I Am Really Extra

My brain has hurt so much during this project. I have overthought every decision. I spent an hour and a half figuring out each character's individual color psychology and costumes. I scavenged for the perfect music that would match my theme with lyrics that people won't even pay attention to. I took forever with choosing the right names for my characters and drove myself crazy for a little while because I didn't want to choose the names of anyone I knew because what if they think the character is based on them? I-

Look. Please read this blog post. I beg.

I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO HEAR THEM.

All the Symbolism, References, and Color Psychology In "Under Construction"

    In my film, I've made many decisions regarding symbolism, references, and color psychology to add meaning to my piece. And I've compiled a full list, just for you.

Symbolism

    In "Under Construction," I aimed to present the story of a girl named Lola being sexually assaulted and attempting to recover from the traumatic incident. I did not want to present the cause of her trauma in a graphic manner, however, as this could be triggering to some members of my target audience and a graphic scene would not add anything to my piece, as the incident itself is not what matters, but the healing afterward. 

CAUTION TAPE

    The phrase "Under Construction" refers to something being broken and in the process of being fixed. This is representative of Lola attempting to "fix" herself mentally after being sexually assaulted. During her flashback scene, I portrayed the feeling of violation by displaying Lola covered in construction tape. Lola feels as though her body has also been violated, and is therefore also under construction itself.

"MY HAPPY PLACE" PILLOW

During the therapist scene, a pillow can be seen on Ms. Hayes' couch that reads "My Happy Place." The pillow is blue, which portrays a sense of loyalty and trust that Lola has seemed to grant her therapist nearing the end of the piece. Not only is this an extra blue accent, but a symbol of coping. In this scene, the idea of "My Happy Place" is seen through a therapist's office, though it can be different for others depending on their own experiences.

...Such as Lola herself throughout points of the film. In the extended cut, we see a scene of a character named KJ suggesting that Lola consumes a "more intense" alcoholic beverage. In this shot, the "My Happy Place" pillow can be seen again, but this time in a bright red color, representing the dangers of coping using substances.  We hear from Lola's therapist that she has been drinking to cope, and this pillow alludes to the idea that Lola has found her own "happy place," though unhealthy, in alcohol.

THE CYCLE OF DAY

"Under Construction" represents the cycle of healing through a cycle of night and day. Following the initial therapist scene, the first flashback takes place at sundown as Lola heads toward the park to meet with an unknown person. It can be inferred that this is the same park in which the next flashback occurs, as she sits in a park during the night. As the film progresses, we see her go through the night (the party scene) and back to day (the bathroom scene). 

The bathroom scene presents the false illusion of recovery with the daylight, which is immediately broken with a match cut to her in the park again as she experiences a flashback.  Her scenes with Elijah also take place during the day, as the comfort she has with him has helped her heal, maintaining her in a state of "light." In the final flashback, however, we are met once more with sundown, with another shot of the lake with the sun setting from the beginning of the piece. This depicts the cycle that Lola is experiencing with her healing, and from her final voiceover, it can be inferred that she will fall through another dark time after the end of the film.

SWANS

In our first flashback with Lola, we see the shot of the sun setting over a lake, representing her right before her tough time of the night.  If you pay attention closely, you'll notice Lola's body fades into a swan swimming over the lake, headed in the same direction. This represents Lola herself, as swans represent self-love and clarity. Given that this was right before her assault, Lola was capable of self-love.

At the end of the film, two swans are shown to represent Elijah and Lola at sunset, this time symbolizing two romantic partners. This foreshadows Elijah's interest toward Lola that would end sour.