Hope for project and studio concern
My hope for Lodged is that it communicates the complexity of friendships and familial relationship. Through it’s quirky take on the mob genre, I believe the series highlights how the foundations of a story can be translated into different genres. In this case, the grim reality of mob life and strange absurdity. The studio exhibition demonstrated similar tonal shifts and genre twists.
Most successful and problematic aspects
I think the most successful element of our finished project is how it conveys the frenemy relationship between two polar opposites. To an extent, the series is about how people can get along despite their polarity and truly come to understand one another as people; maybe not as friends, per se, but at least as associates united by one cause or idea. The most problematic aspect of Lodged, for me, is how scattered it seems and how it doesn’t really hook you in. I think it becomes confused at certain moments. Whether it’s Luca’s goal or why he decides to betray his father, I think it could’ve been written in a less linear manner.
What would you improve?
This is what I would improve if I were to continue working on and developing the project. If we began at the end of the show, I think there could be a “how did I get here?” moment for the characters. I also think it may be interesting to place more emphasis on Jodie as the main character. That is, telling the story through her perspective more so as I feel her scepticism of Luca doesn’t really come across too much. It could help to have another character pushing her to be more confrontation of her position. I would also work on Luca as a character and flesh out his identity. What I mean is, throughout the writing process, I was thinking of Luca as a real douchebag (like Patrick Schwarzenegger in The White Lotus), while others may have been seeing him as more of the quirky, oblivious, and daft character. I think leaning into his douchebaggery could lend more to his antagonistic presence.
What have you learnt throughout the studio?
One thing I’ve learnt, not necessarily in this studio but that certainly come out in this studio is to simply say what I truly think about things. At the turn of the semester, I was wanting to do a more drama and serious show (which I thought could be done more in this case) but was quite happy to lean more into the absurd. I think we need to lean into others’ ideas: The worst that could happen is one person is attached to their ideas only, the best is a gateway to a breakthrough within the project.
A key takeaway about collaboration
This is also what I takeaway from working collaboratively. To work collaboratively is to listen to others’ ideas. While they may be completely off topic or hindering the progress being made, they can also lead to breakthroughs (as mentioned) and clarify what the other person or persons want for the direction of the show. Listening to and understanding what your other groups members want is quite useful in making substantial progress and can only really come from the act of listening. Essentially, let others speak for a bit and then say your input. Your input can combine others’ ideas or be more aligned with another speaker or be completely different, either way, listening opens the path for progress to be made.