Adaptation Part B: Process Research

One of the things Alan asked me to do was research into how exactly I'm going to model Oiwa for this project. I collected a few different processes for reference, mainly for her clothing and hair.

Adaptation Part B: Character Research - Ghosts and their kimonos

Since I've decided on developing my character as an onryo, I looked into more paintings that have depicted ghosts. As mentioned before, the typical design that represents ghosts is their white kimonos and long, straight black hair. Some are simple, others have extra layers for their kimono.

Kimono thumbnails 1-12:

Adaptation Part B: Character Design Research

For the character Oiwa from Yotsuya Kaidan I've been researching into her outfit. There are three outfits I'll be developing before deciding on one to take to the final stages of her design. There are a few things that I need to take into account.

Firstly, if I want to be historically accurate, Oiwa would have come from a rich family (during the Edo period, which Yotsuya Kaidan is set in, the samurai were of high class, so considering that her husband was a samurai we can assume she was in a wealthy family). There's also the fact that her father, Samon, wanted her to separate from her husband Iemon too (divorces cost money, and the fact that Oiwa's family doesn't need to rely on Iemon's wealth also suggests that they are of wealth).
With that in mind, the typical dress wear for a woman in the samurai class would wear a kosode, a short sleeved kimono.

However Edo fashion was influenced by the design and style that courtesans and entertainers wear. Outside the samurai class, women experimented with a more elaborate kimono - the furisode, which is often seen on the Kabuki stage. Characterised by long, flowing sleeves, the furisode kimono was accented by a large, loosely tied obi.

The third outfit I've decided I wanted to develop is the white burial kimono, which Oiwa is depicted in when she becomes an onryō (vengeful spirit).

Traditionally, onryō and other yūrei (ghosts) had no particular appearance. However, with

the rising of popularity of Kabuki during the Edo period, a specific costume was developed.

Highly visual in nature, and with a single actor often assuming various roles within a play, Kabuki developed a system of visual shorthand that allowed the audience to instantly clue in as to which character is on stage, as well as emphasize the emotions and expressions of the actor.

A ghost costume consisted of three main elements:

• White burial kimono, shiroshōzoku (白装束) or shinishōzoku (死に装束)
• Wild, unkempt long black hair
• Face make-up consisting of white foundation (oshiroi) coupled with face paintings (kumadori) of blue shadows (藍隈 aiguma) "indigo fringe", much like villains are depicted in kabuki make-up artistry.

1. tengan: 天眼 the heavenly eye
2. menpu: 面布 veil 
3. juzu: 数珠 rosary; string of beads
4. tekkou: 手甲 covering for the back of the hand and wrist
5. sudabukuro : 頭陀袋  sack; carry-all bag 
6.  六文銭 (roku mon sen - 6 images of sen [old coins]) is in the sudabukuro. (The coins are to pay passage into the after-world when crossing the Sanzu River)
7. kyahan: 脚絆 gaiters
8. The sudabukuro is hung from the neck. 
9. Obi: 帯
10. tsue: 杖 cane; walking stick; staff
11. tabi: 足袋 Japanese socks with split toe
12. zouri: 草履 Japanese footwear sandals
13. burial kimono: 経帷子 white kimono in which dead person is dressed

Adaptation Part B: Further Style Research

As discussed with Alan in my previous tutorial, I need to work out how I will achieve the painting style for my 3D character. I've looked into other artists attempts at combining ancient Oriental style paintings and CG.

Laura Hutton's digitally painted textures gives it an ancient Oriental painting style (similar to the style in Okami): 

Andrew Hazelden modelled polygon geometry that approximated the shape of each object in the scene. He then loaded the Wu Guanzhong painting layer elements into Maya as a series of Photoshop PSD nodes. Each PSD node was projection mapped onto the geometry using a camera mapping technique that transfers the texture from the painting onto the 3D surfaces.

Adaptation Part B: Style Research

In my previous Part B post I decided that I wanted to go with the Japanese style painting for my character. After speaking with Alan I went away to look at how this style had been adapted to CG if at all. The first thing I thought of was Capcom's "Okami". It captures the essence of the traditional Japanese painting style incredibly well and in my opinion translated well to CG.

Narrative: Environment Research

Our new narrative follows two characters working in a valentines card factory. One of the characters is bored of their work and the other is in love with them and tries to get their attention in various ways incorporating our quote "actions speak louder than words". 

Since our narrative has gone down a different route, and we have a clearer idea of the type of factory we're going to have this animation centered around, I started doing some research of what to expect in a card printing factory.

This video is a very good reference of the type of machinery we would be expected to model. Its probably pretty helpful when it comes to where we want the two characters to be interacting.

Fig.1 Xerox igen4

Fig.2 UV Coater

Secret Lairs: Definitive Influence Map

Secret Lair: Avian Dictator Development 2

After speaking to Jordan regarding my previous idea, I realised that it brought a lot of limitations to what I'd be able to do for a Secret Lair. After discussing it a bit more his advice was to focus completely on the avian aspect, with a dictator touch to it.

My first thought for the type of bird was a crow, and as Jordan said as well they do look very malicious which was perfect.

To add the "dictator" touch to it we also discussed what could be used. They wouldn't be able to have banners but the use of red leaves or torn cloth from humans would be more than acceptable to use.

The idea of the secret lair for the leader of the murder is either its nest or the inside of the a tree. Here I want to use the characteristics of the crow (which is hoarding shiny things) and relate it to what the Nazis did during WWII by hoarding art work, so the between avian and dictator will still be apparent.

Secret Lair Research

I've compiled together some references for my character's secret lair, focusing on bird environments:

Journey to the Center of the Earth Research

A Journey to the Center of the Earth is a classic1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne.The story involves German professor Otto Lidenbrock who believes there are volcanic tubes going toward the center of the Earth.He, his nephew Axel, and their guide Hans descend into the Icelandic volcano Snæfellsjökull, encountering many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, before eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy, at the Stromboli volcano. In the mid-19th century, during Verne's lifetime,exploration to unknown lands was in vogue. 

During this period, the interior of Africa, the geographical and magnetic poles, and much of Central and South America were little known by Europeans. Well known explorers such as Sir Richard Burton and Henry Morton Stanley and David Livingston were exploring above the earth's surface as their fictional counterparts Professor Hardwigg and Harry were exploring below. 

Also, Charles Darwin was gaining attention for his theory of evolution; this is touched on by Verne in this novel. New frontiers were opening while "new ideas about the planet's core,prehistoric man, dinosaurs, and early life on earth battled religious intolerance and Barnum-like hoaxes" (Afterword 292). The Afterword of this Signet Classic edition explains that Verne "was able to adapt nearly every important element in the story's action from contemporary,intellectual, literary, scientific, and geographical thought" (291). The world during Verne's lifetime was  full of new ideas and was exploding with new knowledge. Verne captures that spirit in Journey to the Center of the Earth

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