PRE-PRODUCTION: Visual Style Research & Choices

The visual style is what makes a Film or Television series unique and signature to that piece of work. It adds a cinematic quality to the work and enhances the appearance on screen as well as the storytelling process. Not only can certain aesthetics act as a visual aid on screen and amplify the creativity, it can also evoke a range of emotions for the audience and help to tell the story. The visual style entails a number of aspects from the lighting/colouring which are the most obvious elements, to the cinematography, music, costumes, props and sets. All of which can determine the themes and tone of the work and give it a personal signature.

The Director of the production has the most control over the visual style, with some Directors choosing to focus on the Actors, whereas others will plan out every single detail of the visual aspects to put a really personal stamp on their work and set it apart from others.
I intend on focussing predominately on the lighting/colouring and the cinematography for the visual style of Motherhood as I think that these aspects are the most important. I have also covered sets and costume design in locations and characters so intend on focussing on other elements for the visual style.

Some of the visual themes for this production include dark, low key lighting, with a blackened colour palette. It will have a modern feel to it as it is set at present day but the rural town should have a really gritty appearance to it.


Lighting/Colouring

Influences for the lighting and colouring include Tim Burton who is an American Film Director and Producer, known for his critically acclaimed work including Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and animated film Frankenweenie. Burton is widely recognised for his gothic, eccentric style that is evident through costumes, sets, props but also largely through the lighting and colouring choices he makes. He often uses a blackened colour palette, bringing the saturation right down to achieve a very subdued but also very dark, gothic appearance. This can be seen in the image below from Sweeney Todd. For Motherhood, I would like to use a similar blackened colour palette to highlight the rural town setting and really set off the dark, dingy tone of the series. This will become even more apparent towards the second half of the series when the audience begins to see Vivian's demise and the town's setting will reflect her struggles.

For colouring, I have looked at the colouring used in Canadian Science Fiction Thriller television series Orphan Black. I wanted to look at this series in terms of its visual stye because the use of lighting and colour has a very signature style and helps to set the tone. The mood board shown below seems to have a recurring theme of a blue-green coloured tint which is apparent in a lot of the visual imagery. Other visual signatures of this series include lens flare and spot lighting. Both of these techniques work really well with the colouring, adding to the Thriller genre and setting the series apart from others. In terms of colouring for Motherhood, the blue coloured tint used her as seen in Orphan Black is really interesting and would suit the dark, contrasting lighting I intend to incorporate. I also think that the use of the colour blue will evoke negative emotions of pain and despair that Vivian would be feeling.

Framing/Shot Types
In terms of framing and shot types used in Orphan Black, I have noticed that there are a lot of high and low angle shots that are used to create a sense of dominance and threat for the character of Sarah in the series. These are importance as they hint to the audience of potential danger. I have also noticed the use of focus pulling in the series that can dramatise some of the more action filled scenes and make them appear more harsh and enthralling. The cinematographer has then also used a softer focus pull for softer moments to give the audience breathing space and create more contrast.

I imagine the use of establishing shots will be important to set each location and give the audience some really lasting impressions. I also think that these will create huge contrast between the setting of the secluded neighbourhood to the hectic environment of Downtown Greenville. 

I would also like to incorporate a number of close up shots that show the point of view of the characters and intensify some of emotions during scenes of suspense or sadness. The use of high and low angle shots will also be useful during tense and dramatic moments. These types of shots are often used by film Director David Fincher.