Michael's Art 328 Process

FOCUS FEATURES presents

an ANONYMOUS CONTENT production

in association with THIS IS THAT

JIM CARREY

KATE WINSLET

KIRSTEN DUNST

I would be hard pressed to try incorporating all the previously mentioned elements so I am going to just pick a few as it relates to my idea.

I want to build up the scene first like the original; I will introduce Joel and Clementine along with their new found relationship.
Using a cut-scene then freezing the frame and cutting them out of the frame. As we move through more sequences a buildup of collaged cutouts remain on the scene.

I intend to replicate this process throughout the first half of the title sequence. Then I would change the music to relate to what's happening in the now as opposed to the past memory. The titles would then appear over faces and blur out the face with an added red coloring and buzzing sound effect. A spotlight might appear on the text and it disappears.

For music I believe the original 2 songs work best:
James Warren/Beck - Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime
John Brion - Main Title

The following items are pieces I chose from the original title sequence that I believe need to be included in my sequence to accurately set up the film:

1. 2 songs - One song that uses lyrics to allude to a past and present about love, the other song that's more abstract without lyrics that creates a faster pace to match movement to an impeding action. Or find one song that incorporates both aspects.

2. Scene coloring - the first part of the sequence has a dark blue coloring with skin tones desaturated. When he gets out of his car there is no modification to the natural color provided by street lights; an orange color cast from sodium vapor lights.

3. Memorable items - throws the tape out the window of his car when he becomes frustrated listening to the song.

3. Blownout lights - the streetlights and other car headlights starburst and are brighter than normal; gives a delusional appearance.

4. Disintegration of text - the titles fade in and slowly disintegrate

5. blurring - close shots stay stationary and allow the subject to drift off the frame and become out of focus.

6. texture - shots of the rain on the window and shadows of the rain on Joel's face help increase the depressive feel.

Elements from other parts of the film that are relevant to a new title sequence:

1. color red - used in a semi transparent fashion that bleeds over subjects to allude to a memory about to be erased. usually paired with a jarring sound effect like a electrical buzzing sound.

2. faces - distorted, blurred and eyes flipped upside-down to show partial recollection or mixed up memory or someone Joel hasn't met yet.

3. sound effects - echoing chamber quality to instigate a memory beginning to fall apart. background sounds like waves drift through other scenes or linger on to show that not all of the memory is erased. muffled conversations allude to Joel being incapacitated but able to hear what's actual going on in the real world.

4. time - sped up portions to indulge a creepy feeling of lost memories or to conclude a memory being erased. implying a instance of altered reality or dream-like state.

5. mirrored scenes - can't escape time as you try to walk one direction he returns to the same spot he started.

6. color as accent - mostly all desaturated scenes except where Clementine invokes happiness or love; then she brightly colored.

7. scale - during childhood memories Joel is in an adult body but as small as child and his surroundings are exaggeratedly large.

8. lighting - spotlights are used to hone in on Joel while he's traveling through his memories almost in a Nazi-like search light fashion. Gives the feeling of being terrified and trying to escape.

9. memorable items - books, drawings, collages, toys, gifts, food from dining out, quotes, hand made figures (potato beings), photos and clothing.

Now I need to narrow down which elements I want to use from the above lists in order to create a storyboard for the new title sequence.

Before the title sequence even starts there is about 17mintues of the beginning of the film shown to introduce the character Joel and his girlfriend Clementine. It continues to show one full day of Joel and how simplistically depressive it is. Only on this day he randomly decides to deviate from his normal work routine and takes a train out to Montak where on his way, his attention is deterred to Clementine.

The movie quickly goes through an awkward set of interactions between the two as they try to get to know each other. Just before the credits start, the audience is lead to believe Joel has just found the most amazing person that is going to derail his previously depressive normalcy. As he pulls up to Clementine's house to drop her off after an amazing first day/all nighter he is approached while still in his car by a young man that the audience has no clue yet as to his identity or relevance. The young man asks if Joel needs help and Joel has no clue what the young man is asking. The scene ends with him starring down the road in a confused state as the young man walks away.

Credits appear as a totally unexpected scene of Joel crying at night in his car when the previous scene was a happy Joel in the bright morning. Obviously a big cut to a different-probably future moment. The music qualities sound muffled alluding to his actual stereo playing the music in the car. The first title, 'FOCUS FEATURES' comes in slowly and then disintegrates off the screen.

Cuts to Joel driving down the road with more credits revealing and quickly disintegrating. Then Joel takes the tape out and the music stops. A symphonic score takes over the rest of the credits with a strong flute and brass section and some strings leading the score.

We watch Joel pull up to his apartment and some guys in a van are making comments to each other re-affirming that the guy walking is indeed Joel and it's the right address. They don't appear to be malicious and Joel seems to ignore them as if he knows of some inevitable circumstance.

The titles end just as the van passes Joel walking to his apartment with a bag of groceries.


I believe this title sequence sets up a few key elements of the film that help the viewer understand from the beginning that the story is about disconnected sequences. The music at the beginning of the title sequence coincidentally talks about "needing someone to make the sunshine and everybody needing to learn sometime." Those lyrics paired with Joel's car driving crying sequence helps reaffirm that Joel had his sunshine and is learning this time. Once he removes the tape he's not seen crying anymore and the music changes. This helps show how Joel is moving on with his life almost aimlessly or without thinking. As he walks from his car to his apartment and the guys are trying to figure out if it's Joel; the audience is shown a depressed man but ignoring his surroundings. All of these sequences together again instill that incurable loneliness Joel feels.

In short the title sequence and the 17min of film beforehand do a good job of setting up the back story, alluding to a lost love, making a hasty decision, introducing characters and setting up an impending action between Joel and the guys in the van.

Comp 01











Comp 02


Comp 03


Comp 04


Comp 05


Comp 06

Here is a list of the opening titles for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind:

FOCUS FEATURES presents

an ANONYMOUS CONTENT production

in association with THIS IS THAT

JIM CARREY

KATE WINSLET

KIRSTEN DUNST

ETERNAL SUNSHINE
OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

MARK RUFFALO

ELIJAH WOOD

and TOM WILKINSON

JANE ADAMS
DAVID CROSS

DEIRDRE O'CONNELL
DEBBON AYER

casting by
JEANNA MCCARTHY, CSA

associate producers
LINDA FIELDS HILL
MICHAEL A. JACKMAN

costume designer
MELISSA TOTH

music by
JON BRION

editor
VALDIS OSKARSDOTTIR

production designer
DAN LEIGH

directory of photography
ELLEN KURAS, ASC

executive producers
DAVID BUSHELL
CHARLIE KAUFMAN
GLENN WILLIAMSON
GEORGES BERMANN

produced by
STEVE GOLIN and ANTHONY BREGMAN

story by
CHARLIE KAUFMAN
& MICHEL GONDRY
& PIERRE BISMUTH

screenplay by
CHARLIE KAUFMAN

directed by
MICHEL GONDRY