story idea 2

a boy finds out, to his horror, that after finishing every action, a strand of hair turns white.

it was terrible. but overtime he got used to it, lived with it and grew happy with it.

finally when his hair turned all white, he dies with a fulfilled smile on his face. indeed, his white head is proof of his fruitful life.

==

similarities to Pinnochio, Mt. Head.

it could be something more significant, in place of the hair. like mt. head.

some other more... obviously... thoughts were:

- a runner who cannot run <-- this is so Go! Thaddeus..
- an artist who cannot see <-- "... ..."
- a dire patient being carried around to and fro because the doctor's busy clubbing.

yasmin ahmad on making films

the following was reposted from Yasmin Ahmad's blog. Emphasis (bold+italics) added by me.

==

Monday, September 03, 2007
Film and Feeling. (A revisitation.)

“How vain it is to sit down to write, when you have not stood up to live.” - Henry David Thoreau, 1817 - 1862

Often I’m asked by young film enthusiasts, what it takes to make a good film. My answer is always the same.

I have no idea.

I don’t know the first thing about film, and I’ve never claimed to be a good film director, or indeed, a good writer.

I do, however, have some hunches. And they are as follows:

I suspect a filmmaker is fundamentally no different from a novelist or a poet, or even a painter or photographer.

We all just want to tell a story. Or to put across a feeling we have about humanity, as we observe it.

I believe these feelings and observations must stem from a clear intention, and a sincere personal concern for the human condition. No use pretending, because sooner or later, the viewer or reader will see through your mask.

As artists and storytellers, it’s easy for us to slip into the trap of being obsessed about form rather than content.

After watching films by auteurs such as Hou-Hsiao Hsien or John Cassavetes or Yasujiro Ozu, I am always in awe of the style in which they delivered the emotions of the story.

I have to remind myself constantly that it was the emotions that moved me rather than the style.

When viewing a sculpture, it is the feelings the sculptor had about his subject that touches me deeply, and not the hammer and chisel he used to shape it.

Many years ago, I found myself sitting at the edge of a giant metal block somewhere inside Francis Ford Coppola’s vineyard in Napa Valley.

When I looked up to survey the cold bronze, which chilled my back as I leaned against it, I was overcome with emotions. It was a beautiful sculpture of a mother and child by Henry Moore.

I could feel, without words or explanation, the empathy Moore felt for the unconditional love the mother had for the child in her arms.

Walking through Pablo Picasso’s old villa in Antibes just outside of Cannes, I caught sight, from the corner of my eye, what looked like the carcass of a white dove, laid out on a wicker chair.

When I approached it, I discovered that it was nothing more than some crumpled bits of paper, carefully put together to look like a dead dove.

It wasn’t the pieces of paper or the way Picasso crumpled them that moved me to tears. It was the sorrow he felt upon finding a dead dove on his balcony.

“Painting cannot be taught,” Picasso himself once said, “it can only be found.”

Or as my partner and soul mate Ali Mohamed puts it, “It is like riding a bicycle. I can give you a rough idea of how to do it, but in the end, you’ll have to feel your own way through.”

This, I believe, applies to writing and filmmaking too. We have to feel our way through.

"A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness." - Robert Frost, 1874 - 1963

In two of Kobayashi Issa’s haiku, centred on the humble spider, we are able to observe emotions far bigger than just about spiders.

“a broken web –
a refugee spider is still
looking for a home”

“don’t worry, spider
I keep house
casually”

Perhaps it’s just me, but in these haiku, I found deep compassion. Far from being afraid of spiders, the haiku master clearly cared for them.

And caring about something or someone lesser than you is a powerful statement about humanity.

Therein lies the genius of haiku. In just a few words, a writer is able to convey a feeling which could very well save Mankind, seeing the way the world is heading these days.

Now, at last, we might know how to begin. And the way to start writing isn’t by writing at all, but by living. It isn’t about creating something from thin air, but about documenting our personal feelings about the things that we see.

Or to put it crudely, how are you going to be a storyteller if you have no story to tell?

Perhaps, in the end, there are no such things as creative people; there are only sharp observers with sensitive hearts.

“A man travels the world in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it.” – George Moore, 1873 - 1958

CONCEPT! v1

1. fear of disturbances in our comfortable routines (unfortunate accidents)
2. challenging the belief of the ownership of one's fate through external circumstances
3. the consequences of each's fulfilling of their social responsibilities.


This animation addresses the irrational(?) fear for accidents, or any disturbances to our routine.

We believe that we are masters of our own fates, that we can improve our conditions by simply working hard enough. But at the same time, we fear unwarranted and unforeseen circumstances that might take away that very ownership from our hands.

/

Even though we continually strive for improvement, that working hard enough will bring us to a better place, we are still fearful, and aware that accidents will threaten our hard work, and the comfort of our lives. Then we are in a state of helplessness, that we are in mercy of others - and that is which we fear.


a rough rewriting of the concept based on our discussion.

the next task for us is that, knowing this is somewhat a direction, build a new scenario, or condense what we have, to communicate this theme.

I also recalled the lines "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul", it may be a good reference to check this poem, Invictus, out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invictus

this following is Elvin's initial story idea:
http://blackroombox.blogspot.com/2009/12/story-idea.html

discussion log 1

my response to Elvin's story:

"i thought abit about it and it can go somewhere like social responsibilities, hence construct, hence government etc.

im trying to think what chris wld sort of say. he will ask, when we present the scenario (story) for the concept, and why is the story the best way to tell the concept - and compress it while we're at that.

like the two characters could be novice (fat) swimmer vs lazy (dozing) lifeguard. or something like that. just someone who does not fulfill his vocation, and somebody else suffers - the headline news in today's newspaper here is that a bus driver dozed off and got 10 of his passengers killed in a highway accident. we could even aim a shot at our respective govs if we think deep enough =P but i dunno whehter im thinking what you are thinking. haha."


then Elvin and I had a good, long discussion about our prospective concept that just ended. The conversation is logged here.

Benjamin says:

the theme that i thought in your story was someone who does not fulfill his vocation, and somebody else suffers

if u read my email.

is that what u were thinking?

Elf-patience says:

that and other things

i was actually picturing the old fisherman working hard at life

always looking forward to the end of the day when he makes port safely

while the contrast in the young punk neglecting his duties, slacking off

the characters never meet until the last part

Benjamin says:

hee hee sounds like us.. and some others.

=P

Elf-patience says:

when the young man sees the fisherman drowning off the coast

when the young man scrambles up to replace the lightbulb he sees the fisherman just off the coast, their gazes meet and then the waves dash his boat into the rocks

Benjamin says:

so if he dies - remorse; if he doesnt happy ending...

Elf-patience says:

yeah

dunno if it has enough punch

was just thinking of keeping it raw

Benjamin says:

raw as in?

Elf-patience says:

raw emotion like sorrow, regret,

Benjamin says:

oh.

i can see that..

is this what you really want to say?

as in.

like what miyazaki said that kind of thing?

Elf-patience says:

yeah.. like when i thought of respite

respite happens when the fisherman makes port every evening

respite in death

respite against the young man, who's conscience will punish him at the end

Benjamin says:

yup.

then we work on it ba..

it caught me.

Elf-patience says:

i dunno i think it still needs polishing

Benjamin says:

we will work on it to make something that will motivate us

Elf-patience says:

i met miss wang at a wedding the other day haha

Benjamin says:

for three months

=D

Elf-patience says:

guess we can rewrite the story in a few versions and see which will work before proceeding on

Benjamin says:

as in u saw my themes.

Elf-patience says:

or we can make him a space fisherman and a space lighthouse

yeah i did

Benjamin says:

what i really wanted to say is the unrelenting-ness

as in, i just need some mental strength from there... ahha

Elf-patience says:

teddybear =)

Benjamin says:

that was another story.

lol

i just thought the image might look funny

imagine the na'vi fighting a giant teddy bear lol

Elf-patience says:

haha

would be fun

although it would be a spoof =P

Benjamin says:

that fisherman to me, would be the hardworking, unrelenting guy ..

i would think.

Elf-patience says:

definately

Benjamin says:

like, he believes his hard work does sth to change the future, he thinks he is the master of his fate when he works hard.

but sth happens out of the blue and throws him off guard.

Elf-patience says:

hmm seems doable.. a motivation of sorts

Benjamin says:

so now his fate lies in the hands of some foreign entity - the slacker guy at the lighthouse

that's something we face too.

*hints at ict*

Elf-patience says:

LOL

excellent

Benjamin says:

so the theme is vaguely there la.. haha

Elf-patience says:

just need to crystalize it

over arching one

and the sub character tehems

Benjamin says:

i say that because i sort of feel that as well

i believe in working hard and all.

but i also fear that "something out of the blue"

that causes my fate to be robbed away from my own hands to some thing out of my control

Elf-patience says:

as in something that disrupts your grand scheme of things

yep

letting go and letting God =)

Benjamin says:

how abt someone who doesnt know god?

thats who it is for...

Elf-patience says:

meaning?

Benjamin says:

still thinking...

this discussion is getting good =D

Elf-patience says:

gotta write this down =P

Benjamin says:

as in, we see in light from "I know the thoughts i have towards you, thoughts of good and not of evil", that we can be reassured. but the fear of the unknown still lingers don't it...

esp for other ppl

who are not so-assured?

Elf-patience says:

yep

definately

thats where faith comes in no?

but its not easy to trust in the unseen and unknown

Benjamin says:

yes.

so the theme can be about addressing the fear of the unknown

Elf-patience says:

yep

thats sounds plausible

Benjamin says:

through showing the reactions of the main character

when he had to resign his fate to the

actions of a foreign, unrelated entity who positively does not know his existence.

==

Elf-patience says:

yeah

Benjamin says:

well im glad that lighthouse guy is not god.

Elf-patience says:

like the light going out

Benjamin says:

so, concept. 3 lines.

1. fear of the unknown

2. challenging the belief of the ownership of one's fate through external circumstances

Elf-patience says:

fwah cheem =)

Benjamin says:

i was going to add:

3. the consequences of each's fulfilling of asocial respoinsibilities.

=D

Elf-patience says:

yeah

put it up on the board?

Benjamin says:

it's kinda big right now.. but haha.

i feel 2 should be 1.

and vice versa.

what do u think?

Elf-patience says:

swapping it?

Benjamin says:

2. sounds more specific than "fear of the unknown"...

ah. nvm.

i suppose we start from the big -> specifics

.

sorry...

Elf-patience says:

nah its good we are thinking thru

Benjamin says:

its more like

fear of disruption / disturbance / accidents than "unknown"

haha

im trying to find a suitable fitting word.

Elf-patience says:

fear of the unfamiliar

Benjamin says:

because i can imagine the "oh no" look on chris and rashid faces when we say "fear of the unknown"...

haha

Elf-patience says:

haha

Benjamin says:

since it can mean like anything

Elf-patience says:

true true

fear of the ....hmm...

Benjamin says:

this animation addresses the irrational(?) fear for accidents, or any disturbances to our routine. When unwarranted and unforeseen circumstances threaten our ownership of our own fates whom we believe to be of our own making,

do u understand that...? lol

trying to piece together the last sentence.

Elf-patience says:

so far so good.. u understand

i understand*

Benjamin says:

*

this animation addresses the irrational(?) fear for accidents, or any disturbances to our routine. We believe that we are masters of our own fates, that we can improve our conditions by simply working hard enough. But at the same time, we fear unwarranted and unforeseen circumstances that might take away that very ownership from our hands.

3 lines...long lines.

Elf-patience says:

the owndership part is fine

irrational might not be the best word.. hmmm...let me think abt it tonight

Benjamin says:

i think it be good idea that we also log our entire conversation tonight.

Elf-patience says:

i logged

Benjamin says:

=D proof of derivation part 1. cool! thanks.

--

but as of now i think that the last two lines

are more explaining the scenario than a theme, do you?

Elf-patience says:

yeah

i think can summarize/simplify

Benjamin says:

sure. i need to check how i wrote mine this sem.. lol

A conceptual animation which highlights the issues of marketing that causes our exploitation through consumerism.

It is about how we are being constantly sold an ideal lifestyle, a dream, a promise that we are suckered into, so that we will buy advertised products.

The irony behind this: we are actually aware about the truth – that these promises are empty and the dreams will never happen – yet

it is abt how even though we continually strive for improvement, that working hard enough will bring us to a better place

we are still fearful, and aware that accidents will threaten our hard work, and the comfort of our lives

... of our status quo

Elf-patience says:

mmm

Benjamin says:

but then we got a theme on our hands.

so...let's say we move a step back from the scenario, and

Elf-patience says:

sorry ah

Benjamin says:

try to construct a new story / or

Elf-patience says:

brain doesnt function at 1am

Benjamin says:

strengthen the stroy based on this theme?

haha sure, sorry to keep u up late this hour =P

as in, dun care what to write on paper first,

we just try to make a new scenario or condense whatever we got based on this theme?

Elf-patience says:

yep

Story idea!

I actually woke up this morning with the story in my head haha! got to write it down before i forget!!

Title: Respite

1.	a delay or cessation for a time, esp. of anything distressing or trying; an interval of relief: to toil without respite.

2.	temporary suspension of the execution of a person condemned to death; reprieve.

–verb (used with object)

3.	to relieve temporarily, esp. from anything distressing or trying; give an interval of relief from.

4.	to grant delay in the carrying out of (a punishment, obligation, etc.).

Summary:
revolves around 2 individuals, a fisherman and a young lighthouse caretaker.
Contrasting lives: fisherman wakes up before dawn to go out to sea to fish and comes back exhausted at dusk. (nice sunset paintings) young lighthouse caretaker is a slacker and wakes up at noon, and lazes around. Then fisherman gets caught in a storm on the way back (think pinnochio storm seq) and frantically tries to survive, looking for the lighthouse beacon. Lazy caretaker doesn't realize that the lighthouse bulb is blown and by the time he tries to replace it, its too late to save fisherman. ( or it can be a nick of time happy ending)

Art-Style: was thinking of "Urs", "Pearce Sisters" and "Borderlands" kind of stylalized 3d/2d blend.

idea doodles 2

doodling some character things - dreams as childhood toy and the like.. so there is this baby-robot... he is basically an at-st with hands on the front that motions "give me" and a rotatable mask for a face. and a bicycle that operates on four legs instead of two wheels.



and a painting of the aforementioned giant teddy bear.. not feeling too creative at the moment, so we have some generic lizard riders for the opposition.




the strength of communicating the lost dream is something like, MURDERING TOTORO. the killing of something so innocent, profound and horrible at the same time, would be how terrible it is, the notion of one who would do nothing to fight for his dream.

cool concept art

Got this guy's book when i was in Japan. Awesome concepts.
Found his Website
http://www002.upp.so-net.ne.jp/robo-ishi/

Awesome Colour Scripts

Toy Story 3
http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/12/21/toy-story-3-color-script-art/

IceAge 3
http://jsbrush.blogspot.com/

Phantom Menace Film Post Mortem

Its actually quite insightful how NOT to make a lousy movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG1AWVLnl48
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdQwKPVGQsY
there are 4 more parts :P can find on youtube

musings...

Themes:

Anti-Hero: Sacrifice

Was thinking abt this recently. What if the hero harbours a dark secret throughout the story. In order to save the world that he loves, he must become something that he loathes, he has to become one of the enemy. Evil creatures are threatening his loved ones, and the only way to overpower the creatures is to absorb some of their essence to be like them, thus tainting him and drawing revulsion from the ones he sought to protect.

References: Dark Knight, V for Vendetta, Hulk, Underworld, Blade

art from children book

so i dug out some children book from eons ago... and some of the illustrative styles still appeal to me even now! particularly the rabbit one below, love the colour play~ and the few chinese ones were very strong as well, gives a sense of cultural depth and texture with very simple distortion of lines.

Art from "Re-Cycle"

Re-cycle is a 2006 Cantonese movie that revolves around a ghostly world inhabited by items (and fetuses) abandoned by humans... here are some scans of the artbook from 3 years back when I was doing the City project.

idea doodles

couple of idea doodles, trying to draw out some images, putting some concrete into what is now seemingly a deep vortex of swirling ... nothingness ... lol =D

"为赋新词强说愁"

a doodle about how artists has to suffer pain to bring forth art. It shows someone stabbing his hand, blood spewing on a paper, and he gets to summon some spirit holograms, which presumably tells a story; how one relives some past memories, re-experiencing the pain of the past to retell, or make a story, an artwork about it.

unrelenting

this is a sketch done back in July, for a sci-fi, cyborg twist... an old man propped on mechanical legs fighting some malicious monsters/giants for the theme. The old man himself would portray that kind of unrelenting spirit, as he keeps persisting on even his physical body is failing.

WHAT ACTION CAN REPRESENT THE THEME?

beyond the character, the storyline, the setting, the situation, what sort of performance, what Key Action communicates the theme, or the feeling? I'm reminding myself not to forget we're making animation. its strongest strength is action.

lost things and the path not chosen

these sketches go along the theme of abandoned dreams, where perhaps as a child we nurtured some dreams, we want to be an astronaut, a doctor etc., until something, someone comes along tells us we'll never make it and the dream deflates.

The personification of the dream is through a childhood toy, a giant one. Imagine a giant teddy bear (abandoned dream) fighting some ultra-realistic creatures (representation of reality) - the irony, the contrasting juxtaposition... metaphorically, the giant is your old dream; if you let your old dream die without a fight, aren't you disappointing the 8-year-old you?

I feel this has some potential, going to start some concepting on this. The film "Re-Cycle" (2008) is a possible source of reference because it deals with abandoned things as well.

themes. initial thoughts

something I am digging up over the past few days, thinking of what I want to say in the final film of my student life.


unrelenting - story of Caleb, dreams never die even until old. you can still pursue and achieve your dream if you are patient and strong...

imagination - the power of the mind, how imagination can change perception of reality - "willpower" etc.

lost things and the path not chosen - the regrets of the past, symbolized in the lost faith and the forgotten dreams in our past - because people say so? because reality sets in? because we never thought we could achieve something greater?

somehow i feel the above 3 themes are more or less intertwining. We all have past dreams and regrets of decisions...but what we now possess and obtained, are achieved through the focusing of our efforts, channeled through the possibility of our will - when we imagine our future by faith, believing ourselves to be capable of something greater, then we can have the power to be unrelenting in our pursuit.

Some Thoughts on Character Design

This was a shot from the opening sequence of Mononoke Hime.




I am very struck by this shot because I can see and feel clearly of the desperate attempt to cling onto survival when the girl brandishes her weapon. It is not a "glory moment". She does not wish for confrontation, but the very fact that she had a weapon equipped (in an earlier shot) tells of their hunting jobs, or the potential risks that the girls have to defend against. Her stance is probably that of sacrificial protection..she did not help out her mates, but instead chose to block the monster's path from them. Had Ashitaka (the male lead) not be there, would she, a little girl forced to raise her blade, be the one to kill a fallen god, and suffer the curse? Or to be devoured in return by the maddened monster?

Like, since the advent of MMOs I have seen the same old femme fatales with blades, swords, glaives, guns, in a "I-look-cool" pose with some cleavage and all, but have the artist behind ever ever thought about why on earth is this woman (or man, or alien) holding the weapon in the first place? Fear? For what? Fighting for anything? I don't pretend to have not fell for the same trap as well. There are some tutorials, or writer's guide that asks a wannbe creator to answer a list of questions to get a grasp of the so-called personality, and the next thing we know we have the stereotypical "strong-willed woman" fighting for something or "young girl oblivious to her tremendous power". But how does the "strong-willed woman" that has a weapon in her hand demonstrate any determination beyond that of an unarmed, frail mother who supports her children? If it is an extension of desire, a visual metaphor, how does it show that? I am perhaps getting at, again, the saying "Context Is King", or image stroytelling (which I had been told again and again to improve on but never remembered) ...

I am reminding myself over what Miyazaki said about "decorations", about how we would tend to go crazy over making interesting looking shiny armour, war-torn textures, funky-looking weapons, down to the race, shape or filling in a "character personality" sheet for a new character just for the sake of it - rather than patiently nurturing the roots of the plant, paying attention to the theme.

Beyond technical achievements, which is admirable in itself, I want to have more of these revelations.. the time to have deeper thoughts into the why of the what I do.

Miyazaki: The Scenario

Cartoons (cartoon => animation => anime) are like Christmas trees. People put a lot of energy into decorating their trees because everyone enjoys the fancy part of the decoration - the baubles and sparkles. But to decorate a tree requires that it have branches and needles, and both of these require the tree to have a trunk and, ultimately, roots, even if we never see them. There are lots of examples in the world of animation where the finished product is a scrawny, impoverished creation because it never had a trunk or roots. And some works - with trunks supported by bamboo, or bits of iron and plastic soldered together - that may have been intended to be new and novel, end up being just weird, jerry-built exhibitions that are enjoyable to behold.

Hidden among the many illustrations drawn at the conceptual stage, among all the materials originally used in the discussing the chaotic and disparate ideas, lies the real story we want to create. What's important with scenarios is to steadily whittle away at them, to reveal a story with a solid trunk or core.

It's important to have a clear theme. When I say "theme", some people may imagine a big billboard sort of theme, something involving a critique of civilization or advocating world peace, but I am talking about something far more basic and simple - the theme is the very foundation of a work ... The bigger the billboard, the more likely it is to be acting as a cloak for what is really a silly and shallow work.

---

I think this somehow echoes the idea of how a short has to be about the "big things of life, or else why should it be important" but at the same time distilled and condensed into a short, bite-sized kind of package that will intelligently lead its audience to the theme, rather than hard-selling the theme through explicit and obvious links.

I just saw an local student animation short film (3D, 4/5-man team), that obviously talks about the polluted Malaysian rivers. it's about as predictable as it gets.

biohazard guys dump biohazard stuff into river -> a boy stumbles into them -> they probably threw him into the river as well. guess what happens? boy turns into Incredible Hulk rip-off and comes after biohazard guys -> biohazard guys attempt to shoot him, switching weapons in order of destructive power. dark knight tunnel chase anyone? -> Hulk-boy of course kung-fued/swipes off missiles and takes care of biohazard guys -> end with a shot of a billboard reading "love our river".

I don't pretend to be able to think of any alternative / better ideas off the top my head. But it certainly reminds me again about how Chris does NOT want us to state the obvious.

----

To give an extreme example, there's nothing wrong with having a scenario that presupposes that characters A (the protagonist) and B (the bad guy) will fight it out, with A ultimately winning. The important thing is to make sure that viewers know what sort of people A and B are, and why they have to struggle against each other so desperately. As long as this is done, the only other important thing is to be creative in developing the story up to the showdown, and resolve things in as fulfilling and entertaining a way as possible.

...fully fleshed out characters, characters who are life-affirming and have clear hopes and goals, and then to make sure that the story develops as efficiently and simply as possible. If a scenario fulfills these requirements, then the animator's job just consists of applying the decoration. He or she must accurately grasp the meaning or intent of particular scenes, and concieve of some drama and action that makes sense based on the way the characters in the story would think... ... ... And usually this is accomplished with movement, often with movement that actually has to be drawn to be sure if it works. Drawing this movement is the animator's job.

----

Like...if my salesman were selling to Elvin's butcher, the dynamics would be different, each based on the character's motivation and personality, which is in turn influenced by the theme of the story. If the Salesman is selling "the meal" to the butcher, what's the butcher reaction? Based on his personality given from the film, he would probably take the meal in glee. And when the salesman asks for his payment, he would probably gulp down the salesman as well for appetizer. The vain and over-confident salesman would've met his end. But if the main theme is still about consumerism and adverts, the salesman would probably still outwit the butcher even from within his stomach, and grabbing more organs than needed along the way. What if my giant film is replaced by the butcher as the giant and the meal as the hero? Comparing the giant dynamics and Elvin's dino character dynamics. Both the hero and dino met their giants, the hero fights it (he intended to anyway) and the dino ran away from it. But both the resulting films communicates their different messages well (I think) exactly because of that dynamics between the characters.

I think what I'm possibly getting at is that characters are inadvertently one-dimensional*, because whatever personality they have is tailored to meet the needs of communicating the big theme. The decisions they have to make in order that the theme is communicated therefore reveal their characteristic / personality (from the audience's POV) - and in a short film, the amount of decisions that were made wouldn't be conflicting enough to show much convincing complexity... unless intended by the big theme.

* When I say one-dimensional it is not derogatory in any sense. It does not mean that the resulting characters are bland or uninteresting, behaving in a predictable fashion. What I probably mean to say is that.. the characters represent an aspect / image of the multi-faceted human condition that we know/feel/behaves/experiences that we ourselves do not even completely understand. (Seems like we are delving into persona and masks already here). They represent parts of us in a quest to complete what we desire to (in terms of fulfilling our desire in film (cultural resolution) and identifying with the characters), and therefore, cannot represent any other part of us that, in reality, gets into the way, messes things up, or makes the undesirable decisions.

===
===

Heck, I felt like I was writing a seminar. But then again, it seems that although I have quoted and said much, it felt like...somewhere somehow, I already do know these...just that I'm not doing it; or... the thoughts were not yet materialized or concrete yet before reading Miyazaki.