Ideas

Documentary Idea 

Name: I Am Only A Man! 

Type of Documentary: Poetic because the audience would question whether this is a documentary or a drama because elements of the documentary would involve almost-like mini-dramas of difficult situations in which men have to stay strong for others. 

Plot: In my documentary, I would want to show scenarios in which men have to be strong for others by stereotype in situations such as loss or a traumatic event. Also, I would feature interviews with both men and women where they talk about men's emotions. Towards the end of my documentary, I would feature a mini-drama where a woman and another man talks a man away from committing suicide. Throughout the documentary, there would be a presenter, giving facts and statistics about male mental health to the audience.

Working Hypothesis and Interpretation

In life, I believe that men are unable to be open about how they feel. My film will show this in action by exploring how events such as illness, loss or trauma can affect men's mental health. The main conflict is between men and women and how their opinions towards male mental health contrast each other. I want the audience to understand that anyone can show emotion, regardless.

Topic

The subject of my film will be about men's mental health. The audience will need to be aware of the stereotype that men are expected to fall under in life, where they are expected to be this strong being

Action Sequences

One action sequence in my documentary would include a reconstruction of a man and a woman, stood by side, receiving news that they have lost someone. The conflict this evidences of a man and a woman stood side by side is that it contrasts the way a man reacts to bereavement to the way a woman reacts to bereavement. This sequence should convey to the audience that this is an example of when men have to stay strong for their loved ones, even though it is a struggle. The audience should believe from watching this sequence that men struggle, with regards to their emotions, in the tough times as well as women.

Main Characters

• The presenter has no relationship to any other character in the film. They give facts and statistics about men's mental health throughout the documentary and they watch over the events of the film. The character's role is to comment on the reconstructions.
• The role of the male is to demonstrate how males have to hide their emotions in difficult or traumatic situations.
• The role of the female is to demonstrate how females are more able to show their emotions in society when found in a traumatic situation. Her role is to contrast the emotions of the male.

Conflict

The issue in this film is the contrasting opinions of males and females. The male character is forced to hide his emotions whereas the female character is more open with her emotions. Also, in the interviews, the opinions of males and females will contrast each other. At the end, there comes an understanding of men's mental health because of the female witnesses the male's attempt at a suicide.

Audience Biases

The audience is negatively biased into believing that men should follow the stereotype of being a strong being but they must understand that not all men are cut out to follow this stereotype. I will show this in my documentary through the reconstructions of how men could possibly cope badly in difficult situations such as loss.

On Camera Interviews

• Morgan is a teenage male student, who talks about how he feels about talking about his mental health. This interview would seek to establish a young male's perspective on mental health
• Sophie is a teenage female student, who talks about how she feels discussing a man's emotions. This interview would seek to establish men's mental health from a young woman's perspective.
• Justin is an adult teacher, who talks about how he feels about talking about his mental health. This interview would seek to establish men's mental health from a slightly older man's perspective.
• Hayley is an adult teacher, who talks about how she feels discussing a man's emotions. This interview would seek to establish men's mental health from a slightly older woman's perspective.
• Joanne is a counsellor, who will discuss how counselling can help men. This interview would seek to raise the message that it is ok to ask for help with mental heath issues.

Structure

Time will be handled in my film with the opening few minutes revolving around a host, giving the audience facts and statistics about male mental health. Then, there wil interviews with men and women about men's emotions. Then, there will be reconstructions of men reacts to certain situations such as loss etc. The climax will feature a man who is trying to commit suicide but he is talked down by a woman.

Resolution

My film will end with men and women being understanding of one another's mental health. I want this ending to encourage the audience of males that it is ok to show emotion and it is ok to talk about how you're feeling. By the end of the film, the audience should feel more educated about male mental health.

Unique Qualifications

I feel uniquely qualified to make this film because male mental health is a subject that I am really passionate about. I feel that male mental health is too much of a taboo subject among the people of this country so hopefully, by making this film, I will be able to break that taboo.