Thinking over the presentation

I must admit, I found it a little difficult trying to figure out which way I should approach the three minute presentation that we were to give to our class and a panel of three experienced screenwriters and academics. We were asked to provide a work in progress of our script and asked to show how our writing was inspired by audiovisual storytelling.

I was a little stumped with the idea and tried out some different formats. At first I made a powerpoint that provided the pitch, and some dot points on themes, and audiovisual connections. Then I started collecting a series of photos that I felt built upon the mood of my script.

First I collected screen shots of Preston taken on Google Street view. I was going to take the photos myself, until I realised that the street view photos captured the look I was going for better than I could. They were of a wider angle, and somehow more truthful. Also, I could change the street view settings, so I was (virtually) walking around Preston in summer, the season my screenplay is set in. I wanted to provide that faded, full swing summer, vivid yet pastel look. I amped up the photos on Photoshop, getting them even closer to how I imagined the scene.

Then I started collecting photos for the market scene. This too, I had planned on photographing myself. When I realised I had missed my opportunity to go to Preston market, (only open Wed to Sun) I turned again to the internet. Searching photos of Preston Market turned out to be rather lacklustre. Is this a case of the real thing being less vivid, less immersive, that my imagination of it? I’m going to have to spend more time there and report back. I googled ‘Greek Market’ ‘Moroccan Market, ‘Fruit Market’, ‘Fish market’ and so on, until I had collected a series of images that seemed to create the imagery I had in my mind. In my mind, the market is hectic, colourful, and stimulating to the senses.

I ended up presenting two small segments of the script with the images projected behind me. I also had a classmate read out a line of dialogue that was in the script. I was aiming to focus on the audio-visual rather than plot points. My argument was that audiovisual story telling would aid my exploration of world and the inner psychology of my character.

Feedback

My first bit of feedback was from Dylan. He asked how the inner psychology of my character would manifest in outer symbols and motifs. I explained that I would use subtle symbols and motifs such as colour scheme and objects to represent a manifestation of my characters concerns.

Smiljana argued that such explanations were not necessary, and that my presentation had lead her to reflect on her own thoughts and processes, which she deemed just as important.

She also stated that she felt immersed in the world, and she liked how the eye of the reader strays away from the protagonist to explore during the market scene.

Stayci liked the idea of using multimedia when presenting scripts.

All over I felt very confident from my feedback but if I could do it again, I might have focused a little more on plot because I realised it was somewhat necessary in explaining my concepts.

Reflections on the presentation process. 

Making a presentation three minutes long is difficult. I went through the process of writing a fair bit, realising it was more or less a ten minute presentation, and then refining, scrapping, refining. I bet I was not the only person go through this process. Still, I back the idea because it stops people waffling on, and keeps the audience interested, but it also helps you refine your idea and your pitch. It is a process a lot like the speed dating activity we did in class. Initially I hated that activity, but on reflection I realised how painful but necessary it was. It pushed us to speak up about our idea, and repeating it helped us to refine and condense it. A great activity for pitching.

The presentation has got me inspired and pushed me towards some great ideas. I have a really clear idea of what I want my script to be like, and how I want it to look and sound now. I am also gaining confidence in it. I also have ideas for final mood boards and soundscapes.

My criticism is that the panel feedback felt a little rushed at times. I also think it would have been nice to have a small space for class contribution. I think we would offer some valuable advice. There were a couple of times I wanted to share some feedback with a presenter, just a lead, or to tell them that their story was strong and resinated with me. I think class feedback would also keep the group more engaged. And finally, I would love some hand written feedback on top of verbal feedback. This is simply because my mind goes blank when I am standing in front of a crowd, and I had to think really hard to remember the finer details of my feedback.