Portfolio Project: Film Opening Task WEEK 2 [Post 1/4]

WEEK 2

[Post 1/4]

Research

For a couple days now, I have been looking for inspiration and brainstorming what to do with a certain concept of mine for my film’s plot which will end up determining the route of the film opening. My concept for the film is that it is based on a Chinese myth called the Red Thread of Fate. This “red thread” is an invisible string tied around the finger, usually, the pinkies (in the Modern version— the original Chinese version follows the threads being tied around the ankles), of two people, connecting them, who are fated to be together. There is a popular saying in this myth regarding the thread where the string may stretch or tangle but it may never break. In Western concepts, it’s similar to having a soulmate.

I wanted to try this concept as I have seen a few fanworks online that follow this concept, which I thought was quite interesting. The part that drew me in was the saying that the string may stretch or tangle, referring to distance and disengagement, unrest, or just issues between the two. This applies to the people emotionally which is visually (not really, since it is invisible) represented by the red string. It follows something like ’fate will always bring you back to them.

One media that uses this red string symbolism is the Chinese novel Heaven Official’s Blessing (天官赐). One character always wears a red string around his finger. Later on in the novel, he ties it to the main character--his lover-- to avoid separation. This acts as a visual representation of the thread and the author uses symbolism to convey that the two will be together forever.

Illustration by STARember

My film’s setting will follow our modern world as this concept may be more convenient to film and to the audience, maybe more relatable and relevant. I also chose to follow the modern version of the myth to match this setting. Since this is based on a myth, it will be under the fantasy genre. As for the plot, I wrote a few rough ideas down on a paper:

As the week goes by, I will continue to add to and elaborate on these ideas as I have not yet formed a solid enough idea.

References

Hiebert, L. (2020, August 25). Invisible red thread of fate connects those who are destined to meet. Peace Quarters. Retrieved February 15, 2023, from https://www.peacequarters.com/invisible-red-thread-connects-meant-together/