Ideas Workshop

This week we have had a couple of sessions on story telling and so far I have learn't how to gather ideas.

A story won't work without an idea and ideas are difficult to generate. It takes time to have an idea but it wont come when just sitting at a desk.

In the workshops we looked at the different sources of how to get an idea. A source could be from a newspaper, social media, scouting, witnessing something happen or just personal experience.  I found this interesting as I did not realise how many places you could get ideas from. I am thinking of using multiple sources for an idea for my story and link them up together. It might work but it might not. I am confident in trying this and putting it towards my work. I learn't that using these sources don't just have to be an idea but for part of the story, even if the idea has not been made yet. Elements like dialogue, a setting or location for example.  If I am on the bus and I go past a location that I feel might be best for my story then I should try that and note it down. Hearing someone say something on the phone or in a shop etc. note that down.  Soon I can build up these elements and link them see what my idea could be about.  I am still new to the area but already have locations that I want to try and use.  All I need to do now is continue scouting and finding a link then I will have an idea ready to put into a story.

On Wednesday we watched a couple of short films directed by Simon Ellis. We first watched Soft.

My first impressions was wow, such an intense film and so unexpected. We see a father and son relationship, the father coming home from work dressed with shirt and tie. There is no milk left so he goes out to get some. Coming out of the shop he is faced with thugs and is hit, but does not react other than to walk away back home. It is not till the end of the film that we see so much change happen. The son tells his dad that one of the thugs outside the house is the one that hit him. The father steps out to the thugs vandalising his car but seems to be afraid and unsure of what to do, his personality is show of being quiet and just wanting to get on with life. It is a shocked unexpected moment that follows when the son comes out armed with his cricket bat and whacks the thugs in self defence. In a real father and son relationship we would usually see the father being superior and a role model. In Soft the son is much superior and takes control, once he has defended him and his father he drops the cricket bat in front of his father in disgust, losing respect for his father.

The second film we watched was Stew and Punch. This was similar to Soft with the idea of middle aged characters in an urban setting. The film was much different with camera work and editing, the scenes had longer duration of shots instead of a cut every few seconds. The film was upbeat and energetic with the idea of friends gathered around a house having a meal together and drinks. They soon become drunk but the main character, Alex, gets out of control and acts rudely, angered by the fact he lost an arm wrestling competition to a woman. Conflict is seen with him and the neighbour complaining of the loud noise.  - I enjoyed watching this film as it had much more action in the scenes, the shots used felt like I was in the film. It was hard to understand at first and did not have much of a serious relationship between characters compared to Soft. Both films made me realise the importance of an idea and the other ingredients like characters, goal, conflict and change.

I will use what I have learn't and put it into my project as I feel it is helpful and important!