For several months, I’ve been wanting to create a project which consists of sound telling the story on a basic image. This would include stories of those who were suffering with mental conditions, problems, loss, or traumatic events, following the idea that you won’t know the whole story until you take time to listen to this person.
It stems from my own experiences with loss and mental illness. Last year, an immediate family member was diagnosed with depression, as was a very close friend, and it was suggested by two medical professionals last year that I probably have an anxiety condition. Following my trips to the Doctors, I then discovered that another close friend is likely to have depression, and another has an anxiety disorder.
In most cases, I would not have know about these conditions if they had not told me themselves.
Like a lot of others, my family has also experienced loss very close to us, and a number of close friends and family have disappeared very suddenly from our lives. In many instances, you cannot tell if someone is suffering from grief, or how well (or not) they are dealing with it. From my experience, there are many ways that people feel comfortable expressing grief, but often feel like they have to put on a brave face for everyone else, and act like they’re ok.
I want to bring that idea into my project.
The initial concept is a very simple piece of film, of a single person looking into a camera. A soundscape would then create a story of this person, portraying particular events and/or conditions this character has had to deal with. Throughout the piece, the character would remain looking happy, playing on the idea that they are keeping all of this inside them, and no one would be able to guess what this person was going/had been through just from looking at them.
Thoughts so far:
Synopsis – A series of 3 films with narrative soundscapes, following characters through difficult conditions or events and dealing with the repercussions.
Aims –
1. Film a series of actors in a simple setting, looking into the camera
2. Research the effect certain conditions and events can have on people’s lives
3. Create/record sound effect and dialogue for the soundscapes
4. Produce three 10 minutes soundscapes to accompany videos
5. Work with a charity and/or gallery
Learning Outcomes –
1. Learn how to script and direct a series of short films
2. Improve editing and soundscape skills to create a thought-provoking project
3. Explore various treatment techniques within editing in order to design the most suitable sound for the piece
4. Learn how to approach sensitive topics raised in the production of this project
5. Develop communication skills with an outside party
UPDATED
Synopsis – A single film following one character through his daily thought processes when dealing with everyday problems and suffering from mental health problems.
Aims –
1. Film a static shot of an actor in a simple setting, with little movement
2. Research the effect certain conditions and events can have on people’s lives, and write a script based on that
3. Create/record sound effect and dialogue for the soundscapes
4. Use the photography studio and equipment to film the piece
5. Produce one 15 minutes film
Learning Outcomes –
1. Learn how to script and direct a series of short films
2. Improve editing and soundscape skills to create a thought-provoking project
3. Explore various treatment techniques within editing in order to design the most suitable sound for the piece
4. Us research to learn how to approach sensitive topics raised in the production of this project
5. Learn how to use photography studio and equipment to film a piece unassisted