Gettin' Ink Done

Art Direction is often forgotten in independent film. The myth is that most low-budget filmmakers don't have the funds or resources to use anything but the exact location they find and clothes the actors own. I couldn't disagree more. Sure, a low-budget film might be ill-advised to attempt a sci-fi period piece (though even then, it's possible), but you'd be surprised what you can accomplish with the right talent and a little imagination.

Our Art Director, Stephanie Petagno, is overflowing with both. I'll eventually get an interview with her up here, but she tends to stay a little busy with things, like working on designs for Women's Studies. What's great about her is she has enough talent, drive, and imagination to allow me to just point her in the right direction and let her go. Which isn't to say that I'm totally hands off on the Art Direction. On the contrary, it's one of the things I love to deal with most. However, with a thousand other things to deal with as director (and co-producer), it's nice to have full creative confidence in someone who is going to be helping us make vitally important decisions about the final look of the film.

We'll go deeper into the philosophy behind the Women's Studies "look" in a future blog, hopefully in the Stephanie Petagno interview. For now, we'll just talk a little about one specific piece of finished design work; "the academy girl tattoo."

In the script, the "academy girls" wear a tattoo to symbolize their allegiance to the Ross-Prentiss cause. It's also a way of letting the audience know who's with them or against them, which as the story unfolds, becomes important.

The problem with using a tattoo in such a "Mark of Cain" manner becomes one of subtlety. Now, you may argue that the use of a tattoo, period, just isn't very subtle, but it's all in the execution. Showing a woman walking down the street then cutting to close-up of the tattoo on her body while effective, comes on a little hard and fast. However, when establishing a motif like the tattoo, I believe this kind of "in your face" composition works best. One of the first shots of Women's Studies will be a close-up of the tattoo. Then the camera will pull back to reveal who's wearing it. Not too subtle, but again, in that moment we're simply setting up the visual cue.

The idea is that in most subsequent appearances, we won't have to take the time to blatantly point out the tattoo. It'll be just "part of the scenery," so to speak. By simply appearing, the tattoo becomes a subtle reminder to the audience, "That's a Ross-Prentiss girl."

To this end, I gave Stephanie two instructions about the tattoo. First, that the design should NOT be the circle and cross female symbol that we use in the Women's Studies logo. We talked a little bit about the "pagan" aspects of the story, but honestly not much. The second was that whatever the design would be, it should be "stylized" with sharp lines in order to contrast with the skin of the person wearing it. That way we won't have to constantly use close-ups to point it out.

"Give me something to yea or nay," was how I put it.

Stephanie gave me lots of somethings, and ultimately, the design we decided on was this:



Basically, the design is a modified heraldic dagger, or pointed cross, which is often used in typography to denote someone's death date. More fitting I thought were two botanical meanings of the symbol which Stephanie pointed out: "Poisonous" or "A plant once cultivated that now grows wild."

In theory, each character's tattoo will have it's own variations in color and size. As mentioned before, there are a couple of key tattoo "reveals" essential to the plot. However, the basic design will remain the same with each character.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

Really quick: The webzine, Great Society, continues it's reposting of my four-part "Horror 101" series. Part 2, "The Moral Majority Massacre," is now live. It's a brief look at slasher films. Check it out.

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Yesterday was a good day for Women's Studies, which means I'm taking this week off from movie work. Okay. Actually, I probably won't, though between holiday parties, last minute X-Mas shopping, and a couple side jobs I've taken, when exactly I'll be giving the film attention between now and Christmas Day is something of a mystery.

It's funny, Women's Studies is still in a weird in-between phase that's half development and half pre-production. There's a cottage industry that publishes books about "How to Make Your Independent Film." And I'd be lying if I said I didn't own a handful of them. Really though, no matter what book, or even person for that matter, tells you "This is what it's like," each film is it's own beast.

At the beginning of 2006, Women's Studies was little more than an idea, just Cindy and I saying, "Hey. Let's do this." At years end, not only have we incorporated our production company, but we've taken some fairly large steps forward to getting this film ready to shoot. While a lot of this past year has been (and still is) about raising money, we've done a pretty good deal of "pre"-pre-production work. A marketing plan is in place. Some cast has been chosen. Design work is being drawn up. Equipment is being tested and selected. Recently, location scouting has begun.

I know I can be "Mr. Cliché" sometimes, but slow and steady wins the race. We live in a world of instant gratification, but the things worth doing take time, resolve, and patience . . . so much patience. While there have been moments where I've been immensely frustrated this year, in the end, barreling through and persevering has been worth it. Taking a rest at this point in time, I can look forward and see that I've still got quite a climb ahead of me. Yet I can also look back and marvel at how far I've climbed.

I haven't done this alone either. There's a wonderful support group of family, friends, cast, and crew that believe in this project as much as I do. It's nice to know that in my weaker moments, I have people that will harness me up and keep pulling me up the mountain. Cindy, who you'll remember is not only acting in but co-producing Women's Studies, especially deserves kudos. She does a lot of work that no one ever sees. Lots of people do, and we're moving towards a place where soon we'll be able to shine some light on them.

2007 is the year of production. The goal everyone is working towards is the day when we get Women's Studies up in front of the camera. Right now, we're continuing to break down the script which we hope to have completed soon. The next few months will see the productions staff finalizing designs, locking in schedules and locations, shooting test footage, and bringing on additional cast and crew.

It's going to be a wild ride and the pace will start to get faster and faster. Stay tuned. The best is yet to come.

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You won't want to miss next week's blog as for a little X-Mas present, we'll be publicly unveiling the first design work from Women's Studies; the "academy girl tattoo," created by our Art Director, Stephanie Petagno.

You don't reply very often, but when you do it's pure GOLD

In reply to Michael Newmans's stag organising email.

PigBoat ->

Then we need to go to Senoritas, Rags knows he way there with his eyes closed........

Greg - >

He's got an account there hasn't he? Bottle of champagne £200, Bottle of champagne £200, Bottle of champagne £200, Bottle of champagne £200, Bottle of champagne £200, Bottle of champagne £200, Bottle of champagne £200, Bottle of champagne £200, Bottle of champagne ï£200, Bottle of champagne £200, Two Man Tent.

Mr Randall, we think someone might have stolen your credit card.

Rags replied->

Yeah magic plastic is next level!!! At least with magic paper you can run out...

'If I give you some of this magic paper will do a dance for me...? Thank the lord for the goldstandard... who thought it would lead to this...

Dont need the MENA Markets Solutions group to tell me that its not a sound investment, recent extract from FT investments section stated:

'Senorita's has a very low S&P rating, gives excellent short-term yeilds but tends to wreck your finances over the mid-long-term'. Similar cash-guzzling Senorita style investments, or so called 'doris bonds', tend to be in the portfolio of most city bankers and media-types these days, a �100 bond permits the bearer to an instant upward curve which is quickily stopped short of its maximum yeild leaving the owner in state of limbo - this pushes the bearer to invest more in the hope of getting further along the growth curve and to the dividend 'payout' which is possible at the end. Unfortunately this losing cycle continues until said bearer is devoid of any investment capital and the steep growth which was initially felt just leaves a bit hole their pocket. Following a heavy evening of playing the 'doris bond' markets a frustrated investor can be found trying to further diversify his portfolio and spread his risk with further forays into the financial markets quickly buying up 'cold shower futures', 'my wife's gonna kill me when she realises I've just rinsed the rent money at the lappies fund' and 'if I buy lots of beer and spirits and drink them very quickly maybe everything will be ok again bonds'.

Several remedies are being looked at to limit the exposure of western civilisation to this new phenomenon with the most succesful to date being the theraputic use of the 'Nut Card', once in play this card alleviates the need for any doris driven growth and keeps the bearer happy in his own risk protected world. So called Nut-Card guru Gregory Me-Hat Me-Gandi LLoyd has been quoted as saying:

'Its even got better graphics than a PSP'

Recent additions to the 'dors bond' have been made to try and make them easier for investors and much less risky through the 'just remember she's being nice to you because thats her job and she doesn't love you plan' and the recently launched 'if you see her how out in public at a later date and try to spark up a conversation dont be upset when does not remember you insurance'.

Another innovation in the Doris bonds market is a current proposals to get further backing by major credit card companies to offer a new service, the so called 'Erratic spending' card is designed for those people who tend to make extremely random based purchases and tend to invest heavily over short periods in a range of high risk assets (covering 'Doris Bonds' and 'Turbo Shandy options'). This new service permits the owner to complete freedom with expenditure without the so called banking institution stopping the card for fear of it having been stolen and also ensures that all billing is sent to said user and not to any joint account addresses.

U get m'eh.


Babble.