Project Title: Y0R1CK
Andrew Chang, Maddie Duque, Nitesh Sridhar, Sydney Ayers
Submission Date: 5/3/2017
Abstract:
Our goal was to tell a story capturing a cyberpunk aesthetic using older scrap electronics and colorful futuristic lighting. The film takes place in a cyberpunk future, following the main character of a skeleton hand which becomes animated by electronic detritus. The hand escapes the garbage and begins to infect a skull with its technology virus.
Objectives:
Our main goal was to capture a dark and dystopian-futuristic aesthetic sensibility without creating something overly serious. We also wanted to continue using cheap, easy to make props and filming tricks that used the low-budget look of our props to their best advantage.
The colors of our scenes and the look of our robotic glove prop add to the cyberpunk sensibilities of the film while still leaning into the grungy look of electronic waste. Additionally the ending nod to Shakespeare helps position the film in a more comedic light. The sound effects and music helped accentuate both the idea of robotic sci-fi and cyberpunk.
Implementation:
We started by picking our aesthetic and coming up with an overall color scheme involving more intense blues, reds, and purples.
The first prop made was the robotic glove which was created using scrap old electronic parts including ribbon cables and pieces of an old computer mouse. The glove was then populated with several small colored LEDs that flickered and turned on at different points, giving the glove a glitchy but functional look.
Our other major prop was the skeleton hand in conjunction with a gelatine hand mold. By taking the mold and covering parts of the skeleton hand with it, we were able to get a grisly look, and melting the gelatine with a heat gun created even more visceral movement. Additionally, by filming a shot of us puppeting the skeleton hand out of a pile of electronic debris and playing it in reverse we were able to suggest the idea of the debris coming to life and pulling the hand underneath.
Outcomes:
- Successes – Achieving our original vision for an otherworldly “junkheap” aesthetic. Making the robot hand metamorphosis from organic to electronic very visceral feeling.
- Failures – Some trouble with the jello, so the hand could look less “skeletal”. Some footage ended up being underexposed.
Contribution:
- Andrew – Props – Acquired the Skeleton Hand and Skull and helped disassemble our old electronics so they could be attached onto the robotic glove. He also assembled gobo with light gels and worked with the skull to puppet it.
- Maddie – Project Manager and Editor – Helped keep group focused on direction of the movie and keep our narrative and aesthetic moving forward. Also edited our footage in Adobe Premiere and wove in the music and sound effects.
- Nitesh – Sound Design and General Lighting – Created music using GarageBand and edited sound effects to match the scenes we filmed. He also set up the lighting for most of our shots including gels and filters.
- Sydney – Hand Model and Electronics – Wore the robotic glove in most of our scenes and actuated the fingers. Additionally wired up LEDs to give the illusion that portions of the hand could function. She was also instrumental in creating the hand mold for the gelatine hand prop.
- We all worked together on acquiring old electronics, determining the plot, narrative, and aesthetics of the movie, and working with the gelatine mold to use in the film.
Citations:
Please provide references or links to related work.
– Tetsuo: The Iron Man – Film by Shinya Tsukamoto
– Ghost in the Shell – Series by Masamune Shirow
– “Mayday” – Song by Osamu Sato
– Serial Experiments Lain OST – Soundtrack by Reichi “Chabo” Nakaido
Photo Documentation:
First articulation of robot hand!
Skull wired up with lights and ribbon cable and ready to be puppeted
Original look of the skeleton hand within the gelatine mold
Nitesh becoming the mold for the gelatine hand
Sydney actuating and puppeting robotic glove to make it leave is trash bag
Lighting set up and Maddie zooming in on robotic glove in the trash
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