Of Bots and Banana's - the Soul of a machine?

Wow. designing a robot. sounds easy. Some wires a few hydraulics a cool metal shader or something. nope. Making a robot the audience can identify with is difficult. the robot needs to have a conceivable soul or human aspect that can be animated and controlled to express emotions.
Without emotion and insight into the character I have found that the audience will not be able to connect with the character and therefore not care about the story. It seems that the design of a robot is very much the design of how we want to portray our ideal animated humans.

With this in mind; I have stylised my robot and his emotions and temperament on a human character. -Groundskeeper Willie (The Simpson's).

Flash quiz

http://davejwood.deviantart.com/art/Rock-star-quiz-165992259

the link for my flash project.
I lost the original piece, the one that had videos, was based more on scene-it, and had videos such as flyleaf and paramore. Mostly modern rock, and some songs asking you to identify the artist. Bt anyway, had to redo it as i lost the other one, and this is the best i could do on a short time frame. a song is on thier, couldnt have more than one song this time, couldnt get code right this time, would make whole thing go wierd when moer than one song.

questions are good, gets really hard, my flatmates struggeled to finish it. top score is 18. get that i'll be impressed

So, here is the video walkthrough of my supervillians lair, hopefully you can tell its a sort of nuclear bunker, I used low ceiling and large areas to ensure this look, but has lots of scienctific elements, as I wanted my villian to be as I saw him. I saw him as a man that uses science to create things that harm people and other superheros. His abilities are his intelligance and secrecy. (All superheros or villians are flawed, and not having any real powers but remaining very human is the biggest flaw at all).
I also wanted to make my character flawed ina way that gives him backstory, so I added x-ray pictures up, of himself, to show somthing could be wrong with him, Prehaps he is dieing.

The more backstory, the more interesting the lair becomes. His symbol is of a blue circle with a gasmask on, which is seen dotted around varoius locations and largly behind his desk. This desk overlooks a large time-machine that is surrounded by generators, very advanced science going on. Overall for my first project I am happy, and shall finish it over the summer, With outside walls and all the lighting I wanted orignally, but could not afford the render times due to deadline.

(its too big for blogger, so here it is on youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD5LzbsjqoE

Darren Aronosfsky and Michel Gondry

For the visual Essay we have been asked to look at three or more possible practitioners that we admire, and that are in the field of our chosen pathways, as I am currently thinking about the moving image pathway I think back to the incredible films "The Fountain" by Darren Aronofsky and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", by Michel Gondry, these films inspire me artistically and spiritually, intense visuals and fantastical in nature it becomes the essence of what I believe i aspire to do. Here is a trailer I could find for The Fountain. I particularly like 'Toms story' in the year 2500.. this film which spans a 1000 years, shows a transformation of human society and the psyche unlike any imagined before... This film showcases it own beauty in its unique special effects, using a technique none have used before to my knowledge... so enjoy, I shall further my explanation in my visual essay..

Am I a practictioner yet?

Hi, so... here we are, start of a new term and possibly the most pivotal moment for choosing my chosen pathway and understanding it, and I go and get sick. Great. So; sorry for last weeks absences whoever is reading, I've have had flu or something. Not nice; nor recommended. So this is late, but better late than never. I have been asked to identify and define what, at the moment, I am doing creatively to further myself and develop into a practitioner of the arts.

Well, so far I with my classes at the moment studying the flash programme, making our own quiz, which is difficult, not because of the complexity of the programming but of the creativeness or rather lack-of behind the questions and responses and trying to make it new, interesting and engaging for the players.

Other than that, I'm currently creating my own little avatar sketch, something as a recurring theme I could play with for a while in all my future drawings and works, much like a artistic signature. I do this alongside doing personal art and doodles which I have been doing for many years now, and currently I'm trying to discover my own style, as I believe that everyone has a unique aspect to their work, just depends how hard you look for it I guess.
I watch many films, always looking for new talent, recently I discovered Darren Aronofsky particularly for his use of stunning visuals (above) [The Fountain, 2006]. Have always loved Tarantino, even his lesser known stuff such as "Death Proof" from his grindhouse days.

In the future I hope to accomplish more animations, and have a better understanding of the art forms that interest me such as japanise anime, the style of it, and why it is effective in its method.

The six phases of a design project

In doing my essay I found the most interesting of techniques, i think that these are the six steps that are the most realistic when designing, for anybody interested in including them in your essay I have referenced. It was found as a notice on the wall of the Greater London Council Architects Department.

The Six Phases of a Design Project:
1.Enthusiasm
2.Disillusionment
3.Panic
4.Search for the guilty party
5.Punishment of the innocent
6.Praise for the non-participants

[Astragel AJ, 22 March 1978]

Artists, designers and filmakers i like and dislike..

Mainly, my favourite film making work comes from world cinema, people like Pedro Almodovar(the fountain), and Zhang Yimou(hero, House of flying daggers) who both use striking visuals and current techniques to produce special effects that remain unique to them and are instantly recognisable, this is think is a true stylistic quality; having something like a visual style or technique labelled with your style making you unique.
I particularly do not like the works of M. Night Shyamalan..(6th sence, the village, signs) as i find that his narratives drag, and are way to uneventful, it seems to take a linear line of cause, action effect throughout each movie known as "equilibrium, dis-equilibrium and then the restoration of some equilibrium". Its just not for me as i it doesn't excite me the way the others do with thier storytelling.