Not by the choice of my parents, I grew up with the close company of slasher films. In particular, the Nightmare on Elm Street films. Thinking about film worlds again, I think any of the films in the series are a great example. Throughout the films, there are dream sequences that provide a surreal drama, which are basically a nightmare for the character, where they can die in their dreams. In the dream sequences though, there are very different aesthetic qualities than in the “real” world of the film. The sets are more emphasised and dream-like and there are no rules, so things can happen like the walls can melt or a character appear suddenly in a new setting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnyrU10zRws
Some of the lighting and visuals in the films have also inspired me with this project. In a lot of the dream sequences, the filmmakers utilize neon lighting, it’s either used to distiguish the difference between dreams and real life, or used just to emphasize the action happening in the dreams. I think I might want to explore neon lighting more because I think it would fit really well with the setting of a cinema, but I could also just utilise colour more in production design and costume to create a quirky pop too.
References:
(Stills)
A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge. (1985). [film] Jack Sholder
A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. (1988). [film] Renny Harlin
A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. (1989). [film] Stephen Hopkins