Research: Metropolis

I have looked into resources of Metropolis, which is a steampunk-based sci-fi film in the late 1920s and have come up with a short analysis of the film:

Metropolis was a 1927 film directed by Fritz Lang and written by Thea von Harbou.


The film was initially published as a novel in 1926 and was only serialized as a film the year after. It depicts a futuristic world in Germany during the period of the Weimar Republic, and studies a common science fiction theme namely the social crisis between workers and owners of capitalism.

The image shows a DVD cover of the re-defined version of the film. The character was made using metallics, with the scaled up model building for the background.

The cinematic theme has hints of German Expressionism like this screenshot suggests:

There is also strong use of black and white contrasts and sillhouettes that can be very dramatic and adds to the gloomy and metallic atmosphere.

The buildings looked like hand-made models, brought to life with a few touches of computer graphics mainly for the subjects' movement (like the hi-tech vehicles). While filming, the models were scaled up to look like life-sized buildings.

Multiple models assembled to create the atmosphere:

It almost looks like computer-generated collage technique, with layers of buildings placed on top of each other.

Still Life Photographs

A list of still life photographs for my postcard designs. I used the outlines of the subjects and recreate them onto A5 pieces of card to create collage techniques using a range of materials assembled together.

I tried doing cut-outs on white card and adding colour to them with oil pastels, and used boot polish to create dark tones. Alternatively, I layered the cut-out and pasted them onto a piece of black card to act as a sillhouette around the shapes.

My postcard designs can be found in my skecthbook.

Working in the Studio

The equipment used to create shapes vary:


The base was cut using the band saw with the circular cutter, as it is with the left and right hemispheres. The edges of the shapes were sanded down using the circular sander to rid of any sharp splinters that may be a health hazard.

The plastic tubes were cut with the band saw into the desired lengths and screwed onto the base.

The blocks that hold the hemispheres in place   are pieces cut off from a long length of wood, and sanded into shape with the belt sander.

The two hemispheres were made using different thickness of MDF to create balance and depth.

Screenshots from Forbidden Planet Facebook Group

I have taken some screenshots of the Applied Art Facebook group:

This is the front page of the group with information about its purposes. It enables our group to keep a record of our progress and to aid our development and communication skills as a team.

A few examples of my photographs I took during the events for the group. They can be viewed here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=174929637370

Our personal record of the journey through the makings of the set on the discussion board.

Health and Safety

General Workshop and Studio Safety Regulations

The following are scans of the health and safety sheet we were given. We were talked through the precautions before proceeding with any form of woodwork with any of the machines.

Abbey Pumping Station

A few photographs from the Abbey Pumping Station provided to us from the shared drive. Looking through these pictures triggers a few ideas design-wise; there is a constant use of cogwheels, gears and levers made out of oak wood or strong metal.

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