1. What is the ‘controlling idea’ (Robert McKee) of your portrait? In other words, what is the most interesting thing about your participant/interviewee that you want to communicate?

There’s the idea of escape, charm, and optimism. In many ways, Hannah feels some displacement in the world and prefers to live in a bubble. The way she dresses, spends her days, spends her time and money – all to feed her passion is so exciting and inspiring.

2.  How is your portrait film structured?  (Remember there might be multiple forms of structure employed)  E.g. Discussion and depiction of an event or process? A Journey? Use of voiceover narration? Other?

The film is structured with a lot of narration – she tells her own story.  The sit down interview is the thread that holds the whole thing together but there is also a sense of a different world, one that is in her mind, that runs concurrent to the outside world. There is so much colour and vibrance in her life so I also used that to break up the sit down interview which can easily turn monotonous.

3. What do you want your audience to make of your interviewee? (e.g. What are you saying through them and/or human nature, human folly, or noble human inspiration?)

Her obsession and dedication to this life is fascinating – these days there’s so much emphasis on being “cool” that people don’t crack the surface any more. Hannah is out there, extremely enthusiastic about life, and not afraid to show it.

4. How is your portrait being narrated? Why? How does it affect the structure?

All of it is Hannah’s voice and the viewer is welcomed into her mind. It really focuses on her from her point of view which is what we’re emphasising – she has faced her fair share of criticism from society and has the right to say what she likes about herself however she wants to. I wanted her to own it and I needed that ownership for authentication’s sake. She can already be so outrageous to outside viewers and the film needed to commit to that.

5. What role will the ‘found footage’ play in your portrait? For example, reinforcement? Ironic counterpoint? Contrast? Comparison? Other?

It will add nostalgia to it, further enhance the old world atmosphere and charm. There is more reinforcement than contrast/irony, however, and I struggled with this.

6. Does your portrait have a dramatic turning point?

There is pure delight in the world and she lives in it but there is a very human worry and self consciousness there too. We see her fight society a little which portrays the heartwarming strength of character under all the daintiness.

7. When does this turning point in your portrait and why? At the beginning? At the end? Two-thirds through?

There’s some deeper confessions towards the middle/end which serves as a contrast to the lighter stuff we had seen so far. The first part is introducing her and her world, then comes the slightly more dramatic confessions about the pressures she feels from society – but it ends on a note that shows she will remain the way she is and is perfectly content to be so.

8. How does your portrait gather and maintain momentum?

I have split the film’s theme song into three parts that act as a contrast/breather from the heavy dialogue. We progress through the song and, in some ways, also reflects the progression and even non progression of the story. There is also a lot of very short clips in the film which hopefully keeps it upbeat, energetic, and not lively. There is always something new to see and hopefully that keeps the audience engaged.

9. Where will your portrait’s dramatic tension come from? The gradual exposition of an overall situation? A volcanic, climactic moment? An impending change or crisis? The contrast between what the interviewee talks about and the found footage?

Because it starts to lightheartedly and charmingly, the viewers get a quick glimpse into what seems to be the impenetrable wonderland of Hannah Poppins – so when her admittance comes about social pressure to conform, we are totally caught off guard by the contrast in feeling. There’s a lot about society’s expectation versus what she wants and the joy she gets from that. I think a lot of the film’s appeal still lies in the fascination with her obsession but in saying that, I don’t know either if that is enough to keep people engaged.

10. Does the portrait have a climax and/or resolution? Outline them.

I don’t think it has a climax so theoretically there can’t be a resolution…but there’s a sense of resolution in Hannah’s contentedness towards the end. There is something inspiring in her urging of the viewers to embrace oddity and live the best life today.