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Identifying and Planning the Arts Challenge

To aid my decision concerning what challenge I'd like to pursue, I made four lists about interests and skills I already have, what I'd like to developed, and ideas.

What art forms am I interested in/do I like?
FilmmakingScreenwritingFine artPlaying the guitar (improving from simple chords to fingerstyle guitar)Playing pianoCreative writingPhotography

What arts/creative skills do I already feel confident in?
Can play few songs on guitar and pianoPerforming arts (singing and acting) experienceFast learner (can pick up dance choreography/lines of dialogue quickly)Experience with storytelling and creative writing

What arts/creative skills would i like to develop or try out?
Becoming confident in guitar and pianoWriting my own script/screenplayPlanning and shooting a short filmPhotography and cinematography knowledge

Ideas for possible challenges
Learn and play an entire song in front of an audiencePlan and write a screenplayPlan and shoot a short film in a collectiveMake a series of short films alone

My Arts Challenge
I have decided to develop my knowledge on pre-production, specifically my screenwriting and cinematography skills.

To do this, I am making a short film (2-5 minutes) with two other people (Thuy and Yulia). I will plan and write the script, as well as plan the film's cinematography. In order to do this, I will analyse the scripts and visuals of successful and inspiring screenplays which will influence my own work. Thuy will focus on the production of the film, whereas Yulia will control post-production. My individual process will be documented within Part B of this online portfolio.

This challenge aligns with what I'd like to pursue in university (BA Film and English Literature). The skills I will gain will improve my knowledge in this career/academic field as well as daily life. For example, communication, leadership, analysis and storytelling, which are skills that will be prevalent throughout my professional and social life.

Below, there are questions that I asked myself before planning the project, skills involved with filmmaking, weakness I have concerning them and how I will improve, and, finally, the plan overview.

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Writing the Script

To develop my skill of screenwriting, I read articles and watched videos on scriptwriting format and software, here is the playlist of these videos for reference.

From this, as a collective, we decided to create a montage film with a monologue voiced over it. This was reminiscent of Coming-of-Age films that we have taken particular liking to, plus the montage film style allowed a collage-like effect, which corresponded well with the monologue.

In order to write this monologue, I watched videos on how to write one (also part of the playlist), and took inspiration from three of my favourites screenplays, analysing their similarities. From this, I wrote the first draft of my own monologue and employed these shared written/performance devices in it. I asked for peer feedback, then wrote a final draft.

Here, you will see my analysis of the three monologues from critically-acclaimed films and shows, my first draft and its feedback, and a link to the final script, exemplifying changes from the draft and devices from the three inspiring monologues.

The screenplays that I took inspiration from are: Ladybird, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Fleabag, Season 2

The final script, in correct scriptwriting format, can be accessed here

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Planning Cinematography

In order to develop my cinematography skills, I looked at the photographic perspective, staging, and lighting employed within screenplays that I am particularly inspired by. To further my understanding, I watched and took notes on video essays about these screenplays and this genre,
here is the playlist of these videos for reference

The atmosphere created by the monologue was inspired primarily by Coming-of-Age films, so it was decided that we would use the aesthetics of the genre into our short film.

From my research I found out that the common visual characteristics in these films include the vibrant colour, florescent lighting and the focus on people. The colour is necessary in the COA genre as it represents deep emotion, imperative to be included when portraying the formative years of people’s lives. The lighting also creates an intimate and embracing effect, a sense of nostalgia and longing. And, the focal point of people signifies the importance of the human condition within the COA genre, and the understanding of earnest emotions within growing up.

Additionally, to further develop my understanding of this style of film, I asked two other people to blindly interpret the meaning and emotions behind these stills in order to fully comprehend the effect of this cinematography style.

These characteristics put into to play can be seen in The Final Piece sector of this website.

Dean’s interpretation – He related this atmosphere to hyper and dirty realism, showing the gritty, yet fantastical presentation of the human experience. He also noticed the theme of human connection and relationships throughout, which made him feel a sense of intimacy, contemplation and nostalgia towards experiences he hasn’t experienced. Dean had also paid close attention to the use of lighting, with the night-time scenes evoking a fantastical sense of adventure and spontaneity through the use of florescent, neon lights, and the daylight providing a regretful, isolated feeling, as if the two opposites depended on each other, cyclically and equally.

James' interpretation – Similarly to Dean, James felt a sense of nostalgia, like he could collude with these experiences, with the concept of the human conditional being prevalent to him. The use of soft, muted vibrance comforted him, and he felt as though ‘everything makes sense’ and that these stills were snapshots of youth. He defined this wholesome, casual atmosphere as ‘home by resonance’, clearly depicting the comfort he felt through the sense of understanding and reliability these stills provide.

HBO's Euphoria
HBO’s original Coming-of-Age series, Euphoria, has been described as game-changing within the television industry, providing a dark and gritty character study in a visually unique way. What I particularly liked about the series was its relevancy and relatability, with its character’s searching for substantial meaning being heightened by its impressive visuals and soundtrack, creating an overall polished, immersive presentation of growing up. In relation to the short film, I wanted to incorporate the hyper emotional realism presented in Euphoria, through its cinematography’s emphasis on emotion and identity.

Cinematography of Wong Kar Wai and Christopher Doyle
Hong Kongese director, Wong Kar Wai, and Australian-born cinematographer, Christopher Doyle have collaborated together on a total of seven films, establishing a recognisable cinematography style of lustful visuals and romanticism. Their collaborations inspired my short film due to their acceptance of chaos and psychedelia, with their work presenting an illusion of hyperbolised reality, exploring both human dynamism and loneliness, which struck a chord in me. Besides the language barrier of the films, the dream-like quality of their work translates the universal themes of their works, which, in my opinion, in fact say more than any words could.

Applying Research and Knowledge in the Final Piece
Both on set and in post-production, we could allude to the COA genre, Euphoria, and the work of Wong Kar Wai and Christopher Doyle. This can be seen in these screenshots.

For that particular COA feel, we manipulated the lighting to be florescent and vibrant, as well as focus on the people within most frames. This successfully created a youthful and nostalgic atmosphere. The application of Dean and James' interpretations, of hyper and dirty realism, combining isolation and the comfort of 'home by resonance' is continuous without. For example, the lone phone box in stark daylight, compared to the fantastical shoot of two girls laying on the floor.

Allusion to Euphoria was exemplified through the use of colour and lack of colour. Purple is evident within some frames, evoking nostalgia and psychedelia, as the HBO series does. Moreover, lack of colour, reliant on daylight, accordingly presents feelings of vulnerability and empathy, which we purposefully intended. Our costume and makeup choices, emphasising individuality and youth within each person, further exaggerate a relatable quality and the importance of different perspectives.

Finally, the inspiration from Wai and Doyle is visible, characterised by lighting and focus on people, similarly to the COA and Euphoria characteristics. Non-naturalistic successfully adds a layer of dynamism and psychedelia within our film, whilst the focus on people provide an element of the human condition, its chaos and its solitude.