Shot outline of first scene

Here are notes I am working on for the first scene in the film. I will be shooting this in November. First the sets, the actors over green screen. The blue is the narration, and the black is the description of the action and setting (and explanation of the process I am using to make these images):

Blue TV Screen- VHS 'PLAY' icons on pops up- TV Static starts playing/ the sound of static heightens as the static on the screen slowly turns into red static. 

Before Eve, there was Lillith. 

A white alien like female figure starts to rise out of the static, as if she were floating to the surface of water. (perhaps will have her rise in a fetal like position instead- will do both takes to see what works best).

C.U. on face emerging--- her eyes open- they are they same red static (will be done with green paint over the actors closed eyes- they will have to perform with there eyes closed- this might add an interesting element to the performance as well with a sense of exploration and uncertainty that i can play with).

In this birds eye view shot, the figure stands up. The static color morphs back into a grayish regular color. 'Lilith' sits up.

God formed the first woman from the earth, just as he had Adam. 

C.U. (no longer birds eye view) of Lilith- a little disoriented, looking around. A man's white hand comes into frame, offering to help her up. 

C.U. of Adam's face- he is also a white alien-like figure with static for eyes

C.U Lilith- she looks up hesistantly, then takes it, standing up.

W.S. of the two standing and looking at each other.

The 'Garden of Eden' (green screened out) will be look similar to Tony Oursler's approach to set design (colors and card board cheapness/ glow sticks and black light will play a big role in this- i dont want to copy his look or anything, these are just the materials Im into right now- that and Liquid Sky Neon---yay, I just totally got myself excited while writing this down!) Materials I need to collect: black lights, glow sticks, glow and the drak neon paint, x-mas lights of varying colors (red would be good)- GLITTER!

The background will be a black poster board covering a television screen. There will be pieces cut out to represent the moon and stars. The screen will spill out different colored tv static in through these holes. 

The surrounding 'flora and fauna' that make the garden of eden will be fake garish glitter flowers that sit in vines of 'wires and circuitry- illuminated by glow sticks. There will be patches of green that i will use to hey and replace with other images (static/ fuzzy abstract fantasy rape porn etc.) I am also a fan of dead trees- so i will work those in there somewhere. (Shout out to Chris: TWISTED WILLOW IS BACK- Cue evil laugh)

The ground will be green so i can key it out with gray static- which is the source of the dust and earth right now. Now that the scene is set- BACK TO THE ACTION:

But instead of molding her from pure dust and clay....he used filth and sediment.

M.S. of Lilith and Adam looking into each others eyes.

C.U. of Adam's eyes- the static flickers and glows with white and soft yellows.

C.U. of Lilith's eyes- the static flickers with red and neon. Zoom into Lilith's eyes- the imagery bleeds into fuzzy abstract fragments found in fantasy rape porn- focusing on moments of struggle and force. We move out from this imagery and reveal it inside the construction of the static ground of the set.

Adam and Lillith never found peace together; for when he wished to lie with her, she took offense at the recumbent posture he demanded. 

M.S. of Lilith lying down. Adam comes into frame, slowly leaning on top of her. 


C.U. of Lilith's face- Adam's hand slowly stroke her cheek. Lilith stops the hand, slowly moving it away. She and Adam sit up as she keeps him at a distance.


'Why must I lie beneath you?' she asked. I also was made from the dust, and am therefore your equal'. 


M.S. of Lilith looking at Adam then at the ground.


C.U. of Lilith's hand as she scoops up some static from the ground.


M.S. of Lilith and Adam as Lilith brings her hand up to Adam's face, showing him the static.


C.U. of Adam's face looking at the hand in frame- his static eyes change and morph into other abstract images (not sure what yet). 


Adam grabs Lilith's wrist tightly, making her drop the static. 


Adam then tried to compel Lilith's obedience by force. 


C.U. of the ground, as Lilith's hand falls into frame, pinned by Adam's hand, struggling.


The hand sinks into the static. The static starts to fuzz and bleed into fragmented saturated fuzzy images of fantasy rape porn (maybe no fuzzy- maybe sharp and digitally harsh- will feel it out when editing). (10 seconds of this) Cut to black.


M.S. bird's eye view of Adam and Lilith lying on the ground in the spooning position. 


C.U. of Lilith waking up- she removes Adam's arm that are wrapped around her (he stays asleep).


C.U. birds eye view of her looking at his face touching his cheek. She gets stands up.


Lilith left the garden of eden


C.U. of Adam's face as Lilith's feet leave the frame. Linger on his face for a moment as his hands come up to his eye's, (bringing the green paint up to them so they open in static). He looks around for Lilith sitting up.


M.S. of Adam's face coming into frame- facing the camera as he looks around. Lilith's figure is in the distance on the other side of the frame. Adam whips his head around, seeing her disappear into a sea dark abtract imagery (not sure what yet- editing concern)


M.S. (opposite angel of Adam reaching out towards Lilith, but he is too late and looks melancholy in defeat)- Move into zoom C.U. of his eye- we are enveloped by the images inside.


Adam complained to God about Lillith deserting him. 


Epileptic static and feedback surrounding a glowing orb in the center that pulsates.


So God sent his angels to fetch her. 


From inside the orb births 3 small glowing orbs (that they themselves contain swirling images of human feature that never stay still) They float out of frame.


They found her beside the Red Sea, copulating with hundreds of demons...


The three orb/angels flost into a new frame. The screen and sky for this scene is pure television (no poster board blocking). On screen is saturated static image of actual sky near twilight (more mint green in color hue im thinking)


M.S. -The 3 angels come to the center and make an arc, floating as they stay in place. They float down offscreen.


M.S. od Lilith's body surrounded by green screened out hands (6 hands- 3 people- can cheat with 2) they caress up and down her body (the imagery inside the hands is a mashup of scaly reptilian horror---things!)


C.U. face being caresed in ecstacy


C.U. breasts and stomach heaving


C.U. legs being caressed.


C.U. crotch being caressed


W.S. whole body jerking in ecstacy, head jerking back- then hands jerk away at climax offscreen. Lilith slowly lowers her head, looking at the camera, breathing heavily.


giving birth to a new race of women- the lilin.


C.U. of face.


C.U. vagina (it is keyed out with a 'safe' green cotton structure with imagery that pulsates with red eradic static. Blood starts to pour out from her vagina onto the ground (green paint- keyed out- replaced with more red static- we zoom into the blood)


Inside the blood- footage of colorful sperm and eggs- fetuses- static etc. Zoom out from blood revealing it to be Lilith's eye.- move into c.u.


M.S. Lilith laying on the ground with her children (almost in a nursing puppies position)- the lilin are small (baseball small) green screened out mushy sacks that have tiny little naked women floating around in them in a fetal position- they are made out of tv static- the background in the ball is pretty fabric that i will find- glitter. They are on the ground in front of Lilith- she caresses them tenderly (about 8 balls i guess- dont wanna go crazy)


'Return to Adam without delay' said the angels 'or we will all your offspring. 


M.S. of Lilith to the right side of the frame caressing her children. On the left side the angels float into frame trying to get her attention. M.S. of Lilith grabbing one of her ball children.


Lillith refused to leave the Red Sea, and said to the angels 'my daughters cannot be killed, they are immortal like me.' 


C.U. of the ball in Lilith's hand as she holds it up to the angels. The female embryo floats around.


God decided to punish Lilith, by cursing her children with one fatal flaw: 


C.U. Vagina TV- Inside is the moon- fade into blood red static.


Each full moon night, their blood would spill until they were drained empty... 


...unless they lay with a son of Adam.


C.U. Same shot- inside vagina abrupt cut to m.s. of Adam's penis.


Over time, Lilith lost millions of children. But she would still bear at least one new lilin every one hundred years....through the depths of filth she herself came from. 


Vag TV Still- C.U. of Lilith showing emotion for the first time, covers her face in static (green paint) and cries in agony.


And every son of Adam that dare lie with a lilin, would soon meet his end.


W.S. Garden of Eden- Adam in the center sitting down, looking in the distance.


C.U. Adam's face- he turns to face the camera- Zoom into his static eyes.


Inside static- abruptly turns off (tv turn off style) with harsh sound- turns back on- Louise c.u. with remote to the tv as she films herself.

WTF have I gotten myself into!!!

Tomboy Princess dilemma

I knew the moving image essay class Im taking right now was going to start influencing my work on this piece in someway shape or form. Ironically it is another matter of me being attracted to a bizarre fear I have- a fear that this might turn into an essay film- I don't think it will be that- but I have always seen it possibly having moments or influences from that. Why have I been afraid of this being a possible result of the film you might ask (or not, whatever)...I don't know.

I am so in love with 'movie-love'- the love that made me believe in love. Certain films always spoke to me more then others- ones with a boy I could like a girl I wanted to be always seemed to be step one. For me, the girls I always wanted to be were tomboys, and too tough to actually express their feelings directly in the stereotypical feminine 'princess' canon. To me, being stuck in the 'princess canon' means being stuck in the 'submissive role', having to wait for prince charming to come in order to attain true love. The tomboys were ironically also stuck in the 'princess canon' without getting the benefit of being a 'princess'- to me it makes me question the cause and effect of their personalities: are they tough and distant because they are also stuck on the submissive role, but have no way of getting prince charming to come- or do they become 'tough and distant' as a result of him never coming. I am aware of how surfacy this read is- its hard to see the difference between the two for me, but I do know it is there. I personally think the 'tough and distant' act is a coping mechanism to keep people away.

The boys in these scenarios usually seem like 'head in the clouds' dreamers- unaware of what is right under their nose- but my story is different- Charlie nows Louise is there and wants her (just as much as she wants him), but he is unaware of the danger right under his nose. I guess one of the narrative flaws that I took as challenge was that the film is not seen from his point of view- of the audience following him and discovering what Lilin are at the same time- which seems to be the formula of the films I love.

My structure I feel is much more like "My Demon Lover", where the main character has a 'demonic' secret to hide from the woman he loves- and the only way he can prevent her from finding out is to avoid becoming intimate with her (since he turns into a demon when aroused). This of course causes humorous scenarios- something I havent been able to master yet in my script. It all seems so simple sometimes, and I feel a fool not realizing it until I write it now: The problem Ive been having is approaching Louise and Charlie as characters who are jut sex crazy- I for their evolving relationship to be one where the pleasure of eachothers company overrides the need for sex- to a point ofcourse. (I guess I just need balance). Louise I feel should be trying to have Charlie in her life in a non-sexual way in order to keep him in her life at all- but ofcourse she can't do that- and not out of a need to feed through sex, but more from her own sexual urges that she must finally take responsibility for- the human residue. The act of taking responisibility for her actions is frightening for her- (much like taking responsibility for your own sexuality in contrast to the rape fantasy coping mechanism).

For Charlie, he is also attracted to rape fantasy- but as the dominant role. I guess my immediate feelings would be that Charlie enjoys this control in sex because he perhaps lacks this control in other areas of his life. It is here where I have started to take Charlie out of the controlled 'professorish'- I feel like he should be more of a fuck up in his professional life- like he has no focus (much more like the 'head in the clouds dreamer' role I just realized). At first I felt like this leap was a cop-out, but as soon as I started to allow myself to think of him as something else- he has become much more organic and life like. This is more of a man I can relate to and write. Charlie has just been too 'well-put-together' and stiff until now (in my head atleast). I feel as though his interactions with other women should express this- Im just not sure how to manifest it yet. For Charlie, it feels as though other women should bore him- I guess the fact that Louise and Charlie are very distinct cinephile nerds should play more in their connection- which has been their from the start. Its tough, because as a professor their was the device of the class being not on the same page with him- whereas Louise obviously is.

My friend Chris (who is playing Charlie) suggested that Louise and Charlies attraction to each other been expressed in a way of how they 'see eachother'- they see life through the lens of traditional cinematic structure- through the specific structure of the actual films they themselves both love (that being the romantic-horror-comedy) which is a little tough for me to see clearly, since the whole film already seems like that. What devices could I use to separate it from the rest of the film? Do I want to seperate it? They also share a strong love of silent film (specifically Pandora's Box and Nosferatu)- Louise has this love because it marks the time in her life when she was last human and when she stopped ageing- when she lost Charlie. Whereas Charlie has this love because it is a form of nostalgia he can not quite grasp- that is why the use of reincarnation is so interesting to me. Charlie is not the 1920's Charlie, but somehow the residue of that soul has carried into this new life- maybe this is something I should think about more. Charlie's lack of control in understanding what he himself is may in fact feed into his sexual fetish. I feel like I can't rasp my brain around it, and that I might be forcing something.

On a separate note- I just realized something. I have so many problems with this script because I think I let location and surrounding dictate character too much. If I changed location for a scene it felt like Charlie's character would start to unravel with it- I fucking hate that! I myself fetishize set design when filmmaking- it is usually more important to me then character- the set has always been the main character to me. Now here I am trying to reconcile this- since I have no idea what I will be able to afford or imagine to surround these characters. What camera I use is also apart of my set design. I want to shoot this on VHS- which is something greenscreen has a conflict with- I want to stop being bogged down by these elements right now so I can focus on my human characters- it is always a struggle. I cannot divorce it- Im constantly second guessing myself right now as I type- IM FREAKIN OUT MANNN!

I want this film to be so many things. I want it to 'appear' to be a very successful horror-romantic-comedy (circa late 80's/early 90's) on the surface- but as it progresses-  I think I want non-linear moments and materials to penetrate the structure (referring back to the essay film element which I somehow steered off course from). I want these, I just don't know what they are yet. (the use of found porn and silent films touch on this a little- but all this seems very abstract right now). I also think these non-linear moments can manifest from the suggestions my friend Chris gave me. In moments when Charlie and Louise are together- right now they seem to function as regular human beings- but the magic of cinema is in my hands and I don't know what to fucking do with it. This is something where I think Green screen can come in and act as that 'set-design' character I love so much. The background can become filled with remnants of the 1920's silent films (ofcourse color corrected and abstracted just enough to satisfy my fetishing vhs-bleeding colored eyes)- I think maybe I want things to seem a bit more alien when they are together- almost relating to how I want to open the film with Lillith and Adam- which will be the next blog entry.

I apologize to you readers out there who must deal with my grammatical/spelling errors and fucked up repetitive way of talking- I have to circle around things like a vulture for a while before I feel safe enough to actually look at them for what they are.

ps- the idea of prince charming disgusts me btw- I think it has something to do with the shoulder pads

TMI...maybe

I came up with an idea last night that helped me put things more in perspective for the nature of of the Lilin. My advisor Mary Patten suggested a few weeks ago that I try to think in the context of how the Lilin relate to their source of their immortality (men/ sex etc.) More in the way how what they have is these dead bodies once they are done feeding. It feels very much that the straight to video horror film "Mae" was a underlying influence for this. 

The opening rape scene has potential to be much richer now because of the changes. Instead of the "dark stranger in an alleyway" scenario (which never sat with me very well for some reason, like I was trying to force it), it now takes place in Louise's bedroom (much more like a "Mr. Goodbar scenario"). She secretly turns on a camera, recording all that happens. It seems as though Louise has 'led on' this man she invites over, as she pretty much ignores his advances (even though she is slightly turned on through her own submission). He starts to become forceful and they struggle- escalating into him raping her. The shot structure will be similar to the planned shot list from before (cut to Janet Night's "I get what I want" and intercut with porn and Nosferatu). 

Then the video is watched, and we see the figure that is Louise is covered in static. Lilin are not able to be recording on video (or film Im assuming) properly- they are fuzzed out. This ties into why Louise records all her feedings, out of hopes of finally seeing herself through media. Im not sure yet if this should be the case all the time, or only at the moment of climax- an issue I will discuss more with my advisors this upcoming week.

Im still working out the kinks, but I feel Louise should have a conversation with the corpse next to her (like she has these with all the men she kills)- not sure in what tone- but I do want to hint that she can only seem to get intimate contact with men once they are dead- maybe as simple as laying her head on his chest and putting his arm around her- a position that I myself long for myself in my eternal singledom and inability to get close to the opposite sex.

This idea for static filled bodies arose from the new opening that I wrote for the script. Louise is reading from a book (she is not revealed until the end of the read though), that explains the Lilith Myth in a biblical/fairytale structure. I adapted this from Robert Graves writings, and manipulated it at the end to explain how the Lilin will bleed to death from menstruation if they do not has sex. This then leads into the opening rape scene.

The first image I was thinking of for this narration is Lilith rising out of Television static. My other advisor Jon Cates mentioned something that blew my mind a little bit after I told him about this idea. Its on how tv static is the left over stuff from the big bang- heres something I found that explains it better then I ever could:

In 1965, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson published a scientific study which proved that a radio signal with a wavelength of 7.3 cm was being emitted uniformly throughout all parts of the sky. This signal became known as cosmic microwave background radiation. Penzias and Wilson won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1978 for their findings. It is believed that this cosmic static is comprised of photons of energy that are still cooling 15 billion years after the Big Bang. If you turn a television to a channel with no station, you will see this static and given the level of intelligence of most TV programs, this static is about the only thing worth watching.

At first I wanted Lilith to be a whitish ghost like being that comes from the static- but now I also want her to carry remnants of the static with her into the garden of eden. Adam will have similar characteristics, but still needs something different, since according to the text, Adam was made from pure dust, whereas Lilith was made from "filth" (tough break)- thinking now this does seem even more interesting to me since I am attracted to images that look 'dirty'. Maybe they can have different looking static, or Adam can have a more digitized glitched artifacty look- Im not sure why- then it kinda seems like digital is raping analog in a literal way- which is a reading that I don't know my own feelings about- that dosent really make sense? Or does it? I think its interesting anyways...same goes for the whole theme of 'rape fantasy' that I playing with through out the script- it's always interested me, and it's always scared me- Im always attracted to things that scare the shit out of me. Maybe I should be honest here (and I dont care that it's on the internet) Im sure it's pretty obvious at this point: I find rape fantasy very arousing- and the very fact that I am ashamed to admit that is a whole other layer that I am interested in. A friend of mine once referred to it as "Virgin Porn", and I had no idea what the hell they were talking about at first. I still don't know how I feel about that.

Ive heard and read that women who enjoy rape fantasy are those who are too ashamed to take control of their own body and sexuality- and that rape fantasy is the only way to enjoy sex uninhibited. This seems like a very negative read to me- and I ironically feel shame for finding some truth in it. I am ashamed of my body (and I am not looking for 'don't be silly, your beautiful' pep talk bull shit- it's just a fact, and I will learn to work through it on my own time). That being said, the idea of being forced despite my hang-ups naturally would make sense. I find it so ironic to feel shame about my body, and then to feel shame over a way of 'coping' with these hang-ups. Talking about this now makes me realize how different rape fantasy actually is from real rape...it feels as though it is a bizarre doppelganger to rape- it is the uncanny (maybe?- I just eat up this freudian shit sometimes- it kinda feels like tarot cards and horoscopes- but thats a whole other blog entry). I have also never experienced rape fantasy myself in real life- the few times I have tried (not very hard) to get guys to be more dominant, I have failed- this is something that will be in the script:

After Louise find's Charlie's amater sex tape of him having sex with many girls (where he is constantly the dominant one in a rape fantasy scenario), she begins to antagonize him to try and hurt her and be forceful. There is an akward tension, as he cares about Louise (whereas the girls in the tape are revealed to be prostitutes). That fear of giving ones self over to a completely dominant role seems very difficult Ive noticed from my own personal experience. In contrast, I have often been the more dominant role during sex, but I ironically don't enjoy it as much as being submissive- I just naturally am. Its so confusing- almost like theory vs practice...fantasy vs reality. The reality of the situation is that Charlie and Louise both want the same thing, but they do not want to hurt each other. Louise ofcourse has more at stake, since Charlie's very life is in her hands- a conflict that has been very hard to write, since unrequited love often deals with martyring oneself into isolation. I do not want Louise to martyr herself until the end of the film- she must be on that journey to realizing that she can't have her cake and eat it too, because she is what she is. This is how I feel about myself when thinking of the men I have loved in my life- "He would feel the same way if I just wasn't born this way" - this way referring to my body of course. I guess the difference here for Louise is "Our love would 'work' if I just wasn't born this way"- since Charlie does love her back- which he proves in the end. It almost feels like a test of 'whose love is stronger in the end?'- Id hope I can conclude that it is equal in the end- since they are both willing to sacrifice themselves for each other- only Charlie wins- that seems like such a fucked up way of looking at it- yet the premise of the film is based off of the struggle for equality, and the inability to achieve it. My mother once said to me that in a relationship, one person always loves more then the other- which honestly broke my heart. She said she thought she loves my dad more then he loves her- which dosent make sense to me, since he seems like the one who loves her more. Such a weird thing to think about- and something that I will always wonder. I am very lucky to have parents who still love each other so much that there is an unspoken struggle of who loves the other more (which also pisses me off, cause then I wonder 'when the fuck am I gonna get my awesome healthy relationship?). Every man I have ever loved I know for a fact that I have loved more then they loved me- and I don't know why I feel that way (since I could very well be wrong, since I can never get inside their heads)- I guess Im just competitive, and I want true love, and want that struggle of who loves more- because on the other end of the spectrum is the act of 'settling'- and that is why I don't date I guess- because I know what I want when I see it and I don't like putting up with bullshit.

Well....this got way more personal then I thought it would- but this project is my most personal work it seems- and I guess I have to dig really deep this time around. 

Does anybody go bowling anymore?

Im at the SAIC library pretending to work on my Art History readings- Im really watching 'Experiments in Terror' which range from from scary shorts similar to Combat Shock or Phil Solomon territory. It got my mind wandering about my film again and particularly the look of it. I feel fixated on this because once I have a look Im in love with, the tone and characters are much easier to write consistently. I think Im going to be leaning towards having the Lilin have subtle light pale gray skin tone- just enough a difference to signal the dead side in them. At first I thought completely normal would be better- but it keeps me at a distance- I relate more to dead things, so dead things they will resemble. I feel like I am taking more of a page from the humor of early Tim Burton (something I have been afraid to admit lately since his new stuff is a damn shame). Beetlejuice and that kind of comedy is what I think Im going for, especially in the look of the Lilin (No character specifically- just cut from the same fabric)- I feel this also gives me more an outlet to let loose on the gore like I want- seeing as how these girls are immortal and so-called 'cat fights' are bound to happen when your roommates with the same bitches for centuries. I keeping in mind to write scenes with violence for comedic effect (Death Becomes her style Im thinking). It feels weird to just keep randomly throwing out influences- but I guess thats just this is how this one will get made. In my previous projects I had maybe only 2-4 influences at a time- I just hope this thing dosent become overwhelming come shoot time. The comedy of Death Becomes Her, Beetlejuice, My Demon Lover, Heathers, and Rockula are all part of this humor- I guess I just gotta keep that in mind- Stay in touch with the darkside.

If anything the influences for each girl might help me see things more clearly:

1. Louise: Winona Ryder from Heathers/ Louise Brookes/ MSM from Some kind of wonderful

2. Charlie: Woody Allen/ Adam Sandler- although the way I have written him dosent feel like this at all- men are hard to write.

3. Emily: Ty from Clueless/ Madonna 'Whose that Girl"

4. Jane: Jane Fonda from everything I guess- more like jessie from saved by the bell maybe.

I feel at times my lack of dating experience has made writing the love story (the most important part!) extremely difficult. I have weird dating/relationship anecdotes Ive heard over the years from friends- but feel uncomfortable incorporating them- Ill think of something. There will be a date in a cemetary- I guarentee it!

Soft Core Cell

The lighting in Soft Cell videos has been on my mind a lot lately. It is similar to Liquid Sky, and there is something to the romantic hazy quality it emits. Principle photography will not be for awhile (ideally Summer 2011), but this is a look I keep coming back to:

I have started experimenting with the VHS camera at SAIC- mainly shooting straight off of the computer screen from youtube videos: pornography, vaginal births, exploratory surgery, neon lights, sperm. The camera naturally creates a fuzzy color scheme that is similar to the soft cell/liquid sky color scheme. I plan on using this footage as a backdrop to the film- I want these images to bleed in and out of the main plot- Im not sure exactly what I mean by that yet, but things like this have a way of working out once everything is shot I am free to experiment.

I am also planning on experimenting with some stop-motion animation. When I started thinking about this project (almost 2 years ago now), I never thought animation had any place in it. But I am now approaching this project with the big guns- I believe animation is one of my greatest skills and also very easy and fun- so Im just going to have fun with it. It will be paper cut outs of either my characters or historical painted figures related to the work (such as Lilith, Adam/Eve, 1920's flappers, Nosferatu, Louise Brookes etc.) that will move in any way I find necessary- only the backdrop will be a Television screen (it will be easy to manuever the pieces by just taping then to the glass of the screen). I will experiment with Static, neon lights, still moving image landscapes, and pornography on the TV (Im very curious to see what effect animation will have on the final image). I will start on these as soon as possible (getting a free TV tomorrow!), and will know if this is a technique that should be in the film or not by the time principle photography comes. Ideally they would be similar in context to the animated sequences in Tank Girl- only extremely lo-fi and more suggestive then explanatory.

I am trying to stay away from using final cut effects as much as possible (mainly color contrast) since I have been developing a bad habit of over color correcting, leaving the image in a raisen state- life sucked out with no where to go.

Liquid Sky High

Premise:

Descended from Lilith, Adam's first wife. A race of immortal women must impregnate themselves instead of menstruating each month, or else they will bleed to death.  The catch is, every man they have sex with dies. Louise, a young Lilin who has been around since the 1920's, keeps seeing the reincarnation of her first and only love, whose death she was accidently responsible for. Will she be able to stay away from the love of her life, or be doomed to repeat history?


I am pulling from a variety of influences for this project. I plan to post trailers and scenes from other films that stick out to me and I feel are related to the potential style of this film. One of the biggest would be 'Liquid Sky', mainly in the color scheme- although the themes do share similarities.

I don't plan to mimic the style of Liquid Style- if anything I want a dirtier, even more grotesque neon look. Liquid Sky's use of Glow in the dark/black light is what Im most interested in. I would like to experiment with those techniques in a specific scene in my film. It would almost have the appearance of a film within a film context. The story of Lilith can a bit confusing and all over the place, so to simplify things in an interesting way- I want a short video that explains the story of Lillith, but of course in my own visual terms. It will be silent, shot on VHS and/or Canon 7HD:

-Black Room
-White/ faceless figures, nude- 1 female, 1 male
-black light experimental- bodies touching eachother/ struggle for sexual dominance
-dirt to crawl out of
-fake blood/ preferably glitterly blood

The sequence of actions that will happen with the two figures I have not figured out yet. These are tools I am just thinking of using. I am also influenced for this particular scene by Zulawski's "On the Silver Globe". I am limited from shooting at the beach this semester, since it is cold in Chicago, and I dont ever want to film at the beach in those kind of conditions again. Im thinking green screen might be an interesting variation within the dark room. What I could do is film in darkness and black light in the green screen room, then slowly turn the lights on and mess around with the transitions etc. Im not really sure, but writing about it helps me get more ideas out.

I don't want to use just 'this' post for my influences, I feel I should build a bit more as time goes on. I will however through in one more trailer to a film that may be a bigger influence mainly from my subconscious. It is Brian de Palma's "Phantom of the Paradise", and this film will always hold a special place in my heart, and the heart of Video Diary of a Lost Girl. If anything, the epic tragic romance and sensational style of humor I hope will make its way through my script writing process: (having trouble uploading a trailer/picture- damn)