Production day 1; stills

Starting to produce the film is a bit scary, and to be completely frank Spring Break is being a big obstacle for the film. The due date is getting closer and closer, plus whenever I'm doing something that matters this much to me I tend to overthink and end up doing nothing. It is not really about my grade or passing the AICE class, I just really want to be satisfied with my production... It is very certain that we are the hardest judges on ourselves.

However, today I started to record footage and I am very happy with what I came home with. I decided to begin with the still shots of the ocean that are basically in the middle of the story board. As of now I am planning to place these shots after the desk scene. The still shots I created were mainly inspired by the opening scenes of "Submarine," the film I discussed on my second post. 

Submarine, Richard Ayoade

Submarine starts with Oliver in his room, his most intimate space, then he tells us one of his bizarre insights, something that he'll repeatedly do as the film progresses. Then BAM! he looks straight into the lens breaking the fourth wall right at the beginning of the movie. I absolutely love that director took this decision so early in the film, he definitely sets the overly dramatic, and awkward tone right away. As I mentioned before, I am considering to do this with my character in the desk scene as well. After all this, we see the beautiful still shots of a Welsh sunset. I think these still shots are very important for "Submarine" to establish the setting, Wales, which is a very important aspect of the film. On the other hand, I want to add the still shots in my movie for other reasons. 

Hues of Bl(u)e is about an escape, about leaving home, and ultimately about being lonely. The still shots of the ocean are in essence negative space and emptiness. With them I want to illustrate feelings of nostalgia and solitude right away, I want the audience to look at the nothingness, to look at the absence of existence. I am not necessarily stating that this is how Veronica feels right now, but perhaps she is going to feel that way throughout her journey. Yes, escaping is thrilling and exciting, but it is also full of solitude and meditation with oneself. 

Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris"

Moreover, I think the ocean is a very important symbol during an escape, the ocean is the outlet to the rest of the world. If I were to escape, I would go in direction of the ocean. The sea just feels right

Here are some stills of the shots taken today: