低能開心

爛左個hard disk之後咩都無曬，哈哈

呢條片係上個sem幸存的 assigment~

其實我知道，每逢我做緊d好KAI、好低能嘅work嘅時候，

係特別開心架~

Conversation - Final Project

Everyday, we have to conduct conversation with many people. Do we know what conversation is?   

By designing a performance by conducting a conversation, ask the audience to think about what qualitative conversation is.

Audiences conduct a performance by themselves. Two audiences can involve in the performance each time.

The performance has two levels.

Level 1. CONVERSATION

·      Write the message “Focus on your conversation” on a paper and put it inside a box.

·      Audiences have to conduct a CONVERSATION.

·      Audiences have a task to do, once they hear a CLAP sound, try to be the first person to know the message in the box AFTER 1 MINUTE.

·      Once the person in charge admits that the DIALOUGE become a CONVERSATION, she will clap her hand once.

·      Keep the conversation after hearing a clap sound.

·      Audience are free to move around the area

Level 2. Listen to YOU in the conversation

·      Write the message “Listen to you, but not me” on a paper and put it inside a box.

·      Audiences have to conduct a conversation.

·      Try NOT TO SAY “I”, “ME” or “MYSELF” in the conversation.

·      Once they say “I”, “ME” or “MYSELF” in the conversation, step back into the area that have set.

·      Audience are free to move around the area in other time

·      Audiences have a task to do, once they hear a CLAP sound, try to be the first person to know the message in the box AFTER 1 MINUTE.

·      Once the person in charge admits that they can listen to each other, she will clap her hand once.

·      Keep the conversation after hearing a clap sound.

How to measure that the audiences are conducting a CONVERSATION?

To define……
The spoken exchange of thoughts, opinions, and feelings; talk.

association or social intercourse; intimate acquaintance.

According to How to have a great conversation by Lily A, Ben Rubenstein, Krystle C., L.

How to have a great conversation

1.     Find out a few things about the person you'll be talking to.

2.     Ask questions so that the other person can talk about himself or herself.

3.     Inject invitation and inspiration.

4.     Comment on a general interest topic.

5.     Listen actively.

6.     Forget yourself.

7.     Voice disagreement with respect.

8.     Accept occasional silences.

9.     Occasionally, ask the question that is looming over the conversation.

10. Tell stories, preferably funny ones.

11. In a pinch, comment on the awkwardness of it all.

12. Know when the conversation has ended.

How to have a great conversation by Lily A, Ben Rubenstein, Krystle C., L.

http://www.wikihow.com/Have-a-Great-Conversation

Development of the project

Sometimes, we ask for something too clear during chatting that others may obviously know the purpose of why we find them. Such as want to know some secrete, announce something. This kind of chatting is target-oriented, may achieve some kind of result. However, Is that a good conversation? So that I want to design an activity to show, the purpose of a conversation is – focus on your conversation; exchange thoughts, opinions, learn to listen and forget myself.

Why to choose conversation as the topic? How it related to art?

As I think, conversation itself is art. It involves choice and alignment of content, choice of words, use of sentence pattern, speaking tone and manner, these things need to under design through the brain before we speak it out. Since the action and reaction time is far shorter than we normally make a tangible work, therefore it is more important to learn the art of conversation to maintain good relationship with others and indeed make a more effective conversation!

Make it as an open, interactive work
Since the topic, conversation, itself is not a tangible thing, I design it as an activity that need to have direct reaction between the designer and the audiences. 

It is an open work that the duration of the performance, the position of where they place are depends on how they perform. Every audience will make different outcome.  

During I design the performance, I consider the following things……

·      Can they know what conversation that I was expected before the performance?

·      Are there enough clues for them to know how to achieve to conduct a conversation?

·      What guide should I set to let them know my purpose?

·      Will they engaged in the performance?

·      Will they feel awkward after the conversation becomes a performance and fail to meet up the objectives?

Humors
When I test on this activity, active and outgoing players seems easier to achieve the project goal within short time, however, is that mean the one who complete the activity faster has inspired more than the slower one? In my point of view, there are no direct relationship between time and inspiration.

Conclusion

There are still many possibilities that can explore and more user test has to be done to improve this activity. I believe this activity can be more inspiring and thought provoking. 

Painting is not dead!

What is a painting? 

According to my daily observation, a painting is an outcome that someone makes mark on a surface by using materials and it can display on somewhere. Take making an oil painting as an example, someone take oil dye by using a brush and put it on a canvas. It can display in gallery or somewhere else.

So, anything can said to be a painting if it fulfills the above criteria? Can I say that the action of shaping and eating an apple is similar to making a panting? Why or why not?

Is there specific surface?
 
Unlike traditional flat surface, an apple is a tangible three-dimensional surface that also allows making marks on.

 Is there specific way to make marks?
In bygone days, a painting usually comes from construction rather than destruction. Undoubtedly, both ways allow making marks, while shaping and eating an apple is a destructive action that also can make marks.

 Is a painting need to have a specific done day and a specific artist?
When I shape an apple, I am the first artist to change its appearance. However, different marks can be made from oxidization and decomposition. The apple will turn to yellowish and change in shape in size. Obviously, these marks are not made by me, should I count it as the long-term evolution of the material itself or there is another intangible artist? 

Do a painting need to have audiences? Is it really necessary to present it in an acknowledged open area?
After I think of this, I do think that it is not rubbish but a painting when it’s in a garbage bin. The Ashman is my audience no matter he/she appreciates it or not. Same as an artist, I keep an attitude that not all people will acknowledge it as an artwork. After I do this project, I change my view via what is painting and the way of making and presenting a painting. Painting is a lively action that can be made by everyone everywhere without constraints in time. As the title said: Painting is not dead!

Extraordinary Pure in Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea by Shirley Li

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, a 2D hand-drawn animation made by a famous Japan artist Hayao Miyazaki. The film successfully present every matter in a extraordinary pure way, the love between a boy and a fish-girl; trust from adults to kids; the bravery of two little kids to take an unconditioned adventure, teach us to maintain balance between the submarine and human world with patient, etc. Every single plots and arrangement are shown with a kindhearted sprit. As I first saw the promotion, this animation more likely targeted the children as the audiences, but now, I know that it is for everyone to recall our most pure, positive belief that hidden in our heart.

Innocent and cheerful child’s universe

Unlike the previous animation made by Hayao Miyazaki, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea shows a more lively and cheerful art direction. Realistic and precise background and color tone are keep all time in the previous work such as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, etc. Here, the color saturation is higher and both the characters and background are brightly colored. Apart from the common used watercolor, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea use pastel as a new try. Miyazaki falls in love with the softness make by pastel. Sharp supplementary colors are used on the main characters and props. Ponyo is wearing a red dress with a green water bucket on hand while the small boy Sōsuke is wearing a yellow shirt. In addition, lines in this animation are more lively and curved. Not only Ponyo is usually compressed to show her innocent, elements in background like Lisa’s kitchen, props like Lisa’s car, even if the cloud in the sky are round shaped. Colorful elements and lively curves make this animation far more energetic.

Plentiful wholehearted movement            

As Ponyo and Sōsuke are 5 year-old kids, they have energetic and nimble movement. They jump and run around within the frame and have active facial expression. Director is designed to draw realistic movement that happened on children. For example, they will shake their body even they just standing delight. Miyazaki also set these clumsy motions in order to make it real. Also, there are plentiful off screen movement within the frame. Apart from locating or eyes on the main characters, the movements of the marine creatures are attractive. Especially in the scene that the whole island is the underwater, thousands of fish, swimming around Sōsuke’s small boat, these common fishes we see daily suddenly become extremely cute within the frame.

Show your enthusiasm

After Ponyo rescued by Sōsuke, Sōsuke promises to protect her forever. They build such kind of simple love to each other. Although her father Fujimoto caught her again, she tried to escape from his barrier by breaking the magic. The enthusiasm show by Ponyo becomes waves like tsunami. Ponyo run above the waves to follow Lisa’s car, waves turn over and over like Ponyo’s passion. When Ponyo saw Sōsuke, Ponyo run without hesitation to hug Sōsuke. Sometimes we hide our feelings too much and become emotionless to express ourselves, while enthusiasm here dare everybody to move.

The green water bucket will make you safe

Sōsuke rescue Ponyo from a bottle and put it into a green water bucket, however, her father Fujimoto caught her again. Sōsuke believe Ponyo can find home if she see the green water bucket that put on the fence. Sōsuke recognize that she’s Ponyo when she carried the bucket. A sense of secure is build with this bucket to Ponyo. Ponyo is with this bucket until the end of the film.

To be the Light of others

There is a scene that Lisa call Sōsuke to stay home after the tsunami to protect Ponyo and be the light to guide others. The hidden meaning of Miyazaki set the location of Sōsuke’s home on the top of a mountain clearly identifies this idea. When the lights are on in the room, this house functions like a beacon to guide ships the ways.      

Be satisfied with simple things

After Lisa, Sōsuke and Ponyo arrive home, they settle down and do some daily stuff. When we see how they excited that they interact will the food, the soup and noodles suddenly become very attractive. As to Sōsuke’s family stuff, Sōsuke can not see his father Kōichi always since he have to work on ship, but they treasure the time when they can chat by using the light. Satisfaction is not depends on how much your own, but to treasure the things you have.

Simply good to the others

I believe everyone are kindhearted in the underneath belief. Even when you hurt by the others, will you try to keep faith in treating others well rather than hide us so as to prevent from hurts? Sōsuke give the grandmothers a protecting charm even if one of them had said Ponyo is ugly. And Ponyo gave soup and food to the family they meet on the boat without any hesitation even they don’t know each other. Human relationship build from these tinny caring actions.    

Keep positive even the environment get worst

There is an amazing scene that everybody is with a smile even if the tsunami destroyed their city and brought their poverty under water. Residents drive a boat everywhere actively to find the one who seek help. United and positive thinking help human to live with joy even if the environment get worst. 

Trust the kids

Undoubtedly parents have to guide and help children to face to the difficulties, however, they have the responsibility the build the children by trust them and give support in many circumstances. The whole story is focus on the casual relation of how Sōsuke and Ponyo’s choose to affect the life of all people and the world. Ponyo’s mother Granmamare declares that if Sōsuke can pass a test, to love her no matter what she is, Ponyo can live as a human and the world order will be restored. In this story, Sōsuke and Ponyo’s mother give them the freedom to choose base on trust.   

Become reconciled with the submarine

In the beginning, there are thousands of Jellyfish swimming in the sea showing the beauty of ocean. Ponyo’s father Fujimoto, a once-human wizard who now lives underwater, control the balance of the submarine environment. He always expresses that human are dirty and bad. In the first time that Ponyo escape from the protection of Fujimoto, Ponyo was trapped by the trawl. When Fujimoto go out to find Ponyo, Fujimoto pass through the dirty seabed that full of rubbish. This animation highlighted these plots to show the reality in human world. We manage the submarine badly. However, the ending part of the animation tell us an answer of what we can do, is to become reconciled with the submarine like how Sōsuke protect Ponyo. It’s a metaphor showing that the pass of Sōsuke not only can let Ponyo live as a human, but also the world order will be restored.       

Lovely theme song

Ponyo’s eponymous theme song, “Gake no Ue no Ponyo” further enhance the energy and pureness of this film. They invited an eight-year-old girl Nozomi Ohashi to sing for the song. This song used to push forward the film mood to be cheerful, lively and energetic.

This film arouses me to be pure like a child when facing the world. The world can be far more complicated than we can imagine, but we will not be happier when we become the complicated one. Just recalls the wholehearted sprit from our heart to treat others good, empowering others by positive energy, shows our passion with act. We may not reward immediately, but the world will become better if we firmly believe it and practice it out.         

Recreate a PAST work by the PRESENT me

The upper one is a work made when I was in primary school in China. It was copied from the text book directly. I remember that I draw it just because I have nothing to do. Draw it with a pure heart without thinking too much on how to beautify it. When I analysis it with today's eye, it is a stylist, 2D, flat artwork. The detail is precisely outlined.

The bottom one is my re-invented work base on the left one. Before I draw it out, I ask myself: What should I thinking of when I making this work? Should I try to beautify it to show my very good drawing skill? What media should I use? No Doubt, when we grow up, we think more complicated.
Why can't I re-create it by using a pure heart like a child? After that, I grab my favorite watercolor box and try to draw it. "Oh boy, are you love to run? Just let go of your hand and feet! " "Oh boy, do you want to run like flying? May I add some curves to you? " "How about the background and color? Just fill it up!" I draw it without thinking too much. Undesignedly, I enhance the feel of perspective by drawing an oblique  background. In addition, the sense of foreground, middle ground and background were enhanced by adding some shrubs at the back. At that time, I know that when I am not constrained by the design principles but equip it as my day life being, they will come out in my art work.

I find back my passion to draw when I making this art work. Not to block my stroke and hand just because of make it more complete and beautiful. Freedom is the beauty here.