A Few Scenarios

A couple of scenarios/ideas, not sure where they will lead or if they will, but once they are on paper it might work better.

• A serious story. A man who has hit rock bottom, has nothing and has nothing to lose attempts to take his life, but at the last second his life flashes before his eyes and he realizes how much he likes it. It starts off in a diner type place, where he is simply eating an egg sandwitch and he walks out on the bill. In the beginning of the film, many of his shortcomings or reasons he is feeling down are evinced. The story really becomes frightening when he steals a car from someone at a "Jiffy Lube" type car wash, drives to the top of a parking garage, and stands on the wall about to jump off of the roof. This is when his life flashes before his eyes and he wants his life back. But he slips and falls off as he tries to get down. (Kind of to show how harmful suicidal thoughts can be. My uncle was killed in a car crash when someone trying to commit suicide drove his car into my uncle's. This was 4 or 5 years ago and I didn't know him too well so it didn't necessarily have a direct affect on me, but certainly changed my perception. I kind of want to make the film to deliver a message about how harmful suicide can be to others)
  I'm not sure if that is the idea I want to run with though.

I kind of want to get ahold of a roll of old film and etch a drawing onto each of the frames, then when it plays have an animation. I would do simplistic animations, but the goal would be for each to evoke a specific emotion. One might be funny for a laugh, one might be shocking for a gasp, etc. Its kind of like taking a childish form of animation (stick figures etc) and giving it a grown up feel with the graininess of the film and the subject matter.

Furthermore, I definitely want to make a documentary about teenage Muslims, and their lifestyle. Whether it is similar or different from the average American's, if there is anything they have to overcome, etc. I don't want my main focus to be this, but I would like to complete it for a side project because I have great material to work with for it. I have told a bunch of friends about the idea and want to do a social experiment type thing where I have people anonymously (unless they choose to sign) write the first word or phrase that comes to mind when I say "Muslim" on a piece of paper. For those who are public about what they wrote I will choose some contrasting words and phrases and have mugshot type camera shots with them holding the piece of torn paper w/ phrase in front of them and explaining why they wrote it. Then, I will have a rapid succession of cuts through all of the other phrases. The goal of this is to establish how Muslims are perceived. That will allow me to then interview a Muslim friend of mine and compare his life with what people think of Muslims. The idea came from a festival with the Muslim topic, but by the time I contacted people it was past the date. That said, I have contacted people and have got together a group of people who would love to participate.

I also want to do an experimental film, as suggested, without dialog. The problem is I want it to be just as gripping as a suspense movie. I want to make it hold the audience's attention. Right now this is a challenge I am brainstorming to overcome.

I'd like to feel out these ideas before I type up others. (The table is cutting into my wrists.)