CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

BY JACK O’REGAN

CABINET OF CURIOSITIES – INITIAL IDEAS – 3RD NOVEMBER 2016

• In the first session, we gathered as a group with items of our own interest or that has value to us. I brought in a shoe box with a lot of things I have collected over the years. We shared out the processions we brought in and then started to think of the items that could create a character. There was a huge range of items either from a box of items or just someone's wallet. The items brought in that stood out to us that could help us build a character were:

• -Cinema tickets -Train/plane tickets

• -Chewing Gum packets -Bobble Hat

• -My little pony tissues -Teddy Bear

• -Old wallpaper with trains and a teddy bear on -Green card/ American ID Citizenship, ILLINOIS

• -Sparky Doll -Snow globes

• -Insomnia tickets – Gaming convention -Tacky Things

• -Necklace – wearable item

• Finger board

My box of curiosities

CARRYING ON WITH THE INITIAL IDEAS• We then moved onto meeting up as a group to discuss the development of the character further. The group discussed what items we had

brought in and how these items will be apart of the characters life and who the character actually is. We first discussed who he is, where he lives, his age and then the story behind him.

• About the character:

• -Nicholas (Nick) Williams -Homosexual

• -22 years-old -He always wears a bobble hat and his neckless

• -Born on the 18th July 1994 -Plays guitar

• -attends university - studies Games Tech BSc Hons -IPhone/ ICloud email

• -Male -Favourite colour is Black/ Dark Blue

• -American ID Citizenship

• -Has Travelled

• -Lives with flatmates in a student house.

• When we meet the character

• -The character has died from a hit and run, and his body is dumped into a forest. We open the film with him waking up but as a dead person.

• -He will walk back to his student home, he will go back to his mums house, goes to his friends. No one can’t see him as he is dead. The people he visits all express their feelings and memories of nick and who is was.

• The supporting chacaters in the filming/ clips will be his mother, his two house mates and then 3 other friends.

FEEDBACK FROM INITIAL IDEAS10TH NOVEMBER 2016

• Today we presented out initial ideas to the class and lectures. We went though of what we have came up with so far; and where we are going. The first point made was that we need to make sure we concentrate on the presentation and that we do need to present this to the lectures/ class so that they can understand who the character is, what's his story and what the scenario is. We got told we need to prepare to give detail on the character and to make sure we have a part filming, a audio clip and an presentation that is formal. We then moved onto discuss the character Nick and what is part as a ghost can do. The lectures discussed with the class if they had any interaction with ghosts and a few stories were told. We then moved onto discuss the idea of how Nick could interact with the living characters and it cause more of an effective impact for the characters and the audience. We talked about how it could be most effective on how he could interact with his mum. One final point made was about the characters death and how he died. We discussed what would be ore beneficial for the presentation and if we shouldn't focus on how he actually died or the crime of the murder. The main point of the project is to discuss who the character (Nick) is and who he is and his story.

• Overall, I feel the feedback was positive and that the group can adapt the ideas to the film clips and the presentation. The next group meeting will to be discuss the pre-production and how we will put the ideas together in the filming, A group member Jake felt it could be best to shoot the point of view of Nick. This being shot though a Go Pro.

AN UPDATE ON THE IDEA 12TH NOVEMBER 2016

• Today we came together as a group and discussed the idea. We realized that our idea didn't’t sound real and we wanted to present an idea/ character that had a non fiction life. We also changed the idea to have more presentation time then showing film clips so that we could explain who the character is more and his story. Gabby, who is a member of the group came up with the idea of still using the Go Pro and focusing on Nicks life. The Go Pro will show him having a bad day or week and then he runs away or commits suicide. As a group, we decided this was a great idea as we were all still very fond of using the Go Pro. The Go Pro will be used to show events leading up to Nicks disappearance and what he was doing before he goes away. By showing the final events, we can then present a picture of who Nick is and why he has ran away.

• We now understand the time we need to do out presentation in and also that we do need a film clip and audio clip presented in the presentation as well. As a group we have managed to form a very good idea of what to do next and how to plan what we are doing.

FINAL PITCH IDEAS14TH NOVEMBER 2016

• The presentation will be 10 minutes long. The presentation will be cut into 7 minutes presenting and then 3 minutes of questions from the audience/ lectures at the end. As a group, we have met up and discussed a plan what we need to do for the presentation and the order of how we will present it.

• 1-Introduction to who the character is, where he was seen last and how he ended up in the situation.

• 2-Trying on the Go Pro- shows Nicks face, looking in the mirror.

• 3-Make a Facebook profile. Show his friends, what he likes and pictures of him traveling ect.

• 4- Clip showing a text from his boyfriend dumping him.

• 5-Talk about his gaming interest. His degree and his aspirations.

• 6-Clip of him jogging and receiving a call from his Dad saying he can’t come to his graduation.

• 7-We will need to talk about his family and friends. Who they are and what they do.

• 8-Final clip. The character putting down the Go Pro and other belongings and then walking off.

• 9-summary of everything.

LOCATIONS17TH NOVEMBER 2016

• The locations we have discussed and came up with have been varied. As I know the city of Coventry well and near places for filming, I was able to choose the best and suitable places for the filming.

• The first clip of the character (Nick) putting on the Go Pro – This will be set inside a flat/student house.

• The second clip where Nick gets dumped was to be near a forest and small road. I wanted the feeling for the audience to be excluded from their comfort and to have a dull feelings about the experience of the character. Filmed on Guphill Ave – Coventry

• The second clip of Nick jogging and him getting a call from his dad – I thought about memorial park, not just for a jogging place but to still be excluded from life and for the character to feel that bit more alone from other people. Filmed in the War Memorial Park.

• The final clip of Nick running away and dumping his belongings – we wanted a scene to that can feel very excluded and to have a cold feeling. We thought about Kenilworth Park (Abby Fields) as it has wide open fields, a lake and a cemetery. Filmed in Kenilworth (Abby Fields).

LOCATIONS

Guphill Ave - Coventry War Memorial Park - Coventry Kenilworth (Abby Fields)

FILMING21ST – 23RD NOVEMBER 2016

• On the 21st of November, we first filmed on the road Guphill Ave. We started of by planning how me (the actor) will walk or if I should jog. We started of with different shots also using a rifle mic to pick up any sounds. In the fist few shots, I was looking down too much, and so, I had to make sure I was looking around and showing where I am. I had to then make sure I was looking at the text on the phone with the Go Pro getting the shot. Overall, we got the shots we wanted and as a group, we were really happy with the result.

• On the 23rd of November, we went to the War Memorial park, this being for the jogging scene. We brought the rifle mic again to pick up me (The actor) talking on the phone to Nicks dad (me playing Nick). We took 4 takes to make sure everything was smooth and that we got what we wanted. I also had to make sure I was talking in how the character would talk. We then followed onto going to Kenilworth (Abby Fields) to talking the final shots. We first took 2 takes of me putting nicks belongings down on a bench and the Go Pro and then walking off near the lake with my hood up to hide my identity. We then thought we could use the Grave yard instead and took 2 takes there. In the end we decided to choose the the Grave Yard as the final scene as it shown a better understanding and meaning to why he would dump his belongings there.

PREPARING FOR THE PRESENTATION28TH – 30TH NOVEMBER 2016

• Over theses 3 days, we prepared as a group for what we will say and do for our presentation. We decided we will be like police and have it as an investigation. Jake edited the film and sound and done a great job of composing them together. Gabby wrote the script for what each of the group members will say and do and Fatima created the social networking site for the character.

• I created the information on Nick as a police report and got images for the pin board. Gabby then helped with pictures/images for the information booklet to give to the lectures so they could see what we were talking about.

• As a group, we really dedicated the 3 days to making sure were were prepared and made sure we had all the props and scripts ready to present.

REFLECTION• In the cabinet of curiosities project, I feel I have contributed a lot and have learned how to play a role in a group other than just

being an individual. I feel as a group we tried our hardest and we are proud of the presentation we presented. My role in the group was contributing ideas, finding the locations, being the actor, creating the information booklets for the lectures and providing the props used for the presentation.

•

• My first contribution to the group was the cabinet of curiosities of my own. I brought in things I have collected over my life and that has certain value to me. These items ranged from plane tickets, cinema tickets, told toys, instruments etc.

•

• I feel I have improved on working in a group compared to the last project, this because I feel I have improved on my communication skills, sharing the work equally, showing up on time to group meetings and also making sure I was at all of the group meetings. I have improved on my development as a person on how to approach a project as before I would skip stages or rush.

•

• When coming up with the idea, I came up with the idea of the police investigation to go along with the Go Pro story line of following the character. I felt like it would be easier to communicate the character and who he is and what he does. Developing a character ca be challenging and explaining a certain character like their past, what they love to do, their favourite music can be hard. So having the police investigation helped communicate everything about the character.

•

REFLECTION • I also came up with the idea of getting the lectures involved by giving them an information booklet so that all the relevant

information of his name, age, eye colour was easily covered so in the presentation we didn’t need to go into too much detail on his appearance. In the information booklet, we were also able to put images of the character, where he went missing etc. so it was easier for the lectures to quickly look and understand what we were talking about.

•

• In the filming of the clips, I was playing the character. I didn’t show my face as my face wasn’t the image of the character. I had to take a variety of takes while being directed to make sure I was expressing on how the character would jog, talk or use his body language.

•

• In summary, I feel the project was successful and that I have development my understanding of how to create a character and how to bring the character to life. I feel I have also developed on how to work into a group and share the work equally. If I was to do this again, I would have had more group meetings at the start and started the filming and planning a bit earlier in the process. This being because we were going to use other actors and so we needed to audition people. In the future I will use this experience to work more efficiently and probably take more of a leader role.

• 528 words

PICTURES

Evidence

The Characters

My box of curiosities

The link board

Nicks Facebook Page