Module Four: Frame vs Field
Invisible Cities: Perinthia
My depiction of Perinthia, was inspired by the two phrases "the astronomers established the place" and "various peoples came to populate it; the first generation born in Perinthia began to grow within its walls; and these citizens reached the age to marry and have children.
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The first phrase explains how the city was built around the thoughts and planning of the astronomers of the city. It clarifies how important the stars were when planning the city, and how they would divide the map.
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The second phrase explains how the city was populated and how it grew. It is an important phrase, because it furthermore helps me develop my perspectives when it comes to what characters to pick and what setting to set.
Creating the Rhino Model
This basic model of the Old Quadrangle at the University of Melbourne was used to create the two perspectives.
Casting the Characters
Characters casted for the first perspective. From the left, the astronomers, the couple in love, the educated woman and the elegant, well-off man.
Characters casted for the second perspective. From the left, the little girl, the woman and children depicting family life, the pregnant, married couple, the obese man and the dwarf.
Creating the Scenes
Choreographing the Movements
In the story of Perinthia, Marco Polo entres at the front centre of the Old Quad. The mood is light, and continues to be, as he walks around the inspiring astronomers and acknowledges their purposeful planning. He can see out on the sky full of stars and the great view of the city, and gets an impression of Perinthia as a well-established city with high standards. As he walk around the astronomers in a slow pace, he now turns to face a different perspective of the city. The emerging of families with children of several ages and the natural development of the society is highly present, and the mood is still light. As he walks further through the Old Quad, he now gets a glimpse of a dwarf and an obese man, and starts to stare at them and walk in a faster pace. The mood is heavy, mainly because of these “unusual” characters, but also because of the screams coming from the cellars and the attics, where the city has hid away three-headed or six-legged children. He passes the dwarf and the obese man, and the sound of the hidden children fades, and as he again faces the beautiful view of the ocean and sky full of stars, the mood gets lighter, the pace gets slower, and in total forgetfulness of the secrets of the city, he wanders out of the Old Quad and continues his day.
Process
Modelling the Old Quad in Rhinoceros.
Working with the characters in Photoshop, making sure they have the right quality and size.
Editing the line weighs of the 2D Isometric of the Old Quad with narrations.
Adding flames in Photoshop to give the Old Quad a more lifely feel to it.
Textures
Texture found and used on the columns.
Texture found and used on the roof.
Texture found and used on the floor.
Final Perspectives
First perspective: “City Perfect”. The idea that astronomers would use the stars to create a perfect city, greatly influenced the use of different characters. I chose to use the two men looking through a telescope to show the importance of the planning of a city, the reading woman to show the importance of knowledge in a community and the man in the back to show the elegance and high-standard of a part of the community. The couple to the right is meant to be a slow transition into the next perspective so both perspectives have a connection with each other and a continued story. I wanted to keep the perspective realistic and minimalistic, because the purpose of the Old Quad in my perspectives is purely as a gathering point like a platform on a hill top.
Second perspective: “Hidden Secrets”. The concept of the second perspective is all about the development of life. I chose the pregnant couple to show the beginning of family life, and the woman with the children to show the further development. The little girl to the right is meant to symbolize innocence. I chose to use an obese man and a dwarf to the back, to highlight the different and somewhat “unusual” characters to be found in Marco Polo’s description of the city. The background of this perspective is a city square with the Old Quad still working as a platform on a hill top, created as a gathering point and a look- out point.
Final Layout
