Treatment
Due Wednesday 7/18 at 7pm.
A treatment is an outline
or a narrative description of a film project using non-technical language. A
treatment is used by film’s creator or producer to attract interest in the
project.
For your treatment, please
prepare a one-page description of your project.
Your treatment should
introduce your topic to the reader. It
should describe the story of the main characters (if appropriate), the history
of the topic and a description of the location. The treatment should follow the
trajectory of your narrative. Describe how your project will begin and then how
it will proceed. End you treatment with
a concluding statement about your topic.
Your treatment should include a description of how are employing the text from our readings as well as any visual and aural (sonic and/or musical) aspects of the film.
Develop a title for your
project. The title can be in Korean or
English. If you have not decided on the
title at this time, use a “working title”.
List your group number and
members’ names. In addition list anyone that you plan to interview.
Your treatment should be a
dynamic and exciting description, however, it is important that you do not use
overly flowery language. Avoid making
impossible claims that your film will achieve. As an example, “this ground
breaking film will reveal …”
Submit your treatment to the blog and print out 3 copies, one each for Bertrand, Haden and me.
Submit your treatment to the blog and print out 3 copies, one each for Bertrand, Haden and me.
Group 3: Eunji Kim, Gloria Hong, Eun-Young Seo, Roberto Perez
ReplyDeleteTreatment
Inspired from the suffering, seclusion, and implicit subjugation of a woman in the sijo, “A Wife’s Resentment.” This sijo portrays a woman fading into obscurity through her silence and seclusion in her own home, and leads us to question whether or not this same condition exists for Korean women today. By focusing on women from different backgrounds, we hope to show their different life experiences that, when strewn together, display a spectrum of perspectives on how women have or have not changed. We will also look at how women's roles have progressed from a historical perspective, considering its ties to particular elements from the Choson Dynasty and Neo-Confucianism. Thus our focus on personal histories provide concrete examples of the change and/or continuity since that time.
We hope to start off our film with an exciting visual spur, whether it be footages of tal-choom (the traditional Korean mask dance) or the masks themselves that shed light on the differences between the societal roles of men and women in the past. Then we will move onto the documentary title, which we tentatively have decided it to be “Masked”.
As for the rest of the film, we plan to make the story of the mask shopkeeper as the “glue that holds together the film” and some interesting elements of Tal-Choom that can help to establish the rising action of the film. Near the end, we hope to offer a different perspective with the addition of Professor Sun Joo Kim's “lightbulb moment” during her interview: that the tal-choom itself may also have been a satirical remark about the inferior position of women (and not only of the yangban class) and hence, a peaceful protest for women's rights. Other elements we plan to include are the interview of David McCann who gave their insights about the progression of women’s roles from the past to the present and the stories from women from the sea market and Hahoe Village. However, we still feel that there are more subjects that we need to film. We hope to interview women who can provide other aspects of women’s roles in today’s society that our current interviewees have not yet portrayed--possibly women doctors or lawyers that hold high career positions, or mothers that might have something to say about patriarchy in their households.
“Working Title”
ReplyDeleteGroup4 Yellow
Jiyeon Kim
JungYoon Bae
Stephan Valentin
Sunny(SunWoo) Nam
Main Theme/Topic: Past&Present of Poong-lyu(풍류, 風流)
The text: 윤선도/어부사시사(Eobusasisa;The Fisherman's Calendar by Sundo Yoon)
Type: Omnibus style
Parts Divided(Visual / Sound from the text):
0. Intro: People reading sijos mixed altogether, and then focusing to one person. The scene will focus on people’s mouths.
1. Eating(Food) / Spring of 어부사시사 : Jiyeon
2. Noraebang / Summer : Sunny
3. Street life / Fall : Jungyoon
4. Party / Winter : Stephan
5. Conclusion: Fan closing
-> The order can be changed after editing
Further Explanations:
Our Group decided to make a film about Poonglyu, a traditional Korean notion which is to seek pleasure and relaxation in combination with the arts, food, and nature. We believe that the notion of Poonglyu is still deep in Korean people living the modern society even though it cannot be 100% identified with Poonglyu a few centuries ago. To present the Poonglyu of the past and present visually, we will divide the film into four parts. We will take the omnibus style, each of the members becoming directors of each part. The four parts—eating, singing(Noraebang), street life, and partying—are what we think as the aspects of Poonglyu in the modern Korean society. Each of the parts will begin with landscapes and images that could be related with tradition to not only create tension but also connection with the past and present of Poonglyu.
There were quite a few texts that our group wanted to use, but considering that our film’s purpose will be more effective when there is unity that holds the four visual parts together, we chose one text which is Sundo Yoon’s Eobusasisa;The Fisherman's Calendar. Eobusasisa is divided into four parts(seasons) as well, and throughout the text, there are refrains that are repeated over and over to create unity. The reason why this is important is because we will make Korean people regardless of gender, age, and class participate in the film by reading the text out loud. These voices will be the dominant sound sources of our film. This also supports one of our purposes for the project, which is to treat the text as it is. By reading the text, the text will stand out and it will create a certain atmosphere that can support the video as well.
The introduction will start with a close-up of the mouth and overlapping voices of a lot of people reading different parts of the text, so that we can start by grabbing people’s attention. Then, only one voice will remain, making people listen to the context of the poem. Since Eobusasisa is a familiar poem with Koreans(it is in high school Korean literature textbooks), we think it will be easily recognized by viewers. (Also, English subtitles will be provided.) The visual tool that will also hold the four parts of the film together will be a white fan. This white fan will be an unrevealed detail that will appear quite often but not manifested during the whole film. For example, a person might fan himself/herself while eating barbeque in a restaurant because she/he is too hot. Then in the next part, people can play with the fan in the noraebang. We chose a white fan because usually white is treated a color that Koreans loved throughout the history and fans were like a stylish accessory for people back in the days when they tried to enjoy the notion of Poonglyu. Therefore, we will end our film with the pansori singer with a white fan and the fan closing, revealing to the viewers that this was a secret tool for our film to show Poonglyu.
Treatment for Group Five’s “Han (한; 恨) / Working Title”
ReplyDeleteGroup 5: Moonyoung Park, Bo Kyeong Kwon, Hyun Kim, Yulri Lim
1. Topic:
Group five's project will center on "Han (한; 恨) of married women in Korea." Han is a sentiment that is variously described as sorrow, grief, resignation and/or resentment, and believed to be core to the Korean national identity. We discovered during the course of our interviews that Han was inextricably etched into the lives of older Korean women, because of what society and culture demanded of them, which they were powerless to resist. We think this is exemplified by the Kasa by Ho Nansulhon, titled Married Sorrow, which speaks of a woman’s unhappiness with her husband and station in society, over which she had no choice but to endure. We intend to portray with the use of the Kasa that “Han” for women was something that can be traced back into history, and was remnant into Korea’s early modern history.
2. Main Characters
As of July 18, our project has two main “characters” at its center, who are the interviewees that we met in Ulsan and Hahoe Village of Andong.
At Daewangam, Ulsan, we met a 73-year-old sea diver, who had started working in the sea from the age of 15. She had an arranged marriage not long after, and as a working woman, raised three sons, which left her little time for the enjoyment of youth.
Mrs. Ryu of Hahoe Village, was a woman just shy of 100 years of age, who had difficulty hearing and speaking, causing her 76-year-old son to give the interview on her behalf. He had explained that his father had two other concubines, whose three children, in addition to her own five, she raised all herself. He had also mentioned that her “Han” was the source of her drinking, which was heavy and even greater than his own.
3. History of Topic and Description of Location
Since the mid Chosun period and the propagation of Neo-Confucianism, women were treated as second class citizens. Simultaneously, marriage was considered a family affair, and left little room for individual choice in the determination of one’s partner. Combined, these two traits created for a situation in which women were committed to the lowest position within the husband’s family, and only the husband’s, as with marriage, she was no longer deemed by her family as one of their own, as is described by “Choolgaweain (출가외인).”
The two locations where we filmed our women are important to our story in that they are places where much of these ideals remain preserved, and showcase living examples of women who had to abide by such standards their whole lives. Hahoe Village is a place where such legacies retain a strong foothold even today. For example, there, male dominance over women is so strong to the extent that even men of younger age or lower generations do not address the older women in honorific terms, but as they would their peers or youngers. Daewangam serves as the base for the sea divers, who are exclusively women, whose lives were directed by immediate need and social expectations, in their marriage and line of work. Thus, these locations illustrate how women had to grit their teeth and endure whatever hardships were thrown in their faces.
4. Trajectory of the Narrative
ReplyDeleteWe intend to show our story in three parts: the first of short interviews amongst the group members, then of a pansori part which will recite the Kasa in musical form, and finally the interviews of the older women who will be the central focus of this project.
We intend to use the first section to set a tone of remembrance and anticipation. We will feature short scenes where our group members will variously discuss the meaning of Married Sorrow, reminisce about our own grandmothers, and/or wonder about the life of Ho Nansulhon. We then intend to incorporate the text in an intermediary section, by rearranging an existing Pansori song with the words of Married Sorrow, and introducing the Kasa in musical form. This will also facilitate in the transition from the first section of our modern day reminiscence to the final actual accounts originating from older times. Finally, the last part will show the interview of the women, and tell of their “Han.” Here, much of the footage will be from those made for our second assignment.
5. Concluding Statement
We think that Han is an important aspect of Korean identity and history that deserves exploration, and in particular for women, something that has been compounded by the social pressure on them to toe the line and stay silent. We hope, thorough our project, to lend those repressed women a voice and outlet, that their valuable sacrifices and footprints may be heard, appreciated and remembered. Therefore, we will try to remain as true to their story as possible, without tainting their messages with our own personal viewpoints and arguments
Group 1 (Orange): Terrence McKenna, Janin Alfonso, Dahye Koo, Hyunji Lee
ReplyDeleteWorking Title: Incommunicado
The major world religions, as expressed in Korea, differ significantly from their “original” form. Specifically, the form in which Christianity and Buddhism are expressed by their Korean adherents has been influenced by Korea’s historic belief systems; Shamanistic practices—which have been active in Korea for thousands of years—have had particular influence.
Our project aims to explore these unique expressions of these religions (i.e. Christianity and Buddhism) by investigating how each seeks to communicate with the spiritual realm. We chose this focal point because communication with the unseen is one of the primary functions of religion, the finer details of which distinguish religions from each other. Furthermore, this communication is often expressed in rich ceremonies and rituals—the aspect of religion most strongly influenced by a landscape’s history and culture.
The inspiration for our project is both experiential and textual. Much of our time during the excursion was spent visiting and exploring the many Buddhist temples in Korea, and yet, within Seoul, one finds churches around every corner. While this observation is noteworthy, it was the texts that we have been reading that helped us to formulate our topic by giving expression to what underlay this observation, namely the varieties of communication with the spiritual realm. In the three stories we read (Lady Suro, Ch’oyong and Manghae Temple, and King Mu), communication with spirits is presented as commonplace. Furthermore, we find an interesting mix of shamanistic practices and Buddhist practices in these texts.
The driving force behind our project will be interviews; we are planning to interview a religious expert (Professor Ro of George Mason University) to gain insight into our topic and to draw broad comparisons between Buddhism and Christianity and the influence Shamanism has had on each. We will interview clergy from Buddhism and Christianity (a pastor, a priest, and a monk) and film their respective religious ceremonies in order to gain a more practical understanding of the forms of communication employed. We are going to speak with a modern shaman and a fortune-teller (an expression of ancient shamanistic practices) about their practices and the religious inclinations of their customers. Finally, we will interview several laypersons that involve themselves in each of the practices above about their personal participation in these modes of communication.
There is an old Korean proverb “온고지신, On Go Ji Shin,” which can be interpreted as the belief that we should preserve tradition and accept new culture. In our film, we will explore how tradition of popular dance impacts Korean culture. We drew inspiration from the director of Choyong Cultural Festival who mentioned Edward Said to explain that we do not necessarily have to be intimidated by new foreign traditions overtaking our own culture. Rather, we should embrace different influences that at times puzzle people.
ReplyDeleteWe will begin with footage of traditional dance and traditional music and slowly transition to modern music and dance. This will lead into an interview with someone who is explaining how dance is viewed in Korea and it's importance to Korean culture. As the film progresses we will show more footage of dance and hope to show how the two seemingly different forms of dance can be compatible.
The story of Choyong arriving to Korea as a foreigner is representative of the arrival of foreign dance, such as b-boying, and becoming part of Korea's own culture. If we can show footage of the Ch'oyong dance and have a professor speak a bit about his story, this can help portray how the literature can connect to modern culture.
After showing how imported dance is incorporated into Korean culture, we will show how dance is also exported as well. This is where the KTO interview will take place and inform about how foreigners conception of Korea.
(I forgot to copy this section of our treatment):
ReplyDeleteConnection to Korean Literature:
Ch'oyong: Just like b-boy dance, Ch'oyong, a foreign entity/person, came to Korea and over time has become an integral part of Korean culture.
We are planning to interview the following people to portray the former ideology along with dance footages throughout the film to visualize our message more vividly.
A martial art performer from Shila Theme Park
Experience of B-boy and performer
KTO(Korea Tourism Organization) representative Ms. Hye-won Cho
Perspective of foreign people
How they promote and export Korea brand through dance
What aspects of Korea is KTO attempting to expose to people abroad?
Ms. Cho works at the KTO and was involved in promoting and supporting R16
Professors (Jasper Kim)
In case our other interviews fall through, we will try to interview Professor Kim
perspectives of the Korean wave
Korean dance professors
Perspective within Korea
The importance of dance in Korean culture
How Koreans define Korea and shape the unique culture
Street dancers, performers of Dance Contest “I am a dancer” at Ilsan
e.g. R16 competitors, local B-boys, other performers with their crew (for a more natural interview)
Their values, mindset about performance and dance
Informal interviews from streets
Opinions of people about dance: support/or not for our argument
Hopefully people who just viewed a street performance, so not of their own volition they view dance and will be able to speak about this experience they just viewed, not biased opinions (if we interview dance audience members it would be biased towards people who want to watch dance)
Possibly Professor Cho Gi Suk
a dance professor who majored in ballet
she has combined ballet and b-boy performance