Hero Shmeero

From this point on managing time was realllllyy difficult.

Marijn & I brainstormed right after the assignment was given but had a sudden flurry of essays and so couldn't get started. Then I got that nasty fever and could barely think!

We begun with the idea of something comedic. A guy lurking in the dark, lots of suspense, and finally, as he is about to stab someone, the person freezes time. The victim, who basically knew all along that he was there, is almost brazen but still annoyed. He/she snaps her fingers and makes the killer's mother appear. Then victim puts killer's mother in his place. Victim disappears. Time resumes and killer is shocked to see his mother in front of him. He is in a posture ready to stab. His mother is appalled and blows up at him. He is confused and embarassed and well... pretty much wants to die himself.

Because of all the time difficulties, we decided getting someone to look like someone else's mother would be difficult. So we switched the idea to an ex-bf stalking a girlfriend. At the end she unfreezes him and just gives him a stupid smack -- with an umbrella, with her slipper -- the equivalent of a guy being SLAPPED in a fight. Its just such a small action but very demeaning.

Marijn wanted somethign with a bit more oomph. We took quite a few hours to come up with this but over a very frantic dinner with me in absolute panic, he suggested we use a fish. Instead of a smack, the gf would transform the ex-bf into a fish. And then... she eats him!

It was hilarious and a great way to demean the guy. It makes him so small. A great victory for her because she gets to shrink him, change his form, FRY him and EAT him. Great cinematographic idea.

But then we had the problem of time -- finding the right fish, fish alive or fish dead? both? who cooks and how? how do we do these shots in 2 days if i don't have access to same location twice?

More brainstorming led to the idea of a cigarette. It's the same idea of making him small, menial and she gets this great satisfaction out of the victory. Plus cigarette smoke is a great element. After some fits of laughter, we decided this was a magnificent idea.