At the start, I had no idea what to do with my prompt and struggled to develop a meaningful idea. Rather than going into the project blind, I looked back at the films that really had me hooked the moment I started to watch them. Through some rewatching and analysing, I realised that they all shared a recurring theme of identity and the way that society can influence individual behaviours. Films such as Battle Royale, As Above, so Below, and This is England inspired me through the use of psychological tension. Through my research, I began to brainstorm how these ideas could be combined with my own story. I want to create a modern-day dystopian world where people are forced to hide their true identities behind “Masks”, which can be a metaphor for the pressure of having to act a certain way for societal expectations. I also explored the idea of a Collar around the characters’ necks, inspired by Battle Royale, representing the government’s control over the citizens and how it can strip you of your individuality.
