I am very excited to move to the next stages of my project. Right now, I am revising my draft, looking for any possible errors with characterization or symbolism, and just general grammatic mistakes. I have settled on a name for the project. The eventual short film will be called Soul Force, a homage to satyagraha, the Gandhian term that we learned from Nagler and Kurlansky. I believe this is an appropriate title because I believe that the active practice of nonviolence is a spiritual experience; it is not easy to choose love instead of hatred. It is even more difficult to hate the opposition but not the oppressor. In my screenplay, Amani certainly displayed soul force in dealing with her sister’s death.
The central focus of my project originally had two features: successfully completing a screenplay and eventually filming a short film. At first, I sought to accomplish both in the first semester. A while ago, I contemplated the time constraints and realized that since this project is interactive and involves other people, it would be unfair to myself, my art, and the actors/actresses and producers involved to cram the actual short film into the remainder of the semester. I made an executive decision to produce and distribute the short film next semester when I will be taking a film class and can understand the intricacies of film better. I am very satisfied with my screenplay and view the short film as a continuation of the knowledge I learned this semester beyond this class.
Currently, I am making decisions about the actual production of Soul Force: its length, soundtrack, schedules, media, among other things. I am looking forward to cementing these details and moving towards the actual filming of Soul Force.
Hi Thalia,
I think your project is a phenomenal idea. I agree that it would be extremely difficult to write and produce a film in one semester. Film is a very powerful tool and can immerse people into other people’s experiences and stories. I have found that the music that accompanies a film can also emotionally change the meaning of a scene. I also read your third post and the storyline seems very moving. I would love to see your film when you finish in the Spring. I may suggest that you have a screening day when you finish to share the film with students from Lafayette. Additionally, maybe you could show it in your hometown?
Kristen