Original stories and my interpratation
Reason:
This story is inspired by the original stories ; 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' by Walt Disney and 'Snowdrop' by the Grimm Brothers. What really troubled me in the original stories was that Snow White never really expressed her emotions, even though she had a really difficult childhood. She faced many dark incidents, starting with her mother’s death, then ‘loosing’ her father to another female, and finally being threatened by that female. I interpreted the story by bringing it closer to contemporary issues and revealing the Girl's psyche. Making these incidents the reason the Girl's soul started to become dark and her mind started to get depressed and confused.
Plot:
The story is about a Girl who had a very close relationship with her family, having her mother as her role model and the person she looked up to. Unfortunately she lost her mother at the age of 7, an incident that influenced her emotional and mental state. The Girl started depending a lot on her father, who was the only family left for her, becoming her protector, the supportive figure in her life, her rock. The father who could see that the Girl was starting to get depressed and delusional asked for help from a psychiatrist who in the eyes of the Girl was a threat, the person who was invading her life and family. Because of that, the Girl distanced herself from her father and started building up an imaginary world that would protect her from facing the darkness of her real life.
The story takes place in a hospital room, where the Girl, older now, is under hypnosis and the psychiatrist, the 'Evil lady', is trying to unlock memories from the Girl's past. When the psychiatrist wakes up the Girl from hypnosis, she aims on revealing the truth.
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My journal from May 2015 to October 2015 shows the journey in my mind, through experiences, testing and researching that started building this approach for the story of snow white.
 My interest was focusing on the emotion of fear and the mis-perception of reality caused by this emotion |  |  |
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What is real and what not, how can we see the world from someones else's eyes.
I researched psychoanalysis extensively in order to understand the emotional and mental state of a troubbled young individual. I was inspired by Schitzophrenic children and their hallucinations, researching how they treat their imaginary friends and how they describe them and what they appear like to them.
I focused on mental illnesses and the individual's perception of the world and the patient-doctor relationship. Finally I was inspired to create the story based on the theory of Expressive Arts therapy treatment and hypnosis, a smoother way to reveal memories and events that are hard to be accepted by the patient.
"What do you see?"
Building up the Concept
My aim was to show the influence of painful and dark emotions, such as fear, in our perception.
The journey started by creating a story based on emotional perception, and it turned out a very dark story.
I felt I had to create a story that would be from a more personal point a view and explain the psychology of the Girl, making the viewer sympathise with her. This lead me to producing a story that would focus more on experiencing and expessing those painful emotions.
Concerns : first time producing a script from scratch
Debates : How to show the inner world, mind and emotions of a troubbled child?
Who will narrate? How is it going to be visually represented?
Emotional Perception
Projecting the girls experiences throughout her life, explaning her delusions and depression.
Growing up to become really depressed and attempting to kill herself, believing that the Evil Lady is doing it.
The animals-people got her into an institution where the girl met her 'Friends' - other patients there.
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The style of the story would have been more surrealistic, very dark and depressing. Without background space, using very fluid shapes and figures.
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Emotional Expression through drawings
I wanted to focus more on the expression of painful emotions through art making - based on the theories of 'Art Therapy' and 'Expressive Arts Therapy'.
I wanted to create a debate between 'Dark and Light', 'Evil and Good' by creating a story that would make the audience experience the Girl's painful emotions and sympathise with her.
I chose the Girl's bedroom as it serves as her most personal space, the place where a child does not need to hide from anyone, a very special and safe place for her. In the bedroom the child is free and her imagination opens up creating her own world.
Children's Drawings and Animation Research
Since the concept was based on 'Emotional Expression through Drawings' I started researching drawings made by children.
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I was inspired to create a world that would come to life from the Girl's drawings.
I started researching dark animations, mostly about children around the ages of 7-10 living in a troubled family, being scared, alone and depressed.
I was aiming to create a story about a child that found comfort in a world built up in his/her mind, since the real world offers nothing else but pain and fear.
Most of the stories didnt show the roots of the problem. I wanted to create a story that would explain the child's troubbled psyche and show how the darkness ended up in her mind.
Building up my Story
Advised by psychologist Debbie Hatzivassiliou
In order to create a story that wouldn't be too long but would show crucial information about the Girl's life, I had the idea of making the story look as if it is a dream and the protagonist is re-experiencing those memories and emotions from her past.
This idea was developed with the help of psychologist Debbie Hatzivassiliou. The entire concept became more solid when we decided to make it about a patient who is under 'hypnosis', a technique used by therapists in order to communicate with the patients and unlock memories from their past.
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In order to represent the two states, being uder hypnosis and being awake, I decided to use both Animation and Virtual Reality filming, the first used for the first state and the second one for the second. I wanted to create a complete world from the Gir's perception that would consist of her drawings. The phrase 'Animating objects from your everyday life' was inspirational for me and influenced me to make the animation part. In order to create a greater contrast between the two worlds, I wanter to experiment with Virtual Reality.
Finally I decided to make the story from the Girl's eyes and use the camera in a first person view. I used this view point because I wanted the audience to relate as much as they could with this character, get inside her mind set and experience the story in a deeper sense.
Animation
An animation would be a direct way of presenting the Girl's perception of the world and beliefs.
Using drawings and imaginary characters was in order to reflect on the 'Expressive Arts Therapy' technique, used especially on patients in younger ages as an easier means of communicating painful emotions that are difficult to be accepted and expressed.
By using animation I wanted to make the audience question what is real and what is not, since everything in an animation is acceptable and subconsiously expected.
Virtual Reality
The VR is the part where the truth is revealed, the real world is shown and the patient wakes up after the hypnosis, where she can compare her imaginary world and reality.
A virtual reality film would be a great way to engage the audience member and make him experience it literally through "Her eyes" and deeper understand her. By using the glasses the viewer can see the film from the patients eyes.
The script was produced by me, being advised by Debbie Hatzivassiliou. In order create it I tried to understand all of my previous research on 'Mental Illnesses', 'Hallucinations' and 'Emotion & Perception' so that I could relate to the Girl's personality, and what she is going through.
The changes were mostly in the details, as the script had to also be appropriate in psychological terms, thus producing a concrete basis for my story and develope it correctly within those terms.
Costume Designs
Symbolism, shapes and colors
The Costumes would serve as the means to communicate each characters personality, through shapes and patterns showning how the Girl perceives them. Those shapes and patterns would be influenced and take their form depending on the Girl's emotional perception the character and the relationship she has with each one
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In order to show the confusion in the Girl's mind of 'Who is Who' and 'What is good and what is evil', the characters had to be balanced out and have both 'light' and 'dark' chatacteristics.I extensively researched what 'good and evil' is, and how 'evil' is perceived and represented, specifically through costumes.
As an influence and a starting point for the relationship between characters I researched 'Natural elements' and 'Symbolism through nature' to see elements, their relationships and interactions. Natural elements contain equal contradictory characteristics and I found this inspired me greatly, thus I wanted to insorporate it in my costume designs.
I looked into 'Character's apperance through shapes and symbols', a very helpful research area which defined my choices.
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The aim was to create a line between 'Light and Dark', balancing out every character by giving him/her both a 'good' and an 'evil' side.
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costumes and sets for the animation
in collaboration with Lilian Theodosopoulou - character Designer
After I created the costume designs and general appearance for each character, Lilian Theodosopoulou started producing the character designs for the animation. She experimented with different patterns and hues in order to finally produce a complete and balanced out apperance. For more information on the making process and decisions click on the button on the right.
 Pattern of roses, shape of flower pedals. Coral colour and some darks shadows to symbolise her future death |  Pattern of brick wall symbolising the strength and protection for the little Girl. Her father is her rock. When she looses faith on him, the wall cracks and breaks. |  Shape angular to produce hardness Color green for illness Psychiatrist symbol Snake pattern when Girl starts to fear her |
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 Lavender pattern on dress, the symbol for her relationship with her parents. (BLUE AND PINK) The lavender flower was offered by her parents when she was a baby. When she starts being depressed and delusional, the flowers fall out and only the branches of the tree are left, dark and dead |  One of the Girl's friends-emotions, Lonely. The same pattern of the tree is on their leggings showing their connection with the Girl. Each one has slightly different body shape and expressions to describe the specific emotions. When the Girl hallucinates, the Friends become alive and come out of their papers. |
Process OF Animating
Organising data in scenes, folders and photoshop files
Working based on script , devided in camera view points
The animating process was a real challenge for me. I didn't have any digital skills prior to this project, and thus had to learn all the technical parts from scratch, with the help of tutorials on youtube and observing other animations tricks and approaches.
I knew that I wanted to produce a very simple 2D animation in which the character's would move puppet like and give a slight impression that they might be drawings, but mostly avoid making them to realistic, so that the audience can tell they aren't alive.
I only wanted to show basic movements, and I never wanted to make any character actually speak. All the narration would happen within the girls mind, even the parts where other characters speak.
In some parts I also wanted to have the Girl describe things that in reality are completely different to what she sees.
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I had to separate each scene-memory from the story, and in each one make separate scenes based on the camera view point in order to change the background and characters view point.
Examples from animating scenes
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Tricks
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Editing : Adding effects, voices and melody on the animation - Adding titles and credits
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I chose to use two Visual Effects, the Fast Blur and a Blak Blur, expanding from the centre of the screen. The effects where chosen in order to represent the eyes of the Girl, the way people dream, the darkness when the eyes are closed and the shapes and colors that appear when memories are being formed.
Process: Adjustable Layer -> Fast Blur effect -> Eliptic Tool -> Substract and expand
Same process for Black Blur effect.
Final Storyboard From Animation
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Virtual reality
In Collaboration with 'I was there' Virtual Reality Filming company
Since the Girl is under hypnosis and the Evil Lady - doctor wakes her up, I decided to make the story from her eyes, treat the camera as if it is the character and audience at the same time. In the last part, when the doctor wakes the Girl up, she reveals the reality of her situation. This is the reason I wanted to have real life film part, within a real space and with actors.
I decided to collaborate with the company called 'I was there', by Jocelyn Anqueti, and film maker Sam.
I chose to film it in White Lab at Central Saint Martins (where the final screening is going to take place)
Concept and Storyboard
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The VR technique was a new experience for me and I had to think about placing the characters in an entierly new way, so that they could approprietly interact with the camera. The movement of the Doctor in the room was constant but slow, going from one side of the room to another, moving back and forth from the camera.
Unfortunatelly, I wasnt able to use an actress to play the Girl because the camera wouldnt be able to be placed on the bed as the actress, as it has to be completely still throughout the filming.
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The White Lab was a very good choice as it looked very much like a clinic. I chose to use a corner to re-create the position of everything in the room as it was positioned in the room in the animation. I used all sets and props and placed them in the appropriate positions. I wanted to create quite a big contrast between the Girl's room in the animation(as she perceives it), and the one in the VR which was a cold, creepy and scary hospital room clinic (reality).
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I covered 4 cloth rails with thick cotton fabrics and used them to make the space, which made it seem small and opressive. We used lights from the other side of the rails, to create shadows and a scaried mood.
The echo of the space was something that worked well and I used 2 more characters on the other side of the rails to walk and create background effects and noises.
Story line of Virtual Reality Film
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Editing For 2d teaser film
combining the two side cameras into one, Experimenting with the camera
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Voices & Melody
Collaborating with Music Composer Kristian
Experimenting with voice editing, the Girls and the Doctors voices, using mostly echoing and blurish effects.
The Girl, at the start of the story, had to sound younger and slowly obtain her actual voice as the story goes by.
The Doctor had to have a low and dark voice, echoing from afar. We experimented with several effects, but we chose to use the chorus delay and more grasp.
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Creating a dark melody for both films. We experimented with different styles. I provided him with information on the mood and emotions experienced by the girl in each scene so that he would be able to create an appropriate melody for the entire film. He created this melody from stratch to accompany the flow of the story, creating suspense or the sense of fear for the viewer. I was very satisfied with the outcome.
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Evaluation and reflection
My role was extremely important for this project as I had to be in control of everything happening, direct the people working with me, and make all the final decisions. Through this project I believe I understood my style better, since it was the first project I ever produced from sratch by myself and also directed it. I am glad I took the risk of creating my first animation, eventhough the quality and techniques are not the best, the feeling and story behind what I wanted to produce was beautifully delivered.
Writting:
I believe I was successful in producing a concrete story, as I have done a lot of theoretical research.
Unfortunately what I feel I am missing and I would love to have had is more practical research and attempt to better put myself through the experience I aim to describe.
I wasnt able to find a depressed or delusional child and thus see and better understand his experiences by interacting with him/her. I would have loved to have an opportunity like that, which is similar to the way the Music is Special project was approached, and have that one to one interaction with the child.
Having said that, the story I created is more how I believe this childs emotional state would be, rather than a representation of a real life story.
Finally, a really important factor I didnt take into consideration was to go to a psychologist and experience hypnosis my self. I have tried it before, but that was long time ago and I should have done it this year too. Thus for the part of the film about hypnosis, I produced the story based on research and self experimentation on dreaming and recalling memories when I am awake, rather than relying on the experience itself.
Costume Designs:
It was quite challenging finding the appropriate apperances for each of the characters and their personalities within the story. I had to balance their apperances, by using both light and dark shapes and symbols, in order to create characters that the audience would have a mixed response to.
Sets, props and space:
Choosing 'Animation' and 'Virtual Reality' as a mean to communicate this project was a good choice. The combination of the two created a greater contrast of the two worlds, since the one represents a fantasy world and the other one reality. Moreover the contrast of colors and warmth of spaces was successfully delivered, and the realisation of the truth very clear.
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Skills:
I learned new digital skills, specifically in Photoshop and After Effects, which I found realtable and very useful for costume designing. Technology provides the opportunity for transformation, adding effects and elementts that are less easy to be achieved in Performances.
I also learned to be much more organised and find clever ways of creating scenes and approaching them in a less complicated way.
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Collaboration:
I really enjoyed working with Lilian Theodosopoulou. Our ideas and artistic style match a lot and our collaboration throughout the project was smooth and productive. I was able to deeper explore my personal style and better understand my work through discussions with her and the development of the project. I am looking forward to future collaborations with her and new projects.