I think that by analysing each individual part of the poem Love Ambitions itself allowed me to consider what the poet may have intended for each line to mean, how I interpret it and what visuals would suit each part, allowing me to plan the adaptation thoroughly. I think that by also looking into the poet, Deanna Rodgers and exploring her work taught me about the kind of style that she has, and her other adaptations gave me inspiration for my own.
The most helpful research I conducted however was by analysing the Youth Media adaptation of the poem, analysing the poem/theatre piece adaptation For Colored Girls and techniques used in novel adaptations such as Bridget Jones's Diary and Sherlock. The combination of these sources gave me a lot of inspiration and guidance in creating my adaptation.
Script I feel that the script came slightly naturally to me. As after analysing the poem and considering the type of story I could create from from it, I could see it play out in my mind. As most of it needed to be heavily based on visuals instead of dialogue, I wanted the film to be emotional and dramatic. Although, I wanted to use the technique of occasionally working the poem into the film through in-film writing or certain lines of the poem being spoken as dialogue. For example, a line in the poem is 'I am the one for you and... you complete me.' so I wrote in the script that the character looks at an image of the man she loves and speaks to it, saying "you complete me". I think that by weaving the poem into the film itself rather than completely in post production gives it depth. Casting The largest struggle that I had was within casting, as I wasn't able to find an actress until a approximately a week before filming. While I put out an advertisement for the role on Casting Call Pro about two and a half weeks before filming, which was as early as possible, I was continuously let down by actresses that scheduled an audition and failed to attend or reply to me. Thankfully, I was told of a Facebook group for UCA Theatre & Performance and posted the role there. Which is where I got two auditions that were fulfilled. I decided to cast my actress Nicoletta, for her ability to instantly go into a dramatic emotional state as the script called for, as well as being able to portray the sweet side of her character. Although I initially struggled with casting, I'm very happy with the actress that I cast. I had also initially planned on using a friend to pose as the character's ex boyfriend in my photoshoot and in film, however they dropped out soon before the film, so I was given permission to use a member of my course, which not only worked out great, but gave me piece of mind due to his reliability. Location I decided early in the process of planning that the film would take place all within the character's bedroom to resemble the dramatic occurrences in the film being a typical day in her life. My own bedroom didn't have the layout that I needed for my script, so I thought of a course member's spare room that I knew had the exact type of style that I required. While the whole film being set in a bedroom also allowed for convenience due to not needing to set up in a number of locations or face any weather issues, there still ended up being a large number of problems, as discussed below. Filming I had seen the room in person previously, and looked at recent images of it. But had gotten the size of the room wrong in anticipation of it being larger than it actually was. This meant that there was no room for more than myself and the actress, barely any room for filming equipment, no room for a lighting kit, not much space for the actress to move around in when acting, not much room for props and decor and there wasn't a great deal of natural lighting through the small window. These factors all meant that I struggled to get the shots that I had intended and that the lighting of the film suffered greatly. However, thanks to preparing all of my props, the shot list, script and filming schedule way in advance, the help of two course members, and the co-operative and professional attitude of my actress, a positive of filming was that the timing went according to plan. Editing The largest amount of time spent on the film was definitely through editing, as I find it can often be what will make or break a film. While I was initially not very content with how filming had turned out after all of the complications, I think I managed to turn it around quite a lot through spending a lot of time and hard work on editing it. In the process of editing the film now has the additions of:
Four separate colour tones
2 classical pieces of uncopyrighted music for a soundtrack
Enhanced vibrancy and exposure
Sound effects
Visual effects
On-screen, animated text
Narration
What Worked
The photoshoot for in-film prop photos of the character and her ex boyfriend, which ran smoothly and the photos turned out great
The actress portrayed the character very well
Aside from the casting issue, the planning and organisation of the film went extremely well
I feel that the script/storyline ties in very well with the poem
Thanks to one of my course members I was able to add a very well-done voice over recording to my film in a short amount of time
What I'd Have Changed
I'd have used a larger location for the ability to have my crew member with me and for the space to set up the intended kit
I'd have used someone else instead of course members for my photoshoot and voice over simply to have it feel and seem more professional, however this was only done so due to complications
I'd have possibly made my script slightly less complex, as my film was largely over the time allowance which meant having to cut parts of the film out to meet the time
What I've Leant
I've learnt a great deal when it comes to adaptations. I had little knowledge on them before, especially with poetry adaptations and techniques when creating them. I feel that I've learnt a lot from this
I've learnt that even if I've been to a place that I plan to film in before, that I should make sure to go back there just to refresh my mind and avoid what occurred when filming
I've learnt to make sure to post my job role on multiple websites and pages instead of just Casting Call Pro, as while it has worked out very well in the past, it wasn't a good option this time
What I Want to Improve On
I want to improve on my camera skills. I'm not entirely happy with a lot of shots that I took as some are off centre or slanted. I feel that this is something that will improve with further practice
Final Result Thoughts Overall, I'm very pleased with the result of my adaptation. I think that the story remains very true to the poem and resembles it well, without distracting from it too much. I think that it's turned out nicely after having many issues during filming and has a very unique feel to it.
Step By Step There were many features to be added and changes to be made to create the look that I needed for my film. These were...
Comparing each shot with guidance from my shot list, selecting the ones of the best quality and usability (for example shot #1 filmed four times, then selecting the clip of the third time it was filmed)
Placing all of these shots together in chronological order in the Final Cut timeline as a starting point
Due to the length of the film totalling at approximately 9 minutes 50 seconds, cutting down areas of each clip that weren't completely necessary, speeding up certain clips, and eventually having to lose one small portion and one large portion of the of the film to cut the time down to 5 minutes 32 seconds. All of which needed a lot of time and detail, as although it's simple to delete parts of clips, each one still needs to flow into the next
A clip from the small deleted 'scene' made for the lines 'Smell like you, the scent that you apply. Provide the glisten of desire that resides in your eye'. These words were added to a different set of clips
A clip from the larger deleted 'scene' made for the lines 'I wanna' be your bed, your sheet, your pillow and your cover. The one that I smother, your bedtime lover. Comfort in the form of a significant other'. These words were then added to a different set of clips.
Adding the poem to the film through on-screen text in almost every clip and using a number of effects on the text
Adding carefully selected music for the films' soundtrack. Then cutting the music in multiple places so that the tones, highs and lows fit with the atmosphere and actions in the scenes
Enhancing the vibrancy and exposure of each individual clip to improve their quality
Changing the colour of each individual clip for atmosphere setting
Adding a visual effect that enhanced the films' quality
Adding in-film sound effects for sounds that could not be created during filming
Correcting the sound of the film
Adding the unit introduction GFX
Creating and adding a simple and subtle GFX film introduction
Adding credits
Having a voice-over recorded, adding it to the timeline, carefully placing it inline with each section of the poem and adding effects to it
On-screen Text From the start of creating my idea for this adaptation, I knew that I wanted to incorporate the poem into the film by using text instead of narration. I felt that as the script is so active and dramatic, that it tells the story itself. However, while this strengthens the look of the film, it seems to clash slightly with the amount that is happening to the character at the same time as the audience needing time to read the on-screen text. With feedback from my tutor, I made the following changes to the text...
Making the most standout-ish and bold words such as verbs more eye catching by putting them in a larger font
Using a tool to have each piece of text slowly move during it's appearance
Placing certain sections of the poem in different areas of the screen to make them clearer and easier to read
These additions and changes have made a very large difference to the text's significance and how captivating it is in the film, by bringing it to life and giving the impression that it is more 'involved' in each moment.
An example of before improvements
After improvements
Sound I wanted classical music with the main instrument being piano for my soundtrack, as I feel that this type of music can portray both a lighthearted, romantic atmosphere, as well as a dark and dramatic atmosphere when used in different ways. I searched on a number of copyright free music websites and found two soundtracks on Bensound. One called November, and one called Sad Day. November is a slightly upbeat, relaxing classical track, while Sad Day is a more downbeat and dramatic piece of music. After testing these with my clips, I found they were extremely suitable to use in my film for the separate tones that take place. The calm and romantic tone that the film starts with, the change in atmosphere as the character becomes distressed, and the emotional, dramatic tone that the film ends with. I successfully mixed these tracks together half way where the mood of the film turns, and edited them to lengthen them and have them fit with each individual moment of the films' drama. I also added three separate sound effects to the film from Freesound to make it more realistic. I searched and found an iPhone message tone for the moment that the character receives a text and a vibration sound to accompany it. I could not have created these sounds on set as the timing would have been overly complex and the interference static sound from the phone would have been picked up. The other sound effect was the sound go glass shattering for the moment that the character smashes her vanity mirror, I could also not create this sound due to the health and safety issues of her throwing a mirror and the possibility that it could have smashed beyond use for the 'cracked reflection' ending. Lastly, I added a number of echo and room type effects to the sound effects to make them sound more like they take place during the scenes and to create a bolder sound for the mirror shattering moment. Aesthetics I first had the thought to change the colouring of the film when beginning to colour correct each clip to improve their quality. After exploring the idea of overlaying a certain colour on the clips through testing, I decided to use four separate, subtle colours. I have used pink/purple for the first part of the film, to create a relaxed, romantic atmosphere that comes from the feelings portrayed through the characters actions and surroundings. I used cold, blue tinted colouring for the moment when the character becomes distressed and upset, signifying the moment when the films' tone changes and resembling these feelings of distress. The third colour overlay is a warm, yellow tinted colour to match the now florescent evening lighting and represent the warmth and relaxed feeling the character has momentarily returned to. The fourth and final colouring is pale and slightly yellow and blue tinted, for the final turn in the film where the character begins to fall apart and the atmosphere is at it's most intense and emotional. My inspiration for using certain colours for segments of the film comes from the Youth Media adaptation of Love Ambitions and their use of a heavy pink colour and from previously using the technique when creating a film in the style of David Fincher. I've found that adding extra atmosphere-setting colour to a film brings it to life more.
Before adding first colour
After adding first colour
Before adding second colour
After adding second colour
Before adding third colour
After adding third colour
Before adding fourth colour
After adding fourth colour
The other visual enhancement that I made during editing was changing the vibrancy and exposure of each individual clip, along with adding an effect overlay called Vignette. I think that the combination of this creates more of a three dimensional style of image and creates a more professional film look.
Before enhancement
After enhancement
Voice Over Taking the advice of my tutor, I decided to use a voice over/narration in my film later in post-production. This is to have the poem be more of a centre stage item and feel of more importance in the film, it also allows the poem to be presented to the audience in a clearer and simpler way for them, as they don't need to focus on reading text. Although, I decided that I should not use my actress for this, as she has a strong accent that I found isn't quite clear enough for narration. So in the short time remaining, I decided to use someone on the course that has a clear speaking voice, as well as being believable as being the character's own voice. Having tested the voice over on the timeline that already included the on-screen text, I decided to keep both the text and the voice over instead of removing the text. This is because I feel that the text remains as a reminder that the film is an adaptation of the poem and that it flows nicely with inline with voice. I think that adding narration to the film is a huge improvement and allows the audience to feel as if they're hearing the characters thoughts and feelings, bringing more emotion to the film overall. End Result Some of the editing process was a struggle, due to the lighting issues that I faced when filming, there wasn't much I could do to dramatically correct this. However, after a lot of hard work and adding a very large amount of detail to every single part of the film, I feel extremely pleased with the end result.
Storytelling Through Dialogue Adaptation There are only a few well known poems adapted for live dramatic film, such as the 2004 film Troy - adapted from the poems Aeneid by Virgil and Iliad by Homer, and the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou? adapted from the poem Odyssey, also by Homer. However, these adaptations have less of a direct connection to the poems themselves, and instead have used the poems as inspiration. By which I mean that there is not dialogue from the poems spoken, voiced over or placed on screen throughout, therefore there is not a clear reminder of the original poem when an audience views the adaptations. An example of an adaptation of poetic monologues that remains closer to the original themes and plot is the 2010 film For Colored Girls, which is adapted from the poetic 1976 theatre piece For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf. The adaptation keeps the original plot of focusing on nine African-american women and their struggles, and retains the issues faced by the characters that are explored in the original play including love, abandonment, rape, infidelity, and abortion The trailer for the film is a clear representation of how closely the adaptation resembles the original production. Through including original dialogue from the play, and the use of different and specific costume colours for each woman, identical to those used in the theatre piece. For Colored Girls Trailer
While there are a number of differences between this adaptation and my own, I was inspired by the use of colour in both costume and lighting of the scenes as representations of certain feelings. For example, reds, pinks and yellows (resembling sunlight) being used as a way to portray feelings of love and calmness. I have used this technique in my own adaptation of Love Ambitions, I feel that it is a strong technique for portraying emotions and themes in a subtle way. Love Themed Adaptation Example Bridget Jones's Diary is a 2001 film adaptation of the 1996 novel of the same name by Helen Fielding. The 2004 sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, is also an adaptation of the 1999 sequel novel of the same name. Although Bridget Jones's Diary heavily involves satire, it mainly focuses on the story of a woman who struggles with her love life. When focusing on the appearance of the film and the main character, similarities can be found between my own adaptation and the film series when looking at the conventions of aesthetics in romance films. Bridget Jones's Diary - The Last Scene
When focusing solely on the shots, costume, colouring and lighting of this scene, a number of key things can be picked out...
Her costume is simply pyjamas, resembling her vulnerability
There is a close up shot of her diary, which explains the situation the audience without any vocal explanation in addition
The outside lighting is dark due to the time set, yet with yellow colouring. This warms the scene in contrast to the wintry set
Mid shots of the main character with empty space around her, again signifying vulnerabilty
Tones of pink in the lighting in the final shot, representing their new romance
With inspiration from the above, my adaptation of Love Ambitions has visuals that closely resemble this style, however in a different situation. For example the tone of pink in the first half of my film signify the loving feeling that the main character has on her own, instead of between two characters on screen.
The Use of On-Screen Text I have chosen to use on-screen text for presenting the poem line by line in Love Ambitions. To do so, I looked at a number of examples of the use of incorporating on-screen text into moving images. Referring back to Bridget Jones's Diary, it is also a great example of the use of text. Due to being adapted from a novel based on the main character's diary, the adaptor, Sharon Maguire, decided to keep a close a resemblance to the novel by occasionally having her diary entries appear during certain scenes. Such as below...
These text appearances often occur along with the character Bridget's narrations of the same words and while she has the diary in-hand during the scene. I found this to be a very natural and well structured addition of on-screen text.
Another example is the 2010 series Sherlock, which is well known for it's use of text naturally appearing during its scenes. However, in this case it is usually placed on screen as a mobile phone message that a character is reading. While I haven't used this in my own film, it is great material for inspiration on text size, movement and placement in my use of on-screen text when trying to achieve the most natural looking and easy to read sentences.
Sherlock example
I feel that my previously conducted research of these aspects of adaptation along with features such as text have benefited me in creating, filming and editing Love Ambitions and when creating an adaptation of someone else's work. Bibliography: For Colored Girls Trailer [film trailer online] Lionsgate. YouTube (2011) 2 mins At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIDrfLIjnLo (Accessed on 04.12.15) For Colored Girls Website (2010) At: http://www.forcoloredgirlsmovie.com/ (Accessed on 04.12.15) Bridget Jones's Diary Last Kiss [film clip online] YouTube (2013) 3 mins At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ige4ZFeST2k (Accessed on 06.12.15)
I couldn't find any information online for general research on the poem Love Ambitions. However my research on the poem has been done so through analysing the poem itself in connection with my interpretations of each part. As well as analysing the Youth Media Agency adaptation of the poem. My Interpretation of Love Ambitions "I wanna be your mirror so I see What you see. And you see What I see And all I see is you Gazing at me."
First impression: This says to me that she wants to be 'one' with the person she loves, to see the same sights and feel the same feelings as each other. To 'reflect' off of one another.
In my adaptation: I found that the use of the word 'mirror' works perfectly for the literal use of a mirror in my adaptation. As she is able to look into her reflection and give off the impression that she's looking at more than just herself. I also used the words of him gazing at her in a literal way by having her look at photos of the man she's talking about and it appearing as if he's looking back at her. While I've split this part of the poem into two 'actions' within the film, I feel that they flow together.
"I wanna be. A debilitating disease, Make you weak in the knees, But bless you when you sneeze, And miss you, Like a ghost misses form when you leave."
First impression: While the poem may not come across as creepy or obsessive to some, it instantly did to me. Through words such as the above 'debilitation disease'. I interpreted the first half of this section as the poet wanting to weaken the man, possibly so that he needs her to look after him. In contrast, I read the second part as him clearly not being close to her, and not having been around for a while, which I feel starts off a creepy atmosphere and stalker-like appearance of the character/poet in the poems' story.
In my adaptation: I wanted to turn the words around in the first half of this section to the character herself being made weak at the knees by the sight and thought of the man. Having her drop backwards onto her bed in a day dream of him. However, closely resembling the turning point I see in my interpretation of the second half of this section, she is reminded that he is no longer near her when she brushes the empty space next to her. She appears upset, as if her bubble has burst. I think this represents to the audience that something isn't quite right in this supposed love story.
"I wanna be. The big issue Maan, that you give 2.50 to, Compassions material form once held by you Smell like you, The scent that you apply Provide the glisten of desire that resides in your eye,"
First impression: I see her wanting the be 'the big issue' as her wanting to be of some kind of importance to him. Overall, I think this whole section, discussing 'material once held by' him, his scent and the 'desire that resides' in his eye, is almost like her wanting to become a part of him and be what he wants.
In my adaptation: I took this section in a literal manner again, as she almost tries to transform herself into him. By putting on what appears to be one of his shirts stored away with her clothes in her wardrobe, and spraying herself with a man's cologne, which can be assumed as his 'scent'. I think this visual representation heavily gives off the impression that she's trying to be as close to him as possible.
"I want to be your; Bed, your sheet, your pillow and your cover The one that I smother Your bedtime lover, Comfort in the form of a significant other"
First impression: I see her saying that she wants to be his 'cover' as a way of saying that she wants to be able to wrap around him, which leads into the part that stands out the most to be, which is her saying that she wants to 'smother' him. Which again, takes a turn in a darker direction in my eyes.
In my adaptation: Being set in her bedroom, I made further use of the bed for this section, with her almost imagining or convincing herself that her pillow is him, with her wrapping herself around it. Yet when she looks down and realises that he's not really there, she becomes distressed, clenching the pillow tighter and tighter - as if smothering it. I feel that this was an intense moment in the film that captured the fact that she's not necessarily as innocent as she's seemed up until this point. Unfortunately, I have had to remove these visuals from my adaptation as I've had to heavily cut down the length of my film.
"Your, coco butter Invade your pores with the cream of me Just so I can touch you ubiquitously. Your pupils, teach me to see That, I'm the one for you and You complete me."
First impression: I felt that this again touches on the fact that she wants to be a part of him, with the words of 'invading' and touching him 'ubiquitously'. To me it's also a representation of the fact that she's convincing herself that they are supposed to be together, by saying that just looking at him lets her know that she's the one for him and that he 'completes' her.
In my adaptation: Now heading straight in the direction of the sweetness of the character starting to fade and the audience seeing her true colours and obsessiveness, I decided to use her stroking a framed image of him and talking to it. The poem talks of invading his pores and touching him ubiquitously, I made this section more possible and realistic by having her stroke the image of his face, as if that's her reaching out to him and touching him - as that's as close as she can get now days. I also thought that having her flat out say to the picture 'you complete me' makes the line more powerful and clearly represents just how much she believes that he's really there with her.
"The only facebook message you'll reply to. I wanna be the receptor your ligand will bind to. The pen lids you chew Your most comfortable shoes The one thing you'll never lose The only choice you'll ever choose."
First impression: In my eyes, this continues talking about the fact that she wants to be involved in ever part of his life, whether it's being the only person he contacts, or even being what he wears and uses day to day. To me, these words, and especially the words of wanting to be his only choice, say that she has unrealistic and unsettling expectations of what she wants to be to him.
In my adaptation: I was inspired by the use of social media being a way to see into someone's life without actually being involved in it, being the way that she 'spies' on him. This was also a way to explain to the audience that he is definitely not in a relationship with her, by showing images etc. on his Facebook profile that he's in a relationship with a different woman. I lead from this to the character being brought back to reality again and reacting badly to it, by connecting 'the pen lids you chew' to her deciding to write a message that convinces herself that her fantasy is what's really reality. It's then revealed that the message says 'I am the one thing you'll never lose, the only choice you'll ever choose'. I think I managed to make this section flow and tie in with each other well.
"I want to be. Every, Single, Girl you've, Ever, Encountered. So that technically, I'm the only one."
First impression: I see this as her wanting to erase his past and every part of his life that doesn't involve her. I think that could potentially be what every reader and the poet herself may have in mind when reading this section, due to its bluntness.
In my adaptation: The fact that the poem is presented in a way that has each individual word on a separate line makes the reader hear it as 'Every. Single. Girl' etc., which makes it very stop/start to me. This inspired me to present it in a way that each word is bursting into her mind, by using an almost stop motion style of her grabbing her head, again trying to convince herself that she's the only one as each word resounds.
"The game you play for fun. I'll let you monopolize And think that you've won Fairly!"
First impression: This is another section that comes across as disturbing to me. Almost that the whole idea of losing him and him not being a part of her life any more is just a big game or a big joke. But that to her, she's going to turn that around in the end.
In my adaptation: I thought outside of the box for this part. The idea of a game that she herself plays for fun came to me. Which I then decided should involve his new girlfriend. With her opening a hidden book full of images of the new girlfriend, and then ripping them up with a smile, it's as if this is her game, where she gets to 'destroy' the new girl for fun. I also think this ties in with the line 'and think that you've won', as if it's talking to the new girlfriend having won him.
"I wanna be, The hand that you lay I'll let you handwrite my game For I wanna be The poetry you write Sublimation with a flow that's so, Tight. Like your boy,"
First impression: This was slightly hazy in meaning for me, while it instantly allowed me to come up with a visual for my adaptation, I think it's message feels slightly unclear. The one way that I can take its meaning, is from the line 'I wanna be the poetry you write'. Seeing as she's building up this whole fantasy through her poem about him, it's almost as if she wants it to be the same on his end, with him fantasising about her, and writing the same things about her that she does about him.
In my adaptation: The words of 'handwrite', 'the poetry you write' inspired me to have her literally begin to write out her fantasy in a bigger way than the last. Her bedroom - mostly her bed, are where I've had her live out her fantasy. So it seemed fitting for her to write across this 'safe zone' in big letters. Saying: 'HE'S MINE'. I think that this not only fits with the section of the poem, but really speaks just how much her grip on reality and her own sanity have been lost.
"Share all instances of carefree joy Fight your fights Share your pain Then make it my own."
First impression: While many sections of the poem are creepy and obsessive in my eyes, this part feels more emotional and relate-able to the reader. As in love it is common that a couple would want to share each others joy, fight each others battles and share their pain. I think this allows the reader to feel for the poet/character more so than before in the poem.
In my adaptation: I took the first part of this to lead on from her satisfaction with having just put it in clear words that he's hers, having her actively represent how content she is by laying in the middle of the words with a grin. I then took the rest to lead into the next section, as he phone receives a message alert, and she looks panicked - relating to the idea of a fight and feeling pain.
"Your phone, Use me to communicate All feelings to love loss despair and hate For I wanna be The Soca that makes you whine, pine"
First impression: I feel that this is meant to refer back to wanting to be a part of his life in every way, through instead of using his phone for example, using her 'to communicate'. I also feel that it represents the fact that she wants to be there for for every feeling - 'love, loss, despair and hate'.
In my adaptation: I again took the literal use of a phone to 'connect the dots' for the audience in making it clear that she has most likely desperately reached out to him or stalked him and he flat out says in his message to her 'stay away from me'. The devastation of this text for the character allowed me to use the line of love, loss, despair and hate to be represented through her actions of angrily throwing the phone and collapsing on the floor in tears.
"The architect of your love line Please, let me design."
First impression: I think that through the word of 'please' especially, it captures her desperation towards him. I also feel that through saying that she wants to 'design' their love, it could be referring to rebuilding it or making it right. Which signifies the fact that it's gone wrong.
In my adaptation: I used the desperation of the word 'please' as a strong moment in the adaptation. As she picks up the phone and appears to call him, then shouting "Please!" down the phone, and him seeming to hang up on her. I think this is a key moment when she can realise that her fantasy is just that, and is brought into reality permanently.
"The memory you trigger when you're down. The riddle you ponder that makes you frown With confusion, tryna figure the answer I'll be your lecturer Guide to conclusion that it's all cos you love her"
First impression: I see this as possibly the poet herself trying to figure out the way she feels and what the situation is between her and this man she speaks of. And that she wants to help guide him to the same conclusion as her own that he loves her. I think that in my eyes I'm seeing it as her once again trying to convince him of their relationship.
In my adaptation: While this section of the poem is only five lines long, I picked it apart, using a different action from my character for almost each line. I saw the first two lines as a way to refer back to the pictures on her wall that fuelled her illusion of a current relationship with him, and her wanting to rip them all down in anger and heartbreak, which she does so. I then had her collapse again, sobbing 'with confusion, trying to figure out the answer' with her clouded illusion fading and she realises the reality of the situation. And her then realising that they are no longer together and that he's gone from her life, and that 'it's all because you love her' - meaning his new girlfriend. I think that I twisted this section of the poem quite dramatically, yet I feel that I've done so in a very expressive and explanatory way that connects with my story very well.
"Me. Your Student ID I wanna be Part of your identity"
First impression: As 'Me.' connects to the line before of 'it's all cos you love her', this is the poet bluntly saying that he loves her. While I have twisted this in my adaptation, this section adds to the idea that she's trying to convince him of their love in the poem. And again, to me she refers to wanting to be a part of him by conclusively saying that she wants to be part of his identity.
In my adaptation: I mainly focused on the words 'I wanna be part of your identity' for the adaptation, being the most strong and expressive words. I used this to lead into the end of the film, by having her look back at her reflection in the mirror, as she does in the beginning. Except this time, instead of smiling, she looks disgusted, as she now only sees herself, alone.
"Provide knowledge See you need me To get into the library"
First impression: I think as the lines get shorter and blunter towards the end of the poem, they simply elaborate on earlier points said by the poet, as I feel that this once again talks about the fact that they belong together through 'see you need me'. However it somewhat adds satire to the section by adding 'to get into the library'.
In my adaptation: I again mainly focused on just the words 'see you need me', as the satirical words that follow would take away from the emotional and dramatic situation that is currently happening at this point in the film. I presented these words by having her say out loud 'you need me' as if talking to him. She looks back at the mirror once more, realising that she doesn't want to see her reflection without him any more and smashes the mirror on the floor. Also as if tying up any more loose ends from her fantasy.
"Fuck it, I can only be The woman I am The woman you see."
First impression: I think that this sums up the end of the poem that after all of her exhaustive fighting for him and attempting to convince him of their love, that she realises that she can only be herself, whether that's what he wants or not. Which I feel I've been able to portray accurately in my adaptation.
In my adaptation: Once the mirror is smashed, it appears that she has resigned herself to giving up and very similarly to the lines of the poem, now feels that she can only be who she is and not what he wants any more. I represented this by having her approach the broken mirror and look at her reflection in the cracked glass. I think this gives the impression that she's now broken, and also refers back to the start of the film, due to the dramatic change she's undergone since looking at the clean, undamaged reflection she'd had before her that morning. I feel that this provides a very powerful, and almost haunting end to the adaptation.
Youth Media Agency Adaptation of Love Ambitions
My notes on the adaptation:
Includes the poet, yet only in a silhouette style when saying the poem and silently acting out the cutaways
Instantly an unusual and slightly creepy feel with the echo to her voice and the shadows surrounding her
A heavy use of the colours pink and orange in the cutaways to her in a field looking happy, as if having a sense of freedom, with these vibrant, upbeat colours supporting it
A very fast pace, potentially to resemble the panic that comes from the poem
Very vague music in the background, relaxed atmosphere, fitting to the cutaway scenes, yet not to the pace of the poem
Unusual techno sound effects
Lots of close ups e.g. her eyes, her smile
I think that this adaptation greatly differs from my own. Due to the upbeat and relaxed tone of the cutaway scenes along with the use of colours such as pink and relaxed music. This contrasts to the dramatic and dark interpretation of the poem used in my adaptation that features downbeat classical music, darker and colder colours as the film progresses and the scenes being heavily focusing on the character being distressed and emotional. However I was originally inspired by certain parts of this adaptation through the use of close up shots to capture certain emotions that the actress portrays.
Bibliography:
Love Ambitions [poem adaptation online] Youth Media Agency. YouTube (2013) At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qCoj_abuNw Accessed on 07.12.15)
A very successful and rapidly becoming well-known poet
A former UK Poetry Slam Champion (2007/2008)
A trained vocational actress - NYT's REP Company 2012
Has appeared in spoken word and music videos, short films, plays and voice overs
One of ELLE magazine's '30 inspirational women under 30'
Nominated as a Rising Star for Hospital Club's 100 awards
A workshop facilitator including The Agency BAC and Slambassadors UK. Also teaches the Writing Poetry for Performance module at Brunel University as well as teaching at School of Communication Arts
Written and performed commissions for BBC: Women Who Spit, Words First & Freespeech
Also written and performed commissions for Guardian News and National Youth Theatre: 2012 Olympic Team Welcome Ceremonies, Buckingham Palace & Speakers House
A member of Keats House Poetry Collective
Co-curates one of London's leading spoken word events: Chill Pill
Currently writing and producing her own spoken word show called Matter
Very interested in the universe, quantum physics and human nature
Two poems of hers adapted for film/video:
Landlords (2014)
Spoken in the first person e.g. "cat flap for my cat, my garden..."
Asks questions e.g. "how much does the average 24 year old earn now days?"
"find me an honest landlord" - The poem centres around the thoughts of many that landlords can be someone who will "threaten to take the roof away" and that people just want someone kind that they can trust
She is heavily featured in the video, as more than just a voice over artist, but on-screen among the London residential areas that she speaks of
The video consists of many cutaways from the poet, including 'sold' signs, dirty taps and items such as bills resting on a staircase. These visuals connect extremely closely with the words spoken and express the reality of the situation she talks about
iPhone (2014)
Spoken as if she's telling the tale of another woman and her boyfriend e.g. "her boyfriend hung up on her"
However, she seems to get very emotional when saying the words, which could be interpreted by the audience that she's telling a story of herself in the third person
While the video consists of just the poet speaking the poem to the camera, it brings intensity to it as she gives off the impression of anger and says most of the poem with a fast pace
Similar to the poem of Love Ambitions it focuses on a women starting the fall apart over a man. However in this case, it's due to a woman not being able to trust her boyfriend
Also very similar to Love Ambitions it has a powerful last line that is almost identical to the first. The first being: "I can't hear you, you're breaking up". The last being: "I can't hear you, we're breaking up"
Deanna's poems are very modern and emotional, focusing on realistic problems that young people face today, including being under the thumb of a landlord, and a smart phone being used to tell the story of a troubled relationship.
Her poems also seem to be very gritty and to the point. The words are blunt and specific, there are practically no metaphors so the poems explain themselves. This allows adaptations to interpret the words with almost whatever visuals they like, as they aren't there to explain her words, but to bring an artistic aspect to the poem.
With inspiration from her style as a poet, being very emotional and intense, I have followed that path of heightening the intensities of her words through dramatic visuals in my adaptation of Love Ambitions. Although a large difference is that while in her other poem adaptations she is heavily featured, saying the poem on screen, there will be no speaking of the poem in my adaptation. As I want the actress's actions and emotions to tell the story.
Bibliography:
Bio: (2015) Deanna: Biography At: http://deannarodger.co.uk/deanna-biography/ (Accessed on 07.12.15)
Landlord [poem adaptation online] The Guardian. YouTube (2014) At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrlxdltPYbo (Accessed on 07.12.15)
