The cyberpunk movie project

I went to a gothic shop in Paris, near Châtelet les Halles, to observe clothes. I talked with one of the vendors and she was very interested in the project.

She made me discovered two main songs:
- Vaski - Something special diffuses an envoutant universe, a little bit gothic, melted with dubstep sonorities, ideal to support an underground atmosphere

- Noisia - Machine Gun  proposes a very punchy music, with warfare sounds, perfect for a scene of action

In the next post he will talk about costumes because I have bought online new stuff to start experimentations!


Photo: Vaski

During my research, I found by chance this video. I love it!

Choreographies are awesome and I really like the mix beetween quick and slow movements (linked to music various tones). For example, when there is a loud bass sound, movements are slower, the render is fascinating.

Here is our first video test, created with friends! It’s an improvisation, without scenario and costumes, to begin the experimentation phase. I hope you will like it!

Two months ago, I posted an article about my quest of inspiration for the soundtrack. I found some ideas in Futurepop but now I consider opportunities offered by Dubstep.

I think this kind of underground music (more information on Wikipedia) can be particularly adapted for my project. Why ? Because it's electronic dance music, so it can refer to the future, with sounds made by computers and machines.

Moreover bass lines are particularly amazing and powerful, as you can listen in the first video at the bottom left 'Laid Blak - Red (Chasing Shadows Remix)'. This loud sound makes me think about the rumor of a huge machine.

Rythms are usually syncopated so it can create a strange atmosphere, without linearity.
I think it can be perfect to illustrate the fight between Rebels and Citizens standardized by a modern dictatorship (and their machines).
In this context, Dubstep can show the confrontation between freedom (irregular rythms) and standardization (regular rythms).

Don't hesitate to share your favorite Dubstep songs!

A dystopian story, resembling our mass-consumption society
Soft Goulag by Yves Velan is a book about a dystopian world. Neoliberalism reaches its golden (worst) age and we can follow a man living under its rules, made dumb by stupid TV shows.

Citizens are prisoners of neoliberalism. They are conditioned and normalized under ‘soft’ dictatorship. But it’s an accepted and hidden one because they are not in fact oppressed. They live in comfort and their desires are canalized by mass consuming.

In other words, they live in a maze but as there is no visible Minotaur so they don’t try to escape. It’s a metaphor about our society, encouraging us to wake up, act and achieve our dreams.

An original reading experience
It’s hard to read this book because the writing style is annoying. Style reflects the narrator’s mind structure (a person conditioned by that society), a style smoothed by TV ways of talking and treating information.

But I think it’s a good reading experience because it shakes our reading habits and has us face a world without literature.

A rare book
Last month, a friend offered me this book and I was very impatient to read it. Why ? Because I had been desperately looking for it for 3 years! It was impossible to find. I discovered its existence on the web, typing ‘dystopia’ in Wikipedia. I wanted to read it but it was no longer published. For me, it turned into a myth.

You can now perhaps find it if you write to its editors in Switzerland.

Edouard, a colleague, gave me the link of a very rich urbex website. If you like this kind of exploration I recommand you to have a look on it.

In this page you can access lots of photos and stories about various urbex session (including a visit in Paris).

I found the video on this website. It's an immersive example of an exploration, with its moments of fear, doubts and discoveries.

UNDERCITY from Andrew Wonder on Vimeo.

With friends we have explored an abandoned school in my neighborhood. This place, with its specific atmosphere, has inspired us to create micro stories.

You can see some of our photos (photographers: Stef, Willy & Janek): 

This cybepunk movie will be a means to criticize some aspects of our society and suggest a different vision of the future.

Sucker Punch is an American action-fantasy film. Costumes have caught my attention because they are made in a mix of different styles and ages. I really appreciate this creative touch.

It’s inspiring for my movie because I would like to create new styles and, to my opinion, these ones are particularly aesthetics.

I also like the mix between old and new weapons. For example, we can see a character with a blade and a gun, it’s dynamic.  

But I keep in mind that costumes have to be linked with the environment where action takes place.  Characters’ way of clothing derives from their history, culture, environment, enemies...

In The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien illustrated very well how the context can impact on clothing and accessories specificities.
For example, Orcs are living in a kind of industrial world, so their weapons and clothes are predominantly made out of steel. Elves come from the woods, so their clothes and weapons are more made with natural materials. Tolkien has adapted each detail as regards to each tribes features.

So, to create my own style, I have to keep in mind that aesthetics are important but the key point is to preserve characters credibility maintaining a link between their costumes / accessories and their environment.

 Official website : http://suckerpunchmovie.warnerbros.com/

To find inspiration, I have started urban exploration in my neighborhood. It can be a way of experimenting an immersion into a world I will use in the movie.

Part of it will take place in a decay and grunge environment, perhaps even post-apocalyptic.

The main problem comes from the fact that such places are temporary and will no longer exist during the filming of the movie. Moreover, they can be dangerous for actors and equipment.
Nevertheless, through urban exploration, I can feel a specific atmosphere and see which details could be interesting for the decors' creation. It’s weird because in those environments you are very close to civilization, but when you are inside, you are disconnected of it and danger can be everywhere. All your senses are awoken. You can feel your instinct.

It’s a very interesting experience and some places are very esthetics although they are destroyed. In this post you can see some of photos we made.

Some interesting links:
- In this website, you can find safety tips for your own explorations and a list of recommended equipment: http://urbanexplorers.net/
- My cousin gave me this interesting link, advices from a photographer: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/an-introduction-to-urban-exploration
- If you live near Paris, you can find some spots and photos here: http://www.urban-exploration.com/

A reflexion about soundtrack have to be made. It's a key piece to support creation of a specific and singular atmosphere.

My objective, but I don't know if I will achieve it, is to create a specific style of music for this movie.

When I think about it I see these words :  
- Underground 
- Industrial 
- Electronic
- Loud bass.

To start my inspiration quest, I typed 'cyberpunk' 'industrial' on Youtube but results don't satisfy me. I didn't found really inspiring songs. I found more inspirational stuff discovering a kind of music I didn't know: Futurepop.

Song that inspired me the most is Dead enough for life of Icon of Coil. It's not very original but, I don't know why, it approaches of what I search. Border (club edit) of Pride and Fall is cool too.

Don't hesitate to share music you deem appropriate ! ;)

My key books are :
- Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
- 1984 - George Orwell
- We - Ievgueni Zamiatine  (in french : Nous autres)
- This perfect day - Ira Levin (Un bonheur insoutenable)
- Brave New World - Aldous Huxley (Le meilleur des mondes)

The graphic style and thematics related to technology will be inspired by Cyberpunk.

My key books in this domain are :
- Neuromancer - William Gibson (Neuromancien)
- Count Zero - William Gibson (Comte Zéro)
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner)

It's the base. In specific topics, I will talk about some less famous books like Soft Goulag - Yves Velan and La Zone du Dehors - Alain Damasio.

Other books that inspired me : 
- The World Inside - Robert Silveberg (Les Monades urbaines)
- The Robot series - Isaac Asimov (Le Cycle des Robots)
- Mockingbird - Walter Tevis (L'Oiseau d'Amérique)
- The Wave - Todd Strasser (La Vague)
- Ravage - René Barjavel

Don't hesitate to suggest me some key books ! Thanks ! :)

---
Photo by Janek. These books inspire me for this project.

It's will be the challenge : innovate and be different, with resourcefulness ! 

---
For french readers : books mentionned are Nous Autres (Eugène Zamiatine) and Neuromancien (William Gibson).
Photo by Willy, retouched by Janek