POST PRODUCTION: Character Development and Test shots.
This week I and Abby began to develop our films protagonist. Our protagonist is called Jack
Alexander Morghan. We began by answering these questions. Our aim is to develop a character that somewhat subverts or questions the stigmas or preconceptions we have about BPD sufferers. We want to try to develop a character that represents lesser known information about the condition, whilst referring to some of the criteria used in BPD diagnosis.
For example, we have decided that our protagonist will be male. It is often thought that men are less likely to suffer from mental health problems. Men are less likely to seek help for mental health issues for fear that their masculinity or validity may be called into question. In fact in 2013, 6,233 suicides were recorded in the UK for people aged 15 and older. Of these, 78% were male and 22% were female. (source)
We also decided that the protagonist should be of a working class background, subverting the idea that those with BPD are spoilt, or are more often from affluent backgrounds, such as Winona Ryder's character in Girl Interrupted (1999). In fact, adults in the poorest fifth of the UK are much more likely to be at risk of developing a mental illness as those on average incomes: around 24% compared with 14%.
We plan to utilize "mise en scene" and our characters vernacular to communicate these ideas without needing to use up much of the films time.
Our full character description notes are included in our film treatment document.
We also began to brief our actor (Vince) on the character development so far as well as BPD. We took some test shots of Jack Morghan (Vince) sitting at one of the desks in Abbys flat. We asked him to introduce himself and we asked him some questions about who the character was to make sure we all had an understanding of how Jack might speak and move.
I think that based on these test shots we need to focus on Jack's vernacular in the script to make give an idea of his background and attitude. I also think that the test shots came across a little bit too sad, the character seemed a bit too solemn for someone who is recovered. I am glad we took these tests so that I can think more on how to tweak Jack from here on wards.
We also tried some traditional framing and composition for our chosen genre, which is docudrama. Framing our character slightly to the left and at mid-range allows the scene to be read, as well as body language whilst still providing a clear and focused shot of the character. I think this type of shot will be integral to the main narrative of our film, especially in communicating the type of film the viewer should expect.
For example, we have decided that our protagonist will be male. It is often thought that men are less likely to suffer from mental health problems. Men are less likely to seek help for mental health issues for fear that their masculinity or validity may be called into question. In fact in 2013, 6,233 suicides were recorded in the UK for people aged 15 and older. Of these, 78% were male and 22% were female. (source)
We also decided that the protagonist should be of a working class background, subverting the idea that those with BPD are spoilt, or are more often from affluent backgrounds, such as Winona Ryder's character in Girl Interrupted (1999). In fact, adults in the poorest fifth of the UK are much more likely to be at risk of developing a mental illness as those on average incomes: around 24% compared with 14%.
We plan to utilize "mise en scene" and our characters vernacular to communicate these ideas without needing to use up much of the films time.
Our full character description notes are included in our film treatment document.
We also began to brief our actor (Vince) on the character development so far as well as BPD. We took some test shots of Jack Morghan (Vince) sitting at one of the desks in Abbys flat. We asked him to introduce himself and we asked him some questions about who the character was to make sure we all had an understanding of how Jack might speak and move.
I think that based on these test shots we need to focus on Jack's vernacular in the script to make give an idea of his background and attitude. I also think that the test shots came across a little bit too sad, the character seemed a bit too solemn for someone who is recovered. I am glad we took these tests so that I can think more on how to tweak Jack from here on wards.
We also tried some traditional framing and composition for our chosen genre, which is docudrama. Framing our character slightly to the left and at mid-range allows the scene to be read, as well as body language whilst still providing a clear and focused shot of the character. I think this type of shot will be integral to the main narrative of our film, especially in communicating the type of film the viewer should expect.
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