Journey Through Town

I set myself the task of creating a journey through town and documenting my observations of telling details through photography and film. I wanted to replicate the work of Jonathan Hodgson and Sally Waterman, two practitioners whose work on observation and distraction inspired me. On the first half of my journey, from my car to the hairdressers I focused on still imagery, capturing any objects/signs/people/behaviours that caught my eye. On the journey from the hairdressers, back to the car, I decided to try and replicate the work of Hodgson and film myself walking along the road, whilst trying to capture my observations on camera.

Once I got home and uploaded my images/footage I decided to go through my observations and comment on how, where and what style of animation I could add to the footage and make any notes on areas of improvement and what i could do differently to ensure a more successful shoot next time.

This sign caught my eye, as I found the inclusion of a weight lifting man a rather interesting choice of art in the advertising of a chocolate shop. In terms of animation I feel there is a possibility to bring the man to life and have him working out with the dumb bell and possibly point you in the direction of the shop with his spare arm.

The amount of empty, abandoned shops within Brighton slightly surprised me and I feel the dingy, gloomy-ness of this window works as a metaphor towards the gradual decline in high street stores. I would comment on the isolated and eerie feel of the shop to draw attention to this problem that goes unnoticed by many on a daily basis. 

This image is one of my favourites from the day. It is not often that you see a traditional book store which pleased me, especially after seeing the numerous shut down and empty high street shops. There is a lot that could be done on a animation side to this image. Books could pop up and move around, running on top of each other, jumping around in a fight for attention from passers by. Text (the title or author of the books) could bounce around, fall to the floor, expand and increase in size, again as a way of fighting for the attention of the potential customer passing by.

I have always found this an amusing name for a shop, I suppose that's the child in me, so I felt it deserved a snap. I feel this image has a lot of promise in terms of animation. The building could be illustrated and turned into a 'fat face'. The bottom two windows could personify eyes, whilst the top window could personify a mouth.  

This shop window decoration interested me as I feel it is a creative and playful way to showcase objects that are not traditionally that interesting, i.e coffee mugs. I feel you could also be playful with the animation. The subject could momentarily pause and stare at the cups/mugs moving up and down like puppets on a string.

This shop window caught my eye as I felt the manikins looked remarkably realistic in their stance. To enhance this idea it would be interesting to animate the manikins to come alive, interact with one another, swap positions, pieces of clothing or wave/ talk to the subject.

I took this photo as I found it interesting how the mind automatically pictures an object when they read it in word form. As soon as I saw this sign I instantly pictured a roaring tiger in my mind and I felt this would be a playful animation to include to enhance the idea of the unconscious mind speaking.

This is just a clever way of advertising that the shop is to let. Rather than just using the traditional, visually unappealing, boring 'to let' sign, this shop has been more creative in its advertising, which will consequently a lot more attention from passers by. In terms of animation, the umbrella could rise and carry the bag up and out of the top of the window. Or alternatively the subject could grab the umbrella as he walks passed and use it if it was raining or shake off the water drops and pack it away in his pocket in case it rains at some point within his/her journey.

This image caught my attention as it is a direct similarity to a shot from Hodgson's work of a member of society protecting a car parking space. Similar to Hodgson I would comment on the notion of the protection/marking of territory and hallowed ground.

Again, this shop window reminded me dramatically of the shop window in Hodgson's work. I feel the amount of movement depicted in the still shots could be extremely fun to play with in terms of animation. Balls could bounce along the window pain, onto the floor and kicked away by the subject or one of the racing dogs/horses could run across the shop window, chasing the subject as he walks passed.

Cute watering cans that plays on the childhood myth the pigs can't fly. It would be a fun, playful, childish animation to bring the pigs to life and have them flying around or attempting to fly.

I found this quite an odd name for a florist. The juxtaposition between the danger and evil that is associated with 'guns' to the delicacy of the flowers is something I would like to play on. Tying in with the nostalgia of childhood, I feel I could include illustration, imitation clown guns that shoot flowers rather than bullets.

This advert already includes illustration, which would make it an easy image to animate. The hand could start moving, watch ticking louder and louder to suggest the subject is in a rush or the money could start falling out of the shop window onto the floor of the street in front of the subjects feet.

Candy shops again aid the nostalgia of childhood. Everyone has that inner child in them that's mind gets attracted by the brightness and playfulness of toy/sweet shops. The swirling candy lollies could start spinning , causing the subject to become slightly hallucinated/capture by the sweets momentarily. This would enhance and play on the notion of the inner child within everyone.