Fresh off the Back Burner

     Since I've been looking forward to this project for a while now I've tossed around a few ideas over the span of a year. Back in June I got some inspiration after scrolling through Pinterest; I saw a graphic design piece of a glitching tv emitting light on the floor that read 'YOU ARE WHAT YOU WATCH'. It was a simple saying, but it definitely got me thinking.

Notes from June

    I initially jotted down some ideas about characters, loose plot, and some visuals, but then I kind of just put the idea on the back burning for about 6 months. I was only reminded of the idea during my AP Psychology class when we were learning about Erik Erikson's stages, specifically Identity vs. Role Confusion. This stage is basically a point in life around 16-24 years of age where an individual is expected to have formed some set of beliefs and personality that would allow them to live out the rest of their lives without confusion of who they are. The concept reminded me of the character of this story who has no personality of their own and only survives mimicking the ideas and personalities of others in the media they consume.

Notes from June

    After the recent spark I looked back on my notes and sketches with more critical eyes. The original idea for the story involved the main character at a party who 'saves' what he believed was a damsel-in-distress, but the main character would take it 'saving' too far and come close to beating someone to a pulp. Looking back I wasn't the biggest fan of how the girl was represented, and thought the interactions with the main character would've been cheesy or plan unoriginal. Not to mention the practicalities of making a believable party setting with limited people and budget. I decided to scrap that part of the story all together.

Notes and idea
from my notes app

    I decided to stick with the 'shell-of-a-human' character who has to constantly consume media in order to fit a role in a society since I thought it was an interesting idea that could go many ways. I began to think about taking a more consumerist approach in which the character surrounds themselves to TV advertisements which then lead to me now thinking about a TV Game Show that's meant to be overstimulating and engaging with consumers. It would focus on a dynamic between the individual and the TV personality. This is currently the point in which I am at; I feel if I were to continue with this idea I'd play into some characteristics of the psychological subgenre, but I'd need to do some more research to see which genre is best for the idea and the visuals I have in mind. I'll work on both developing a loose narrative structure and genre research before I confirm anything.

January Notes