Self Portrait Initial Ideas and Visual Materials

Self Portrait - "The Noise and the Calm"

When coming up with my initial ideas, I tried to think of "what makes me tick". A question that continued to come up throughout the thought process and initial briefing. One thing that I find sets me on edge are certain sounds. From here I gathered my thoughts and narrowed down the sounds that make my head spin and have decided to show how these sounds effect me and my way of escaping the feelings they provoke. 

Here are my initial ideas: 

Sounds that I shall incorporate into my film are:

- A busy road with loud cars and roaring engines. 

I would like to get a close up pf my feet walking down the pathway, accompanied by these sounds. Initially I thought about keeping the camera still and evolving the shot into a long shot of me walking away however, I decided this would translate a sense of freedom when what I really want to portray is the feeling of entrapment. I will follow this shot with a shot of cold air coming from my mouth and will have sounds of my breath underlying the footage.  

- A ticking clock.

I aim to show a ticking clock using a close up f my eyes darting to where the clock is. I won't move my head when I look because if I keep still and only move my eyes it will translate a feeling of almost paralysation which could highlight the effect the sounds have on me. I will incorporate a heartbeat sound and quickening pace of breath.

- The drum of a pencil on a desk.

My eyes will change and move to the other side showing a close up of someone's hand drumming a pencil against the desk in an off beat rhythm to the clock. Maybe it could be a faster pace to the clock to increase the sense of panic. Almost like a bomb before detonation. 

- Someone eating crisps loudly.

Show someone eating crisps while cutting between my knee shaking, my mouth twitching and balled up fists in my lap to highlight agitation. 

Once all the sounds have been combined at once create a wide shot of where I am. I will then walk out of the door. Cut to the bathroom and the mirrors on the wall. I will get a side shot of the mirror reflection and myself. Everything before we reach the mirror will be in black and white. The reflection in the mirror will be colour.

The mirror will reflect the change in tone and atmosphere as it will take over as the protagonist (colour version of events) and give the audience a complete contrast by producing all the things that I find calming. Such as:

- The sun through trees.

Using the sounds of birds singing happily I will get a mid shot of the sun shining through the trees fading into the next scene at a much slower pace than before, resembling calm.

- Someone playing guitar.

Sounds of guitar will start before the image of hands playing at the strings of a guitar playing a happy and relaxing song. This song will continue through until the end of the film.

- My head in a colourfully front paged book.

Possibly a tracking shot of odd colourful socks up to me reading a colourful looking book. could get an over the shoulder shot of me turning the page. 

- Memory Wall of Photos.

Pan from the top of my memory wall to the bottom joining up to the butterflies art on the wall and through more photographs.

- Back to the mirror.

Finally come back to the mirror image of my reflection. A close up on the hand touching the mirror. Colour starts to bleed from the reflection into the black and white me we saw in the beginning. Camera is pointing up in a high angled medium shot as i turn and leave the bathroom, the door closing softly behind me. 

Credits should then roll.