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