A very well known fact about me, if you know me that is, is that my passion lies in performance. Acting to be specific. Theatre, film, television. Whatever. It's my greatest love when it comes to all things creative. However, perhaps a lesser known fact about me is that I also love writing. I always have. Ever since I was a little tyke, I'd write things. I wrote an incredibly inspiring song that I called "I Just Can't Fight Without the Light" while I was playing Spyro the Dragon when I was very young (long before he became part of Skylanders so THAT long ago). I also loved writing poetry, short stories and most of all, writing concept after concept of novels that I intended to write. I never completed a single one and to this day I have about a hundred documents saved to my computer that are old half-started stories that were prematurely laid to rest. In more recent years, I've blogged and I know some of you people enjoy reading my posts.
In year 12, I opened myself up to the concept of writing for stage for my Extension 2 English project. I absolutely loved it and ended up writing a play called "Down With Fancy Pants!" which was a cheeky comedy about the "truth" about the French Revolution (with a hint of modern day social commentary) that was inspired by comedies such as the Blackadder series and Mel Brooks "History of the World Part 1" and was my first completed piece of proper writing. I loved every moment to creating it. From rewriting the histories of King Louis and Marie Antoinette to introducing my own original "historical" characters such as Ambrose, the King's disgruntled youngest, unknown brother and Aveline, Marie Antoinette's vengeful young cousin and creating a world of satire and mistaken identity. It was ridiculous. And it was the most fun I'd ever had doing a school assessment. That was when I decided that I could channel my love of writing into script writing instead of flogging a dead horse in the novel department.
It was around this time that I first heard about The A21 Campaign. An organisation raising awareness of human trafficking and raising funds to free the modern day slave. I was immediately captured and wanted to do whatever I could to raise awareness myself. It didn't take me long to decide to write something about it. I started messing around with the idea of writing a play about human trafficking which was originally a series of monologues. I penned some thoughts and wrote some scenes before getting a serious case of writers block. The project went to the creative graveyard of My Documents and stayed there. Until late last year.
I can't tell you the exact moment I decided to revive the dead play that I'd been throwing around years ago. But I decided to rewrite the concept and adapt it for screen. That was when my latest creative venture was born. I wanted to create something that could be used as an awareness raising tool. Something that hit hard, cut deep and wasn't a glittery Hollywood romantised rehash.I didn't want to show people a pretty version of the sex trade. The version where 100% of women choose the path. The version where the "good-time gal" is swept off her feet by a rich gentleman. The version where the trafficking victim just happens to have an ex-CIA man for a dad who goes all ninja on the traffickers and busts her out and she is freed with no signs whatsoever of emotional trauma or physical injury. I wanted to remind people of the horrifying statistic that for every woman that chooses that path there are thousands that don't. And for every woman rescued there are millions that aren't. I also wanted to bring the issue home. To remind people that this isn't a "somewhere over there" issue, but one that happens in our very own city. Twenty seven million. The number of slaves on the planet today. Chew on that concept for a minute. Twenty seven million and I wanted to tell a story of just one, and I wanted people to realise the heaviness and magnitude of this horrific atrocity that is all too prevalent in this world. This is the vision of the short film that I have dubbed "Daisy Chains". The short film that I am in the process of writing and brainstorming. The short film that I am determined to make happen and not condemn to the Creative Graveyard of My Documents. The short film that I am using to be on mission in 2013 to raise awareness and tell a very important story.
I have a feeling 2013 is going to be a very good year.
