Meeting Yesterday - Ben

Sorry it's taken me 'til today to post this, this blogs getting a bit upside down chronologically.

The first thing we discussed was also the main issue raised in the presentation, the fact that the film almost seemed to advocate drugs. We thought about alternatives to using drugs (such as insanity and illness) but decided that using an alternative would lessen the films impact and so thought of ways to combat the advocation of drugs. In the end, we settled on a storyline based on striving for perfection.
At first he paints off the drugs, and is dissatisfied with the result, smashing his artwork. He then takes drugs, believing they will inspire him, but again fails and smashes the work he was created. We then had a problem with a resolution, but have roughly penned in an idea of him coming off the drugs, and painting his masterpiece before overdosing or committing suicide.

Another main thing we discussed was the full profile of the character. Seeing as the film will more than likely focus on just him alone, we would need to have a good idea of what his character is like.
We decided not to give him a name, but thought he would be in his mid-twenties. This meant he would be experienced and mature enough to know about drugs, but young enough so that his death would still be tragic.
We thought he would live in a suburban environment as he is quite a reclusive person, but still thrives of the immediacy and life of a city. To him the outside world is strange and alarming, whereas inside he is safe.
We talked about the kind of music he would listen to, what music would inspire and suit him, deciding on classic rock/folk to reflect his analog environment.
We discussed possible jobs, but believed due to his non-conformist and reclusive attitude to the wider world, he would focus solely on his art. We also believed that, due to his constant strive for perfection, he wouldn't sell his art. This left us the problem of where he would get money from, but swiftly decided it would be relatively easy to give the perception that he had inherited money from the death of his parents; this also tied in well as a reason for his identity as a recluse.
Other personality traits we discussed were his hatred for the outside world, his contentment with being alone and the possibility of using a dictaphone to record his thoughts, which would give us the option of using a monologue throughout the piece.

Other things we discussed included; the possible problems in being able to find a strong actor who can also paint (something that will hopefully be resolved later this week), the use of a desaturated effect throughout the piece to give the world a dull ambiance, alternative settings for the film (such as making the focus a graffiti artist living on the streets), the possibility of showing other people he had effected (family etc.) and the content of his paintings (possibly of lost family, generally containing dark themes).

We then spent a good portion of time establishing a rough time line for the film.
0-1 minute: Opening shots show him buying a wrap of heroin and walking back through the hussle and bussle of the town, knocking into people, introverted and non-responsive to the world around him. We would show his disgust and uneasiness with the outside world by using frequent dutch angles and overlayed sound that builds up, creating a tense atmosphere.
1-2 minutes: He arrives home and immediately the sound drops to near silence and he leans against the door, signifying that he feels safer in his own space - alone. He puts the drugs in a drawer, where we also see a massive amount of money and a worn photoframe containing a photo of a couple (presumably his parents).
2-3 minutes: He puts a vinyl on his record player and begins to paint (possibly a macabre version of the portrait of his parents) as we establish him as an artist. A tv plays in the background (possibly a film for inspiration). He finshes the painting but is dissatisfied and throws it to the side.
3-4 minutes: He thinks twice about taking the drugs he bought earlier, but swiftly heads for the drawer. We don't see him take the drugs but it is implied using shots of him reaching for a needle etc. He begins painting again. Here we use a wide variety of effects (enhanced colour, increased shutter speed, stop motion, dutch tilts etc.) to create an almost psychadelic atmosphere. The tv is still playing in the background, but this time shows something more 'trippy' (Alice in Wonderland maybe?) that enfatuates him for long periods at a time. However, once he comes down from his high, normality is restored and he is again dissatisfied with his painting, smashing it in anger.
4-5 minutes: (This is still not fully worked out, but we have got a rough idea of what will happen.) He is coming off the drugs, but still managing to paint. He paints something sick and dark, but overcome by life (or an obsession with drugs) overdoeses or commits suicide. The tv could then show himself looking saddened by the tragic mess he made of his life... (or something along those lines).

The overview we have for the film is finally coming together. There are some creases that need ironing out (especially at the end), but what we have is good and beginning to work.