Up until this point I feel like it seems that all I've been doing is just talking about what I want to do instead of actually doing something, so I'm here to change that. Recently, I've been brainstorming possible stories for the film opening. This post will show both my different ideas as well as my thought process through out each idea. And of course, not all of these are fully thought out, but they've gotten to the point that I am now.
Mixed Media Idea #1
When I said I wanted to do mixed media, I wasn’t lying. By far the biggest challenge so far has been finding a story where the use of mixed media would be motivated. The mixed media should be as much part of the story as the characters. And with that said, this first idea was my first idea for this exact reason, I couldn’t motivate it (not to mention there are barely any story to it). This opening would follow a person going through a routine as their mind wanders off. What this idea made me think about was whether these bits of animation would be solely part of the character’s imagination or if it would interact with the environment. I thought about how the story could start with the animation being part of the character’s imagination, but at the very end of the film opening, it would interact with the real world in some way, which would tease the idea that maybe by the end of the story this person’s imagination could becomes a real tangible thing. It would also follow the same idea that certain things would have to be covered up by animation afterward, like in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Which would be a fun task to plan around.
That idea itself was cool, but I couldn’t quite figure out what the story would actually be about. And by that I mean, why do I care about this character? All I had was just that this person is imaginative, so what? What are they trying to achieve, and what about this story would motivate the mixed media.
Summoning Spirit Idea
After the first idea, I struggled a bit to find a new idea also mixed media, so I decided to just start back at the drawing board as a way to not limit every idea I had. I thought back to the storytelling idea of pulling from what you know, and I admit that kind of sounds like I’m an avid spirit conjurer but I assure you it’s not that. I feel that when some people begin to pull from what they know, they immediately think of physical things like going to school or hanging out with friends, but I wanted to pull from emotions. In this case, I’d be focusing on people’s natural curiosity and how it can sometimes go a bit too far. This came mostly as a result of some of the research I did and how certain directors prey on a viewer’s curiosity to have them engage with the story.
The opening would follow the “first death” of someone who was enthralled by some sort of scripture or spirit. This character would be shown to be way too far off the deep end to be saved. It’d an opening similar to that of It Follows (2014) and Drag Me to Hell (2009), where this first scene would establish the threat with someone who for the most part is disconnected from the main story. It’s an idea that is relatively common in the horror genre, so if I did want to go with this idea, I’d want to have evident mise-en-scene. In videos I’ve made for my TV production class, I love using motivated and creative light settings (they’re annoying to set up, but the final shot is worth it). For this opening I was thinking of a contrasty look with harsh lighting in a mostly dark room. The frame itself would have a warmer tint to it since I’d likely have a few candles and/or flames present. It’d be Roger Deakins-esque with heavy use of motivated lighting, and set ups that are realistic.
No Country For Old Men (2007)
Skyfall (2012)
The Assassination of Jesse James (2007)
Overall I think this is an idea that I can have fun with, but I’m most likely not going with this. I said it before, but this is pretty similar to a lot of other films and I still had that itch to continue with mixed media.
Horror / Mixed Media Idea
After having considered the last idea, I thought about continuing with horror since it plays with emotions and tension building. I also considered the similarity that the last idea had with other films, so I thought about starting off the story with a flash forward a bit before the climax. In this story the main character would be contemplating a decision (perhaps they are about to enter a haunted house or something or that sort) and it’d be the main vs a spirit manipulating the person to make the decision. The spirit would be shown via mixed media and would be tethered to the main character, sort of like how Eddie Brock is the host for Venom.
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| Venom (2018) |
While with this idea I was about to combine the horror genre with the mixed media concept, I just didn’t feel it. The reason for that I believe is because I wasn’t really pulling from what I know. I guess it's just an issue with the fact that I try to avoid situations where people try to manipulate others, but either way I just wasn’t really super happy with this idea. And there was also the thought the cartoonish style I initially thought of probably wouldn’t fit too well with a horror piece. Maybe if it were a style with heavy use of graphite, it’d work, but I’m not sure how it would go about transferring it to a digital medium.
Mixed Media Idea #2
Let me paint the scene for you, it’s midnight. I got school the next morning and I’m trying to at least get one last idea before clocking out. I begin to think about the whole process up until this point where I’ve had all these ideas, but I couldn’t quite find the story to fit them in. And just like it hit me. This story would follow an animator who has all these ideas, but they can't for the life of them put them to paper. And the way I’d show this character’s ideas is via mixed media that is a visual representation of their mind and emotions. So hypothetically if there was a moment where this character gets so frustrated that they throw their sketchbook at the wall, when it hits the wall there would be impact marks or a small explosion. The overall tone would be light hearted for the most part, since they’d be a heavy layer of irony in which the viewer can see this person is creative, but they’re in a sort of writer’s block.
Out of the 4 ideas here, I see myself motivated by this idea. Off the bat, I’m pulling from what I know; there have been so many projects that I’ve done where I have all these ideas for shots or color schemes, but I struggle making the story around it. And in this story, it actually makes sense to include mixed media because it’d be part of the story and not just something to make the opening look pretty. Of course there are still a few aspects I’d have to iron out, but this is the first idea I’ve had where I’m actually motivated to continue with.
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