Pieces of a Puzzle

Now that we have decided a general route for the film, I have began thinking about different specific story lines and conflicts that could make for an interesting opening. After discussion with my group, we have come up with the idea to make this character study about the life of a famous figure who succumbs to an addiction that sends him into a downward spiral. Addiction is not an easy topic and must be handled with care. Research is vital to convey a believable and insightful performance of an addict that will capture the life of an addict accurately. In my film opening we are thinking of telling the story of a cocaine addict, so the research will mainly focus on cocaine.

To produce an authentic performance I researched symptoms of cocaine use that can be recreated through makeup and acting. Symptoms include overconfidence, over-excitement, paranoia, runny nose, sniffling, mood swings, and depression. All these factors can be explored in the opening or at least alluded to. Depression can be a driving factor of the film, providing many opportunities for deep and complex analysis of the characters emotions. Also, the over confidence and over-excitement can be conveyed through acting and quick edits giving a frantic feeling. This acting will provide many interesting possibilities for interactions with other characters.

Several symptom of cocaine use

Although, these large themes and actions are very important for conveying a realistic portrayal of an addict, small details bring all the elements together to really create a believable performance. The main character can do small actions like sniff and clean their nose while acting frantic and moving quickly. The paranoia and mood swing aspects of cocaine addiction can also make for interesting changes in the characters behavior and actions. When the character is feeling paranoid the actor can act quickly, look around, and maybe cause conflicts with other characters. The mood swings could very quickly change the actions of the character and change them from happy and confident to sad and angry, a difficult performance for the actor. All these small actions give incredible insight into the characters emotions and how their addiction affects them and others around them.


Sources:

“Cocaine Symptoms and Warning Signs - Addiction Center.” AddictionCenter, www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/cocaine/symptoms-signs/.

American Addiction Centers Editorial Staff. “Cocaine Abuse Symptoms, Signs and Addiction Treatment.” DrugAbuse.com, 21 June 2019, drugabuse.com/cocaine/.