Have you ever had one of those days where things just didn't work out no matter how well you know you are at doing them or no matter how many times you check your work to make sure you're doing it right?
Today is that day for me. Why?
Well, today was suppose to be the day where I figure out how to cut out my felt fabric in order to cover the surface of my puppet. But it became increasingly clear that I didn't know what the hell I was doing. Thankfully, no cuts were made in the actual fabric.
I can't say the same thing about the foam board. I decided to try and mount the poster I order from Kinko's, but ultimately learned that the scale of the job is too big for my small reach and limited space in the studio now. After screwing that job up, I called a local art store for price quotes. Seems they will do the job for me if I buy their $30 standard plexi-glass frame for only $5 more. Might as well drop the cash for the job rather than botch it up again.
Hopefully I'll be in the swing of things by next week.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Indiana Jones and the Chariots of the Gods
Today, despite having a rough run in the communications department with my parents, I was able to go see the new Indiana Jones movie. My memory of the first three is rather vague, but it was enough to help me enjoy the franchise and appreciate what made the movies so great in the first place. The film doesn't take itself too seriously, and as a viewer, I didn't either.
Now, early on when this film was announced, leaks after leaks were posted all over the internet about this movie. It was going to feature Indy's kid; Area 51 was going to be involved. And then when the title was announced, the Tokyo Disney Resort message board I lurk (I rarely post on any of the message board forums these day due to my opinion being treated negatively.) lit up with speculation as to why the film involved the Crystal Skull version of the same ride at Disneyland. The Aztec setting and then the leak of the promotional toy showing the Crystal Skull confirmed for many that this was going to involve aliens and the hypothesis written by Erich von Däniken.
Around this time, I wasn't paying attention. I was too busy playing the Sam & Max episode that parodied Däniken's hypothesis titled Chariot of the Dog.
Anyway, I was lucky to not get usher duty while working at the theatre during the opening weekend of the film. I don't like having to work that job when there is a movie I'm actually interested in seeing simply because it spoils the whole film for me to death. But I did hear all the mixed reviews from film buffs that went to the opening day morning shows. It was a mixed bag, but one thing was spoiled for me with the confirmation that aliens were involved. Okay, that wasn't a real spoiler because I knew about that since January, but you get the idea.
My expectations for the film was that it would be as entertaining as how I remember the past films, and sure enough they were met. Lots of great moments, most of which I'm expecting to see as additions to the Indiana Jones Stunt Show in Disney's Florida property. (One scene I don't think will make it that I liked was the sword fight done on the hoods of a pair of racing military jeeps.) But once the overall theme of the movie started to hit it's running stride, things started to get really interesting knowing what I knew of Däniken's hypothesis. It only seems ironic that I was introduced to his hypothesis through a video game that was parodying it.
If you read Chariots of the Gods and/or have a basic understanding on the idea that some of history's greatest cultural phenomenons were probably created by aliens, then you'll find this movie to be quite the enjoyable ride. It's classic Indy in that there is a level of skepticism held out until the evidence points out that the far fetched ideas of the bad guys may actually be factual. And the strange part is, I am probably one of the few who actually know what the film is based off of. It is more than a search for an artifact and the power it could bring; it's a quest for knowledge that could ultimately change our history and place in the universe as we know it.
And if that doesn't sell you, Cate Blanchett has a really great death sequence and Indy ends up surviving a blast from an atomic bomb. Those two reasons alone are worth the $9.50 ticket price in my book!
Now, early on when this film was announced, leaks after leaks were posted all over the internet about this movie. It was going to feature Indy's kid; Area 51 was going to be involved. And then when the title was announced, the Tokyo Disney Resort message board I lurk (I rarely post on any of the message board forums these day due to my opinion being treated negatively.) lit up with speculation as to why the film involved the Crystal Skull version of the same ride at Disneyland. The Aztec setting and then the leak of the promotional toy showing the Crystal Skull confirmed for many that this was going to involve aliens and the hypothesis written by Erich von Däniken.
Around this time, I wasn't paying attention. I was too busy playing the Sam & Max episode that parodied Däniken's hypothesis titled Chariot of the Dog.
Anyway, I was lucky to not get usher duty while working at the theatre during the opening weekend of the film. I don't like having to work that job when there is a movie I'm actually interested in seeing simply because it spoils the whole film for me to death. But I did hear all the mixed reviews from film buffs that went to the opening day morning shows. It was a mixed bag, but one thing was spoiled for me with the confirmation that aliens were involved. Okay, that wasn't a real spoiler because I knew about that since January, but you get the idea.
My expectations for the film was that it would be as entertaining as how I remember the past films, and sure enough they were met. Lots of great moments, most of which I'm expecting to see as additions to the Indiana Jones Stunt Show in Disney's Florida property. (One scene I don't think will make it that I liked was the sword fight done on the hoods of a pair of racing military jeeps.) But once the overall theme of the movie started to hit it's running stride, things started to get really interesting knowing what I knew of Däniken's hypothesis. It only seems ironic that I was introduced to his hypothesis through a video game that was parodying it.
If you read Chariots of the Gods and/or have a basic understanding on the idea that some of history's greatest cultural phenomenons were probably created by aliens, then you'll find this movie to be quite the enjoyable ride. It's classic Indy in that there is a level of skepticism held out until the evidence points out that the far fetched ideas of the bad guys may actually be factual. And the strange part is, I am probably one of the few who actually know what the film is based off of. It is more than a search for an artifact and the power it could bring; it's a quest for knowledge that could ultimately change our history and place in the universe as we know it.
And if that doesn't sell you, Cate Blanchett has a really great death sequence and Indy ends up surviving a blast from an atomic bomb. Those two reasons alone are worth the $9.50 ticket price in my book!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Murakami in Retrospect
For the last few days, I've scheduled my blog to automatically post videos I've found on YouTube in relationship to this entry. In a way, my intent was to give a kind of teaser and to supply a kind of visual example as to what I'll be focusing on for the bulk of this post. I hope you enjoyed the videos that I've set up, and I hope that this entry ends up being more than just an observation as a result of my tactic.Takashi Murakami may have been a name that I was not familiar with prior to my start at Watkins, but he has become the center of my thesis. If not by accident, then by similar thoughts and interests. As such, when I became aware of his retrospective show in Brooklyn via word of mouth from Amanda, I said to myself, "Self, you owe it to yourself to go see this show. If not for your own visual education in your college career, then you should go simply because you have to see these pieces in person. You know damn well from experience that photos and documentations alone are nothing when you experience the real thing.
"Plus, there’s animation, which I know you haven’t seen or heard anything about."
It was our last day in NYC, and with several hours to kill before we needed to get to the airport, we spent the rainy day at the museum. I played fan boy; mom played mother-of-an-art-student-that-has-little-understanding-of-contemporary-art.
The first room featured some of Murakami’s more famous sculptures including a few new sculptures, but I made a bee line straight to the darken room lined with a satin carpet that had smiling flowers printed on it. As I walked in, Kanye West’s Good Morning, I saw a new animation style for the digital age.
The characters, backgrounds, and all the elements are digital. Every last one. However, they were flattened through a process known as Cell Shading. In the past, this process never really did what it was advertised to do. Those that have a keen eye for detail could see hints of a 3D model. Since then, the technology has improved, but nothing airing on television now looked like what I saw in this music video. The characters looked hand drawn but moved as fluidly as a Pixar character. The colors were both vibrant and engaging while still being realistic to their environment. Needless to say, on a technical level, I was floored.
I made myself comfortable on the carpet, which was very easy to do, as I waited for the next round of animation. For the next 20 minutes, I would be entertained by a mock anime show featuring two of Murakami’s characters: KaiKai & KiKi.
Done in the same animation technique, the production level for these pieces is surprisingly very high. Murakami went through the trouble of directing and designing title cards that flash before the show, complete with an annoyingly cute theme song that repeats the characters’ names to the same effect of It’s a Small World.
The first episode is called "Planting the Seed." For the record, I won’t post any video of it out of respect for the artist, but I am sure you can find video of it on YouTube. The only reason I posted the Kanye West video is because I am expecting to see it air on MTV soon, since it is graduation season. In any event, the first KaiKai and KiKi cartoon introduces us to the characters that guests will end up seeing further into the exhibit and eventually in the gift shop. KiKi is a pink, three-eyed creature who acts like a curious child. KaiKai is a white, bunny-like creature who appears to be in charge of the duo. The two of them travel from planet to planet as nomads with no reason other than to explore the universe on their chubby ship known as Moumom.
On this particular planet, they find the surface covered in farm land. As they bring the ship in closer for a better look, KiKi gets overly excited and rushes outside to get a better look on the ship’s roof. As he travels outside, stairs start to form along the surface, but that doesn’t help him from falling off the ship and landing in a pool of manure. The old farmer who sees this helps wash all the crap off him as KaiKai begins to motherly scold KiKi. The farmer then explains what they do in their daily life. They’ve landed on a planet that plants watermelons. The old farmer gives them a sample slice and they find the fruit extremely exotic and tasty. Apparently, the two never heard of or tasted a watermelon before. The old farmer then shows them how they plant, grow, and harvest the watermelons. It’s around this time that KiKi learns he landed in a pool of poop, which turns out to be his running gag for the rest of the show. KaiKai finds this disgusting, but the old farmer explains that it is a normal process to insure a good harvest. After helping the old farmer plant seeds, the two are rewarded with a bag of watermelon seeds. The two are so excited that they want to grow the fruit right away. They instruct Moumon, their ship, to pick them up and then land in a nearby body of water. It is here when we start to see just how strange the ship really is. There is no soil to grow the seeds, so Moumom begins to eat chunks of the land. The viewer is given an X-ray view of the ship as it starts to digest the land and then somehow produce a patch of soil on the roof. They throw a handful of seeds on the soil, and the seeds instantly sprout. Over the course of several days, they water and tend to the sprouts, but they don’t bare any fruit. This bothers the two, but KaiKai doesn’t lose any sleep over it. KiKi, on the other hand, can’t sleep or figure out what the problem is. He then remembers what the old farmer said about manure. This is where the Japanese humor doesn’t really pay off for the Western audience, as KiKi proceeds to take a dump on the patch of soil on top of their ship, who was also sleeping the night away. When KaiKai wakes up and greets the sprouts, she finds KiKi’s freashly dropped pile in the patch and pretty much screams bloody murder. As she motherly scolds KiKi once again, the sun rises and the dung pile ends up dissolving into the soil patch. Moumom starts to smile joyously as something big is about to happen. In a matter of seconds, a dozen vines sprout out from the top of the ship baring watermelons the size of their ship. They are so big and so heavy, that they end up knocking KaiKai and KiKi into the water. Knowing they can’t eat all of the fruit they’ve somehow produced, they bring it back to the old farmer. The old farmer, amazed with what they’ve come to deliver, organizes and holds a watermelon festival complete with rides, taste-testing events, music, and pretty much anything else you can think of. When night falls, KaiKai and KiKi return to their ship to prepare to travel to the next planet.
As a work of art, this short is rather entertaining. Not only is there a story going on that is engaging from the get go, but you have a lot of cultural and social symbolism going on if you’ve read what I’ve read.
The fact that the two characters never experienced the watermelon before implies the introduction of some kind of foreign influence. In a nice artistic reversal, KaiKai and KiKi are the foreigners being introduced to a native food which they take with them. This is how trade used to work in the old world: you sailed to a far away land, find something you liked, and then brought it back. Alluding to the origin of Italian pasta (which is a different take on the Chinese noodles process), KaiKai and KiKi imply that their version of the fruit is better than the native grown ones. This is insanely deep in its symbolic meaning of export and imports, especially when one considers how many Japanese cars we Americans have in comparison to domestically made ones.
Another critique I read after the show suggests that the short film is about the fact that there is no such thing as waste. KiKi may have dropped a fresh one, and we may consider that a waste product. But the fact still stands that what we consider waste is actually food for the plant.
Their ship is an interesting character as it brings the idea of Marx’s commodity fetish to familiar levels that most of us haven’t seen since the rubber toon days where buildings would dance with the characters. Here is a ship that is not only conscious as a living being, but functions as a machine. He eats organic matter, but doesn’t produce waste. He has internal organs, but he also have living quarters for KaiKai and KiKi. This begs the question: What is he?! Machine or creature? The answer is that he is a hybrid of both, but he isn’t a cyborg in the Western sense. In a way, he’s a bit like Doramon in that he’s a magical creature that supplies the needed function, and everyone just accepts that.
The second episode of the animation is titled "The Secret of KaiKai." It opens with a parody of Star Wars and Godzilla, as our duo (who have been redesigned to look like younger selves) travel in another sentient ship named Bouromon to a city in the sky. As they explore the city, they suddenly find themselves entangled in a monster attack. The monster, named Nana-chan, has a head with two mouths. One in the front and the other in the back. Besides destroying buildings, he can pass gas that can whip out an entire army. His two mouths cause the air force, with squadran names after fruits with color names (i.e. Orange Team, Lime Team, Peach Team), to be completely ineffective in their sneak attacks. When push comes to shove, the resident priestess Lady Tama makes herself known to banish the monster back to where it came. The result is Nana-chan being struck by lightning, which causes him to defecate a skyscraper pile of poop.
At this point in the short, we discover that what we’ve been watching is actually a movie that KiKi brought along. KaiKai forces him to turn it off for undeclared reasons. KiKi believes it has something to do with the fact there’s poop involved.
We then see KaiKai making dinner for the two of them, but her thoughts are obviously elsewhere. The viewer is treated to flashback of a war where she was the pilot of the commanding ship. A ship just as sentient as Moumom but with the ability to sense stars and ships hundreds of light years away. They have found themselves outnumbered, and a character known only as Master commands the ship to jettison the cockpit against KaiKai’s wishes. The main ship ends up imploding upon a brutal attack. KaiKai's flashback ends just in time to see KiKi slightly bored and very hungry enter the kitchen. The two of them have dinner in their dining room while Moumom is given a baby bottle of rocket fuel. As they eat, we get an hint that KaiKai doesn’t like space traveling, but feels it is her obligation to continue because of KiKi curious nature. Taking care of KiKi gives her a sense of purpose. They finish eating, and Moumom finishes fueling. Moumom then transforms into a very phallic looking rocket and begins to count down to lift off. In the cockpit area, jelly arm sofas form to make the two planet hoppers more comfortable. As Moumom breaks through the atmosphere, the lower three quarters of him detach and then explode in a field of stars and glitter. This entertains KiKi, but KaiKai is not only unimpressed but depressed. The episode ends with the ship disappearing into space looking like Tinkerbelle flying among the stars.
At first, when I saw the whole Star Wars and Godzilla parody, I thought this was Murakami’s way of talking about the cultural reset that happened after Hiroshima, which was the thesis for the Little Boy show that happened in NYC in 2003. When the actual joke happened that what we were watching was a movie within the movie, I got confused as to what was going on, half expecting the show to stop at that point. The serious inner monologue is something that I’ve seen in several animes before, but never involving characters that are as cute as the Powerpuff Girls. It was an interesting juxtaposition to have this Hello Kitty looking character give a Gundam style flashback. I took it as symbolically saying that the Japanese culture may be identified as being this cute and mass produced culture despite the fact that there was a very real and, well, "uncute" event that caused them to be this way. I wouldn’t have gotten to this interpretation if it wasn’t for the Godzilla spoof, I’ll admit that much.
It is also in this short where we end up seeing what each of the characters represent. KiKi is the new generation of the Japanese culture, who are growing up experiencing the world for the first time and naively getting themselves into situations that clearly have no consequence to them. KaiKai represents those who have researched the culture’s history and know what kind of impact it has had, both directly and indirectly. Strangely enough, KaiKai isn’t so much from the Western mentality of remembering and honoring the fallen as she is trying to hide the past, as implied by the episode’s title. It’s also implied by the way the two interact that KiKi has no idea of KaiKai’s past. All he knows is that she is able to pilot the ship.
I find it interesting that Murakami chose to have Master’s ship implode rather than explode. Both actions (exploding and imploding) are not represented with fire but with stars. The imploding animation during the war scene looks like the clouds NASA photographs when a supernova occurs. The explosion animation looks more like a glittery display you would find in a fireworks show. For the life of me, I couldn’t guess as to why this was the case.
Having seen what I wanted to, I took the rest of my time to enjoy the show, having seen most of those pieces only in photographs. His sculptures where the real treat for me to see in person. What I took away from the show, however, was a more detailed explanation of his more recognizable character Mr. DOB (or simply DOB).
I learned that DOB actually relates to my thesis! Early in his character, before KaiKai and KiKi, DOB represented the artist. He changed shapes, forms, colors, and size depending on how Murakami felt at the time. There was a gallery space devoted specifically to how this character evolved from the early stages where he looked like Mickey Mouse to the stages before KaiKai and KiKi were drawn. In between, you can see emotions being expressed like frustration and feeling worn out, though surprisingly nothing that hints at depression or sorrow.
His most recent work is a complete departure from the style that dominates the show. Murakami is currently exploring a Zen Buddhist motif, but he is still keeping his trademark bold line work and highly saturated commercial color pallet. Mori went the same way, so I’m not surprised Murakami followed in this path. He apparently has a live-action video piece to be released in 2009 that is in this same area of exploration called Daruma. I couldn’t make any sense out of the preview they had playing, but I did find one scene interesting visually. It was a girl washing her hair in the sink which caused the water to turn a bright pink. It was just strange seeing this clear faucet water turn pink as it passed through your usual Japanese raven black hair.
In the lobby of the museum advertising the exhibit is his 2003 public works piece for Little Boy that was displayed in Rockefeller Center during the show’s run. It’s a major photo hub for anyone visiting the Brooklyn Museum, as it is on your way out the doors. I looked at this sculpture thinking that maybe this was the piece that started his exploration into the realm of Eastern Religion. The sculpture is very Hindu Buddhist in form, yet features characters that could easily be placed with KaiKai, KiKi, and DOB. To actually see this sculpture and place it in a ballpark area of where it would have fallen in his body of work is something that I’ve never been able to do until now with any artist. To do so gave me a very strong sense of pride knowing that I knew what was going on. Or at the least had a really good idea.
When the day was over, I not only got a lot of valuable visual research, I had and experience that will no doubt affect what I create over the summer for my next try at graduation. And that’s worth more than the $280 I spent on the exhibit book and a collection of plush dolls (as seen in the photograph).
Jonathan Ross's Interview with Takashi Murakami
Personal Note: The comments in this video mirror my own upon seeing Murakami's work for the first time, which is why my thesis is so heavily driven by the cartoon aesthetic.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Indiana Jones and the Song of Theme
I've got to learn the words to this so I can annoy my co-workers and managers at work.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Puppet Project
This is four out of the five pieces my puppet is currently in. I'm using upholstery foam to shape the head and will be looking for fabric on my next set of days off to figure out a patter to sew together. From there, it's just a matter of trying to make it look like my Hello Kitty avatar rather than like Scooter from The Muppet Show like I originally planned. I can't seem to find a decent substitute for a pair of Mr. Potatohead glasses.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
A Day Off
Plans gave way to sleep
Which then gave way to energy and relaxation
From which plans never happened.
Laundry not done yet.
Research not started yet.
Entertainment still not bought yet.
The lesson of the day?
Cloverfield is a really good bad monster movie
Made all the better by the RiffTrax available from the guys that did Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Which then gave way to energy and relaxation
From which plans never happened.
Laundry not done yet.
Research not started yet.
Entertainment still not bought yet.
The lesson of the day?
Cloverfield is a really good bad monster movie
Made all the better by the RiffTrax available from the guys that did Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Money on My Mind
I got to go home early from work today. I found out when I was waiting for my break to end from my manager. The manager that told me this even got to clock out of his shift and go home. Why?
Given the current economy, there is a clear slow down in people going out to entertain themselves or eat at their favorite mall hang outs. By the time 15:00 rolled around today, we had four people working the theatres to clean them up when it was clear we didn't need that many this morning. One was let go at 15:00, and I technically was clocked out 45 minutes later when I took my break.
The thing is, you couldn't tell that we were technically slow for the opening weekend for the second Narnia movie if you just looked at the floor traffic. Guests were lining up for popcorn, walking to theatres, reserving seats in the best spots they could. Everything looked normal at a glance.
When you actually sit down and look at each area of the theatre, you then see just how slow we were. When I clocked out, there were only three lines for popcorn. Each were only four people deep. When I left the movie I went to see that afternoon, we had four lines for popcorn that were only six people deep each. The line for tickets were only two groups deep when I clocked out. Two hours later after my movie, it was just barely rounding the bend, which can hold ten people comfortably.
We even had our second concession stand open, and when I left for my break, I found out that they only made a total of seven sales since they opened the theatre at 08:45 this morning for the 09:15 Narnia!!
I never really liked money or the idea of capital. I've needed it, sure, but that doesn't mean I like the idea of it. But today, I couldn't help but thinking about the economy. There I was after my movie sitting in the burger joint at the corner of where I work enjoying probably the most expensive burger they offer on their menu (mostly because it has the leanest cut of beef and I'm trying to eat better) wondering if next week's opening of Indy 4 will be as slow. My managers actually expected Narnia to pull in major crowds on Saturday, but when I left, they barely broke 1,000 guests for the day. And this was as the 19:00 rush was happening! (To provide some perspective, we would normally have three times that much by that hour for a major block-buster opening weekend.)
My mother said recently the President was on TV urging people to not cut on doing fun things like eating out or going to the movies simply because the economy is going down the tubes. It would hurt the work force of the country who are performing the jobs that everyone takes for granted like cleaning up after you when you leave a movie or cooking you a steak in ways you could never do by yourself in your own home kitchen. I know what he's trying to do, both politically and tactfully. He's trying to make sure that people like me keep their jobs as well as generate a demand for people like my managers to hire more employees.
I don't think it's working. But I'm not worried. I'm not one of the 30 new people that were just hired in the past two weeks.
Given the current economy, there is a clear slow down in people going out to entertain themselves or eat at their favorite mall hang outs. By the time 15:00 rolled around today, we had four people working the theatres to clean them up when it was clear we didn't need that many this morning. One was let go at 15:00, and I technically was clocked out 45 minutes later when I took my break.
The thing is, you couldn't tell that we were technically slow for the opening weekend for the second Narnia movie if you just looked at the floor traffic. Guests were lining up for popcorn, walking to theatres, reserving seats in the best spots they could. Everything looked normal at a glance.
When you actually sit down and look at each area of the theatre, you then see just how slow we were. When I clocked out, there were only three lines for popcorn. Each were only four people deep. When I left the movie I went to see that afternoon, we had four lines for popcorn that were only six people deep each. The line for tickets were only two groups deep when I clocked out. Two hours later after my movie, it was just barely rounding the bend, which can hold ten people comfortably.
We even had our second concession stand open, and when I left for my break, I found out that they only made a total of seven sales since they opened the theatre at 08:45 this morning for the 09:15 Narnia!!
I never really liked money or the idea of capital. I've needed it, sure, but that doesn't mean I like the idea of it. But today, I couldn't help but thinking about the economy. There I was after my movie sitting in the burger joint at the corner of where I work enjoying probably the most expensive burger they offer on their menu (mostly because it has the leanest cut of beef and I'm trying to eat better) wondering if next week's opening of Indy 4 will be as slow. My managers actually expected Narnia to pull in major crowds on Saturday, but when I left, they barely broke 1,000 guests for the day. And this was as the 19:00 rush was happening! (To provide some perspective, we would normally have three times that much by that hour for a major block-buster opening weekend.)
My mother said recently the President was on TV urging people to not cut on doing fun things like eating out or going to the movies simply because the economy is going down the tubes. It would hurt the work force of the country who are performing the jobs that everyone takes for granted like cleaning up after you when you leave a movie or cooking you a steak in ways you could never do by yourself in your own home kitchen. I know what he's trying to do, both politically and tactfully. He's trying to make sure that people like me keep their jobs as well as generate a demand for people like my managers to hire more employees.
I don't think it's working. But I'm not worried. I'm not one of the 30 new people that were just hired in the past two weeks.
The New York Experience
This week, I’ll be reflecting on my trip NYC.
Or at least I would. The whole idea of a trip report is to recount what you did, what you liked, what you didn’t like. But given the hustle and bustle of the city that is The Big Apple, it’s kind of hard to accurately remember what we did and in which order.
What sticks out in my mind the most is the fact we didn’t take as many pictures as we would normally take. It’s almost being counter intuitive given the fact that both of us are Asian, and it’s a true stereotype that we document almost everything while we are on vacation. Within reason and budget, of course. What few pictures we took were of the areas of the city we liked to look at.
We spent only one day on the great island of skyscrapers, but we were able to see everything we set out to see and only got lost twice. My faux foreign accent kept slipping in and out whenever I would talk to a street vendor or a museum docent. Something that happened a lot when I was in Spain and Italy last year.
We started with a long subway ride to the north side of Central Park. Keeping to the Fifth Avenue side, we made our way south towards the shopping district. We did take a detour into The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art when we saw a banner advertising a show involving Superhero fashion.
We only paid a dollar each to get in, since the museum was so huge and we were only going to see one exhibit. The exhibit itself was interesting. Couture designers were commissioned to design outfits based on the costumes of comic cultures most iconic characters, villain and hero alike. Of the ones that stood out to me where the various sport suits that are currently in use that were based on The Flash, the formal dresses inspired by Spider-Man’s Black Suit and Michelle Pfeiffer’s portrayal of Catwoman, and the strangely-yet-sexual outfits based on the idea of The Hulk representing the virile body. The oddest design goes to a Batman-inspired couture that features large sleeves designed to look like the side of a Gotham City high rise. I couldn’t figure out how anyone would be able to wear that, as the mannequin displaying the outfit had no arms attached. I later found the catalogue for the exhibit and saw a picture of the opening day’s catwalk event, and that just made the outfit look even more odd.
Satisfying my mom’s skepticism that we could get into some museums for well under the price posted, we started back on our walk towards the south end of Central Park and Fifth Avenue. Once there, Mom did some window shopping and naturally didn’t buy anything. It was fun watching her squirm at the three-digit price tags for outfits she liked. We made our way to MOMA, but decided to not bother with it due to high volume of local High School field trippers and tourists. Plus, they wanted $20 from each of us, which my mom wasn’t willing to pay after paying only a dollar to get into The Met.
Walking a little bit further down, we made our way to St. Patrick’s. As luck or divine will would have it, we came in just as they were starting their afternoon observance. The whole mass took only half an hour, but I still felt like this was no accident. We were clearly tourists, and the ushers didn’t wave us out like they did everyone else in the building. The only good thing about the experience was the sinful nature of my lustful wandering eye. Sitting in the pew next to us was a really lean but large young stud who was also playing tourist with his mom. They left the mass when the collection baskets went around, but while they were there, he was my Forbidden Fruit in NYC’s Garden of Eden.
We then crossed Fifth to check out Rockefeller Center. We got lost trying to find the iconic gold statue, unaware that it was underneath us when we saw that there was a store dedicated to NBC shows and their various commercial products. We eventually found it, and my mother was quite disappointed with the results. This would be her first of second disappointments in New York. I told her that the reason it looked so big is because of the way it’s photographed. I even showed her what I meant with the few pictures she took of the statue. She looked at me confused and looking like she was cheated. I jokingly said to her that she now knows how I felt when we went to the Sistine Chapel.
After some light shopping in the mall below the iconic plaza in order to escape a sudden-but-short rain storm, I decided we were better off walking to Time Square. The maps I was using (one subway map, one street map) made it look farther than it really was. Jason e-mailed several days before we left stating that Manhattan is actually a pretty small world, and this trip out to the heart of theatre district proved just that.
The entire area of Time Square was just over-stimulating. My mom compared it to the Vegas strip with the lights and traffic just happening all over the place. We took our obligatory snap shots and then figured that was all there was to see in the area. The next stop would be Ground Zero, so we took a subway downtown.
When we got there, we were greeted with chain-link fences that were covered with green/gray tarps. Construction crews barked at tourists who leaned against the fence to get a better view. My mother asked a NYPD if this was it. She was expecting a memorial by now or something. Her comment of ‘This is it?’ was echoed as I listened in to the people around us. Some seven years later, the impact of the attacks doesn’t seem to have the same kind affect on people as it should have when you’re actually in the area. This was the second disappointment for my mother.
As we sat and rested by the Jeff Koons sculpture near Ground Zero, I explained to her why there is no memorial. The whole complex story about how some families want this while other families feel that would be a better memorial and others believing that no memorial should be built at all and the hole in the ground should be it just confused my mother even more. It’s been like that for the last five years with this project, so I wasn’t too surprised that there was essentially nothing there. In the end, she got so upset at the lack of something to see in the area that she went shopping in the department store directly across the street from Ground Zero. She didn’t buy anything.
We started to grow hungry and hopped a train to Chinatown. Once there, I got lost trying to find the street where all the restaurants are. Once I figured out I was going the opposite direction, we found a small dive to have dinner.
I, once again, was distracted by a pair of gay men who were clearly on a date. Both from the club scene judging from their dress, and both just painfully hot. The younger of the two was in a black tank top that hugged his muscle structure like a second skin suit. I couldn’t help but stare. The conversation with my mother kept fading in and out of my mind as lustful thoughts screamed. Some fantasies about a crush I have at Watkins that I know I’d never act on, some about if I would get caught cruising this guy’s date, and others so raunchy I feel ashamed thinking those things in the company of my mother.
It was at that moment that I had an epiphany. There’s no way in hell I can date anyone. I’m too much in lust with the beautiful people in the world and too socially reserved to act on any emotional attachment to people. I’m completely undatable because I’ve made myself like that. And like I said to the bartender from Tribes that I befriended at school, it’s because of my past experiences expressing my attraction to people that has made me this way. So at least now I have a damn good reason why I don’t date. Expressing my attraction to someone makes me feel socially awkward.
We didn’t finish our dinner, and took the leftovers back to our flat in Brooklyn. Much to both mine and my mother’s surprise, we ended up burning off what we ate for dinner walking to the obligatory tourist T-shirt stores and to the subway station that would bring us back to Flatbush. By the time we got out of the station, we were hungry again. That’s what happens when you eat Chinese food.
After buying some drinks from the corner store and settling in to our Sesame Street building where our flat was, we came to the realization that we walked farther in New York than we ever did in Nashville. And neither one of us was tired. Hungry, yes, but not tired. I felt like I had conquered the city while feeling like I found my home. Mom just liked the fact that she was able to experience a bigger city than she’s ever been to, and made it a point to save up some extra cash so that the next time she goes to NYC she can shop. With my sister in tow.
The following day, we went to the Brooklyn Museum for the main reason we were even in town, but got to see a few extras with it. Besides the Murakami retrospective, my mother and I go to see The Dinner Party in person, as well as a small collection of Japanese woodblock prints. It was the first time that I felt like my mother and I actually connected, if only for a moment. She teased me for being an obsessive fan boy over the show, and I didn't once got on her nerves about all her little quirks in how she talks. We need more moments like these.
Next week, I’ll post my thoughts about the reason we went to NYC in the first place: The Murakami Retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Or at least I would. The whole idea of a trip report is to recount what you did, what you liked, what you didn’t like. But given the hustle and bustle of the city that is The Big Apple, it’s kind of hard to accurately remember what we did and in which order.
What sticks out in my mind the most is the fact we didn’t take as many pictures as we would normally take. It’s almost being counter intuitive given the fact that both of us are Asian, and it’s a true stereotype that we document almost everything while we are on vacation. Within reason and budget, of course. What few pictures we took were of the areas of the city we liked to look at.
We spent only one day on the great island of skyscrapers, but we were able to see everything we set out to see and only got lost twice. My faux foreign accent kept slipping in and out whenever I would talk to a street vendor or a museum docent. Something that happened a lot when I was in Spain and Italy last year.
We started with a long subway ride to the north side of Central Park. Keeping to the Fifth Avenue side, we made our way south towards the shopping district. We did take a detour into The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art when we saw a banner advertising a show involving Superhero fashion.
We only paid a dollar each to get in, since the museum was so huge and we were only going to see one exhibit. The exhibit itself was interesting. Couture designers were commissioned to design outfits based on the costumes of comic cultures most iconic characters, villain and hero alike. Of the ones that stood out to me where the various sport suits that are currently in use that were based on The Flash, the formal dresses inspired by Spider-Man’s Black Suit and Michelle Pfeiffer’s portrayal of Catwoman, and the strangely-yet-sexual outfits based on the idea of The Hulk representing the virile body. The oddest design goes to a Batman-inspired couture that features large sleeves designed to look like the side of a Gotham City high rise. I couldn’t figure out how anyone would be able to wear that, as the mannequin displaying the outfit had no arms attached. I later found the catalogue for the exhibit and saw a picture of the opening day’s catwalk event, and that just made the outfit look even more odd.
Satisfying my mom’s skepticism that we could get into some museums for well under the price posted, we started back on our walk towards the south end of Central Park and Fifth Avenue. Once there, Mom did some window shopping and naturally didn’t buy anything. It was fun watching her squirm at the three-digit price tags for outfits she liked. We made our way to MOMA, but decided to not bother with it due to high volume of local High School field trippers and tourists. Plus, they wanted $20 from each of us, which my mom wasn’t willing to pay after paying only a dollar to get into The Met.
Walking a little bit further down, we made our way to St. Patrick’s. As luck or divine will would have it, we came in just as they were starting their afternoon observance. The whole mass took only half an hour, but I still felt like this was no accident. We were clearly tourists, and the ushers didn’t wave us out like they did everyone else in the building. The only good thing about the experience was the sinful nature of my lustful wandering eye. Sitting in the pew next to us was a really lean but large young stud who was also playing tourist with his mom. They left the mass when the collection baskets went around, but while they were there, he was my Forbidden Fruit in NYC’s Garden of Eden.
We then crossed Fifth to check out Rockefeller Center. We got lost trying to find the iconic gold statue, unaware that it was underneath us when we saw that there was a store dedicated to NBC shows and their various commercial products. We eventually found it, and my mother was quite disappointed with the results. This would be her first of second disappointments in New York. I told her that the reason it looked so big is because of the way it’s photographed. I even showed her what I meant with the few pictures she took of the statue. She looked at me confused and looking like she was cheated. I jokingly said to her that she now knows how I felt when we went to the Sistine Chapel.
After some light shopping in the mall below the iconic plaza in order to escape a sudden-but-short rain storm, I decided we were better off walking to Time Square. The maps I was using (one subway map, one street map) made it look farther than it really was. Jason e-mailed several days before we left stating that Manhattan is actually a pretty small world, and this trip out to the heart of theatre district proved just that.
The entire area of Time Square was just over-stimulating. My mom compared it to the Vegas strip with the lights and traffic just happening all over the place. We took our obligatory snap shots and then figured that was all there was to see in the area. The next stop would be Ground Zero, so we took a subway downtown.
When we got there, we were greeted with chain-link fences that were covered with green/gray tarps. Construction crews barked at tourists who leaned against the fence to get a better view. My mother asked a NYPD if this was it. She was expecting a memorial by now or something. Her comment of ‘This is it?’ was echoed as I listened in to the people around us. Some seven years later, the impact of the attacks doesn’t seem to have the same kind affect on people as it should have when you’re actually in the area. This was the second disappointment for my mother.
As we sat and rested by the Jeff Koons sculpture near Ground Zero, I explained to her why there is no memorial. The whole complex story about how some families want this while other families feel that would be a better memorial and others believing that no memorial should be built at all and the hole in the ground should be it just confused my mother even more. It’s been like that for the last five years with this project, so I wasn’t too surprised that there was essentially nothing there. In the end, she got so upset at the lack of something to see in the area that she went shopping in the department store directly across the street from Ground Zero. She didn’t buy anything.
We started to grow hungry and hopped a train to Chinatown. Once there, I got lost trying to find the street where all the restaurants are. Once I figured out I was going the opposite direction, we found a small dive to have dinner.
I, once again, was distracted by a pair of gay men who were clearly on a date. Both from the club scene judging from their dress, and both just painfully hot. The younger of the two was in a black tank top that hugged his muscle structure like a second skin suit. I couldn’t help but stare. The conversation with my mother kept fading in and out of my mind as lustful thoughts screamed. Some fantasies about a crush I have at Watkins that I know I’d never act on, some about if I would get caught cruising this guy’s date, and others so raunchy I feel ashamed thinking those things in the company of my mother.
It was at that moment that I had an epiphany. There’s no way in hell I can date anyone. I’m too much in lust with the beautiful people in the world and too socially reserved to act on any emotional attachment to people. I’m completely undatable because I’ve made myself like that. And like I said to the bartender from Tribes that I befriended at school, it’s because of my past experiences expressing my attraction to people that has made me this way. So at least now I have a damn good reason why I don’t date. Expressing my attraction to someone makes me feel socially awkward.
We didn’t finish our dinner, and took the leftovers back to our flat in Brooklyn. Much to both mine and my mother’s surprise, we ended up burning off what we ate for dinner walking to the obligatory tourist T-shirt stores and to the subway station that would bring us back to Flatbush. By the time we got out of the station, we were hungry again. That’s what happens when you eat Chinese food.
After buying some drinks from the corner store and settling in to our Sesame Street building where our flat was, we came to the realization that we walked farther in New York than we ever did in Nashville. And neither one of us was tired. Hungry, yes, but not tired. I felt like I had conquered the city while feeling like I found my home. Mom just liked the fact that she was able to experience a bigger city than she’s ever been to, and made it a point to save up some extra cash so that the next time she goes to NYC she can shop. With my sister in tow.
The following day, we went to the Brooklyn Museum for the main reason we were even in town, but got to see a few extras with it. Besides the Murakami retrospective, my mother and I go to see The Dinner Party in person, as well as a small collection of Japanese woodblock prints. It was the first time that I felt like my mother and I actually connected, if only for a moment. She teased me for being an obsessive fan boy over the show, and I didn't once got on her nerves about all her little quirks in how she talks. We need more moments like these.
Next week, I’ll post my thoughts about the reason we went to NYC in the first place: The Murakami Retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Mall Art
Found this in the mall close to work. Took it on my cell phone camera. It's now my wallpaper for my phone when I flip it open.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Back on the Job
My first day back on the job could be best described as a summary of everything that has happened to me while ushering since I was hired. Each more ridiculous than the last.
Where do I begin the list?
First was the spontaneous new training on how to do my theatre walks this summer season. They replaced the obnoxious and hard-to-handle notebooks with clipboards that are anchored to the wall, and I have to sign those with a highlighter of a different color per set of shows. Let's just say I can't read in the dark, because I couldn't figure out which slot was today's day until halfway through the first set. Good thing the markers are color coded, and it's a good thing I told my managers about my goof up.
I was called "ma'am" twice because of my ponytail by customers who were behind me.
I had to deal with a pair of frat boys that bought tickets to Speed Racer, decided they didn't want to watch the movie, and thought it was alright to theatre hop because all they saw were the previews and not the actual movie. Idiots.
I lost the highlighter for the second set of shows at one point. I found it when it came time to clean the theatre I lost it in.
A few theatres didn't get clean because of my 35 minute break, but given how light the traffic was, it didn't really matter.
Oh, and here's the kicker. Apparently, I need to be retrained. Corporate has a new training program for new employees and are asking that current employees under go the same program to keep things consistent. From what I've been told, it's boring as hell because they will just tell you everything you already know. The trade-off is that it's paid training.
As far as the social scene goes with what few co-workers remember me and that I'm friends with, it's like I never left. I called Justin, but he didn't pick up his cell. He still hasn't called me back as of this blog, and for some reason I'm starting to feel like work friends should stay in the work environment. He was the one that I enjoyed the walk through the park with before we both parted ways for college, and I'd really like to just hang out with him again because I like his company. I had a crush on him that I foolishly admitted to him, but now I just like to hang out with him. Besides, I think that was all lust and not a genuine crush in the sense that I wanted to get to know him better.
As I got caught up with all the changes, I slowly got this love-hate feeling towards work. The job isn't all that bad or physically demanding, but at the same time I have to deal with a lot of stupid crap. For example, I found out today that ushers have to carry a roll of paper towels with them when they clean theatres. While I understand the new protocol from Corporate, it just makes walking around that much more difficult when you are carrying that, a broom, and someone's jacket they forgot they were wearing. Did I mention we're serving pizza now? I'm just waiting for the day some kid gets it and flips it on to the floor.
Other than that, ushering comes with the usual job of spoiling movies for me. But given my nerdom and interest in what movies I do want to see, there are only two I am willing to try to put some effort into seeing in theatres: Wall-E and Indy. Speed I want to appreciate on an artistic level, and to do that I need to see it in the privacy of my own home. Iron Man, Hulk, and The Dark Knight are all movie franchises that require commitment to keep up with (especially if you saw the stinger at the end of Iron Man). That's something I don't have the time or energy to do, as damaging as it is to me since popular media is a core influence in my art.
Speaking of which, I wonder if I'll have the energy on my days off to go to my studio space, especially since I'm expecting a large scale digital print next week that's costing me an arm and a leg.
Where do I begin the list?
First was the spontaneous new training on how to do my theatre walks this summer season. They replaced the obnoxious and hard-to-handle notebooks with clipboards that are anchored to the wall, and I have to sign those with a highlighter of a different color per set of shows. Let's just say I can't read in the dark, because I couldn't figure out which slot was today's day until halfway through the first set. Good thing the markers are color coded, and it's a good thing I told my managers about my goof up.
I was called "ma'am" twice because of my ponytail by customers who were behind me.
I had to deal with a pair of frat boys that bought tickets to Speed Racer, decided they didn't want to watch the movie, and thought it was alright to theatre hop because all they saw were the previews and not the actual movie. Idiots.
I lost the highlighter for the second set of shows at one point. I found it when it came time to clean the theatre I lost it in.
A few theatres didn't get clean because of my 35 minute break, but given how light the traffic was, it didn't really matter.
Oh, and here's the kicker. Apparently, I need to be retrained. Corporate has a new training program for new employees and are asking that current employees under go the same program to keep things consistent. From what I've been told, it's boring as hell because they will just tell you everything you already know. The trade-off is that it's paid training.
As far as the social scene goes with what few co-workers remember me and that I'm friends with, it's like I never left. I called Justin, but he didn't pick up his cell. He still hasn't called me back as of this blog, and for some reason I'm starting to feel like work friends should stay in the work environment. He was the one that I enjoyed the walk through the park with before we both parted ways for college, and I'd really like to just hang out with him again because I like his company. I had a crush on him that I foolishly admitted to him, but now I just like to hang out with him. Besides, I think that was all lust and not a genuine crush in the sense that I wanted to get to know him better.
As I got caught up with all the changes, I slowly got this love-hate feeling towards work. The job isn't all that bad or physically demanding, but at the same time I have to deal with a lot of stupid crap. For example, I found out today that ushers have to carry a roll of paper towels with them when they clean theatres. While I understand the new protocol from Corporate, it just makes walking around that much more difficult when you are carrying that, a broom, and someone's jacket they forgot they were wearing. Did I mention we're serving pizza now? I'm just waiting for the day some kid gets it and flips it on to the floor.
Other than that, ushering comes with the usual job of spoiling movies for me. But given my nerdom and interest in what movies I do want to see, there are only two I am willing to try to put some effort into seeing in theatres: Wall-E and Indy. Speed I want to appreciate on an artistic level, and to do that I need to see it in the privacy of my own home. Iron Man, Hulk, and The Dark Knight are all movie franchises that require commitment to keep up with (especially if you saw the stinger at the end of Iron Man). That's something I don't have the time or energy to do, as damaging as it is to me since popular media is a core influence in my art.
Speaking of which, I wonder if I'll have the energy on my days off to go to my studio space, especially since I'm expecting a large scale digital print next week that's costing me an arm and a leg.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
ATTN: Andrew/Aaron/William/Joshua/James/Dan
By the time you get this message, I'll be comfortably at home trying to figure out if I have a summer job or not.
I was in New York between May 7 and May 9 to visit an art exhibit. My mother was on hand to play tourist. We were able to find our way around relatively easy.
It would be considered foolish of me to think I could run into you in the city at the various tourist hot spots, but I've always been a fool.
I had a nice time in the city. If you want a more detailed report, check my blog next week for the first of two reflections. That is, if you still care.
I was in New York between May 7 and May 9 to visit an art exhibit. My mother was on hand to play tourist. We were able to find our way around relatively easy.
It would be considered foolish of me to think I could run into you in the city at the various tourist hot spots, but I've always been a fool.
I had a nice time in the city. If you want a more detailed report, check my blog next week for the first of two reflections. That is, if you still care.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Why I'm Excited About Wall-E
Similar to my Speed Racer entry, this entry is going to look at some of the videos I've found on YouTube that have got me excited about Wall-E.
The first thing I'm going to show you isn't the movie's trailer, but rather an advertisement for Wall-E itself as an actual robotic product you can purchase, which I believe would have been a great teaser trailer.
The Buy-N-Large website is a real site. It's used as a kind of viral marketing tactic that fans of Cloverfield know about already. Trolling the site will lead you to the back story of Wall-E's universe, which is Pixar once again giving a very blatant political message behind their intended story.
Back in Monsters Inc., there was a plot element that was read more like a pop culture jab than an actual public service announcement. It was the fact that Monstrapolis was under rolling blackouts due to an energy crisis. They book end this message when they discover a new and better alternative fuel source. 'Nuff said there.
In Wall-E, the underlying message is gross consumerism. The Buy-N-Large website and all the trailers that have been release show Earth as a giant landfill, a victim of our over-spending and mass production. It is Wall-E's job to clean all that up for us so that plants could grow and human life can return. There's no indication of any other life outside of some birds and a roach that Wall-E keeps as a pet. It's rather disturbing, really. Even more so when you notice the different areas Buy-N-Large has under their company name like the government and the media. All the press I've read about the movie indicate the first third of the movie takes place in this very setting... and remember, this is a family movie! Now, I'm not saying that every family going to see this movie has done the same kind of fanatical digging like I have, but there were visual indications that the press picked up in preview screens that point out this very back story while a song from Hello Dolly! plays over the montage. Clearly, Pixar is not going to try and sugar coat this message, or even hide it like they did with Monsters Inc.
But that isn't the focal point of the film. The film is actually designed for two things. On Pixar's side of the fence, they are significantly upgrading their technology by recalculating all their math in their camera engine. What this means is that their computer camera will end up acting like a live-action camera. They've hired cinematographers to help point out to their techs things that were missing from all their previous films like realistic lens flares and barrel focusing blurs. As a result, they got a near photo-realistic cut of every scene that takes place on Earth. It's an aesthetic that works well in drawing you into the film, as everything will look familiar to you even if Wall-E looks rather cartoonish in design.
The second point that this film is trying to do is show that you don't need dialogue. You can get a lot of emotion and context based on body language alone. This is where I have to applaud the animators of Pixar. They are taking what they did in Luxo Jr. way back in 1986 and bringing it to a new character. One interview I read with the director says that Wall-E essentially gives humanity a reboot simple because he acts more human than a robot should.
There have been several vignettes that have been released displaying this. Possibly as just tests that the animators did to see if that was the kind of humor they should be aiming for or if Wall-E could behave in the way they wanted him to. Most of these have been released on YouTube. Here are the ones I've found.
Though the formula is the same (Wall-E finds an object he's not familiar with, checks it out, hilarity ensues), you can still get a good idea of what's going through Wall-E's mind with how he simply reacts or interacts with the objects. There is so much personality, that I promise you people are going to leave the theatres practically in love with this little trash compactor of a robot. You'd have to be a fool to bet against that.
Like I told one of my co-workers, I go to Pixar movies initially for the technical advances. I leave feeling attached to the characters and stories. So far, I have not left a Pixar film unsatisfied, and from these vignettes I know I won't be disappointed with Wall-E.
Now, if only Disney would get on the ball and use this character for a PSA involving recycling...
The first thing I'm going to show you isn't the movie's trailer, but rather an advertisement for Wall-E itself as an actual robotic product you can purchase, which I believe would have been a great teaser trailer.
The Buy-N-Large website is a real site. It's used as a kind of viral marketing tactic that fans of Cloverfield know about already. Trolling the site will lead you to the back story of Wall-E's universe, which is Pixar once again giving a very blatant political message behind their intended story.
Back in Monsters Inc., there was a plot element that was read more like a pop culture jab than an actual public service announcement. It was the fact that Monstrapolis was under rolling blackouts due to an energy crisis. They book end this message when they discover a new and better alternative fuel source. 'Nuff said there.
In Wall-E, the underlying message is gross consumerism. The Buy-N-Large website and all the trailers that have been release show Earth as a giant landfill, a victim of our over-spending and mass production. It is Wall-E's job to clean all that up for us so that plants could grow and human life can return. There's no indication of any other life outside of some birds and a roach that Wall-E keeps as a pet. It's rather disturbing, really. Even more so when you notice the different areas Buy-N-Large has under their company name like the government and the media. All the press I've read about the movie indicate the first third of the movie takes place in this very setting... and remember, this is a family movie! Now, I'm not saying that every family going to see this movie has done the same kind of fanatical digging like I have, but there were visual indications that the press picked up in preview screens that point out this very back story while a song from Hello Dolly! plays over the montage. Clearly, Pixar is not going to try and sugar coat this message, or even hide it like they did with Monsters Inc.
But that isn't the focal point of the film. The film is actually designed for two things. On Pixar's side of the fence, they are significantly upgrading their technology by recalculating all their math in their camera engine. What this means is that their computer camera will end up acting like a live-action camera. They've hired cinematographers to help point out to their techs things that were missing from all their previous films like realistic lens flares and barrel focusing blurs. As a result, they got a near photo-realistic cut of every scene that takes place on Earth. It's an aesthetic that works well in drawing you into the film, as everything will look familiar to you even if Wall-E looks rather cartoonish in design.
The second point that this film is trying to do is show that you don't need dialogue. You can get a lot of emotion and context based on body language alone. This is where I have to applaud the animators of Pixar. They are taking what they did in Luxo Jr. way back in 1986 and bringing it to a new character. One interview I read with the director says that Wall-E essentially gives humanity a reboot simple because he acts more human than a robot should.
There have been several vignettes that have been released displaying this. Possibly as just tests that the animators did to see if that was the kind of humor they should be aiming for or if Wall-E could behave in the way they wanted him to. Most of these have been released on YouTube. Here are the ones I've found.
Though the formula is the same (Wall-E finds an object he's not familiar with, checks it out, hilarity ensues), you can still get a good idea of what's going through Wall-E's mind with how he simply reacts or interacts with the objects. There is so much personality, that I promise you people are going to leave the theatres practically in love with this little trash compactor of a robot. You'd have to be a fool to bet against that.
Like I told one of my co-workers, I go to Pixar movies initially for the technical advances. I leave feeling attached to the characters and stories. So far, I have not left a Pixar film unsatisfied, and from these vignettes I know I won't be disappointed with Wall-E.
Now, if only Disney would get on the ball and use this character for a PSA involving recycling...
Monday, May 05, 2008
Oh, Virginia
I keep forgetting that these vacations out to Virginia around this time of year is actually a confirmation of the fact that my mother comes from a culture and generation that, despite the ironic family dynamic we have as far as roles and responsibilities goes, still has some deep rooted gender role predispositions.
What do I mean by that?
I’m a member of the male sex. For some reason, that means that I have an inherent ability to lift heavy objects. Now, anyone that has seen me in person knows that I do have some mass to my body, but that doesn’t mean I have muscle to do any heavy lifting. I may have a job that is aimed at high school kids who just got a car for their birthday from their parents, but that doesn’t mean I’m built for manual labor the likes of a construction crew.
New York is going to be difficult. Not so much getting around the city or looking for things to do. It’s the fact that I’ll be dealing with my mother, whom as she pointed out I seem to always get into a fight with simply by opening my mouth.
"They" still are on my mind. With the NYC trip this coming Wednesday, I can’t stop thinking about the Vegas odds of my wish actually coming true. It would be like winning a global lotto where the odds are about equal to the odds of a satellite reentering the planet only to crash land and expose a renewable fuel source with the energy output of the sun and the handling capabilities of a AA battery.
What do I mean by that?
I’m a member of the male sex. For some reason, that means that I have an inherent ability to lift heavy objects. Now, anyone that has seen me in person knows that I do have some mass to my body, but that doesn’t mean I have muscle to do any heavy lifting. I may have a job that is aimed at high school kids who just got a car for their birthday from their parents, but that doesn’t mean I’m built for manual labor the likes of a construction crew.
New York is going to be difficult. Not so much getting around the city or looking for things to do. It’s the fact that I’ll be dealing with my mother, whom as she pointed out I seem to always get into a fight with simply by opening my mouth.
"They" still are on my mind. With the NYC trip this coming Wednesday, I can’t stop thinking about the Vegas odds of my wish actually coming true. It would be like winning a global lotto where the odds are about equal to the odds of a satellite reentering the planet only to crash land and expose a renewable fuel source with the energy output of the sun and the handling capabilities of a AA battery.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Summer Vacation?! WTF?!
The next two weekends will be my much needed vacation away from... whatever it was that made me need a vacation so much. I can't remember and I'm too lazy to look up what that reason is.
This weekend, the family sans Skippy is going to Virginia for my sister's graduation. We are staying at a bed-and-breakfast that has a large property for Lucky to run around. Skippy, unfortunately, cannot come due to his inability to stop barking at anything that moves. Lucky isn't as bad, but I'm still worried that he'll end up barking a storm at one point. Skippy will be spending tomorrow until Sunday in the animal boarding house down the street from where we live. Lucky gets to attend the graduation, which happens out on the lawn outside my sister's dorm. And I get to silently people watch all the hot college guys I'll never have the balls to approach.
Next weekend, Mom and I go to NYC to see the Murakami retrospective. We don't spend much time together, so it should be interesting how this trip will effect us. Mom is in charge of transportation and lodging; I'm in charge of food and incidentals. Given my experience in Spain, I'll also be in charge of figuring out the subway so we can get to MOMA, Central Park, and other places we are thinking about going after we look at the retrospective. We'll be staying at (yet another) bed-and-breakfast that is just a block away from the museum.
New York has me thinking about "them" again. But given my last entry before this, I shouldn't be wishing what I am wishing right now. It's not worth the effort, especially since I know it won't happen.
This weekend, the family sans Skippy is going to Virginia for my sister's graduation. We are staying at a bed-and-breakfast that has a large property for Lucky to run around. Skippy, unfortunately, cannot come due to his inability to stop barking at anything that moves. Lucky isn't as bad, but I'm still worried that he'll end up barking a storm at one point. Skippy will be spending tomorrow until Sunday in the animal boarding house down the street from where we live. Lucky gets to attend the graduation, which happens out on the lawn outside my sister's dorm. And I get to silently people watch all the hot college guys I'll never have the balls to approach.
Next weekend, Mom and I go to NYC to see the Murakami retrospective. We don't spend much time together, so it should be interesting how this trip will effect us. Mom is in charge of transportation and lodging; I'm in charge of food and incidentals. Given my experience in Spain, I'll also be in charge of figuring out the subway so we can get to MOMA, Central Park, and other places we are thinking about going after we look at the retrospective. We'll be staying at (yet another) bed-and-breakfast that is just a block away from the museum.
New York has me thinking about "them" again. But given my last entry before this, I shouldn't be wishing what I am wishing right now. It's not worth the effort, especially since I know it won't happen.
