I finally re-designed my website. It took a while, just figuring out a proper grid for it. Now entering my last semester of YSDN, I’m going to have to update it, remove some projects and upload the new projects before gradshow. Anyways, check out the new website. Hopefully I’ll be using this blog more to post my process, and current projects I’m working on. peace

Raw Ether

For project 2, I decided to do a book trailer for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a novel by Hunter S. Thompson. The story follows two real characters who embark on a mission to find the American Dream while visiting Las Vegas. However, along the way they are heavily influenced by drugs and start to perceive a world that only exists in their heads. This story has become very popular, even to the point where it was made into a movie. Being such an infamous book, it already had icons/symbols that were attached. Ralph Steadman‘s style of twisted splattered illustrations I wanted to re-create, which I did. I really wanted to produce everything myself for this project and revamp my skills. The illustrations took a while to develop, but after extensive drawing I was able to re-capture the style/mood of Ralph Steadman. The most difficult part of this process was the audio. I kind of ignored it because I was really focusing on the visuals, but I learned that for time based design, music/audio acts as a guide for the visuals. If I could improve, I would make the audio longer to allow for longer screen time for the illustrations.

To give this project a more real presence I also created a website to host the trailers. I gave the trailers a purpose, stating to prepare for the 40th anniversary for the book as well as to launch the next Hunter S. Thompson book to be made into a movie The Rum Diary (2010) with returning Johnny Depp. I did one trailer, and then another one with added filters to get the more twisted style of the book. If I had more time I would develop another trailer with the other audio which Brian and I recorded. Also play more with some of the tools, which I think would have added something extra to the trailers. Much of the content is derived straight from the book and myself which I’m proud of. This was the one project this year, where everything on screen I had something to do with the production of. Like my other projects I feel that this work will only make me want to do something bigger and better for future time based design.

Website

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Sound Sources

Voice Over = Brian Santangelo
Huge thanks for Brian for helping me out with the audio.

Wind
Free Sound Project
00477 wind oral simulation 3.wav | Robinhood76

Roar
Free Sound Project
Monster 4.wav | Sea Fury

Brakes
Free Sound Project
driving sounds.wav | ingsey101

Car Reving
Free Sound Project
car revving.aif | Walter_Odington

Bats
Free Sound Project
2_takes_bats.aif | thanvannispen

Sound Snap (covered under Creative Commons)

Electric Guitar
Electric guitar in f sharp rock rhythm cruisin fuzz loop | Airbourne Sound

Image Source for Website

Taken from www.gonzo.org

Here is the trailer so far. There are some small issues I would like to fix..Some places seem to need more time to cushion it out and make things flow better. To go along with the trailer, I will be designing a small website to host the trailer as well as information about the book, author and movie.

Opening credits from RocknRolla. Kind of the idea I want to portray with the Fear and Loathing trailer(s).

Within the same genre of weird films, I was just viewing this to hear the use of music. It was quite weird.

Rotoscoping in the new Kid Cudi music video. Had some trippy, monsters that reflect similar things I’m doing in the book trailer.