1. The Story

The story of ”Unbecoming” resembles our human dependency and tendency to come back to feelings that usually hurt us. But letting go of pain is a step forward towards empowerment.

As the title of the elective states, Gestures to Empower, we wanted to embrace the human nature of finding comfort in situations that oppress us. Oppression is not only physical, but also psychological. When the oppression fades, we feel the urge to grab it back, until the realisation hits us that releasing it can also release us from the oppression.

Therefore, starting with the suffocation felt while surrounded by oppression and the slight, almost fake attempt to escape from the indulged situation, we face difficulties. It already feels natural to have these feelings, but we know there is something else beyond them. So the search to escape starts through resistance. This is a scary process. But after living without the oppression, we realise that we are able to transform into a new self. The weight is gone, so we are in the light again.

2.Motifs

In our Stop Motion, we used different motifs. They have the role of subliminally inducing feelings in the viewers through visual and metaphorical communication.

• Red

The colour red symbolises deep emotions, power, and survival instincts. It commands attention and represents extremes such as passionate love and, in opposition, danger.

• The Veil

The red veil is not a physical barrier, but a visual way to represent dangerous oppression in a more concrete way. It gives shape to a feeling that has no physical form.

We played with its semi-transparent effect to create unique frames where the human figure can still be vaguely seen through the red, while maintaining a strong barrier between it and the viewer.

• Vignette Effect

The vignette effect creates a visual representation of isolation within a larger world. It accentuates the feeling of oppression by reducing the narrative universe to a smaller visual space.

As it darkens the frame, we also used it to create a sad atmosphere throughout the Stop Motion.

3. Initial Storyboards

Our team created the initial storyboards in the first weeks of the class. All three storyboards have the same main storyline: starting by being oppressed by different factors and, in the end, breaking free.

Strong shadow play, mystery of the surroundings, and gestures of freedom are also present.

Here are the three storyboards attached.

3.1 Final Storyboard

The first “final” storyboard was a sketch of all the gestures and ideas we could combine harmoniously, drawn on paper.

We decided to keep textile or a rope to represent the oppression. We had a shooting session in which we played and experimented with some of these ideas, which appeared in the final video, while others were reshaped.

We mainly decided on the body language we should use: facial expressions, sitting crouched on the ground, and raising the hands as a sign of being free.

We focused on cutting and synthesising the storyboard into a realistic way to realise it, while keeping it efficient in terms of expressivity.

4. Shooting

The shooting was done inside the universitys photo studio, using a Nikon Z6.

For lighting, we used a softbox mainly placed on the right side, set on the 4th level, and the top softbox on the same light setting as a flash, connected to the camera by a trigger.

The camera settings were: ISO 100, speed 1/125, f/16.

The lens range was between 79 mm for the close-ups and 54 mm for the wider frames.

5. Creation Process

After taking more than 300 frames and experimenting with three different endings, we selected around 200 individual photos for the final video.

The editing was done in DaVinci Resolve 21, without individually post-processing the images. We initially set a duration of 2 seconds per frame to create a uniform sequence, and then adjusted the pacing of each scene according to its atmosphere and meaning.

• In the first scene, the sequences were repeated at a quicker tempo, up to three times, in order to create a sense of urgency and make the fight with the oppression feel more aggressive and intense. In contrast, the final sequence was slowed down, allowing the body language to become more natural and relaxed after the oppression had stopped, giving the character a sense of being freed.
• Throughout the editing process, we repeatedly watched the sequence and made small adjustments to the timing, including where certain photos should be doubled or shortened. 
• The zoom-ins, zoom-outs, and reframings were also created directly in DaVinci Resolve, using the three-line grid to achieve harmonious compositions that also work as individual photographs.
• After establishing the final pacing and framing, we reduced the colour saturation to -17 and adjusted the colour balance by reducing the orange and yellow tones. This adjustment was automatically applied to all keyframes. A vignette effect was also used throughout the video, gradually disappearing in the final sequence.

6.Final Result

The final result sums up all the aspects above in our Stop Motion, Unbecoming.

Here you can watch the final result. All the objectives of transposing gestures of oppression and empowerment were successfully reached.