Stephen: Project 1 Proposal
Recently, I have become interested in how "reality TV" has become so popular in our culture and what "reality TV" would be like if it were actual reality.
I plan on using a combination of still photos to show the audience my version of reality television. It begins with a regular guy on a couch, bored, and finally deciding to watch television. When he turns on the TV, it is the on "The Reality Channel," but the show is simply just him watching TV. Realizing how boring real reality television is he decides to make it more interesting by imagining his reality as something a bit more exciting. With this newfound imagination, our character realizes that your reality can be much more fun than one you watch on TV, no matter how boring you think your life is.
In the imagination sequences numerous tricks will be used, it imagination, anything can happen. Things can float, people can appear out of nowhere, so anything goes really.
Currently there is no plan for any real dialogue in the film other than a few random quizzical noises, however I plan on having several homemade sound effects because I really want to reiterate the theme that your brain can make anything it wants to if you try. The organic, homemade sounds are something everyone can relate to because who hasn't made a buzzing noise and pretended to yield a lightsaber.
I am really influenced by people like Michel Gondry who find very practical ways to make effects rather than relying on computers. I think it forces people to think more creatively, and I hope this animation will leave this message with people. Be creative, think outside the box, because life in a box is boring.
Although I work mostly with video, and have actually visited some similar thematic material with that medium, I do have a background in photography and working with very high quality commercial cameras. So I am left with the challenge of using a simple point and shoot to fully realize what I envision. It won't necessarily be easy, but the challenge is what makes it worth it, and again I am forcing myself to think outside the box.