Monster Research

I realize that the monster in our movie is not the typical monster one may imagine in their minds. But the more I though about it, the more I started to question what exactly a monster is- at least in most people's minds. This may not seem very relevant to our film, but I believe it is very important, since the actual monster in our film will firstly be depicted as the fictional monster that comes to everyone's minds. The following is an exert from the wikipedia article about monsters.

A monster is any type of legendary creature which usually appear in legend or horror fiction. The word monster derives from the latin word monstrum, meaning omen, from the root of monere("to warn") and also meaning "prodigy" or "miracle".The term monster refers to a being that is a gross exception to the norms of some ecosystem. A person referred to as a monster is taken as exceptionally evil, grotesque, unreasonably strict and uncaring, sociopathic, and/or sadistic. The word monster connotes something wrong or evil.

This definition can be associated with so many things other than Godzilla and Frankenstein. The second part of the definition is an exact description of Lilly's father. A story/film that comes to mind that does not use the stereotypical monster name to large creatures destroying cities is the movie "Monster". In this movie, Charleze Theron plays a lesbian prostitute who due to some unfortunate events begins killing her clients. This movie, like ours, shows a different side of the 'monster' definition.

Here is a link to the top 10 movie monsters. (Godzilla included!)
Cinemassacre's Top 10 Giant Movie Monsters

After thinking and reading about monsters I came up with a great shot that we could use for our opening scene. This would help us tie in the monster theme. I found a video online teaching you how to make "Monster Origami Masks". The shot I have in my mind sets in a classroom that is filled with crafts done by the children. The craft focus of the shot is the monster origami masks that are hanging from the ceiling on strings. They are light and therefore swing and twirl in the breeze. All different colors are present. If we open with a close-up shot of these hanging masks (that the kids supposedly have created before in a classroom project) it sets the mood for a 'monster' theme. They seem innocent and fun, yet they represent a whole lot more- which is found out throughout the duration of the film. During this shot, the title of Monster would appear on the screen.

Monster Origami Mask