To start off this Monday strong, I decided to work on developing my main character Sylvie. Because she's a teenager, I found it somewhat challenging to really show all her emotions, as teenagers typically have a variety, making them that much more complex.
To break it down into pieces, I took a double-sided approach to her personality, taking inspiration from Riley's character in "Inside Out". On one side, the character is annoyed at her life situation, which is common for most teens during puberty and adolescence (For example, Riley being constantly annoyed by her parents) while on another, she is longing for something. However, this is where the character slightly differs from Riley. The protagonist in "Inside Out" is longing to have her old life back, where she was younger and found familiarity comforting, Sylvie on the other hand, is yearning grow up, be independent, and discover new things (by traveling the world.
How will I reflect these traits?
1. Costume
As I briefly mentioned in a previous post, thanks to the group meeting from last week, I was given an idea to use costume elements to show the progression of emotions throughout my opening. (Next post I will show my official ideas!) In scene 1, Sylvie will wear something very boring and colorless because she's supposed to be doing tasks that are boring to her (studying/college applications). However, when she meets with her friends, she'll wear something a little more interesting, maybe some white and pastel colors to symbolize innocence and even a little bit of holding back her true colors and emotions. Finally, the last scene will show Sylvie in a colorful, bright, and cheerful outfit (reflecting what she believes traveling the world will feel like).
2. Facial Expressions and Body Language
Notice how it is obvious that Riley is annoyed through her facial expressions? In my first scene, I would like to include something similar, such as an eye roll, that shows that Sylvie is irritated by the conversation with her mother.
3. Lighting
4. Audio
I would also like to include audio elements, specifically music, to symbolize different emotions and add a more dramatic yet subtle effect. As included in my script, the very first scene in my opening starts with happy, calming music. This is meant to show moments where Sylvie is "in the zone" or daydreaming. Subtle and abrupt stops in the music (such as when her mom walks in) are meant to show her "snapping out of it" and being brought back to the reality she finds boring.
Here are two examples of sudden music shifts that change the mood in a film:
In this scene of "Lost in Translation", the first song during the karaoke is upbeat and energetic while the second is more sad and depressing. The second is cut off by another scene with no music at all, like an expectation vs. reality moment.
In this scene of "The Graduate" (1967), the characters are happy and cheerful before they sit down in their seats and realize that the situation is serious, when their facial expressions shift, "The Sound of Silence" by Paul Simon plays (a sad song) and a momentous mood is created.
Essentially, there are infinite ways that a director or writer could show a character's emotions in a film, but after my research I feel that these would be the most relevant in my opening! That's all for today folks, but stay tuned for next post to see my costume design!
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