Monday, June 14, 2010

Summer Calls for Pirates



Must get back to brainstorming on this Pirate story I've been working on for a while now. It needs a makeover.

Y'oughta Join the Band...




Friday, June 11, 2010

New Short

Have been working on a new stop motion short, hoping to finish making the puppets soon so I can begin filming. Don't want to give too much away, but here are some images that really helped inspire me:







Thursday, June 10, 2010

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford


I have been wanting to do a blog post about this film for a quite some time, but wanted to make sure I said all the right things. At the same time, I feel I could go on and on forever about how much I enjoy this film, so I have chosen to briefly explain a few things I admire about this film and sum up the post with some film stills and clips.


When I first saw The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, I had watched it after doing a report on Jesse James for school and was curious to see how this film portrayed his last days. After seeing it, it became an all-time favorite. Every time I watch this film, I find new unique aspects to it and discover how brilliant the entire production truly is every time.


Like I said, I could go on forever about this movie, but one of the things I admire that I must mention is how the film is technically a western as it involves Jesse and members of the James gang, but instead of focusing on adventurous escapades, it focuses on the painful ways of life that came from living as an outlaw, so in actuality the film is really a drama.


Partial to that, most people found the film to be extremely long and slow, and at two hours and forty minutes, it is. However, what I really like about the length and even the slow pace is that with each scene, more and more tension builds up with each character and as well as within their relationships with one another, particularly the relationship between Jesse and the Ford Brothers. The performances by Brad Pitt (Jesse James), Sam Rockwell (Charlie Ford), and Casey Affleck (Bob Ford) fully allow the audience to feel the anxiety that would normally consume anyone in Jesse James' presence. It's no wonder after watching the film, the audience feels a bit drained and exhausted.


Besides the great writing, acting, and amazing direction, the film has stunning cinematography and art direction, one of the reasons why I decided to mention it on the blog. To me, this film is so good and is full of so many strong acting moments, interesting plots, amazing music, and extremely beautiful cinematography. Definitely worth seeing, if you haven't already.



Here is one of my favorite scenes:

Here is the trailer:


Monday, June 7, 2010

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Pumpkin Head


Reminded me of my Pumpkin Kid Film character, had to post it.

One must love the Dame!



Can't believe it's been a month since I have posted something on the blog, shows how busy I have been. I thought I'd post about someone whose art has been very influential to my own over the past few years, and that would be Dame Darcy. I may have only mentioned Dame Darcy a few times on my blog, so I think it's about time I do a proper post about her.


I first heard about Dame Darcy when a friend of mine read a copy of Jane Eyre illustrated by her. The artwork was so interesting that she decided to look her up and discovered some more of her artwork and music. My friend then introduced me to Dame Darcy's work, and I was inspired. I fell in love with her southern gothic influences and really liked how original she was, even if not all of her art was my cup of tea. Overall, I really enjoy the music, films, and illustrations she has done and thought I'd post a few links and samples.


Here is video I came across not long ago that was illustrated by her, the music by Rasputina:

Another video I love is one that inspired my Mercury Wine film: Golden Shoes and don't forget to check out her Etsy shop!