High Concept ...

High Concept in Infernal Affairs, a Hong Kong phenomenon

Infernal Affairs is a matter not because it’s a revolution of Hong Kong Cinema, where gangster movies are published every years, also it’s not necessary the best crime movie in Hon Kong. The term ‘evolution’ is a better association. It’s a long time for a real blockbuster movie in Hong Kong after the Asian financial crisis in 1997, a blockbuster that is big enough to attract western market.

High concept is a complicated concept to understand for the first time I heard. Take a look at some definitions around websites,

- ‘High Concept: Designed to appeal to a mass audience, as by incorporating popular, glamorous features’ (freedictionary.com)

- ‘High concept, in film, is a term typically used to refer to the style and mode of production developed by Hollywood studios in the late 1970s' (wikipedia.org)

, they simply describe high concept as style, type, popularity, appeal that a movie can made them universally. Some typical elements: script, story oriented, memorable story, character, moment, some may say music, fashion or even marketing, advertising’s influence on the movie.

The first indication to high concept movie is to guarantee that it’s worth the money of moviegoers by the casting of stars. Tony Leung Chiu Wai, a popular actor to Western art-house audiences through Wong Ka-wai’s stylish titles ‘In the Mood of Love’, ‘Chungking Express’; plays an undercover cop Yan, going underground of Hong Kong Triads. Andy Lau, probably the most popular actor in Hong Kong, plays a gangster sent to police department. Anthony Wong, experienced actor for offbeat roles (in John Woo’s Hardboiled and Jonnie To’s The Heroic Trio), has won the Hong Kong Critics Award for best actor, boss of the cop in the movie.

The marketing also contributes to the popularity, effectiveness of high concept movie. One example is the use of pop star Kelly Chen, Hong Kong's 'queen of dance music’, plays Yan’s psychiatrist. Soundtrack, score are some of the emotional, memorable moments of high concept. Infernal Affair favors orchestral score that rarely emphasized in Hong Kong, and also don’t forget to advertise pop hit song which is not necessary used in the film, but an effective ads associated with the motion picture due to performance of 2 stars in the movie: Andy Lau and Tony Leung Chiu Wai.

The script

At some extent, it’s true to say high concept is a marketing trick. With captivating ideas, high concept plot is easy to conceive, to pitch, and studios would like to cash in on high concept movies, for return on investment. The story of Infernal Affair can satisfy one high concept title:

- Universal theme: the chase of policeman and gangster ; triads, crime are extraordinary familiar issues to Hong Kong cinema, as well as Hong Kong society and it’s never to be too old, just like people talk about love story.

- Fresh twist: what makes old theme becoming a high concept? By adding few twist to the plot, put in the question ‘what if’. What if two main characters twist their roles, cop twists gangster, the good and evil, and satisfying the curiosity form the audience really drives the narrative interestingly.

- Hero involving in big problem: a good high concept story features characters evoking audience’s emotion. The internal and external conflicts of main characters towards their internal and external position, situation; which all sum up the matrix of good and evil.

The visuals

Sometimes the film does not look like feature film, but refer commercial. I mean the appearance of memorable moments such as images of the rooftop scene in the blue sky background, Ming’s shirt, Sam’s mobile phone; some is in smooth blue-green color scheme (color is primary use in HK cinema). As one of the film’s most eye-catching features, these ads’ influence becomes foundation of representation of high concept films, and integration of marketing and film technique.

The rooftop scene is a turning point of the film, of two main characters; and being symbolic, metaphoric, and remarkable image associating the high concept. At this moment, time is put on hold, slow-motion clouds move on the top one of the Hong Kong's polished, post-industrial office buildings. To simply say, high concept films are integrated by the set of production technique comprising backlighting, minimal use of color scheme, the flaunt of dominant and reflected images; all in neat composition.

Infernal Affairs continues the success the Hong Kong Cinema, and again represents the professional and harmony combination of production value, storylines, character, visuals to the high concept behind, with purpose of attract global audience .Someone may argue this leans toward marketing, financial issue; but it’s not necessary a bad thing that overshadow the general value of the movie.

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/03/26/internal_affairs.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_concept

http://www.absolutewrite.com/screenwriting/high_concept.htm

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/high-concept

http://yello.hotlab.net/tt/attach/1/1265649634.jpg

http://www.hellninjacommando.net/iacover.jpg

Gaining your experience by discovering new trends of art and design.(continuing)

Graffitecture - Graffiti That Holds Tight Your Home

Street art is for street, may be, but by substituting the location of the medium, who know the result of the effect. The book Graffitecture is your guide if you want to try this at home. This may entirely break the rule of interior design because of the wild style, chaotic space; the owner of the house will love it? it really depend on how the owner want to use some styles of graffiti aesthetically.

Some examples of graffiti style :

"Tag": signature of artist by the name

Throw-up (also known as fill-in): quick painting with 2 or 3 colors

“Wildstyle”: involving the use of interlocking letters, arrows, and connecting points, often harder to read by non-graffiti artists

“Blockbuster”: use entire wall to writing shape, letters, evidence of territory.

Finger Print Art

Art is usually hardly absorbed by casual audience, because it is abstract, uneconomic, unfamiliar, miscommunication. How about make it friendlier by using the materials from the audience, visualizing their finger prints and DNA. This artistic presentation somehow satisfies the dominance of the audience to the product, an interesting way to attract more people to art.

Home Appliances as Stylish Centerpieces

The latest trend appearing this year is to combine technology with decoration in home appliances. This is really evaluation of interior design when dominating the centerpiece to create elegant, unity design. Imagining the washing machine as an element of designing, thus no object is hidden, and every object in the room contributes to the interior design decision.

Softcore Porn Park in South Korea

The purpose of art and design is about communication, evoking viewer’s emotion, and some with simple purpose of education. Sex education is always the subject to be avoided, especially in Asia. So what is the best way to talk about the emotional issue, in the public ? Welcome to ‘Love Land’ to examine the sex education here.

This place simply has statues, photographs and sculptures that represent the serious works of art. Thanks to the explicit sculptures of men and women, amusement and disbelief may draw the attention of audience, and at least, this is the success of the artists.

Japanese USB Face Masks - For Serious Germ

I know Japanese always has unique and crazy invention; one example is the USB face mask. The usage is great because when you plug into your computer by USB, you can have 8 hours of germ-free breathing. This maybe useful in some emergency condition such as infection. But this is not economical product. Are you brave enough to use this in the office ? Absolutely not, because you’re the only one use it, and it may distract, annoys people around you. I think this is general lesson for anyone when designing anything, you may have the good context, but if you miss the target, the result is not as good as intention.

Blood Puddle Pillows - Scare Your Room Mate

This is really fun, I must admit it. It’s really a great design that tricking people’s vision. Blood pillows are the result of touch of humor to the creativity that cans satisfy funny customers that always seeking for new, strange stuff.

Source : www.trendhunter.com

Graffiti: Art Crime

‘Graffiti is art crime’, it’s a common answer for the question graffiti is art or design, or anything? It’s a little tricky to call graffiti as art because traditionally, art is perceived as academic concept, in a gallery. However, graffiti was born outside of this system, and it is illegal, in most countries. The controversial issue around graffiti such as its legitimate case may be one of many reasons affecting the perceptibility towards this kind of art.

However, to be a form of art, graffiti doesn’t need to be favored by audience, just like any other kind of art. Perhaps appearing in famous ‘wall’ galleries across the globe, and be critiqued by others famous graffiti artists may treat graffiti well to make it a popular art.
Graffiti is art in the form of spray can. It has all elements of art to be considered such as form, color, composition of such things to create aesthetical presentation on the wall. The matter is its methods of location and presentation are obstacle to create a friendly acceptance from people and government.

In my opinion, graffiti not relates to art or design movement, due to the obstacles that it encounters. But it absolutely contributes much to the transformation of contemporary culture. Firstly, the theory behind graffiti is nothing new or original, in my opinion. It’s still design elements and theories that you can see anywhere before. The most original one is the use of spray-can medium to paint or ‘write’ (according to graffiti artists’ language) on the wall. However, it doesn’t mean they don’t earn much respect from other artists. Writing with spray can requires fast decision-making and skill to control the line, curves of letters.

Another relation to the culture is its effect to the society. Graffiti has moved from purpose of individual identity or group identity to social, political identity in new century. The image of graffiti has strong effect to attract audience attention, and ability to reach the public. So it’s easy to see why it has become media icon on the street.

The most common politic issues is wall politic relating to the illegalness of writing on the wall. It can be seen on the street, train, abandoned building, and gang’s area. Another issue is the trend of graffiti artist, who want to heighten the awareness of contemporary issues like AIDS or drug addiction, and of course has grate impact on adolescents and young adults’ talent and experience, enriching the network and flow of communication in the society. The subculture around graffiti is really a diversity community in which individual is passion, integrated into popular culture to create powerful graffiti images that is able of constructing imagined community.

The point is that in people’s eyes, graffiti is rather than a culture phenomenon than an academic kind of art. In fact, it is street culture, and becomes one of four main elements of the Hip Hop culture (along with master of ceremony, the disc jockey, and break dancing). Graffiti has found the international recognition in 21st century, just as the invasion of hip hop culture.

Taking manga as an example, a symbol of change. Accepting manga as high quality culture, a part of national culture is important to Japanese government. Manga, just like graffiti, was characterized by its resistance to the dominant cultural ideas. However, over time, manga has integrated into part of Japanese culture; use of mange is applied for not only education, but also advertising campaign.

Graffiti is iconography for Western culture, especially American culture due to its diversity races because the place is the root. By integrating into the dominant culture, cooperating with the world in the way that is advantageous to the theory that graffiti used to opposed. That means graffiti wants to become friendlier with the society rather than being a subculture against the community. Although the street culture of art still exists, it’s clear that graffiti has adapted the social needs by facilitating the awareness and exposure in the society by power of graffiti identity and images. And like manga, time will help graffiti becoming a cultural messenger, an iconography representation of the world.

The PSP ads using graffiti. Although it is still illegal,
this presents the little cooperation from society, and the shift of graffiti
artist’ dominance.

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Miss_Van_y_Ciou_%28aikijuanma%29.jpg
http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/dec2005/anti_sony_corporate.jpg
http://www.graffiti.org/faq/graffiti-is-part-of-us.html#Graffiti_Goes_Public_International_and_public_participation

Gaining your experience by discovering new trends of art and design.

Experience of a designer is not automatic available somewhere in mind but is transformed from existent history and knowledge to newer ones. By exploring new design trend from all over the world, you at least have some idea about the concepts people are aiming to. Not all of them are good, effective, but it has some experience to imitate.

Breaking The Rules Of Design - Vertikal Vodka's Neckless Bottle

Sometimes it’s a turning point when breaking rule of design, resulting in the unique character. Why do all bottles have a neck? The Non Object design group represents their creativity by deciding to break the rule and design a vodka bottle with out a neck. The result is the Vertikal Vodka in a neckless bottle.

For me, this is the result of technical creativity, not from random mind. Applying scamper technique, designer eliminated the tradition element (the neck) from thousand years but everyone is not brave enough to leave out this element, to recognize that it is not really necessary.

Just look at the bottle, it’s still an elegant design, evoking the deluxe edition, emotion, while controlling cost implications, engineering complexity and manufacturability. (yankodesign)

Virtual Forest - New Bathroom Concept

A new concept for the bathroom is virtual forest, simulating the forest environment, a fresh and green air that everyone loves. This is not really creative but by combining two different elements (bathroom and forest), the designer can entirely create new concept. And it’s in fact interesting.

Designed and conceptualized by Huat LIM of ZLG Design

Garbage as Art

What an innovative idea of use garbage to represent art. The saying ‘one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure’ is true when German artists created an exhibit of 1000 statues fashioned entirely of refuse. Substituting garbage for steel, cement, they are still statue but bring whole new concept and the message within. Actually, these statues can save thousand kilograms of garbage.

TiFinity - $50 Titanium Toothbrush

Never having a thought that science is friend of design, you should consider again. The TiFinity is a new design by dentist Dane Robinson from Arizona. By putting to another use of titanium, the toothbrush is now ultra fine and even softer than a regular soft toothbrush. With this new toothbrush, space between teeth and the gums where bacteria hides is no longer the nightmare. Titanium doesn’t absorb water and is thus more bacteria resistant and also lasts longer, unlike nylon. According to Robinson’s tests it should last 2 years. In conclusion, it’s the most durable and more hygienic, according to Dr. Dane Robinson.

Maybe there’s no evolution of the shape, but the value is really a far step from the previous origin.

Japanese School Girl Computer Case Design

This maybe crazy but still new design and pretty creative, in my opinion.

This is an actual computer case, inspired by one of the Japanese school girl character in Manga. The sexy model was named Kana. The outcome of the mod was successful and the design won various awards in computer events and case modding.

Adapting the theme of computer case is not new, the creativity is how you mod it. And School Girl Computer Case really changes the concept of a computer case. Putting it n your room, it somehow becomes your friend, your decorative doll, and I think this is the goal that the designer aims to. But it is hart to define the target of this doll. It’s not for children (because she’s a little bit sexy), but even for adult, who’s brave enough to bring this doll to home to show off with their wives or girlfriends. And it really takes the place.

However, you know it’s from Japan. Who knows what Japanese think?

(to be continued ...)
Source : http://www.trendhunter.com/

Art Nouveau vs Psychedelic

Art Nouveau is known as an international style of art, architecture, design that was popular at the beginning of the 20^th century. Some artist said Art Nouveau took its inspiration from nature women. Actually, it is characterized by characterized by highly-stylized, dynamic, undulating, and flowing, with curved 'whiplash' lines of syncopated rhythm, curvilinear designs often incorporating floral and other plant-inspired motifs; as well as the use of use of hyperbolas and parabolas.

Art Nouveau is defined as decorative style

Art Nouveau resurrected the interlacing lines of Celtic art and the fluid arches and curves of Gothic architecture in exuberant style, but the arts and artifacts of Japan were the crucial inspiration.

Art Nouveau borrowed motifs from Japanese wood prints, which had an angular, linear look, combining the grids and parallel lines of Japanese interior design. There is also inspiration from the sinuous, flowing lines of the kimono. They were intrigued by the novel artistic vision of the wood prints, with their simple palettes of colors and asymmetrical outlines, and the abrupt angularity of the branching cherry blossom tree. The result is a new aesthetic new style decoration for a new century.

Psychedelic

Psychedelic seems to be totally different from Art Nouveau. Psychedelic experience is the change of perception, synesthesia, altered states of awareness, mystical states. Psychedelic art is inspired by psychedelic experience induced by drugs; and being main style of concert posters, album covers, lightshows, murals, comic books, underground newspapers, reflecting kaleidoscopically swirling patterns of LSD hallucinations. Some main features of Psychedelic:

• Kaleidoscopic, fractal or paisley patterns
• Richly saturated colors, high contrast
• Extreme depth of detail or stylization of detail.
• Heavy symmetrical composition
• Collage elements

http://www.matiklarweinart.com/en/gallery/annunciation-1961.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_art

http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:uQ9tAAJ88xoJ:www.qdesign.co.nz/designhist_artnou.html+art+nouveau+elements&hl=vi&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=vn&client=firefox-a

The Uninvited

This is a film website, so the experience of surfing web is presented much to emphasize the emotion, atmosphere of the movie. Beside the standard navigation of a formal movie website, this site has ‘experience’ part containing navigation, emphasize the main content of the movie such as dialogue, loss, belief…

The experience here is to interact to objects to discover the story, the mystery. For example, to represent the lonely, in the ‘loss’ path, designers use the pops up appearing smaller gradually. In the ‘memory’ path, users must click on the stars, move the mouse around, to see the texts, hear the voice about the disappearance of the child. In the last scene of this path, users can move mouse to 16 draw papers to see the drawing simultaneous. All the interaction explained above has purpose of developing the curiosity of users to participate in the movie, be a part of the story. By clicking on many objects, users know important events in the movie; combining with images and sounds between interactions, the atmosphere of the movie is simulated lively only by website.

Drag and drop the tape to listen

Something about myself

Currently, I’m student at RMIT University, studying about Design (Multimedia). Obsessed by visual graphical, multimedia presentation surrounding me everyday, I really like multimedia. Multimedia has wide range of aspects to present, consider or we can combine them all into a neat, cohesive product (movie is a perfect example). Before enrolling to University, my concept about Design or Multimedia is to create something with eye candy effect to impress viewers at the first time. Surfing web is the most effective way to know the recent style in designing. I am firstly impressed by the colorful, special effect websites (especially in movie website), but sometimes I wonder: Is that all we need?

Spending more than 4 semesters in RMIT, I recognize by myself that it is easily to get bored by something, even the something beautiful. Just looking some movie website published recently, they mostly have the same navigation with the same name. The graphic is always great as ever, but I never come back after downloading some wallpapers. Is that the result that website developer targeting? Maybe it is true, viewers jest need to visit it once to know the ‘face’ the film.

At RMIT, I am taught that there’s difference between the graphic and content; that there’s not only designing graphic but also designing content, structure , layout, information, or simply to conclude: designing experience. (I also mean the usability in designing a website)

According Wikipedia, experience is knowledge or skill in some event gained through involvement in that event. Simply, you can ask yourself, what result you get after that event, is it brand new or you have seen it before, is your feeling refreshed to perceive a brand new experience ?

I am learning about experience, not only about website but experience is applied for everything that can be designed by human, however, I only focus on multimedia, not only websites. Hopefully, this will be an experienced ride.