Pre-Production: Idea 1 - Deployment
Pitch
"19 year old Private Sam Parlor leaves for his first tour at the end of the day, when his child is born and is faced with the decision of leaving with the Army or going AWOL to be with his new child."
"19 year old Private Sam Parlor leaves for his first tour at the end of the day, when his child is born and is faced with the decision of leaving with the Army or going AWOL to be with his new child."
(Rough 1st Timeline Plan)
Inspiration
I had been toying with this idea from the beginning of summer in which it began with a joke that i couldn't create a war film. This combined with a long history of interest in war and the stories from it, I decided that I wanted to create a story about the last 24 hours a solider has with his family before going off to fight.
If fit well with the brief of our project and achieved what I was looking for in a short film. A good 20 minute story that is interesting, can hold an audience and work as a good standalone film. I feel that it would be not only achievable but also allowing for some very interesting ways of shooting and areas to explore as we look as the mind and emotions of a solider ready to leave his home behind.
I had always found this interesting from documentaries, movies and stories to look into the last time parents, wives, husband, children, family members, and friends have with their military loved ones before not seeing them again for long periods of time.
As keen lover of classic war time films such as The Longest Day, Bridge too Far, The Great Escape and many more. I would be looking at the areas long before the battle, the areas where the character is key. The short film I would be looking to create in the big picture would be the 24 hours each solider had with their family before having their paths meet in the theater of war.
Due to the brief we have been provided with I would be looking at the strongest character that could sustain a short 20 min film which I feel would be the story with Sam Parlor. (Character Bio Below)
Development
Through many meetings with harry and an initial meeting with our course leader, Simon, we arrived at the the point we are now.
Initially we had the bare bones of the idea in which we knew we wanted to look at the 24 hours before a solider leaves, but essentially that was it. We had a rough story idea and now, though still rough we have something we can work with.
The most development was seen within our character, our meeting with Simon showed that a good character is the main start of point and once we had a plot and started working on a solid character we began seeing that our story branched off from the character we had created. Further development will allow us to see any potential further developments in the story allowing for new characters or potentially a different or more interesting plot.
Character Bio: Sam Parlor
I had been toying with this idea from the beginning of summer in which it began with a joke that i couldn't create a war film. This combined with a long history of interest in war and the stories from it, I decided that I wanted to create a story about the last 24 hours a solider has with his family before going off to fight.
If fit well with the brief of our project and achieved what I was looking for in a short film. A good 20 minute story that is interesting, can hold an audience and work as a good standalone film. I feel that it would be not only achievable but also allowing for some very interesting ways of shooting and areas to explore as we look as the mind and emotions of a solider ready to leave his home behind.
I had always found this interesting from documentaries, movies and stories to look into the last time parents, wives, husband, children, family members, and friends have with their military loved ones before not seeing them again for long periods of time.
As keen lover of classic war time films such as The Longest Day, Bridge too Far, The Great Escape and many more. I would be looking at the areas long before the battle, the areas where the character is key. The short film I would be looking to create in the big picture would be the 24 hours each solider had with their family before having their paths meet in the theater of war.
Due to the brief we have been provided with I would be looking at the strongest character that could sustain a short 20 min film which I feel would be the story with Sam Parlor. (Character Bio Below)
Development
Through many meetings with harry and an initial meeting with our course leader, Simon, we arrived at the the point we are now.
Initially we had the bare bones of the idea in which we knew we wanted to look at the 24 hours before a solider leaves, but essentially that was it. We had a rough story idea and now, though still rough we have something we can work with.
The most development was seen within our character, our meeting with Simon showed that a good character is the main start of point and once we had a plot and started working on a solid character we began seeing that our story branched off from the character we had created. Further development will allow us to see any potential further developments in the story allowing for new characters or potentially a different or more interesting plot.
Character Bio: Sam Parlor
(Spider Diagram for 'Sam' Character bio)
- 19 Years Old, Upper Lower Class Family
- Family Name is well known within the Military, due to father's distinguished service and actions during the Falklands War.
- Very close to his family as both parents always did what they could to provide a good upbringing for Sam. Sam admires his father, idolizes him as a strong example of not only a good solider but a good Father too as he was loving, caring and supportive. Sam lost his father to aggressive forms of Cancer which reduced him from a once strong and physically fit man to very weak and need of constant care. Mother provided care along with Sam which is an example of their close relationship. After the Father died the family fell into serious financial problems causing Sam to leave school and begin working in any way possible to help support his mother and keep a roof over their heads.
- While working he falls in love with a girl and they begin a relationship together. Their relationship is good and healthy until his girlfriend of 2 years falls pregnant. Sam struggles to cope with the pressure and responsibility of being a Father leaves his once girlfriend with child.
- Sam decides hastily that the Army is the best course of action to allow him to gain an income and feels like its what he is 'destined' to join. However, Sam learns that he is simply running away from the responsibility of being a dad, as he feels he will never live up to the example set by his own father and would never want to see his son look at him as a failure.
Research
In the way of research there is, with any major project a lot of research to be done. With this idea specifically, a great deal will need to be done into finding out how actual soldiers and families of soldiers dealt with that day. It will be key to find out exactly what they did on their last day.
This can be done through personal contacts with those within the forces, luckily this is something achievable as both Harry and I know of individuals through family and friends who have been on Active Tours.
Research into this goes further than just first hand accounts, shows that have been created previously looking at modern conflicts and the soldier's lives surrounding war.
Jarhead
Good indicators of these and research thus far include Jarhead, which looks at American soldiers during the closing staged of the Iraq War who don't see combat but are waiting for their opportunity. This was an interesting film as it explored the stages before combat in a war zone, following an interesting character as we get to view his mind set and emotions throughout. This is something close and along the lines of what would try to accomplish with 'Deployment' but with a different emotional tone and naturally with very different possibilities due to a student budget.
Our War (BBC3) (Documentary)
Although a documentary, Our War was a fantastic look into the experiences real soldiers had in Afghanistan documented by them with personal cameras to show their perspectives to those back home.
The footage this documentary was able to obtain was television gold, showing those back home the stories visually as well as told be the soldiers. However, for the purpose of revision this documentary was fantastic. To see them retell the stories and to look at the parents perspectives shows exactly what we would want to achieve. A emotional and serious story in which we follow the soldier's imminent departure to war and how this character spends his final hours at home.
Once one of the ideas has been confirmed further research will be conducted into more existing sources and through other mediums to ensure we create an idea that is fully informed.
Points for Consideration
- Further development on Character
- Further research into Army's final day schedule
- Pitching to the rest of the group to find weak spots in plot and character
- Further research into existing created works, i.e films, documentaries, books etc.
- Expenses of uniforms and locations
In the way of research there is, with any major project a lot of research to be done. With this idea specifically, a great deal will need to be done into finding out how actual soldiers and families of soldiers dealt with that day. It will be key to find out exactly what they did on their last day.
This can be done through personal contacts with those within the forces, luckily this is something achievable as both Harry and I know of individuals through family and friends who have been on Active Tours.
Research into this goes further than just first hand accounts, shows that have been created previously looking at modern conflicts and the soldier's lives surrounding war.
Jarhead
Good indicators of these and research thus far include Jarhead, which looks at American soldiers during the closing staged of the Iraq War who don't see combat but are waiting for their opportunity. This was an interesting film as it explored the stages before combat in a war zone, following an interesting character as we get to view his mind set and emotions throughout. This is something close and along the lines of what would try to accomplish with 'Deployment' but with a different emotional tone and naturally with very different possibilities due to a student budget.
Our War (BBC3) (Documentary)
Although a documentary, Our War was a fantastic look into the experiences real soldiers had in Afghanistan documented by them with personal cameras to show their perspectives to those back home.
The footage this documentary was able to obtain was television gold, showing those back home the stories visually as well as told be the soldiers. However, for the purpose of revision this documentary was fantastic. To see them retell the stories and to look at the parents perspectives shows exactly what we would want to achieve. A emotional and serious story in which we follow the soldier's imminent departure to war and how this character spends his final hours at home.
Once one of the ideas has been confirmed further research will be conducted into more existing sources and through other mediums to ensure we create an idea that is fully informed.
Points for Consideration
- Further development on Character
- Further research into Army's final day schedule
- Pitching to the rest of the group to find weak spots in plot and character
- Further research into existing created works, i.e films, documentaries, books etc.
- Expenses of uniforms and locations
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