Building blocks

• Main Authors: Co, V Michelle Pao Buenaobra, Concepcion, Alessandra Cristina Valencia, Robles, Kylie Therese Lanuza
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: Short films; Film and Media Studies; Film Production
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdb_comm/19; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1033&context=etdb_comm
• Institution: De La Salle University

Building Blocks is a live-action short film submitted in the form of a production book. With a projected running time of eighteen (18) minutes, it explores numerous themes related to child neglect, financial responsibilities of having a family, and economic changes and health challenges brought about by the global pandemic. The short film is catered to audiences of all ages in classes (B) to (C) or more specifically upwardly-mobile families. In the case that Building Blocks will be pursued, the short film will be released through an online platform that is YouTube. The story revolves around Nancy, an eight year-old child who lives in a suburb household in Las Piñas, Paranaque. She feels alone in her home despite her parents being busy with work to the point of unintentionally neglecting her. Reynoldo (Rey), her father, is in his mid-thirties working as an architect from home due to the pandemic. Eveleen (Eve), her mother, is in her early thirties working as a medical frontliner who only goes home every two weeks due to the risk that she might bring to the family. Rey is the one left to take care of Nancy, having to juggle it with his job and other household chores. Nancy eventually meets Ced, her seventy year-old neighbor as they begin to build a connection through similar interests and building things driven by creativity. Through the short films of Jollibee such as “Ang Regalo ni Lolo'' (2017), “Sarap ang Kasama ng Pamilya” (2021) and “Regalo” (2017), the group will be able to look into family relationships and connections through light-hearted storylines aim to provoke empathy and positive emotions from the viewers. The characters from these short films serve as a blueprint as to how the characters in Building Blocks will act and how they interact with one another. Each of the stories show gradual positive development of the relationships of the family members in the story which the group wants to be able to display through the relationships of Nancy with her parents as well as her elderly neighbor Ced. The theoretical framework of the film concept looked into various studies that examined loneliness, intimacy and the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several findings support the notion that loneliness reflects an absence of, and a need for, intimacy (i.e. Cutrona, 1982; Rubenstein & Shaver, 1982; Wheeler, Reis & Nezlek, 1983; Williams & Solano,1983). According to the study by Mario Mikulincer and Jacob Segal (1991), they correlate the person’s overall environment and control expectancies with loneliness. Thus, a person’s control expectancy or their motivation for validation will contribute to their need for intimacy. Especially in a time where the pandemic has brought on isolation to the whole world, the psychological effects of this have caused a sense of loneliness in the global community. In a journal article entitled “Psychological Consequences of Social Isolation During COVID-19 Outbreak” made by Giada Pietrabissa and Susan G. Simpson (2020), “The environmental stressors that characterize this particular historical moment clearly suggest the risk of a new epidemic, and this time there are signs it could be our mental health”. In the study, they explain how social isolation has been brought upon by the pandemic which will increase cases of loneliness and interpersonal disconnection will affect the most socially vulnerable such as children and the elderly. This is because the ability to move freely in the surrounding world, as well as the feeling of having control over the events of our own lives, is a fundamental core need of the human person. Based on the interviews conducted, working parents in the pandemic found it difficult to balance their career and family as it takes up an even bigger responsibility. Despite their busy schedule, they stated that they would try to spend time with their children whether it may be for school work or play time. Their children on the other hand see things differently as they state that they do not even spend time with their parents anymore because they notice the busy schedules of their parents. However, they do wish to spend more time with them as they are in a work from home set up. Other individuals around the child such as their grandparents and house helpers would spend more time with them. Some parents stated that the grandparents or maids around them would do activities with them when the parents are busy with work. Both the parents and the children feel a sense of detachment but what makes this different is that the parents would still state that they do spend time with their children but it completely contradicts what their children are saying as they do not feel like they have quality time with their parents.