MIR(n)E: A Short Animated Film
Initial thoughts / concepts
This short animated film has been drawn from the impression of our screenwriter, Camila Rodo Carvallo to one painting of the pier in her own room as if that place seems like something good used to happen there but now it is just an empty pier giving her a sense of belonging and losing.
Then we had discussed about that idea of nostalgia as we are both live in the place far from home and usually spend time on our own which make us realize about the conflicts of people's mind to themselves that always recur unconsciously. After rewrite the story many times, we had ended up with one log line or director statement; “Don’t hold on to your past so hard, because it will destroy your future.”
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Synopsis
When conflicts come into our minds, there is no escape from fighting with ourselves. A bitter sweet memory has always haunted Lotte, as if it wants to take her away from the present.
It is not easy to hide our past, much harder to let it go, but sometimes the most painful thing is to hold onto our memories. When the time has passed, nothing will be the same.
WHAT
Short Animated Film
WHEN
December 2018
DURATION
3 min 13 sec
TECHNIQUES
Stop-motion &
Oil-painting
Visualization
In her past imaginary world with an oil-painting scene, we tried to use metaphoric of one ‘basic cliché’; the truth of love/life or actually of everything that nothing will stay with us forever. This was represented by the visualization of beginning, blooming and being apart. Similarly, the mood of the film was accompanied by the lighting which is the important element that can demonstrate the hopefulness and encouragement. This lighting arrangement is related to the juxtaposition of ‘the two frames’ in her room; the painting frame and the window frame which served as the idea of the past and the future. Overall, the protagonist has been struggling in the middle of these and will find the way out at the end.
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Techniques
The first idea that pop up in my head is “we have to use stop-motion animation technique as this part of project, no matter what it would be look like” and then another one; oil-painting technique was what we thought about. The first reason for this is stop-motion animation can originally give a sense of nostalgia itself, a kind of human errors and handmade stuff which is suit to our narrative as it represents the longing, missing, in other words, tt is a place that the storytelling and performance can be 'a distorted and eccentric imagination' (Purves, 2008). Another reasons is this magical approach also can give a realistic look with the light/shadow and texture attached on it already without rendering which can illustrate 'the present her' and oil-painting working oppositely offering 'the past her' or her memories.
Sound Design & Music
Keywords:
Soundscape of wind, sea, city/ haunted mood and chaotic in mind, nostalgic, cherish moment
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The main characteristic of the sound that will be used is the soundscape of the wind or seascape portraying the sound of her past memories which evokes her old feeling back all the time and the cityscape oppositely bringing her back to the present time. In other words, this conflict of the sound is like inside/outside of Lotte’s mind which is not be distinguished from each other but will be blended well together instead.
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Mir(n)e [2018]
-Oil-painting & stop motion animation 3min 13 sec
-Final Major Project
-Semi-Finalist Rome Independent Prisma Awards, 2019
-Award of distinction : Canada Shorts film festival, 2019
-Semi-finalist Los Angeles CineFest 2019
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Credits:
-Screenwriter: Camila R Carv Camila Rodo Carvallo
-Sound&Music: STILTE COLLECTIVE
(Benjamin Brown, Devon Yagian-Boutelle, Jayant Manchanda, Nicolas Lauverjat, @Jin Matutamtada)
-Special Thanks:
Kim Noce
Lizzy Hobbs
Tim Webb
Michale Ho
Christos Sfetsios
Antoine Hacheme
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