Art Director Project

Brief Contest to develop the art direction of a free adaptation of the novel “Who killed Palomino Molero?� written

by Mario Vargas Llosa. An art direction manual and two scaled models where presented

within

the

project for the audiovisual production.

2

Art direction manual and scaled models of two locations.

Art direction (by michelle) Art direction should set the script in visual terms, supporting the intention and the emotional load of the characters through esthetic elements like the scenography and atmosphere, the props, the make-up and the wardrobe.

The art director should take distance from personal taste: objectivity is very important. While having a broad knowledge in art and history, the art director analyzes and defines some of the following elements:

The story • The narrative • The protagonist The AntagonisT • The main axis • The main and secondary plots • The Plot twists • The sotryline • The tone • The genre • The subgenre •The atmospheres • The Tensions • The symbols • The spatial-temporal conditions • The apathy • The mímesis • The symbolic aspects • The Historic occurrences • The Epochs • The esthetic • The metaphors • The rhetoric • The environment • The illumination • The dominant location • The interior spaces • The architectures • The clothing • The makeu p • T h e P r o p s • Etc …

This way it is possible to create a visual universe.

(( I chose to show this project amongst others I’ve done. Having explored many areas of design I can say that art direction fascinates me profoundly. I like thinking about the spaces, the architectures, the clothing, Etc. I like to construct on contexts and existent or fictional imaginary. I like to fragment every character, object and moment until y can grasp the very essence, the secret message, intention or emotion.

I like to find what is underlying and then transmit visually the narrative behind the narrative.

I love to create visual universes. ))

This project was created with the help of Diana Aldana & David Chicaeme, I thank them for their creative minds and skilled hands.

Introduction Our frame was the coastal city of Buenaventura, Colombia in the 50’s.

We tried to understand and take over the world of Buenaventura with its historic, esthetic and artistic load.

Starting with an introspective reading of the play we could suggest visual languages for the materialization of concepts, metaphors and esthetic atmospheres with theatrical effects.

For our project we decided to go further: we added some concepts and elements to make the art direction even more expressive and interesting.

Historic and political context During the decade of 1950 Buenaventura

Many children died during this period

turned into the most important harbor on

because of disease caused by parasites,

the pacific coastline. It was significant for

malaria, tuberculosis and a bunch of

the country’s commerce, but also home for

viral flues. Political efforts were made to

some of the first major naval operations in

construct a better city infrastructure so that

drug traffic. The context of the art direction

public health would improve.

takes in political occurrences that where decisive to the culture of the Valle del

Rojas Pinilla was named President and

Cauca region. Monsignor Gerardo Valencia

Buenaventura became a modern commerce

Cano established the social doctrine of the

city. In the year 1954 every woman, without

Catholic Church in that territory, supported

racial exclusion, could have the opportunity

by military efforts of General Gustavo Rojas

to vote in political affairs.

Pinilla. A city controlled by the army and the church.

Our visual universe:

This blog contains all the links and references of the pictures used in the art direction manual: http://linksportafoliomichelleschaefr.tumblr.com/

(Basic concepts)

Syncretism, magic y destiny The reality of this story spills over the

Characters that contrast different life

Pacific Ocean, at the peak of a village

styles, values and ways to apprehend

pictured

traditions

religion, are trapped in a mystical

segregated by religiousness. A strong

knowledge that dissolves the reality

syncretism

of

between

of a town charged with tradition.

Catholicism

and

develop

Buenaventura, still at the essence,

different

with

ways

cultural cultures SanterĂ­a of

reading

and

but in a different legitimacy. Strong

interpreting the supernatural forces.

contrast, diverse architectures, isolated

This way faith is presented and moral is

moments, luminous and rich spaces,

constructed into the content of actions.

saturations, dilapidated and lugubrious

The atmospheres and the attitudes of

corners, will make their way between

the stage break the rim with energy of

the characters that transit around in

magic realism. The content is broken

their costumes and personalities.

down by a vibrating force of symbols that manifest in sparks of fiction, which give origin to a cultural symbiosis in the attitude of the protagonists and in the set up of the geography.

Visualizing the visual universe We made many moodboards that helped

(( The moodboards kept the emotions and

us to remember and visualize constantly

sensations of what we wanted to transmit

our concept.

in the project. This way we could always get back to them as a reference when we felt

We created moodboards for each character,

lost. ))

location, concept, object and interior space‌ Etc. Example: Moodboard Buenaventura

We also made an imaginary map of the city that helped us understand where the story happened, where the different locations where and how the characters circulate.

We could establish two main atmospheres:

The urban sector: Here marked in light blue the urban sector has a predominant repetitive pattern, in this case the arch of the architectures. The style is organic, with ornaments and a colonial character. It shows magnificence in the shapes and details. Natural light and white color prevail; there is a notion of purity. The Catholic influence stands out in relationship with the wide structures influenced by the religious art and associated to the temple and the veneration.

Ba

se

Na

va

l

Iglesia

Pueblo de Talara Puerto Buenaventrua

Plaza

Puesto Policía Bulín

Fonda de Doña Adriana

Bar de la Chunga

Home of Asunta Molero

CASA ASUNTA MOLERO EL FARO

The lighthouse (not a part of the main atmospheres)

The rural sector: Here marked in a darker purple this atmosphere stands out for its religious syncretism. The pre-hispanic influences take their place and wake marginalized architectures that hide one on top of the other, contrasted and disorganized. Streets loose their elegance in unexplored places that create scenic noise. The atmosphere is full of roughness and presence of shadows sheltered in heavy gloomy tones, grids, strong textures and natural fibers. A rudimentary effect amongst the mystical and the religious fervor.

The art direction manual I will show some pages of the art direction manual (very few because it is really long).

This manual contains the final moodboards with the instructions for every aspect of the project.

The manual starts by making emphasis in the visualization of the characters.

Decisions that strengthen the non-verbal communication of aspects like clothing, make-up and esthetic qualities help in the creation of archetypes.

Further on in the manual all of the architectures are show. I will show only the relevant ones that were prototyped: The home of Asunta Molero and the Lighthouse.

Personajes : Doña Asunta / Ofelia Medina

Metáforas Arquetipos Estereotipos

Doña Asunta representa el karma, en medio de una amargura hacia la vida. Por su aflicción ante la muerte y la justicia divina, vive en desconexión con su realidad, pero en un fervor eterno hacia una religiosidad compulsiva. A pesar de su eterno luto, y en medio de un duelo tras la pérdida de cada uno de los miembros de su familia, no ha podido recobrar la tranquilidad, bajo sombras de dolor que la carcomen. Sus memorias son el motivo por el cual ella es mimética con la muerte, en un entorno que se ha desgastado con el tiempo, en un devenir cargado de símbolos místicos y fuerzas de santería, que representan su soledad, y su actitud frente a la vida.

Por tal motivo se aferra al sufrimiento, de un trastocado universo de aflicción, para a llevar a paso lento, un nudo silencioso de dolor que vitalmente la carcome. No termina de salir de un luto para empezar otro, así que cargada de karma, ha aprendido a resistir sin pausa, a sostener un idílico sentimiento por quienes la rodea, para rebelarse al destino de la justicia divina y a sobrellevar tanto hechizo de desasosiego.

Doña Asunta es entonces, una mujer supersticiosa; su fuerza vital se ve limitada ante la desesperanza de su fragilidad, y por estos motivos recae en un fervor hacia los objetos, y símbolos, por medio de oraciones expresadas en ritos, mensajes a los muertos, y algunas prácticas de brujería.

56 años Vestida de luto. Manos y cara que revelan el paso del tiempo así como sus pasos lloros y cuerpo delgado como su hijo Palomino. Trabajadora, victimaria, mártir, difunta y de fuertes creencias religiosas.

Arquetipo: Medusa (Tiene una maldiciónde de ser como una me dusa). Todo a su alrededor se convierte en piedra. Las serpientes simbolizan la muerte y su oscuro devenir.

28

29

Vestuario

Maquillaje 30

La a usencia de m aquillaje muestran q ue d o帽a Asunta n o se p reocupa por su i magen. S 贸lo unos tono s oscuros en la part e inferior de los ojos dan el efecto d e una mirada c ansada , con ojeras, que ha pasado por mucho dolor.

Peinado

Accesorios

31

Arquitecturas Casa Asunta Molero

55

EscenografĂ­as / Interior Casa Asunta Molero

56

Arquitecturas Faro

78

EscenografĂ­a / Interior Faro

UtilerĂ­a

Prototypes, Models :

Home of Asunta Molero

The house of Asunta Molero is loaded with emotions, metaphors, archetypes and stereotypes related to the character.

The model was made in a 1:10 scale.

The pictures where taken by me.

The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse is a remote place that keeps an atmosphere of its own. It has a great emotional burden: a different place that makes part of the story.

The model was made in a 1:20 scale.

(( The project was completed in 4 months: the manual and the two models. For the models it was important to make blueprints and prototype with materials and techniques to achieve results that look as real as possible. The textures on the walls, the floors, the materials and the props where carefully picked: every choice was consciously made. Like in everything; the importance is in the details.

I can conclude that art direction requires time and patience. I am glad that I could be a part of this project and I will always cherish the wonderful experience and the knowledge I collected in the process. This form of creation opens our mind to new worlds, new visual universes, and can be applied to everything we design.))