Direction Unit: Idea Development

Project Brief & Initial Thoughts

The brief is to produce one 3-minute episode of a series to be broadcast online. We must work as a group to create the opening titles and credits and a YouTube channel for our series. For our own 3-minute episode we are to choose a drama and take 3-minutes from it and convert it into script form. We then "re-direct" the scene(s) we have chosen and adapt it in our own directing style.

For this project I have been thinking about what is achievable in the time and budget I have and what cast and collaborators I can use; as a director, this is all part of the preparation. I will also need to decide who will be on my creative team and their roles: such as, a director of photography or camera person, a sound engineer and possibly an assistant director. I then need to think about what my style is in terms of camerawork and tone, and the location, costume and mise-en-scene. 

Once my preparation is complete, I will decide on my shooting schedule during the available time I have to shoot it in. Then, I will have created a shot list of what I need to shoot during the time I have given myself. Whilst planning this, I will have to overcome problems such as cast & crew availability, weather, time of day or location availability. 

Meanwhile, with the preparation and shoot still on my mind, I think about what drama I could take and adapt to make my own. I have thought about UK dramas but I tend to know and watch more US dramas such as 24, True Blood, The Walking Dead, Heroes and Dexter. These dramas have high-production values, special effects and elaborate locations and extras. 

I am inclined to use Dexter as my chosen drama because we always follow him and hear his internal dialogue. The locations they use are a police station, Dexter's home, outside Miami or in a "kill room". The opening 3-minutes shows a scene introducing Dexter driving though Miami in the evening with an internal monologue, then pulling up to spy on his next victim. Next, we are in the victim's car and Dexter sneaks up and grabs him around the neck with a cord. I know this scene would be achievable and the writing of how Dexter introduces himself is good, but I'm not sure if it will be challenging enough.