Grunge Costume

We have tried out lots of outfits for the grunge set-up, such as those below.

We liked these outfits individually, however we agree with feedback that we do not look like we have been stylised as a band. For this reason we will change the grunge costume to create unity among the band, such as everyone wearing denim shorts to create a unified, grunge look.

Projection Set-Up Costume

We decided that we wanted strong unity for this set up. Initially we decided that we would all wear black dresses, and so we all bought in what we had.

 However, after trying Arianna in all of these dresses, we decided that the best way to make her stand out would be with a different colour dress. We chose red because it is extremely bold and dramatic, connotations the audience will immediately recognise.

We eventually decided on the dress on the left because we felt it suited her more and because the connotations were less sexual.

This is our final costume for the projection set-up. Arianna is clearly the lead; this is connoted by her stance at the front as well as her red dress which draws attention to her.
Ella, Alice and Rakhi (left to right) are all in black dresses, creating unity amongst the band.

Projection Brainstorm

After realising that the amount of clips we had planned for our projection was no where near enough, we decided to have another discussion about what we could potentially include. This is a list of what we came up with:

• Labyrinth
• Marilyn Monroe - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slfkiWZ7ozI
• Shawshank Redemption - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRBl0GPBm4o
• The Crucible - courtroom -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUPpP2khS9g
• Inception - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bsGUOVTA84&safe=active
• Mulan - face wipe - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A_Rl8aQxII
• Rocky Horror science fiction http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5MHNvOVl8Y&list=PL53B7B603E0C0F4A3 timewarp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtkdo7bOmJc
• Young people using mobiles 
• Candy
• The Simpsons
• Breaking Bad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjWBm1T9MHY&safe=active
• Luther
• Alice in Wonderland - falling down the rabbit hole? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHte24GGHD4
• Wizard of Oz - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzAJT18VB_k&safe=active
• Mary Poppins - Chalk Drawing - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy7XEMeBROQ
• Kill Bill - snow fight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTFJPfQ4rLc
• Dollhouse - Pod bit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW9vtJDzsM0
• Gattaca - swimming http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll5qiWa6YDk Irene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEOPA4dzK2s
• Life of Pi - tiger bits - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aee2cbOh5kk&safe=active

Meeting 31/10/2013 (and some album art research)

After meeting with our actor we had a media meeting in which we made the following to do list for the near future:

• Finish visual references
• Order chains
• Finalise grunge outfits
• Choose and download projection clips
• Order needle tips
• Develop key shots
• Chose Brick Lane locations
• Brainstorm album art further
• Arrange a second studio planning meeting
• Create social media accounts (twitter, instagram, facebook)
• Decide on and find visual references for make up and hair

We also went to HMV to look at album art and decided we thought it would be better to have a CU  of Arianna on the front cover. This is because the image would be more striking, and it is too small to have four figures with enough detail to be seen to still attract the audience. An example of a cover we really liked was Jessie J's new album. We found ourselves drawn to this much more than the others on display. We also liked Union J's marketing strategy of selling the same album but with four different covers, one for each band member, as well as a deluxe album with a group photo. This encourages fans to buy the album in order to support their favourite member.

We came up with several new ideas for album art. The first was a CU of Arianna holding a needle syringe to her head like a gun. We liked this idea because it is a very striking image but we realised this may have connotations of suicide, something we very clearly want to avoid so we ruled out this idea. 

We then thought we could change one side of her face, maybe disfigure it, or make one side perfected and leave the other side natural looking. This idea is still in development. We also noted that we wanted to keep the chains iconography if possible. 

Props - Syringe Orders

To make the hospital scene more realistic and graphic, we have ordered syringes and needle heads. These items have instant connotations which the audience will recognise, and lets the nurses have more interaction with Arianna. We can also shoot graphic close ups to offset the audience. 

 

Whilst making an order for the needles, we thought we could achieve a graphic extreme close up of the needle sticking into flesh by using meat as a substitute as we clearly will not inject Arianna. We brainstormed ideas and decided that some of our options are the rind of a piece of pork, or perhaps a sausage if we could find a suitable colour. 
 

Meeting with Kai (Dancer/Actor) - 31/10/13

This post is a summary of what we discussed over lunch with our actor.

We decided that we wanted a mixture of static, flowing movements and more dramatic motion, including jumps and levels. We all listened to the song, and picked out sections which movements could correspond with. We asked him to choreograph certain sequences for parts of the song, but also asked him to be prepared to improvise within the themes we gave him.

In terms of costume, he assured us that he was happy to dance in most types of clothing. Therefore, he is going to send us pictures of a variety of options and we will see which best fits the style.

He also confirmed that he was available for the shoot and the re-shoot date just in case. We have arranged to meet with him once more prior to the first shoot in order to have a proper look and the dances he has prepared. In this meeting, we hope to make any final adjustments with him.

Performance Scene - Projector

In one of our performance set ups, including the projector in the background, we are showing short clips from films that have relevance to our band, such as Heathers and Fight Club. This includes references to pop culture that the audience can relate to.

For example, the scene at the end of the film Fight Club, is of buildings falling down, and is an iconic moment in the film, after the main character has just found out he has two personalities and has been imagining one. This will be recognised instantly by most people, and adds to our band identity.

Other clips we wish to include on our projection are:

Fight Club: where Tyler gets a chemical burn on hand
Heathers: JD and Veronica shooting scene in the forest
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest: McMurphy breaking a window
Shutter Island: Scene in ward C talking to another mental patient
Shutter Island: End scene - Teddy Daniels realising he is Andrew Laeddis
Candy: Opening scene, with the 2 main characters spinning

We have not decided on every clip yet, but these are some of the clips we have been thinking about. When we design our projection we have to ensure that the clips are powerful but short because shots will be short as a lot of montage editing will be used, so the clips have to be easily recognised as they are scene for only a couple of seconds at a time.