inspiration : Sound, visual, ideology

Sound

Frank Ocean’s ‘household name’ album Blonde had a major emotional impact on the film. When developing the characters Huang Jia and Si Hai, we imagined them as summer lovers doomed to separate, unaware at that moment of the deep and lasting connection they shared. The album also inspired my approach to the sound design, incorporating the strings and electronic synths we wanted to experiment with in this film.

visual

The recurring themes of love and seduction in Wong Kar-wai’s films inspired our creation. His scene selection, shooting style and art design have a certain reference effect on this film. For example, we chose to use the scene in the hotel corridor as the opening to establish an atmosphere of alienation and ambiguity, and the intimate relationship between Huang Jia and Si Hai as the main theme of the film’s fantasy.

ideology

The initial concept of writing this script was inspired by Camus’s absurdism. I wanted to bring this absurdism into the plight of the young generation of Chinese working class.

what we want to insinuate in this film?

Through this dark humour short film, we want to reveal the living conditions of China’s young working class without a clear direction or motivation, and nowhere to release their tenacity. They live a gambler’s life, and the fantasy of “making a fortune” has become a way out of their poverty to some extent. I aim to tell an interesting story through these characters, capturing the emptiness experienced by the younger generation and revealing the spiritual poverty that is prevalent in the post-epidemic era.

While deeply exploring the inescapable predicament faced by the poor, the film also touches on intimacy. Huang Jia and Si Hai gradually reveal their true selves while portraying the driver, who appear beautiful in fantasy but struggle in harsh reality. The concept of robbery was initially a fusion of their desire for a better life, but then inevitably turned into a fantasy segment of success for both of them. Ultimately, the success of their robbery and the tragic death of the driver bring together the absurdity of fantasy and reality. Their daydream of car robbery, a utopian escape from reality, constantly hangs over their struggle with mediocre life.

Nowadays, people’s pursuits are generally deeply influenced by the material world. We often feel uneasy when facing spiritual scarcity and constantly seek balance. In order to enhance the dramatic effect of this robbery, we plan to use dynamic camera movements, including multiple panoramic and tracking shots. In addition, we want to use some mirror shots to create fascinating illusions in the hotel scene. At the same time, the sound design will be through the fusion of string music and electronic music. I hope to balance the external conflict and highlight their inner alienation. In the story, Huang Jia and Si Hai keep hitting the wall when looking for opportunities to open their hearts to each other. The appearance of “a big ticket” is a satire and rebellion against the material world. My friends and I often joke that “spirituality is greater than matter”. We want to make this movie because it is a spiritual carrier that transcends the complex reality in some ways.

Finally, I chose the sound for screen direction because, apart from doing homework, I don’t have much or enough experiences working with film works and has a complete or mature outcome. I hope that through this project, I can be inspired and gain some insights into the situations and problems I will encounter when working with film works.

The COLLABORATING project with film practice student the director Wentao Liu

A poverty-stricken couple considers planning a car robbery for some quick cash, however, the line between fantasy and reality blurs as they become deeply engrossed in it.…

Concept Outline

In a coastal town in China, young working-class lovers, Huang Jia and Si Hai, conceive a daring plan to escape their dire reality: a car robbery. Huang Jia plays the role of a woman trying to escape from a dangerous past and an abusive relationship. She uses the excuse that her phone was left on the car to once again hitch a ride with Peter Chen, a driver who looks like the protagonist of a Hong Kong gangster film. Throughout the journey, Huang Jia skillfully manipulates Peter Chen’s sympathies and moral bottom line, using words and actions to seduce him and gain his trust.

Si Hai plays the role of the jerk of the relationship, described by Huang Jia as bipolar, who uses Huang Jia for profit. As tensions escalate, Huang Jia guides Peter Chen to a secluded parking lot, where she teams up with Si Hai to carry out the robbery. Peter Chen’s unexpected resistance increases the tension of the plot and pushes the story to a climax. They deliberately introduce obstacles into their fantasy to create the illusion of overcoming difficulties. In the end, they successfully rob Peter Chen of his money and escape in a Hollywood style in his car.

At sunrise, they wake up and start to implement their plan, only to realise that reality has shattered their absurd fantasy. This reality once again injects an element of dark humour into the story, highlighting the consequences of their actions and the impossibility of escaping the real environment.

the preference: which pathway I want to choose and collaborating with?

I have been highly interested in sound in film since the beginning of my academic career. In the first semester, I opted for the “Sound for Screen” pathway, attracted by the way sound influences emotion, rhythm, and psychological depth in moving images. My fascination with the ability of background music and atmospheric sound to enhance a visual narrative has always been present, often centering on how to “make sound good.”

Then, I am finding it difficult to decide whether to collaborate together with other artists related to Sound for Screen or to create a instrument intended for individuals with disabilities. Sound for screen is something I am interested in as a sound artist, so I think it would be beneficial for me to try more collaborations in this area and accumulate collaborative work experience. Nevertheless, I have never attempted to create or design musical instruments for special groups suz I believe this will be a particularly meaningful endeavour also.