Portfolio Idea and Inspiration

Today I will talk about the ideas and inspiration behind my portfolio project.

Where my thoughts are at right now, I'm thinking of having a mob boss sitting at a desk talking to two of his subordinates, basically ordering them to collect money from a shop owner. The goons and the shop owner discuss for a bit and the shop owner doesn't have the money and gets beaten off-screen. I might include a monologue from either a subordinate or the boss. I think it would be different to have my credits like carved into what is going to look like a brick wall of an alley. This form of credits may be difficult to pull off from due to me needing to pretty much build a wall, make it seem dirty and aged, carving 10+ names and a production logo. I am also concerned about lighting the credits as it can't be too bright that it loses its feeling of a dark city alley, but it can't be too dark as to keep the names legible. Using the bricks/credits as a sort of transition is something I had in mind, but the whole idea seems a bit unrealistic.

The format of the credits as well as what I've been thinking for the opening are open for change, and using the criticism I hear from my classmates during the group meeting might help to guide me along the right path. I don't want to overload myself, working on my own, but want to have my project be unique. 

As for inspiration, The Simpsons played a large role. I started watching The Simpsons 5-6 years ago, and have watched over 20 seasons of the show. In the show, there is a character named Fat Tony that is the mob boss of the mafia found in Springfield. I do believe that the character is based quite heavily on The Godfather, but I cannot verify that. In season 18 episode 1 Homer has to take over Fat Tony's position, pressuring Moe, his friend, to pay what he owes to the mob. Moe, the bartender at the bar Homer goes to, then asks Homer to pay off his tab, Homer pays Moe, Moe then returns the money to Homer for the mob. This scene inspired me for the shopkeeper part, but the part showomg the mob boss is inspired by The Godfather. The costume design for that scene will be somewhat similar to the opening of The Godfather. The monologue that might be in the opening is based on The Goodfellas, at the end of that Film's opening.

Writing this blog as well as researching for other blogs give me a chance to think quite thoroughly about what I want this opening to be, and what I can do with the alloted time and resources. Analyzing the film helped me refine the very rough ideas I started this week with.