The subject of alcohol is blatant in the film, with Ian going to the pub to drink on various occasions. The alcohol may be contributed to the violence of his depression-induced mood swings and the loss of control in his life. The protagonist of my video is also hinted to be dabbling with alcohol and prescription drugs. The film also contains many memorable shots using the rule of thirds, with characters filling one section to the side of the shot. I plan on incorporating the rule of thirds into my video on various shots, and the specific shot of Ian sitting in front of the bed to the side has inspired me to use a similar shot.
The opening scene of Danny Boyle's 'Shallow Grave' has also inspired me to experiment with certain shots, specifically the spinning bird's eye view/close up of Chris Eccleston's character.
Though I am currently unsure whether or not the shot will work or even be used in the final cut, I plan to attempt it or a similar shot focusing on my protagonist in his bed. A shot in this format will connote the confusion the protagonist is feeling and the ambiguous dream-like composition of the closing half of the video. A similar rotating shot is used in Sam Raimi's 'Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn', though on a much larger scale and nauseatingly quick. The format seen in Shallow Grave will be my favoured method.
The use of the cobbled streets of Elm Hill in the dream sequence directly links back to a lyric from 'The Sound of Silence' by Simon and Garfunkel:
The imagery in the line 'In restless dreams I walked alone, narrow streets of cobblestone' has inspired the outdoor section of the dream sequence in my production. The reference is quite literal in the inclusion of Elm Hill and its narrow cobblestone roads during what is hinted to be one of the protagonist's dreams. The lonely old streets of 1940s Vienna as seen in The Third Man have also served as inspiration for this segment. The Sound of Silence was also featured most recently in the 2009 film adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel Watchmen, playing partially during The Comedian's funeral. The themes of civil unrest in Watchmen and specifically The Sound of Silence may be appealing to the general demographic of 16/18-25 year old young alternatives in my audience wanting to rebel against the social norms. Similar appeal could be found in the protagonist of Insomniac, who himself is of a similar age group to my target audience.
The imagery in the line 'In restless dreams I walked alone, narrow streets of cobblestone' has inspired the outdoor section of the dream sequence in my production. The reference is quite literal in the inclusion of Elm Hill and its narrow cobblestone roads during what is hinted to be one of the protagonist's dreams. The lonely old streets of 1940s Vienna as seen in The Third Man have also served as inspiration for this segment. The Sound of Silence was also featured most recently in the 2009 film adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel Watchmen, playing partially during The Comedian's funeral. The themes of civil unrest in Watchmen and specifically The Sound of Silence may be appealing to the general demographic of 16/18-25 year old young alternatives in my audience wanting to rebel against the social norms. Similar appeal could be found in the protagonist of Insomniac, who himself is of a similar age group to my target audience.
The autumnal graveyard location, added as a source of the character's melancholy (either due to a deceased loved one or the contemplation of his own encroaching death) and change of scene, promotes an almost horror-like atmosphere of dread which the protagonist feels. The daylight cemetary references the opening scene of Night of the Living Dead, in which Barbra visits a grave with her brother before the situation dawns on them. The autumn setting also echoes John Carpenter's Halloween, specifically the near opening shot of the falling leaves.
There is strong evidence of effective and interesting independent research. You may wish to take your camera up to Earlham Cemetery - you may catch some falling leaves and shots which would reinforce the idea of an alienated and troubled young man whose thoughts may turn to the romantic notion of an early death i.e. Keats (tuberculosis in Floorence), Shelley (drowned in a boating accident off the coast of Italy) and Byron (of fever whilst fighting in the Greek War of Independence)
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