2. Inspiration

1. Let me tell you about my boat...

The Life Aquatic is one of my favorite movies, and this scene is representative of it's style as a whole. The whimsical romp through his boat shows us a world that maintains a fantastical, heightened reality yet feels completely lived-in and used. The fourth wall is boldly broken down as our protagonist Steve Zissou shows gives us a documentary tour of his boat - but the cross-section cutaway is of course impossible in real life. I am inspired by how the lines of reality are blurred. The Life Aquatic is a film about a filmmaker making a film while trying to avenge a friend's death caused by one of his films. This scene's documentary style reflects and confuses the layers of the film to create a completely magical world, and that's just the way I like it.

2. The Dark Tower

Although books are not an extremely visual form of inspiration, I'll include Stephen King's The Dark Tower series on this list. Despite King's reputation as a contract writer who produces mindless, repetitive horror stories for quick cash (and maybe that reputation is earned, I've never read any other books by him), this series was amazing. What struck me the most was how long the distance traveled in the novels seemed. By the end of the series, I felt as if I had journeyed for thousands of miles and many months with the characters - a sure sign of an immersive experience.

3. Three Re-imagined Movie Posters

Artist Olly Moss re-imagined these movie posters for the original Star Wars trilogy. What inspires me is how he created such a striking effect with such a minimal style. By using the silhouettes of three iconic characters from the movies, he focuses of the relationships and interactions that have always been the basis of good storytelling. The out of focus, almost "misty" scenes contained by these characters evoke a sense of mystery and drama that we never got with the original posters. Overall, these posters suggest a much more involved, character-driven world than the original "space rock opera" posters ever did (Original).

4. Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bumblebee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening

This Dalí painting inspires me because it depicts a dream world so realistically. Here, the simple act of a bee sting explodes through layers of subconsciousness to become the insane sequence of events in the painting: pomegranate releasing fish releasing tigers releasing a rifle. What I find interesting is how, just like in one's own dreams, this explosion does not seem out of place because of the setting. The spindly-legged elephant and subtly sexual naked body of the dreamer herself placed in the indeterminate landscape of the painting makes the "awakening" seem normal. This is similar to how in dreams, the faces and places change without us ever noticing the impossibility of it all.

5. Up in the Air: Wedding Reception Scene

Up in the Air is undoubtedly one of the most complete movies I have ever seen. Each time I watch it, I notice more and more subtle cues and hints that are part of every scene. One scene in particular jumped to mind when I thought of the movie: the wedding reception. What inspires me here is how certain decisions with how this scene was presented adds to the meaning of the scene. In it, our main character Ryan Bingham is alienated from human connection and at home in the world of travel. He never stops to create relationships, choosing to rather "drop in" at most and focus on his work. But in this scene he attends his sister's wedding reception with the woman he has fallen in love with (although eh may not admit that to himself). For once, we do not hear him talking business or discussing downsizing. The soft music covers up whatever is actually said because it doesn't matter to us - it's between him and her. The scene is so powerful because their closeness is depicted in a way their words could never show. In addition, the warm color tones provide a stark contrast to the rest of the film: the reception seems so distant from the cold fluorescent blues and flat office and airport lighting that Bingham is used to. Finally, "home" - a place of people and warmth - is redefined for him in this once scene.