The Four Feathers

The film 'The Four Feathers', (Director Shekhar Kapur), released in 2002, is a film about a British soldier of a young age, Harry Faversham, played by Heath Ledger. The first version was released in 1915 as a black and white silent film. The story is set around the 1800's. The opening scene consists of the officers playing a game of rugby.The weather is rather dull and its raining. Harry is trying to impress a young lady which he fancies, Ethne, played by Kate Hudson. Being a coward, Harry resigns his post to go fight the enemy and brings shame on himself. He was lacking ambition. Due to his cowardliness his wife and friends give him 4 weathers, the symbol of cowardice, his betrayal. Harry changes his mind and goes undercover to help his friends out and win back their trust and his honour. The story flows through the different scenes showing transformation from one act to another. Principal photography started in Morocco, where one can see the jaw dropping views which provided great backdrop for the film. Many of the shots depict sea and sand dunes. Sand storms were a challenge, even the man-made ones, which were done using fans the size of aeroplane propellers. The Atmosphere of the desert was made thanks to the help of director of photography Robert Richardson.
 "My main technique for filming the desert scenes was to shoot into the sun," says Richardson. "By back-lighting the shot, I was able to produce a sharp contrast between the characters and the landscape." (Robert Richardson, 2002).
The techniques used by Richardson give that feeling of being on edge and total reality . He was well able to add in and put energy into his shots in the ways he functions his camera.  According to Henry Camilleri, Military co-ordinator, "The way that soldiers marched in Victorian days was totally different from today's style, The real soldiers had to unlearn everything they had previously learned in the military and learn the way things were done in the 1800s'' (Henry Camilleri, 2002)

Various elements of transoformation are seen when it comes to the character of Harry. There is change from the beginning of the film to the end. In the beginning scenes he is portrayed as a coward and then a hero. There is progress in his character where he becomes more mature and pulls himself together, not being a coward anymore and trying get himself back on track. As part of his undercover plan to go help out his friends he also disguises himself from a officer to an Arab .

When it came to soundtracks used you could tell how they were used to create and leave and effect on the scene and the viewer. The change of soundtracks changes between the scenes to create different moods relevant to what it happening in that scene. There is also transformation of clothing. It is clear that the producer took note and did his research when it came it to costumes. We notice the detail and the characteristics of the real clothes back in those days.  They are very authentic in look. We also see this in the ball gowns and clothes warn by the rebels. Through the costumes we were able to see mythical power of the story. There is also transformation in clothing when we see the  change from Harry being an officer to an Arab. There was also great use when it came to lighting and one could say that it definately helped with the way the producer wanted to portray the scene. Lighting and sound make a great difference when it comes to filming a scene as it sets the mood, the feelings that should be felt and helps create the atmosphere. Another similar example would be the Godfather. In the scenes which are held inside the house, they are dark depicting the shady and bad things that go on inside the building. Whereas, outside is light and everyone is cheerful oblivious of what is going on behind the walls of the house. There is a clear example of transformation and conflict.

Wikipedia, 2012, The Four Feathers (2002 Film). [online]Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Feathers_(2002_film)> [Accessed 15 December 2012]

Youtube, 2008, 26 December, The Four Feathers. [online] Available at:<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ_MrNPOzG4> [Acessed 15 December 2012]

IMDb,2002, The Four Feathers. [online] Available at: <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240510/> [Accessed 15 December 2012]

212 NYC

Manhattan Model

Yutaka Sone - Little Manhattan (2011) - 2.5 tons of marble carved into a precise model of Manhattan

This is a map of Manhattan transformed into a marble stone model. It is 3ft. tall,  and 9ft. long. Sone put this model on hold after 9/11 because he wanted Manhattan to get back on its feet, back to running as usual before he continued it. He started working on it again in 2006 making a wood and foam model, basing it on photos he took from a helicopter himself and from images on google earth. He also visited sites himself to get a feel of how it looked in real life and its topography. He then, in 2007, started carving it into the marble.

There is also an element of harmony when it comes to this model. The top of the model is a precise carving of manhattan, but the bottom of it, as the artist stated himself, isn't and he was free to design it as he wished. the bottom is smooth and looks somewhat like a skirt. It looks like it has flow. ''I wanted the bottom to be more poetic and elegant, like a white feminine dress.” (Yutaka Sone, 2011, Issue of  New York) It is mostly done to scale however things such as the empire state building are made a bit bigger so that they were able to carve in their detail and as a symbol of their importance.

The material chosen is also of importance. He first made the model in wood and foam but the finished model is done in white marbel. It's white colour gives it a sort of harmonious look and feel. It is smooth in texture, white light colour so it immediately grabs the viewer's attention and makes him more curious. It makes one move closer to observe it and look at the little details it entails.

Im also using this to help me with my concept design. I always find pictures of buildings interesting no matter on what they're put, be it a poster, a bag, a book cover and so on. So I thought.. why not a shoe? I really like the idea that this model is made in white  marble.  It gives it a harmonious look and makes it look simple and clean even though so complex and detailed. I always preferred a white pair of tennis shoes to anything coloured, because they look fresh and stick out more. It also gives u a cleaner look with a good finish. I was thinking about transferring a picture of a place such as Manhattan or New york onto a pair of shoes. It will be a unique design, elaborate yet sophisticated. I was thinking of a design that would look similar to my blog background picture itself.  I won't only be restricted to using a picture but maybe I could use a map itself as the design for the shoe. 


Yutaka Sone, 2011, White City: Manhattan in a Marble Dress. New York Media LLC [online] Available at: <http://nymag.com/arts/art/features/yutaka-sone-2011-10/>  [Accessed 16 December 2012]
Tumblr, 2012, Little Manhattan Yutaka Sone. [online] [Accessed 16 December 2012]

Take a Seat

Basic info:

Alessandro Mendini - Proust Armchair - Studio Alchimia

1970's in Italy 

Anti - design

was critical of advanced technology & consumerism 

Rejected functionalism, favoured a fun/emotional relationship between user and object

There is transformation in this object because it isn't like all the chairs created at the time. Its full of life and colour. It was more about the design than the actual functionality of the chair. It was something that one would notice easily and probably have a lot to say about it. obviously this was good marketing for a designer - word of mouth. Unfortunately this could have been both good and bad. 

The print itself is very geometrical but not symmetrical. It looks made up of small squares with different colours. The texture looks like something is made of glass which make it impossible for the user to sit on, but this chair is just made of fabric and its just the illusion it gives. 

''Originally created as a rebuke to austere modernism while redefining design’s dualism of good and bad taste, the chair is an icon of 20th century Postmodern design.''

''Inspired by the French writer Marcel Proust’s theory of continual flux, the past is as relevant as the present. Reviving decoration and historicism, the Proust chair has been interpreted using Impressionist brush strokes with its rococo detailing.''  (The Proust armchair, 2011, Geoffry Gertz)

''We can define 'haute femme' as bringing back the romanticism and plush comfort of eras past and adding whimsical modern twists. Perhaps the first person to introduce this idea was Italian designer Alessandro Mendini in 1978 when he came out with his Proust chair (Poltrona di Proust) as a part of his Redesigns Furniture series. He believed that modern design was running out of new ideas and turned to redecorating classics as a solution. Here, he painted a Louis XV chair with imagery that evokes the work of 19th century writer Marcel Proust.''

^http://stylebust.com/2010/08/07/sassy-seating-more-haute-femme-chairs/

Sources of information and pictures:

sparked, 2011, the-proust-armchair. [online] Available at: <http://www.sparked.biz/2011/04/21/the-proust-armchair/  18/11/12^http://stylebust.com/2010/08/07/sassy-seating-more-haute-femme-chairs/ 18/11/12> [Accessed 18 November 2012]

sparked, 2010, the-proust-armchair. [online] Available at: <http://www.sparked.biz/2011/04/21/the-proust-armchair/> [Accessed 18 November 2012]