Production of a Portfolio Film – Post #5 Concept Development
Introduction (continued)
As I mentioned in yesterday’s entry, the first section of “Return to Hope” will be structured in a very similar manner to most contemporary films. This part of the film will be considered the setup (or introduction) to what comes after it. It will act to setup the confrontation (middle section) and together with the middle section, the introduction will pave the way for, and justify, the resolution (end). All three sections will be of equal importance, and I intend to give them each enough unique visual and audio content to allow them to stand alone on their own merits, but I will also employ enough ideological connectivity within the three sections to bolster the film’s comprehensiveness as a cohesive and holistic production. I will venture to say that “Return to Hope” is to be a micro-movie trilogy, where all three movies may be viewed within a nine-minute time frame. As I’ve already stated, I will be pushing boundaries.
In the last journal entry, I revealed that the opening narration for the film would be iterated by trees. The following is a rough version of what the trees will be communicating to us through “Return to Hope”.
Narration for Intro to “Return to Hope”
(Voiceover will be digitally altered to simulate multiple trees speaking to us)
Humanity’s strategy for the demarcation of time is intrinsically flawed, and therefore illusory.
Humans are inclined to seek the beginnings and the endings of every event in their short lives.
Our own perceptions of time and space are nonlinear, more cyclical and wavelike in nature.
We perceive an infinite multitude of singularities expanding and contracting presently.
It is always the present moment for us. There is no past or future event that concerns us.
All is unfolding precisely as it is meant to, and we trees have no desire to control potential outcomes.
We are one with all that is, all that has been, and all that will be, as it rises and falls, ad infinitum.
These lines will be delivered slowly and deliberately to the rhythm of film clips that are materializing and dissolving at a peaceful and calming rate. The imagery will alternate between film clips of magnificent trees and the now deteriorating Hope Mill. One of the elements that will draw the two subject matters together will be the vegetation that is already starting to reclaim the mill and its outbuildings. Besides the narration, I intend to include a soundtrack that is suggestive of lapping waves (slow and steady), or the inhaling and exhaling sounds of deep meditative breathing. In foresight, I am predicting that the most difficult aspect of this approach to the introduction will be in its execution. What I mean by that, is that I’ll want to sustain the slow-paced tempo for as long as possible (hopefully three minutes) without losing the attention of my audience. If I can accomplish this, I feel that the audience will come away with a better understanding of how trees might be perceiving the world around them, and how their perceptions might persuade humans to be more cautious in their actions moving forward.
In the next journal entry, I’ll wrap up my current thought process on the first section of the film and move into an explanation of the confrontation (middle section) of “Return to Hope”. Thank you for reading the Grand Providentia United online journal. I very much appreciate your presence here!
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