AT LAST, STORYBOARDS

As promised, I have finally gotten to sketching storyboards for the opening. Still, I find myself rushing to include the character, rather than using the props I have acquired/made/am making. Even worse, I constantly fall into the dangers of "telling" instead of "showing" - though I don't plan on including dialogue, the inclusion of newspaper articles and will explicitly show the objective of the experiments. In addition to that issue - which I will try to work out, perhaps in another, revised batch of drawings - I have made some changes to the idea I described last post. But, to make my point clearer, allow me to show you some of the panels I have done so far.

my most recent storyboard

One big decision I've made is that of delaying the reveal of my protagonist. Originally, I had planned on starting similarly to my old, unrelated storyboards, with a focus rack from a fuming test tube to the scientist's eyes. This way, I can focus on the details, and give a bit of exposition before throwing in the action. Moreover, this way I can create a slower pacing, that may or may not get faster as the piece goes by, showing how frantic Dr. Narcissa gets as her experiments fail. 

Yet another change, is done with respect to my previous posting, in which I mentioned the use of jump cuts. While repeating shots of similar composition may help in developing the character's mental state and showing the passage of time, I have decided to include such repetitions in such a way as to create a motif of trying again, and again, and again, and starting over every time. By spreading the similar shots throughout the piece - as seen on the second and the last panels of the storyboard above - I can show that her frustration is gradual, and that careful experimentation is done. Furthermore, I can also give the impression that it is not one, condensed study session, as I had feared before. By changing the scientist's clothes (a minimal touch, really), I am able to imply that the work was done in different days. Of course, if, in editing, I find that this method does not work, or looks a bit too Groundhog Day-ish with all the "restarts," I can change it back to the quick cuts and sequential shots. 

Another factor, though this one has more to do with the production rather than planning, is that, although the character is under pressure, I do not intend on using canted angles or shaky cameras - at least not in the opening. Given the doctor's professional field and position, I want to show the same professionalism by maintaining the shots steady as well - that is, as steady as I can, given my limited supply of materials and cameramen.Still, I plan on including movement in each shot. Particularly, using the scientist's reflection and shadow as she moves along the office. This practice not only makes the shots more interesting and less like stills, but also draws back to inspiration I gathered watching Black Swan. That is, the constant use of mirrors - particularly distorted ones - throughout the movie builds onto Nina's fear of replacement and her belief that someone like her, better than her, is nearby, waiting to steal her place. Similarly, using the shadow or the reflection can show how outsider's expectations for my character have also influenced her into entering the downward spiral. Not to mention, she both figuratively and literally casts a shadow over her past achievements as she aims for the unattainable.

Another relevant part of my storyboards is the one I had planned from the start. In fact, initial sketches of this ending can be seen in one of my old posts, on a pink post-it note. Now, having studied my idea better, I have refined those panels, seen below.

From this, you may have notice that I now have a working title: Panacea. I figured it is most appropriate, though a little cheesy and obvious, since it is the subject of the protagonist's obsession. Still, given the "alchemical" meaning of the mystical concoction as a cure to all problems, the solution would be quite helpful to fix Narcissa Châtelier's situation. 

As I have mentioned before, the storyboards will serve to guide me in filming the scene; however, it is not definite, and I may change or add shots while recording or editing. But, as of now, it's good to have a clearer view of what is ahead.