Video Project Proposal for 'You Are Enough'
Include four to five possible photos or images that you might use in your piece.
VIDEO TITLE (working title):
"You are enough"
THEME/CONCEPT:
self-esteem/love
values vs superficiality
GENRE:
Nonfiction
SYNOPSIS/FREE-WRITE: 500 words or less.
There is a lot I want to convey in this, It is a reflection of my life as a professional ballet dancer who fiercely struggled with self-esteem issues, and how my inability to achieve what I considered perfectionism ended up being one of the driving reasons I stopped dancing all together. I want to prevent other women from feeling limited by what they consider to be their flaws, and let them know that they are enough.
VIDEO STYLE (what does it look like? What other examples are similar? What is your style?):
Expose/Documentary
On how and superficial tendencies and vanity are a significant contributor to dissatisfaction and unhappiness in our lives. I will examine the ways in which I, too have focused too much of my time and energy on outward perfection, and how comparing yourself to others is pointless, because everyone has their imperfections, both internally and externally.
BREAKDOWN OF POSSIBLE SCENES:
1st: cuts of women answering 2 questions: "If you could change any one thing about yourself, what would it be?" "What does it mean, in your eyes, to be beautiful?"
2nd: My answer: "Initially, I wanted to answer this question with something superficial, like 'I wish my nose was prettier, I wish I had long hair again, or I wish I was 10 pounds thinner," however when I examine these thoughts, it is apparent that the one thing that I would wish to change about myself would be to have the ability to focus less on my superficial imperfections, and to prioritize fixing the flaws in my character."
"If I could tell my younger self anything, it would be that perfection, and the definition beauty you strive for is unattainable, and comparison is the thief of joy."
Scene 3: Ballet is solely focused on beauty. Exposing perfection in the world of ballet through eating disorders, mental illness, and the need to always be better than the dancer next to you. (Possible dancing montage w/ voice over, and photos that depict my struggle to try and attain perfection.)
Scene 4: Unknown: will base it off of the footage/responses I receive from other women, may do follow up interviews and ask for their stories
Scene 5: Character profiles of the women I interviewed: Ask them: "What makes you beautiful?" Give reasons (based on personality rather than looks) I think they are beautiful.
Scene 6: Conclusion: Though I will never be able to love myself unconditionally, I am working every day to do something that reflects on the beauty within my character. Ways I am trying to become more beautiful: I have been buying food for the homeless every sunday for the past 2 months. Caring about those less fortunate is beautiful.
TARGET AUDIENCE (who are you making the video for):
Other women like me who compare themselves to others, and consequently don't feel as though they are enough.
LENGTH OF VIDEO:
5-10 minutes.
OBJECTIVES:
Hopefully give perspective that we all struggle with issues in self-esteem
SETTING(S):
TARGET AUDIENCE (who are you making the video for):
Other women like me who compare themselves to others, and consequently don't feel as though they are enough.
LENGTH OF VIDEO:
5-10 minutes.
OBJECTIVES:
Hopefully give perspective that we all struggle with issues in self-esteem
SETTING(S):
Dear Lizzy,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you've decided to explore this concept. You have a very unique perspective and so your insight into the world of dancing is intriguing. You may want to think about how you want to format this. See if you can put this into specific scenes that progress. So, for example, you might think of scenes like the first time you performed, the first time you realized that there was competition among the dancers, the first time your body or form was critiqued as if you weren't there. Describing individual scenes/moments from your life will create a vivid picture for the viewer, and will help you to figure out as the artist what photos could accompany these scenes. If you are showing us these moments, we will understand your point about how ballet is an exaggerated form of this type of critique women face throughout their lives based on their physical appearance. Leave yourself open for discovering what direction you want to go in---let the writing tell you what your story will be. You don't have to tackle the entire societal problem of women being judged by their appearance--you just have to think about your particular experience and how it stands as an example of this critique women endure from early on.
One more thing: you don't need to interview other women to get their perspectives on how they define beauty. Stay close to the ballet world--stay close to your experience--you have enough to say about this without requiring other women to weigh in.
ReplyDelete