Idea Development
One of the main focuses of this documentary is to challenge the stigma associated with mental health. When pitching my idea to people, I am reluctant to mention that the documentary covers the topic of mental health, as I think it will lose people’s interest. Therefore, this led me to think of how I can create something more than just ‘another documentary/film on mental health’. I watched a few documentaries on the topic and I even found myself losing interest as I felt there was a lack of something. However, this could be a result of ethical issues, as it limits the filmmakers ability of what they can put within their documentary. Therefore, I aim to avoid these issues through creating an artistically pleasing visual documentary. Through not exposing anyone’s identity, I hope that this documentary will not individualise the participants too much.
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At first I wanted to create an exhibition which was an ‘experience’ using different artistic ways to express mental illnesses. However, after feedback from friends and family, my attention was focused on creating a documentary with these elements. I began to think of ways people express themselves. Through poetry, dancing, art, music, the list goes on. Therefore, as I know many dancers, poets and artists these are the main elements that will be present within my documentary, as a way of expressing through movement and sound what is felt my those victims and peer's of the victims.
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I have been inspired by FKA twigs an avant-garde music artist many times, but one which pushed me to keep the dance element within my film was due to her dance biography ‘Soundtrack 7.’ This was the first time I had watched a dance production and really gathered a story and felt raw emotion. This is a similar element to what I would like to create within my documentary. Through watching this production, I learnt the importance of lighting. As I will not be able to do a production so big like that within the given time frame, I intend to use a maximum of 5 dancers, all with different styles who can portray emotion through dance and the different styles of dance.
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As I do not intend to involve sit down interviews within this documentary, I would like to create texture of moving image through the use of Macro lenses. I have always loved this style of filming, (extreme close ups), and think it will work well within my sound instalments. I could touch on issues such as black people and mental health as this is something more personal, and through using skin as a texture, I could focus solely on those with black skin.
The sound instalments will be inspired by stories of those who have experienced psychosis, (whether the victim or family member). At first I wanted to recreate what those with psychosis hear, but after a discussion with a friend of mine. She told me that idea is rather cliché and is a misconception of how scary it really is as a victim or peer. Therefore, I intend to create a sound piece that doesn’t ‘recreate’ what its like for the victims, but instead to create a piece that covers the topics that those with psychosis talk about.