EMOTIONAL EVENT
Emotional event isn’t necessarily a new idea in the acting world. A teacher by the name of Judith Weston, who’s method I have studied meticulously, introduced it into the world of directing.
It’s something that thickens stories or concepts with emotional context— it’s what gets viewers engaged with the people they see on screen.
To put it simply, emotional event is when characters change in front of us. It’s a direct alteration to the circumstance of their relationship with another person, themselves, or the world. In the case of our film, we are witnessing a change in our veterans' relationship to their viewpoint of themselves. In order for us to invest in them having the courage to seek help, or for the veteran viewer to relate to our subjects, we need to show a defining moment of change that we can invest in.
For our spot, I really believe that moment to be that realization of why. Why don’t I reach for help when I am ready to help others? Why haven’t I asked for help myself? Why do I feel I don’t deserve it? These are the types of moments that are going to stick with people— when we see that change in front of us, it allows us to connect with them.
That is what we need to capture, to move our viewers.