Assignment 12: Individual Planning

To complete individual planning before deciding on a group plan.

Drama

Chelsea Fashole-Luke

Inspirational filmsGirl, Interrupted:An 18 year old girl checks herself into a mental hospital. Set in the 60;s.

The Tracey Fragments:15 year old girl runs away after being the cause of the disappearance of her younger brother.

Idea exploration

Chosen Idea Timeline

Main character ‘Dawn’ walking towards a park bench.

Disorientated flashback of walking down a busy street, late afternoon.

Sits on park bench, pulls out journal and begins to write about her thoughts and feelings of depression.

A voice snaps her out of it – teenage girl sitting beside her, asking for a lighter.

Dawn pulls out her ‘signature’ pink lighter.

Flashback scene of her elsewhere in the park, calmly setting fire to a flower.

Girl gives back lighter and offers Dawn a cigarette –she takes it, even though she’s never smoked.

Flash forward to them running around busy streets, smoking and drinking, causing trouble

Close up shot of main character staring at lit flame. Black out.

Flashes to another scene – Dawn is lying on a park bench, hazily looking up at the sky which goes in and out of focus. Monologue.

Whole Film

• Teenage girl lives with her grandma – parents died when she was a baby

• She has borderline personality disorder (we don’t find this out until later)

• Every time she wants to self harm, she sets fire to something ‘pretty’ or ‘happy’ (flowers, balloons, pretty pictures etc.)

• Befriends a rebellious teenage girl who also has her own set of problems (we don’t find out what until much later, if at all)

• She feels suffocated by her everyday life and decides to run away with friend

• Participates in destructive behaviour, smoking, drinking, drug taking etc.

• Feels she is becoming crazier being away from familiarity

• Friend convinces her to go back to her grandma – her only family

• Returns home by the end of the film after what felt like over a week in her mind, to find she had only been gone a day.

• Ends how it began – writing in her journal on a park bench.

Style Of Opening Sequence

• Start of film

- Gives the audience an initial idea of the film, drawing them in, without giving too much of the overall story away.

- Allows enigmas to be presented.

Narrative Structure & Theory

• Non-linear

- Moves back and forth through time between the present and the future.

- Use of flash forwards – anachronic (Cameron).

• Levi Strauss:

- Binary opposites (mental health/mental illness)

• Barthes codes:

- Enigma Code (why does the main character do specific things)

- Semantic Code (connotative meanings of objects – e.g. the lighter, and places –constantly outside)

- Symbolic Code (opposition and antithesis – opposition within herself, the need to get better and the want to end it all)

Characters

Name Dawn

Role Main character

Actor Chelsea

Representation Fearful, distant, unattached from people, doesn’t allow herself to be close to others, lonely, unsocial, has BPD

Body language/facial expression Uninterested, timid

Tone/language Depressed,

Costume/props JournalPink lighterBlack bootsBlack dressorBlack skirt and jumper/top

Characters

Name Carrie

Role Supporting character

Actor Laura or Rosie

Representation Rebellious, fearless, smart, social, natural leader, non-conforming

Body language/facial expression Confident

Tone/language Confident, street smart, big personality

Costume/props CigarettesBlack jeansSilver studs and chains on clothingBlack t-shirt/top/jumperBlack boots

Setting

Exterior scenes Interior scenes

ParkBusy streets

n/a

ConventionsConventions in Drama Examples from films

Use/develop/challenge?

• Real life, relatable issues- Death- Family issues- Self issues- Divorce• Shows development of characters• Family/friendship/self/inner conflict• Happy endings• Sense of realism

‘The Family Stone’

Characters:Medium to large familySmall group of friendsClass of students

‘The Sisterhood of TheTraveling Pants’

Setting:Equilibrium:- High school- Family homeDisequilibrium:- Friends fall out- Bullies- Family breakup

‘17 Again’

Conventions you applyConvention Use/develop/challenge Examples from similar films

Issues with ones self Use – main characters has a mental illness.Is constantly in conflict with herself.

‘The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’- depression

Death Use – main characters parents and granddad are dead (not shown in opening sequence).

‘Lemony Snickets A Series OfUnfortunate Events’

Conflict with friends Use – has trouble trying to make and maintain relationships.Attempts to resists potential friendships and push people away.

‘Mean Girls’

Sense of realism Develop – main character is aware of the world around her but has a tendency to see things in her mind she perceives to be real.

‘The Lovely Bones’ –She watches her family from an unknown otherworldly place

- Happy ending Develop – it is unclear whether the ending is happy or not for the maincharacter.

‘The Pursuit Of Happiness’ –Happy ending

Titles/credits

Opening SequenceBradley hand ITC

Opening

SequenceCooper black

Audience

Audience elements Explanation

Age 15+ Some elements may not be suitable for younger viewers (smoking, alcohol and drug use).

Gender Female Main character and supporting character are both female. Audience able to identify with them.

Ethnicity Western culture/society Problems/issues more common and recognised in western culture.

Interests/hobbies Drugs, alcohol, mental health These elements are seen within the sequence – audience can relate.

Social class Lower class Main characters are of lower class.

By Chelsea Fashole-Luke

12J