Peer Pitch & Concept Refinement Chart

 

CATEGORY	DETAILS
Film OR Magazine	Film
Genre	Historical / Drama
Target Audience (Be specific)	Those who enjoy films about activism, younger audiences, and African American audiences.
What is your concept? (Be thorough & specific. Review the links on Blackboard)	- An African American high school boy gets in trouble at school for not standing up during the pledge of alliance and experiences a series of microaggressions from his peers, teachers, and mentors. After feeling like an outcast from the “white man’s” America with little to no power, he is inspired by a series of BLM protests in his community and starts a club at school called “Justice for All”. This club will start out locally and work on spreading awareness within their community but will eventually travel throughout social media and will become a larger part of the national BLM movement.  - The opening scene will include the boy getting in trouble at school after refusing to stand up for the flag, experiencing microaggressions from his class, and being kicked out. This will lead him eventually to the principal's office, where after complaining about his experience is motioned towards the club sign-up sheet and suggested to do something about it if he really cared so much.
How did you conceive the idea for this concept?	I thought of this idea while listening to music walking home from the bus stop. I was thinking about my project in class and listening to a heartfelt song that I thought would’ve fit well in a movie filled with hope. This got me thinking about things I cared about and if I had one shot at making a movie and sending out a message that I want people to hear, what would it be? For me that was the movement, the racial discrimination happening in America, and the different perspectives of people who live very different lives in the same country because of the color of their skin.
What do you believe is unique about your concept?	I believe my concept is unique in the sense that the social movement of Black Lives Matter is new and in the middle of a pandemic, therefore there has yet to be any grand film pieces done on the subject yet. This would make mine one of the first.
Why do you believe this product will be of interest to your audience?	My product will accurately describe the events of the movement, encourage young activists to speak out and fight for what they wish to see in their communities, and give hope to more people, especially in a year as eventful and devastating as 2020.
FEEDBACK RECEIVED FROM PEERS	The concept is relevant and modern through social media  Opening scene hints at the plot; foreshadowing  Deals with the extremely relevant issues of the social movements happening in America.  Refusing to stand for the flag is very realistic – happens a lot around the country.  Be careful about racism and crossing lines.  Showing the microaggressions will help start a conversation about the smaller things you might not notice but are still problematic.

 

The feedback my peers provided was very helpful in guiding me in the right direction with my portfolio. I got lots of positive feedback on what I’m on the right track with, such as my peers mentioning the relevance of the film and its solidified plot, as well as its realistic quality. It also helps me outline some of my restrictions, such as where the line draws in displaying microaggressions and racism. These critiques will ensure I produce a unique and vibrant film and open conversations up to the viewers about the experiences minorities go through every day that much of the population might not notice. 

With a combination of statistics, shining examples, and positive reinforcement from my peers, I am confident that I am on the right path with my project. According to “Domestic Movie Theatrical Market ....”, both original screenplay and live action productions were the highest grossing from 1995-2020 (The Numbers, 2020). Likewise, a miniseries titled “When They See Us” with a similar genre, audience, and theme to my film did incredibly well with its debut on Netflix in late May of 2019. According to the writer and director of the show, Ava Duvernay, “When They See Us” had grossed over 23 million views from Netflix accounts in less than a month of releasing it, making it the #1 most watched show on Netflix for weeks following its release. These rewarding numbers, along with the relevancy of the topic at hand through the civil rights movement happening in America today, proves my film is relevant and on track to be successful among my audience. 

Similarly, the article that was assigned to me on the topic of meaningfulness in relativity to a consumer’s opinion of a “good movie” supports the idea that my topic will have a positive effect on viewers, leading to a more memorable experience and a better preforming film in terms of revenue. The article mentions a couple of theories that have been developed to explain what causes viewers to think one movie is meaningful and memorable and others not. One of these theories is called the disposition theory, and the idea behind it is, “Simply put, enjoyment is predicted to be highest when liked or beloved protagonists are shown experiencing positive outcomes, and disliked characters are depicted as experiencing negative outcomes.” (Mary Beth Oliver and Tilo Hartmann, 2010). This theory accurately depicts the concept of my story, in which the protagonist goes through a series of rough experiences and empowers himself to use his hardships to spread awareness to others and prevent similar things from happening again. Through this, the character finds friends, self-fulfillment, and helps people from across the nation in finding their voice and standing up for what they believe in. These positive outcomes for the protagonist in the story reinforce similar feelings within the viewer and leaves them with a deeper meaning to dwell on and remember long after they finish the film.