BIG EARS LEARNS TO LISTEN Director's Statement (page 2 of 2)

Stylistically, we seek to capture that sense of transformation and the wonder and magic that Big Ears and Melody experience through the use of color, lens style, and imaginative production design. In the school and in Big Ears’ home, the colors will be muted, the camera, hand-held, and the sets designed with straight lines and right-angles. As the characters enter the church, everything changes. The world will become more organic and colorful; the camera, fluid and graceful; and the physical design of the church will subtly resemble the interior of a human ear.

Also, the sound design will obviously play a huge role in conveying the experience of hearing loss and the psychological transformation that the characters go through. Through the use of abstract sound design elements and a variety of treatments to voices and sound effects, we will create an aural landscape that is both haunting and magical.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the emphasis will be on proper casting and the actors’ performance. In every way, the performances will drive the story and the production environment will be tailored to give the young actors the time and room to explore the subtle and profound transformation that the story requires.

Despite Big Ears’ obstinacy, he is desperate for some relief from his isolation, and in some ways it is the attention Melody lavishes upon him that breaks his will. Of course her tenacity is partly her own desperation to know that a connection can be forged in this dark and silent place. In the end, they find each other, and are each other’s salvation.

Perhaps in some tiny way, this short film can offer a similar salvation to viewers trapped in a sense of isolation who desperately need a glimpse of the magic inherent in the human capacity for hope. After all, isn’t that something all of us could use?

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