Meeting about the script

The first meeting with the group we had was mostly about the script and how we want to use it. Before the meeting, I made some notes on what we should get out of that meeting and my ideas for questions to discuss.

1. What messages/ values/ concepts are the ones that we like in the original script, and how can we keep them?

2. What are the things that we DON'T like, that we would like to cut?

3. What is our shared experience that we can acknowledge, and what experiences are unknown to us?

4. How can we make this script more achievable to execute?

I had my answers to those questions before the meeting, but it was really valuable to talk about it in the group and clearly establish our general concept.

My thought on those questions.

1. The original script represents the feeling of not belonging, not fitting it, that I think is a very universal experience - thus it is good to use. The other thing is definitely the idea of a purpose in life - or lack of it. We don't have to keep them in the same context, for example instead of the feeling of lack of purpose it could be looking your purpose, you thought was the one.

2. I certainly don't like one thing in particular. I think that the original scrip suggests and is trying to make a statement that Joe's character was in some way not contributing to the society, thus he wasn't a valuable person. This message doesn't sit right with me. But, I think it is important to address this differently - how the world is constructed in a way, to make us feel like our worth is determined by our work. And when we feel like we are failing to be productive, we face a lot of stigma and judgement.

3. All members in the group as far as I know were socialized as women - this means that we experienced a number of expectations that were pressuring us, plus a number of stereotypes, limitations and systematical discrimination we have to face.

4. Getting rid of scenes with children, animals, scenes requiring good weather, scenes with unnecessary actors that don't contribute to the plot.

After this discussion we proceeded with our work - treatment, looking for inspirations, making moodboards and other concepts for production desig.