Lecture - Contextual Research for Creative Practice

This lecture really got me thinking about how I would go about forming an idea for my project. Although I wrote notes on a small idea in the seminar, I don't want to work too deeply into this as it's just an initial idea, I know I will have other ideas but I feel at the moment I need more inspiration, something to give me a big push.

I learnt from this lecture that "practice does not exist in a vacuum", we need to experience things around us to be inspired to write. Starting with the context of the practice; is it based on tradition, technology, reality, the past or the future?

I realised when thinking about books and films I enjoy more realistic storylines. Therefore, I want to start picking up ideas from events and things happening around me. Sitting in this lecture actually made me think of past stories I have heard and situations I have been in that I could write about.

These are notes I made from the lecture, when I left the lecture I started to brainstorm.

Ideas - Seminar

Today, I got put on the 'hot seat' to talk about my idea. The past few days I have struggled to think of a storyline or any characters. From help with my tutor and peers, they helped me form a basic idea to start from. My peers asked me questions about what films I liked and what genres I am interested in. As questions were asked and answered, I formed notes on a short story, I built the idea from my peers asking me who the characters are, where the story is set, the themes and problems the characters have to overcome.

My notes from this seminar :

• A 31 year old woman called Grace who works at a very posh restaurant.
• She is self-conscious and lacks confidence.
• She was never interested in being in a relationship but hitting the age of 31 she feels time is ticking.
• She works very, very hard and only has two days off a during the week and often finds herself working overtime on her days off.
• Benjamin, a rather good looking banker often comes to the restaurant after work with his friends and other times with women on dates.
• He's served by Grace a few times and finds an attraction to her.
• Do they get together? Does she fall for him and realise he's not a nice person? Does she realise she's actually into women and not men?  -- The ending is yet to be sussed out.

I have realised from being put on the spot that you can creatively think of a small and simple idea and work on it. It really helps when you sit with people and talk about an idea, as I have learnt from this seminar - you can really bounce off each other to develop a story.

Objective and Goals

I've decided I would like to take on the script project as I am interested in doing something new. I have a great interest in films and books, however, I would say I'm a more hands-on and practical person. At this point I don't have a solid idea for a script, however, I have a sense of what style I would like to aim for and genre. I'm more interested in romance and comedy films, so I see myself going down the route of a romantic story.

I love the sad, dramatic and romantic films that have an effect on me, for example, P.S I Love You (2007), Dear John (2010), The Notebook (2004) and A Walk To Remember (2002). I would love to write a screenplay that makes the audience laugh, cry and smile.

My next step is to start looking at photographs, reading articles in newspapers or magazines and getting inspiration from my surroundings.

 

Fictional Screen Narrative Brief

• Write a 10-15 minute drama based script.
•  Produce a short two-minute sequence using iClone software to represent your ideas and present this.
•  Do a 10-minute presentation to sell your idea to a commissioning editor.