Influences - Jonathan

Major Motion Picture influences (Sci-fi) : A Scanner Darkly, Alien, Sleepy Hollow, Total Recall, Donnie Darko, Sin City (Art style), Matrix, Limitless, The Truman Show, 23, The Fountain, The Butterfly effect, 28 Days Later, Prometheus, Minority Report and Inception. These are the major movies that we have chosen to analyse in a larger depth; in relation to both the chosen genre of our film (Sci-fi) and in terms of presentation and the codes and conventions used. While all of these movies are Sci-fi or at least have Sci-fi influences (Sin City) they have been used to greatly inform all our decisions and planning. Below is a quick overview of some of the influences

A Scanner Darkly: The unique colours, the font style and flickering typewriter method of presentation of text and information to the audience (one month earlier), the classic music, the use of a Drug as a critical part of the story. This is our main influence of the drug Elysium, the use of the soundtrack using classical music (Moonlight Sonata) and our replication of the flickering effect. The hallucinations appear almost instantaneously once the movie begins, similarly we want to include our representation of Limbo almost instantaneously. The bitter-sweet ending.

Alien: The use of Dark and Bright contrasting colours, the unique title and well known presentation of the "Alien" font, the mixture of the horror hybrid genre. The use of an Alien or a parasite as the monstrous antagonist. Futuristic technology etc.

Sleepy Hollow: The use of Steampunk, the hybrid horror genre, the classical score, eerie ambient music and atmosphere.

Total Recall: The unique colour and set design which is clearly set in the future, characters costumes and make up distinguish what the time period is and is reflective of the genre. The presentation of adverts to display a companies product i.e Total Recall memories and the drug Elysium. The use of futuristic technology such as the nano-tech in our plot. The use of implantation of memories into a subject. Similar to Inception.

Donnie Darko: A dark mental antagonist, the use of the nightmarish world, "Frank"as a sinister in appearance creature and the presentation of the title in the sky. The eerie narration of the protagonist.

Sin City: The unique art and costume design (monochrome with one colour highlighted).

Memento: the unique presentation of showing the movies time line back to front, as the movie is played almost backwards as earlier events are played in sequence throughout the movie.

Aside from these major influences other media has influenced us greatly such as Greek mythology (Fields of Elysium), Silent Hill (the use of a nightmarish version of the world), Devil May Cry (the use of the world of Limbo). Resident Evil adverts and trailers promoting the fictional umbrella products. Breaking bad is also an influence for the title, using the chemical symbols "Li" of the periodic table.

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Hopefully the use of all these influences such as an early created enigma, various uses of the codes and conventions of the Sci-fi genre, such intricacies as referencing Greek and various other Mythology and creating our own chemical formula which is a play on words, the use of an interesting plot and character the use of playing out the story backwards, the twist at the end, the unique presentation and original creation of the Drug Elysium and the use of: classical music for the unnerving effect while still remaining very Sci-fi influenced, the Sin City art effect shown in Limbo, the colour, costume and set design (all of which have been influenced by other films in which I have analysed).