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NIL DESPERANDUM Shaping The Aesthetic

Conclusions:

The key focus for the visuals is subjectivity.

I want the audience to be as close to the central character as possible, to an

almost uncomfortable extent at times.

I plan to shoot the vast majority of the film using just a 16mm lens, which

aside from providing great wide shots full of depth, gives a slightly distorted

view when used for close ups.

Symmetry within the shots can help frame the central character within his

surroundings and present him directly to the viewer.

This feeling of obscurity and distortion could be enhanced through the use of

filters such as the Lensbabyand other tilt shift lenses to contort planes of

focus.

The use of reflections will run throughout the film, in the form of mirrors,

windows and puddles. An increasingly isolated figure, having fallen off the

social ladder, Thomas is forced to question his identity as a man alone.

Influenced by the work of Bacon and Goya, empty space within the frame and

the use of darkness is also important in presenting Thomas abstraction and

fragile state of mind.

The frequent use of wide shots cutting to extreme close ups of the character

will help to shape a sense of isolation and vulnerability.

The concept for editing is to be often seamless and slow paced, in order to let

the acting shine and emotion to resonate. Likewise, when Thomas witnesses

the disturbance by the intruders, the camera and viewer stay with Thomas as

he shelters in the cupboard. We may never see the act of breaking the totems,perhaps just its effect on Thomas, visible through a small crack in the door.

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For lighting I would like to adopt a stylised realism aesthetic that though

expressing tone and distortion, still remains authentic. The use and control

of natural light will be important throughout. I plan to gradually progress

from the use of natural light to more top-lit artificial lighting as Thomas

plight continues.

In terms of colour, I plan to use a muted colour palette of faded browns, deep

blues and greying greens. These earthy tones will help blend Thomas into

his surroundings in the city; a character lost amongst the buildings.

I have also considered a bleach bypass colour grade, utilising crushed blacks

and blown out highlights.

The buildings at times dominate Thomas and tower over him, shown to be

menacing through the use of low angles.

The abandoned building which Thomas finds refuge in, could be perhaps a

factory office due to their monumental quality. The theme of nature

reclaiming these buildings should be evident in the visuals too.

The camera should at times be full of movement following Thomas throughhis private world, creating a sense of authenticity, energy and spontaneity.

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Character

As my short film is in an intimate character study, the visual aesthetics must revolve

around the portrayal of the individual. The character is the viewers entry point to

this story and their connection will be vital in the creation of empathy.

Bacons paintings are extremely expressive of character and emotion. Throughout

my film, the character becomes increasingly distressed and disturbed by the events

unfolding. Bacons paintings, though surreal, capture such tones of emotion through

the use of abstraction and obscurity.

This capturing of human anguish was seen over a century earlier in the work of

Spanish painter Francisco Goya and his Black Paintings. The images, created after

Goya had suffered through two serious illnesses, resonate an anxiety with life

through bleak imagery of strange figures.

Goyas painting also utilises a limited colour palette of earthy tones, to resonate a

sense of decay and reality, perhaps strange given the fantastical nature of some of

the images.

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Distortion and Fragmentation Onscreen:

In 1998, John Maybury directed a biopic of Francis Bacon, in which he frequently

shot in the style of the late artists

paintings. To convey his style,

Maybury used expressive

lighting, and blurred /blended

images. The use of duplication

and separation can be used to

enhance this visual aesthetic.

But it is the use of darkness and

the empty frame that I believe will feature most strongly in my film, to portray the

turmoil and inner struggle of Thomas.

The interplay between light and

dark was also evident in Darren

Aronofskys Pi (1998), in which

the use of expressive lighting and

a shifted axis captured a distorted

mental state. In my film the

relationship between light and

dark will be vital to expressing the

characters changing mental state and fragmented mentality.

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I will also where possible to try convey a sense of spontaneity with the camera

movement, by taking it off the tripod and allowing it to explore the scene (perhaps

through the use of a Movi), I allow the viewer to enter the private world of the

character and perhaps ideally, allow moments or truth or real life to creep

through.

Lens Choice

I plan to use a 16mm lens for the vast majority of the film. Such a lens is ideal for

capturing wide shots of Thomas surroundings in the city, with a fantastic depth

and quality to the image.

However when used for close ups, they can begin to slightly unnervingly distort

and disfigure the characters facial features. At times I will use even wider lens to

create a fish-eye level of distortion within the frame.

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Framing Thomas World Around Him

Thomas lives in a scenario that will be alien to the average viewer, therefore

capturing his world as well as character should be vital to my considerations for the

aesthetic.

By frequently cutting between the extreme wide shots and tight close ups, I will

establish a sense of isolation and solitude. In the above shots, taken from Andrei

Tarkovskys Nostalghia (1983), the figure is often very small within the frame,

surrounding by largely empty space. Minimalism within the set will also used to

express the characters emptiness.

In these early location scouts (below), I explored how my film could present a city

that could engulf Thomas. Walls with no ceilings will be used to frame the

character, creating the sense of a labyrinthic maze that traps them inside.

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The use of a wide-angle lens allows us to see how the surroundings dwarf the

character. The city becomes a character changing in its nature throughout the film.

Though Thomas knows these streets and buildings, at any given moment they can

quickly be seen as a threat and ominous through their portrayal.

Filmmaker David Lynchs photography series of Factory Buildings (example above)

is fantastic at creating such menace from buildings. The industrial setting and use of

a low angle gather a sense that this building could overwhelm a man in Thomas

position. These buildings can dominate him in a moment.

The use of darkness and contrast, too, creates a feeling of dread. Again theres an

interplay between light and dark, the shadows that are cast upon Thomas in his

isolation.

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The Sanctum

Thomas finds solace in his empty building at

the films opening. For many homeless

people, abandoned properties present the

opportunity for security and safety. But for

Thomas, the building becomes a temple of

sanctity and isolation. This room to the

casual observer perhaps looks full of danger

and dread, is a place for Thomas to reflect on

his faith and life. He has taken comfort in the

shadows of the abandoned building.

Abandoned buildings such as factories through their sheer scale, share many

qualities with places of worship. In their decay, nature has started to reclaim these

industrial monuments as shown in Lynchs photograph from the same Factory series

below. Thomas takes comfort here where no one else will go. Though he becomes

lost in the shadows - the camera searches for him in the darkness.

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Lighting

I plan to use progressive lighting to help tell the story of the film. Towards the

beginning of the film, when comfortable in his status quo, I will make use of natural

light wherever possible to convey the realism within the story. In Paddy

Considines Tyrannosaur(2011), soft light was used to evoke a sense of authenticity

and mundanity.

Ref 1

By progressing from this visual style to one that uses artificial lighting I can

establish my characters regression of state of mind. The application of artificial

lighting from above and the creation of shadow, as seen in Brad Andersons The

Machinist(2004), create a nightmarish quality more evocative of Thomas

breakdown.

Ref 2

The use of backlighting again brings great depth to the image, separating the

character from his backdrop.

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Control of light and the avoidance of spill will be essential throughout the film,

both when using artificial lights and natural light sources. The use of negative fill

will help frame the character in his surroundings, emphasising his vulnerability. One

lighting kit that offers such qualities is the Dedolight DLH4and the use of a lens

filter extension that allows pinpoint precession of spill. This can be used to enhance

Thomas eyes within the darkness that engulfs him.

Colour Palette

I will use a muted colour palette of earthy tones. These tones, evocative of Goyas

paintings in the 19thcentury convey a sense of realism and authenticity, but also

decay and perhaps, death. By visualising Thomas in this palette, he blends into his

stone surroundings, consumed by the city. Below is a brief trial of colour correcting

one of my photographs with this visual aesthetic.

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Visual Motif The Use of reflections

Ref 3

In constant solitude and with his world shattering around him, Thomas is forced to

question his identity throughout the film. The use of mirrors, windows, and

reflections will be used to signify his self-doubt. Reflections can also be used to

signify distortion and obscurity of form as mentioned when discussing Love Is The

Devils expression of Bacons visual aesthetic. In the below image taken from my one

minute exercise, you can see how a dejected Thomas rests upon himself.

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Directors closing thoughts on visuals:

In this film we enter the private world of an increasingly fragile mind. This

man is the story of the film and the aesthetic design of this film will replicate

this, as I aim to take the viewer increasingly close to the subject matter to

elicit an emotional response.

All elements of the cinematography (the lighting, the camera movement, the

framing) should all help convey Thomas story. The story of a man who has

nothing yet continues to fall further down the spiral. Faith has become the

knife-edge that Thomas lives his life upon. But it is all he has left. He lives

his life in a precarious position, and that is exactly where I want to place theview.

Though there are sparing moments of beauty in the film, the lead character

seems be increasingly engulfed by the dark and the visuals should reflect this

notion. Likewise though there are what could be termed as fantastical

elements to the story, it should remained grounded in reality, both in terms

of story and visually. I am trying to a huge story on a personal level.

The cinematography and visuals are the viewers clearest entry point into the

story, and therefore it is vital that they capture its essence.