(39) Final Idea
What is Your Final Idea?
My idea has stayed predominantly the same: it is set in an alternate world in which political tension is rife among two tribes in the wake of a terrorist attack. The film will be focalised through a young man, Egon, who is conflicted by his emotions and drive to act with rationality and compassion.
The film will document the time leading up to as well as the aftermath of the terrorist attack. The first act will hint at the cause of the attack which is strongly rooted in the social prejudices and hatred between the two tribes. The third act will make clear as to the effects of radicalisation of believers of all ideologies. The purpose of the film is to deliver a message about prejudice, hypocrisy and radicalisation, problems rife in modern day Western society. It is supposed to make the audience think.
Each storytelling element represents something to do with the message of the film. This includes characters, mise-en-scene and so on.
Closer Details
The film will contain two conflicting sides: the 'Riverfolk' and the 'White Cloaks' (the difference between both sides will be signified by different colour clothing).
There are two leaders/public figures among the White Cloaks who are referred to as 'The Preacher' and 'Bleedingheart'. The Preacher is a conservative extremist who preaches hate for the River Folk. He uses the media (a town crier) and public sermons to taint the minds of the White Cloaks and justify his reasoning for invading River Folk territory for resources. Bleedingheart, on the other hand, is a peace advocate, who dedicates her time to reversing what the Preacher has drilled into the minds of the people. She is an example of a brilliant leader, making herself equal with everybody. Because of her excellent display of leadership, she's a large threat to the Preacher, though. She understands the true, peaceful nature of the Riverfolk.
There is a third main character: a young man who represents youth. He finds himself drawn to Bleedingheart, however, is very emotionally driven, displaying signs of extremism.
The attack is made by an estranged member of the Riverfolk, and the victims include members of both the White Cloaks and the Riverfolk. The Preacher uses the attack to gain political merit and to launch public attacks on the Riverfolk and 'traitors' who try to protect them.
To read an extensive plot summary, click here.
What Genre is Your Film?
Short films are interesting in that they don't particularly conform to conventions closely, so it is often difficult to pinpoint what exact genre the film is adheres to. In terms of my film, the genre it is most similar to is a political drama. For a more in depth explanation of genre in my film, click here.
The reason I would label it as a drama film is because of its handling of serious themes, something conventional of the drama genre. My film tackles themes of corruption, hate, tyranny and so on. The drama genre doesn't have many definitive conventions, but relies on the portrayal of a character's conflict. This is something my film does as its focus on Egon, having just come of age, is conflicted by himself. Although my characters aren't necessarily realistic (realism is often conventional of the drama genre) in that they are very one-dimensional because of what they are supposed to represent, they do portray real emotions and the audience does see the protagonist at their lowest.
In terms of sub-genre, my film is more of a collage of multiple sub-genres of drama. An example is its use of unrealistic characters and settings, which is commonly seen in melodrama than conventional dramas. Similarly, its documentation of a character (the Preacher) experiencing a downfall caused by himself (peripeteia) and their own hamartia and hubris is conventional of classical tragedies.
Although my film is more of a pastiche of the sub-genres of drama (eg. it applies conventions of melodrama, political drama and tragedy), its moral purpose and themes conform more closely to that of a political drama. According to The Script Lab:
Who Are You Working With?
My 'group' hasn't changed since the conception of my idea and I continue to work by myself. This has been a good decision for me as it allows me to practise all areas of filmmaking. Furthermore, it means that I don't have to compromise any of my own creative decisions.
My idea has stayed predominantly the same: it is set in an alternate world in which political tension is rife among two tribes in the wake of a terrorist attack. The film will be focalised through a young man, Egon, who is conflicted by his emotions and drive to act with rationality and compassion.
The film will document the time leading up to as well as the aftermath of the terrorist attack. The first act will hint at the cause of the attack which is strongly rooted in the social prejudices and hatred between the two tribes. The third act will make clear as to the effects of radicalisation of believers of all ideologies. The purpose of the film is to deliver a message about prejudice, hypocrisy and radicalisation, problems rife in modern day Western society. It is supposed to make the audience think.
Each storytelling element represents something to do with the message of the film. This includes characters, mise-en-scene and so on.
Closer Details
The film will contain two conflicting sides: the 'Riverfolk' and the 'White Cloaks' (the difference between both sides will be signified by different colour clothing).
There are two leaders/public figures among the White Cloaks who are referred to as 'The Preacher' and 'Bleedingheart'. The Preacher is a conservative extremist who preaches hate for the River Folk. He uses the media (a town crier) and public sermons to taint the minds of the White Cloaks and justify his reasoning for invading River Folk territory for resources. Bleedingheart, on the other hand, is a peace advocate, who dedicates her time to reversing what the Preacher has drilled into the minds of the people. She is an example of a brilliant leader, making herself equal with everybody. Because of her excellent display of leadership, she's a large threat to the Preacher, though. She understands the true, peaceful nature of the Riverfolk.
There is a third main character: a young man who represents youth. He finds himself drawn to Bleedingheart, however, is very emotionally driven, displaying signs of extremism.
The attack is made by an estranged member of the Riverfolk, and the victims include members of both the White Cloaks and the Riverfolk. The Preacher uses the attack to gain political merit and to launch public attacks on the Riverfolk and 'traitors' who try to protect them.
To read an extensive plot summary, click here.
What Genre is Your Film?
Short films are interesting in that they don't particularly conform to conventions closely, so it is often difficult to pinpoint what exact genre the film is adheres to. In terms of my film, the genre it is most similar to is a political drama. For a more in depth explanation of genre in my film, click here.
The reason I would label it as a drama film is because of its handling of serious themes, something conventional of the drama genre. My film tackles themes of corruption, hate, tyranny and so on. The drama genre doesn't have many definitive conventions, but relies on the portrayal of a character's conflict. This is something my film does as its focus on Egon, having just come of age, is conflicted by himself. Although my characters aren't necessarily realistic (realism is often conventional of the drama genre) in that they are very one-dimensional because of what they are supposed to represent, they do portray real emotions and the audience does see the protagonist at their lowest.
In terms of sub-genre, my film is more of a collage of multiple sub-genres of drama. An example is its use of unrealistic characters and settings, which is commonly seen in melodrama than conventional dramas. Similarly, its documentation of a character (the Preacher) experiencing a downfall caused by himself (peripeteia) and their own hamartia and hubris is conventional of classical tragedies.
Although my film is more of a pastiche of the sub-genres of drama (eg. it applies conventions of melodrama, political drama and tragedy), its moral purpose and themes conform more closely to that of a political drama. According to The Script Lab:
'Political drama film contains themes, characters, and a plot specifically about politics and the political scene. The main protagonist is often at odds with the harsh reality of corruption in politics. Many Political Dramas are based in fact but focus on exploring conspiracy theories.'Although my film isn't necessarily set in a physical political structure with politicians and so on, its purpose and message revolves around politics and the social climate of contemporary Western society. It serves as an allegory to politics as opposed to the characters dealing with politics themselves, however, the narrative is revolved around politics and the characters have to deal with corruption and tyranny.
Who Are You Working With?
My 'group' hasn't changed since the conception of my idea and I continue to work by myself. This has been a good decision for me as it allows me to practise all areas of filmmaking. Furthermore, it means that I don't have to compromise any of my own creative decisions.
Comments
Post a Comment