I currently don't have a title for my film but will be deciding on it very soon. David Fincher tends to give his films either sharp, one word or two worded titles such as Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac. Or quite mysterious, longer titles starting with 'the', such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I will choose from one of those styles of titling so that it both fits Fincher's style and the theme of the film.
Chosen Director - Vision
When first deciding to use David Fincher as my chosen director, I researched a list of his trademarks and then watched the three films of his I hadn't yet scene and managed to pick out every single trademark listed, often more than once. I want my work to be very obviously created in his style and easy to pick out the trademarks from every shot and scene. I already know how I will work in all of his trademarks into my film. Again, for most of them, more than once. Here are Fincher's creative methods and examples of how they will be included in my work...
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| Gone Girl |
A single handheld shot. I think I'm most likely to use this in the shot where my main character, Mara is being handed drugs by her dealer. As it's likely to be where her life takes yet another downward spiral.
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| The Social Network |
Static and highly controlled shots. Every single shot other than the single handheld one will be static and highly controlled. I will make sure of this by using a tripod for every take.
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| Zodiac |
A static shot with an unfocused background and a character walking into focus. I will use this shot when the drug dealer, Rick is introduced in his dialogue scene with Mara. I think it's a great way to introduce a character.
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| The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo |
Low angled shots. I will use these quite frequently throughout my film. For example, a low-angled close up of Mara's face when she walks to the window in the first sequence, and a low angled wide shot of her standing in the kitchen in the second sequence.
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| The Curious Case of Benjamin Button |
Wide shots. I will also use wide shots frequently. For example, Mara standing in her empty bedroom in the first sequence and two separate shots of Mara and Rick walking in the street to meet each other.
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| Se7en |
Fluid tracking camera shots. I will be using at least one of these shots. The shot I have in mind is one of Mara from behind. Walking along the street.
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| Fight Club |
Silhouettes. In the scene where Mara wakes up, she sits up in bed and calms herself after her nightmares. This will be a profile shot of her, the light will be behind her and she will be a shadow.
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| Panic Room |
A shot looking inside a character's fridge. This will be in my second sequence 'Mealtime'. When Mara takes a beer out of the fridge.
References to the band 311. This has only been used in Fight Club and Zodiac but I like the idea so I will be including it. Mara will look at a text from Rick on her phone, the time above the text will read '3:11pm'.
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| Fight Club |
Starbucks cups in shot. Again, this was only used in Fight Club. But it was very noticeable in every single scene. I'd like to use that as one of his little quirks. I will strategically place one in each scene.
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| Se7en |
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| Se7en |
Often displays end credits as slide shows or scrolling downward. As my opening titles will be in a slide show style, I will be using his technique of having the end credits scrolling downward instead of upward.
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| Gone Girl |
Low-key lighting with green/yellow or blue tinted colour temperature. All of Fincher's films have at least a few scenes that have a tinted colour. I plan to use a blue tint on the present day scenes and dramatic flashbacks, and a green/yellow tint on the happy flashbacks.
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| Se7en |
Backstories filled with flashbacks / Single frame inserts. The flashbacks of Mara and her mother, Anna will be presented in single frame inserts. However it won't be in the style of Fight Club's single frame inserts, when Tyler (Brad Pitt) appears in the scene. It will be closer to the flashbacks of Mills' (Brad Pitt) wife's face in Se7en. When I do the same it will give the impression that they're quick flashes of painful memories that Mara can't shake off.
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| The Curious Case of Benjamin Button |
Downbeat endings. Every single film of Fincher's has a downbeat ending, even if it's only slightly. The audience won't be left smiling. So I don't want them to be with my film either. So Mara's character won't be getting closure in the end.
Casting
I have currently only cast the very minor character of Mara's mother, Anna. I will be using my own mum for a framed picture of Anna in the first sequence and 5-6 silent single frame insert scenes. I've chosen my mum as she has had three previous jobs as a film extra so has experience and she is very reliable.
For my characters of Mara and Rick, I have put up an advertisement for their roles on Casting Call Pro. I'm currently getting lots of applications so I will have their roles cast very soon.
I need Mara's character to come across as a drug addicted loner, suffering from her mother's death, while at the same time having a very tough exterior. So I'm looking forward to seeing what certain actresses that have applied for the role can bring. While Rick only has a small role, I need him to look like your relatively average, every day man, but still capable of coming across as shady while he deals to Mara. Again, I'm excited to see what the actors on Casting Call can do.
Crew
I will be using two people from my course as my crew. Harry Taylor will be my camera operator, while Wesley Denne will be my sound assistant. I think they both have a lot of skill in television production and I know that I can rely on them.
Locations
I will be using 2-3 main locations: Streets and an alleyway in Coxheath, my house and if possible a friend's house.
I will be using the garden and my mum's bedroom of my own house to shoot the flashbacks of Mara's mother. The garden will provide a lot of natural light for quick, bright close-up flashbacks of Anna. While the bedroom has the simple, typical family home look that I need.
A friend of mine currently lives in a house with very little furniture. If it's possible to use her house when it comes to shooting it'll be the perfect location for Mara to be living in. My friend can't let me know if I can use her house yet so if I can't in the end then I will be moving some furniture around and using my own living room and kitchen.
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| Close to what I have in mind |
Production Design
Fincher's production design is often either start and modern, or dark and decaying. I plan to use dark and decaying for my film. Mara's house will be relatively empty. It will be messy and it will be dark to create an unsettling atmosphere. There will be lots of key props and decor such as syringes, alcohol, burnt spoons, and a picture of Anna. The streets and the alleyway will look rough and decaying and if all goes to plan I will be shooting on a cloudy day, so the scenes will appear gloomy. The only brighter scenes of my film will be the flashbacks. I will need brighter scenes to stand out in the single frame inserts, and it will be an interesting way of showing how Mara's life used to seem bright and now it's faded.
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| The gloomy look that I want |
Mara's costume in the flashback of being happy with her mother will consist of...
- Neat, let down hair
- Light, soft make-up
- Simple earrings and pendant necklace
- A pale coloured jumper/long sleeved top
- Light coloured (possible pale blue) fitted denim jeans
Her costume in the flashback of finding her mother will consist of...
- Neat, side-tied/plaited hair
- Light, soft make-up
- Simple earrings and pendant necklace
- A white, fitted t-shirt
- Black, fitted denim jeans
Her costume in the first sequence will consist of...
- Messy, tied up hair
- Dark, smudged make-up
- Piercings (fake)
- Make-up that makes her look tired and slightly ill
- Track marks on her arms done with make-up
- A slightly dirty, loose, black t-shirt
- Baggy, dark grey joggers
Her costume in the second sequence will consist of...
- Messy, tied up hair
- Dark, smudged make-up
- Piercings (fake)
- Make-up that makes her look tired and slightly ill
- Track marks on her arms done with make-up
- A slightly loose, light grey vest
- Slightly baggy, worn out, dark navy denim jeans
- Black, worn out trainers
Her costume in the third sequence will be as above with the addition of...
- A black/dark grey hoodie (hood down)
- A black leather jacket
- Black fingerless gloves
My inspiration for Mara's appearance is loosely based on Lisbeth's appearance in Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - just not quite as much of an 'out there' appearance as hers
Anna's costume in the flashback of being happy with Mara will consist of...
- Neat, let down hair
- Light, soft make-up
- Simple earrings
- A white, fitted t-shirt
- Fitted, dark navy denim jeans
Her costume in the flashbacks of her crying and being found by Mara will consist of...
- Messy, let down hair
- Dark, teary make-up
- A dark t-shirt
- A long, black cardigan
- Loose, grey joggers
Rick's Costume Design
Rick's costume will consist of...
- Neat hair
- A pale t-shirt
- A black hoodie (hood down)
- Dark, denim jeans
- Simple trainers
Sound Design
There will be minimal sound made on set in the first two sequences. I only expect to hear her gasps and the sound of objects such as the fridge opening and closing, and the click of her lighter. And of course the sound in the third sequence will be that of Mara and Rick's dialogue and vague street noise. I will also be adding in some sound effects during editing. Such as a static kind of sound each time a single frame insert is used.
I haven't yet decided on what particular music I want to use. However, I want to find royalty free soundtracks as close as possible to the music that David Fincher uses - music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. I love the music from The Girl with the Dragon tattoo and I think it fits well with the tone of my film, so hopefully I will find music close to that. I also don't know if I want music to be involved continuously throughout my film, I may need to decide on that during editing.
Story - Character
I have chosen to have a female loner called Mara as my main character. I gave her the name Mara as the meaning of the name is both 'bitter' and 'an expression of grief after the death of loved ones' - so it's absolutely perfect.
The introduction for Mara will start with her laying in bed, asleep. The room is practically empty aside from a camper bed, general mess and a small table. The camera is over her at a top angle. It zooms in on her ever so slightly and slowly, while she fidgets a bit with a pained look on her face. During this there are single frame inserts of flashbacks, starting happily, ending badly. They're of her and her mother, Anna, first of them laughing together, then of her mum crying. Mara suddenly wakes up gasping, throwing herself closer to the camera while catching her breath.
The shot changes to one of her sitting up in bed, head in hands, as a silhouette. She gets up and walks to the window. She looks out of it for a while looking sad. Then down at a framed photo of her mum looking happy. She looks at it slightly angrily for a while, a single frame insert of her mum crying plays again. Mara closes her eyes with the same expression as before, then places the frame face down on the table.
Story - Sequence
I have chosen the 'mealtime' sequence, set in her kitchen. Again the room is rather empty aside from mess. The sequence starts with the fridge being opened, it's also practically empty inside except for beer, empty containers and possibly mouldy food. Her hand is seen taking a bottle of beer out and the door slams shut. She opens the bottle and takes a swig, leaning against the kitchen counter looking around at the mess on them and the empty space in the room. A single frame insert of her mum laying on a bed with her eyes closed plays and she loses her breath. She faces the kitchen counter and exhales as she rests her hands on it and drops her head.
After a while she jolts up straight, taking a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from the counter and lights up. As the lighter clicks and the flame appears, another single frame insert flashes, this time of liquid bubbling in a spoon over a lighter. She has a drag of her cigarette and then takes her phone from her pocket. She looks at a text from Rick, telling her he's on his way. The time is 3:11pm (reference to the band 311). She puts her phone away, grabs her jacket and walks out of shot.
Story - Conversation
Mara's hand is seen closing the front door. The camera follows her from behind as she walks. It cuts to a close-up following Rick's face as he walks along a different street, hands in pockets, looking forward, slightly fast pace. Cutting back to Mara, she turns a corner into shot and walks toward the camera along the street, looking down, average pace, hands in pockets. She stops in an alleyway, looks around and leans against a wall. Cutting to a shot of Rick, he comes into focus as he walks into a close-up and stops. They say the lines in the script in a manner where it seems as if he's making conversation and she's trying to end it. About two thirds into their conversation, while still talking she takes some money out from her pocket as a hint to get on with it. He then takes a small, tied up plastic bag from his pocket filled with a brown powder. They carry on talking as they exchange these, she puts the bag in her pocket while he checks the money's authenticity by holding it up. Mara says "I guess we should cut out early, keep the audience interested". The male character replies "And how would your director do that?". She looks down for a moment, looking vaguely thoughtful. Single frame inserts play of her mum laying eyes closed on the bed, revealing that she's next to an empty bottle of pills, and one of the same scene including Mara with a softer costume, crying and screaming. Back in the present she closes her eyes and twitches, as if she's shaking the flashbacks off. She takes the wrap of heroin out of her pocket, looking down at it. She looks up at Rick and in response to his question says "By making it all go away" as if to imply the drugs will ease her pain. She puts the wrap back in her pocket and slowly walks away from the camera.
Schedule
I will be shooting on Saturday the 7th and Sunday the 8th of February. I will begin editing as of Monday the 9th.
- director vision - very good detail on his vision. good references. make sure this sees its way into the finished film.
ReplyDelete- casting. it would be good to see some reference pictures of the type of person/character you are looking for.
- crew. it might be worth having an extra person too - as general assistant.
- locations. be good to see some reference pictures of what you are looking for.
-production design. good plan and detail. make sure props look used and have that lived in feel.
- same with costume design. good work. make sure costumes look lived in, used etc. that the character "owns" them. Classic mistake is to have new items, or freshly washed... make it look right.
- sound design. i think you should look closely at this. fincher has lots of close, natural sounds. Think about good coverage of sounds, recorded or from FX libraries.
story, sequence, character and conversation - this is good plan. interesting. take your time with it. get the detail.
in terms of the single frame inserts though... i know this is a reference to fight club. however, single frames will be just a blur in vision. if you want the frames to clearly show something, they need to be longer than a single frame.
good plan. make sure all this work shows through into the film.