#1 Project - Brief & Approach

Since our main project has been approved, we were given an early brief for a first project, which links to our final film, but given a different focus point. Here is the brief we were given for this:

Our focus for this is a split between our main contributors (Pam, Toni and Darren) and the animals themselves. Since the major project focuses on the struggles they face everyday, this project seems a more light-hearted introduction to the refuge, the animals and the daily challenges the workers face. The emotional centre of this film, in my opinion will be light-hearted as said previously, but also enlightening with saddening and happy moments, for example, the viewers will enjoy images of the animals running around, however may be saddened by their condition and the fact that the workers are struggling to keep it up and running, and the idea that these animals will have no where else to go if they can't keep it going.

The main contributors for this film will give us information on their role at the refuge, as well as the animals, getting a little insight into different stories of each animal.  This will (hopefully) be used to show the audience why they should care about what happens to these animals. 

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Our director showed us in more detail what she would like this film to focus on. With research, we now know that Toni's favourite animals are the monkeys, and therefore would like to film her interacting and talking with them, as they are what she is most passionate about, which will be the same concept for both Pam (parrots) and Darren (Reptiles), and the director stated that these link together closely as they all live on the refuge site, and therefore dedicate themselves fully to their work. 

In regard to the structure, we aim to include all these points as well as incorporate the idea of the daily life at the refuge. Hannah also pointed out how she wanted to use establishing shots of the refuge (during the morning) and then lead into talking to the contributors, rather than continuous use of interviews one after the other. All the interviews will fit together to create an (almost) narrative.

One of the questions given to us in our feedback was 'what is the ending?' here, we explored further, and decided (through Hannah's ideas) that we wanted to show the contributors in life in regard to, at the end of the day. Toni may have a drink and sit with Cinders whilst Darren will be in his caravan with his girlfriend - to allow the audience to see that #1 they live there, and secondly that they have separate lives that are so linked by the refuge, they are on the job 24/7.