Draft Project Proposal

Andrew Ayres Project Proposal:

I have chosen to adapt this sonnet:

Do not stand at my grave and weep
By Mary Elizabeth Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep: I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starshine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry:
I am not there; I did not die.

The adaptation will tackle the concept of somebody mourning the loss of their friend who has become disenchanted with society and has cut themselves off the people around him. Therefore, they are mourning who they once were as they are not truly there anymore.

Summary:

Scene 1: 

(Big, empty room except for a chair) 

We see someone watching our protagonist. The protagonist is sat in a chair with their eyes adrift, completely ignoring their girlfriend in front of them. She tries to get their attention but to no avail.

Scene 2: 

(Flashback, A living room) 

A child, a younger version of our protagonist, is being lectured by their mother, telling them that they will not amount to anything. She is becoming over-protective of her child and we visually see our protagonist becoming shrouded by protecting hands.

Scene 3: 

(Various clips) 

Various clips of protagonist growing up. School, Girlfriend. Protagonist is not good at socialising with his girlfriend.

Scene 4: 

(In a local park) 

Girlfriend is seen having a friendly conversation with another man. Protagonist gets jealous, jumps to the wrong conclusions. Various voices are heard of people from their past reciting various vicious comment about him.

Scene 5:

(Bathroom) 

Protagonist is seen falling into a bath. While he is under- visually losing touch with reality.

Scene 6: 

(Back to the empty room) 

Girlfriend is still trying to talk to protagonist in the chair. Still no response.

Scene 7: 

(Graveyard) 

Transitions to girlfriend standing by a grave- metaphor for her loss.

Visual Statement:

Picture:
The colour palette will include a lot of red as the protagonist descends into madness, trying to visualise what it is like to be in the mind of someone who is becoming more cut-off from the rest of the world.

Camera angles will be more experimental with the camera even turning upside down to visualise the character’s life turning upside down. I want to give the project a ‘B-Movie’ type of look.

Sound:
I have already experimented with some music myself. I have used some synthesisers and have managed to create some foreboding sounds to reflection the times of loss and madness. I wanted to give the project this sound to create my own type of creative style.
There will also be various sound effects to reflect on the themes of the subject matter as well.

Actors:
I have already been in touch with an actor who has willingly agreed to star as the protagonist. I just need to find others to fill in the rest of the roles. The actor is somebody I know personally and I know they have a lot of acting experience.