Image by Valiphotos from Pixabay

I'm currently prepping for two films. One for DIY Films, which will be our third. John Stephenson is writing and directing. I am producing. The second is called Skin and will be written and directed by me. I've got an actor in mind. I need to write the script but I've done an image board to get a sense of the story flow. I've also had to order some more filmmaking kit. I have some of it already but needed things such as a second camera (iPhone), lights, tripods etc. We should shoot both in the next few months.

Jerusalem

On the theatre side, I went to see Jerusalem last week. I'd not seen it the first time so was despearate to see it this time. It was fantastic and deserved its standing ovations. The set is dramatic and changes little during the show. Mark Rylance is on stage pretty much throughout. He's a mesmerising presence and Mackenzie Crook and others are fine support. From a story perspective, it does some fairly interesting things.

Tragedy

The story has a tragic ending. The main character is physically beaten and loses his home and his friends lose their place of refuge and fun. 

One Last Fight

This story, like The Wrestler or Logan, is about a heroic figure that is forced out of retirement for one last fight. In The Wrestler, its to go back in the ring. For Logan its to rescue the young mutants. Here a former stunt rider takes on the Council who want to evict him from his caravan in the forest.

The World Changes

It's a story of change but not of the protagonist himself or on those around him. It's a story of societal change, of gentrification, of building on green belts perhaps, of nimbism. The locals don't want an unsightly caravan visible from their estate windows with parties being held late into the night.

This story clearly shows what happens if a character doesn't change - they 'die'. Just like Vincent Vega who refuses to give up being an enforcer after nearly dying. In Jerusalem, Jonny 'Rooster' Byron won't change, so he loses his home and the life he led as the charasmatic, story-telling mentor figure.

Every other character is tied to him and all will suffer through association. They lose a home from home, a source of drugs and freedom, and someone to seek refuge from a troubled home life. The one character who's unaffected is the one who appears to be the most foolish. But he leaves for Australia just in time.

Everyman

I saw Everyman by Carol Ann Duffy. It's a more common Hero's Journey structure. It's adapated from a spiritual myth first published in the 15th centry. This new adaptation by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy was first presented at the National Theatre, London, in 2015. Its written in poetry form and was great fun. It was produced by Miracle Theatre and perfomed in a tent within a warehouse. We sat in mini royal boxes around the edge. 

Everyman tells the story of a successful, popular, arrogant man. But Death comes calling and he has a heart attack but survives. Forced to abandon his current life, he embarks on a frantic search to recruit anyone to speak on his defence when Death calls again.