This week, the class was divided into groups of five for our second assignment, a video project. We're required to shoot a 10 minute sitcom drama. So, we started brainstorming. After a few "umm's" and "ahh's", our ideas began forming into a cohesive story.
Theme: Friendship
One thing that struck me from watching last semester's film was that most of it were thrillers. Now, it's not to say that those films were bad. For first time filmmakers, they were really, really well done.
I just thought, "Wouldn't it be nice if there was a sweet film?"
I'm not talking about a romantic love. I'm thinking more of platonic love: friendship. It would have a coming-of-age feel to it, like Yasmin Ahmad's film, 'Tentang Bulan'.
Plot: The process of letting go.
It's a about a group of five friends. One of them has a terminal illness, and the story begins with her saying something along the lines of, "I'm recording the last days of my life."
She has had the illness for quite a while, and by the start of the film, she's predicted to only have a few days left. Therefore, she decides to record her last days as a memory for her friends. The conflict is when she makes up her mind to stop treatment so that she can spend time with her friends. Some of them object to this and insists she get back on her medication.
Overall, it's about letting go of someone you love. How does a young person deal with the coming of death?
Setting: Present and flashbacks.
It will be set in the present with some flashbacks of their past in between. Since the friend with the illness is recording her last moments, some shots would be in the POV of her camera. The flashbacks would have a different tone to it. Maybe sepia? The nostalgic feel would contrast nicely with the present shots.
Location: On campus, our houses, and a beach/park.
As the friends are college students, we'll need to shoot at the university. The houses are the backdrop for some of the more personal and emotional scenes. For first time actors like us, we'll probably need to be in a comfortable setting to emote. It'd be quite awkward to fake-cry or fake-fight on campus.
The beach/park will be the place where we apply the POV of her camera. Scenes like this would make the film more personal and relatable to the audience, I imagine. At least, I hope.
Well, that's all I have for know. Since it's still such a raw idea, I'm sure the other members can tweak and improve this story to produce a more polished product.
