Cast

Ada- Linda Richardson, Agnes Evans-Forrest

Arthur- Jack Laffargue

Charlie-

Alice-

Matilda-

Theo-

Examples of Wes Anderson's use of specific colour palletes

The fictional worlds evoked in films by the director Wes Anderson have such a precise colouration – the very particular pastel-hues that paint the skies, drench the buildings and dress the characters, render Anderson’s shots almost dream-like. The hazy-hued lens through which we peer into the director’s unique world has a retro quality that casts his films in a nostalgia for a time that could have been. The muted pink of The Grand Budapest Hotel that makes the hotel itself the biggest character in the movie; the very particular French mustard that comes to define Gwyneth Paltrow’s Margot Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums; the vintage boy-scout green in Moonrise Kingdom.
Artist and Wes Anderson enthusiast Hamish Robertson says, “Anderson's colour palettes are integral to his cinematic ‘world-building’. His eye for art direction and fantastic attention to detail creates the appropriate space and tone for his characters to exist in – and for the viewer to lose themselves in. They ultimately become their own visual language, the way character themes are elaborated in cinematic scores, allowing an immersive visual experience whether the sound is on or not.”




Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel was a welcome return to the screen for the director: the film's eternal spring pinks and yellows explode on the screen like an overstuffed bag of cake icing. Yet inside this treasure box with the detailed and finely crafted production design, cinematography and ensemble performances now associated with Anderson's later works deep, saturated jewel tones abound, not to mention different aspect ratios and palettes consistent with the passing of time.

 

 

 

 

 



Analysis of the opening sequence of "Up"

 

 

 We chose to include the opening sequence of up on our blog due to the fact that we thought that the narrartive was fairly similar to that of the one in our film. "Up" is a 2009 American computer-animated comedy, drama, adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studions and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Pete Docter, the film centers around an elderly widower named Carl Fredriksen and a young wilderness explorer named Russell.
Our initial inspiration for our film came from watching the opening sequence of theis film. We were intrigued by the way that the film showed the relationship between Carl and his wife through the years starting at a point where they are both young children to the point where they reach old age. We decided that we wanted to show the relationship of an elderly couple and we thought that showing flashbacks to their relationship when they were younger would add a sense of depth to the characters. We also thought that it would be a nice change to show a representation of an elderly couple because most romance films show young couples in their late teens or twenties.

Feedback MGS 03/12/15

1. Draft Footage uploaded
2. Shoot finished by early January
3. Editing should be completed by the end of next term
4. Use animatic-digital storyboard

Storyboard Plan

1. Beach Sequence

1. Production Company Indent.
2. Dip/fade to black (Black screen)
3. Long shot of a proposal at a beach
   
4. High angle medium shot looking down on man proposing on the beach.
   
5. Close up of the wedding ring being handed to the woman.
   
6. Low angle medium shot showing the woman’s happy reaction to receiving the proposal on the beach.
   
7. Shot same as shot 4.
8. Shot similar angle to shot 6 but slightly closer up with a tear coming out her eye.
9. Shot 3 again freezeframe.

1. Finding Box Sequence

1. Same as sequence 1 shot 9 but inside a picture frame on a mantelpiece in a house.
   
2. Medium shot of a grandmother sitting with her grandchildren on the sofa in her house.
   
3. Young boy walks through door holding a suitcase.( doesn’t look like boy in picture below but similar height and carries suitcase in similar way)
   

1.)    Same as sequence 2 shot 2 but with boy on the right.

2.)    Shot of an open suitcase on the old woman’s lap. The suitcase is old in the style of the one on the bottom left. But from the angle of the one on the bottom right. Inside the suitcase is a diary, a record, an old withered rose, an old camera ( similar to a pentax or an Olympia), a shell, a pocket watch, a champagne cork and old fashioned childs shoes.

 

 

3.)    Close up of the old woman smiling.

 

4.)    Same as sequence 2 shot 5 but she is now holding the diary.

Feedback MGS 06/11/2015

1. Shooting must begin next week with the intention that the majority of footage is completed by Christmas.
2. Film form research linked to genre, sound, cinematography, editing and mise-en-scene.
3. Research into different narratives within the genre
4. Mind map of original ideas.
5. Complete detailed storyboard and add it to the blog.
6. Write a detailed storyboard.
7. Draft filming
8. Draft photographs.

"Dearest Ada" Screenplay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dearest Ada

Draft 1

 

Screenplay by:

 

Francesca Wallace

Will Pallant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scene 1 - Beach - The proposal - 1964

Flashback. The beach. They are alone on the beach. Arthur and Ada walk hand in hand along the beach. Ada goes over to pick something up, a shell or something similar. Arthur is hesitating, almost stuttering when he talks.

Arthur

So Ada I was wondering…

Arthur get’s down on one knee.

 

Ada

Look Arthur isn't this pretty.

As Ada turns around she notices Arthur on one knee, there’s a slight hesitation as she begins her next sentence as an element of surprise begins to grow on her face.

 

Arthur

I mean I have been wondering since we’ve met.

Ada walks towards Arthur slowly.

I was wondering, if you would marry me?

A tear exits from Ada’s eye as she almost runs to Arthur who greets her running with a hug of which Ada squeezes him.

Is that a yes?

 

Ada

Yes, Arthur, Yes, I will most definitely marry you.

A shot of them hugging zooms in. Arthur places a ring on her finger.

2015, back in the lounge, Ada has a reminiscent look on her face, Ada is sitting in the lounge alone, surrounded by many boxes, of which she is trying to decide whether to keep or not, her grandson Charlie walks in with yet another box.

Charlie

I’ve found this box nanny, would you like to keep it or are we getting rid of it.

 

Ada

Let me have a look Charlie…

Long pause as she is looking through the box at the contents, slight hesitation. She notices a record by The kinks.

Oh my, i think i recognise this box… you see your grandfather and I collected these items through our marriage. Charlie grandad and I were married for a very long time.

Ada begins looking rather emotional however quite reflective, as all the memories of her and her husband's 55 years together are flashing back on her. She notices a letter in the box, picks it up and begins to read it. Ada begins to read the letter aloud.

Dearest Ada, When I reflect on our 51 years together, there are a number of memorable days. I cannot help but be reminded of the moment I first met you. It was the year of 1964.

Ada’s narration of the letter then changes to a voiceover of her late husband; Arthur in which there is a flashback of the memory her husband, Arthur is narrating.

 

Scene 2 - Dreamland - Ada and Arthur roller skating - 1964

Arthur

The date of the memory is narrated by Arthur, it also appears on the right bottom corner of the screen, in a typewriter font, the sound of a typewriter is narrating the date. In the background you can see a room full of people roller skating.

Friday 7^th November 1964.

Fade out of font.

You Really Got Me by The Kinks begins to play.

 I can recall the first day i laid eyes on you, we were both rollerskating at dreamland, the kinks were playing in the background, I had been watching you rollerskate, not in a weird way, it was just i couldn’t help but acknowledge your beauty, you had this element of surprise in your face, as if you were waiting for the next moment you could share your excitement with someone, whatever that excitement was.

Ada takes a glimpse at Arthur from the other side of the room of where Arthur is, Ada smiles then turns back to her friend.

I saw you take a glimpse at me. I couldn’t hold a smile back, you looked like you had so much to tell, it was as if you were just waiting for the moment to tell all of these wonderful secrets.

Arthur and his friend begin rollerskating at which point we see Ada and Arthur collide, not enough to fall, but enough to acknowledge who each other are.

As my friend and I entered the roller skating rink, i felt this body collide with me as i turned around I saw you giggle.

Ada giggles, Arthur cracks a smile.

You were very apologetic, both of our friends must have known each other as, as we had had our collision (Arthur giggles) our friends had begun talking, I took this opportunity to start talking to you, somehow I managed to persuade you into going on a date with me.

 

Ada

Return back to the lounge scene where Ada is crying slightly, her granddaughter who is now in the room starts comforting her. The narration of the scene is now by Ada, who continues to narrate the next stage of the letter. Ada picks up the pocket watch.

Soon after we had gone on a date, we were married and everything seemed to happen extremely fast as I can then just remember it being my 21st birthday and you gave me this silver pocket watch, because i never had a watch and you were always the one telling me the time.

Zoom into pocket watch which is in Ada’s hand, Flashback of Arthur's 21st birthday, Pocket watch is in Arthur's hand zoom out and we see Arthur opens the pocket watch, date appears in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, as Arthur narrates the date.

 

Arthur

Monday 10th January 1965.

At this moment we see a room filled with people form, Arthur is presented with a cake and we see him blow the candles out, someone is taking a picture with an old camera, in which we focus on this person, see them take the photograph through their view and then flashback returns to 2015 where grandson; Charlie is putting the camera down; graphic match, we are back in 2015.

 

Ada

Ada picks up a cork.

 

Ada

It was 1965, we were married and I had just received a promotion, you brought home a bottle of champagne to celebrate.

Flashback to 1965. Arthur and Ada are both at home, she walks through the door with a bottle of champagne and gives him a hug, they are both smiling.

 

Arthur

Thursday 22nd May 1965.

The date appears on the bottom right hand corner of the screen as Arthur narrates the date and the next stage of the letter.

I recall never being able to get rid of the cork because we didn’t have much money and we still celebrated as you were so excited for me. This was one of our happiest memories as this job meant that everything was going to be ok, as I had a pay rise and you would no longer have to work at that awful cafe anymore.

We see them drink the champagne and celebrate. Flashback, then back to 2015. Ada continues to sit in the lounge, with her two grandchildren. Her face shows her emotions towards the letter and how emotional she feels.

 

Ada

Continues to read the letter, the narration has now switched back to her.

After I got my new job it meant that finally we could have a holiday and since we never had the chance to go on a honeymoon, this was our first holiday as  a married couple. You were so excited and couldn't stop talking about it until we actually arrived.

Ada picks up a shell. Flashback to beach scene of them on holiday.

 

Arthur

Arthur narrates the date.

Saturday 7th August 1966.

We stayed in a small B&B in Cornwall, right next to the beach, I think we must have visited  the beach everyday, because you just loved picking up new shells, even if they were identical to the one you found before.

Arthur and Ada walk along the beach hand in hand. Ada continues to collect shells. Arthur is patient, he admires her.

Once they have walked along the beach we return to 2015, Ada still sat in the lounge narrating the letter from Arthur that she is reading.