The Invisible Diaries: Stories from the Margins

Synopsis

Invisible Diaries is a trilogy of short dramatic, comedic or musical narratives intended to tell, re-tell or deny stories that do not get told in traditional, commercial media channels. These stories are often entirely ignored or, worse yet, subsumed by the language and ideology of the mainstream. They are concealed or retold because they challenge hegemonic stability, because their articulation engenders fear, because they are not believed, because they challenge our perceptions of self and others, because we do not want to admit them, because they challenge traditional narrative forms, because their audience is thought to be too small, too irrelevant or too poor to merit attention. In brief: they are stories untold and we wish to play a part in their telling.

Production Breakdown

The Invisible Diaries will consist of three ten- to fifteen-minute episodes, each episode consisting of one story, or a series of smaller stories, scenes and moments. To bridge one episode in the trilogy to the next, the camera will follow an object or character from one story into another , creating a narrative weave that mirrors the richness and realism of everyday experience. A waiter may interrupt a scene at a table, and, following her, we arrive at a new situation in the kitchen. This in turn may be interrupted by a knock on the delivery door, and a new story begins.

Because of the segmented nature of the show, the writing and creation of preproduction materials will be highly flexible.

We are looking to work with talented writers and various student groups on campus who may have their own untold stories to share.

A core creative team will facilitate the stringing together of the various stories, and work towards creating an overall thematic and narrative structure to the trilogy.

Within the trilogy, each episode is intended as a stand alone narrative, i.e. characters, settings, and ideas developed in one episode need not relate to the others. This will allow maximum independence and production flexibility. Another characteristic linking the episodes (in addition to the theme of untold stories) is that the world created in The Invisible Diaries will be one of magical realism.

Preferred locations are on or near campus to simplify production. We are compiling a list of unusual campus spaces that are visually compelling and perhaps ambiguous enough to pass for “anywhere”, or at least anywhere but here. There are no other restrictions on the stories, although the budget for each episode is miniscule and this should be kept in mind in terms of what is achievable. All camera, lighting and sound equipment will be provided by CUTV.

The number of characters should be kept to a minimum, one to three preferred. Narrative structure can be as original or conservative as the story demands. One of the goals for the series, in addition to bringing forward marginalized narratives, is to produce an overall aesthetic for the trilogy that is sophisticated, compelling and original. We are aiming for a look as unique as the stories themselves. Some examples that entice us are David Lynch, David Cronenberg, Catherine Breillat, Wong Kar Wai and Christopher Doyle. The HBO comedy Mr. Show also provides a good example of seamless transition between stories.

The show is looking for people to get involved in all aspects of production. We are also seeking people with experience in graphic design and visual presentation for posters and flyers to advertise the production. Undergraduate and graduate students welcome. If interested, please contact

Jason Gondziola, Executive Producer, Invisible Diaries
Station Manager, CUTV jason @geek4hire.ca

Signed,