FMP: Contextual Research into my roles.

Treatment

The term 'treatment' as it pertains to a film, video, or television production refers to how the process and techniques of production will contribute to the interpretations of a given subject, idea, or script. Treatment has to do with interpreting the subject, exploring an idea, or script. Treatment has to do with interpreting the subject, exploring an idea, or using production as a vehicle to explore themes.pg1-2

Purpose

Identifying the purpose of the production usually begins by identifying the intended audience. Film, video, and television productions usually are made to convey thoughts, ideas, emotions, and experiences to an audience. pg2-3

Theme

This is where we examine our attitude toward the subject, study the material, and analyze our knowledge of the audience to determine themes that will resonate between the production and audience. Theme allows us to focus our attention (and ultimately the audience's) on certain aspects of the subject while excluding others. To the extent that we can discover our theme before we go into production and use it to determine our treatment of the subject, we will use time and often limited resources effectively. pg 3

Treating Reality in Documentary

Documentary productions present fact; theatrical productions present fiction. Because we think of documentary as presenting "real" subjects, we can easily misunderstand the process of documentary production and believe that the documentary genre uses no techniques and provides no interpretation of subject. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Media producers- writes, editors, filmmakers, videographers, and so on- present subjects to us with the intent of making the content understandable, interesting, and significant. Usually there is the further intent of attributing to the subject recognizable qualities- handsomeness, beauty, credibility, ugliness, dangerousness and so on. pg6-7

Intention

In documentary and theatrical production, when we conceive a topic and think about our purposes, we then translate our intentions into a script. The intentions of the script become the intentions of the production. pg7

Interpreting the Script

In narrative production, the subject is in the script or story. As the producer or director, we try to identify what touches, excites, amuses, or interests us in the story. Through deciding purpose and defining themes, we discover our intentions.

Producers and directors form their own intentions for a production, based on their reaction to the writer's material and what they hope will be the ultimate reaction of the audience.

Producers or directors look for that spark that attracts them to a project. They look for how a project resonates within themselves.

They hone and develop that aspect of the production in all its facets. Their intention becomes the purpose for the production as a while and for individual scenes and sequences, as well as the key to the motivation of the characters.

Once the intention is defined, the role of the producer or director is to convey this vision of the production- the treatment of the production- to the photographer, scene designer, and talent. Within the context of this general vision, those involved in the production will contribute their interpretation, technique, and artistry.

Expression through technique as it contributes to interpretation is what makes production satisfying. Treatment enables us to push the envelope, go beyond what others have done, take audiences and characters to new places.

Treatment gives meaning to action.

Almost all directors regularly confront scenes of normal activities of daily living. These scenes provide vehicles through which to interpret emotion and meaning. Unlike literature, film and video do not lend themselves easily to interior monologues.

Film and video render inner states of mind only through outer manifestations of action or through voice-over.

Alternatively, directors and scriptwriters will express emotions and meaning through the day-to-day actions in which characters find themselves. It is the treatment of these actions that makes them significant.
pg8-10

Personal Style

The artistic choices we note as we employ the techniques of film and video, the ideas, visions, and themes we choose to explore as we interpret our subject, begin to define our unique styles as creators of film, video and television.