Camped Out - Cinematography Initial Thoughts
What was life like when you were 16 years old? For me, it was countless days and nights, just hanging out at my buddy Greg’s basement with our other friend Ryan. Smash bros and CS was life and we lived in on triple pepperoni pizzas and junior chickens. And we had big plans. Not the kind of plans that made us model citizens or moved us closer to like being a real adult or anything but hot damn did we commit.
Going over this project and reading episodes 1 and 2 just instantly brought back memories of my dumb loser of highschool self, and all the crazy antics that we got up to. Kid’s really have some crazy imaginations. So let’s capture this magic.
Nostalgia, Adventures and Friendship
The Camp Experience
Though I was never lucky enough to be sent to camp for a weeks at a time, I always looked forward to going away to weekend camp trips as with the school. Camp world is different then real world. The cabins always smell like damp wood and the beds always sticky feel like the green gym mats. The cafeteria is always busy and at night time, you moved away the long tables for the school dances or talent shows. The fire pit, the flag poll, the canoes by the docks are all iconic. The best part? No phones and time even feels like it does not exist. You can absolutely see why some people can be super bought in. Like Melanie and Greg. The location is as much alive and a character in the story, and there are many opportunities well crafted wide to really feel the location. (Think Hogwarts, Nevermore Academy, Riverdale, Sacred Heart Hospital)
The Teasers and the funny bits
Getting to my favourite parts of this scripts is the teaser openings and the little beats of comedy. These remind me of some of the bits in Malcolm in the Middle. It’s theatrical, self referential, pretty intense to the characters and yet you pull back the curtain a bit and it’s really not that serious. These scenes are great to deviate and become their own styles. (Getting ready montage, the slow motion golf cart, the. montage of the too much activities in episode one as a visual joke). I see this area as another area of potential to play around with styles or inspirations.
Oners? Assemble blocking? The rotating kids are a greek chorus? Here are some out there ideas.
The Genre Potential
Finally, the most exciting part of show’s frame work is that there is so much potential to explore different genres of filmmaking. Reminds me of how Riverdale has multiple genres like detective story, biker gang story, gothic horror and crime It’s community with all deviations or Always Sunny with the Night Man Cometh vibes and I see so much more potential. Episode 2 can be shot like a zombie outbreak, yet the zombies are just dirty kids that didn’t their hands. There is a twilight zone episode, where things get weird. But it all works within this frame work of in the idea that once you’re in the Camp, you’re truly in your own unique world.
Parting Thoughts
Thank you for this opportunity. I really enjoyed going over the scripts, stories and letting my imagination run wild. Really looking forward to the possibility of collaborating and bringing this world alive. - Jack