film script & storyboard development
TRANSCRIPT
SHORT FILM SCRIPT & STORYBOARD DEVELOPMENT
Development of film idea, script and storyboard
FILM SYNOPSIS DEVELOPMENT
Synopsis- A teenage female travels to the state in-between life and death- Bardo. It is here that she encounters three projections- the past, the present and the future. She sees snippets of her past life, her current situation and what is to come. Desperate to escape a dark fate she searches the room until she comes across a sand timer. With her heart fading fast as the last grains trickle away she turns the sand timer on its head, the next thing she knows she is revived in the hospital and desperate to seize the day.
SCRIPTUsing my initial developed synopsis I have created a script in order to convert my idea into ‘film language’, as to visualise how my movie is going to play out. By doing this I will gain a rough idea about the complexity of my film, locations needed and the feasibility of creating my idea. I understand that the purpose of a script is to narrate the scenes and break down the acts so that the crew, actors and directors are aware of stage directions, settings, dialog and the emotion of the characters. A good script can make or break a film, this is why I spent a lot of time developing and redeveloping the script and making numerous drafts. Scripts are fundamental to the success of a film so I will attempt to write a script that reflects the high standard film I intend to make.
SCRIPT ROUGH DRAFT 1
EVALUATION OF SCRIPT 1My first attempt at script writing was not successful. I included technical language to describe how the scene will be shot and made references to the sounds which, I have now learnt, are aspects that shouldn’t be specified in a script. In addition I referred to the transitions between each scene which is again unnecessary information. In addition I have also included ‘INT’ (to imply which scenes will be shot inside) in only some scenes. That is an inconsistency that I will change. The characters names are unclearly stated therefore difficult for actors to read, I will develop on this also. The scene numbers are not in order, making it hard to follow. Even though this was a very rough draft it doesn’t follow the conventions of script writing and does not reflect the film I intend to make.
Over all it is a poor initial attempt at script writing and my main aim is to improve on my mistakes by going over the conventions of screenplay writing again to reaffirm that I understand the structure and content of a good script.
SCRIPT DRAFT 2
For my second draft I have improved on the script structure and presentation. The scene numbers are in order and I have specified which scenes are ‘INT’. The locations are in capital letters which makes it clear for the reader to see where each scene is set. I have also centralised and put the characters names in italics to indicate their speech.
However, by writing 22 scenes I have made it too complicated. I have to remember my film is only five minutes long. I have included a number of location changes which will be difficult to accomplish. I think the concept is too complex to achieve in five minutes, so I will redevelop my idea to come up with a story that complies with the five minute time period.
EVALUATION OF SCRIPT 2
STORYBOARDIn addition, film is a visual media which ironically begins with written words. Words are naturally limited in what they express and leave room for interpretation, where as storyboards have no such limitations as they are direct and act like a visual manual on how to shoot a movie. This is easier to follow than a script and makes a film explore more visually innovative ideas.
I transferred my idea into a story board so I could depict and break down each scene into shots. This will allow me to achieve a visually impactful display of how my film is intended to plan out. By drawing how I’d like to shoot my film, as a director I will be able to save time whilst filming as the majority of the decisions about composition, camera angle, camera movement and actors have been illustrated.
I scanned my story board and saved them as JPEGs as to electronically incorporate them into this PowerPoint. Unfortunately they have turned out unclear and it is difficult to read them, yet in person they are much more legible. I found it difficult to draw so many illustrations for such a detailed and extended script. I showed the script to a selection of people and the response was unanimous, the concept is too intricate. Half way through I realised that drawing out every shot was both time consuming and pointless. So I went immediately back to the drawing board to work on developing a more achievable story concept.
EVALUATION OF STORYBOARD 1
REVIEW
After consulting and presenting the story to an audience the response was mixed. Some thought the idea would be better for a feature length film and others where confused by the story. After reviewing the script and storyboard I can clearly see that my idea is too complicated to be conveyed in the definite time period of 5 minutes. It has a lot of scenes, location changes and actors that will be difficult to coordinate. My inspiration of ‘A Christmas Carol’ is recognisable and makes my film seem unoriginal. I will reassess my idea and develop it further to make it more simple and achievable.
REDEVELOPMENT OF FILM IDEA• Production name- PassTime production• Working title- Carpe diem • Duration- 5 minutes• Format- video
Synopsis- This short film follows the story of a teenage girl who travels to Bardo- the intermediate state between life and death. It is here that she watches the real world continue while she is trapped in a transitional state. Her desire go into the light is rivaled by her family's efforts to keep her alive. A heart warming drama that will make you seize the day.
First thing I need to figure out is what ‘medium’ could connecting the girl to the outside world.
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
Story ideas – The conventional concept of having three small conflicts that build up to the final a climax, needs to be explored. I could possibly uses cyber bullying as one of the conflicts that make the girl want to give up on life. Her desire to give up could be conveyed through her wanting to go through ‘the glowing doors of heaven’ yet interventions from the real world pulls her back from the brink of death.Cinematography ideas – How could I make my film look like its in a hospital without having to film in one? (incase I can’t secure the location) My first shot could be of a hospital bed wheel rolling down a corridor, followed by a track of a ceiling fading in and out to communicate a lose of consciousness.
The medium– The iPad or iPhone could be the medium that connects the main character to the outside world. Through the teenage girl going on social media sites and surfing the web she will be able to see what is happening in the real world whilst she is unconscious. This can be visually represented by her activity on the iPad or iPhone . This medium is current and can access social media sights (which are a believable method of viewing what is currently happening) making my film relatable (as the target audience uses iPads or iPhones and social media sights) and conceivable.
Actors- •Teenage girl•Father•Mother•Sister•2 nurses•Cyber bullies
Locations- •Hospital•Bardo-white room
Props- •Trolly•Glass desk•Glass chair•iPad/ iPhone•Mirror•Telephone
The social media aspect- my initial idea of incorporating social media into my short film, was not necessarily a bad one. Instead of having my character consumed by social media I could uses it as a way for my character to view what is currently happening. This leads me to consider choosing an iPad ad or iPhone as the medium that connects the protagonist to the outside world.
INSPIRATIONI am inspired by two well known TV series; The Ghost Whisper and The Medium, as the subject matter and concepts of entrapment and visions are similar to mine. Both of them deal with ideas that I explore in my film and they target similar audience. The Ghost Whisper is predominately aimed at teenage audiences where as The Medium is aimed at slightly older audiences. The technical elements and story structure from these two TV shows will help me to create a plausible and interesting moving picture that will be depicted using similar cinematic features.
The ghost whisper is a TV show about Melinda Gordon, a young woman who has the ability to see and communicate with the dead. Each episode deals with one or more ghosts seeking Melinda's help in relaying a message or completing a task that will put the spirit to rest, and allow them to "cross over" into The Light, a metaphor presented by the show as its conception of Heaven. Crossing over is when a spirit leaves earth and goes to heaven.
The Medium is a TV series that follows the same thread, suburban mum Allison Dubois attempts to balance family life with solving mysteries using her special gift. The dead send her visions of their deaths or other crimes while she sleeps.
I have found the filming techniques for The Ghost Whisper influential and I would like to recreate the same faded style in my short film. The concept of The Medium having visions when she is unconscious is an element that I will include in my film.
SCREENWRITINGOuter MotivationThe beginning of the film starts in a hospital where a teenage females’ life hangs in the balance. She is falling in and out of conciseness then the heart monitor goes flat line, it is at this point that she travel to the immediate state of Bardo. In a white room she encounters- a glass table and chair, a mirror, a telephone and an iPad. On the iPad she tries to communicate but none of her messages are delivered, she is in a location that can not communicate with the living world. There is a glowing door to symbolise heaven, she walks towards it in desperation. Meanwhile in the hospital her sister is sat beside her listening to a song, the girl faintly hears the tune playing and is distracted. Going away from the door the girl notices there is a news update and she reads the article - “Teens suicidal attempt fail” it is about herself. Devastated she heads to the glowing door, yet her fathers holds her hand this stops her in her tracks. Returning to the iPad she sees her friends supporting her and wishing her to come back home on Facebook, yet there are negative comments from cyber bullies that encourage her to give up. For the final time she angrily walks to the glowing door, yet as she turns the handle the phone rings. In the hospital her mother is talking to her and through the phone the girl can hear her. The mother kisses her good bye and the girl looks in the mirror to see a kiss mark imprinted on her cheek. Through turning the iPad off this triggers her life to flashes before her eyes, then the fait sound of the heart monitor restarting grows in volume as her eyes flick open.
Inner MotivationThe protagonist of the film is conflicted with the desire to give up and the reasons to stay alive. The internal struggle of being cyber bullied, leads the main character having to make the biggest decision of her life. Her going back and forth to the glowing door indicates her desire to die yet through the interventions from the outside world her family and friends pull her back by reminding her that she has so much to live for and that she is loved. This is a relatable storyline that I believe will communicate to todays audiences about the priorities of life.
Initial Rough Story board draft
CHARACTER PROFILE
Female- A classic girl next door. She will need to look ordinary so that the audience can relate to her.
Emotionally unstable- wants to give up whenever she is faced with negativity.
Aged 14-16 a typical 21st century teen.
Expressive- due to a small amount of dialog the actress playing this character will have to be expressive.
Cyber bully victim.Owns an iPad or iPhone.
She is a good person at heart- which is why she gets a second chance to make her decision (to live or to die).
Protagonist of the film. A strong female lead.
Intelligent- she has to figure out how get herself out of Bardo alive. Heroine- saves herself.
SCRIPT 3
EVALUATION OF SCRIPT 3
After redeveloping my movie idea I have produced a script that is far more achievable and clear. I have clearly defined the scenes by numbers and centralised the characters names, speech and location descriptions as to structure my script with existing conventions. I have also incorporated the time of day (referring to the lighting that the scenes will be filmed in). Over all this script is a great improvement to my first attempt and is starting to reflect the professionalism I intend to portray in my own film. However there are some copyrights issues with the music and cartoon I intend to use, this is an aspect I am prepared to be flexible with and may change. I think I need to start using original ideas and cease to include aspects of existing work such as the song from ‘Dead poets society’.
SCREENWRITINGConflictThe conflict for my character is the challenge of facing her mortality. Each visit to the iPhone presents a conflict, each becoming more insurmountable and provocative than the last. Yet it is matched by the efforts of her friends and family that keep her from going to ‘the other side’. Theses conflicts creates tension for the audience and intrigues their curiosity about the outcome. Resulting in the character to develop a plan of action to save herself. The characters personal struggle gives her depth and realism making the storyline relatable which will keep the audience involved and capture their emotion.
ThemeThe theme for this film is ‘Carpe Diem’. The idea that life should be seized daily is a present factor in my short film. This theme does not only embody my personal opinions on ‘how life should be lived’ but it also explores the meaning of life itself. The theme is developed through the inner storyline, which deals with my characters personal growth and realisation. The character takes action after she experiences the increasing conflicts and listens to her families efforts to get her back. At the same time this allows my theme of Carpe Diem to expand as the values of my character are revealed and tested. My theme is not too obvious making my film ‘thought provoking’. As my film will have very limited dialog I will use carefully chosen symbols, metaphors and motifs to effectively convey the theme.
STORYBOARD EVALUATIONThe storyboard for my redeveloped film idea flows a lot better and is more achievable in the given time period. I have been more diverse in my choice of camera angles and shot types. The storyboard follows a film narrative structure where by there are three conflicts and a conclusive resolution. This is reflected in each family member as well as the character going back to the iPad. I am thinking of changing the iPad to an iPhone as it is more likely for a teen girl to be cyber bullied through her mobile then anywhere else. I am also planning on explaining the issue of cyber bullying more clearly by filming the stereotypical cyber bully girl gang and the journey to the hospital. There is still room for improvement and I am tweaking a few aspects in order to make my final idea plausible.
FINAL SCRIPT & STORYBOARDFinalised version of the script and storyboard
SCREENWRITINGOuter MotivationThe beginning of the film starts with a dark female character on the phone, she walks past a beggar and meets her friends. Inside a café, they mysteriously laugh at her phone. In another part of the city a girl has taken an overdose and is discovered by her younger sister. An ambulance rushes to her rescue. In hospital the teenage females’ life hangs in the balance. She is falling in and out of conciseness then the heart monitor goes flat line, it is at this point that she travel to the immediate state of Bardo. In a white room she encounters- a glass table and chair, an iPhone and a glowing door. On the iPhone she tries to communicate but none of her messages are delivered, she is in a location that can not communicate with the living world. The glowing door beckons her to the light, she walks towards it in desperation. Meanwhile in the hospital her father is sat at her bedside when his phone rings, the girl faintly hears the ringtone and his voice. Going away from the door the girl notices there is a news update and she reads the article - “Teen suicide attempt brings to light the dark side of social media” below she sees a photo of herself. Devastated she heads to the glowing door, yet her mother kisses her on her cheek this stops her in her tracks. Yet on the iPhone she receives an abuse text from the cyber bully. For the final time she walks to the glowing door, she turns the handle and begins to walk up the stairway to heaven. In the hospital the girls sister is racing against time to get to her. As she walks up the stairs the girl hears her sisters voice begging her to come back. As she returns down the stairs she turns the iPhone off this triggers the events to rewind, then the fait sound of the heart monitor restarting grows in volume as her eyes flick open.
Inner MotivationThe protagonist of the film is the girls self conflicted; of her desire to give up and her reasons to stay alive. The internal struggle of being cyber bullied, leads the main character having to make an important life choice. Her going back and forth to the glowing door indicates her desire to die yet through the interventions from the outside world, her family pull her back. The cyber bullying aspect to the film is a relatable storyline that I believe will communicate to todays audiences about the priorities of life.
EVALUATION OF FINAL SCRIPTAfter many attempts I have correctly developed a script following screenplay conventions. Using my final film synopsis as the main structure, I have created a script with a clear scene break down as well as clear directions, locations and character dialog. I have worked on my last script by specifying where in the hospital each scene occurs. I have now seen the location that I will use therefore I have tailored my script to the facilities that ‘Belmedic’ has to offer.I have changed the order that the family visits the girl (from- sister, father, mother. To- father, mother, sister) based on my questionnaire results indicating audiences are more emotionally inclined to younger children. And would be more touched by a sibling bond then mother and daughter bond. I have taken out aspects that might breach copyright regulations such as the ‘Phines and Ferb’ carton and the ‘dead poets society’ music. And I have incorporated more scenes that further explain the narrative, such as the- cyber bully, ambulance and overdose scenes. I have also sourced original music from www.bensound.com that I can include in my production for free. Additionally to build tension towards the end I have rewound the scenes that flicker between real life and Bardo. This is to create intrigue into whether Bardo is real or just a dream and reaffirms my film as a of fantasy drama.
EVALUATIONOverall I feel I have developed my ideas to a satisfactory standard and have created an excellent starting point for my A level media film. My storyline has mass appeal whilst also being educational by tackling important issues that are relevant to society and audiences alike. It was through the process of creating a script and storyboard that my idea has developed the most and to a standard I am proud of, as I have combined the technical, visual and symbolic elements in film production to create a script and storyboard that comply with film making codes and conventions. This has resulted in a better structured and cinematically diverse film idea which would be recognised and accepted by the film industry and modern audiences.
From this point on my attention will be on preparing and coordinating the filming for my A2 Media Studies task, as to successfully achieve an organised and professional production standard, whilst working to deadlines.