Level Sequence
Research
My semester project starts from my encounter with NPD, but I adapt it into a surreal story. I will compare narcissists to vampires, but they do not possess the traditional aesthetic charm and perfect appearance. NPD strives to imitate magnificence and nobility, yet cannot hide the brutality and vulgarity in the details. These strange phenomena are clues to identifying narcissists.
In my portfolio, there is a blueprint story that I need to revise extensively. The starting point of that work lies in my childhood fascination with supernatural beings like vampires, focusing on their primal jungle nature and chaotic aesthetics. This might be related to my father’s behavior and my adolescent yearning for extraordinary figures, so this beautification might be a way to soothe myself. Vampires become radiant by sucking human blood, while NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder) steals the emotions, energy, talents, and lives of victims to sustain its narcissistic needs.
But I didn’t expect to make the image of vampires ugly. I’m very sad about this. But I need to make some non-traditional changes and get rid of the romanticized imagination in the theme films (Interview with the Vampire, Twilight), so that it can be recognized as some metaphors. This makes the vampires closer to the image in Nosferatu, which makes people feel uncomfortable when they are close to humans. But the attraction or sexual attraction between NPD and the victims is still very strong. In the early stage of the relationship, NPD will disguise itself as the perfect companion in the victim’s heart and establish a reward and punishment mechanism after the relationship is confirmed. This is a traumatic connection and has drug toxicity. Some interviewees of the victims tend to think that they cannot replicate this “sweet” or “impressive” relationship with others in a healthy relationship.
Another similar aspect is that the victims are almost unable to seek help from the outside. NPD is diagnosed as a disorder, mainly resulting from the trauma experience of being neglected by parents during childhood. It has the ability to spread intergenerationally and interpersonally, spreading within communities and having an entire survival system. They will look for golden boys, scapegoats, and flying monkeys in interpersonal relationships to build a network of relationships to leave the victims isolated and helpless. When NPD victims speak out about their experiences, they are often not believed, just as others cannot understand supernatural encounters. Except for other NPD victims, if a community where NPD victims can help each other is not established, those who escape from the NPD ecosystem will experience depression, and when they gradually realize how much they have paid in the past, they will feel an indescribable collapse and sadness.
During the healing process, the victim gradually becomes aware of the huge sunk cost they have paid, and sometimes the dopamine from the sweet-bombing period of the NPD can even brainwash them into thinking they should return to the “arms” of the NPD. The awakening victim regrets the lost life and is extremely frustrated, but they have to take responsibility for their own life, find their true self and path, cut off all ties with the NPD, and then live well.
The story structure of “Perfect Blue” and “Possession” is similar to that of NPD, a kind of horror film creature that imitates human behavior and takes its place. The tormenting scenes of NPD on the victims need to be thrilling, always on guard, and create illusions and exert control.
In terms of cinematography and art direction, a filter that balances suspense and subjectivity is used – in some scenes, it is romanticized, drawing inspiration from “All About Lily Chou-Chou”.
The ending is inspired by “Nostalghia”.
