Portfolio Project - Research Part Two

2/18/2021

 Let's get this research going again, day number two! First, I talked about the more mischievous depiction of the devil in Lucifer. Now I want to go into the show all about the supernatural. So, of course, the show is Supernatural (2005 - 2020). This long-standing show is one you have to make an effort to stand by because of its 15 seasons with a total of 320 episodes. The shows' premise is that of two brothers who follow their father's footsteps as hunters, fighting evil supernatural beings of many kinds, including monsters, demons, and gods that roam the earth. But this show would not be successful without its plot and dedication to family and the greater good. The show follows several genres - drama, fantasy, horror, mystery, thriller, action, and adventure - each genre develops different plot elements as well as themes throughout the show. 

The main characters - are introduced as two average men that delve into the supernatural hunting of monsters. We meet one character - Sam Winchester- who is in college on the first appearance, and then his brother comes to meet him to ask for help with their father. After a brotherly bonding experience hunting together, Sam returns to find his girlfriend killed in the same way his mother was - one that is not human murder. 

As the show progresses, we meet new characters and new beings - either good or bad for the brothers. Season one seems to dedicate each episode to showing a new monster for the brothers to kill. With how long this show is, that is not the only thing the brothers do. With all seasons, we slowly learn the plot as the season progresses, and the main antagonist of the season is uncovered as a reoccurring issue that the characters struggle to beat. The main antagonist of their seasons develops from issues of the conflict; with character versus self, character (or characters), society, technology, and of course, supernatural.

The show is unafraid to explore weird routes in a storyline. They have incorporated a story of a character going to Oz with Dorothy herself; to having a Scooby-Doo crossover. The show has paved their genres in a way no other show has reached to accomplish so far. Several shows go past the seasons or episodes of supernatural but not in the same genre type. One specific character storyline I want to focus on as inspiration in my project would be the crossroad dealings with demons. We have the character Crowley, a powerful demon who was the King of the Crossroads and the King of Hell, following Lucifer's second re-imprisonment in his Cage. Crossroad Demons are demons tasked with "buying" souls for Hell through deals with humans. These deals consist of the demon granting the human's wish in exchange for ownership over that person's soul, resulting in the person dying and going to Hell to be transformed into a demon upon death. Demon hounds - are sent after the time of the agreement has been finished - to take the person who made the deal to Hell.

I plan to take concepts from these dealings to inspire the plot of my character in my story. Branding on my character - to indicate a demonic deal would help communicate in the short time I have; a visual of this not seen interaction. The demon hound in Supernatural inspired in my story that time is running out, and the deal is reaching its end. This is where - I can use non-diegetic sound to alert my character and portray proper unease at the acknowledgment. I may use the more known demonic symbols to allow the audience to have an easier time recognizing the meaning behind it without having to state in this opening.

The pentagram is a very recognizable figure - from many uses in pop culture, to refer to satanism to biblical teachings. The other photo is one of a varying alchemical symbol for sulfur, also known as a 'Leviathan Cross' or 'Satan's Cross.' The second symbol is clearly an obscure branding which can lead the audience to form an idea of demonic interaction.

Supernatural and Lucifer have inspired quite a few routes for inspiration on my film opening. I will follow with another couple of postings of research to further elaborate on my story. 

Until next time!

Citations

Supernatural (TV Series 2005–2020) - IMDb. (2005, September 13). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460681/

Ramella, B. (2020, September 30). How Supernatural Paved the Way for an Entire Generation of TV Shows. CBR; CBR. https://www.cbr.com/supernatural-final-season-television-generation-legacy/

Crowley | Supernatural Wiki | Fandom. (n.d.). Supernatural Wiki. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://supernatural.fandom.com/wiki/Crowley

Crossroad Demon | Supernatural Wiki | Fandom. (n.d.). Supernatural Wiki. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://supernatural.fandom.com/wiki/Crossroad_Demon

Contributors to Wikimedia projects. (2013, September 5). List of occult symbols - Wikipedia. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia; Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_occult_symbols?scrlybrkr=64b63ba8

Ramella, B. (2020b, September 30). How Supernatural Paved the Way for an Entire Generation of TV Shows. CBR; CBR. http://www.cbr.com/supernatural-final-season-television-generation-legacy/