"Diggers" Production Explores Drawing Techniques

Mark's colored pencil drawing of toddlers watching their world being washed away by a flood illustrates references in the poem to natural disasters.

Our current short art film production, "To the Diggers", is a hybrid of poetic spoken word, music, sound effects, visual arts and motion graphics.

We have commenced production of the visuals for the fourth of five stanzas in the poem. In this stanza Mark is creating visuals depicting humanity's age-old efforts to re-shape the universe for its own purposes: giant earth movers, skyscraper construction, space vehicle launches.

Mark drew this road grader digitally using a computer mouse and Photoshop techniques. It will be integrated into the section of the film referring to earth moving.

As in most of Mark's projects, he is stretching himself to learn new techniques. This project is expanding his knowledge of combining traditional drawing on paper with digital drawing on the computer screen. He is pushing himself to complete as much of the film as possible before we move to new quarters which could be as soon as in two months.
This colored pencil drawing by Mark is in the section of the film referring to leaders avoiding responsibility for people's needs.

Now you can follow our filmmaking on one blog devoted completely to our progress building the art film collection. The blog is called "Film Gallery Colxn" and you are invited to subscribe. Click on this link to go see our design unfold:

http://filmgallerycolxn.blogspot.com.

"To the Diggers" Film Revives Production

Above, one of Mark Turner's drawings for the combat section of the film "To the Diggers". (copyright 2011)

"To the Diggers" went into hiatus during the stage production of "The Little Prince" but now resumes its slow evolution.
The art work of the film has progressed through the poetic sound track depicting massive crowds, political campaigns, war, historic dictators and the news media. It now enters a sequence of human casualties in the wake of disasters.
Mark researches and draws all the pictures sometimes taking a whole day to complete one. He then scans the drawing and inserts it into the film using motion graphics to pan, zoom and apply special effects to it. Every visual is timed second-by-second to the spoken word, sound effects and music of the sound track.

A drawing by Mark Turner depicting rescuers aiding a victim of a natural disaster for the film "To the Diggers". (copyright 2011)

Completion of the film is projected within about two more months and then Mark begins the next short art film. Our goal is to produce a prototype collection of art films to demonstrate the Film Gallery Café where guests will view and discuss the films and framed art used in them. At the heart of our mission is the faith that our viewers will meet God both in our art and in the conversations it stimulates.

Art Reveals the Unseen

Drawings for the film "To the Diggers" -- Here is a sequence of drawings by Mark Turner studying a TV studio camera and camera operator. A TV studio is usually a mass of technology that we don't want to look at. Everything is focused on the illusion created by the gleaming set. But, these drawings show very intriguing shapes, lines and colors behind the scene which will entertain our viewers' eyes. Part of the mission of our film of drawings is to reveal more than the viewer normally thinks about. As a film the drawings will move through the field of vision and show a relationship to each other. In the gallery the drawings will stand alone as still images. In both ways the art will illuminate the mind and heart of the beholder.

"To the Diggers" Film Enters News Media

Drawings of political campaigns have given way to drawings of news anchors and pundits. These drawings will be part of a montage corresponding to this part of the poem:

"We, transfixed by
images, Chew on shiny, tasty,
sexy fear, . . ."

The poem speaks of the transitory nature of statements blown out of proportion by the media today.

Mark spends many hours searching for models and then creating the drawings. The overall effect of all the drawings with the rich sound track will be very engaging. To see more drawings and follow the progress of the production go to Mark's blog, http://artingle.blogspot.com .

Film Gets Political Drawings

Early in the "To the Diggers" film we will see flashes of political campaigns. So, Mark has been collecting and studying photos of politicians pressing flesh in the crowds and waving from motorcades.

Detail of a political campaign drawing for "To the Diggers" film by Mark Turner

The poetic words underlying this section are as follows:

"We regard as wisdom
Bright reflections, pixels,
Bites of sound repeated;
Arranging body and face
Choreographed in a timely place,
Makes powerful and great."

The drawings made from these studies will form a fast cutting montage. The images you see here are details from the larger, colored pencil drawings which will enjoy a second life exhibited along side the completed film. Other work on the film has included enlarging images to emphasize individual

A detail of a political motorcade drawing by Mark Turner.

pixels. I have made 17 of these "swatches" and will use them as colorful flashes over other images.
The next set of drawings will be from studies of TV News Pundits, news sets and TV equipment.
To follow the progress on this film and see more drawings subscribe to the blog Artingle.

Art Film Takes Form

Before Mark could proceed to create the drawings for the film "To the Diggers" he had to script it.

Click this frame to see Mark explain that "To the Diggers" is film 2 of 4 slated for exhibition in a special gallery/cafe next Spring.

Mapping the Journey
This film will be pretty complex even though it will be short. Before picking up the art materials Mark had to type out a script to make himself think through all the visuals and timing. Spinning off of a completed sound track (it was part of a podcast) is a big help because the visuals can extend the poetic images and sound effects.

A composite of a photo and a drawing for the film "To the Diggers" by Mark Turner. See http://artingle.blogspot.com for more.

This is like an animation in that we have to know the split seconds for each sequence. With the script all thought out Mark won't have to pause much to think up a visual the whole trip, just draw and draw and draw . . .
And folks, you are gonna love all these drawings going by.

Watch this Film Being Produced

You can look over Mark's shoulder as he creates our next art film, "To the Diggers". He is posting reports and pictures from the production on his blog http://artingle.blogspot.com . The first installment is up and you can even comment on what you see. Imagine that: an artist lets you watch and comment as he works! Don't miss this opportunity.
Pieces of It Could Be Yours!
Those who participate in this way will be first in line to get special mementos of this new artistic piece. It is being composed of many drawings suitable for framing with an intriguing mix of spoken word, rhythms and sound effects. Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you won't miss any installments.

Film Collection to Inspire Conversations

The Film Gallery Collection is the first wave of a campaign to inspire lots of people. We are producing four art films which will be the core of a growing collection to be exhibited in a film-gallery-café. This is our dream of people sitting among the films and the art used to make them being inspired to have life changing conversations.
Each Film Builds to the Next
The first phase was the art film, "Comforting Hovers", which is produced and released. The remaining three are at various stages of development. Each film is another phase building to the final and fifth phase: the premiere of the collection in a pilot venue testing our film-gallery-café concept.

"Diggers" to Make Noise
We are now in the second phase of the campaign, "Film 2: 'To the Diggers'". Like "Comforting Hovers" this film merges physical artwork with digital treatment, spoken word with music and sound effects, all in a motion graphics presentation which inspires the viewers to talk about the philosophical and spiritual aspects of life. But, it will be more boisterous and aggressive than "Comforting Hovers". Based upon a poem Mark wrote in 2006, "To the Diggers" employs images and noises from current affairs. It is about the temporary nature of public image and marketing in the flow of history.
Party Soon and Premiere Next Spring
We plan to have a release party late summer/early fall to celebrate the completion of "To the Diggers". When the whole collection of films is completed the premiere of the films will be a pilot event to test the new exhibition idea, the "film-gallery-café". The projected time of the pilot event is Spring, 2011. This test event will teach us about opening a permanent venue where art films and the artwork used to make them stimulate significant conversations encouraging people on their journeys toward God. Until then each finished film will help build the support base which will make the premiere a big success and launch development of the "film-gallery-café".