"The Man with the Iron Fists" is a 2012 American martial arts film directed by RZA. This film serves as a prequel to a highly anticipated motion picture, exploring the narrative of how the character Blacksmith, portrayed by RZA, arrived in China aboard a Dutch trading vessel.
The film's art direction successfully establishes its tone and stylistic elements. The contributions of the principal character artist, compositor, and editing team played a crucial role in the production's success. I employed various live effects captured with a DSLR camera to emulate the visual aesthetic of an ancient scroll. Additionally, the brushstroke character, developed by Chase Conley and Xiongliang Li, was realized through advanced digital painting techniques.
Client: Universal Pictures, Machinima
Directed: RZA
Art Director/Composite Director: Manabu Gaku Inada
Animation Director: Eric Calderon
Character design: Chase Conley
Illustration: Chase Conley, Xiongliang Li, Connie Wong
Compositors: Trevor Von Klueg
Assistant Compositor: Moises Jimenez
Audio mix: Rick Santizo
Year: 2012
Figure 1: The liquid effects begin on the right side of the frame.
Figure 2 shows a tiger blending into the background on positive space.
Figure 3 illustrates the negative space on the left side.
Figure 4: Tiger Command transforms into Brass Body. Part of the Blacksmith/The Man with the Iron Fists' face is depicted in negative space on the left.
In Figure 5, the face of the Blacksmith from The Man with the Iron Fists appears in negative space on the left, with part of the negative space depicting the outline of his head.
Figure 6 shows a large liquid from the right that wiped out the screen, revealing brush strokes of black Sumi ink.
Figure 7: A brush stroke transforms into a landscape and sea horizon, with a trading ship slowly sailing in the distance.
All of the effects were captured with a Canon DSLR camera using sumi ink in the water. Photo by Manabu Inada.
All the effects were captured using a Canon DSLR camera, featuring a brush stroke of Sumi ink. Photo by Manabu Inada.
