BUTTERFLY EFFECT a treatment by Calum
Macdiarmid
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m e ta p h o r
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hank you for the opportunity to pitch on this beautiful script. Having recently researched the power of nature in spots like Russian standard vodka but having a background in beauty, it’s the perfect combination of my passions. The clear metaphor of a storm brewing reflects perfectly the power of the woman’s eye lashes and provides a powerful poetry. As well as communicating the thickness the make up brings to the eyelashes, it also has further
underlying connotations, such as the power of femininity. I have often seen commercials where a director has tried too hard to reinterpret an already sophisticated idea and in turn lost the original (and best) concept. As people become overfamiliar with an idea they sometimes try and boost it with some more adventurous interpretations. It’s important we stay true to this already successful script and simple seek to illustrate it in the most beautifully dramatic way possible.
watch the mood film HERE
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Compositional pa i n t i n g s
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pon first reading the script I had a concern that the reversed footage could look a little like a cheap effect – like a VHS tape being rewound. However there is a way to insure against this and at the same time add a considerable drama to the film. I would like to use super slow motion to create compositions that are jaw droppingly beautiful. We will slow the film down so much that they become almost a series of dramatic renaissance paintings. Reference: . Emmerdale . Melancholia
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Compositional pa i n t i n g s
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S Y NOPSIS We open on a beautiful droplet of water held in the air against a stormy sea background. It is backlit so that tiny splinters of light sparkle off it. (We can also play in the edit with the idea of even dropping down before coming to a halt and then reversing up into the sky, helping to set the scene for the reversing nature commercial).
another shot from underneath the surface depicts the situation in a more abstract way.
A wide shot captures storm clouds shot from afar, from this we will see their epic scale and power. Flashes of lighting create an unearthly glow that elevates the storm into a thing of abstract beauty.
Another wide shot shows the storm retreating across the country. We see a dandelion against the glimmer of light that shines out underneath the storm clouds. Its seeds are re-connecting in super slow motion – almost like a photo.
Another macro slow-mo shot shows a water ripple getting smaller as it reverses to the point when a droplet lands in the sea. (This will further help communicate the idea of this film playing in reverse from the outset).
We see a wind farm coming to a holt as the storm retreats further.
We see the waves uncrash and
Close up and wide shots show grass blades flattened and rippling with the wind. In the foreground some blades fly in front of the camera creating a visceral “in the moment” experience.
A wide shot shows the clouds moving over Paris in a dramatic way. (This could be one of our few VFX shots involving composition of a stock footage sky, over a beautiful Paris landscape).
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butterfly flutters by caught in the wind (a gentle nod to the concept).
As the storm moves into Paris we will aim to shoot more set ups that could fit in the edit so that we allow ourselves the luxury of finding those magic moments. I find that the trick is to keep trying the same shot in quite a few different situations, and by that repetition find that happy mistake. This is the moment that gives the scene a realistic character,making it all the more magical. Some of these shots will be caught as if they are hidden moments. The camera catching them through a doorway as if they are exquisite little moments that only the viewer has noticed.
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SHot list suggestions - Abstract interpretation of a child – not showing the child but showing the hands that lose the kite. - Blossom flying off a cherry tree, it swirls through the air to the excitement of an 8 year old child standing under it. - A newspaper being reunited with the coffee table it was once folded on. - Wide shot of shutters on windows on a large house that has 50 windows, all fluttering away. - From indoors we see a hallway of windows, each one has drapes which are billowing in sequence. - A small girls’ kite slips out of her hand. - Leaves swirling up from the ground. - Sycamore seeds, spinning away from a tree. - A dog looking around nervously. - Shop front awning – a woman looks concerned for her coffee underneath. - Couple kissing, the woman is so caught up in passion she doesn’t realize her hat is being blown off.
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Then we come to the ending shots which are imperative to the narrative. This scene will be set in an elegantly chic Paris courtyard. First is the scene involving our Parisian gentleman caught in a moment of shock upon seeing the beauty and power of our hero woman fluttering her eyelashes. He is standing in the full force of the wind. His long scarf is streaming away from him adding drama to the composition. He turns his head looking in admiration and surprise, and this moment is captured and almost frozen due to the slow motion. In keeping with the theme of beautiful renaissance compositions the final shot featuring our hero woman will be the most sophisticated yet. A strong magic hour backlighting will make the scene glow. Background flowers and various other props will help frame the composition and provide other elements that can illustrate the wind effect. The colour palette will be sympathetic to the pastel shades that can be found in Paris, the woman’s outfit designed to compliment the surroundings. Her body-language will be relaxed but sophisticated, effortlessly beautiful. A close up will capture perfect make up and thick luscious eyelashes that have the trade mark winged effect. Shot in macro super slow motion we will capture every moment of the flicker in all its glory.
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SO U N D D ESIGN
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ound design will be important in this film. The emphasis on abstract expressionism mean sounds will help tell the narrative (occasional noises implying a reversing of motion) and most importantly communicate the power in not just nature but also in the eyelashes.
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PARIS
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he Paris we show will be charmingly elegant in a more honest way. I would seek to shy away from obvious ‘Eiffel Tower in the foreground’ type shots so as to describe it in a more intimate and believable way. We will find the cobbled back streets and coffee shops.
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R e a l i t y VS fa n ta s y This is a delicate game, Surrealism will propel the beauty of the film giving it the poetry it deserves.
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his will be expressed through finding unusual colours in the sky and most importantly provocative, artistic compositions. The narrative is quite fantastical, but I would like to present the idea as a reality. Achieving this is done by a slightly looser camera style for certain parts, this the kind of shooting style you would see in Captain Philips, often on a
longer lens, perhaps catching something through a window or from a moving car. These little cut aways will add a sense of excitement and realism that immerses the viewer in the film. These moments will compliment our more contrived compositions in which we will tailor the shot to capture everything in a more stylized way.
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E x e cu t i o n & p r o duc t i o n
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s we mentioned on the phone this is a unique project. We will pursue the epic beauty despite the limitations of the budget. I’ve often found with these kind of projects, creativity is the most important factor. To that end, I have a few suggestions as to how we can most effectively use the budget to insure maximum production value.
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Stock footage
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hen it comes to nature it’s such a gamble that it’s simply not worth trying to shoot something ourselves. I would recommend using stock footage for the really dramatic big storm cloud moments. This will give us the freedom to choose a cloud that represents the poetic nature of the film.
Everything else we would shoot. Right now we are imagining one day in the country side / seaside shooting cutaway moments like the wind on the grass and the splash of the waves and a droplet falling. And one day in a Parisian setting capturing the details of the decelerating storm and our hero model reclining on a bench.
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SHOOT PLANNING
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he technique I would choose would involve having a long list of our favourite scenes in preference order (and props to go with them) and simply race through as many of them as we can in the day, reacting to the
locations on the day to find which scenes would work best for each location. Basically a slightly more organic approach to benefit as much as we can from the scenarios that are presented to us throughout the filming day.
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C ASTING & WAR D RO B E
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he girl will also benefit from a composition that is strikingly iconic. She will be eye catching through her sheer beauty and slightly provocative clothing. Her eyes will have a natural slight feline quality and long eyelashes to help illustrate the benefits of the make-up.
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M U SI C
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’m keen to find something that sits half way between something beautiful, powerful, and filmic like an opera, and something a bit more modern that adds a sense of fashion chic. The epic, anthemic post-rock instrumentals of ‘Mogwai’, the surreal retro synth sounds of ‘Dye’ and ‘Braids’, the French charm of Charlotte Gainsbourg or even the softer subtly powerful strings of renaissance music.
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C ON C L U SION
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nce again, thank you for considering me for this script. The wide range of beauty shots in this film - from landscape to female beauty - and need for good story telling gathers everything in my skillset that I am passionate about. I would love to further explore with this script. I believe that it could make a very powerful film that captures our audiences imagination and fills them with wonder.