Using images and textures from google to add depth and perspective to some of my drawings, also adding in silhouettes of people to give an example of how the experience would play out in real life.
My meeting space creates a 'cinema' experience. I've researched into the origins and makings of popcorn (a vital part of the experience), and have incorporated traditional Aztec rituals into the boatshed. They used to hold unpopped corn over a fire, which is the same technique I have used in my space, seating is spread over the top of the roof and the image is projected onto a screen in the water.
During a one-on-one with Oliver today I realised we weren't trying to recreate a space in the boatsheds but more so an experience, which got me thinking what is the 'cinema experience'. I brainstormed key ideas which I think are involved in the experience, and decided on what I really want my boatshed experience to be about.
The cinema experience, for me, is lining up for popcorn and tickets, the smell of the popcorn the taste the excitement. Cinema without popcorn isn't a cinema experience to me, so I've decided to concentrate the inside of my boatshed around popcorn. Of course a vital component of the cinema experience, is an actual screen and image with people and seating, but these things can be surrounding the shed;
Seating - on the roof of the boat shed, outside the boatshed along the pavement
Screen - on a sail of a boat in the ocean, put a screen on a barge in the ocean
Projector - can be attached to the centre indoor of the boatshed
Research on the History of Popcorn
To help me create the right experience and atmosphere within my shed, I researched some interesting facts and found some relevant images to help me further my idea.
Popcorn actually derived from ancient Mexico, and was considered the most important food in Aztec culture.
Popcorn was used by the Aztecs as decoration for ceremonial headdresses, necklaces, and as ornaments on the statues of their gods, including 'Centeotl' the Aztec god of 'maize' or corn and 'Tlaloc' the Aztec god of fertility.
Popcorn was a very important part of life in the ancient Americas, on a 1700 year old painted funeral urn found in Mexico, a corn god is shown wearing a headdress of popcorn.
An early Spanish account of a ceremony honouring the Aztec gods describes popcorn as "a kind of corn which bursts when parched and discloses its contents and makes itself look like a very white flower.."
Archaelogists have found 80,000 year old corn pollen below Mexico City, which leads them to believe that 'cave people' most likely snacked on popcorn.
A popcorn kernel is actually a seed, inside it has a tiny plant embryo which is surrounded by soft starchy material, which is protected by a hard glossy shell on the outside of the seed.
Brainstorming Ideas for my 30 Second Movie
To create a video that demonstrates the experience that I want to achieve within my cinema boatshed I could include some of the ideas below;
To create a video that demonstrates the experience that I want to achieve within my cinema boatshed I could include some of the ideas below;
Researching further into the idea of creating a cinema within a boatshed, which represents a meeting between the projection and the screen as well as a more literal meaning of a place to meet between friends.
When researching projection images I came across an Auckland based architecture firm 'Patterson Associates' which designed the 'Mai Mai House' in 2008. The exterior of the house is cloaked in a white feather textured wall during the day to provide privacy, while at night it provides a massive screen for images and film to be projected on to.
Mai Mai House during daytime
Mai Mai House during nighttime
The first dedicated 'picture house' was built in New Orleans, USA in 1896. Since then cinemas have been built all over the world, the traditional design and layout generally remains the same; an auditorium with rows of comfortable seats, an area containing a box office for purchasing tickets/food/drinks, a large viewing screen and a projector to project the film/image onto it. The preferred seating arrangement is to use staggered rows to allow improved sightline for all patrons. This 'stadium seating' is popular in modern multiplexes and actually derives from the 1922 Princess Theatre in Honolulu, Hawaii.
An example of a common multiplex cinema layout
However not all cinemas are the conventional theatre type, after researching I've realised cinemas can exist in a lot of places. Some images which relate to/are a similar location the the boatsheds are beaches, caves and huts like these examples I've found below.
Some 'projection art' videos researching the different ways in which the projection meets the screen.
Following on from our first brainstorm of Atea (meeting place), in groups we discussed five meetings that could take place within our chosen site; the boatsheds.
Night club/bar e.g knock walls down between joining sheds create one long club for dancing, drinking, relaxing OR have small bars within each separate shed, bar hop between all of them
Library e.g beanbags, couches surrounded by books to read and unwind
Cinema e.g projection on back wall, old vintage theatre style
Hotel e.g small rustic rooms, open doors to the ocean, for tourists/visitors
Other ideas included: Personalgym space, sauna/hot pools, church/religious place, art gallery, museum.
Homework: Find two books at the library relates to art & design practises that display 'atea' or meeting
#1 - Good Old Kiwi Baches Kevin Male
This book doesn't so much show a physical meeting but it portrays a meeting place - a bach/holiday home where we can imagine annual family gatherings and holidays taking place. The character of the house show the countless memories that we can envisage being made in each of the homes, memories that will be passed down through generations - baches are usually kept in the family for a long time and in turn it becomes tradition for families to gather annually at the house.
#2 Bike Art Kiriakos Iosifidis
Bike Art was an interesting book which captured many aspects of 'meeting' and the two which are portrayed in these images are a) meeting together for a competition/race - having a commonality of the same finish line/goal and b) friends meeting up and going out riding their bikes, perhaps a 'bike club' or another similar social status as such.
