I will be continuously updating this post throughout my Pre-Production Journey with anything that inspires me, motivates me or just makes me click...so stay tuned!
The Story
On The Fence is a simple film, no doubt about it. It's got a straightforward story, with a neat little payoff, and plenty of heartfelt and quirky moments.
But it didn't just pop out of my head one day randomly and jump onto paper.
Ok well it slightly DID pop out of my head one day randomly...but when it comes to the planning stage, everything came from somewhere. And I mean everything.
The first thing, and the thing that came VERY early on when the film was NOT set in an American Ranch setting, was the mood and spirit of this film. I always wanted to give it this slight hint of 'Ghibli'. I'm talking about Studio Ghibli of course.
Still from Whisper of the Heart
Still from My Neighbour Totoro.
I had to ask myself initially, "What makes these Ghibli films so darn compelling?!"
And the answer was simple; subtlety. Yes there are loud moments, yes there still is exaggeration, but it's in the subtleties where the true genius and mastery lies. The animation, the emotion, the expressions...it's the subtleties that are imbedded in those very things that makes what you're seeing on screen so compelling! Regardless of how predictable the story might be, or how the plot hits similar beats from other films, when the characters are infused with enough subtlety it's great.
Still from "From Up on Poppy Hill"
There is an ancient Arabian poem, which has been told and retold throughout Asia, and in particular India, entitled "Layla Majnun".
Layla Majnun is a story about unattainable love. Whether fiction or non-fiction, no one knows.
An artists rendition of a section of Layla Majnun.
A brief version of the story can be found here.
It's this whole idea of unattainable love that spoke to me at first. Majnun was quite literally driven to madness by his love for Layla, simply because he was unable to have her. I took from this poem which I had come to familiarise myself with in the last 10 years of growing up in an Indian household. It's quite interesting just how one man loved a woman so madly, to not be able to be with her simply because of his stature...I can see why he went mad!
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The supposed graves of Laila Majnun in a Mausoleum located in Rajasthan, India.
Bagboy's continuous, and almost unending efforts to woo his love, his unattainable love, come from this ancient story. However, I suppose I'm not so heartless as to have both my characters die in some tragic way!
Father and Daughter is a beautiful short film, which uses a flat view plane and repetition very earnestly. There's a real honesty to this film, and I especially appreciate how the emotion comes across, without any real facial expression, it's all very subtly (again the word subtle just keeps coming up!) and gentle, but it's a glory to behold.
And of course there are many other famous love stories and films which I've looked at and taken inspiration from...
On a more personal level, I also looked at my own relationship, with my own girlfriend of four years. Yes, as corny as it may sound, being in a relationship as long as this actually gives me a lot to take from in terms of Bagboy's situation. His love for Sofia is quite understandable for me, sometimes you just meet someone who you think is just, well...right! And you can't stop trying to impress that person, because you know what they mean to you. It's just straight and simple love really.
The Characters
With the characters I know that I need to make two characters that are rather juxtaposing each other, yet contain similarities which make them so good together. Looking at things like Ellie and Carl from Up for example;
Still from UP
That typical Square to Circle Dynamic works beautifully well with these two. Carl was always quite the square, whilst Ellie his Circle who completes him, so essentially it's all about Shape Grammar when you have these sorts of two characters.
In my film Bagboy and Sofia really do complete each other in a way. His quirkiness, mad-dash-can-do attitude and willingness to overcome his fears and shyness, against her slow, daydreamy, working farm girl, who was always stuck in her little bubble. At first she really doesn't want anything to do with this little guy, and she shows it by taking those heart filled down many times. But eventually his gestures begin to win her over, and yet the day when it seems that our little hero has won over his true love, fate gets in his way all too well. And so it's up to her to complete the little broken part of him.
Much like Ellie and Carl, Wall-E and Eva have a dynamic that just ends up complimenting each other so well, despite their differences. Bagboy's quirkiness is similar to Wall-E, and Sofia's initial rejection of Bagboy is similar to Eva's of Wall-E.
The Cinematography
Paul Thomas Anderson redefined the romantic comedy genre with the film "Punch Drunk Love".
What I took from it in particular however, was the fantastic cinematography of Robert Elswit. Elswit masterfully crafts mood for this film in such ways, that just excited me and re-instated current ideas I had, as well as giving me new ones.
In the opening of the film we are immediately introduced to this lonely, slightly strange man, who seems to be entirely comfortable in his rut.
Just look at the brilliant use of the colour blue, and framing in this composition. Of how the main character, played by Adam Sandler, is completely and utterly isolated. Sandler's Blue Suit worn throughout the film is a brilliant representation of the sadness the character's life is stuck in.
When he meets the romantic interest, played by Emily Watson, she is dressed entirely in Red. And is just full of life, Sandler is happy to be with her in this world of hers, and happy to be in the red. It's warmth, it's vibrance, and it makes his character feel complete.
Anderson and Elswit also use the traditionally technical and "considered a mistake" Lens Flares as something of a thing of beauty. Something that speaks emotion.
It seems that in this film, I would say Anderson uses Lens Flares to give visual value to an emotion that is almost impossible to reflect on screen; pure love. These beautiful lens flares are symbolic in a way, and are only ever shown a feeling of true love, or a strong positive emotional impact is made in the film, and the pinkey/blue-ish hue is perfect for reflecting such emotions on screen. It's amazing how when combined with the actors on screen and the action, something so technical, becomes something so natural and beautiful. Whereas someone like JJ Abrams and Zack Synder would use Lens Flare for superficial purposes, Anderson uses them like a true auteur.
Mikey has researched on a number of artists for me, to gain inspiration for their use of colour, balance and mood. I was able to add to that list of artists by looking at the work of Leonid Afremov.
Leonid Afremov was known for his brilliant use of Orange, whilst also using a wide varied palette at the same time.
As you can see, Afremov really knows how to use his Orange, without being too overpowering. He beautifully frames each scene with that varied palette too, using simple, blocky strokes.
I felt that Leonid's work was pitch perfect for the Sunset scene in the film, the multiple colours he uses in his paintings reminds me of kites ironically, and me and Mikey are exploring his paintings and seeing what we can pull from them to implement in the cinematography of the film.
We both agreed that we needed to pull from him his strong use of vibrancy in his work, which, while poppy and very "in-your-face" at times, still creates quite a sweeping range of emotion. And it'd be great to pull from this!
Mikey also looked at some other artists to gain some inspiration for his Lighting.
Meanwhile, recently I had the fantastic chance to go and attend a "Pixar Masterclass" which was being held in London. Dan Scanlon (Director) and Kori Rae (Producer) of Monsters University fame would be there themselves to meet and greet and discuss the film Monsters University in detail. I learnt a great deal of information from them about film-making, and in particular, about how to use light and shadow to great effect in film (both live action, and animated) to bring across emotion.
Scanlon elaborated on their use of lighting and shadow throughout the film and how it further established Mike's emotion over the course of the film.
For example;
Mike's ultimate dream in the film is to enrol on the scaring course and become a scaring major. Above we see him about to step onto campus (notice how he is in the shadow)...
As soon as he takes that first step...
DEEP SENSE OF RELIEF! He's here! And it's almost like a great big payoff moment for this character, yet we're only 10 minutes into the film and we already know who Mike is...but it works brilliantly as the audience feels for Mike, whom without saying any words, is just relieved. The light just emphasises this fact that he's heading in the right direction.
However, once Mike is on campus and begins to look around, the school of his dreams is already beginning to overpower him...and we don't even know about this at this particular point in the film. Yet the lights and shadows tell all as Mike walks from the well lit lawn of the campus, into the gloomy shadow of the scare school!
I REALLY love the idealogy behind this and me and Mikey agree that we can get something similar going with Bagboy and his hill!
The Visual Style
Stills from Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs. These vehicle shapes are great! So simple, yet so beautifully compelling!
I looked at Modernism quite heavily as I feel that modernism is a little bit like "what if cartoons were real?" The great use of shapes, experimentation with scale and appeal that modernism brings with it would be brilliant to tie into my film.
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