a thematic dossier

[rustinglass]

OK. now I want to get into film school this year. For that, I need to do a thematic dossier on a given subject.

subjects:
1) coffee/the café (We use the same word in portuguese, so I guess it could go either way).
2) the piercing.
3) Trust/confidence.

I have to choose one and:

- Make an investigation, and collect information that could be usefulin the writing of a screenplay. 7 pages.

- write a small story, thought for cinema related to the chosen subject. fiction or documentary.5 pages .

- visual treatment. at least 10 photographs related to the subject.

I just got this information a few hours ago, I didn't even choose a subject yet. I have a less than a month to do it (due on june 15), during precisely the most demanding weeks in the school year. I have never done anything like this. I don't ask much, I just though that the wisdom of xixax would give me some helpful pointers. Thanks in advance.

[Ghostboy]

I'd jump at the piercing topic (I take it that means body piercing). I'm very fascinated by piercings, and someday hope to make a film that DOESN'T cut away right before the needle pierces someone's tongue/ear/nipple (see: every mainstream movie with a piercing scene). Three cheers for the Bjork video to Pagan Poetry for showing the whole process.

[rustinglass]

I thought about that too. I'm thinking up a story about an infection due to the piercing...
as for films with a piercing scene.. I know Girl with a pearl earring. Can you tell me some more?
Thanks already.

[Ghostboy]

Thirteen had a pretty good tongue piercing scene -- they almost showed it all the way.

Rock Star, with Mark Whalberg, had a nipple piercing scene.

The NIN video to Closer (at least I think that's the right one), in its uncensored format, displayed a woman's vaginal piercing. Which is something else I want to do in a movie -- show the process of a labia piercing, in close up. That'll get a good reaction from the audience.

[mogwai]

The NIN video to Closer (at least I think that's the right one), in its uncensored format, displayed a woman's vaginal piercing.

sorry, i couldn't resist. that's sounds "nice" although in another NIN video a guy is pierced in the most unlikeable way in the "happiness in slavery" video. let's leave it like that. move on. sorry rust.

[Ghostboy]

Oh yeah, that's the one with Bob Flannagan. When I first saw it, I thought it was all special makeup effects -- no such luck! There's a documentary about him called Sick, which I haven't seen but have heard is good.

[mogwai]

Oh yeah, that's the one with Bob Flannagan. When I first saw it, I thought it was all special makeup effects -- no such luck!

here's the video (scroll down a little)

There's a documentary about him called Sick, which I haven't seen but have heard is good.

read ebert's review, beware of spoilers

[rustinglass]

An idea for the story:
- A crazy disturbed girl goes and pierces her right eyeball.
Do you think it's a good idea for a shortcut?

[kotte]

Why not about the piercing of a soul??  

[rustinglass]

difficult to photograph.
edit: not that a pierced eyebal is any easier, but still...

[Ghostboy]

Just so you know, they actually do have eyeball jewelry now. It's not a normal piercing, per se, but it is a surgical steel cutout (usually a heart or some shape like that) implanted in the top layer of the eye.

As for making a short about piercing an eyeball with a needle...I'd be careful when you're doing something so extreme. Make sure you have a reason behind it (and if your reason is is simply that you want to shock people, so be it).

[kotte]

Eyeball jewelry. How weird does that sound??

Making something purely for shock is very boring and very easy. It's the easiest and laziest trick in filmmaking. Everyone can do it. With something attached to it, may it be an emotion or a specific reason, it's fine and can be effective.

[rustinglass]

if she is already blind in that eye..........?

[kotte]

It's fine but you need more. Who is she? Reason for doing it? What's the story (more than the actual piercing)?

[rustinglass]

first I'd like to thank you three for your attention.

Off the top of my head:
She is a law student from a middle-high class family. She's a rape victim. She got histerical blindness in her right eye because that's the eye that she caught a glampse of the rapist with. The guy doesn't go to jail because:" the defendent claims that she caught a a mere sight of my client with her right eye, yet the eyedoctor says she is blind.......blahblahblah" (I know, it's like Dancer in the Dark the other way around). So her life turns to shit and one day she decides to go and pierce that cursed eyeball and no, she does not get her eyesight back at the last second, she never gets it back......
anyway that's her background. I know it's shitty and clichéd but I have three weeks to improve on it.