Hi blog!
My group met over the weekend (2/22) to brainstorm story ideas for the film (we are so productive yay). We discussed what we wanted our message to be, since to us that is the most valuable part of the film. We decided that our message should be:
Even through fears and stress, you keep growing.
I'm really happy with our message! I would say the three of us can connect to it well hahaha. It's also a message that almost everyone can learn something from. We feel like sometimes everyone needs a reminder that even when it feels like we are stuck in a hole of stress, we keep growing, changing, and working towards the better. We each took turns discussing our own ideas and our final project was a blend of what everyone wanted. So far the story is still loose, but we know we want our genre to be coming of age (which is my favorite genre along with dystopian). We want it to follow a main character through the perspective of a house plant. The plant is there through all her ups and downs in a moment of her life. And also is a metaphor for the future, in the way that progress is being made every day.
So, lets get into researching this genre!!
What is "Coming of Age"?
Okay so I always start with a basic definition! From the Cambridge dictionary, the phrase means: "Relating to or describing the time when someone changes from a child into an adult".
Before anything else, I also want to share this video I came across on the YouTube channel Studio Binder that explained "coming of age" in filmmaking clearly. I also checked out their article on it. One thing I learned is that you don't necessarily need a huge, crazy story to show a character "coming into age". Many of the powerful beats can take place in a room or building.
This works for us perfectly because (1) its practical. It allows us to keep the filming location simple (just the room with the plant) which allows us to go through with our plan without needing a crazy budget (which we never had in the first place LOL). (2) We can make it intimate. It'll allow the character's growth to feel more personal. If the plant is the only other thing there, then the character will be able to be her most authentic/vulnerable self.
STORY WISE
In most genres (outside coming of age), the protagonist or hero has to go on an a journey, fight an epic battle of sorts, and the defeat the evil guy. In the coming of age genre, the "epic battle" is almost entirely inside the protagonists head. This is perfect for our plant story (sorry the title is still a work in progress) because while the character might just be sitting in her room throughout the whole film, a lot of things are at play internally (which we get to witness from the plants POV).
RECAP
Coming of age is basically the process of confronting the realization that the world is bigger (and even sometimes scarier) than expected. Wow as a teenager I get that. It’s all about moving into a more "grown" understanding of the world. You can’t go back to being a "kid" (sadly).
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