on.
There will also be a partly visible picture with a naked woman. Don’t worry, you will only see the legs. This will add an effect of seduction/lust feeling. Moreover, I want to add a davenport, where I will put a letter and an ashtray. Ashtray is a good opportunity to use smoke and it is another sign of life in this room.
I need to be careful with the light. Poorly done lighting will spoil this idea and smart use of light will make it work. In my opinion, the use of shades of red light adds a seductive atmosphere.

Room 303

Room 303

I want to make something psychedelic and simple. Minor perspective distortion makes it hard to “read”, which is good.
On the left side of the image we are able to see a picture covered with blood. From one hand this is like a crime scene, but on the other hand it is only a picture which can possibly be in any room. There should also be an ashtray and a candle. I want to show that there are signs of life.
In the future, if mighty tutor Phil will say “go for it” I will make a wallpaper and will add scratches on the wall, a web in the corner and other little details.
Light is the hardest part of this and every picture. So, I will work on it till the very end, because I think it is crucial.

Phil, what do you think about this? Don’t rush to give me references. I will post other ideas soon: 2 rooms and subway. To be honest, I don’t want to make a subway station, because I have feeling that I won’t be able to make it work.

Phil, I need your opinion! Please.

P.S. Room 101 is still in progress.

Subway station research

Film Film Film

Robing Good
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett


Alice in Wonderland
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter
Release date: March 5th, 2010 (Possibly World Premiere)

Clash of the Titans
Directed by: Louis Leterrier ( The incredible Hulk)
Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes

Maya tutorial - Pirate Cove

Halloween 1978

Halloween is a 1978 American independent slasher film directed by John Carpenter.

The story tells us about an insane person (Michael Myers) who is walking around in a town and killing everyone with his butcher knife. On Halloween night in 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers (Will Sandin) murders his seventeen-year-old sister Judith (Sandy Johnson) with a large butcher knife at their home in Haddonfield, Illinois. He is then sent to Smith's Grove Warren County Sanitarium and placed under the care of child psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence). Eight years of treatment leads Loomis to believe that Michael is nothing less than pure evil. An additional seven years of trying to keep Myers locked up end with his attempted transfer to be prosecuted as an adult. As Loomis and his assistant Marion Chambers (Nancy Stephens) go to Smiths Grove to take the 21-year-old Myers (Tony Moran) to court, Myers steals their car, nearly kills Marion and escapes.

The play of actors is a main shortcoming of this film. But generally this film has a great atmosphere which is achieved by smart use of creepiest music which is the major reason of Halloween success. Also, the horror effect is delivered by dark scenes and skilful and unusual camerawork. The Dean Cundey’s camera gives us opportunity to be in Myers skin and watch through his eyes, but in the same time the main character remains hidden for us. In scenes “from the side” we can not even see the Myers face – this method was used in “Blind terror” (1971) directed by Richard Flasher. Also, Carpenter developed the method which was used in “Jaws” directed by Steven Spielberg where the shark itself is shown only in the second half of the film.

The gloomy pictures were mixed with ludicrous characters of adults. For example, an easily frightened guy with beard, who is foretelling the evil which appeared in the town in a style of Jehovah’s Witness. Stupid schoolgirls are telling clichés during the film. All this makes you feel that Myers is not a serial killer, but saviour of this town.

Overall, the film is very atmospheric and masterfully made by Carpenter and all his crew.
In my opinion, this film should be watched. Also, have a look at another version – “Halloween” 2009 by Rob Zombie.

Dead of Night

Dead of Night.

Dead of Night (1945) is a British Portmanteau1 horror film made by Ealing Studios. The story takes place at a country party where every man and woman entertain each other with different tales of uncanny or extraordinary events. I watched only one story about ventriloquist's dummy told by an architect Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns). This short film tells us about ventriloquist who believes that his dummy is alive.

The mystery around this ventriloquist and his dummy is truly uncanny. The uncanny atmosphere gives this film presence of horror. Viewers can not understand is the dummy alive or not. At the same way they do not understand what is going wrong with ventriloquist – is he some kind of psychopath, serial killer or just a mad person. But unfortunately it all becomes clear in the end when ventriloquist (Michael Redgrave) makes a dummy face and speaks with his voice. In my opinion, they should have left this aspect unrevealed. Audience understands that he has a dissociative identity disorder and all uncanniness disappears. It happens when you are trying to be another person for a long time. Suddenly, you are crossing the line and don’t understand where you are and where the imaginary personality is.

The actor Michael Redgrave played this role masterfully. It is not easy to play a mentally disordered man as it can appear from the first sight. Without his brilliant performance and understanding of his role this film would be received in completely different way.

This interesting story was skilfully organized and masterfully delivered to viewers. I enjoyed watching it – interesting tale.

You can watch this short story here, here and here.

1. Anthology film, or Omnibus film or Portmanteau film is a film consisting of several different short films, often tied together by only a single theme.

Stepford Wives

Stepford Wifes [1975] is a film directed by Bryan Forbes.

The film is strange and interesting. It has an unusual atmosphere and a sense of Utopia inherent to the women. The story is not complicated. A family of Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross) and her husband Walter Eberhart (Peter Masterson) with their kids move from the big city to a small village. Joanna is a professional photographer who appreciates freedom and independence. She founds a friend Bobbie Markowe (Paula Prentiss). Life was beautiful and perfect, but boring and strange. Women were sitting at home all the time. Their everyday life consisted only of cooking and looking after children. They had no individuality like dolls. This utopia is disturbing to Joanna and Bobbie and they started an independent investigation to find out what was going on…

The film is monotonous and didn’t affect me emotionally. It is gathering speed and fever pitch only close to the end. The story itself is very predictable. There is only one story turn (the moment in the castle at the end of the film) which is really good. But it was surprising when viewers did not see a happy end. It was a strong moment, because it is hard to find film without happy ending nowadays. Acting is good; characters are irritating and arouse loathing and contempt.

It is hard to write anything about technical side of this film. The production design and camerawork are at medium level.

Overall, the film is for once-only watch and it would be useful to watch to broaden one’s outlook.

Maya

Maya and 3DMax works for inspiration.






It is obvious that you don't need to model everything in your scene. Now I understand all the meaning of the digital background or 2D surrounding.


You can find another works here. The second and third line [3D].

Repulsion

Repulsion is a 1965 film directed by Roman Polanski. It is widely considered a masterpiece of the psychological thriller and horror genres. The masterfully delivered shocks to the audience, sense of claustrophobia due to close camera position, and feelings of ambiguity. Repulsion is a stressful and heavy film. The story tells us about young girl, Carol, who seems out of this world, is left alone in the apartment where she lives with her sister when her sister goes on with her married boyfriend. Left alone, Carol slowly descends into madness, with tragic consequences.

The elements of horror and psychological thriller are skillfully represented here. The dark corridors and shapeshifting rooms are very atmospheric and frightening. The sudden moments make you shudder. From the beginning it is clear that with Carol’s head (brilliantly played by Catherine Deneuve) is something wrong. It becomes clear when she is left alone and her behavior is evolving into hallucinogenic madness. The walls come alive, she is assaulted by imaginary man, and the apartment also degenerates along with her mind.

The film itself leaves you with strange feelings. First of all, the monotonous and slow actions are themselves irritating and demand patience. Secondly, the whole story about this paranoiac girl is unpleasant to watch. But somehow the film holds your attention and doesn’t release until the very end. Also, the intriguing feature is that Roman Polanski doesn’t give us explanation to Carol’s madness. You have many doubts and guesses about Carol’s personality. Who is she? A maniac, or a victim of some past trauma. She looks like alien in this world, a strange character with deprivation of feelings and emotions.

It happened that this film is a part of my cultural progress, and I needed to watch it. Thank you, mighty tutor Phil and University. Because in normal situation I would never, even try, to watch this film. I’m really not interested in the maniac paroxysm of a strange girl and her stupid behavior. But after all film left me with different feelings from hatred to desperation. I think the film is really masterpiece because he is able to affect on people’s mind in this way. I think every one should watch it for cultural growth.