American Beauty – Dillon King

Title:
American Beauty

Title Sequence

Title:
American Beauty

Approach:
American Beauty, the film directed by Sam Mendes, focuses on the family unit of Lester, the father; Carolyn, the mother; and Jane, their daughter. Each character wrestles with societal ideals: to be beautiful, powerful and loved. They struggle inwardly to live up to these societal dictates and work to free themselves from the twisted version that these ideals have become. This title sequence is designed with strong symbolic overtones. Camera passes seductively across a series of neon signs. The fog mirrors the unconscious mind. Bold color and frequency of the neon lights are hypnotic in the same way the characters are drawn to the pillars of sex, power and beauty. The signs are perversions of these pillars. A car in the final frame slowly drives away, representing each character’s desire to leave the societal pressures behind.

Approach:
American Beauty, the film directed by Sam Mendes, focuses on the family unit of Lester, the father, Carolyn, the mother, and Jane, their daughter. Each of these characters wrestle with familiar societal ideals: to be beautiful, powerful and loved. The characters struggle inwardly to live up to these societal dictates and work to free themselves from the twisted version that these ideals have become. This piece is designed as symbology. In the style frames the fog of the setting mirrors the unconscious mind. The viewer is drawn to the color and frequency of neon lights just as the characters are drawn to the pillars of sex, power and beauty. The signs are perversions of these pillars. In the narrative of the film’s story each character worked to free themselves and leave the societal traps behind, just as the car in the final frame leaves their symbols behind.

Role:
Individual Project

Storyboard:
The narrative is conceived in three parts or chapters. Each part gives insight into the inner struggles of the three main characters against imposed societal ideals. We start in close to each sign in sequence and come out to reveal the symbols of the associated perverted societal ideal in their isolated roadside location.

Storyboard:
The narrative is conceived in three parts or chapters. Each part gives insight into the inner struggle that the three main characters against imposed societal ideals. We start in close to each sign in sequence and come out to reveal the symbols of the associated perverted societal ideal in their isolated roadside location.

01

Asset Development:
Each of the locations has neon signage which is evocative of a decaying societal construct meant to seduce us. The signs were conceived with consideration to the symbol and how it would be placed in the scene. The structure and the neon work together to symbolize the idea of being exposed and bared.

02

Lighting Reference:
The glow of neon references the inner thoughts and unconsciousness of our inner struggles. These references allow the color to characterize each of the chapters of the narrative. The references are of nighttime fogginess which captures the idea of the unconscious desires.

03

Environment Reference:
The environment is conceived of as playing a large part in the narrative. We see how isolated each character has become and the roadside environment of the barren and vast desert evokes this isolation. Each reference location recalls the idea of a neglected and decaying society.

Environment Reference:
The environment is conceived of as playing a large part in the narrative. We see how isolated eachcharacter has become and the roadside environment of the barren and vast West evokes this isolation.Each reference location recalls the idea of a neglected and decaying society.

04

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dillon.king@gmail.com