How each part will proceed...

I.
(Vomit into flowers)
Pull back from white
The subject (A) leans against the frame of the door, and attempts to unlock it but is obviously having difficulty. Finally (A) enters the apartment. (A) leans against a wall, and slides down it falling over. (A) closes his eyes and a slight shade of green spreads out over (A)’s face. (A) vomits purple velvet with flowers on it. The flowers begin to grow from the pool of velvet.
Zoom into black

II.
Pull back from black
(Sing back the dark, pray)
A girl enters a bedroom, obviously depressed. She sits on the edge of the bed, and looks about the room. Pushing herself backwards, she moves onto the bed, knees to her chest in the corner of the room. (Bed Against a wall)The light around her begins to narrow, like a spotlight. She drops her knees and straightens herself, back leaning against the wall. She breathes in, and then out. On the exhalation of breath black tendrils crawl up the blank wall behind her, pushing back the circle of darkness around her. When tendrils have grown to take up the whole wall and the room is full of light again, the girl directly addresses the camera
Zoom into black

III.
(Severed)
Pull Back From Black
(B) walks into a bedroom and sits down at the mirror. (B) gazes into the mirror and begins to brush her hair absently. It is revealed that the mirror that (B) is looking into doesn’t provide a real reflection but rather (SOMETHING UTTERLY BRILLIANT). Moving behind the mirror the gaze is transferred. (The mirror looks at her) (B) bites off her fingers at the second knuckle, and the proceeds to pull clean silk ribbons from the wounds.
Zoom Into White

IV.
(Blood into Butterflies)
Pull Back From White
A young woman sits in a chair next to a small table with a jar on it. She looks almost coy. Glancing around her surroundings she puts her hands down at her side palms facing out head turned slightly to the side like one of those “Our Lady of Guadalupe” prayer cards. She then unbuttons the top buttons of her shirt and peels open her chest to reveal a void out of which Butterflies escape. She collects the butterflies and then exits the frame. The glass jar with the butterflies remains. They move their wings.
Fade to white.






Shot list to follow

Not Even a Working Title

What’s going on?
I have decided to use some of my remaining time in Burlington to create a short series that could either be shown in succession as a traditional film, or used in a video installation.
The project is a series of four short stop-motion animation pieces that explore the connection between pain and beauty. The contrast between negative action and visual appeal as well as the indication of a dream like state will, hopefully serve to create a lasting and effective visual metaphor.

Each segment will be shot using a “live stop motion” technique. In lieu of manipulating inanimate figures frame to frame to create the illusion of movement I will mostly rely on using actual people. Employing a system of 24 frames per second will provide some simulation of the look of film, despite my intention to shoot digital.

Scheduling wise I have the completely mad notion that I will shoot one person’s sequence each Sunday in February, thus completing principal footage before March. If I am careful and organized I’m pretty confident that I can reduce post-production time significantly.

The Sequences

I
An ill (read intoxicated) young man vomits flowers

II
A young girl pushes back an encroaching darkness with her voice.

III
The subject bites off their own fingers, pulling clean silk ribbons from the wound.

IV
A young woman peels open her chest, revealing a void. Butterflies escape from it.


More as it happens,

Chris