The Breakdown of a Break Up - Cinematography Initial Thoughts
The more I engage with this story, the more the idea of building two worlds seems to really jump out at me. This is a wonderful case of a strong, character study. In one world, Simon is going through the worst days of his life. Falling out of love with his wife and fighting for control. The other side, “the actor’s reality”, you see the start and blossoming of a new relationship. It’s not perfect by any means but through the lens of a non-reliable narrator, we experience all the thrills and emotions alongside our flawed protagonist.
Simon’s World - Hyper Realism
Initially we had talked about creating Simon’s world as a the film that they are watching, leaning a bit more into the surrealism and impressionism, I couldn’t help but think back on some modern Cinematography trends with some pretty highly successful genre films in the last couple years, specifically a lot of the A24 films that focus more on characters. The Cinematography is sharp, modern, and hyper realistic and the lighting is emotional but naturalistic. Everything looks like it can feasibly happen to us as an audience so that when the crazier situations happen, it really draws us in.
Some of examples of this style.
Russel’s World - Romantic Fantasy
When you are falling in love, you tend to see the world in rose tinted glasses. You remember only the good parts of every day and kind of ignore all the little quirks of a person. This is where I can absolutely see us present in some sort of presentational style. Proscenium arch style framing, stillness in the camera movements almost like if you are watching a dream. The lighting here is just motivated by emotional vibes, and less worried naturalistic motivation. Is this Simon’s fantasy or is this actually real? I’m also a huge fan of anthology series with an ensemble cast, where one main character, of a story becomes a background of a support role in another. Such as in Black Mirror, Easy etc. Double casting here can also be great into blending the two worlds, as unreliable as a fading memory.