PRE-PRODUCTION: Story Development & Changes

Since my meeting with Simon, I have gone back to the initial concept stage and made some significant changes to the story, using some of the characters, events and themes I had originally come up with. Some improvements that needed to be made included stripping back some of the content, as I had made the story rather complex with lots of stories within. This made it seem like a melodrama with too much going on in between the main events of the story and not giving it the centre focus it needed. The characters I had written, particularly the mother character I wanted to build on and really give her a motive, based on her back story. As my previous idea was very plot heavy, this wouldn't allow the audience to engage with the characters and establish a connection with them. Instead, they would need to focus on the twists and event changes in order to follow the story, not allowing for much audience participation and understanding of the characters.

The mother's back story is a troubled childhood, her parents split up and her mother left, leaving her with no strong maternal character in her life, and a useless father who only supported her when it was completely necessary. So, when she has twins at the age of 19 with a boyfriend who she is no longer with, she is determined to make something of herself and be the mother to her daughters that she never had. I wanted to start with the mother and really build on her as a character that the audience will be able to identify with and initially root for. This was important for me to understand what I wanted to story to be about. I decided I wanted the story to be about family - and parenting in particular. Other recurring themes include love, loss, abduction and poverty.


Pitch/Tag-line
Here I have devised an initial pitch for the story to act as a summary of what it will be about, without giving away too much context.

One Mother's desperate attempt to locate her abducted daughter. Could she be out there somewhere? 

I think that this tagline tells the audience that the story is about the mother and what has happened to her. It also tells the audience what her motive in the story will be without giving away the reason why. Leaving a question for the audience divulges a theme of mystery, which will become important later on in the series. Even though I have broken down the events from my original idea and restrained them, I would still like to incorporate some of these but centre them to one location, and one main character.

Plot Summary

• A young mother is living in a small town in the state of Illinois with her 5 year old twin daughters.
• She is a waitress at a local cafe, working long shifts every day of the week to pay rent and support her daughters, desperate to provide for them.
• Their father works as a Solicitor nearby and sees his daughters as often as he can.
• The mother sometimes leaves the twins alone whilst she goes to work, feeling she hasn't got any other option, however someone has observed this and is watching them.
• One day, one of the twins is playing in the garden and is snatched away, leaving the other traumatised.
• The mother returns, horrified and desperately contacts their father who is equally panicked and reports the child missing to authorities.
• An investigation is under way, when the missing twin is suspected dead. Evidence of bloodied clothing is found but no body is retrieved.
• Driven by her desperation and guilt, the mother refuses to accept the evidence, dedicating herself to uncover what happened to her daughter. The father removes the other twin amidst fears the mother is no longer stable, suggesting she looks after herself first.
• We return to the story 6 years later and the mother has dedicated her life and work to finding the child, her house is covered with paperwork, setting up an online charity dedicated to finding missing children.
• A new family has moved to town with a little girl, it is revealed she was adopted. The mother suspects that it is her daughter, and begins stalking the house and family intensely, initially befriending the little girl for information. Authorities believe she is emotionally unstable and don't entertain her pleads of enquiry.
• When she obtains a hair sample, a police officer agrees to have it examined. It is revealed she is the birth mother of the little girl. The police officer and the authorities uncover that the child was taken from her abductor for not having legal documents and fostered by her current guardians.
• Happy and stable with her foster parents, the daughter rejects the mother's offer to join her, leaving her distraught and feeling like she has failed her.
• In her despair, she attempts to steal her, and in driving away she is cornered, crashing the car and injuring herself. 
• The mother is prosecuted and institutionalised for her actions, however she accepts that her daughters are both cared for and living stable lives. The father and twins are reunited, continuing to live their lives separately respecting the little girls request to remain with her foster parents. 

PRE-PRODUCTION: Research - The Role of a Creative Producer

For the Pre-Production unit, the role I am undertaking is the Creative Producer. This role entails many smaller roles including creative writing. However, I will also be designing and creating all the visuals and writing/directing the opening title sequence. As it is all conceptual based work, the role of Producing is going to be the most prominent for this unit and what I will be largely marked on.
To be able to understand the requirements of this role, I have undertaken some research to ensure I can fulfil my role requirements to a good standard.
Although I feel like I know what a Creative Producer is, I wanted to read about some of the differences to a Producer only.

'A Creative Producer on a Film or TV Production assists the director with the script, casting and other creative issues'

Essentially the Creative Producer will be dealing with and assisting with all of the creative decisions. As I will be taking on the role of Writer/Director, I will need to ensure I am making my decisions carefully and thinking about every aspect of the Pre-Package in as much detail as possible as I won't have the aids of other Crew members until I am shooting the Opening Titles.

The Creative Producer is often the first person to get involved in a project. In Pre-Production, Creative Producers bring together the key members of the creative team. This includes the Director, Cinematographer and Production Designer. They will also help the Executive Producers raise money for the project. Working together with the Director, the Creative Producer will contribute in the development of new content and features. They will also pull together feedback related to the creative aspects of the production and identify new feature developments. The Creative Producer sees the project through the Pre-Production stage through to Post Production and therefore oversees and works on it through till the end. It is important ensure that every stage is carried out effectively, on time and to a budget to guarantee a good quality piece of film or work.
With these elements in mind, to carry out my role in this case, I will need to ensure that I have a good organisational structure and schedule when it comes to each aspect of the project as I will need to ensure that I am incorporating the other roles into my working process, whilst still putting my main role as the Creative Producer first.


Here I have found some desirable skills of the role which include:

• Using software like Photoshop, Illustrator and Premiere Pro.

• Good communication skills

• Good working knowledge of Film/Television Production as a well as Digital Photography.

• The ability to work with video effects, audio mixers, lighting equipment. 

I think that I already have some of these skills and can put them into practice throughout this unit, as well as work on others and develop them to a good standard. For example, I already have some knowledge of editing software (Premiere Pro) from editing during previous units. I have also had some previous experience with Photoshop. However, I will be working predominately alone during this unit and so will have the opportunity to work on these skills and use them to better the quality and detail of my work. In terms of my communication skills, I will be working with some other members of the class as crew for the Opening Title sequence. Therefore, I will be able to use my knowledge of working with a Television crew from previous units as well.
In terms of my working knowledge of the Film/Television industry and production itself, I would say that I have gained experience both at Uni and during my work experience placements. Therefore, I intend on using this to fulfil the role I am undertaking and hopefully gain more experience and knowledge before finishing my degree.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Research - Abduction & Grief: An Understanding

To be able to include and document some of the themes I have chosen to explore within this production, it is vital that I research them. This is because some of them are dark but very real and will need to be documented carefully and truthfully to avoid any misrepresentation. Child Abduction is the most prominent theme to research as this is the focus and triggering event of the story. The loss of a child is an unimaginable concept that would cause a great deal of pain to the family of the child and anyone related to the child. Never knowing what happened to the child is a pain that no parent should ever have to endure, but for some parents out there, this has been a reality. Not only will I be investigating Abduction and the after effects it has on the parents, I want to look at the grieving process specifically so I can study particular emotions that the parent would be experiencing at the time. 

Child abduction has become a public social issue that has captured the attention of many, largely in the past 2 decades. Several reports of child abduction have been portrayed in the media, particularly those of stranger circumstances, like the Madeline McCann case which is recognised all over the world. However, the over representation of such cases can trigger fear in parents which is often actually disproportionate to the actual risk. Although, we may have heard lots in the media about specific cases of Child Abduction, little is actually known about the grieving process of parents of victims and how someone would cope with such distresses. The emotional and psychological effects of child abduction can be severe, research suggests. 

When it comes to writing about someone who has experienced the pain of losing a child to abduction - a fictional character in this case, I would like to ensure that I am writing with knowledge of how the person/character would be feeling. 

I found an article which is titled:

'Understanding Stages of Grief applied to Parents Affected by Parental Child Abduction/Alienation/Retention' - A Medium Corporation

This article explains in 10 bullet points, the stages of grief and acceptance that parents who have lost a child to abduction are most likely to experience.

Stage 1: Shock and Denial - The article explains that during this stage, the parents will be given false reassurances from legal professionals and close family that it can be easily solved, resulting in a feeling of shock.

Stage 2: Emotions Erupt - Emotions can overflow their usual boundaries and will be expressed in many different ways.

Stage 3: Anger - This can lead to negative emotions towards the other parent or the authorities.

Stage 4: Sickness - The body acts out the pain through physical sickness including nausea and extreme fatigue.

Stage 5: Panic - Repeatedly asking themselves 'What is wrong with me' and wondering about their own mental health in regards to how they are dealing with the situation.

Stage 6: Guilt - They may wonder whether they are to blame for the situation they are in.

Stage 7: Loneliness - They may suffer from detachment issues with other family and not want to be around others.

Stage 8: Re-Entry Troubles - Once the effort is made to get back to a normal routine, the pain of the loss can make it difficult to be as trusting and open as before.

Stage 9: Hope - Some try to raise awareness in this stage, or document their experiences in a book to inform others.

Stage 10: Accepting and Affirming Reality - This is the final stage, and a parent in this stage would accept that they will no longer be a parent to that particular child again.

I found summarising the steps of this article very useful in understanding what each stage would be and even made some connections to the project. I think that this indicates that the grieving process is very slow and can take many forms and turning points. In some cases, it feels like the process makes progress towards the end but is never fully resolved as the child is not found. It was interesting to learn about all of the changing emotions that a parent may go through, including blaming of themselves and their partner for 'letting it happen', even though in most cases prevention would most likely have not been an option.
I think when applying these to a character, it would be useful to consider these if it were to be put into the production stage, as these would all need to be documented visually. With my knowledge of the different stages that a parent may go through in these unusual circumstances, it was very interesting in particular to learn about how consuming an event like this would be for a parent. I will need to think about this when writing about the effects of the abduction on the Mother character, as I want to reflect how she would be feeling and talk about how it becomes her main focus, as she slowly loses herself to it.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Revised Idea - Feedback & Reflections

Since I spoke to Simon during the last tutorial, I had decided to revise my initial idea which was to undertake an existing novel and adapt it, and write an original series alternatively. After reading the book of regeneration, I decided that the ending was not what I had expected and didn't feel compelled to work from it. I then decided to write something original. I brainstormed ideas again and decided I still wanted to write a Drama, but I wanted it to be of a Crime/Thriller genre as these genres are what I am drawn to as a viewer. I came up with some basic characters and a setting, and wrote a beginning, middle and end in simple bullet points.

This morning I spoke to Simon about the plot I had derived for an original production as this is the route I have decided to take with my new project concept. I wanted some advice as to where to take it and how to develop on it as he has given me mixed feedback thus far. We had an extra meeting so I could be sure that I was on the right track so I could take the idea forward and work on it in more detail.
He said that the story was incredibly plot heavy with lots of stories within it, making it seem too melodramatic and soap like. He felt like focussing on one of them in particular would make it less overwhelming for the audience and allow them to focus on who the characters are rather than the events that are surrounding them. This was a decision I made because I felt like it needed the turning points to tell the story and resolve the obstacles along the way. I also had it in mind to think big as I wanted the events to sustain the length of a drama and have enough gripping moments throughout to provide moments of surprise and watchability. However, Simon highlighted that for a serious crime/thriller drama, this wouldn't be the case. He also suggested that I work out what I want the story to be about. Initially I said that it was about family with the main characters all losing family members and wanting to sought after and obtain the family they had lost. However, with there being too many other themes interlinking between, this makes it difficult to hone it down to one theme and focus for the entirety of the production.

Breaking Bad

Other advice he gave was to think about what the story was about and what the central themes are, as this will also aid me in the storytelling process and build a much stronger story.
I have also decided that the central themes to the series will be family/parenthood, sacrifice and potentially abduction or murder? Understanding what I would like the story to be about will enable me to think more clearly and rationally about the characters and the events that surround them.

Therefore, he suggested I focus on the main characters and work out exactly who they are and what their intentions are to understand how they would be feeling and why they would choose to make certain decisions. I think that the 3 main characters, being the mother and the twins will be my new starting point, and I am going to focus on building these characters in order to come up with a motive for each of them. In this way, the events in the story should link together and have reasons throughout rather than throwing in additional themes that may not be needed to resolve the story. He also suggested that I looked at 'Breaking Bad' as an example of good character development as the main character 'Walter White' is the main character in the series and carries the story with a particular goal and resolution at the end, and stepping stones along the way to achieve this. I will use this as a basis and think about how the leading factors in my production not only affect the characters but the story. I think I want to focus more on the character of the mother and maybe brain storm ideas around her, with and without the twins being the main focus for her. Originally, I based her on the character 'Megan' in 'The Girl on the Train' which I think is still viable and still would have prominence as I still view her as this character. However, I may change how she approaches the loss of her daughters and her actions as a result.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Concept Research & Development - The Girl on the Train

I have looked into some thriller/crime novels with themes that correlate with my project to allow me to develop my synopsis, and give it more depth with events that have a clear cause and effect. This is important to reach a level of detail which is essential for a gripping thriller, with turns and revelations throughout to keep the audience guessing. There is a particular book that I am aware of with themes that I can write about.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train - Novel 

'The Girl on the Train' is a Psychological Thriller novel written by the British Author Paula Hawkins and published in 2015. It became a no.1 best seller, referred to as the next 'Gone Girl' with similar themes and characters. The novel follows three main characters, Megan, Rachel and Anna with each one narrating their stories in first person. However, their stories all correlate and combine throughout the novel so these connections are revealed to the audience slowly as the story unfolds.

I have looked at a particular scene in the book which is also shown in the film adaptation. The scene I was looking at was when the audience finds out that one of the main characters Megan gave birth to a baby at the age of 17 and we see a memory of her laying in the bath with the baby. She falls asleep and the baby drowns. Desperate and devastated, she buries the baby and makes out like it never happened. However, in keeping the birth and death of the baby a secret from everyone for the next decade of her life, trying to repress the memory nearly drives her insane. 

The connection between her character and the mother in my project is that they both lose their babies without much of a choice and in some forced way. Megan's baby dies so although it was something she could've prevented, it is not something she can get back and so she is driven mad by this. In contrast, the mother in my story had no choice in the matter as she has her daughter stolen from her. It is not really the mother's fault as she is tending her other daughter at the time. However, I see the mother as a result being somewhat driven insane when her daughter is taken from her, riddled with guilt even though it wasn't her fault.  I imagine the character of the mother being emotionally unstable, channelling her every move, devoted to the case, forgetting all else. I imagine she is like the character of Megan from this novel in this respect. I will take this concept forward to build on the character of the mother for the development of the story. This will aid my creative writing especially when devising the episodes synopsis. 

PRE-PRODUCTION: Revised Initial Idea

Since changing my idea for the Pre-Production unit, I will still be choosing the Professional Pre-Production option and will be a hypothetical Thriller/Crime Drama series, with more emphasis on a visual style based package. However, I would like to write a script for at least the opening scene and focus on developing the synopsis to a level of detail and refinement. Since changing my idea, I felt like choosing to compose and write an original production would be more beneficial to my development throughout this unit and would give me the most flexibility and options in terms of design in particular. Whereas, working with an adaptation will have limited me in my visual style choices as I would be working towards another person's creative visions.

The Initial Idea
My first thought regarding the idea was that I wanted it to be a character driven plot, so the complexity and suspense would come through the obstacles faced and the realisations of the main character.
There were a few aspects that I initially kept in mind when developing the idea to allow me to devise the structure and goals for the plot.

These include:
-An initiating incident, so a triggering event that would drive the character to do something.
-A clear story structure of events throughout.
-A crisis.
-A resolution.

• In the Modern day (2017)  in state of Oregon, America, lives a young girl of 27 years of age. 
• She is living with a friend, with an office based job as an Executive Assistant. 
• Her adoptive parents died 4 years ago and she has no siblings. 
• The initiating incident will be an article she reads online, it interviews a couple who are remembering their daughter who was murdered 25 years ago, when she was just 2 years old. 
• The girl sees the photo of the child that is printed on the article, and notices this girl looks identical to photos of herself at that age. 
• She queries this and goes home to look at photos of herself in an old album, confiding in her roommate about it who doesn't think too much of it. 
• Still curious, she uses 'Facebook' to search for this girls name, she has no results. However, a popular result comes up of a young girl with the same first name as the murdered girl. She is the same age as the main character and looks exactly like her living in New York. 
• However, the mystery girl's profile exudes wealth and status, with thousands of friends and likes on her page. 
• She decides to contact the girl via Facebook messaging, acting casual about their likeness of appearance. The mystery girl assumes she is looking for money or attention and politely ends the conversation.
• Convinced this girl is her twin, she contacts the adoption agency for records and finds out she had a twin sister, who was murdered at just age 2. The files include a photo of her birth mother and details of both of their adoptive parents.
• She attempts to message the girl again, delving into the information she has found out. The mystery girl ignores her message.
• Desperate to know more and find out about her family past, she travels to New York to find her, using the girls company details as a reference point into locating her. 
• Upon finding her, the mystery girl is astonished as to how alike they look and agrees to chat with her, inviting her over to her flat for coffee to talk about her findings. 
• Whilst they are having coffee, the mystery girl's mother turns up at the flat during her lunch break and immediately knows who she is. She also recognises this woman and it is revealed that she is the same woman in the photo - her birth mother. This will be the crisis. 
• Confused, she confronts the mother and asks for an explanation, it is revealed that she gave birth to twins at the age of 19 and was convinced to give them up due to being financially unstable. They went to separate families from birth. 
• However, the birth mother changed her mind, and stole one of the twins, framing her murder.
• Determined to make something of herself, she ran away to New York, changing her name and reinventing herself as a successful multimillionaire business woman.
• However, she is determined to maintain her status and public appearance, also having not established a bond with the other twin, she will do anything to keep this information secret.
• Hurt by the secret her mother has kept from her and excited to form a bond with her twin, the mystery twin decides to leave with her, which will be the resolution. 
• The mother is left with her empire and public status but has lost the on thing she tried so hard to get back - her daughters. 

This is a very rough idea for the plot line of the drama. I have not yet come up with character names and some of the locations and events may change. I have also not come to a final decision as to whether the main character's adoptive parents are alive or not. I initially decided to have them killed in a car crash 4 years ago so that would give her more of a motive to go and find her sister in the hope of finding some family. I also felt like they would give the clue away about the twin who was murdered when she was 2 which would remove the event where she goes to the adoption agency and discovers this, along with the photo of her birth mother. I also may adapt the ending slightly and the character of the mother, making her more malicious towards the other twin in order to keep her secret safe. I feel like this may be necessary to give the drama more of an action/thriller genre, so that the revelations are not the only source of suspense and drama. I would also consider making the ending a doorway into another series, with an un-finalised resolution to give the drama more of an edge and give it that binge-watching quality that crime/thriller dramas tend to have. I would also like to show the audience what happened when the birth mother stole one of the twins and framed the murder so that the back story is documented in detail and becomes something visual rather than just a story. I feel like this is important as it is the biggest revelation in the series and helps to create a crisis for the main character. 

PRE - PRODUCTION: Regeneration: Reflections/A New Idea?

After my first tutorial of the year with Simon, I expressed my interest in the novel 'Regeneration' by Pat Barker. Initially drawn to it because of its recurring themes including Hospitalisation and War, both quite dark themes, which gave me a starting point and sparked my interest. I hadn't completely decided whether to compose and write an original production, potentially bringing in some of the themes I had been looking at or work from an existing novel and do an adaptation of it. However, in reading 'Regeneration', i'd hoped this would answer this question for myself and encourage my development process.

I have since read the book and decided that although I enjoyed it as a novel for leisurely purposes, I wasn't overly engaged or inspired by the story, and found the ending to be a very final, resolved ending with little exaggeration or much of a twist. When I imagine a dark, clever drama series, I think of unexpected and suspenseful moments throughout that keep the audience guessing, with a huge reveal at the end or doorway into another series that leaves you enthralled. Although, I have the option to take some elements or inspiration from this story forward and write something new, I don't feel compelled to continue working with this novel in particular. One aspect of the novel that I was inspired by was the character development, particularly of Siegfried Sassoon. As an outsider, I really felt like I knew his background and involvement in the war in great detail, understanding and empathising with him. The author achieved this through great visualisation, when Sassoon is recreating his memories from the War and talking about them in his poetry. However, I found his ending to be disappointing in particular as he returns to the war. Therefore, I felt as though he wasn't able to leave some of those memories behind, instead being immersed back into the environment he had suffered in.

In terms of my development process and moving onto something different, I initially considered other books that I have loved in the Crime/Thriller genre and am keen to look at. I considered 'The Lovely Bones', but this is a novel that has recently been adapted into a film and so wouldn't give me as much exploration in terms of visuals as it has already been explored by the Director Peter Jackson.
Therefore, I have decided to go back to pen and paper and devise a completely original production.
I am interested in the Mystery/Thriller genre in particular, as I find that the most interesting genre to watch myself. However, I am interested in combining genres, including Crime and elements of Horror.
As a starting point for coming up with a brand new concept, I will be brainstorming some new ideas and subjects to spark my ideas. I am still keen to go down the route of a dark drama as I think I would like to create something that will be really engaging and intriguing with some shocking moments and plenty of twists. I also think that I would like to write something with a doorway into another series, so potentially a cliff hanger, leaving the audience with an ending that isn't completely resolved.
I have completed a spider diagram again to brainstorm some of my ideas and then choose something to develop on. I have researched some formats for writing fictional stories, which I will use as a guideline for the characters and the structure of events.

New Ideas Exploration

WORKSHOP: New Cameras!

3rd Years working with Panasonic Cameras

Yesterday we had a workshop with Ferg and Sam as an introduction to the new cameras in the store. The Uni was given a budget to buy some new equipment for the course. This was great news as the equipment can be limited during production weeks with there being more students in the other year groups. However, with the new cameras the ratio of camera to students is now 3 students to every camera which will be great for independent and small group projects. These cameras are also newer models with features that the others don't have to allow for more of an industry standard look. The new cameras are Panasonic as opposed to the Sony DSLR cameras that we have available in the store. The biggest and most exciting difference is that they are 4K. Compared with the Sony cameras, these have almost twice the amount of pixels, making the image quality far clearer and more dimensional. This will be particularly evident on a large scale during the screenings we have.
Ferg showed us a few demonstration videos telling us about the 4K aspect and some of the other features they have. After that we were able to set them cameras up and have a look at them in small groups. The set up was relatively similar, however they have improved some of the features to make them more state of the art. For example they have a plate already built in on the bottom of the camera so you don't have to fit this on when attaching it to a tripod. Other features include a much larger battery and a wireless feature so that they can connect to the gallery without a cord. These features will come in particularly useful during the studio production units for the 2nd years as it will make the cameras on tripods much more mobile across the studio floor. There is also a small earphone on the actual camera which allows the camera operator to monitor the sound through the fitted microphone.
Although, I am not intending on taking on the DoP role for any of the units throughout this year, I will be working with a DoP for the opening titles as part of my pre production package. Therefore, I will need to consider booking out one of the Panasonic cameras, depending on the look I will be aiming for with the titles. I think that the new features however may be very beneficial and create some real good results!

PRE-PRODUCTION: First Tutorial

Today I had my first tutorial with Simon regarding the Pre-Production unit. It was the first time we were able to communicate our early ideas about the project and the choices we had made up until this point. I was confident that I wanted to choose the Professional Pre-Production option for this unit and had planned with that option in mind. I have decided to choose a Drama as the genre for this project as that is the genre I am most interested in watching on Television and potentially producing myself. I also communicated that I was thinking about adapting the book 'Regeneration' and asked some questions about how I would do that. I explained how I had found the book and to what extent I wanted to adapt it, potentially changing some of the themes in the latter half, or potentially just using it as the very basis of the idea but changing the plot completely to create a more original production with a different name. Simon advised that I read the book before our next tutorial so I could assess whether I wanted to take it forward as an idea and how much of it I wanted to adapt and alter. He was happy with my choice of the Professional Pre-Production however, and agreed that that would be a good option for this unit.

In terms of my choice for the second unit which would be starting in January, I expressed that I was thinking about choosing the long form script option. I felt as if I would be more than happy to take the first project forward even further and focus on it for the whole year independently. During the Storytelling unit in the first year, I enjoyed screenwriting and got good feedback for my script from Steve Coombes, therefore I feel like this option would be suitable for me.
Another option I had been considering was to join an existing major project or form a group and do a stand alone project. However, the only role I would like to do would be Producing which limits me somewhat as there may not be a group existing which would give me that job role. I have some time to think about other options for the second unit but will discuss joining an existing group with some of the other third years and see if any of the groups would require a Producing role. I will then communicate some of my options with Simon during next weeks tutorial.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Initial Concept, Research and Planning

Still from Stranger Things

After looking at several genres of Television and types of programs to give me some inspiration for this project, I decided to plan my initial concept. I decided that I was most interested in the genre of Drama as I find fictional series' very enjoyable and gripping to watch. As I feel passionate about this genre, and some of the dramas I have watched and researched, I felt inspired to derive my own idea and brainstorm some areas of drama. Through my research I highlighted some genres and some dramas in particular, some of which I have watched and enjoyed. These included Crime, Mystery, Horror which I used as the basis for the idea. The dramas I have enjoyed in particular have quite dark themes as I feel like they create the most suspension and have the most binge-watching qualities. For example in 'Stranger Things', main characters go missing and are in potential danger whilst their friends and families must work out where and how to find them. However, the secret is kept from the audience and the characters until the second half of the series leaving you constantly guessing and using the clues along the way to try work it out. I would like to do the same thing with a drama where there are several twists and dark turns to keep the interest of the audience throughout. I think that to give a drama that binge-watching quality, it needs to have several cliff hangers and moments of suspense so that the audience wants to continue watching. I will keep this in mind when writing the synopsis and script for the drama to ensure that it makes for an interesting reading/watching experience. 

Regeneration - Novel

Regeneration by Pat Barker

During the brainstorming process, I came up with a few themes including War and Hospitalisation and paired this with further research, looking for existing stories that could give me some ideas and inspiration for a story line. I had originally intended to come up with a completely original idea that would be inspired by existing books, series' or films. As a result I found the book 'Regeneration' written and published by Pat Barker in 1991. The book is based around World War 1 veterans who became hospitalised for 'Shell Shock' and other mental traumas as a result of the War. I was particularly interested in the storyline for the time period and the use of hospitalisation as I felt like I could explore both of these areas. These themes are all very dark which attracts me as I am interested in the Thriller genre in particular and would like to look at this book in more detail to examine its themes and story line. I hadn't thought or considered an adaptation but would be potentially interested in finding out the story, to either inspire my own ideas or think about adapting it.


For the author, the book was inspired by her Grandfather's own experiences of the War. Using real life sources, she created the characters who would be present in the hospitals including poets and patients.
I was initially quite drawn to this book and interested in adapting it because of the subject matter and so looked further into its storyline and recurring themes. The impression I get without having read the book is that it centres around the progress and recuperation of the men, looking at how they fit back into society after the War. Although the subject matter is dark as it should delve into the stories of the soldiers who would have seen some horrendous things, the impression I got was that the story takes a positive turn towards the end, focussing on the progress the patients make in the hospital. Although this seems intriguing to me, I would like to look into the other themes of the book and see if there are any I can pick out or elaborate on and make more prominent if I choose to adapt it. Initially I had the idea of bringing in some darker themes and twists to the storyline if I choose to adapt it, however this may change the story completely, taking away from the adaptation and making it something totally different. Therefore I need to read the book before choosing to adapt it so that I know whether I would like to adapt it or take inspiration from it and use some themes or settings  to come up with an original production.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Research - Action/Thriller/Horror Genre of Drama

Stranger Things

I have also highlighted another area of genres I am interested in when it comes to Drama. These include Action/Thriller and Horror. I have chosen to combine them and talk about them collectively because I think a few of the series I will talk about are a combination of these genres. I think that series' that come under these genres have become incredibly popular with audiences particularly on Netflix. They seem to attract a younger audience in particular, who are attracted to the elaborate and exciting nature of them. I am interested in watching these dramas myself as I find them very engaging and thrilling to watch, keeping me on the edge of my seat as well as being at times very scary. A more horror based genre is more niche, however, several of the Netflix series have managed to encapsulate the element of horror whilst keeping the material quite mainstream and appealing to many.
In general, Dramas that fall into these genres are very intense and thrilling to watch which encourages people to talk about them, therefore increasing their popularity further. I think that I would struggle to attempt to recreate these genres if I were to choose the Major Project Pre-Production, just because they are so dynamic and often very visually stimulating. However, as I have chosen to undertake the Professional Pre-Production option for this unit, this is a potential area I would be keen to look further into.

Stranger Things

'Stranger Things' is an Action/Horror Television drama created by the Duffer Brothers and Shawn Levy. It premiered on Netflix and follows the lives of a group of young boys and their families, living in a fictional town in Indiana. One of the boys suddenly vanishes and his friends and family must uncover the mystery involving Scientific experiments, Super-natural forces and a strange little girl called '11'. The first series created suspense by slowly unfolding what happened to Will and the journey his friends and family take to discover this, whilst also revealing to the audience who the character of '11' is, where she came from and what her capabilities are. The series ended with a resolution but with cliff hangers set for the next series which left the audience wanting to find out more. This series stood out to me as it was quite different to anything else I'd seen recently on Television. The fact that its a combination of genres makes it so interesting and so watchable because so many events occur in each episode, so it just encourages you to continue watching. I thought that the combination of Action and Horror/Thriller made it very gripping as a series, as you never know what's going to be round the corner and there's always something exciting happening.


American Horror Story

American Horror Story

Another series that I have watched religiously is 'American Horror Story', a Netflix original series. It is much more Horror/Thriller rather than Action but the themes vary throughout. It is produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk and contains several miniseries.  It is an Anthology series which means that each series is a new story with its own beginning, middle and end with new characters, settings and events. I found this Drama series so engaging because even though it is not Action based, there are so many events and twists and turns which kept me very intrigued and tense throughout. There is also a theme of Mystery, with a range of characters that all have interesting back stories which are slowly unveiled. Unlike some other Thriller/Horror series, there is an alternative vibe which gives it a unique selling point and makes it stand out amongst others. The Anthology series aspect is also unusual in that they use the same actors in each series but playing new characters. This was something that took me a while to adjust to when watching the 2nd series as I was still associating them with their previous characters from series 1. However, as I began to enjoy that series and the subsequent series after that, I began to enjoy seeing the same faces appear again as I wanted to see who they would be portraying that time round.
Another element that I think this Drama does so well is the distinct style it has in terms of its titles and theme. With a creepy and daunting title sequence for each series that is easily recognisable, I think adds to the show's USP and is so different to some of its competitors.
No matter what genre I choose to go for, I would like the themes and visuals to be unique and just as quirky and memorable as this one so that it differs to what is currently being shown on Television. I don't think I will choose to do an anthology series, just because I want to focus on one story-line if I choose to create a drama series. However, I would absolutely be interested in taking some of these themes of Horror and Thriller into consideration as I find them to be so engaging and exciting to watch. I also find that these genres have very clever and outlandish story lines which are a great selling point for any drama.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Research - Baking/Cooking Entertainment Shows

Another genre of television I am interested in looking at for the Professional Pre-Production unit is Entertainment, in particular Cooking/Baking shows. Going with what I am interested in when it comes to watching television, I wanted to explore this genre as it is something I have been unable to venture into throughout my first two years at UCA, due to safety restrictions. However, as this project will be hypothetical and can be on a large scale, I am able to look at many other genres and be completely unrestricted in my choice. 

The Great British Bake Off & Masterchef

Two shows in this genre stand out to me in particular as they are favourites of mine, ‘The Great British Bake Off’ and ‘Masterchef’. I have watched both religiously and find them very entertaining. The material is very easy to watch and lighthearted which makes for great entertainment. They are both competition based shows which means that the audience get to see members of the public compete against each other in several gruelling and stressful rounds making for great entertainment which is often very gripping and tense to watch. By the end of the series, we see a contestant crowned the winner which is the final outcome. This is a crucial element to the these shows as it allows the audience to root for their favourite and continue watching to find out the result. 

The Great British Bake Off

Baking in particular is an interest of mine and so I find the subject matter of 'Bake Off' engaging as I feel as if I may learn something. The show itself is generally very easy watching which makes for comfortable family viewing.

Masterchef

However, the content alone is not the only draw for me. I think that ‘Bake Off’ in particular have established the show in recent seasons with a distinct style and appearance which is unique to them. For example the titles, theme and rounds all add to the quirk of the show giving it a unique selling point which appears to appeal to the masses. I recently found this to be particularly evident as the show has just been re-launched on Channel 4 as opposed to BBC 1. However, the company have retained all of their recognisable themes and quirks to appeal to its audience. As soon as I see the titles and hear the theme, I know exactly what to expect from the show and am very familiar with the format and structure. I also think that the way shows like this are broken up into segments and rounds helps to keep the interest of the viewer. Rather than showing a single round where the contestants are required to make a baked good or savoury dish, this is edited to capture the most entertaining moments and make time for more content. 'Masterchef' follow a similar structure in that each episode  is generally broken up into 3 sections, 2 of which they'll be in the studios competing directly against the other contestants and the other section will be in a professional environment where often they have to work in pairs or small teams. 

Both shows share many similarities including structure, contestants and the use of judges. The judges are generally experts which offer advice to the contestants and judge their performance throughout, deciding who goes through to each round and who ultimately wins. I think that this judging format is much better than public vote as used on other entertainment shows, as the result is always based on performance rather than popularity. 

I think that choosing an Entertainment show, particularly of a cooking/baking genre could be really interesting for this unit as it will be so different to previous units.
However, it should share similarities with the Studio Production unit as I will need to ensure that if I include rounds, they all must be entertaining and sustain the interest of the audience throughout. The show would also need to be somewhat different to these shows as they already exist and there is no gap in the market for something that is too similar.

PRE-PRODUCTION: Research - Crime/Detective Genre of Drama

Narcos

True Crime and Mystery dramas have gripped the world in the past few years, with few other genres lending themselves so readily to binge watching as crime. The idea that there is a mystery to be solved and therefore a reason to continue watching and stay engrossed until the end, keeps audiences engaged for the entirety of the drama. Netflix dramas in particular have taken centre stage for this genre, often allowing the viewer to binge watch an entire series in one go, rather than waiting for the next weekly episode. I became interested in this genre myself through the likes of Netflix, with these dramas being the most talked about, which is perhaps what interested me in them. I like the element of mystery and find Crime drama engaging as it tends to keep me guessing throughout, encouraging me to continue watching. The genre can also offer rather dark story lines, with a detective to root for and a ‘baddie’ to be revealed at the end. Crime dramas can also offer a substantial amount of action as criminals are either committing crimes or being sought after by police authorities. These scenes can be rather adrenaline inducing which make them addictive and engrossing to watch. I am particularly interested in this genre for this unit as I intend on choosing a genre that interests me. Therefore, I feel more compelled to create a piece of work which should reflect and compete with some of these dramas alike. 


Narcos

A popular Netflix Crime Drama includes ‘Narcos’, which is a thrilling series, documenting the rise of the cocaine trade in Colombia and the real life story of the notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar between 1970 and 1992. It is told from the perspective of an American DEA agent, Steve Murphy who is working in Colombia at the time and trying to take down Escobar and his associates. He also narrates the series, introducing the audience to new characters and telling us why they are significant.This series builds suspense for the audience as it is very action heavy and depicts the events in an incredibly raw and graphic way, connecting the audience and making them feel as if they are involved. 


Broadchurch

Broadchurch

Broadchurch is another Crime and Mystery Drama series. This is one in particular that I have enjoyed very much and found to be very engaging throughout all the series that have aired so far. So much so that I chose it as the Drama to recreate during the Directions unit in my 1st Year. It is a true Detective series in that we follow 2 Detectives portrayed by David Tennant and Olivia Colman, as they uncover some terrible crimes including murders. The subject matter is again dark and includes a few graphic scenes, however, it is much more about the story and the uncovering of the criminals which carry this series. I also found when watching Broadchurch that I grew to really like the 2 main characters and not only rooted for them but grew to be quite invested in them wanted to know how their own lives would turn out. I think that creating an emotional connection with the audience is also very important even with this genre as it is a great technique in keeping the audience gripped. This series is able to build suspense and keep the audience interested as it follows the lives of all of the towns inhabitants, almost framing each one to keep you guessing, with the final outcomes being very unlikely and unsuspected so that you are shocked by the ending. Not only is this great storytelling but it lends itself to the Crime and Mystery genre so well, captivating audiences and surprising them when it needs to.

Luther

Luther

I have also looked at Luther which aired on BBC1 in the UK, but is also available on the Netflix platform. It is a British Drama Crime series, starring Idris Elba as the title character of Detective Chief Inspector John Luther who works for the Serious Crime Unit. The series creator Neil Cross has said that Luther is influenced by Sherlock Holmes in particular, with his intellect and its application to unveiling crimes is comparable to Holmes. His involvement in cases allow audiences to see a dedicated police officer who often gets caught up in violent and difficult situations, making it almost impossible to watch just one episode. As a series, it is very action heavy with crime just being a theme throughout, however it manages to captivate audiences by putting Luther in dangerous and difficult  situations that make the audience want to see him succeed.  As the hero character, we are able to root for Luther and feel engaged in his story, keeping the audience engrossed as we want to see what will happen to him next. Similarly to Broadchurch, he is a character that we follow throughout the series and someone who the audience should feel invested in. 

PRE-PRODUCTION: Unit Overview and Initial Ideas

I am now entering my 3rd and final year at UCA and am excited to get back into a Uni routine! The year will be starting with a unit entitled 'Pre Production'. This unit is broken into 2 categories, of which we choose from, and will be the practical unit we will be undertaking until Christmas.

"This unit challenges students to focus their individual practice through a sustained engagement in the critical phase of pre-production."

I will be keeping the aims and learning outcomes of this unit in mind throughout to ensure I am engaging myself and working to a high standard towards a degree at the end. I have chosen to work alone rather than in a small group as I have found throughout my 1st and 2nd years that working in a group can be much more stressful and in some ways more challenging than working alone. This will also allow me to set myself a timetable and working schedule that I will be able to make work for myself so that I can structure my time effectively. The unit is 100% Portfolio which means that it is all coursework and will require a great depth of beneficial research, and written work throughout.

The 2 options are Professional Pre-Production which is high concept and entails producing a detailed Pre-Production package for an original production which will stay at this stage rather than going forward into production. The reason for this is that we are able to work to an industry sized scale and not be restricted to a student budget. Therefore the end result must be competitive to what is currently being aired on Television. It can be of any genre - Drama, Documentary, News, Entertainment etc. This option must be presented clearly and to a very high standard, either as a book or online platform and should include the idea/pitch, script, casting, production design, trailer and camera tests as a minimum. The other option is the Major Project Pre-Production which will entail developing a Pre-Production for a project which will then be taken forward into production after Christmas for the Major Project unit. The requirements for this option are nearly exactly the same, however, there are restrictions in terms of budget, casting, locations etc as it will be a student capable piece of work and so the planning must reflect these elements.

Initial Ideas
I have decided to choose the Professional Pre-Production option for this unit. I decided to choose this option out of the 2 because it is so different to what I have been able to do within my first couple of years at Uni. Every other unit so far has included a practical element, meaning that I have been restricted in terms of budget largely. This is because as a student we are restricted in terms of casting and location, among other things which means the outcomes may not necessarily be competitive with an Industry piece of work.  However, the idea of planning a hypothetical piece of work which should compete with what is on Television right now is very appealing to me, as it will allow me to think outside of the box and not have to narrow down my decisions. It also doesn't restrict me in my choice of show as there will be restrictions for the Major Project Pre-Production. For example, a cooking show would have too many health and safety risks and so could not be put into production. I have made a spider diagram to document my initial ideas. These are some areas of Television I am interested in and that I enjoy watching the most. I have also thought about some of the shows that come under each category, as these are either shows that I have enjoyed or are of interest to me in terms of research so I can see what other people have done and the styles they have used to fit the genre.

Initial Ideas Exploration