Monday 30 November 2015

Blackfish

This documentary was another one about animals that proved how humans are obsessed with that fantasy of special relationship with them.

Not just orcas, but animals in zoos are basically kidnapped for our enjoyment. Then workers of those places are attacked or injured and they are surprised… this is something I don't understand.

Media also protects the big business man behind these attractions. It is good to see that people that were involved in the past are now ashamed and taking actions against what they used to do. It gives me some faith in humanity.

There is another obsession with believing in good and bad. Killing is not bad for nature, it's just part of it. A zebra and a human being would react in the same way if a lion attacks them because of a natural denial of being killed and survival instincts. Although, the human being is the one who tries to associate bad and good concepts to this. It is bad for the victim and good for the hunter. It is simple as that from a subjective position. It is impossible to say if that is good or bad from an objective one. It makes you realise how powerless we actually are, something that is also denied over and over by human beings.

I have to admit that the bit about Loro Parque, which is very close from my hometown, was more touching than the rest, as I saw someone with my same origins with a very different destiny. It's true that proximity makes you think things twice.

In terms of communication I was impressed on how orcas communicated to each other. There is definitely an effective way of communication between them, which is interesting from a graphic designer point of view: how much we have to learn about communication.

I also appreciated a very unacceptable use of music in one of the shows, where the orca is bleeding a lot and the aquarium plays happy music to make people not to worry about it.



Tuesday 24 November 2015

Self-Branding

In order to know what would constitute my self-brand we have been given a flexible list to identify the elements that can be used in our practise.

1. Key words: social-action, mind bending, moral challenging, awakening.

2. Tone of voice: Sharp. Aggressive, but not necessarily quick.

3. Imagery: 





Also check Lee Jeffries and Andrej Dragan.

4. Colours: Black, white. Different tones of cyan and magenta.

5. Methods: I enjoy setting rules and following them and, if I don't follow them, is to improve the grade of perfection (subjective perfection, of course)

6. Influencers: Salvador Lleo, Triodos Bank, Ted Talks, Flying Lotus, Pete Rock, C.L. Smooth, Tribe Called Quest…

The image below is an advertisement the TV series Black Mirror used. Every episode of this show takes a part of the human morality that we consider correct and make it look like it actually is: an untenable and destructive lie. The image represents the work I intend to do in the future. I want to change minds by using graphic elements in such right way.


Project Nim

Project Nim is a documentary of a study that took place in USA where a chimpanzee called Nim was taught from a very young age how to use the American sign language.

The first thing that came up to my mind was… where this chimp came from? Was it stolen from his habitat? It was probably explained in the film, but I didn't hear anything related to that fact.

Moving on, I also found quite interesting to think this was the only real communication that has taken place between human beings and another specie. It was also interesting how the appreciation (love?) between the species was plausible. I know this is something that can be easily experimented between, for instance, dogs and humans. But the fact that it happened between two primates, which made it even more graphic.

It was a bit disappointing to see how they didn't think of the consequences. They spoiled a wild animal like he was a human and, when the real nature and reactions came to the surface, they treated him like a criminal.

Forgiving animals are not common in nature… animals kill and fight each other all the time despite our conception of mother nature or whatsoever. Even though, the information gathered from this experiment was very interesting and it could be an important breakthrough in the field of communication and animal relation.


Monday 23 November 2015

Decadence

This post is going to be a bit personal.

It has been almost two weeks after the awful events that took place in France. I'm not going to talk about what I do not fully understand, despite I follow what is going on from several different trustworthy sources avoiding mass media, and I am very good friend of a couple of political scientists, it's not my duty to write about it. I'm going to write what I had the disgrace to presence near me and I think it needs to be said: the reaction of the western society. Particularly in the UK and Spain.

The terrorist attack was the light that awakened the monster some people have sleeping inside them, a monster they do not even know about. It set the beginning of a week full of hate, racism - even sexism - and brainless accusations. I was ashamed to find out that people I respected or appreciated - or even people I didn't know - somehow used what the mass media told them as an excuse to release what they had been developing for a long time. No one blames a specific group of people so hardly - notice that I'm talking about Muslims - for one thing that does not even represent them. Those haters were waiting for the right moment to say what they had to say so it would be easily approved. Demagogic opportunists, I must call them.


The icing on the cake was the France flag Facebook made available to put over the profile picture. Some people say is not a big deal, it is just to show support. But let me explain what I think before you draw any conclusion. I think IT IS important, because the past is something you cannot change, but what is happening right now can determine the future, and the flag on Facebook is not much more important as it is, but everything that is around is. Using a flag on your profile picture is a trivialisation of the problem, making you feel part of the solution, when you are doing actually nothing. Sharing these flags could look like an act of solidarity towards the victims, but it is not just that. It is the easy way to show the world that you are aware of what is going on, but actually saying that you are not informed. Honestly, no one likes to know that people is dying, it is a way to show a superficial concern of what is going on in reality. And if they decide to use the flag after being informed it is much worse, as they have decided to show respects to 150 people in France and not, for example, to thousands that died in Syria two days later. It was hard to find information about this, and it was much easier to find details about how a dog died in France because of the terrorists. I am a dog lover too, if that is what you are thinking. There are dogs in Syria too, if that makes you realise how hard everything actually is. And not to forget that terrorist bombs are not Syrian, but French bombs belong to France. I will leave it there.

Some people is so fu**ing hypocrite that even say that they deserve it because, among other things, they are unacceptably sexist. Then when I reply that we are also very sexist in the Western, they bark that it is not the same. Oh, no, I am sure it is not. But it is curious that this is always (and I mean ALWAYS) said by white males, and I have to remind them that they do not belong to any discriminated group to decide which discrimination is worse than other. That we have to work out our problems before telling our neighbors what is right and wrong. I consider myself an active feminist, and even though I have an inner fight against my social-imposed male chauvinism. It is so funny when someone who is clearly a sexist tells me he is not... and if he is, there is someone in the world worse than him. Clean conscience.

I would be writing about this for ages, but I wanted to keep it simple by mentioning the key points of my thoughts. I respect every single opinion as long as it is backed up by investigation, a decent reasoning or a minimum amount of personal time dedicated to it. Even if it is saying all I hate, I respect it. But I cannot and I must not respect what goes against the human dignity and life, and I will definitely not allow - by leaving or counter arguing - arguments sustained by plastic taught moralities. A good example of it is one of the horrible things I was able to read these days: 'I am not racist, or sexist, or fascist. I just say the things the way the are'.


I strongly believe that the problem is not about ISIS, or the Islamic Estate, or the empowered people. If they were the ones who fight, it would be different, but there is a whole system beneath them that keep them away from all of that, but regular people like me, but in other countries, close. Very close.

This map reflects exactly what i am talking about.

Sunday 15 November 2015

Others' presentations

There were a couple of presentations that made me think about how to improve my future ones. These are the characteristics I wrote down:

- Clear designs using colours to separate sections


- One slide for every single point that is wanted to be explained. An image using the whole screen can speak by itself with a bit of text.

- Only text with loads of white space around is a good choice as well.

I also realised that people that showed passion or interest when speaking about something were more interesting than others that were just talking to complete the study task.

Monday 9 November 2015

Why am I here - What do I want to learn/achieve?

After some time now studying Graphic Design in Leeds College of Art I have to identify the following things that will help me to build an unique and customised professional career.


A) 5 reasons why I chose to study on this course

1.- Quality and reputation within the industry of creative design.

This was my main goal when I came to the UK: being accepted by one of the best universities in the country. I want to do my best and if I am not able to achieve the best grades it is fine, as long as I know I do everything I can. The effort plus the good reputation of Leeds College of Art should be enough to not just find a job in the sector, which is very important, but also to have more ambitious aspirations within the field backed up by hard work and a valuable degree.

2.- Best facilities in UK.

If I want to be able to develop myself as a professional I should have the option to use as many equipment as I possibly can. More equipment I learn how to use a more competent professional I will become and new fields of creative arts I will be able to explore.

3.- Most interesting interview.

When I always have an interview I also try to analyse everything from the other side, and that is what I did when I had the interviews in different universities. I really liked the way they were conducted here. The psychological questions did not just make the process more relaxed and informal, but also allowed to answer in a creative way that shows your personality as designer rather than answering descriptive questions.

4.- Emerging industry in Leeds.

Possibly the capital of graphic design in the north. Cultural events going on in Leeds all the time, a growing city with a growing economy… a nice place to be in!

5.- The course itself.

Despite my interests are mostly about photography and cinematography I wanted to do something more challenging. Learning new things and approaches will allow me to be flexible in the future not just in terms of job applications, but also when solving creative problems.

B) 5 things that I want to learn during my time on the course

1.- How to use colour palettes.

Incredibly important and something I am obsessed with. It is very hard to me to find colour combinations I am happy with, and I am sure this is something I will develop here.

2.- How to be subtle and avoid being obvious.

In my previous works I always avoided to be too obvious, and here I am learning that it is a very important thing. It is not rocket science, but it is not simple as well. It is something that needs a good base to build on the rest of principles.

3.- How to identify and use my strengths to be a wanted professional.

I know I have strengths, like everyone else. I can identify some, but I need to identify all of them, as well as the weaknesses. I believe that is not important what you do not have, what is important is what you have and what you do with it.

4.- How to be able to apply graphic design in other fields like interior design, cinematography, etc.

My dream job would be to become a film editor. I really enjoy setting the pace of a piece of a video as well as working with colours and doing motion graphics if necessary. All these aspects of edition are something I am passionated about, and intrinsically it is graphic design. If I learn how to control my graphic design skills, I should be able to expand it to almost any other creative field.

5.- How to be able to identify the appropriateness of different designs for different purposes.

Knowing that blue is cold and red is hot is not always enough. There are infinite ways to express something, but there is always a range of reduced possibilities and identifying them are the key to have accurate approaches.


C) 5 things that I think are my strengths

1.- Very perfectionist and attention to detail.

This nature of mine allowed me in several times to identify problems within a project and the solution improved the final product. However, I always try to keep that sense of perfection within some boundaries or every work would work forever.

2.- Work well with deadlines.

Working within deadlines is something always help me to manage my time and know what is needed to do when. I see deadlines as an indicator that helps me to behave professionally rather than a ghost that chases me.

3.- I consider myself an open minded person.

I have my own ideals and beliefs, and they are quite strong. Although, I am always open to be surprised and my mind is always ready to be changed. I always try to see things through others' eyes and I like to ask opinions about design to people that are not designers to understand things from other perspectives.

4.- I enjoy psychology and philosophy.

It is something I love and I always try to apply it into designs. I have a notebook where I write every quote or thought I think needs to be rescued. Sometimes I look back at that notebook and I identify ideas that could be used in designs. Maybe at some point.

5.- I consider myself a person with practical ideas.

When I struggle with a work I normally find a way to keep going. If there is no solution, I try to come up with one. A project cannot be stuck, or it will be likely to be forgotten or thrown away. It always needs to evolve… at some point that development can result in something else that has no limitations.


D) 5 things you would like to improve.

1.- Sometimes I lose perspective.

I want to be able to avoid this. I know that everyone has suffered this at some point, but it is extremely important to keep the right perspective.

2.- To think more out of the box.

This is something I consider really difficult to do. It is not about just doing the opposite of everyone else or just being different, it is about of finding a solution to a problem no one had come up with in the past. And anything is not enough, it has to be better than previous solutions.

3.- I'd like to read more and watch more films.

The eternal fight. There are always not enough films, not enough books (not enough books over all) and is something that chases me. Even though I consume this kind of content quite often.

4.- My general perspective towards arts.

I would be able to interpret and analyse different expressions of art, not only in Graphic Design. And being able to describe it in a professional way.

5.- How to successfully engage someone.

A design can be good and laborious, but not necessarily engaging. When something is engaging is working in another level. One buys a book, a film or a game without knowing about it, just because of the cover… there is something about it, and understanding it has to feel incredible.

E) 5 things that inspire me

1.- Salvador Lleo

This cinematographer came from the same lost island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that I come from, but there are a few differences between us (please, notice the sarcasm): he owns a cinematographic studio in Los Angeles and has worked with important artists, such as Noel GallagherSho-Hai and many others, and has been accepted in the American Film Institute's Cinematography Discipline. His work as cinematographer both impresses and inspires me in so many ways... but over all I have to highlight the unique shots, colour correction, photography and style. He is a complete unknown both in Spain and in the rest of the world, which surprises me. Part of me wants him being recognised, and another part rather not to, since his beautiful style might be affected by that. This is his website.

2.- Pete Rock and Hip-Hop

If someday there is a film about my life, Pete Rock would be in charge of supplying the music for the O.S.T. This hip-hop producer has the ability to create a sound for a sun beam - or at least that is how I feel it - and to me his music is suitable for every single moment in my life. Needless to say how inspirational that is.

Other hip hop artists I like are Guru, C.L. Smooth, Group Home, Tribe Called Quest and many others. Despite Common is not amongst my favourites, his beat and music video of Be makes me fly through my imagination.



3.- Celtic music

My first interest in arts was given by an inherent interest in Celtic music from a very young age. Very interested in Spanish artists like Hevia, Carlos Nuñez or Anxo Lorenzo I ended up knowing the awesome Irish musician Brian Finnegan through his music band, Flook, which I listen to quite often lately. His unique way to interpret Irish music and mixing it with other styles in such a powerful way makes me believe there is nothing impossible and it is very inspiring not just because his music bring memories from my past, but also I have the feeling of being able to experience others' while I am enjoying it.



4.- Games

From a very young age Final Fantasy universe has affected the way I see the world. The person responsible of this is probably Yoshitaka Amano, illustrator and character designer. Cannot really say how this series affected my taste and the way I make graphical decisions, but probably more than I think, as I played the numbers VII, VIII, IX, X, X-2, XII, XIII and XIII-2.

Another game that have influenced my tastes has been World of Warcraft, as it was the platform I used to meet my friends from the distance and spend good time 'together'.

Other games: Fallout, Assasins Creed, Metal Gear and also the card game Magic: the Gathering.





5.- Films and TV series

I really like watching films, and if I had to choose my favourite directors they probably would be Darren Aronofsky and Charlie Kaufman. Both screenwriters are two of my favourite minds when creating plots. While Darren Aronofsky was a master mind in films like Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain or The Wrestler Charlie Kaufman is responsible of master pieces like Being John MalkovichEternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind or Synecdoche, New York. I would say most of these films are mandatory in a person's life! So if you are reading it make sure you watch these incredible works.

TV series are also an important part of my inspiration. At some point I really started to like everything related to the italian mafia. One always starts with the basics: The Godfather, Pulp Fiction, The Departed, etc. And eventually one finds something outstanding, entertaining and so well done that you lose track of time and reality. This show is so good that you cannot picture the actors out of this context. It feels like looking the real mafia through a hole in the wall.

Many other TV series have impressed me, but after Sopranos just Lost really deserves to be mentioned. This sadly misunderstood series are one of the best things that have happened to my brain: after watching it I am much flexible! Lessons about philosophy, life, decision making, and a long etc. take place in this fabulous piece of art.


F) 5 examples of design that demonstrate my fields of creative interest
1.- Salvador Lleo photography.






2.- Music videos.




3.- Movie and video games posters.





4.- Video games packaging, merchandise and presentation in media: 



5.- Sci-fi and film products and merchandise.




Friday 6 November 2015

Her

Her is a very interesting film in photographic and design terms (the design of OS1 and the constant use of red and vanilla colours in photography) but over all in psychological ones.

I really struggled to know if the frivolisation of feelings through technology was actually that or something not cold at all. The film proves love is actually something more internal and subjective, and does not really relies on someone else. This is very well represented when he fantasises in his privacy without risks. Essentially Theo is in love with an idea, a fantasy of exactly what he wants, and this isolates him through technology, a problem we are living nowadays with social networks and ideal relationships.

That also made me wonder: Do we really need each other to be happy? Or an artificial company is just sufficient to feed that part of us that needs to socialise? Thinking about it there is actually not much difference between OS1 and someone you love but you are away from. It is actually even better, because it knows everything about you in real time. As human beings we need proximity and being cared. And then Theo realises that there is just one life to enjoy to be thinking about the realness of a feeling. After all, fiction also makes us feel love and hate.

The film represents the usual Shakespearian circumstantial and perfect love for everyone of us rather than focusing on how to learn to love someone else for what they are, which is a wide extended message I am personally against of. 

I also appreciated the subtle contradiction of the extended belief loving someone because of who that person is instead of what he or she is becomes meaningless when what (or who) you love does not have a body.

Other miscellaneous details I would highlight from the film are the following:

- Jealousness is a real issue in our western society that a computer program cannot deal with.

- How we work for each other as society with no projections. I felt this when he was playing a video game and thinking about the main characters' jobs.

- I felt identified when Theo mentioned that he had the feeling that he was not going to feel anything new in his life again. This is always wrong and at some point we think this.

- There are a couple of feminist gags. The first one is when Theo's colleague (a clear not very smart guy) says Theo is half women. Theo feels good about it, and the partner highlights "It's a compliment", like a clarification was actually needed. This little scene separates both characters and let us know more about the kind of person Theo is and how he sees women. Although I felt surprised when the second gag came in, when the video game his friend is designing, called 'Perfect Mom' is highly male chauvinist and he seems to enjoy it. This might wanted to represent the duality of our thoughts regarding this issue, which is applicable to those fields we choose instead to every one of them.




Time Management

During last week we had the task to plan every single day during the morning so we could experiment what it is like.

This is the result:



After doing it I think this system can be useful for many people but I am not the case. The way I see life I think improvisation and doing things because I want to in an specific moment is part of my happiness. I like having order and being responsible about my obligations as well, but I work more motivated if I do it because I know I have to rather than doing it because a timetable says it.

Even though, after doing this, I think it's possible to make an schedule with some flexibility for improvisation, which is what I actually do, but it is not written anywhere. Having it written could help me manage my time better without getting to the limit of having everything under control, which doesn't work to me.