Tag: sam and suzy
ISLE OF DOGS & GENERAL WES ANDERSON CHAT
(AD139: VISUAL PROMOTION)
My first stop in London was to the Isle of Dogs Exhibition. I thought it was incredible and as I was patiently awaiting for it to come out it was even better! Isle of Dogs is the latest of director Wes Anderson’s films and his second stop motion animated movie after Fantastic Mr Fox.
Wes is well known for his storybook style and incredible dialogue that is funny and subtly asks the audience questions through its themes.
The film is set in Japan and focuses on a cat loving dynasty during the reelections of their president whilst a dog virus is causing all the dogs of the nation to be cast away to ‘Trash Island’. The story follows a young boy who goes on a quest to find his lost dog.
(Figure 1)
The sets were so incredibly detailed and it really was astonishing to see how small and detailed the set could be. The multiple faces and details that could be added or taken away from the set for small changes were so clever and this exhibition really showed how unbelievable the stop motion process is.
(Figure 2)
Isle of Dogs as a movie was also incredible. Everything about Wes’ films was in this one. The dialogue, the actors (voices) and the themes that aren’t thrown in your face. Anderson has a way of making a film that teaches you a lot about how your own mind thinks. There are no main themes of politics or friendship, however his films can be interpreted differently by different people and this makes the viewing experience different for everyone.
Something that I really love about Wes, visually, are his colour palettes. The soft hues of pink and blue were key in Isle of Dogs as they gave the ‘dirty’ sets of Trash Island a pop of colour.
(Figure 3)
The movie itself was really enhanced considering I went to the Exhibition prior to having seen it. Although to some it may ruin the ‘movie magic’, to be it really enhanced my appreciation for Wes and the people who worked on this movie because you realise how clever it all is.
Other Wes Films I love:
I also wanted to talk about other Anderson films that I love as they are a constant influence to way in which I work and think about my projects.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
(Figure 4)
Moonrise Kingdom has a super enhances nostalgic and storybook-esque feel to it as it uses a childish storyline to open up larger and wider questions for the audience.
Moonrise Kingdom’s colour palette is also something that I would like to use to inspire my project. The sages, yellows and natural colours partnered with soft salmon pinks really marry together perfectly and I feel as though they really embody the nature element that is such a big part of Gucci.
(Figure 5)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
The Royal Tenenbaums is a film that follows a dysfunctional family and their story. The colour palettes within this film are similar in their natural and etherial feel, however they really have a ‘rose tinted glasses’ feel too. I really love the simplicity and nostalgic feel they give off.
(Figure 6)
This is one of my favourite Wes Anderson films, not only because of the colours, but the story and the different and eccentric costume.
(Figure 7)
Figures
Figure 1-3 – Photos by Kynza Kendall-Jones of the Isle of Dogs Exhibition, London.
Figure 4 – Moonrise Kingdom Movie Poster 2012, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1748122/mediaviewer/rm550183680
Figure 5 – Moonrise Kingdom Colour palette, https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/741123682403425600/
Figure 6 – The Royal Tenenbaums Colour palette, https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/185280972149774161/
Figure 7 – The Royal Tenenbaums Cast and Costume, https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/215680269632179018/