ext2 (0302) - day 12: discussion

for the past week.. i've been contemplating my position here in ext2. the viva voce results really surprised me and put me down. i started to think i couldn't handle this, and as a result, couldn't handle making movies in general, since i always figured this was my best route to it.

last tuesday, after i got home from ext2, while i was walking my dog.. i noticed the usual things. different houses; different people. within each house was a different family, and within each family a number of people. each person had their own story, whether it be told or not, and somehow people would link up somewhere outside that house. that's something i always like to show in my work.. how people are connected.

something else hit me though.. watching my dear pet scavenge around in the grass.. it made me think of animal symbolism. that put the image in my head.. of the tiger. some proverb that i've heard before said that the only ancient beast which could compete against the tiger was the dragon. i was thinking perhaps i could look up this myth and its origins, and possibly use it. maybe the roots.. asian.. oriental. made me think about the taoist ways of yin and yang. something i had researched once before, but not in total depth.

alternatively.. since my protagonist is catholic, i thought maybe i could use biblical references. that's when my revelation made me think of the book of revelation. there's a lot of crazy stuff going on in there, and i've already read that book at least.. i can just do it again. coz i need to show more research and stronger concept.. or perhaps my research should be focused on camera angles and other directors.. which i thought of today.

over the week.. at first i assumed that i was going to drop out of ext2, since i didnt think i could do the work.. but on the weekend i amde the realization that i can and will. if i can make my own work.. i can make this one. instead of trying to fit my movie to what they want, im gonna fit what they want to my movie XD im gonna decide what they want.. they are gonna like my movie. coz if i want to i can make something mad.. and i do want to.. so lets go.

i've often been pessimistic about things.. and organization isn't my strongest skill.. but i'm innovative.. and i'm dedicated.. so i know that i can do this.. these barriers just scare me is all.. but nonsense.. i can do what i want first, then teachers can tell me if i need to fix it up more so that it fits into the barriers better.

i realized today in ext1 that alfred hitchcock is a genius, and his camera techniques are an inspiration for me, and what i should do. so i will actually dig into the work of alfred hitchcock. likewire, i'll look further into adam elliot for his views about characterization, plot and concept. looking into directors is a fine idea i reckon.

also, the people i met at the ext2 workshop apparently have connections to potential mentors. to add on to this.. i remembered a past student who is doing film in uni right now, and i have contacted her and perhaps i can get some help from her too. any help is good help i suppose, the more audiences i appeal to the better.

so today we had seminars from 3 of the people in my class. one talked about omniscient narrators, one talked about foreshadowing, and the other talked about unnamed protagonists.

im not going to get into detail.. since im getting quite tired.. but these are all techniques that i could use for my own work. similarly.. i thought of what my seminar will be, thanks to a discussion with someone in my class about ambiguity. by not naming the issue the two are fighting about, it could be anything, and because it could be anything, the focus isn't on what she did or why, but the fact that she did. also it leaves the responders wondering what exactly it was that she did.. and/or leave it to their imagination.

talkinga bout it.. i've been able to think more about setting, camera techniques and plot things.. which i've recorded all in my book. i think that's all for now.

i'm gonna dive right in soon and try write a first draft, or at least make a storyboard. that way it can be checked etc, and by the time we get to the holidays we can film!