Derek Thompson

Concept and Storyboard artist, Derek Thompson, is a great example of storyboarding techniques. Working at Pixar, here is an example of Thompson's work on the film Wall-E, capturing the first memorable scene between Wall-E and Eve in storyboarding clarity.





The particular use of colour really helps to emphasis key areas in each shot, while providing a pleasing aesthetic quality to the storyboard as a whole, where additional effects such as blurring helps convey the intended type of action within the particular shot.

Interestingly, in an interview Thompson notes that he has started to produce in digital with his storyboarding techniques, later turning the majority of the storyboard into a frame by frame process to form a story wheel programs such as After Effects and Photoshop. In this way, problems can be identified and ironed out quickly in an economical and focused manner for best results. You can read more of the interview here.

Derek Thompson has also produced a Gnomon Workshop dvd covering conceptual storyboarding with digital mediums. From what I've watched so far, he reveals his interesting process of using layer comps to capture a series of shots with a basic touch of animation. Its most insightful and inspiring, which will no doubt prove invaluable when creating my own storyboards.


More info here

You can find more of Derek Thompson's work on his blog, DerekMonster, here.

Steffi Klenz

Some more artist research with Steffi Klenz, as recommended by tutor Phil. Some great stuff well worth looking at.

In the series 'La Posa', meaning both house and home, Klenz explores the idea of the house as an architectural and visual metaphor, with the idea of home as a place of identity, a point of origin and return. Yet, Klenz turns this inside out presenting the familar space of the home changed and disturbed. The bare walls offer no emotion, the physicality of the walls talk about the space as the exterior, twisting the fact that it is actually the interior. Devoid, barren with blocked windows and doors with looming shadows refer to an impossibility of entering the house, with no sign of life further suggesting foreboding and grim tone uncharacteristic of the home.



Additionally, Klenz photographic series 'Nonsuch' presents an uncanny feel to a town becoming seemingly abandoned, devoid of people, litter and any personal details of discernible emotion. Reduced to its neutral state, it becomes almost a perfect backdrop for stage sets. As such, a sense of cleanliness and order dominate each piece hyperbolising the sense of perfection that is built into the space.




The framing and composition in each piece is a definitive part of Klenz work, leaving little personal or emotional information to play on that effectively creating an eerie 'unh
eimlich' feel to them due to their ambiguous nature.

You can find more of Steffi Klenz work here.

James Casebere

Some research into uncanny architecture revealed contemporary artist James Casebere, a photographer working with the tableux vivant in carefully constructed and composed scenes specifically with architecture. Casebere's works are actually architectural tabletop models, where he arranges his photographs as real environments to further distort our perception of reality.








Each piece bears an inherent uncanny sensation with familiar themed interiors, foreboding windows and doorways reveal no information whatsoever other than the unknown, to even completely flooded interiors with no explanation. The use of light in particular is essential in establishing the tone and atmosphere, with some suggestive reflections given off from the water. Additionally, these locations are devoid of any life despite resembling a home or communal location; no sign of life or any tangible objects no doubt becomes uncanny in a sense of eerie isolation.

You can find more of James Casebere's work here.

Marlene MacCallum

Marlene MacCallum series Townsite House is another example of the tableau vivant with deliberately constructed sets composed and photographed as scenes into a peculiar world. Each piece explores ones perception of a given architectural interior, which is then mitigated by our past experiences and memories of similar spaces.





The manipulation of composition and scale serve to reinforce a sense of spatial inconsistency in each piece for an ambiguous unhomely effect. Pillars or overgrown plants obscure our view of the scene where the use of light becomes a dominant presence contrasting illuminated objects with others in shadow, transforming their presence across the scene.

You can find more of Marlene MacCallum's work here.

Maciej Kuciara

Inspiring concept art from Maciej Kuciara, Art Director/Concept Artist at Crytek; it may not be uncanny but thought I share it as concept art is something we should all embrace. These are some great examples of environments communicating a sense of depth and space on a theatrical scale, while capturing new worlds for production.








You can find his site and more of his work here.

Mark Jenkins

A similar artist to Duane Hanson is Mark Jenkins, suggesting the human presence in some very uncanny and odd ways. While some are positioned in quite comedic ways, others are quite unsettling for an ambiguous uncanny effect.




The later images start to associate themselves with themes of death; an ominous figure sitting atop a roof, human 'waste' in the literal sense, and playful balloons attached to a corpse is all quite unsettling in an uncanny way.



You can find more of Mark Jenkin's work here.

Duane Hanson

Looking into more artists involving the uncanny, Duane Hanson uses life sized waxwork models to integrate into our surroundings. Not only are they amazing detailed, but they still bear that uncanny valley effect feeling disturbingly out of place.

Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper creates a sense of ambiguity in his pieces for a tableux vivant effect, as we try to make sense of what little information is available to us.



With each piece, one cannot help but try to understand the piece by piecing together a story which never becomes clear or definite. We are unable to see what the individual in the piece is viewing, where the framing and composition emphasises the ambiguity in the piece, as we presented with dominant walls with a single window leading to nothing distinct. It is as almost as if we are presented with a single captured moment in time of the individuals life with only a few objects to discern from.



There is a calming and quiet quality to Hopper's work, with the use of light in particular capturing a soothing evocative quality to each piece. The painterly texture only further adds to this quality. Ultimately, the ambiguous nature of Hopper's work resulted in a prime example of the ambiguous - an empty room, devoid of anything but a cast of light. Again one can only wonder as to the possibilities the image suggests, a new beginning awaiting new life, or signalling the end of one with the loss of any individual often present in Hopper's works.