So putting aside my usual weekly analysis of a Television and Radio production i have dedicated this blog post to summarise the story of my short documentary proposal in the form of a fairytale narrative.After doing some reading of C.O.N.F.L.I.C.T by author Robert thirkell to ascertain a further understanding of what makes an effective and engaging narrative for fact and fiction alike. I have ultimatley come to fully understand the crucial importance of supplying a sense of story and character and most crucially a emphasis on the journey itself to produce a documentary that remains in the thoughts and memories of those who watch it.
Once upon a time…
The ruins of a time long past remained dormant among the vast busy and distracted world of the city, for many years the people would overlook these decaying eerie reminders of the past with unease. That was all about to change, as the world became consumed by the interconnected world of social media, there were those who took it upon themselves to venture into the ruins of old and share their discovery’s online for the masses to behold with intrigue and wonder through the art of photography, ‘A new breed of activist’s urban explorers – urbexers – are testing the limits of both the law and their own mortality to challenge a world of growing boundaries and restrictions and reassert the right to freedom of movement’ (independent,2017) Our story begins with a single presenter venturing to the streets of central Manchester to meet with the mysterious urban explorers, with a feeling of intrigue and excitement our presenter proceeds to meet two of these explorers. The urban explorers meet the presenter and greet him warmly before quickly leading us on a journey down the winding desolated labyrinth of Victoria arches.Deep underneath the hustle and bustle of Manchester we are led through the maze of tunnels and openings through the abandoned locations. As the journey progresses the urban explorers gradually elaborate on why they have such a passion and commitment to this pass time and why it means so much to them as a form of self expression via the art of photography capturing and preserving the harrowing reminders of the past.
Some time later after what seems like a lifetime the figures emerge from the darkness of the Victoria arches, The presenter reflects on the experience but explains this is just the beginning. This is just a warm up to the main event, the urban explorers next big challenge and journey, a forgotten empty theme park ravaged by time and retaken by nature ironically possessing a title that suits its ancient surreal essence, Camelot theme park.
The crew and presenter arrive at the location to be yet again met by the urban explorer group, one look at the looming haunting entrance of the theme park, with its towering castle ticket admission building to its rusting and decaying rides, this place seems like something straight out of a post apocalyptic movie. As the team ventures further through the park the remnants of what once was pose a stark reminder of a sense of innocence and happiness which undoubtably inhabited this place, but all this is now lost to time which becomes all the more clear as the adventure continues. Some time later the urban explorers closely followed by the presenter discover a giant rusted roller coaster that looms over the team casting a sense of unease at the very sight of it.The explorers venturing up the dilapidated ruins of the solitary structure to capture the haunting imagery with cameras in hand and marvel at their sense of achievement for finally arriving at this place as the presenter looks on in amazement and wonder to the sight to a monument of a past time long gone and forgotten.
And they all lived happily ever after (Maybe…)
Viewing & listening 