Short Film Proposal - Redone

Title: Dancer Off Her Feet
Director: Sophie Tyndall

Synopsis: (Convincing outline for your story)
My film is going to be a documentary on my sister and how she coped with finding out she had arthritis at 16, and how she is still following her dream to becoming a dancer.
At age 16, Alex had a skiing accident, which led to 8 months of treatment. Just as she was about to resume her dance training, she found out she had arthritis. My documentary is about how Alex has struggled to overcome her illness and live out her life long ambition to become a dancer. Within my short film Alex reveals that being a dancer is who she is and nothing will stop her succeeding. It is a film about perseverance and dedication and how it’s not just a hobby, it’s her identity.
I am going to start the film by showing a clip of Alex dancing to music, the music will then slightly fade and the interview, where she speaks of how she coped with the illness, and how it affected her and her dancing, will begin over the music, and then I will make a transition from her dancing to the interview, so that it runs smoothly, there will then be photos of Alex dancing whilst the interview moves on to her mother speaking about how the family coped with it. Then there will be an interview with her dance teacher who says about how well she coped and overcame the illness and got right back on top of her dancing, strengthened up as a dancer, and a person, and is still persevering with her dream.

Who are the target audience?
Anyone that has struggled to overcome fears, illness and adversity. I want this film to be an inspiration for everyone to show anything is possible if you just persevere. I think most dancers would be inspired by this film as they would realize not to take their bodies for granted and how lucky they are. I think that anyone who is interested in performing arts, will be interested in Alex's story as it shows great courage and commitment through great suffering.

Which short films have you looked at to help you get ideas?
Time of your life:

http://www.britfilms.tv/short-films/short-film-channel/time-of-your-life
A young boy taking life for granted until it was all cut short. I liked the way the life was just moving around the boy and how the camera captured the action while the boy stood still being your main focus. I thought this was a really good way to show how life is moving around him, and he is just standing still taking it all for granted.

I watched some other ones but none seemed at all relevant to what I am doing.

They include:

http://www.britfilms.tv/short-films/short-film-channel/a-day-in-the-life

http://www.britfilms.tv/short-films/short-film-channel/coincidence

What message do you hope the audience will understand from your film?
Never give up, and to always be optimistic, because you never know what the future holds. I also think most young people would be surprised to find out that you can get arthritis at such a young age, as most people think it’s an old people’s illness. It will make people aware that an illness can strike at any age, and can have life altering effects.
I hope that when people see her dance, they are inspired and think wow, if a girl with arthritis can do that, then you should never give up on your dreams. I hope to give people hope and inspiration from her story.
Setting(s):
Her dance college, and the dance studios there, and maybe her changing room for the interview, or her bedroom.

Cast: Alex Tyndall

Gina Tyndall – her mother

Laura Watford – her dance teacher


Crew: Sophie Tyndall