DES 251 Digital Media Design III

Donté King- Signs

Film Research

The title is very simple. Its combined with an eerie audio as background music. Its very suspenseful and use shadows to create a mysterious effect.

Graham rushes through the corn field to find his two children observing a crop circle.

Graham and his younger brother Meril discussing a strange phenomena they witnessed

A foreign creature is observing Graham and his daughter through her bedroom window.

A flashback moment of Graham receiving news about his wife being struck by a pick up truck

Graham meeting with Reddy, as he is leaving town. Reddy is the cause of Graham's wife death and the reason Graham questions his religious faith. Reddy informs Graham to not open the pantry door in his home. As he has locked an alien in there.

Despite the warning given to him, Graham checks the pantry, only to find a creature reaching out to grab him.

First clear image of an alien spotted on film in Brazil.

The alien attempts to poison the young boy.

Merrill rescue the young boy from the alien and defeats the alien.

Rev. Graham finds his way back to God and his ministry.

Essay

Rev. Graham is a former pastor, who has lost his faith in God. With the death of his wife, this questioning of God existence creates a rift between his family, who holds true to their religious belief, and Rev. Graham, who is a none believer. Graham and his family experience some weird phenomenas around their farm. Crop circles found in their corn field was the start of something greater to come. Shortly after, Rev. Graham and his younger brother Merrill experienced a sighting of a foreign creature. Not sure what they witness, they continued on with their daily routine. As more sightings of these foreign creatures are experienced across the world, the family feels that the end of the world is near. With that feeling looming over the family, Graham and Merrill holds an importance conversation about miracles and coincidence. This conversation becomes the epicenter of the movie.

Filmed in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 2002, the films provides insight on a family living in this small town during an alien harvest. The mood of the film is very eerie. Keeping true to the opening audio of the film, the high keys of the piano plays throughout the movie. It's sound helps solidify the mysterious phenomenas that occur in the film. Although the film contains hostile aliens, there are little surprise scares in this movie, the director seems to emphasize the importances of the story being told.

Words to Idea + Thesis Statement

Words to Ideas: Battle, Mysterious, Family, Faith, Foreign

Thesis Statement: This drama/mystery film follows the protagonist and his family who are caught in between a battle of faith and foreign invaders.

Visual Research (Inspiration Board/Collection)

Exploration/Formulation (Motion Tests)

Story Board

Opening credits which displays the production studio's information (Both the type and background are in transition)

Introduction of the SIGN (Alien like) language

SIGN language transitioning to English, which, then introduces the first actor

Actor's name is now fully legible and the background has began a new transition

An overlay of a newspaper article which is describing an event that is taking place in it's background

Overlay disappears to reveal the video footage of UFOs passing by the capitol

SIGN language begins to form and background begins to pan out to reveal a landscape

SIGN language begins to transition into the film title. The background continues to pan out

Film title revealed, along with the crop circle in the background

Last scene displays the creator's name without type manipulation