Experiencing Interruptions?

Color Me In

For her senior thesis, Tatum Poirier, directed, edited, and wrote a grouping of 8 short films that utilize color theory to tell her personal experiences while coming out as a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Each film was shot in a specific color of the rainbow to highlight specific emotions that have shaped her identity today.

  • Tatum Poirier
    Director
  • Tatum Poirier
    Writer
  • Tatum Poirier
    Producer
  • Anna Sule
    Producer
  • Rohan Bandekar
    Producer
  • Tatum Poirier
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    LGBTQ+, coming of age, Narrative, short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 22, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    DSLR, Canon 90D
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Juniata College
Director Biography - Tatum Poirier

Tatum Poirier is a filmmaker working on her degree in Multimedia Production and Design. Tatum has worked on various different video projects during her time at Juniata College. She has been a part of Juniata’s Video Production team, a Junior Video Producer for their Digital Media Studio, and a Juniata Associate for Juniata’s Athletic Communications department. Tatum’s current project, "Color Me In" is a short film that explores the ideas of color theory in film as part of her yearlong Distinction Research at Juniata College. Color plays an important role in the emotions the viewer experiences while watching a film. Her film will connect the concept of color theory with a short story about her experience growing up as part of the LGBTQ+ community. She wanted to have a team of creative individuals to take on every step of the film process for this project, therefore she recruited Anna Sule and Rohan Bandekar to help her out.

Tatum’s work is driven by the need for people to understand who she is at her core. Growing up, she was taught that being vulnerable was a sign of weakness. Tatum wants to shift that narrative because she believes the best way to connect with people is to let them see her true colors. In her film “Color Me In”, color is visually connected to her feelings and emotions. This project has allowed Tatum to pull out some of her deepest emotions and share them in a way that allows her audience to connect and understand her on a deeper level.

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Director Statement

Tatum uses color in her daily life as a form of self-expression. Growing up, she never really understood why she was drawn to colorful things. She would often be asked, “what’s your favorite color?” and she had a difficult time picking just one. Tatum knew that she couldn’t express herself with just blue, or green, she wanted them all to be her favorite. Once she got older and began to come to terms with the fact that she was a part of the LGBTQ+ community, Tatum realized she felt deeply connected to the rainbow and what it symbolized. This project is aimed at understanding how different colors energize her and then ultimately learning to communicate those feelings through film.

“Color Me In” is a short film about growing up as a part of the LGBTQ+ community and the process of coming to terms with who she is. This was an extremely uncomfortable piece for her, and especially when it came to allowing the public to see, as Tatum still struggles with accepting who she is. Tatum constantly battles with feeling like she needs to prove that she is a a part of the LGBTQ+ community. She believes this project will not only help her to feel heard by her community, but will allow her to grow in ways she didn’t know were possible.