director's folder idiots' paradise

8/7/2019 Director's Folder Idiots' Paradise

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Directed by: Screenplay by: Produced by:Rodrigo GonzlezLarrondo

Nicols Wellmann BenjamnSandoval

DIRECTORS FOLDER


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STORYLINE

DIRECTORS VISION

VISUAL TREATMENT

MUSIC

CHARACTERS

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Martin has only one dream in his head: to find the last indigenous of the Peikum southern tribe. In order to

do so, he applies for a research grant. If he gets it, hemust travel south, if not, hell stay in town. Both thingshappen and two plots begin simultaneously. In one of them Martin lives his dream surrounded by the forest and writings, facing his expectations with a reality not asperfect as he imagined. In the other one Martin becomesa white-collar worker, systematic and routinary, in which

the non-existing expectations cover him with an apathy that threatens to end him. In both stories there is Emily,a woman with whom he will define which road, in thisjourney of expectations, will turn out better.

Storyline:

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Directors Vision:

Idiots Paradise is one story divided into two

plots, which simultaneously display two differ-ent versions of a couples life, and their con-nection with expectations.

In the plot located at the forest, the main char-acter remains a nonconformist and an idealist,while in the other one; he becomes a con-

formist and a very passive man regarding hiscircumstances. These are contrary views thattry to talk generally about the expectations inlife and how these conditionate our behaviorand keep us living in opposite ends.

The key to all of this is to face a piece froman objective point of view and with a realisticperspective, combined with the sort of magi-cal game generated between the two plots,especially when theres a crossover of the uni-verses, thus proving, overall, that is the sameworld but in two different versions.

Directors Folder


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On the other hand, having a specific position,not only about the subject of expectations, but

also about couples relationships and workingrelationships, this movie unfolds upon itself asocial issue, regarding the anthropological.

So we seek for a representation of publicspaces, people in the streets, office colors,traffic sound, etc., in order to reveal and high-

light different elements that illustrate todayslife just as it is: with minimum space, success-oriented, contradictory and tending towardsmistakenness.

Overall, this young anthropologist is intro-duced with an obsession about investigatinga mystical indigenous, and the two possibleresults of the grant that would allow such in-vestigation are delivered.

Both plots end with a much more unbalancedand negative Martin compared to the begin-

ning.

This shows that Martins life was starting tolose balance even before the delivery of theresults, and while the movie progresses, thiswill be visually highlighted by Martins life con-text and his environment. Not planted as a vic-tim but as a son of the circumstances.

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Directors Vision.


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So, disregarding each plots changing curve,the film communicates that, in order to reach

our center, we need to look past our circum-stances and try searching inside ourselves.

It is also important to highlight that the Anainikindigenous, the last one of the fictional Pei-kum tribe (based on the story of the Selknam),symbolizes that last breath of balance, the de-

parture from our own center, which leads usto act over the edge, unwisely.

Directors Vision.

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Visual Treatment :

DirectorsProposal:

REGARDING THE CAMERA AND THE VIEWER

This film focuses mostly on Martin. Even though Emiliais also a main character, it is based on Martins dream achieved and not- that we analyze the two options gener-ated regarding the topic of expectations: one of them fillshimself with excitement, producing a confrontation withreality that upsets him. The other one has very low ex-pectations, which turns him apathetic and bitter. By pre-

senting these two options, I wish for the viewer to joinboth paths, making every discovery while Martin doestoo. Many are the changes the main character experienc-es during the film, given the time of the story that occursin a very important time of his life, so while the viewerexperiences these changes with Martin, I wish to achievethe needed empathy and the discovery of our proposals.

This way the camera becomes a living observer, an invisi-ble spy with the possibility to feel even Martins breath. Isan observer that steps back when facing something thatdoesnt concern him, or when he needs to be looking ata more general picture; but he becomes the authenticpoint of view (not subjective camera) of the main charac-ter when he senses, like Martin, the need to know whatis going on. The hand-held camera will allow the recogni-tion of such observer, and it will be complemented with


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a kind of documentary technique, established since theneorealism as a language of fiction, needed to achieve

the realism in the depth of the represented universe. It is common for the script to establish certain detailsbased on the plot, like a computer particularity. In orderto maintain the integrity of the script this will be solvedvery subtly, maintaining the aesthetic over the detail,framing it while avoiding major cuts.

When Martin is not in the scene, this look is neutralized,highlighting even more the role of the observer that fol-lows him. In these cases the camera will take a more ob-jective look, without the intention of being part of someother characters experience or getting too involved in

their findings.

The portrayal, especially of the city, that represents a lifestyle filled with contradictions and wrong decisions, willbe integrated to the main characters path, conceptual-izing the urban by interventions in the editing process.

The fragmentation into shots will be focused on includingexternal life to the story, giving the general tone of thefilm, which is based on our temporary and social context.We want to reliably capture a realistic world that bringsus, filmmakers and viewers, together.

Visual Treatment.

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Visual Treatment.


Cinematography

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

In terms of cinematography we propose to use a realisticand contemporary aesthetic trend, similar to what MichelGondry does in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

On the other hand, closer to the digital HD capture modethat we will use, with the entire film shot with a hand-held camera, the use of natural light at night and a cam-era adequate to a more objective observer, Once, fromdirector John Carney, is also a direct reference to IdiotsParadise.


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Visual Treatment.

Directors Folder 09

Once.

500 Days of Summer is a dark comedy that attemptsto demystify the classical love of the chosen one im-posed by Hollywood for decades, a goal that we share inour film. In terms of aesthetic, we use it as a referencefor the elegant interaction between its art design and itscinematography.

The use of realism in the case of Idiots Paradise causesa constant visual paradox between the grayish universeof the cosmopolitan city and the warm universe of thesuburban town like the beach or the forests of southernChile, until the main characters split.


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Visual Treatment.

500 Days of Summer.

The characteristics of this aesthetics basically respond tothe use of a set or a location as an element that is free

of typical visual conflicts. The use of natural light sourcesor simple artificial light sources, allow a certain freedomon dramatic terms, essential for the story, giving moreautonomy to the actors, so they can create, choose, andportray.


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Directors Folder 11

Music :

The associations between the sound and the image must not be inter-preted only as a simple add, but a narration that guides the plot and the

symbolisms in a conductive way.

For example, in the moment when Martin hasnt received the results of the grant yet, an environment of a tribe will be created, taking elementsof the Selknam, which will project dreamy and magical atmospheresand a desire of yearning from the main character.

In the forest, instrumentation will be used to transport the viewer to aplace away from the city, with sounds of nature, nice and peaceful. Thiswill also be represented by music that longs to express beauty and exces-sive emotion.

On the other hand, the office will be associated with a much more con-

trolled music, geometrical and even minimal. At times it will represent thefrustration, despair or boredom, symbolizing the monotony and problemsof his lack of romance with Emilia, which will always try to respond toMartins search for meaning.

Synthesizing, the music works as another narrative element, contrastingand differentiating both plots, while also maintaining the magical union of being part of the same universe.


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Main Characters:

Lead Roles:

MARTIN (28)Of medium height, quite thin and angular face, his appealing is not re-markable at first sight. He comes from a middle class family, currentlylive in Concepcin City, Chile. He, broadly speaking, has always been anurbanized provincial. Martin is a guy who has postponed a lot in his lifebecause of the obsession he has to obtain an investigation grant. He hasa tendency to channel his life under one parameter. He has staked toomuch into the grant application, coming even to refuse to think about afuture where he doesnt obtain it.

MARTIN with grant He has medium long hair and a beard that is constantly becoming leafier.He is much more emotional and has a specific tendency towards impa-

tience and irritability. Determined by how things work out, his expecta-tions enter a permanent conflict with reality. This Martin travels to thesouth and after living with the indigenous that he was tracking down forhis research, he starts writing and talking about the experience he livedthere. Emilia becomes a kind of substitute parameter and makes him suf-fer again when she fills him up with doses of contradictions. He is intoler-ant, and idealistic who needs the world to become as he imagines.


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MARTIN without grant He has short hair and hes always shaved. He is rational, calm and patient,perhaps too much. This Martin works in a generic office, performing acompletely invisible task. For this Martin, Emilia is a part of his routine,someone who just showed up; even though theres no doubt he has somefeelings for her. Determined by how things work out, he becomes a guythat doesnt expect anything from life. This quality protects him from ahostile reality even though little by little it becomes a new apathetic per-sonality. Martin becomes stiff, introvert; deep down he has picked up akind of phobia to any type of commitment. When he becomes aware of his new state of mind, he makes an effort to react, but he is very unlikelyto succeed.

EMILIA (29)She goes by an executive/casual look. Emilia comes from a middle class

family from the capital who consider themselves high class. She is strongand independent. She is a very talented and precocious surgeon. Emiliahas always conducted her life in a conventional way. She has always donewhat shes supposed to do, in matters of education, work, and love life.Nevertheless she hides a desire for adventure which is why she lives withthe feeling of something that is missing in her life. Emilia is very intelligentand educated, but is drowned to light type of entertainment, like junktelevision. Shes rather cold and ironic, although shes much more alivecompared to Martin. The truth is that Emilia is someone who wants togive something at steak but doesnt dare, she needs to feel secure of herdecisions and the conventional is the best way to do that.

Directors Folder 13

Main Characters.


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Main Characters.

Secundary Roles:

ROBERTOA 29-year-old man, thin with a kind of beatnik look. Roberto is some-one who has decided to take life without the problems of the majority,although his way of being has allowed him to have enough commoditiesfor that. He is a party, alcohol and stimulants fan. He has personality al-

most completely opposite to Martins, which makes him the only personwith whom the main character feels supported and listened. He is theonly close friend of Martin. The funny thing is that Roberto doesnt haveany problems advising him, given he knows how to manipulate him soMartin himself draw his own conclusions, that is, he says what Martindoesnt want to hear, with the purpose of shaken him. In this way, he be-comes someone pretty pragmatic yet also showing great concern about

his friend Martin.

AKAINIK / INDIGENOUSA 40-year-old man, approximately. Of pure indigenous blood, he comesfrom the Peikum tribe. When he meets Martin, suddenly Akainik findshimself in his last phases of acculturation. Hes already equipped by some

remedies he needs and the commodity of certain occidental elements. Inthis way, he symbolizes the lost of balance from the pure and natural stateof an indigenous. The loss of the center. This discovery provokes in Martinthe change of vision about his eternal dream, and the destruction of theidealization he always had about it, leading that Martin to such levels of non-conformity which, finally, turn against his goals.



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TOBAS / MARTINS BOSSA 37-year-old man, of medium size and tough features. In general, he ispretty standard in his dressing and looks. Tobias is Emilias former boy-friend. He is sub manager in the company where he works and has asmall group of people in charge. He sees in Martin a person who man-

aged to make things work with Emilia, a thing that he could never do;this way, he has a certain admiration for him. As it turns out, he is verybasic when it comes to personal relationships. At sight, it looks like hedoesnt have much behind his eyes, as if he were constantly lost. But asmile and a plastically emphatic attitude yet, finally, nice- have madehim meet his goals. Surprisingly, he does things pretty well.

CARLOSA 35-year-old man, of good presence and nice features. He has a similarstyle with Emilia regarding sophistication and good taste. He and Emiliawere a couple a long time ago; after that, they ended up as friends, whichmakes Emilia very comfortable around him; and is it understood that thereis a dominion of her over him, who will always feel a non-corresponding

attraction for her. He will always be unconsciously trying to please her,and she will be delimiting her territory, state in which his friendship holdsrather well.

Directors Folder 15

Main Characters.


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www.paraisodelosidiotas.clDirectors Folder


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Directed by: Screenplay by : Produced by:Rodrigo GonzlezLarrondo

Nicols Wellmann BenjamnSandoval

www.paraisodelosidiotas.clMore Information:

director's folder idiots' paradise

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