Blog Post 1: Pre-Production Stage of ‘Marilyn Monroe: The Ghosts of Old Hollywood’

Our pre-production stage for’*Marilyn Monroe: The Ghosts of Old Hollywood’ began without much direction if any at all. After squandering a bit of time scrambling for unfinished films and unmade works, i chanced upon footage of an unfinished film called ‘Somethings Got to Give’ and suggested we work on this for our work. After deliberation with the team and advice from Adrian we initiated the process but realised with such a controversial and influential person like Marilyn Monroe in the scene, we’d have to understand as much as we could before we made this piece and so began an in-depth research on Monroe’s life including her legacy in film. This project wasn’t just about recreating a scene from ‘Something’s Got to Give’, but about delving into the many sides of Monroe as a person and actor. The entire group brought different perspectives to the table, placing ideas from her career struggles, mental health issues, and societal pressures that shaped her public image. We explored her battles with the industry, the label of “blonde bombshell,” and her desire to break away from that limiting persona. These themes became central to our script and a group viewing of a documentary of ‘Marilyn Monroe’ and ‘Something’s Got to Give’ gave us direction.

After managing to make a script using video to text software and reediting it, making an initial side by side draft with the modern changes we decided to move into a different direction once more Caelan taking charge led the scriptwriting process with AI assistance, which gave us a starting point to build on. It was essential to balance AI’s draft with our group’s understanding of Monroe, her strength, and her vulnerability. The script took a interesting angle, imagining how Monroe might have reacted to the scene in ‘Something’s Got to Give’ had her real-life struggles been acknowledged. We saw a version of Monroe who rebels against the stereotypical roles she was often given, directly confronting the industry’s treatment of her.  We met a few times to review, edit, and refine the dialogue, working to give Monroe a voice that was both true to her historical persona and also reflective of the themes we wanted to explore her desire for authenticity and freedom. The group collaborated to fine-tune the script, ensuring that her frustrations, as well as her depth, came through.

With our other documents such as sketches, storyboards Caelan and Chewie reviewed these on the whiteboards during class after discussion to bring together a visual plan for our shots later on. When it came to costume ideas, it was a bit of a scramble to find our Marilyn Monroe costume and a collaborative effort to source from Caelan and Chewie. The group discussions were particularly productive as we debated how to approach Monroe’s inner struggles.

Finalising the script brought us to a place where we were ready to move forward with shooting. From ensuring the script captured the emotional complexity of Monroe’s character to preparing for the technical aspects of production like costume choices and securing equipment. By the end of the pre-production phase, we were confident that we had a solid narrative, one that honoured Monroe’s legacy while giving her the depth and respect she deserved.