The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Style Frames
Photography
Concept
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, a memoir turned film, is about a journalist named Jean-Dominique Bauby who, after a stroke, suffered a locked-in syndrome. Mentally aware of his surroundings yet physically paralyzed with the only exception of some movement in his head and eyes, Jean finds his escape through imagination and memories and tells his story through blinking. Using his memoir as a search for freedom and his only way of self-expression, Jean learns to live life and realizes that he wasn’t fully living life even before the stroke. Jean teaches the viewers that we can find freedom through the power of the mind. He eventually is set free from his diving bell and flies like butterflies. 
Role
Concept Development, Storyboarding, Prop Set-up, Texture Making, Photo Treatment
Tool
Photography, Projector, Lightroom, Photoshop
Style Frames ↴
Visual Approach↴
With this approach, I really focused on the strength of self-expression. As Jean slowly learns a new way of communication and storytelling, letters slowly form from undefinable lines to words to sentences. These sentences wrap onto blocks of 3D letters to represent how his words became the only concrete evidence of his existence to the outside world. His memoir tells his truth and becomes his only drive to keep on living. His words begin to look like the patterns on a butterfly wing and colors begin to fill the scene to represent his growth and progress in finding complete liberation. As his imagination bursts, Jean finds freedom at the end with an explosive yet serene ending. The vibrant final frame demonstrates the full title with 3D letter blocks. 
Process↴
During this project, I used both analog and digital methods to get my final results. I first laser cut and spray painted the letters of the title, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and created images of text, drawings, and scattered textures that are related to the novel. Using a projector, I projected these combined images to my set-up of the laser-cut MDF letters and pieces of paper. I then shot copious amounts of images from various angles and distances. Switching to digital, I then color-corrected and did photo treatment on Lightroom. Finalizing the images through photoshop, I added textures and positioned the credit texts. Incorporating analog methods in this project allowed me to take part in the action and enjoy the spontaneousness of the process and outcome.

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© 2022 Cindy Shon