I have watched a short BBC Documentary about how Frank Ash explained that with every production, a 'Top Line and Big Question'. Frank Ash is a creative consultant at the BBC Academy. He explained that you should work out what your target audience is looking for when viewing.
The Top Line definition is: Think about your favourite book or film or any 'good story' that you have recently watched, could you sum up its narrative into 'one elegant sentence' to provide its 'toppling'. For us the top line will be one sentence which sums up the narrative and main aims that it presents.
The Big Question definition is: What was its big story, and how important was it to your appreciation of the text. For us the big question will be what the main story/ aim is of our production.
OUR PRODUCTION
The Top Line:
A virus outbreak has killed dozens in Hong Kong. Many affected have been kept in quarantine to protect others. However, an exchange student from Hong Kong called Lee has brought the virus to the UK. It is the governments job to keep the outbreak a secret before it becomes a worldwide emergency.
Big Question:
The virus has been swept under the rug but how long can the Chinese government keep it a secret for?
Good research into how narrative works. A useful exercise in writing your own Topline and Big Question.
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