Character Development

Maddie

In our drama film opening, the main character Maddie is introduced. Since this movie will be a Character vs. Self film most of the information and development will happen after the 2 minutes. So, in this blog post I will talk about who Maddie is and her character development. 

Maddie is a 16-year-old Junior in high school.  She lives in a small town in Florida and lives with both parents. Maddie used to be an outgoing and happy child, she used to fill the pages of her diary, ever since she was 12, with stories of her adventures. She used to have many friends and spent most of her days having fun. Ever since her childhood best friend moved away, Maddie has drifted from her social lifestyle and her other friends, she started feeling more and more isolated. The diary, once a collection of her fondest memories, is now an outlet for her darkest thoughts. 

Her parents though they are physically present, they are emotionally absent. They are always working, always busy, and never notice their daughter’s growing struggles with mental health. In the opening, the audience will see Maddie’s mom convincing her to go out for ice cream. This will show how her mom is more aware of her daughter’s struggles than her own dad, but these efforts will not do much as the pain is too deep to be solved by this short moment. 

Development

Throughout the film, the audience will see Maddie’s spiral into severe depression. Her mom continues to try her best to cheer Maddie up, but her efforts and lack of understanding will make these actions unimpactful. Maddie too will try to make things better; she will contact her childhood best friend and even go to a party, but these activities are only temporary escapes from her loneliness. By the end of the film, her struggles reach a breaking point, and Maddie ultimately succumbs to her depression.  

I created this playlist to represent Maddie’s mental health journey and helplessness throughout the film. 

I also created this moldboard showing Maddie's old life versus her current life during summer while everyone is having fun. On the left side, I wanted to show her bright and happy childhood full of friends and how she used to write in her diary. The right side shows her current depression. it shows her spectating everyone have fun during summer, whether it is on social media or in person. I also showed her diary.