THE ORIGINAL A PROCESS OF PRODUCING A SHORT FILM by Arthur Veenema A Senior Honors Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The University of Utah In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Honors Degree in Bachelor of Arts In Film and Media Arts Approved: ______________________________ _____________________________ Sterling Van-Wagenen Kevin Hanson Thesis Faculty Supervisor Chair, Department of Film and Media Arts _______________________________ _____________________________ Connie Wilkerson Sylvia D. Torti, PhD Honors Faculty Advisor Dean, Honors College December 2014 Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved The thematic goal of my short film The Original was to explore the blurred nature between reality and artificiality that arises from emerging technology. The Original questions an individual’s place amongst the simulated realities that have come to compose our world. The concepts behind my script were inspired by the writings of Jean Baudrillard. In his book Simulacra and Simulation, he first described the concept of hyperreality and the need for our society to fabricate existence, along with the subsequent destruction of any reality that occurs in the process. In The Original, Maia Long is a computer programmer tasked with evaluating a digital replication of her own mind. She notices that the machine is growing rapidly and thinking for itself. As the situation grows out of her control, Maia comes to the realization that this simulation may be an authentic consciousness, and their interaction casts her own individuality into doubt. iii Abstract …………….………..……….ii Concept………………………………..1 Pre-Production………….………..……5 Filming……………………………… 12 Post-Production………………………18 Closing……………………………….23 References……………………………24 1 In Simulacra and Simulation, Baudrillard described an interesting challenge faced by archeologists who sought to preserve the prehistoric paintings of the Lascaux Cave. In order to maintain the art’s integrity, the site was blocked off from visitors and an exact replica was constructed nearby for the public. Baudrillard pointed out that this generation only absorbed the copy, and thus “the duplication [sufficed] to render both artificial” (Baudrillard 9). This was only one example Baudrillard used to describe his concept of hyperreality, but it established an interesting question when I approached this project. If one can fabricate a duplication with no reasonable difference between the copy and the original, does that render both of them simultaneously fake and real? I found this idea to be fascinating within the context of modern technology and the process of digital reproduction. In a hyperreal culture, the division between intelligence and artificial intelligence is insignificant because our routine reality has already been consumed by simulations. The casual duplication of one’s thoughts and experiences has grown to become expected with the advent of photography, film, and the internet. True artificial intelligence may be the pinnacle of humanity’s need to replicate reality, and just as the original Lascaux Cave became artificial in the presence of its replica, so too can the human mind. Artificial intelligence has been explored throughout film history, from Metropolis (1927) to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). While these stories usually focus on the malevolence of robotics, I find the most fascinating narratives to be 2 those focused on humanity’s affiliation with technology and how that defines our experience with the world. For this reason, I see Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) as an excellent example of a science-fiction narrative, and one of the best examples of Baudrillard’s ideas in cinema. The distortion of reality through the art of film has been a theme interpreted by many artists over the course of the medium’s history. Buster Keaton utilized a similar idea as far back as Sherlock Jr. (1924). But since Baudrillard published his book in 1981, filmmakers have been gravitating more and more towards the idea. The most popular cameo of Simulacra and Simulation in film history was seen in the Wachowski Brothers’ The Matrix (1999). However, it’s important to note that this popular film doesn’t accurately depict Beaudrillard’s ideas since hyperreality does not allow individuals a choice between an authentic and an artificial. There are more functional examples of Baudrillard’s work, and for my inspiration I explored a variety of films across a spectrum of genres. David Cronenberg utilized hyperreality to horrific effect in Videodrome (1983). Satoshi Kon developed a unique visual style centered on the blurring of reality, most notable in Paprika (2006). And Charlie Kaufman was quick to reference Baudrillard’s work in his excellent drama Synecdoche, New York (2008). These filmmakers established that the reality we experience is not based on anything real. Instead, we are surrounded by symbols and simulations that have no foundation in anything other than the other symbols and simulations of society (Baudrillard 13). Baudrillard wrote extensively on the role of film and television in a hyperreal culture and how they perpetuate false simulations. This relationship between Baudrillard’s philosophy and the distribution of film was one of the most attractive aspects of this project for myself. The first draft of my short film was a radically different story. While the plot still focused on the idea of replicating a human mind within a machine, and the subsequent crisis of identity 3 that the protagonist experienced, I also focused on the mechanical reproduction of images inherent in the medium of filmmaking. I wanted to capture that idea in the story, and thus my first draft was a pseudo-documentary titled A Documentary Following Select Members of the Genesis Research Agreement, appropriately long and dry to establish a certain level of trust. I was fascinated with the idea of presenting a fictional story as truth, and the medium of documentary would’ve made for an intriguing look into film’s influence on reality. However, focusing on both artificial intelligence and the role of filmmaking proved to be a bloated task in an eight-minute film. My professors Sterling Van-Wagenen as well as Miriam and Sonia Albert-Sobrino helped to guide me through the early chapters of this project, and I concluded that narrowing my story was a necessity. I established the focal point upon Maia’s relationship with her doppelganger. The film became a story about two people in a room. Within fictional narratives, characterization is traditionally the most engaging aspect of a script, while the thematic elements are best used as a framework. Otherwise, narratives can suffer from didacticism. The irony of this situation was not lost on me. Audiences are quick to confuse what they see on screen with their belief in reality because screenwriters are so determined to engage their audiences through authentic characterization. It’s one of the reasons Brechtian styles are so important. To my dismay, I found myself limited by the medium once more, and as I wrote through the final drafts of my script I concluded that this was not an ideal area to diverge from the tropes of characterization. Maia’s trajectory through the film still reflects my original idea. She is established as being distinct from her replica, but by the end of the film we realize that the computer’s newfound intelligence has sufficed to render both of them “artificial”. 4 The first page of my original script, A Documentary Following Select Members of the Genesis Research Agreement. The story includes a not-at-all-subtle reference to Baudrillard. Christian’s character appeared in an early draft of The Original, but having Maia talk to her nameless and faceless supervisors outside the room provided an excellent sense of isolation and secrecy, along with a nice reference to John Searle’s allegory of the Chinese box. 5 I have never underestimated the necessity of a dedicated and talented team, especially in filmmaking where a wide range of factors require a wide range of people. For The Original, I sought out the best individuals within the University of Utah, as well as those working in the local film industry. Occupying the vital role of cinematographer was graduate student and exceptional filmmaker, Brent Rowland. Stephane Glynn was my amazing assistant director, another very intelligent student from the graduate department. My peers Sam Katz, Lynsey Mitchell, and Nick Miller were fantastic as sound recordist, script supervisor, and grip - respectively. A long-time associate Nic Edwards from SLCC was camera operator, and I was very happy to have Kelly Eaton and Preston Lewis from Redman Studios working as gaffers. A good friend, Josh Hilton was an incredible asset to have as digital image technician. I was fortunate when searching for my actress to play Maia Long. Whitney Lewis-Palmer was the last to read at the general call for the film department’s fall audition, and her tape immediately won me over. I needed someone who could convey a subdued sadness, which would be the most difficult aspect of the script’s finale. Whitney was perfect for that. She was a fantastic person to work with and committed to the role. In order to establish the progression of her character and the emotional arc Maia went through, I felt it was necessary to meet with Whitney a 6 couple times before the shoot, discuss her character, and rehearse the script. This was a tip recommended by Sidney Lumet in his production book Making Movies, and although this practice may be inconvenient at a student level, it has proven to be a remarkable benefit every time I’ve arranged for it. When searching for the location of The Original, I wanted the sterile and austere appearance of a large white room. I was drawn to that visual image of a blank void, a place of bright light where you could feel like you would disappear. The sight of an unbroken white surface is paradoxical, without ever shrouding the character in blacks or shadows the unnatural perfection of that background still creates a sense of unease.