I first chose three topics that interested me and explored them.

Some of my thoughts related to the topic

[1] THE PORTRAIT :

Reflections of social platforms, architectural design, self-portraits, musical styles

[2] LANGUAGES :

· gesture language
·body language

·Because of language-induced cliques

·The plight of international students

·Language carries meaning

·oral speech sounds (linguistics)

[3] NUTRITION：
 · Eating is linked to personal achievement and career, for example, some people can only eat for pleasure because of the reality of failure, but some professions such as modelling are often anorexic.

· The Boston Tea Dumping Incident

· U.S. Milk Pouring Incident

· blind box for leftovers (cookery)

· The mission of food

· Balance of elements within the body

And let's not forget the backdrop! Whether it's decked out in lucky red or set in some rustic village, the locale of these shindigs is huge. Red's all about happiness and good fortune in Chinese culture, and those countryside spots? They're like a nod to the deep roots and stories of families going way back.

So yeah, all this jazz is what's fueling my project. It's a deep dive into how identity and place intertwine, showing off how these wedding feasts are more than just parties. They're like cultural glue, sticking folks and their stories together through all those age-old customs and shenanigans.

Furthermore, while discussing the Chinese obsession with food and frequent communal meals, my tutor expressed unfamiliarity with this concept.

These insights shaped my thoughts on the format and target audience for my project. I decided to create visual works showcasing Chinese banquet culture, aiming to introduce it to those unfamiliar with the concept. The goal is to visually bridge cultural differences, helping more people appreciate the 'Chinese banquet.'

During Projects 01-04, I will focus on the "Chinese Banquet" theme, attempting to present various aspects of Chinese banquets across these four projects.

Smile, lively, open mouth, smile curved eyes, crowded,The flushed face.

It records the flow of the wedding banquets, as well as the details of preparing the food in the back kitchen and serving it to the village mothers and fathers. There are many visual elements in the documentary that I can refer to and combine with the previous visual investigation, for example, I need to observe how people look when attending the wedding banquet, their posture when they eat, how they arrange the plates when serving the food, and how the scene of the wedding banquet is like, and so on.

https://b23.tv/Z4rTpkT

https://b23.tv/ngaCkRF

So my initial idea was to show people attending a funeral banquet and a baby's first month banquet at the same time in my work. It represents the beginning of life and the end of life.

About my format, I associate it with a Folding zine, when opened it has half the pages of a black and white funeral banquet and half a colourful baby's first-month banquet. The contrast is created by the colours and the images. I also thought of drawing circular lines around the two banquets to create a sense of the cycle of time and life.

What really got me jazzed was this whole deal with historical composite drawings. It's like piecing together a jigsaw of different time slices to tell the full story of a place. That moment was a game-changer for me, sparking this idea to give my project a bit of that time-travel vibe, showing how things change yet somehow stay the same.

Kicking off my project with this museum adventure was like loading my creative backpack with a treasure trove of history and timey-wimey stuff. It set my imagination on fire, making me want to pack all those insights and feels into my work, hoping to dish out a slice of that rich historical pie with a side of timey-wimey goodness.

*Spelling problems

*The choice of font is not a clear representation of the theme, I should have used another font that better represents life and death.

*Didn't do a good job of making sure that people who don't understand the theme can understand what I'm trying to say as soon as they open this zine.

*Didn't design the back cover.

*Didn't think about what else I could have continued to try, I should have tried to design more zines.

This whole detective work with photos didn't just boost my skills in noticing the little things; it also cranked up my ability to weave cultural stories and emotions into my art. I figured out that hitting the mark with communication isn't just about showing stuff; it's about making folks feel the weight and warmth of those traditions through every stroke and shade.

This journey into capturing moments and moods gave me a whole new angle on how time and life dance together. It's like I've unlocked a new level in my art game, sparking a bunch of fresh ideas for where I can take my creations next.

I found that this technique, which is often used in films, could be a good solution to my current problem. Maybe I can try to combine the use of split-screen in film into my graphic work. To show the whole process of the wedding banquet through multiple scenes and angles.

However, after I finished the sketch, I found that the result was not as satisfactory as I had imagined, and the biggest problem was that I thought the overall picture was cluttered without a theme, and the theme was not clear at first glance. So I changed my mind, I decided to draw only one scene, and it was related to the theme of people eating at a wedding banquet.

I began to think of the contours of the human body and its simplest movements in an eating banquet scene.

Then I thought of the waving hands of people in the back of the kitchen while stir-frying, the constant repetition of movements while chopping, and the hasty figure of the chef.

So I wanted to show the back kitchen of the banquet, some of the actions or movements of the people who are cooking the food.

The entire kitchen environment tends to be concrete floors, dirt walls, red brick walls, wooden furniture and other elements. As well as some pots and pans and spice bottles hanging on the wall.

Colour summary: brown, grey, beige

Ambience: warm, pyrotechnic exuberant, busy

Secondly, for the font design, I added the element of scythe and cross to the font "END" to symbolise death.

Regarding the inner page design, for each zine, I drew half of the page to represent the newborn and half of the page to represent the end. In other words, I wanted to draw half of the baby's first month banquet and half of the funeral banquet. And the theme of birth to death is highlighted by the contrast of colours and patterns.

Now, I'm itching to get my hands on everything from etching printing to zapping designs with laser cutting. I'm all about diving into these techniques to see how they can jazz up my work. It's like I'm on a mission to find out how these different tools can bring new vibes and feels to what I create, making it a feast for the eyes and the soul for anyone who takes a peek.

And let me tell you, playing it safe with the same old methods just isn't my jam. I'm geared up to keep pushing the envelope, mixing in a bit of tech magic with traditional strokes. It's all about keeping that adventurous spark alive in my art and seeing where this wild ride of experimentation takes me.

I plan to share this video on social media, aiming to inspire others to rediscover their own ordinary yet cherished memories from the past, and to share my own nostalgic journey back to my childhood.

Storyline overview

The video will be narrated from the first-person perspective of a child, depicting the journey from school to the auto repair shop to buy ice cream. The final scene will transition from the image of the ice cream to reveal the child has grown into their twenty-year-old self.

Character description

Rely on the first point of view of the picture to tell the story, without dialogue.

Look and feel, cinematography

film texture, vintage feel.

Casting, performance direction notes， Costume, hair and make up

Everything has the feel of a documentary, and all the details refer to ten years ago.

Who would you need on your team?

Colorist, editor, photographer

Editing direction and style

Slow.

Storyboarding, primarily used in film and television production, is an art form that previsualizes a film's visual elements through a series of frames, allowing for precise control over film scenes. It involves presenting a complete story or action through various shots, angles, and framings. In simple terms, imagine if an action is a straight line, we segment it into three separate parts, capturing each segment from different perspectives like eye-level, low-angle, and high-angle shots. These are then woven together to form a nuanced, undulating narrative.

I started pondering how to create connections between individual shot images. In digital class, we discussed a film editing term, 'Montage', which means assembling a series of shots to convey ideas. I plan to apply and experiment with this knowledge in my ESP project.

Exterior of the Auto Repair Shop: Display a full view of the auto repair shop, focusing especially on the ice cream cart at the entrance, using a level or low-angle shot for visual impact.

Details of the Ice Cream Cart: Close-up shots showing the ice cream on the cart, including details like hands scooping the ice cream.

Child's Expression: Capture the excitement and anticipation on the child's face upon seeing the ice cream, possibly in a medium or close-up shot.

Child Buying Ice Cream: Show the child paying for and receiving the ice cream from the vendor, alternating between close-ups of the child and the seller.

Enjoying the Ice Cream: The moment of happiness as the child eats the ice cream, using a close-up or medium shot.

Time Jump: Fast editing to show the passage of time, such as rapid day and night transitions or swiftly turning calendar pages.

Return in Adulthood: The protagonist, now an adult, walks the same path to the auto repair shop, with a nostalgic and contemplative expression.

Alternating Between Past and Present: Using the montage technique, alternate between shots from childhood and adulthood, creating a stark contrast, highlighting the change over time and the continuity of emotions.

To gain a better understanding of the environment in the kitchens of rural Chinese banquets and to enhance the accuracy of my depiction, I researched various photographic works, identifying essential elements for my composition.

Diving into documentaries really brought the whole world of Chinese wedding banquets to life for me. I got the lowdown on how things roll at these dos, from the colors that pop to the knick-knacks that play a part. And the way those docs spun a yarn around each event? Totally gripping. It's got me thinking about weaving a bit of storytelling into my own creations, curious to see how a tale-spinning twist might jazz things up.

But then, just when I thought I'd nailed it, I hit a snag. The vibe of my drawing had this modern twist that didn't quite jive with the old-school cultural feel I was shooting for. It got me wondering if my slick, contemporary take was doing justice to the rich, cozy traditions I wanted to highlight. This little hiccup sent me back to the drawing board, thinking hard about the kind of materials and textures that could bring out the real warmth and soul of the scene.

Paying close attention to these ceremonies not only sharpened my eye for detail but also got me thinking deeper about how to weave those rich cultural vibes and emotional undertones into my art. It hit me that making art that speaks to people isn't just about the pretty pictures; it's about stirring something inside them, making them feel the weight and warmth of those traditions.

This deep dive into capturing life's milestones gave me a whole new angle on the dance of time and life. It's like I've unlocked a new level in my art game, lighting up a bunch of fresh ideas for where I can take my creations next.

Digging deeper into Klimt's portfolio, I was totally wowed by how he rocked different materials, especially in "The Kiss". That piece is like a feast for the eyes, all thanks to his genius with gold leaf, silver foil, and the works. It's like he's throwing a party on the canvas, and everyone's invited. This whole mixing-and-matching approach got me thinking, "Why not jazz up my own stuff with a cocktail of mediums?"

This lightbulb moment was right up my alley, considering I've been all about mashing together different art styles from the get-go. Seeing Klimt's flair for turning a bunch of materials into pure magic made me want to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty with all sorts of art supplies. It's like he's handed me a secret recipe for making art that not only catches your eye but also tugs at your heartstrings, and I'm all in for giving that a whirl in my own creations.

Banquets often require chefs to put in a great deal of effort as they usually cater to many guests. As a result, they sometimes perform numerous tasks by themselves, with repetitive motions and bustling figures. This inspired me to design the character with four arms, reflecting their busyness.And I also think that four arms is a feature of the character design, because the banquet is usually a large size and there is often more than one chef, so the chef is designed with many arms.

But here's the kicker - when I stepped back to take a good look at what I'd done, a few light bulbs went off. The biggest thing was realizing that my flat picture just wasn't doing the trick. I mean, trying to show the lively dance of cooking and the zen of chopping in just one still frame? It wasn't cutting it. It felt like I was trying to capture a marathon with a single photo. So, I started noodling on the idea of maybe turning the whole shebang into an animation or getting my hands dirty with a 3D clay model to really bring the kitchen chaos to life.

When it comes to "Visual Authorship", I reckon it's all about figuring out how to make your piece chat effectively with the folks looking at it. With that in mind, I'm picturing my creations popping up in magazines or books, maybe with a quick snippet about the ins and outs of Chinese banquet culture. Just a few visuals and a bit of text to give everyone a taste of the banquet vibe. Considering my past work was all about painting pictures without words, flipping the script and mixing in some text for this round feels like a cool new twist. It's like serving up a cultural feast for the eyes, making the whole experience a bit more relatable for everyone.

Getting hip to Shiota's vibe gave me a serious jolt of inspiration. It got me thinking about Chinese banquets, you know? Those gatherings are like a mini-universe of folks—neighbors, the long-lost cousins, the tight-knit buddies—all tangled up in this social net that's as complex as Shiota's line work. I figured, why not use those snaking, mingling lines to capture the whole lively scene of a banquet? It's a killer way to show off the dynamic buzz and the web of relationships, all set against the rich tapestry of Chinese banquet traditions.

I went with white lines because they're perfect for catching the lively spirit and the chit-chat at these gatherings. Plus, in Chinese culture, white's got this whole purity and spirituality gig, which just felt right for showing the cozy get-togethers of kith and kin at these banquets. With just this straightforward but super expressive approach, I was aiming to not just show off the hustle and bustle but to dig into the cool, intricate ways people connect at these shindigs.

Jumping into this experimental vibe was a wild ride, full of challenges but also packed with chances to see and show our rich banquet culture in a whole new light.

That bit of letdown got the wheels turning in my head. I figured that maybe just playing around with lines and sticking to a grayscale palette wasn't enough to capture the whole story and vibe of these gatherings. Sure, lines and shapes are great for setting the scene, but they needed a splash of color to truly bring out the life, the noise, and the heartfelt moments of the banquets. So, I'm now on a mission to dial up the color in my art, to really paint the full picture of Chinese banquets—making them pop with energy and emotions, and hopefully, striking a chord with anyone who takes a glimpse, making them feel the warmth, the joy, and the rich tapestry of stories woven into these traditional feasts.

So, I took a leaf out of Purcell's book and started playing with lively colors and shapes to capture the essence of banquets. I dialed up the color intensity, inspired by the way she mixes hues, and focused on making my lines flow and planes pop, aiming to mirror the buzz and connections you find at these gatherings. This shift towards a more vibrant and dynamic style didn't just spice up my art; it felt like I was finally doing justice to the colorful tapestry of Chinese banquet culture.