Video Research & Ideas

Many different artists and film makers influence with this project as this is my first project as moving image film piece. My initial idea is to focus on the dark side of love for example love from afar, obsession and fandom. I want to focus on how love can turn into hate and show just how close the two emotions are to each other.

I looked at several films which explored the theme of obsession and stalker films where love is presented in a a darker more sinister way. One of the first films that I was told about and to watch was Fatal Attraction the 1987 film which was based around the story of a man (with a family man) who spends the night with a woman, the woman then becomes increasingly obsessed escalating into violence. I feel the film has a really strong atmosphere to it, which is evident through the trailer. One scene in particular which I really find effective is the scene on the roller coaster, which I think works so well because of the facial expression of the female character. With focus on just the expression of her, as I only plan on featuring one character in the film focusing on the performance of one character.

Black Swan the latest release from Darren Aronofsky is a psychological thriller about a young ballet dance breaking down and losing her mind whilst finding a darker side to her when she lands the role of the Black Swan in the Swan Lake. The narrative doesn't bare much to relation to my plans for this video but something that struck me when watching the film was the way Aronofsky's direction on simple scenes like a character walking down the street. The handheld camera as well as the desaturated cold feel that the film has works in it's favour and creates an eerie atmosphere for the entire film.

The David Fincher film Se7en is based around the crimes of a man who is carrying out the 7 deadly sins. What I find most interesting in this film is the level of uncertainty and the reference to the 7 deadly sins which act as a basis for the entire narrative of the film. What we see as the film reaches it's dramatic climax is the characters at breaking point, looking at the victim in that sense is also more appropriate to what I'm going to do. As the character in my film is going to be harassed through letters and objects which also have references to love.

Another short film maker that I took inspiration from is the work of Chris Cunningham unlike the others, I'm looking at his work as I feel his style of editing, the trippy nature of the video and the confusing plot is something that I want to be able to achieve through the editing of my film. 

Other people's work I have looked at are several of Hitchcock's films which dive deep into the themes of love and obsession. For example Vertigo and Rear Window.