We open on an ordinary, bleak setting that sets the stage for a much-needed transformation.
Most of the screen time in our films will feature the beautiful, art-directed settings that are revealed after the first moment of change. But in order to make our transformation especially amazing – and to position our vibrant, stylized environments to really shine – we must open with a strongly contrasting “before” world for each setting.
I see the “before” settings as dreary, grim, cluttered, and desaturated: grounded in reality, but filmed in a way that makes them feel cramped and dim – and in the case of the factory, hazy with particles that make it feel unhealthy. They should not feel too downtrodden or negatively stylized, because (a) we want to make sure our viewers relate to them as ordinary, everyday places, and (b) the “transformation” won’t change any architecture so much as it will just reveal the brilliant colors and best aspects of the space.
As an important side note, I will take a very in-camera approach to our films, environments, and visuals. My thinking is that the stories behind our films are based in reality, so our visual style should feel photographic, too – even when our settings later become beautiful, idealized versions of themselves. Likewise, even the biggest visual effect can feel grounded and photographic when approached with an in-camera sensibility – and I think it helps it all feel much more impressive and magical.
On a related note, rather than having to build environments entirely from scratch, it would be preferable to find a loosely related location that already has some architecture and features that we need, and then refine, add, and build into it. It’s critical that we get a lot in-camera, so that we can have editorial options, and tell our stories without being too dependent on big visual effects or transitions. I’m a strong believer in the principle that big visual moments can only take a story to a better level if the scenes, edit, and tone work entirely on their own, without any visual effects.
