'Colourless' Film

'Colourless' Visual Writing/ Beats

Version 1

(Not the final version of the beats for 'Colourless'- just the ones I wrote nearer the beginning of the narrative process)

1.)    Separation/ isolation

The movie starts with Bianca on her room sitting next to the window; there are some books or magazines covers where there’s people who have colour. She is watching the people outside, then takes a look at herself who's all white

2.)    Exclusion

She decides to leave her house and go outside to the park. She sits on a bench and observes a few groups of people. She then notices this girl walking in her direction who drops a small item by accident; Bianca picks the item up and tries to give it back to the girl, but is instead ignored.

3.)    Searching for approval

Afterwards she notices a group talking about some item she might have or so, so she can go up to them and show them hers. Group takes interest on her item but only on the item itself, so she is just put aside by them fairly quickly.

4.)    Changing to fit in

She sits on a bench and realises she has sat on wet paint. She notices the colour rub off onto her hand; then she sees the can of paint and brush tucked underneath the bench. So she paints herself.

5.)    Ridicule

Having her colour changed, she now decides to approach others, hoping that they think she belongs to the group.

The group she approaches notices how she has painted herself and that in turn puts them off so they all start avoiding her.

Has she has gradually been building up her frustration, she starts to tear up a bit.

Since people notice she is painted with another colour and is all by herself, they not only avoid her but also start to laugh or even mock her.

This is when Bianca breaks down to tears

6.)    Acceptance

Later on we see Bianca sitting on her own crying , leaning on a tree, almost if isolated from everyone (this can be one of the areas of the park where there’s various trees and flowers). Her crying grabs the attention of one person who approaches her and notices that she is painted with other colour. This person begins to wipe the paint off of her and smiles at the sight of Bianca's colour being white. The rest of the person’s group who was behind, approach Bianca as well and not only do they all seem to like/accept her, but they also want her to join their group, regardless of her colour.

7.)    Two of a kind

 Finally they show Bianca that there's another person of her kind (white) in their group, so not only has she found a group where she is accepted but it is also a group where she belongs to.

The group of people that accept Bianca in could be 3 people (not including the white character) one blue, one red and one green, like the RGB colour model, since those 3 together make the colour white.

Background Preproduction

Secondary Research

Park Mood boards

Collected by Rebecca Warburton

Collection of images sourced from the internet showing
parks in Spring

Collection of images sourced from the internet showing
parks in Summer

Collection of images sourced from the internet showing
parks in Autumn

Collection of images sourced from the internet showing
parks in Winter

Collection of images sourced from the internet showing
parks with flowers

Collection of images sourced from the internet showing
parks with flowers

Collection of images sourced from the internet showing
exploring Disney's portrayal of the park in '101 Dalmations'

Visual Development: 60's Inspiration

Research by Rebecca Warburton

The story of 'Colourless' is currently intended to be portrayed with an emphasis on colour. The form of the piece accentuates the protagonist's differences/ isolation by being white, compared to the rest of the world which is in full colour. Inspiration could be taken from the 60's decade which was full of colour and textures. Pop Art was a popular genre of art during the time; it often portrayed people abstractly with portraits of icons repeated side by side in different colours.

Collection of 60's posters secondary sourced from the internet

Collection of 60's illustrations secondary sourced from the internet

60's Patterns/ textures secondary sourced from the internet

Collections of Pop art sourced from the internet

Secondary sourced Collection of 60's style bedrooms

Secondary sourced Collection of 60's style bedrooms

Primary Sourced hairdryer and record from Doncaster Exhibition

Primary Sourced 60's dress from Doncaster Exhibition

Primary Sourced 60's dress from Doncaster Exhibition

Primary Sourced 60's tie and trousers from Doncaster Exhibition

Primary Sourced art from Doncaster Exhibition:
'Chromatic Mutations (1969)' by Timothy Armstrong

 The card reads: "In his 'kinetic constructions' Armstrong uses a mixture of coloured screen prints and curved Perspex to give a sense of movement as you walk past the image.

Timothy Armstrong studied at Nottingham College of Art and design, where his work was strongly influenced by his teacher Bridget Riley.

Construction and Silk Screen Print"

A collection of Bridget Riley's art work

Primary Sourced art from Doncaster Exhibition:
'Staten (1962)' by John Howlin

Primary Sourced image from Doncaster Exhibition:
Northern Bus Station and Car Park

Primary Sourced art from Doncaster Exhibition:
Doncaster: Car Park 3

The Park

1. Bianca's house on street
2. Road
3. Fencing
4. Park Bench
5. Park Bench
6. Park Bench
7. Flowers and Shrubbery
8. Flowers and Shrubbery
9. Grass open area
10. Slide
11. Swing Set
12. Sand Pit
13. Trees

Props

Props: populate the environment with props to make it look believable and serve the purpose of the film which is to reveal Bianca as shy and awkward and ultimately the contrast between her and the rest of the world- depicting the theme of loneliness. however, in her bedroom, the props/ environment should be softer and more curved edges to show that she is most comfortable in her solitude; in her own space. 

Initial thoughts for the Background

Watercolour effect to make sure the colourful characters stand out but ensuring that the white/ colourless character doesn’t fade into the background.

Environment: Park, bench.

Change the seasons to react to the changes in the story.

AUTUMN start of decay

WINTER stormy troubles

SPRING things start to get better

SUMMER happy ending

'Steven's Universe' Background Designer:
Steven Sugar's Blog

Prop Selection Sheets for Bianca's Bedroom

Bianca's Bedroom

Prop Selection for the Park

Initial Hand Drawings 1 of Park Benches

Initial Hand Drawings 2 of Park Benches

The Park: Bench Options 1

The Park: Bench Options 2

The Park: Fencing Options

The Park: Sand pit Options

The Park: Slide Options 1

The Park: Slide Options 2

The Park: Swing Options 1

The Park: Swings Options 2

Background Production

Bianca's bedroom

Version 2- based on Storyboard

Designed for pan of establishing shot of Bianca's room

Added ceiling beams

Tilted Posters

Wall Paper Designs based on 60s patterns and shapes

Pattern 1

Pattern 1 as wallpaper

Pattern 2

Pattern 2 as wallpaper

Pattern 3

Pattern 3 as wallpaper

Pattern 4

Pattern 4 as wallpaper 

Pattern 5

Pattern 5 as wallpaper

Pattern 6

Pattern 6 as wallpaper

Pattern 7

Pattern 7 as wallpaper

Pattern 8

Pattern 8 as wallpaper

Pattern 9

Pattern 9 as wallpaper

Pattern 10

Pattern 10 as wallpaper

Bianca's Room with coloured furniture 

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Colour scheme based on Emma Garner's park scene backgrounds for continuity

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Added texture line in darker shape than block colour

Park
Background by Emma Garner
Play Area Equipment by Rebecca Warburton

Play Area Version 1

Play Area Version 2

Play Area Version 3

Play Area Version 4

Play Area Version 5

Play Area Version 6

Play Area Version 7

Play Area Version 8

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Full Park (Background by Emma Garner) Play Area apparatus' in different colours

Close up background of play area background

Close up of play area

Added texture lines

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Play area background version 2

Play area background version 2 with swings

Feedback from Hilary

• Start in girls bedroom. Hold, then drift in towards Bianca. Don't move around room.
• Over the shoulder shot of Bianca reading 
• Walking in the park away from her
• Don't switch focus when Bianca is looking out of the window
• Track into bench and fade to black
• Cut to her sitting on the bench or after her sighing and cut to establishing shot, have her getting up and run towards camera.
• Establish the play area on shot with Bianca sat on park bench on- make play area smaller and further away
• Design park play area more with gate and rubbish bin etc.
• Photography storyboard panels for a better idea of point of view
• Wide shot to show Bianca getting up to get the teddybear. Then close in
• Don't cut feet out of shot
• Flip camera where child and mother take the teddy bear back
• Have mother and child exit at an angle. Don't walk straight to camera. 
• Show Bianca's full face where she turns around away from the two boys.
• Have people enter the same way they exit in direction when Bianca tries to talk to the three girls.
• Zoom in on Bianca's unhappiness
• Frame shots so people are comfortably positioned on screen
• Move camera across so Bianca and toy dog are in middle of screen
• Change gag to dog running back onto screen, grabs dog and runs away leaving Bianca just with lead and the collar.
• Give painter big milk bottle glasses- make him more comical
• Exaggerate anticipation 

Anticipation prepares the audience for the action and reaction to happen so they don't miss it.

Animation Production

Inbetweening

Shot 15

Key framed by Hana Lau. Inbetween by Rebecca Warburton

Shot 17

Key framed by Hana Lau. Inbetween by Rebecca Warburton

Shot 20

Key framed by Hana Lau. Inbetween by Rebecca Warburton

Shot 31: Part 1

Key framed by Sara Nunes, Inbetween by Rebecca Warburton

 

Shot 31: Part 2

Key framed by Sara Nunes, Inbetween by Rebecca Warburton

 

Shot 31: Part 3

Key framed by Sara Nunes, Inbetween by Rebecca Warburton

Key framing

Shot 35

Bianca animation skeleton construction

Key framed and Inbetweened by Rebecca Warburton