Developing Ideas

10 texts you love 

- Time Again 

- To Kill a Mockingbird (book)

- Notting Hill 

- Love Actually 

- The Perks of Being a Wall Flower (book)

- Charlie and Lola 

- Modern Family 

- Criminal Minds 

- Suitcase Kid

- Cinderella 

Method 1: steal like an artist 

Time again

- sadness, laughter, nostalgia, family, warmth 

notting hill, love actually, time again : 

These films all have the same overall vibe to them. They are all British films with actors who have stereotypical south London accents. They are all romantic comedy films which have good endings. Love actually and notting hill even share similar actors such as Hugh Grant and Collin Firth making them even harder to compare. All the films follow the typical meet, fall in love, fight, get back together and happy ending story line which is popular amongst British audiences.

Modern Family and Charlie and Lola are very different TV shows when you first look at it. For starters Modern Family is a young adult comedy show about a dysfunctional, confusing family dynamic whereas Charlie and Lola is a children's TV show about a brother and sister in their dad to day life. Even though when you first look at it you may think they are completely different they are in fact some ways similar. For example, they both follow a reality TV complex where the characters talk to the camera and break the fourth wall like they are having a conversation to the audience. Both shows also follow the characters day to day life documenting to the audience what they do in their day and how they go about it. They both also have a one episode = one day structure.

Method 2: the question game 

at the heart of storytelling is the question "what if"

e.g.

'what if' a galaxy was ruled by a corrupt empire 

'what if' a wealthy aristocrat fell for a woman who loathed him 

'what if' a third-world African country was secretly the wealthiest nation on earth 

brainstorming 'what if' questions can be a powerful way to generate concepts for new stories. all you have to do is unleash your curiosity. with your own interests and experiences in mind, how many 'what if' questions can you ask 

once you have developed an extensive list, choose and combine the ideas that most exits your interest, then challenge your self to write a new story based on each question.

'what if' giant pandas stay in the UK

'what if' you had to move across the world to escape the sun 

Wednesday 8th December 

NatWest advert 

what did I like when I was 9/10 years old ? 

- lego - imagination, creative 

- baking 

- bikes - outdoors, village/countryside or city ??

- cartoons - non realism, imagination, colourful, violet but safe, comedy violence 

- dinosaurs - real dragons, fact fiction

opening title sequence based on ad 

kid on a bike with a chemistry set in his backpack