Date of Award
Summer 8-2017
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.F.A.
Degree Program
Film and Theatre
Department
Film and Theatre
Major Professor
Erik Hansen
Second Advisor
Henry Griffin
Third Advisor
Dr. Catherine Loomis
Abstract
The Blanket of the Dark is a psychological thriller that explores the horrors of postpartum psychosis, a rare but serious illness a new mother can experience in the days and weeks following the birth of her child. The film is an intimate portrayal of the psychology of a new mother suffering from the hallucinations and delusions that are symptoms of this horrific and oftentimes undiagnosed illness. In the end, motherhood for women with undiagnosed postpartum psychosis is anything but joyful, and can lead to suicide and murder.
This paper is a candid analysis, a production report as it were, of the making of my thesis film, The Blanket of the Dark. I will begin with an introduction to how The Blanket of the Dark came to be, and then dive into a detailed plot analysis along with “behind-the-scenes” accounts of my thoughts and experiences on screenwriting, preproduction, production and postproduction process. All documents used during production are included in the appendix. I hope that future filmmakers will read my about my journey and know that, while filmmaking is one of the most challenging experiences anyone can have and questions about their talents and merits may arise, the insecurities and perceived impossibilities are hurdles that any filmmaker can overcome.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Norwood, Tracy L., "The Blanket of the Dark" (2017). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2389.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2389
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.