KNIFE THROWER`S APPRENTICE

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THE KNIFE T
ANN LEAVITT
WRITTEN BY
- SYNOPSIS The Knife Thrower’s Apprentice is a suspense-driven
narrative, centering around a young circus apprentice named
Garret, who works under the supervision of the devious Knife
Thrower, Renaldo . Scandal linking back to Renaldo pushes
Garret to make ends meet and find a way to dethrone the
Knife Thrower.
SCENE ANALYSIS
- THEMES ★ Scandal is effortlessly hidden by those with power
★ Manipulation is easier in the spotlight
★ Social Class means little when compared with skill
SCENE ANALYSIS
GENRE: Thriller
TIME PERIOD: Late 1930’s, Early 1940’s
PLACE: Southern Oregon
MOOD: Devious, Suspenseful
DESIGN STRATEGY
MOTIF: Renaldo’s Knives
TROPES: Normality; Foreshadow
SYMBOLISM: Renaldo’s knives serve as a
representation of Garret’s confidence and
will, as they are not only what frighten him,
but also what allow him to fight back.
CORE VISUAL CONCEPT: Yin & Yang
ARTIST INSPIRATION
- DALE CHIHULY -
ARTIST INSPIRATION
- GEORGANNE DEEN -
ARTIST INSPIRATION
- AMY CUTLER -
SCRIPT BREAKDOWN
PHOTO RESEARCH
PHOTO RESEARCH
July 1942, Russell Lee. Klamath
Falls, Oregon. Library of Congress.
INSPIRATION
INSPIRATION
COLOR PALETTES
- RENALDO’S TENT For Renaldo’s tent, I chose to utilize
darker shades of colors in order to
communicate his shady personality
and aura. This is the first time we meet
the two main characters, and especially
since it’s Renaldo’s tent, I wanted to
focus on intensifying his personality
through his room. I wanted to utilize
more reds because this color defines
Renaldo’s power over Garret, as well as
his short tempered nature. Dark tones
also signify masculinity. Green is
incorporated to signify Renaldo’s greed
and constant need of power over his
assistants and those working below
him.
COLOR PALETTES
- CIRCUS TENT The colors chosen for the circus tent
are all bright and bold colors that
signify the urgent and important
nature of all that goes on within the
room. Again, the red is used to signify
power of the individual who is
performing on stage, and especially
how in this scene, all attention is drawn
to the performer alone and nothing
else. Similarly, the blue represents
power. It also represents Garret who in
this scene represents stability,
compared to Renaldo who is clearly
unstable. The last two golden colors
represent the showbiz nature of the
location.
COLOR PALETTES
- BACKSTAGE In scene six for the backstage palette, I
chose to use various shades of
turquoise/aqua to highlight it’s
negative connotations which include
secrecy and deception. Backstage is
where much of the preparation that the
audience doesn’t see occurs. It is also
where many of Renaldo’s dirty deeds go
unheeded (including Barbara’s death).
Yet another pop of red is included to
present the anger and frustration that
further intensifies within Garret at the
conclusion of this scene, as Renaldo
begins to threaten hurting Maggie, the
one person that Garret seems to care
about.
COLOR TIMELINE
Color timeline gives an idea of how the
palette of each location would affect
the progression of the story and
progression of the overall mood of the
film. Dark, ominous colors transition
into cooler tones representing
intensified intrigue, then abruptly shift
to bolder and brighter colors that
signify the importance of the final
location, and the urgent atmosphere
that is found within it.
LOCATION CONCEPT
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CHARACTER
- GARRET ●
Subdued colors - calm
personality, rational
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Represents how Garret is not
wealthy
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Not looking for attention
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White = Purity/Genuine
nature, Age
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CHARACTER
- RENALDO ●
Dark colors present
ominous personality
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Able to hide things
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Red = Need for power, short
temper
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Masculinity
CHARACTER CONCEPT
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CHARACTER
- BARBARA ●
Mimics Renaldo
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Brighter, flashier colors
present need for attention
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Red signifies need for
power
CHARACTER CONCEPT
SKETCHES
GROUND PLAN
ELEVATIONS
ELEVATIONS
SKETCHUP
Exterior of Backstage
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THE KNIFE T
ANN LEAVITT
WRITTEN BY
- SUMMARY The Knife Thrower’s Apprentice was a strong film to work on
in terms of production design because it calls for a very
specific look, feel, and mood. A great deal of design should be
put into not only the location and set, but the characters and
character costumes. Though the story gives leeway for
creativity, the script paints a clear picture of the time, place,
and characters the narrative will call for.
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YOU!