What do wild things look like?

Where the Wild Things Are, written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, has been made into a major motion picture. Sendak's work is so unique in style and has such a huge fan base that the movie makers were smart to keep the look of the movie as close to look of the illustrations as they could. They used the same costuming and color scheme featured in the book. Who knew big burly brown monsters could be so cute!

Movie Preview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFDcaTI0cl8

Another smart move on the part of the director Spike Jonze was to use a combination of costumes and cg animation. In some ways it feels like they are puppets but they also have a realistic quality to them. Their movement is normal enough but not like any one animal so they have a bit of a magical quality. They sort of bounce and are somewhat weighed down like an elephant moving slow. Seeing the fur fly about against the background of a real forest and ocean landscape is emotionally stirring because it makes them seem more realistic.


The return to costumes instead of complete cg animation of the characters could also be a response to people wanting "things" that feel real and have a permanence about them. This response could be due to the recognition that disposable items are not environmentally friendly. Things that seem like they are not permanent in our lives feel like excess. Digital animation has its brilliance and purpose, but it can also have a way of seeming distant compared to something that looks visually real. The realness is in the "real" materials of their costumes. In the same way that Toy Story and Shrek were break-throughs when they came out, this movie could be a break through in that it is returning to hands on craft such as costume making and the connected feeling of "real".

scheduled to come out October 16, 2009.

Images from
Movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386117/mediaindex
Book http://blog.al.com/nightlife/2007/10/wildthings.jpg
http://worldsstrongestlibrarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/where-the-wild-things-are.jpg

Architecture and Apparel in Wonderland

Anne Hathaway plays The White Queen. She looks as though she could turn her hand over, drop the mouse, and maintain that expression. Beautiful yet cold. The dress is obviously period looking but is different than more vintage looking costuming of Bellatrix Lestrange from the Harry Potter movies or the corseted outfits seen on So you think you can dance (as mentioned in previous blogs). This dress is large, frilly, covers more and is meant to look more beautiful rather than sexy. Like most of the costumes in the movie it is a combination of Renaissance and Victorian influence.


The White Queen's castle appears to have elements of Gothic and Baroque architecture but its hard to tell without seeing more.




Helena B Carter plays The Red Queen who looks very Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth in stature and costume. (The Painting of Queen Elizabeth was painted during the Early Renaissance and the painting of Henry VIII was painted during the High Renaissance).






The architecture of the Red Castle appears to be Gothic. Some of the architectural elements that lead me to believe so are the Corinthian columns, stained glass windows as well as equilateral (middle) and lancet (on the sides) arches. It seems many of the screen shots from the preview also have a chiaroscuro lighting effect which means there is a high dark and light contrast. The term is used to describe art during the Renaissance especially.

Images from
Still shots from the preview: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4240966169/
http://sassafrasjunction.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/henry_viii.jpg
http://www.stosyth.gov.uk/default.asp?calltype=jun03elizabethone

Alice in Wonderland Directed by Tim Burton and Influenced by Drugs?

Tim Burton is once again pushing boundaries that ought to be pushed. The images from the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie which is based on the beloved book by Lewis Carroll, are absolutely brilliant.

Teaser Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiPR6kA4_iU

This movie poster looks like the Victorian era on acid or rather absinthe, which is actually not a far fetched idea. Both opiates and absinthe were popular drugs when the book was published in 1865. Throughout the book there are constant references to drugs. Most notably the mysterious liquids and mushrooms Alice consumes to manipulate her body size and also whatever the caterpillar is smoking.



Several famous artists during the time when the book was published have also used the substance as subject matter.

There is speculation that the artworks of the impressionist artists are bright in color and have a hazy appearance because the artists were using absinthe. The use of the drug didn't always have such beautiful outcomes. Some think that Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear due to absinthe (http://www.absinthealchemist.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=28).

So why did Carroll use drugs as such a strong theme in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? Well there are two main theories about this but neither can be confirmed with proof. The first theory is that Carroll used drugs himself. A quick Google search entitled "Lewis Carroll on Drugs?" will turn up 11,900 results of blogs, biographies and articles. The other theory is that Carroll could have been trying to reach people about the harmful effects of drug use (http://www.studyworld.com/newsite/ReportEssay/Literature/Novel%5CLewis_Carrolls_Brainchild-38946.htm).

I will be very interested to see if Tim Burton puts any modern twists on the story that have to do any of the worlds current problems. Namely, environmental issues.

Should anyone feel inspired to read the book before seeing the movie here is an online copy.
http://www.literature.org/authors/carroll-lewis/alices-adventures-in-wonderland/

Release date for the movie is not until March 5, 2010

Images from
http://wahooart.com/A55A04/w.nsf/Opra/BRUE-5ZKCBU?OpenDocument&ChangeLangue=ES
http://www.artquotes.net/masters/picasso/pablo_absinth1901.htm
http://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starryindex.html
http://store.encore-editions.com/Artists/degas.html

Twilight

I love Twilight, not only because I live in the Pacific Northwest and that is where this movie was filmed, but because its a great movie. We don't often get to closely examine the emotions and relationships that fantasy creatures have with friends and loved ones. That is more or less the trend with this movie; the emotional aspect, the music, the teenage subject matter. The trend is to create fantasy movies (and shows such as True Blood and Heroes) that feel as if they are apart of the real world. But what does that look like in terms of design?

Despite the fact that Edward sparkles in the sun, the only major sparks flying in this movie are between Bella and Edward. There are no scenes with wands or spells and so the aesthetic has to be more carefully crafted so that the movie communicates fantasy. There are a few computer animated scenes like when Edward saves Bella from the van or the baseball scene which highlights super strength abilities, but what really sets the mood for the movie is the costumes of the characters and the scenery.

Bella is dressed unassuming but she also looks like she is tough. She is dressed in Tee-shirts and jeans throughout most of the movie.

Victoria is amazing. She looks like a glamazon and fights like a warrior. Notice the "vintage Victorian punk" gear on her arm. Her fur coat further symbolizes her "do not mess with me" personality. For all we know she could have killed the animal she got that fur from.

Is it just me or does this guy remind you of Edward Scissor hands? Handsome yet freaky. His collared shirt and mostly maintained hair is nearly perfect, as if he is trying to hold himself together but could snap at any moment. And she is adorable. A cute vampire?

Image Sources

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1099212/mediaindex

Vintage and the Movies

So why is vintage playing such a big role in the movies? Well it could be a larger reflection on our society at the moment. With the onset of climate change and other environmental problems people are beginning to recognize "new" things and the constant consuming of products as part of the problem and turn to vintage items for more peace of mind. Vintage can also be easier on one's wallet which further drives the second hand purchasing.

Movie makers are not the only ones picking up on this. Harpar's Bazzaar has a "shop your closet" artlce. http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-articles/shop-your-closet-0109 When the suppliers of couture are recognizing that no one wants to/is able to go shopping, that is significant. We, as a culture, feel it is right to “be” responsible with our actions and diligent with our money at this moment.

It's also important to notice that often times new clothes are "vintage new". Forever 21's current limited collection actually looks circus inspired, much like Nicholas Saunder's, Weasley Bros packaging. http://www.forever21.com/Default.asp?cookie_test=1.

So You Think You Can Dance have also uses the "new vintage" look with a little twist of punk... or zombie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNSOMXKOtMw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0onr4wJmaBI&feature=fvw
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6y39y_ramalama-sytycd-wade-robson_creation

Those costumes look quite similar to Bellatrix's apparel. Vintage victorian punk.


Could the “new vintage” be a marketing attempt to keep people connected to material things during this time where people are making the connection between consumerism and its consequences. Things they can afford but that will still make them content. Perhaps the “new vintage” marketing could also be directed to lessen the guilt of those who have money and are feeling unsettled about buying new fashions when other people can not afford it. This a way for them to be special with new vintage clothes while still not standing out from the crowd too far. If the well known fashion designers were to create designs which were recognizable as expensive, that might alienate those who could not afford the trendy designs. Dressing upper class and separating ones self drastically from the lower classes may not be a statement that many people want to make.

Despite the pending politics with the new style, I love vintage. For fashionistas vintage items will always be the thing which completes one's wardrobe. It just happens that vintage items are what the closet is mostly comprised of right now.

The Weasley Shop

As someone who loves both shopping and fantasy movies, I would love to be able to just give myself some Floo Dust and head over to Diagon Alley. But seeing as how I am a muggle, I will have to settle for viewing the magical products featured in the Weasley's Shop on this design blog. http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2009/august1/magical-packaging-for-harry-potter-film Artist Nicholas Saunders created many of the packaging designs featured in the shop.

I think Nicholas Saunders got it right considering the designs are precisely what I would expect the twins to ask a designer for. The look is rather reminiscent of old circus posters. They share the similar design aspects such as spacial relationships, rustic faded values, type faces and colors. Although Saunders' designs are brighter in color. It appears that the vintage theme as discussed in previous blogs is being utilized here again.

Image Sources

http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/6900000/New-Half-Blood-Prince-stills-Weasleys-Wizarding-Weezes-harry-potter-6939417-1920-1080.jpg

http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/5138599/255713-main_Full.jpg

http://www.comollo.com/images/elebarnum.jpg

Scary Movies for Children

Warning; spoilers.

There have been many movies where children have been chased by adults or monsters. Some of those movies include The Witches, Home Alone and Pete's Dragon. More recently however movies with this plot line have begin to resemble adult thriller or horror movies in some ways. Not that anyone is having their head chopped off but there is certainly more of a sense that something is out to get you. Also, the darker color schemes seem to be somewhat inspired by horror/thriller movies. Two movies really stand out to me as being a Children's scary movie and they are Lemony Snicket's a series of Unfortunate Events and Coraline.

Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events is about three siblings who can not seem to catch a break after ever since their parents died and their house burnt down. The dreaded Count Olaf has a vendetta out for the children and tries to hunt them down throughout the coarse of the entire movie.

The aesthetic that they chose to illustrate that plot with is stimulating and fun. The movie has a very eerie yet vintage appearance to it. Nothing appears to be new and everything appears to be old or delicately hand crafted. It's very much as if the Victorian era met today's arabesque patterns and Gothic clothing. Stripes and swirls can be found in nearly every scene on clothing, furniture or trinkets. The colors used were browns and monochromatic schemes with small pops of muted color. There is something to be said about the whimsical nature of the set. Especially Count Olaf's house where no two lines seem to be running parallel. In fact the count himself seems to be a little angular with his bushy eyebrows heading back across the sides of his head and his hair coming to a point behind him. Jim Carry does a fantastic job of exaggerating those lines to the camera.



Coraline is about a little girl on an adventure within her own house and property. Her parents are normally quite busy but Caroline discovers an alternate reality where her parents are perfectly attentive. Once she figures out something is terribly wrong she has to figure out how to fix the situation which turns out to be a rather complex puzzle.

The vintage theme is still there although it seems to have more of an influence of Portland (where the movie was created). Bungalo homes were very popular (here) in Portland during the 1920's era. Coraline's house could very well be one of these homes, complete with moldings, built ins and secret doors. The movie has a similar vintage quality to Lemony Snickets but is different. While lemony Snicket's had monochromatic tones with pops of mostly muted colors, the colors in Caroline are monochromatic with pops of bright color. In fact color plays a really big role in the movie. In the real world, there are no bright colors other than Coraline's outfit, but once she enters the alternate reality everything seems more vibrant and fun. When things start unraveling we see the colors deteriorating in the alternate realty. The surrounding around the house turns white like a blank canvas and the house its self turns gray brilliantly depicting the transformation of comfortable and fun to trickery and evil.

Image Sources

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339291/mediaindex
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327597/mediaindex

The Aesthetic Brilliance of Fantasy Movies

Fantasy movies are a fantastic way of escaping from trials and tribulations of the real world. I can remember watching The Never Ending Story when I was about four and wondering what the fur/feathers of Falkor might feel like. I am still really fascinated with the design of these worlds and how artists collaborate together; costume designers, the hair and makeup professionals, set designers, animators (computer and hand alike), to create extraordinary realms.

There are currently several design trends afoot in the design of movies and it is my goal to recognize the changing aesthetics of this genre and attempt to relate the designs meanings to happenings in the real world.

There are many movies I am absorbing myself in to get a feel for what trends are out there. Currently on the movie scene is Coraline, Inkheart, Land of the Lost, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Coming soon is 9, Cloudy with a Chance of Meat Balls, Alice in Wonderland, Where the Wild Things are, Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and The Spiderwick Chronicles.

Image from http://doublemeep.wordpress.com/2009/05/28/where-are-they-now/