Real Quick...

Real quick before I start filming again, I realized I didn't get to talk about mise-en-scene inspiration!
Even though I am having my piece take place in the present, I still want to have older, or more traditional, elements in the environment. This first piece I thought of for inspiration was Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain. I always loved the yellow, green, and orange hues throughout the film, and of course the symbolic contrast between lightness and darkness. The scene in particular, was the opening scene when Tomas was praying at a small alter. I want to employ similar techniques and create symmetry within the shots, and have the main subject be off center to imply that he is atypical and doesn't fit in.

I also find Aronofsky's CUs to simply yet beautifully capture the subjects. After my first days of shooting and examining my footage, there isn't enough variety in my shots so I think CUs and even ECUs will make the trailers more appealing to watch. Aronofsky also manipulates shadows to create depth within each shot. In addition, he uses shallow focus to make the point of the shots very clear.


In addition to shots and coloring, let's talk wardrobe! I was a little confused about what to have my actors wear. Since I am taking on a contemporary time period, I didn't need to buy or make any classical robes (very thankful about this). The narrative will focus on the boys in their studies and daily activities, not necessarily in mass, so this made costuming more lax. All of the actors I retrieved have very different styles so I had to think of something all of them would have and that was also in line with my vision. I decided to just have the boys wear slacks and button-down shirts. This way they still look conservative and put together, but it still allows for their different personalities and has modern elements. For example, Jason came in with the top buttons undone but I decided that it actually went well with his character and created some diversity. I also had to consider my audience and fellow teens, Generation Z! We are a fashionable bunch (especially those crazy hipsters) so in much of the media we consume, we prefer attractive costuming to authenticity. A perfect example is The CW's Reign, which tells the story of the French throne and all of the juicy details. The show takes place in 16th century France, yet all of the ladies have beautiful gowns that are everything but historically accurate. Though, fans of the show recognize this but look past it because they are so invested in the narrative. Therefore, I have some room for the guys to add in some of their own personal style. Though, in the one scene with all of the guys in the church at their induction ceremony, I do want them to be wearing black polos and I will make them priest collars. This scene in one of the more religious scenes so I want to be as  respectful and accurate as possible.

Historically accurate? Not at all. Possible prom dress? Absolutely.