Fill Light
Rim Light
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Science Fact or Cinematic Fiction?
When the apple felt on top of Isaac Newton’s head, he discovered a law that unknowingly affects everything in this world—Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravity. Gravity is the natural force that affects everything in this world. It is the force that gives weight to objects with mass by making them fall to the ground. This natural force also affects the gravitation pull of many objects in the universe. It prevents planets from colliding to one another and it is also responsible for the formation of the tides on Earth. Gravity also plays a big part in today’s entertainment. By bending it, today’s blockbuster movies are capable of creating astonishing visual effects. They are capable of accomplishing a wide variety of visual effects, such as: making a man fly, levitate objects, and other stunning things. Some of these effects are shown in movies such as: Superman Returns, Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix, and the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. In all of these movies, gravity is broken in order to create visually stunning effects. Specifically, gravity is broken in these movies because of its specific generalized genre, which is sci-fi. In sci-fi movies the visually stunning effects that are created captivate the viewer. Gravity is broken in movies to accent the supernatural and magical effects.
Superhero movies are an example of what visual effect wizards do to bend the laws of physics. Within this genre, Superman: Returns is one example that breaks the laws of gravity repetitively. Superman, a popular DC Comics superhero character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1932, is of galactic origins. It is insinuated that because he is an alien, he has abilities that the average man does not have. It is through this reasoning that visual effect wizards feel that Superman can break almost every physical law. Yet, the laws of physics, regardless of Superman’s galactic origins, still apply to him. In the movie, just like it is portrayed in the comic book, the character has superpowers. Powers that range from flight, super strength, invulnerability, and others.
In Superman: Returns the character breaks the gravitational law in multiple occasions. Superman’s capability of flight in reality is impossible. This is shown by his ability to change direction at will, thereby showing that he has some control over gravity. According to Newton’s Law, in order for an object to be able to fly, it needs an upward force to balance the downward force. But, there is nothing that is able to lift “the man of steel” upwards. So, what exactly is pushing Superman upwards if there is no propulsion coming out of his body? A possibility is that Superman could somehow manipulate gravity and nullify the weight of his body as he chooses to. Essentially, it is impossible for Superman to fly if there is nothing pushing him up.
In another situation where Superman: Returns violates gravity is when he throws the giant island in a straight motion towards space. Completely disregard the fact that Superman, someone whose mass and weight is probably lower than the island, is capable of throwing the island. Consider the way that the satellites that are bound for outer space exploration take off. In order for them to escape the Earth’s gravitational pull, they must first circumnavigate around its field before they can launch away. Superman is somehow able provide with enough force for the island to fully escape this pull. This pull of force is described in the Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that every object attracts another object with a force that is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of separation between the two objects. In the movie the way the island is thrown out looks very interesting, but still erroneous.
Another way that gravity is violated again in the movie is when bullets are being shot straight out of gun and gravity does not seem to affect it after it travels a distance. Even though the bullet travels the distance in theoretically at a flash of a second, gravity would have somehow influenced its mass and the weight of the bullet would have pulled it down a little bit. In the movie, the trajectory of the bullet remains straight, thereby completely disregarding gravity. It is only effective by the fact that it looks better to have a bullet travel in a straight motion, but other than that it is also unreal.
In contrast to the superhero movies, the law of gravity is also broken in another type of movie such as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The movie is mainly about magic. In the movie Harry is a young student who must go to a magical school and face villains with powerful dark magical powers. The reason why the visual effects people tend to break a lot of the laws of physics in this movie is because magic is an area that does not agree a lot with reality. In magic themed movies all or any physic law will be broken, mainly to increase the viewer’s interest. They create the illusion that the impossible could be possible.
Just like in Superman: Returns the main character also flies, the difference is that he flies on a broomstick. As it is known broomsticks cannot make a person fly. As it was stated, anything without propulsion will not make the person fly. This is again seen in the movie, therefore it is again affecting the gravitational law. Even, if it had a source of propulsion, there is no way that the rider would be able to stabilize himself and fly the broomstick. Just like Superman, Harry Potter is breaking the gravitational law for the sake of entertaining the audience.
In another instance, the students use their magical wands to levitate another student. This kind of looks as if they had telekinetic powers, which is basically having the power to move objects with the mind, but in this instance it is with their wands. This is impossible, unless the wands were continuously shooting something that is preventing the student from falling onto the floor. But, as it is known, objects in free-fall will fall as a result of gravity pulling it down. The same thing could be said about the floating candles. Objects that exist in the same realm of gravitational pull have to be affected equally, otherwise it would mean that gravity is being selective. Objects cannot float without having an opposite force acting upon it. Also, those candles should have fallen since the pull of Earth’s gravity is 9.8 m/s. Again, the effects just creates a nice effect.
Another superhero movie that also breaks the laws of gravity is The Fantastic Four. In the movie the group of superheroes must face a menace known as the Silver Surfer from destroying the world. In this movie, gravity is manipulated by changing the weight of the subject. For an instance, when the Human Torch is thrown from outer space back to the Earth, he is somehow able to survive. In reality, there is no way that he could have survived mainly because at the rate he falls. Objects at free-fall gain a speed of 9.8 m/s. Potential energy is described as the factor of mass, gravity, and height. At the speed the Human Torch felt should have ended up killing him. But, the gravity pull in this situation was bent, since the impact in the end did not seem to be as drastic as it should have, it even felt as if the weight of the Human Torch was altered so that he ended up being lighter. In this situation, the law was bent in order to let one of the main characters survive the deathly fall.
In another scenario, when the Fantastic Four try to prevent the ferries wheel from falling, the force of gravity seemed to be altered. In this scenario the team is somehow able to prevent the wheel from falling by having the Thing hold it. Even though the Thing is made out of some rocky material, there is no way that he was capable of holding the wheel by himself especially since he seems to weight less than the whole wheel itself. Therefore, the weight of the wheel must have being changed. The same thing could be said when the Invisible Woman, who absorbed the Human Torch’s power, starts floating in mid-air. Even though she is enveloped with fire, and is somehow able to prevent herself from burning up, there is no way she could start floating. Her weight must have changed, which means that the gravity affecting her must have changed. The Fantastic Four , as the title itself states it, is meant to astound the audience with visually interesting scenarios. The only reason why it was put that way is to make it look more interesting for the viewer.
Overall blockbuster movies are not meant to accurately depict reality. They are meant to entertain the viewer and make them wonder the possibilities of the visual effects. In all three movies the effect of bending the laws of gravity are meant to entertain the viewer. By bending it they are able to create worlds of superheroes with incredible powers and magical worlds that has no limits to its possibilities.
Superhero movies are an example of what visual effect wizards do to bend the laws of physics. Within this genre, Superman: Returns is one example that breaks the laws of gravity repetitively. Superman, a popular DC Comics superhero character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1932, is of galactic origins. It is insinuated that because he is an alien, he has abilities that the average man does not have. It is through this reasoning that visual effect wizards feel that Superman can break almost every physical law. Yet, the laws of physics, regardless of Superman’s galactic origins, still apply to him. In the movie, just like it is portrayed in the comic book, the character has superpowers. Powers that range from flight, super strength, invulnerability, and others.
In Superman: Returns the character breaks the gravitational law in multiple occasions. Superman’s capability of flight in reality is impossible. This is shown by his ability to change direction at will, thereby showing that he has some control over gravity. According to Newton’s Law, in order for an object to be able to fly, it needs an upward force to balance the downward force. But, there is nothing that is able to lift “the man of steel” upwards. So, what exactly is pushing Superman upwards if there is no propulsion coming out of his body? A possibility is that Superman could somehow manipulate gravity and nullify the weight of his body as he chooses to. Essentially, it is impossible for Superman to fly if there is nothing pushing him up.
In another situation where Superman: Returns violates gravity is when he throws the giant island in a straight motion towards space. Completely disregard the fact that Superman, someone whose mass and weight is probably lower than the island, is capable of throwing the island. Consider the way that the satellites that are bound for outer space exploration take off. In order for them to escape the Earth’s gravitational pull, they must first circumnavigate around its field before they can launch away. Superman is somehow able provide with enough force for the island to fully escape this pull. This pull of force is described in the Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that every object attracts another object with a force that is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of separation between the two objects. In the movie the way the island is thrown out looks very interesting, but still erroneous.
Another way that gravity is violated again in the movie is when bullets are being shot straight out of gun and gravity does not seem to affect it after it travels a distance. Even though the bullet travels the distance in theoretically at a flash of a second, gravity would have somehow influenced its mass and the weight of the bullet would have pulled it down a little bit. In the movie, the trajectory of the bullet remains straight, thereby completely disregarding gravity. It is only effective by the fact that it looks better to have a bullet travel in a straight motion, but other than that it is also unreal.
In contrast to the superhero movies, the law of gravity is also broken in another type of movie such as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The movie is mainly about magic. In the movie Harry is a young student who must go to a magical school and face villains with powerful dark magical powers. The reason why the visual effects people tend to break a lot of the laws of physics in this movie is because magic is an area that does not agree a lot with reality. In magic themed movies all or any physic law will be broken, mainly to increase the viewer’s interest. They create the illusion that the impossible could be possible.
Just like in Superman: Returns the main character also flies, the difference is that he flies on a broomstick. As it is known broomsticks cannot make a person fly. As it was stated, anything without propulsion will not make the person fly. This is again seen in the movie, therefore it is again affecting the gravitational law. Even, if it had a source of propulsion, there is no way that the rider would be able to stabilize himself and fly the broomstick. Just like Superman, Harry Potter is breaking the gravitational law for the sake of entertaining the audience.
In another instance, the students use their magical wands to levitate another student. This kind of looks as if they had telekinetic powers, which is basically having the power to move objects with the mind, but in this instance it is with their wands. This is impossible, unless the wands were continuously shooting something that is preventing the student from falling onto the floor. But, as it is known, objects in free-fall will fall as a result of gravity pulling it down. The same thing could be said about the floating candles. Objects that exist in the same realm of gravitational pull have to be affected equally, otherwise it would mean that gravity is being selective. Objects cannot float without having an opposite force acting upon it. Also, those candles should have fallen since the pull of Earth’s gravity is 9.8 m/s. Again, the effects just creates a nice effect.
Another superhero movie that also breaks the laws of gravity is The Fantastic Four. In the movie the group of superheroes must face a menace known as the Silver Surfer from destroying the world. In this movie, gravity is manipulated by changing the weight of the subject. For an instance, when the Human Torch is thrown from outer space back to the Earth, he is somehow able to survive. In reality, there is no way that he could have survived mainly because at the rate he falls. Objects at free-fall gain a speed of 9.8 m/s. Potential energy is described as the factor of mass, gravity, and height. At the speed the Human Torch felt should have ended up killing him. But, the gravity pull in this situation was bent, since the impact in the end did not seem to be as drastic as it should have, it even felt as if the weight of the Human Torch was altered so that he ended up being lighter. In this situation, the law was bent in order to let one of the main characters survive the deathly fall.
In another scenario, when the Fantastic Four try to prevent the ferries wheel from falling, the force of gravity seemed to be altered. In this scenario the team is somehow able to prevent the wheel from falling by having the Thing hold it. Even though the Thing is made out of some rocky material, there is no way that he was capable of holding the wheel by himself especially since he seems to weight less than the whole wheel itself. Therefore, the weight of the wheel must have being changed. The same thing could be said when the Invisible Woman, who absorbed the Human Torch’s power, starts floating in mid-air. Even though she is enveloped with fire, and is somehow able to prevent herself from burning up, there is no way she could start floating. Her weight must have changed, which means that the gravity affecting her must have changed. The Fantastic Four , as the title itself states it, is meant to astound the audience with visually interesting scenarios. The only reason why it was put that way is to make it look more interesting for the viewer.
Overall blockbuster movies are not meant to accurately depict reality. They are meant to entertain the viewer and make them wonder the possibilities of the visual effects. In all three movies the effect of bending the laws of gravity are meant to entertain the viewer. By bending it they are able to create worlds of superheroes with incredible powers and magical worlds that has no limits to its possibilities.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Outline For the Second Term Paper
Introduction:
1. Introduction to the law of gravity.
2. Introduction to the movies Superman Returns, Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix, and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
3. The law of gravity is broken in movies to accent the supernatural in movies.
Body:
1. Superman Returns
A. Intro to the film explaining the superhero genre.
B. Superman’s capability of flying.
C. Throws giant island towards space in a straight motion.
a. An object would have to circle around the world before escaping its gravity pull.
D. Bullets are shot straight without being pulled down by gravity.
E. Reasons why the laws are broken.
2. Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix.
A. Intro to film explaining the magical aspect.
B. Capability of flying on broomsticks.
C. The students levitate a wooden dummy.
D. Objects don’t fall to the ground.
E. Reason why the laws are broken in the magical world.
3. Silver Surfer
A. The Silver Surfer is able to fly without anything propelling.
B. Mass of objects change when they are getting sucked by the giant vaccum.
C. The human torch is able to fly.
D. Reasons why they are broken.
Conclusion:
1. Tie in all movies together.
2. Restate thesis.
1. Introduction to the law of gravity.
2. Introduction to the movies Superman Returns, Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix, and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
3. The law of gravity is broken in movies to accent the supernatural in movies.
Body:
1. Superman Returns
A. Intro to the film explaining the superhero genre.
B. Superman’s capability of flying.
C. Throws giant island towards space in a straight motion.
a. An object would have to circle around the world before escaping its gravity pull.
D. Bullets are shot straight without being pulled down by gravity.
E. Reasons why the laws are broken.
2. Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix.
A. Intro to film explaining the magical aspect.
B. Capability of flying on broomsticks.
C. The students levitate a wooden dummy.
D. Objects don’t fall to the ground.
E. Reason why the laws are broken in the magical world.
3. Silver Surfer
A. The Silver Surfer is able to fly without anything propelling.
B. Mass of objects change when they are getting sucked by the giant vaccum.
C. The human torch is able to fly.
D. Reasons why they are broken.
Conclusion:
1. Tie in all movies together.
2. Restate thesis.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Stop Motion Character Animation
For this assignment I collaborated with Christina Chan.
I basically edited the images and handled the camera. We used
an action figure as the main character and a stuffed animal.
We storyboarded the sequence and the camera angles in order to have
a clearer vision of how the movie was going to take place.
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