Entry No 15

My poster is ready.  I am happy with the result because it shows the transformation that took place from one film to the other clearly and the message that I stuck in the middle “Civil blood makes civil hands unclean” is eye-catching.  The message brings about another transformation.  Without the message the viewers will just see the difference between one film and another and the changes that took place, whereas the message links both films together and makes the viewers think even more about the consequences caused by hatred and fighting.

 

 

The only thing that I have to be careful about in future, if I had to do another poster, is with the backing.  For my poster of “Romeo and Juliet” I used the card of three pizza boxes.  Although I stuck them neatly, parts of the joints are visible on the poster.  They look like creases, so to avoid this, although I would still re-use card from old unwanted boxes, I would open up just one box, big enough to cover the back of my poster.

 

Entry No 14

I prepared a collage, not a photomontage, as follows:

 

I joined two sheets of A2 white thin cards together using glue/masking tape.  To make the poster firmer, I covered the back by thicker card that I got from unwanted pizza boxes, to be eco-friendly in my work. 

 

In the middle of my poster I stuck a message connected to the tragedy.  I did not invent the message myself.  Instead, I used the newspaper headline that appeared at the end of the film “Romeo and Juliet” – the 1996 version.  It said, “Civil blood makes civil hands unclean”.  I found the picture of this headline on the internet.

Then I stuck all the other pictures.  The pictures that I stuck below and to the right side of the message relate to the 1996 film, whereas those that I stuck on top of the message and to the left side of the poster relate to the 1968 film.

I left the four corners of the poster blank with the intention of sticking a painted drawing of the four main characters – Leonard Whiting and Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo, and Olivia Hussey and Claire Danes as Juliet – in each corner, all of them holding a weapon.  However, after I drew Leonard Whiting with a sword in his hand and Claire Danes holding a gun to her head, I decided not to carry on with these drawings because I realized that they were going to be too eye-catching and most probably that would spoil the idea of transformation.

Therefore I decided not to stick anything on the corners of my poster.  However, the white colour of the card that was showing on the poster did not seem appropriate so I used wet teabags to give it a darker tone (after testing on two strips of white cards using watercolours and teabags to check which one was better to use). 

Entry No 13

My poster is going to be approximately 64 cm x 90 cm in size (two A2 thin cards joined together).

 

My first idea is to stick various pictures in the background, showing all the characters that had important roles in the films, different scenes and the locations - the left side of the poster relating to the 1968 film and the right side to the 1996 version.  In the middle part of the poster, lengthwise, I will put photos showing the faces of Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who acted as Romeo and Juliet in 1968 and those of Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes from the 1996 film.  The face of Romeo will be split in half, the left part of the face showing Leonard Whiting and the right side showing Leonardo DiCaprio.  Similarly will be done with the pictures of the actresses who played the part of Juliet.  Apart from the changes in the actor/actresses’ faces, I will also focus on their costumes, the weapons and the means of transportation that were used.  After I finish glueing the pictures, I will extend them by drawing out from their edges (photomontage technique).  I will be using acrylic paints.

 

My second idea is to do a collage with the pictures that I find in the magazines/brochures and the internet, separating those related to the 1968 version from those of the 1996 film.  However, I will link them with a message (showing text) in the middle of the poster.  The story used is the same – the tragedy written by William Shakespeare – therefore the message that comes out from both films should be the same.  This idea regarding the message comes from my previous research on conceptual artist Barbara Kruger.

Another idea that comes to my mind is to sketch the main characters, using pop art – I am mostly inspired by Roy Lichtenstein.

Entry No 12

I decided to prepare a poster, not a test piece (as I was considering earlier on).  It will be entitled “Romeo and Juliet” and it will bring out the changes that took place between the 1968 and 1996 film versions. 

 

I shall go through some travel magazines and brochures of Verona which we don’t need any more at home and find any suitable pictures that I can use for my poster.  That way I will be re-using them, just like some of the artists that I came across during my research who used recycled or re-used material to produce their artwork.  I will also use the internet to search for various photographs taken during the filming of the old and modern versions and print some of them.  Then I will use the pictures to do a collage or a photomontage. 

 

The pictures that I will be using must clearly show the transformation in the location, clothing, weapons and means of transportation.

 

Entry No 11

Two days ago, while I was doing a presentation regarding the film “Romeo and Juliet” (based on Shakespeare’s tragedy), in the presence of Ms. E. Abela and the other students, an idea popped into my head regarding my “Transformation” final idea.  I thought of using “Romeo and Juliet”, instead of the films that I mentioned before in my blog, bringing out the difference between the 1968 and 1996 versions of the said film and therefore the transformation that took place from one version to the other, especially with regards to the costumes worn by the actors, the location of the scenes, the weapons used and even the means of transportation.

The 1968 version of the film was directed by Franco Zeffirelli.  Zeffirelli was greatly influenced by Shakespeare and his film was set in Verona Italy, just like Shakespeare’s version.  The costumes worn by the actors were medieval and the weapons that were used were swords/daggers.  They travelled on horses/donkeys.

 

The 1996 version of the film was directed by Baz Luhrmann.  Luhrmann was also influenced by Shakespeare, but more in writing than in his directing.  The film was set in a fictional location in America called Verona Beach and the actors wore modern outfits (leather clothes by the Capulets and Hawaiian shirts by the Montegues).  The weapons that were used by the actors were guns (even though they were called swords and daggers) and they travelled in cars.

 

Zeffirelli introduced his film by having an actor narrate the introduction while showing 5 scenes or so of Verona to let the audience reflect on the words rather than the scenes. On the other hand, Luhrmann repeated the introduction twice – first as a television news report and the second time by showing various scenes from the film.

 

 

iluvsoaps. (2008). Romeo & juliet trailer. [Online Video]. 10 February.

Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kWhvd3apun0. [Accessed: 20 December 2012].

 

 

gloriayleo1. (2007). romeo and juliet "1996" trailer. [Online Video]. 15 December.

Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sMel13nY0PE. [Accessed: 20 December 2012].

 

Entry No 10

I sketched the 5 objects – a feather, a gun, a heart, a noose and a piano – that are connected to the characters that were transformed in the films The Four Feathers, The Godfather, Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain, Return to Paradise and Ray.

 

 

I also sketched an abstract art using the same objects.

 

 

 

 

Another idea that came to my mind is to do a structure made out of used printing aluminium or scrap metal and demonstrate the Four Feathers.  The base will represent the desert where the battle took place.  An old camera film will rest on the structure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entry No 9

The first idea that comes to my mind is a sculpture made out of scrap metal, featuring something that reminds me of a famous cartoon character.  I thought about Mickey Mouse’s hand covered by a glove.  The artwork can be used as an ornament or else as a ring holder (rings can be placed in each finger).

 

These are my first sketches:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another idea is to create a poster regarding the character of Amélie.  I can also add some text to it to bring out a message regarding “love”.