"From a small seed a mighty trunk may grow..." At least, I hope!

Remember how I said I would be posting in a few days? Well, that was 3 weeks ago! Boy does time fly. Luckily I've been using it to brainstorm ideas and I think I may have just found what I was looking for! I've been playing around with this idea for quite some time now. I tried to give myself enough time to brainstorm for alternatives but my focus kept reverting back to this particular idea so I'm just going to trust my gut and go for it! The story may not be completely developed yet but I'm hoping my "seed" idea will blossom soon enough.

This story is actually from one of the twenty ideas I was assigned to brainstorm at the start of last semester. While I was initially intrigued by the idea I felt that it portrayed a darker/melancholic mood that wasn't fit for animation and ultimately decided to go for a lighthearted story instead. I later came to realize that I unintentionally tried adding a darker element to my first story but it ended up not working out. It's ironic that I have come back to my darker story but perhaps it was always meant to be.

I've found that all of the short films I have created over the course of my schooling have revolved around a tragedy between a couple. There is a repeated theme throughout my stories and it can be described in one word. Love.

...Actually, make that the "not meant to be" type of love and this new story is no different.

In my notes I had written, " Incredibly beautiful woman lives alone in a forest. She destroys all that she touches. A man finds her and they fall in love but can never touch until one day they kiss. This kills him and leaves her alone again."

I spent some time researching folklore from different cultures and I was able to expand this idea a bit. I happened to stumble upon a photograph of an eerie looking forest located in Ireland and it gave me a flood of ideas. In Irish folklore there are plenty of stories of witches, fairies, nymphs and enchanted forests. Tales of scary monsters who destroy men. There are a vast range of stories but they are all for the most part told in the name of teaching people a moral lesson.

I'd like for my film to follow the core of my original idea. I envision a story that is depressing but enlightening at the same time. Here it is: A village nearby a forest has heard tales of a woman/fairy or nymph for many years who has lived in the enchanted forest. It is told that only the bravest of men can enter the forest because if they were to ever encounter her they would meet their doom. For centuries people have believed this folklore and given the woman a bad reputation when in actuality she is a loveless woman accused of being a killer of men. One day a rider strolls through the village and meets the lady in the forest. Cynical of the tales he has heard he continues to see her and they eventually fall in love. Knowing of her curse she refuses to touch him until one day he kisses her. For a moment nothing happens until suddenly he dies and she is left alone again...

I was thinking about how when we die we essentially become part of the Earth, so I had this idea that in the end of my film I could imply that in the exact spot where he died a new tree was born in the forest. I liked the idea, as depressing as it may be, that he is still with her but at the same time he isn't. I wanted to imply that maybe all of the trees surrounding her were her lovers at one point in time as well. I also thought that in the end another rider could show up in the forest indicating that it is a vicious circle.

The photograph of the Irish forest I mentioned earlier had branches that intertwined together to form tunnels. It was beautiful and eerie at the same time and I thought it would help to express the idea that she is trapped in this forest and create a tense and claustrophobic feel. Hopefully I can use this idea to my advantage!

I created some Inspiration Boards for my 2 characters as well as the setting. Hope it gives you a better feel for what I am going for.

The forest plays an important role in my story. I want it to reflect what the woman is thinking as the story progresses. I'd like for things to begin opposite to what most would assume. When the Rider enters the forest it will be gloomy, mysterious and claustrophobic but after he is gone the forest will be bright, alive and shining.

This is more or less what I envisioned when I thought of the Lady in the Forest and the Doomed Rider!

Alright, well that's about all I have for this post. I will be posting some rough character designs very soon!

Thanks for reading!

Aileen