Dogme 95

The Dogme 95 rules 
1 Filming must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in 
2 Music must not be used unless it occurs within the scene being filmed 
3 The camera must be hand-held; filming must take place where the action takes place 
4 The film must be in colour. No special lighting 
5 Optical work and filters are forbidden 
6 No superficial action (No murders, weapons, etc.) 
7 No temporal or geographical alienation. 
8 No genre movies 
9 The aspect ratio must be 4:3, not widescreen. 
10 The director must not be credited

The main idea + what I need to do now

Okay so I've settled on a final idea for my final film... Finally. Having gone through various films ranging from fantasy, psychological horror to post-apocalyptic zombies, I've decided on the recovery of depression. My film follows a young woman's reflection on her recovery, discussing her hopes and dreams and the difficulties she has in reaching out to people. It is a poetic, visual piece inspired by arthouse filmmaker Lars Von Trier, with a big focus on imagery and juxtaposition. 

Now that I have a script and most things mapped out including an actress, I need to do a read-through of my script with said actress, which I am organizing as I type this. By doing a read-through I'll have a better idea of how the monologue sounds on film and I can decide what to cut or to add in anything else for a better flow.

An extract from my script, 'Cherries at Noon'

"I want to talk about all of my favourite things, the things that make life worth living for me. Soon I want to live for every season like I once did. I will live for Spring, when life is beginning once again and warmth returns to the world. I will live for the Summer, for the smell of the blooming rose and the taste of elderflower cordial. I will live for Autumn, when as nature slowly begins her slumber, the colours of the falling leaves dance and shine in the fading sunlight. I will even live for Winter, when life is at it's most fragile and hope can falter, but no matter what and above all, I will live for myself."

Updates and such.

I'm aware that I've been too quiet on this for the past week or so, but I'm feeling fantastic in terms of this creative process. At the end of last month I had the absolute pleasure of bearing witness to the latest work of Lars Von Trier, the aptly titled 'Nymphomaniac'. The film has garnered a name for it's controversial content and meditative approach to topics such as religion, philosophy and the arts. It's hard to sum it up in one word, but it's one of my favourite pieces from this director.

What I really loved about it was the distinct visual style that has been carried on from Von Trier's previous work. The use of handheld camera and natural light gives for a beautiful, candid feel that defies convention. Colours burst from the screen and the dialogue drips with black humour and pierces with sharp wit and fierce intelligence.

I'm drawing a lot of inspiration for my edit from this, mainly from the use of split-screen and montage that is present at the end of Part 1 of the film. I have just finished a re-draft of my script and decided to throw in a more optimistic but poetic section about living. In Nymphomaniac, Joe is a character of extreme self-loathing who refuses to justify her actions at any point in her life but still remains darkly humourous and witty, while my character is slowly coming to terms with her recovery and strives to overcome the situation she's in psychologically.