Short Film Project

This was the first assignment since coming to UAL, and it was also the first group work . Our group’s initial idea was to make a short film that was visually similar to the gothic genre, incorporating elements such as skulls and blood. We had a clear division of labour amongst the group members, I started off as the cinematographer for the film, designing some of the camera and character movements. But in the following days, some group members wanted to change the content of the filming after discussing it online. Their new inspiration came from the film “Black Swan”. Because the content is a bit abstract, and my English skills are limited, I couldn’t understand it quickly and then go to design a new storyboard. So I changed the position and I was mainly responsible for the lighting on the set. The lighting of this film is very interesting, different main characters have different colours of background light, and at the climax the red and blue lights collide together, giving people a visual conflict. I also tried to make some designs on the lighting, such as using Rembrandt light or some low angle base light on different shots. The location was in a wooded area five minutes walk from Furzedown Hall. I thought the atmosphere was perfect for the film, especially the old tree with a thick trunk. The downside may be the rush of time, the limitations of equipment, and the language barrier. Otherwise the film would be more perfect. Overall it was a great experience, Everyone is actively involved and serious about doing their job. Last but not the least, the final version of the film looks good!

Three Dimensional Drawing

Perspective is a fun and practical exercise. One-point perspective towards a single vanishing point on the horizon line. and so on, two-point perspective has two vanishing points, and three-point perspective has three vanishing points. Three-point perspective has one vanishing point above or below the object, which corresponds to the Worm’s Eye View and the Bird’s Eye View. overall it’s not too difficult, and I was able to complete my exercise relatively quickly. But my three-point perspective view looks a bit strange. After talking to paul, I learnt that generally speaking, the horizontal line usually needs to be opposite to the third vanishing point. If the third vanishing point is on top of the object, then the horizontal line is usually on the bottom of the object, instead seting at the middle height of the object.

Head Structure

From my perspective, there was a lot to learn in the head structure. I’ve never done a serious portrait before, and the detailing of facial features can leave me clueless. But after taking the seminar, I understand the proportion of the head structure, the distance between the hairline and brow-line should be the same as the distance between the brow-line and bottom of the nose. And I learned how to portray the details of different facial features. For example, the lids have some thickness, the eyes have two peaks, as the cornea moves it will push the lids out, etc. However, when I actually do drawing practice, I still faced a variety of problems. What I can only do is keep reviewing and revising the image. And in order to make the whole picture look more harmonious, I added some shadows. It was a good exercise, I learnd a lot and I will keeping doing more practice in the future.