"With my piece I wanted to capture the nature and feeling of the film in its entirety. Create one still image that can transmit a tone that matches the subject matter. My take on the film left me respecting the restraint and subtlety while it was able to harness an ever-present hostility and tension.
The bleak and rough nature the art direction took on in the film gave way to my decision to drain my art of any vivid colors. Mood-setting is important in film as it is in art. The gray-tone reflects that of the aesthetic of the film and exemplifies the emotion of a desperate time period.
Black Phillip is so very important in the film. However in my opinion, his purpose and true motives are not revealed until much later and prior to this is only speculation. So with this in mind I wanted to have him represented in a more clever way and less of a centerpiece.
The other component that was important was the woods. The ambiguity of what is actually out there. The rabbit. The Crow. The Witch. The woods are all encompassing. Nothing is certain. So by merging the woods with Phillip, it shows His all encompassing power and overarching reach. The marrying of the two images also symbolizes the hidden nature of what he truly was. He was always there, but you weren’t sure of what he would turn out to be."
