Portfolio Project: Production

 The Great Mishap

    "Off to a great start with production, aren't we?" I ask myself as I do the walk of shame to my bag to grab my laptop and write up this blogpost. Yes, we found our final actor. Yes, we had everything planned out. Yes, we were a little tight on time as we could only make the weekend work for filming. No, we did NOT expect to have such a mishap occur.

    The plan was simple. Saturday, we were to film the church scene and then do the photoshoot so we could have the photos prepared for... Sunday, which was also simple: finish the main scene. However, the great winds swept the globe, picking up word that things would not work out so perfectly. The winds did not give us the luxury of receiving this word early either. Tonight, Friday, we get word that the actress for the mom will not be available Sunday, and that the actress for the daughter will not be available Saturday. If it was just one person not available, we could have worked around it. If they were not available the same day, we could have worked around it. We did not account for something like this in our planning. Perhaps this is something to learn from.

    Either way, we are planning to do as much as we can on Saturday, when the mom's actress is available. Specifically, we will attempt to get some footage from the church that does not require actors and get at least the main portrait image of the mother so we can start editing it so it can be printed out before the main shooting day. We will keep you updated on this new plan.

Sad Violin [HQ] - thaSparkaZ on YouTube

"Things go awry in the real world. Yet, I cannot imagine that in the ideal world, with perfect opportunity for personal growth, things do not go awry." - Jd

Portfolio Project: Planning

 Mood Board: Costuming + Photoshoot Planning

    Now that we have all of our actors, we are officially on the brink of production. The first part of production will be a photoshoot for the photos in the picture frames. The story is set sometime in the late 80s/early 90s, so we wanted to go for a little more dated look/style.

    

    Another important thing to focus on before beginning production is the costume design. We decided that we wanted the dad to wear very basic clothing for the time period: a button-up shirt tucked into jeans with some casual dress shoes. For the daughter, we wanted something that would point toward her innocent and childish nature in the beginning of the film. While looking for inspiration, we decided overalls with a white sweater would be a perfect outfit for the main sequence. The mother would also have somewhat of a casual style, similar to the father, but with a distinct style. I thought big jewelry would be a good trademark for the mother.

    I made this mood board as basic inspiration for both the photos and costuming. As for the specific styling of the costuming, we left that in the hand of the actors, as we wanted their personality to shine through into their characters.

"Okay." - Jd

Portfolio Project: Audio

 Audio

    Music selection is very important to our film opening. The film begins with a poem being read aloud, entering into the film's title card. The poem's subject matter is dark but is vague enough in the sense that the viewer will remain on the edge of their seat, anticipating what the poem could possibly mean. In order to further this feeling of suspense, something like dissonant strings or horror ambience will play in the background. I imagine we will settle on something similar to this:

Ghostly Presence - FoePound

Stifled Screams - FoePound

It's Behind You - Dissonant Horror String Atmosphere Music

    The next sequence is a flashback. We want the music to be serene, but droning, reminiscent of a church in some sense. One option was to go on-the-nose and use a church organ hymn.

1 Hour Church Organ Hymns, Pipe Organ Christian Hymns, Church Worship And Praises

    This song we found takes another approach, but also fits the mood. We would only use the intro, though.

Sleepless - Diffie Bosman

    The intro feels very nostalgic. Perhaps it is the slightly out-of-tune synths combined with the somber chord progression. It feels right for the film. I want to mess around with it to see if I can remix or loop the intro chords, or maybe even slow it down to lengthen the intro. I will do anything to get this song to work for our project. 

    Another important aspect of the audio for our project will be foley. However, until we shoot the film, it is hard to know what specific elements require post-production foley sound effects. For the outdoor scene, I will try to collect some environmental sound during the shoot to incorporate into the soundscape in post. The other foley aspects can be recorded after or found in non-copyright sound effect databases.

"Production is upon us." - Jd

Portfolio Project: Script

 Script

    This has been the most fun and rewarding part of this project so far. I have received feedback and constructive criticism from peers and have decided to do some messing around with the couple lines of dialogue, as they are very aggressive in delivery. Although I feel this works perfectly in context, the film could also benefit from different approaches to the interaction. We will continue to edit the lines and film different versions of the interaction on shooting day so we can select the best fit for the final product.

    An important note is that since there is very little dialogue due to Belle being mute for a large portion of the film, the film opening script relies heavily on imagery to describe the scene and emotions as opposed to the characters' lines.

"Shout out David Lynch for real." - Jd

Portfolio Project: Mise-en-scène

 Mise-en-scène: Lighting

    This film will be... dark. More-so in the themes and topics, but also in the lighting in the opening!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH- Okay, I wrote the script yesterday, so you will see what I mean when it is dark. The imagery in the scene descriptions should allow you to visualize what I will be discussing now.

    The setting of the film opening is the Hayes' household at night. The father is rushing to pack as they have to leave the next day, but Belle is unmoving. The flashbacks to when Erica was still alive in combination with the pain expressed in both Belle and Christopher in the present day create a sense of melancholy. The house itself is antique. The backdrop for the memorial altar is a dark red. Belle is still deeply connected to her dead mother. Belle and Christopher still feel the pain. Although the mother is gone and father and daughter are not on good terms, this family still has a deep, long-lasting connection. This mood can only be reflected in my imagination via the use of low-key natural lighting.

    HOWEVER, to create this effect without camera noise due to the low light may be a challenge, especially if we shoot on iPhone. I initially planned to either borrow or rent a camera and some lighting and audio equipment, but I would also like to keep the budget to a minimum. There are ways to ensure we do not get noise, regardless of the camera. This will require at least basic lighting equipment, though, with the rest of the work done in post-production (color grading).

    I will experiment with getting the proper lighting and ask some friends if they are willing to lend some equipment for the project. If not, I will definitely consider renting equipment. However, it is not the equipment, it is the filmmaker, and I feel like I can make this work regardless; it will just take experimentation.

"I am like Neil deGrasse Tyson because like experiments like science like yeah cool business.. I don't understand the Tyson hate to be completely honest. He is a pretty cool guy. All those YouTube Shorts clips of him are extremely entertaining." - Jd

Portfolio Project: Mise-en-scène

 Mise-en-scène: Props

    The set of They Lay in a Pool of Blood That Is Not Their Own! will require framed pictures of the family. This will require that we both take pictures of the family together separate from the main shoots and that we procure picture frames that will fit for the setting. Most of the other set pieces required are already in my grandparents' house (which is where we plan to shoot).

    I asked my mother if she had any picture frames suitable for the shooting, and surprisingly she still has a ton from her wedding that are not in use. Even better, they are all gold, which perfectly compliments the dark red wall they will be set against. HOWEVER... the picture frames are unfortunately too big for their intended purpose in the film AND they are stuck waaaayyyy deep in our storage unit. So, I decided it would be better to just purchase cheap picture frames that will get the job done.

    Mother suggested that I hit up Dollar Tree, and so I did, instantly finding exactly what I needed for the project.

    Since these picture frames are brand new, I may also artificially tarnish them to add a sense of character and history to them. This product called Rub 'n Buff seems an interesting and easy way to create this effect.

    The photos themselves will have to be taken in a shoot sometime soon. We have gathered two out of three required actors so far. As soon as we have Erica's actress, we can knock this step out and get the photos printed at Walgreens.

    Another important prop is the flyer that Christopher picks up in the beginning. My partner designed a flyer in Canva and it came out perfect. We were aiming for an 80's minimal design which would quickly get the point across that the family is moving to a Christian Community. Here is the flyer.

    The desolation felt in the flyer perfectly reflects the true nature of the community Belle will join.

    Two other important props are the rosary beads and the crucifix owned by Belle's mother, Erica. To keep in line with the colors on set, I would prefer that the rosary beads are either a dark red or a cream color, and the crucifix either brown or cream.

"Rub 'n Buff more like...... I don't know actually. Just ignore me at this point." - Jd

Portfolio Project: Character Development

 Belle is the protagonist of They Lay in a Pool of Blood That Is Not Their Own!

    From a young age, Belle was always on the quiet side. The perfect daughter; a sweet little girl who loved her parents more than anything in the world. However, following her mom's death, Belle would change entirely, becoming mute from the trauma and nearly non-responsive to outside authorities. She did not become a rebel, as she would never fight back. She would just do nothing. Belle would become nothing without her mom.

    Every day, Belle would stare at the picture of her mom on the memorial altar inside their home, praying that she would come home some day. Belle's father, Christopher, missed his wife just as much as Belle missed her mother, yet Christopher seldom showed it. Christopher's urge to move on in life is what resulted in their moving to the village, as he wanted community with neighbors and with God once more. In a rash decision to leave the past behind, Christopher burns Belle's prized photo of the mother. In the process, Belle attempts to resist against the authority, but is shut down. Christopher walks outside and lights the photo on fire while all Belle can do is watch inside through the glass.

    The two watching the fire reflects the burning of their past. The symbolism of the fire is used for Belle's character throughout the film, as her perception is constantly molded and reformed by her new experiences changing what she knows from the past.

    Belle's development is not traditional. It is not positive. Instead, the film follows Belle spiraling down a bleak, negative world view. She finds her place in a community and reaps its benefits, but abandons it after being exposed to the unintentional evildoings of others in her community. She grows closer to God, before departing and becoming her own God. The film follows Belle on her journey toward eventual self-ruin and the ruin of those around her.

"Based on a true story (?)" - Jd

Portfolio Project: Film Idea

 Film Idea: They Lay in a Pool of Blood That Is Not Their Own!

I told you I would eventually get to it (explaining the film, that is)...

    The idea for They Lay in a Pool of Blood That Is Not Their Own! (TLiaPoBTINTO! for short, or for long since it takes longer and more brainpower to type out) originated in a dream I had. The dream saw a schoolgirl who had moved to a village in the French countryside with her father. The girl's mother died when she was very young, leading her dad to lose his purpose in life neglect raising his child. As a result, the girl could not talk, read, or write and thus was treated as an outcast in her new village. However, the village's tight-knit community, centered around Christianity, helped her learn these skills and integrated her into their community. The village would thank God for healing this girl and making her talk again and would praise her, but would still continue treating her as an outcast. After years of thriving in this cultish community, the girl realized that it was not God that helped her, but herself and her community.

    The girl would develop a distaste for her community and religion though, as they had led her to so much pain and suffering in being treated as an outsider. This led her to begin self-worshipping, spending her time praying to altars filled with pictures of herself. The village would discover her blasphemy, but the girls hatred toward her own community and religion would lead her to burning first the church, and then the village down, killing everyone.

    The dream delved into multiple themes that had been on my mind at the time:

• People harm each other more the closer they get (The Hedgehog's Dilemma)
• People harm each other unintentionally or intentionally in seeking gratification through relationships and while attaining goals/desires/incentives (which is referenced in the film title)
• People find purpose in life through religion and community
• People can find freedom in sexuality

    We made minor changes in order to be able to adapt this into a full film idea. The first change we made was in the setting, which would be in the American countryside in the 1980's. We also made the protagonist mute due to the trauma of her mom's death instead of having been mute as a result of her father's neglect.

    Then, we created the opening illustrated in the storyboard. The opening begins with a poem read by the protagonist, Belle. The poem ends with the line "They Lay in a Pool of Blood That Is Not Their Own!," transitioning to the title card. As this is read, intense strings swell. These strings abruptly terminate, replaced by calm church organ music, which plays as frames with pictures of Belle's mother and some of her belongings fill the screen. These shots show various parts of the memorial shrine set up for the mother while the intro credits roll. A crucifix is shown and is matched with a similar shot of a crucifix in a church, where the family is praying. It is made clear in the previous and subsequent shots that the mother is dead, hinting that this sequence is a flashback. The family is shown praying together, but cuts back (along with the music) to the present day, where the father aggressively rushes Belle to pack up the contents of the memorial shrine. Belle silently dismisses him, but her father Christopher is clearly agitated, and yells at her to pack up. Ignored again, Christopher attempts to grab the main picture of the mother but is met with opposition from Belle. The two fight over the picture and Christopher backhands Belle. Angered and tired of having to look at his dear deceased wife any longer, he storms out and burns the photo. Belle is destroyed, stopping at the door and watching through the window as her past is burned in real time.

"Okay." - Jd

Portfolio Project: Media Theory

 Media Theory: Reception Theory

    Reception Theory, coined by Stuart Hall, states that audiences will perceive media texts in one of three ways. The first, dominant/preferred reading, is when audiences accept the intentions put forward by the creator. Opposition reading is the opposite, when audiences reject the author's intentions and make their own reading of the text. Negotiated reading is when audiences accept some intentions while rejecting others.

    The application of this theory is pretty straight forward when the intentions of the creator are clear. For example, The Batman (2022) shows a more realistic depiction of a vigilante who is more focused on vengeance, succumbing to very real human emotions. A dominant reading may see a viewer readily agreeing with this take on the Batman character as the realistic element provides a fresh view at the played out character. An opposition reading may reject this new character, seeing it as a poor departure from the justice-oriented character seen in previous adaptations of the comic. A negotiated reading may see a viewer agreeing with a new and realistic take on the character, but also criticizing its departure from the original character.

The Batman (2022, dir. Matt Reeves)

    However, it gets more interesting when the intention of the creator is not very clear, forcing the viewer make their own reading on the media text. To provide an example, I will refer to a director I have mentioned previously, as I have been making my way through his filmography.

    The highly controversial Sion Sono has produced many films tackling societal issues in Japan. One such film is Antiporno (2016), which is a criticism on the Japanese pink film industry, the oppression of females in it, and an expression of sexual freedom. However, Sion Sono's work often sees a female lead subjected to suffering, sexual misconduct, and blatant mistreatment by men. And although many of these stories end in triumph and freedom from the shackles of misogyny and the patriarchy, many debate whether he is truly feminist or not. Antiporno's message is especially vague, leading viewers to create their own reading of the text.

Antiporno (2016, dir. Sion Sono)

    In our film, I would like to keep the intentions and themes fairly vague so the viewer can develop their own interpretation of the text. For example, the intended burning of the village in the end of our film will focus on the burning of the church, which can be taken in multiple ways. One viewer may see it as an attack on Christianity while another may see it as Belle (the protagonist) leaving behind her past and developing a world view that abandons everything that was positive in her life. Forcing the viewer to make their own reading instead of being spoonfed the creator's intentions leads to a more thought-provoking experience. 

"Keepin it vague for the masses." - Jd

Portfolio Project: Storyboard

 Storyboard

    Although it would have been nice to start with a script, we decided beginning our visualization through a storyboard would be better for our project, as the tone and visuals are very important to opening. However, through making the storyboard, we were able to establish the main events and get a good idea of much of the main dialogue that would occur through the opening. The main character is mute, so it was important to capture the main character's feelings through extremely visceral visuals, like being slapped and having the picture of her mom burned. It was also important to convey key details to the plot visually, such as the family's past relationship with each other and the church, the mother's death, and their moving to another home. It will be with the script that we really hammer in the final details that will illustrate the father's relationship with his daughter.

    The intro poem that transitions into the title and title card is important to the story as it gives a hint at the perception that Belle eventually develops towards society. The poem will be read by Belle's actress with a voiceover while music swells, eventually crescendoing on the title card, but then changing to much calmer music in the intro credits with the shots of the pictures on the table.

Here is the poem:

They look upward,

   Upon own threads surrounding;

   The silver pathways reach

   seeking connection with light,

   Warmth slipping through

   reflecting off ornate alloy,

Without noticing their own reflection.

They lay in a pool of blood

that is not their own!

"I don't know what to say today." - Jd

Portfolio Project: Group Meeting #1

 Group Meeting #1: Keeping it (Not Very) Clandestine

    Ignore the title, 'clandestine' is just such a funny word. I will not hide anything from you, reader.

Jd

    I'll start with my own story first, keeping it short as you will hear much about it in blog posts to come. I was a little shy when I started explaining my project, at first thinking, "Oh God, they're gonna think I am such a nerd..." I was partially accurate in that statement.

    Anywho, I started by explaining the overall film plot in a very surface-level manner, explaining how it was a psychological drama/coming-of-age centered around religion and morality, and being comparable to the film Midsommar in the representation of a community based around a cult. This was very vague, but I did this intentionally in order to first test the waters. This was quite stupid though, as in order to get anywhere we would have to really delve deep into our innermost secrets, our psychological tendencies, and debates about what it means to live in such a doomed society. Just kidding, we just had to explain all the plans we had so far.

    I did exactly this. I explained the main character and her relationship with her father following her mother's death. I explained how the film was not an attack on religion, but rather looked at the meaning of life with and without the promise of an afterlife. I explained my plans thus far on the opening itself, giving a shot by shot walkthrough. This plan is now outdated. I then explained my influences, mainly referring to Love Exposure (2008, dir. Sion Sono) as it had similar themes. Last, I delved slightly into the psychology behind the film idea, and how it was influenced by what I have noticed in myself and people around me. I did not go too deep though, as I aimed to avoid the nerd allegations.

    I did not receive much real feedback, but I was able to rethink how I approached my opening after listening to the others' plans. At the end of the group meeting, my partner ran to me with a wonderful idea he had been suggested. We both loved it and have incorporated it into our opening.

Jd, unedited (just kidding, this is a highly edited photo that does not represent my real-life appearance)

L

    L is a funny guy. He told me he expected high school to be like how it is depicted in anime. I still cannot tell if he is joking.

    At first, L had a very vague idea of what he had wanted. L mentioned his influences from zombie movies like Day Z and Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End. However, L's idea developed into something much more interesting than either of those films. Actually, I can't really say that as I have not watched them.

    Anyway, L's idea started off extremely simple. The base idea was to open with the beginning of a zombie apocalypse and show someone getting killed by zombies that have entered their house. As high school students without much of a budget, we asked how L would depict zombies in a not-so-corny way. After much thinking (probably a few seconds), L decided he would only show the shadows of the zombies, which is a pretty novel idea.

    After an explanation of the zombie apocalypse which was to be depicted in his film, it was clear that the real monsters are not the zombies, but the humans, who have been reduced as a society to relying on their animalistic desires for survival and greedy tendencies. To put the 'monster' of your story off-screen in the opening may seem cheap, but it directs the viewers attention to the human characters. This story is about the humans, not the zombies. Since our meeting, L has shown me their current storyboard and it looks great. I am excited to see the final product.

The character L compared himself to

W

    W's film idea draws interesting similarities (in terms of the protagonist) to The Truman Show, which he was inspired by. The inclusion of our inspirations in our meeting was especially helpful in understanding each other's visions, as despite W's minimal description of story, I can see where he is headed with the development of his film.

    The most important traits of W's story are as follows (these are just the notes that I wrote down):

• Happy life
• Gut feeling that something is off
• Possible twist

    Despite this not providing much information, I gathered that the film would be a drama piece focusing on a man who lives a normal life but suddenly gets a feeling that something is majorly wrong in his life. In navigating life beside our protagonist, the viewer and protagonist both struggle to grasp what could possibly be wrong. This is a major psychological element that would make the film so much more interesting than many other similar films. As far as I remember, W had not decided on a twist idea just yet.

"Gut feeling"

F

    F's story was inspired by a story her father had written, modernized and modified to be translated into a modern film. I thought this was so cool. First of all, having a parent who is/was an author is such a flex, especially when everyone else's parents work boring jobs that have to do with reading e-mails for like 8 hours a day, or like selling high-speed tin-can death machines meant for transportation (wait, that actually sounds fun).

    The story follows a man who enters a taxi, realizing it is the same taxi he had gotten into exactly a year ago before a fatal car crash. The story would see the main character grappling with the idea of death, and meaning in a life after death. We all realized the main character slightly resembled Dr. Malcom Crowe's character in The Sixth Sense, in the sense (haha) that both characters perceived life to go on normally following their death. We suggested F watch the film to draw inspiration for her main character.

    The opening is straight forward, seeing the main character enter the taxi and realize the wallet laying on the seat is the same as his. When he opens it, he realizes all the contents are the same as his own. Finally, he reveals the ID, which shows his face and name, confirming it is the same ID. The date is the one year anniversary of a fatal car crash he had experienced while a passenger in a taxi, and it seems he must relive the experience.

    We all left F with questions to think about, including:

• What has the main character been doing all this time?
• Does the main character experience this event on loop?
• Does he know he is dead?
• What does he learn from experiencing the crash over and over again?

I wonder if he can see F's protagonist

K

    K's idea was very minimal, with only a few visual aspects, potential plot elements, and character ideas being known. K began with painting the picture of a woman waking up in a trashed room, looking quite trashed herself. Perhaps she was hungover. The woman stays in her room, lounging and eating when her friend knocks on her door telling her 'some news.' Some idea of pregnancy was thrown into the wind. No one reached for it.

    Now, we all asked K what that news could possibly be. With no answer, we all began brainstorming. K seemed to like the idea that perhaps the news was footage of the main character the night before doing some embarrassing/harmful act that she knows she did not do. We prodded further, asking, "Was it her, or a doppelgänger?" K did not know yet, but that is fine. It got her thinking.

    I suggested K think of an overall film plot first before tackling the opening idea, and hopefully K has taken this advice into consideration.

What could have been if we had latched onto the pregnancy idea

A

    Out of the proposed ideas, A had the most interesting one as it had plenty of opportunity to progress in many ways. The initial opening idea for her thriller/mystery was for a girl to go missing (or something bad happen to her) at a party. My peers drew a connection of the setting to the film Project X. We all thought of a way to make this plan more specific. 

    A suggestion from W caught my attention, in that partygoers record multiple perspectives of the party from different video cameras. This idea of multiple perspectives and showing different reactions to the girl's disappearance showed a potential to show the attitude of partygoers toward a terrible event happening to someone in their close proximity. Some of the girl's friends and other partygoers may react with great concern, while others may not. It is reminiscent of the bystander effect, in which bystanders to a negative event may not act as they either believe others will or that they are not in the position to do so. We communicated these feelings to A and she seemed to dig it. 

One of the teens at the party, presumably

"Fond memories of group meeting #1." - Jd

Sources:

Gizmodo Image
Gizmodo. (2021). Gizmodo. [Online image]. Retrieved from https://gizmodo.com/app/uploads/2021/12/abe357c72d7f961c01277ce83fa69413.jpg

Giphy GIF
Giphy. (n.d.). Giphy. [Online image]. Retrieved from https://media4.giphy.com/media/DvtsYOKrqPZg4/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952ibcis3btqbcqmp9dk7j3aun1t3qfoulcq73q45hi&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g

Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy. (n.d.). Happy woman finding out that she is pregnant. Alamy. [Stock image]. Retrieved from https://c8.alamy.com/comp/EYGECA/happy-woman-finding-out-that-she-is-pregnant-EYGECA.jpg

Amazon Product Image
Amazon. (n.d.). Amazon. [Online image]. Retrieved from https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media-library-service-media/fea92517-09f1-4df3-9bb7-9a148c9b8f6d.CR0,0,1800,1350_PT0_SX600_V1_.jpg

Shutterstock Stock Photo
Shutterstock. (2021). Shutterstock. [Stock image]. Retrieved from https://d2jx2rerrg6sh3.cloudfront.net/image-handler/picture/2021/1/shutterstock_645676573.jpg

 Portfolio Project Timeline

    Ok so yeah. I have my opening idea, my film idea, and a rough mental storyboard... What's next? A lot bruh. The next logical step will be putting that storyboard on paper and creating a rough script. Next, I would like to run some test shots to ensure everything looks right. Then I will need to find actors, and fine tune the script according the the actor. And then and then and then and then.. I sound like a broken record. Here, I'll just make a schedule.

Weeks 1 & 2

    -Create film idea

    -Create opening idea

    -Plan filming locations

Week 3

    -Create storyboard

    -Begin script

    -Find music for film

Week 4

    -Focus on mise-en-scene elements

    -Solidify filming locations

    -Find actors

    -Finish script

Week 5

    -Last minute touches pre-production

    -Shoot project

    -Begin editing

    -Begin creating foley if needed

Week 6

    -Finish editing

    -Finish creating all sound/extra elements

Week 7

    -Research CCR questions 2, 3, and 4

    -Brainstorm CCR approaches

Week 8

    -Finish CCR

    -Post CCR production + post production

    -Reflect on portfolio project

"If AICE Media has taught me one thing, it's to blog it out till ur dead baby." - Jd

Portfolio Project: Color Analysis

 Portfolio Project: Color Analysis in Guilty of Romance

    Throughout my years analyzing and creating film, I have always struggled in deriving meaning from lighting and color. However, the skill is something I have been working on in hopes that I can use the techniques I see in the films I watch and apply it to my own creations. 

    In my film opening, I would love to use color to represent characters and their emotions, and to reflect their current or future intentions. I know, that sounds very vague, and that is because it is vague. I am still not sure exactly how I would like to use color for my characters specifically, and what emotions I want to highlight. I am hoping this research post will lead me in the right direction.

Guilty of Romance (2011, dir. Sion Sono)

    Guilty of Romance (2011, dir. Sion Sono) follows Izumi, a housewife who turns to sex work to satisfy her desires. The scene I am focusing on (timestamp 1:26:14) occurs after Izumi's first instance of prostitution, which was forced onto her by her 'prostitution mentor' (for lack of a better term) Mitsuko. Mitsuko is leading Izumi down this path of depravity in an attempt to show her the meaning behind words, which mean nothing without experience, without the use of words. She wants to show Izumi what true self-value is, and how to find it by selling your body. 

    Looking at these two screen-caps, it is clear who has authority. Izumi cowers, scared, confused, and most of all scarred, as Mitsuko towers over her (an obvious use of high and low angle shots to display a power disparity). The scene is shot with low-key lighting, accentuating the use of color and creating a dark tone. Blue light washes over Izumi. She is scared and sad. Right now, she is afraid of Mitsuko, but deep down she trusts her and is shattered she let Mitsuko down. A red/orange backlight tells us Mitsuko is dangerous, and powerful. Mitsuko thrives off sex, becoming the monster she is now when engaging in sexual acts as an escort.

    Mitsuko now explains how Izumi has earned this money with her body. It is her value as a woman that the men paid to have sex with her. As Mitsuko closes in on Izumi, Izumi's face also takes on a red hue, alongside the blue lighting on her right side. She is conflicted, because to some extent, she agrees with Mitsuko, but still holds on to the value she perceives as having been trampled upon.

    It is also worthy to note that Mitsuko's red can represent Satan and sin, with this scene being an allusion to the story of the Garden of Eden. Upon seeing Mitsuko's character for the first time, I was immediately reminded of a serpent, exclusively visually. In this scene, her character plays the exact role of the serpent in the Garden of Eden, extorting the weaker individual (Izumi as Eve) to succumb to sin by framing it as something that is positive.

Eve takes the fruit. It is important to notice that Mitsuko is shrouded in the same blue light as Izumi, and she is knelt at the same level as Izumi. Izumi is more trusting of Mitsuko when she can relate to her, which is what Mitsuko initially approached Izumi with, saying Izumi reminded her of her past self.

Satan's true intentions, but later framing it as something positive.

    Now, Mitsuko shows signs of remorse for her treatment of Izumi. A hint of green falls on her face, breaking the harsh red. Green is easy on the eye, especially after the intense red and blue tones reflecting the volatile interaction between the two. As the viewer's eyes are put at ease, the tone of Mitsuko completely changes. Instead of intense and authoritative, Mitsuko reassures Izumi that she has value.

    Izumi is finally beginning to understand Mitsuko. Her respective shot now includes green. Where green first represented a diffusion of emotion, it now represents internal value through monetary gain. As on the nose as it is, green represents money, which is adhered to in the first shot of the next scene.

    A green palette utilized and the eye drawn to the money peeking out in the bottom right third reaffirms what has been established. Izumi smiles, finding her value in the money. However, Mitsuko's words hover over Izumi. The red light is the Devil on Izumi's shoulder.

"I can learn a lot of things from Sion Sono. And I will." - Jd

Portfolio Project: Title Sequence Analysis

 Analyzing Title Sequences

    In analyzing film title sequences, I would specifically like to focus on the incorporation of the credit text and titles into the film's visuals, and how they connect the opening to the rest of the film.

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm (1968, dir. William Greaves) & Lilya 4-Ever (2002, dir. Lukas Moodysson)

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Title Card

Lilya 4-Ever Producer Credit

    Both of these film's opening credits are similar in the sense that they are laid over B-roll footage. The footage, however serves a purpose in both credit scenes. In Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, we are shown footage of people in Central Park engaging in the average park-going behavior of the time. For instance, the title card of the film shows a loving couple. The film is centered around the topic of interpersonal connect and peoples' role in society. Love is the most intimate form of human connection, so it only makes sense that the biggest title is shown alongside the peak of interpersonal connection. The important credits are shown alongside footage of more mundane activity, such as men of different cultures playing soccer, or a woman riding her bike. However, footage depicting sexual imagery (ex. a man groping his partner's buttocks) is also shown, illustrating the spectrum of human living and interaction. The footage at first is unassuming, but a more analytical view shows the connection between the footage behind the credits and the film.

    

    The titles themselves come in after a slight delay following the introduction of a new shot. The titles are initially small, but grow in size while in diagonal motion from the corner of the screen. Perhaps this is to first draw focus to the shot, then divert the viewer's attention to the credit text.

    Lilya 4-Ever's titles are large and centered on the screen. The viewer must view the title before viewing the shots of the town. However, these shots of the town do extremely well in establishing the setting of this story: a poor city in some Slavic country. Such a bleak setting can only host an equally bleak story.

Mother (2009, dir. Bong Joon-ho)

    Mother's opening and title sequence takes an extremely artistic approach, pairing the titles with footage of the mother dancing. This sequence is also repeated as the last sequence of the film. The dancing paired with the music seems, at first, fun. However, the music takes a momentary break, and the mother in this moment shows some signs of distress. While this is all happening, the credits are shown in a small and dark font in the bottom left third of the screen. The mother in the right third is the main focus, but the viewers eye is also naturally drawn to the position of the credits filling the negative space. The small and dark font suggests that what is actually important is the mother dancing, and not the credits. The font color also provides a hint at the darker tone of the film. The title card shot shifts to a darker palette, and the mother's body language suggests great sorrow. Now we know that what lies ahead will explain the mother's seemingly deranged behavior and her sadness. The film title itself fades in after a short delay, similar to the technique used with the titles in Symbiopsychotaxiplasm.

Relating These Openings to Our Film

    All three of these films are unconventional, the title sequences especially for Symbiopsychotaxiplasm and Mother when comparing them to what is traditionally seen in Hollywood. My film would be similar to these in that sense, so I hoped to take inspiration from them.

    I like the idea of having titles that are not shoved in the viewer's face, as seen in Mother, but I also like the hidden context in the first two title sequences. Ending on an impactful shot paired with the film title as seen in Mother's title sequence would work great for my production, so I will continue brainstorming to see if I can incorporate something similar in my project.

"BRUHHHHHHHHHHHH TGIF" - Jd

Portfolio Project: Film Opening Analysis

 Film Opening Analyses

    While the explicit directions are to analyze/discuss three openings of the same genre, I chose to look at openings that share general genre and plot elements with our film.

Midsommar (2019, dir. Ari Aster)

    Midsommar was the first film that came to mind, as the film is quite similar to our plot in many ways. Midsommar focuses on the psychological effects of living in a cult, and similarly, the village in our film is centered on Catholicism, resembling a cult when looking at the village's practices and social dynamics. Further, the protagonists of each film experience great family trauma before being integrated into the cult lifestyle. These similarities drew me to the film, as I was curious if I could draw any inspiration from its opening.

    I would like to first focus on the sound. The scene opens with eerie and dissonant strings, immediately creating a sense of discomfort in the viewer. These strings are paired with extremely dark visuals and the flashing red lights of a firetruck, establishing the dark tone of the film and indicating danger. While further details are being revealed to the viewer on the nature of the familicide and suicide, more string instruments start to enter. The music continues throughout the rest of the opening.

    Camera movement and techniques are essential to establishing the tone in the opening. The shots of the firefighters entering and searching the house are slightly slowed, with the camera movements also being slow and smooth. To me, it feels as if I have PTSD and am reliving a terrible memory, not unlike Dani, the protagonist. The camera slowly closes in on Terri, showing the state of her body after death in extreme detail. A few shots later, the camera closes in on Dani as her boyfriend consoles her, the camera movement and composition a direct mirroring of the shot with Terri. Dani's pain is felt by the viewer, as they are reminded of the gruesome nature of Terri and her parents' deaths. 

    This opening does well to establish the context behind Dani's PTSD and her later joining of the cult, and to establish the tone of the film. I would love to use slow-motion shots in my own production to represent flashbacks, as they create an image in the mind of the viewer that stays and also adds to the dreamlike quality I am aiming for in these sequences. However, I would like to use the technique to instead associate the images with good memories of the past, adding to the pain our protagonist will feel with the death of her mother. I can also take inspiration from the low-key lighting used in this opening, perhaps also incorporating colors to convey certain emotions.

Blue Velvet (1986, dir. David Lynch)

    Blue Velvet is a psychological thriller leaning heavily into the psychology of the main characters. The film itself is based on Freudian psychology, specifically the idea of the ego, superego, and id, which are different aspects of the human psyche. The ego is the conscious part of the human psyche, in which we approach the world, balancing our morals and instincts with the constraints of the natural world. The superego is our moral values; the 'superhero' inside of us. The id is our suppressed human, animalistic instincts. 

    Jeffrey Beaumont, our protagonist, represents the ego, as he struggles with his own morals and instinctual impulses while also struggling with the antagonist Frank, who represents the id.

    Freudian psychology and themes of sexuality are explored in depth and in the darkest manners in this film, which is completely juxtaposed by the film's colorful and unassuming opening. The vibrant colors and innocence of the townspeople in the beginning of the opening represents human society on a surface level. The camera, however, later descends below the grass, showing the nastiness that lays as the basis for human society.

    A sequence of shots first showing children crossing the street, followed by two shots of the protagonist's parents can be seen to represent Freud's Oedipus Complex, which is the theory that all children have an underlying attraction to the parent of the opposite sex, and showing aggression to the parent of the same sex. This idea is later reflected in the antagonist, Frank, who has a sexual relationship with Dorothy that represents his incestuous attraction to his own mother. Jeffrey becomes Dorothy's lover and they are discovered by Frank, who displays intense aggression towards Jeffrey (who in this situation would represent Frank's father, as he is the lover of Frank's "mother"), the second half of the Oedipus Complex.

    Another shot shows Jeffrey's father suffering a mysterious injury and falling backwards onto the ground. As he does this, the hose he is holding sprays water into the air and the family dog comes to drink the water, unconcerned with the father who is writhing in pain. This can be seen to represent the id, which aims to act on instincts without concern for societal norms or others.

    This opening is filled with symbolism representing Freudian psychology, and is a technique I aim to utilize in my production. I plan to use the presence of fire to represent moving on in life, even if unwillingly or in a harmful manner. Interestingly enough, the presence of fire is often used in the Bible to represent the presence of God. Our hypothetical film will lean heavily into Christian themes and the protagonist's rejection of Christian beliefs and practices. The use of fire to represent something other than the presence of God will also represent the protagonist turning away from God. The protagonist will also later begin to worship herself. This exaltation of herself as her own god also reflects in the fire, as she is now her own 'God', and 'God' is present.

Love Exposure (2008, dir. Sion Sono)

(I could not find a video of the film's opening, however the full film can be found online)

    I did not realize how similar the religious and psychological themes of Love Exposure were to our film idea until I rewatched its opening sequence. Some of these similarities include: a focus on Christianity, turning from christianity after a traumatic event, a father who devotes himself to the cross following the death of his loved one... I am sure my mind subconsciously took from many aspects of this film in the production of my dream which inspired our film, as Love Exposure had a lasting impact on me after my original viewing. After viewing the film's opening sequence again, I am left with that same feeling. That is what I aim to do with our film's opening.

    Love Exposure's opening focuses on the protagonist's (Yû) relationship with his mother before her death, and how she was his connection to religion. One of the last things Yû's mother tells him before her death is, "(Virgin Mary,) Find a woman just like her to marry." This connects the religious themes with the main idea of the film, being Yû's quest to find a woman like the Virgin Mary. The opening also does well at concisely establishing the context behind his dad's new life as a priest and Yû's eventual obsession with committing sins and the perversion of innocence.

    The religious tones are intensified by the choir music playing in the background throughout the entirety of the scene. The music itself is intense in nature, and combined with the overt Catholic imagery, it is made obvious that religion is one of the major focuses of the film.

    The warm and dreamlike colors and lighting create a sense of nostalgia, and are reflective of Yû's love for his mother. 

    Interestingly enough, this opening also shares similarities with Blue Velvet's opening in that an allusion to the Oedipus Complex is set up in the opening of the film. Yû compares his mother's beauty to the beauty of the statue of the Virgin Mary. His mother later tells him to find a woman like the Virgin Mary, indirectly comparing his attraction to his mother to the attraction he would eventually look for in a woman. Yû would go on to display aggression to his father later in the film, rejecting his wishes for Yû to live a Holy life. Interesting.......

    It is visually and stylistically that I am most drawn to this film. However, the context of the film is masterfully developed in this opening, and it provides the main themes both visually and through dialogue and interactions, which is something I wish to accomplish in my film opening.

"I can't seem to escape Freud. I see him everywhere. What is with these directors and their Oedipus Complex obsession? Ugh." -Jd

Sources:

The Oncoming Storm. (n.d.). [Midsommar - Opening Titles] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn3ucq_h9xY

A Film Channel. (n.d.). [Blue Velvet - Opening Sequence] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwuzI8Y0uW0

Immy. (n.d.). Id, ego, and superego. Immy. https://www.immy.com.au/post/id-ego-and-superego

Zhu Yuzhou. (2021). Analysis on the Freudism in David Lynch’s film Blue Velvet. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351872781_Analysis_on_the_Freudism_in_David_Lynch's_Film_Blue_Velvet/fulltext/60ae439992851c168e413930/Analysis-on-the-Freudism-in-David-Lynchs-Film-Blue-Velvet.pdf