Beginning of Conciseness – FESCH.TV

Beginning of Conciseness & FESCH.TV:

My short film
The idea behind my short film is that there are international, multi million-dollar businesses that attract thousands of customers everyday and are infamous for condoning and defending ethically questionable actions. Sea World conduct animal entertainment shows daily while keeping large sea mammals in tanks that are upsettingly too small; McDonalds sources chicken from farms that produce and grow chickens inside on a mass scale; Disney’s activities produce tonnes of waste, and atmospheric carbon contributing to climate effects. This is linked to the beginning of consciousness, as a child Disney and SeaWorld are a dream but inevitably you reach an age where the dark reality comes to light, and you realise how damaging these companies are to yourself and the planet.

I chose to write about the will-reading scene in “Knives Out” which was directed by Rian Johnson, and costumes were designed by Jenny Eagan. The scene opens with a high angle of the the room in which every character can be seen, and this sets the tone as formal since the characters are sat in immediate family groups all facing the desk where the lawyer is sat. However, Marta is standing in the doorway as she isn’t part of the family and feels she isn’t welcome to sit with the family. The scene continues on, switching between eye-level close ups of everyone as Benoit makes a statement. The lawyer then reads the will which is shot from a low angle to show he holds power in the moment as he reveals the various inheritances to the Thrombey family members: everyone else is shot at head level as they are equal in this moment. Once the contents of the will are revealed the camera slowly zooms in on Marta as she reacts stunned to the news revealed, emphasising the shock that has been created. Each immediate family are shown with a close-up angle to capture their own reactions, then a high angle angle is used to show everyone rushing to the desk to debate and fight what has been unfolded. Linda is shown leaning on the desk from a low angle showing she holds the power as she insults the lawyer and commands everyone to leave. The Thrombeys end up following Marta outside where the camera changes to handheld: this creates a shaky affect to convey how chaotic the scene is, and overwhelmed Marta is feeling as she is in the centre of the shot.

Knives Out features contrasting costumes to fit the characters’ personalities: the Thrombeys pride themselves in their elegance and wealth yet they each dress elegantly in their own way. In the will reading scene Joni is wearing a floaty white lace dress to represent her characteristics: she is very relaxed and her lifestyle-business expresses this. Across the room is Walt’s family, and all three are dressed immaculately and in a matching manner, each in button-up shirts and a knitted jumper over the top. Both the wife and son of Walt have their hair slicked back to appear composed and clean. This reflects them having an old money attitude to wealth and wanting to appear as established in the lifestyle that they expect to inherit and inhabit. Then there is Linda the eldest child and a businesswoman, she feels she has to make an impression and standout. Linda does this through her clothes in the scene she is wearing a full maroon suit, the whole suit being one bold colour makes her standout, with a patterned scarf to add fashion and femininity. She dresses loudly and professionally to prove to others that she’s strong and capable. Richard, her husband, is sat next to her in blue jeans and a blue checkered shirt under a blue quarter zip jumper. Richard is dressed professionally too with the checked shirt, which is presumably Linda’s influence, yet it is dressed down with a blue jumper to cover it and blue denim jeans. Richard wears elegant yet casual clothes without bold colours as he has a casual personality and outlook on life. He isn’t as interested or eager as Linda to inherit the money and house, nor does he care about how he treats others as he shows little affection towards Linda in a time of loss. And in Marta we see someone who isn’t born into wealth like the Thrombeys and this can be shown through her costume. In the will reading scene Marta is dressed in black loose trousers, a yellow t shirt, pale purple sweatshirt and a grey coat. Marta is not dressed as elegantly as all of the Thrombeys, her clothes also don’t fit her perfectly as the coat sleeves are too small showing the wealth difference between her and the Thrombeys. Marta is dressed in pale colours with the bold colour under layers portraying her shy personality, especially in this scene where she is in an uncomfortable position, so she is dressed in multiple layers to signify she has her guard up.