General Idea + thoughts?

Category: General
Posted on: September 23rd by

Hi Everyone,
This is my first go at a competition, I usually can’t find the time but having had a bit of a push from “saulman” (who’s idea I really like and am looking forward to seeing how he progresses with it) I decided to give this one a go.

I’ve tried to make my concept slightly more personal.

I grew up in the british countryside, surrounded by fields, cows and sheep! The city was something that was quite a drive away and was somewhere we didnt visit that often.
I started to think about an idea of a view of the city from the country. There is a village that is close to the one I grew up in, it has a canal that runs through it, which also has a train line that runs along the back of the canal.

I started to have this idea of a shot from a canal path, looking across the canal and off into the distance. In the distance will be the city. Tall towers rising from the ground and hitting the clouds. Maybe a very industrial looking city, some large chimney flutes with smoke chains coming out of them. Running alongside the canal will be the train line which will have a train heading towards the city. And maybe a young boy and his dad in the foreground fishing in the canal. Its kind of like a boy wondering what city life is like, showing that just a train ride away is a completely different lifestyle, and the wonder that if the boy had been born in the city what his life would of turned out like.

The funny thing is I actually get the train to work everyday, from the country into the city!!! So its something that I see and experience everyday.
As you can probably tell its at a very early stage and needs some more thought and sketches to see if it will really work.

Any thoughts towards my idea would be greatly apprecaited? Allthough the city is not the main focal point of the image, and alot of the image will be landscape with the city in the distance, am i right in thinking that the concept and story im trying to tell still involves the city and therefore this will be fine as an idea?

Many thanks for your time, and hopefully i didnt waffle too much!

Thanks :)

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hellojoea 5 pts

Cristo - I really like the idea of a night view with city lights lighting up the sky, nice idea, i may investigate that idea further, thanks. Saul - I have a few reference photos (will upload later) of some old steam trains travelling on some really old looking bridges, so the histroic idea had entered my mind, still not sure, will probably see how the scene progresses before i fix myself on an era. I was also thinking maybe a winter scene with a frozen canal, winter trees, typical gloomy day in england, maybe not a lot of people about, only one boat mored up on the canal. and the other in the peak of summer, trees in full bloom, lots of people, walking dogs, lots of boats on holidays going up and down the canal. etc. but the night idea also appeals to me, so maybe i could make either the winter or summer view as early evening, suns just set or setting, so lights will start to light up the city in the distance.# lots of good idea thanks again

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cristobalena 10 pts

I imagine that in one possible image composition, the distance is not a problem if, for example, you make a night view, where the city lights are strong and atractive. Then, the main focus of the image is the city, even if the point of view is in the country. Just an idea, good work.

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Saulman 16 pts

Hiya Joe, nice well thought through concept. Some good inspiration there.

The canal could be frozen over in winter, which could be a challenge in itself. Also, you've got narrow boats and locks which make the canal unique. Don't know about your part of the country but the canal in our town has locks every few hundred yards.

Are you planning on an historic setting when the train was the main mode of transport, or something more up-to-date?

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ronenbekerman 184 pts moderator

I can relate to your idea and was wondering how that might work with the seasons theme... first thing that came to mind was a spring summer happy image with the boy & family making way to a vacation in the country seeing the city behind them and a winter gloomy type of image when that boy & family are headed back towards that city.

Just a basic interpretation based on your story - We really need to see some sketches to start and appreciate what you refer too.

Best of luck on this one!

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