What if it isn't during the child's disappearance but after?
What I mean is that the accused man instead becomes the convicted man. So The Meeting is when the convicted man is released from prison. So The Meeting is set 11 years after the child went missing.
Monday, 14 October 2013
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Story-Telling Unit: Idea Development - Re-thinks
Without the police, gun and text: I now need to think of some new content for the film.
Ending ideas:
- Earlier in the film, the father's phone rings. He ignores it as he is focussing on questioning the accused man.
When the credits are rolling; we hear a phone ringing and going to voicemail: that father's. His wife speaks in an excited tone. "They've found him! They've found him Luke! They found James! We're at the police station! Come quick!"
- Luke's anger, hate and desperation get the better of him: he kills Nick without realising it.
- Luke is persuaded by Nick that he isn't the one responsible. Luke lets him go. He's either lying or someone else confesses.
- Nick see's an opportunity and either attacks Luke or flees: both will prove that he is guilty.
A part of me wants Luke to come out as one of, or the bad guy.
Ending ideas:
- Earlier in the film, the father's phone rings. He ignores it as he is focussing on questioning the accused man.
When the credits are rolling; we hear a phone ringing and going to voicemail: that father's. His wife speaks in an excited tone. "They've found him! They've found him Luke! They found James! We're at the police station! Come quick!"
- Luke's anger, hate and desperation get the better of him: he kills Nick without realising it.
- Luke is persuaded by Nick that he isn't the one responsible. Luke lets him go. He's either lying or someone else confesses.
- Nick see's an opportunity and either attacks Luke or flees: both will prove that he is guilty.
A part of me wants Luke to come out as one of, or the bad guy.
Story-Telling Unit: Research - Script Writing
As a task, we got into pairs and were told to write a 3 page screenplay based on one of our journeys into uni today on the Final Draft software.
Below is said screenplay.
It's 'loosely' based on my journey to uni today.
Monday, 7 October 2013
Story-Telling Unit: Idea Development - Telling the idea
We took it turns to tell our pitches and then our ideas. After telling mine these were the areas that raised concern:
1. Police getting involved
Why?
- It's too much for a 10 minute film.
- They really create a problem for the father.
My Opinion
- In my eyes; the police creates a problem for the father to an extent. With their involvement, this is no longer a quiet-low-down task for the father. As was his intentions.
-And for the "too much" case, I did have the film structured in a way that the 'standoff' is the majority of the film. Plus the film ins't in real time.
Counter-Arguement (provided by myself to avoid bias)
- The father would understand the potential consequences for pulling out a gun in public and essentially taking someone hostage.
- Yes but even so, this is a short film: no-one expects big stuff like this in a 10 min long piece.
2. The father having a gun
Why?
- Guns, in Britain?
- Using just fists makes contact more inflicting, more human. Instead of just using an object to control someone. It's easy (psychologically) to kill with a gun but not with your own hands.
My Opinion
- I always had the gun as a replica; it could never fire.
- Fist make for a more mature, potentially more violent film. Which might make it harder to watch.
Counter-Arguements
- Even so, a replica gun. If I absolutely must have a weapon, why not a knife? Much more relevant and contemporary.
3. Text on screen at the end
Why?
- It's too easy to end things with this method.
My opinion
- I quite like the text at the end: if done well enough you can land one last sucker punch on the audience. (Text at end will appear at bottom of this post).
- This a personal taste thing.
- It can help cut what could'e been 2-3 minutes or even more, down to 30 seconds. Which is valuable when making a short film when you need to use every second well.
Text on screen:
1. Police getting involved
Why?
- It's too much for a 10 minute film.
- They really create a problem for the father.
My Opinion
- In my eyes; the police creates a problem for the father to an extent. With their involvement, this is no longer a quiet-low-down task for the father. As was his intentions.
-And for the "too much" case, I did have the film structured in a way that the 'standoff' is the majority of the film. Plus the film ins't in real time.
Counter-Arguement (provided by myself to avoid bias)
- The father would understand the potential consequences for pulling out a gun in public and essentially taking someone hostage.
- Yes but even so, this is a short film: no-one expects big stuff like this in a 10 min long piece.
2. The father having a gun
Why?
- Guns, in Britain?
- Using just fists makes contact more inflicting, more human. Instead of just using an object to control someone. It's easy (psychologically) to kill with a gun but not with your own hands.
My Opinion
- I always had the gun as a replica; it could never fire.
- Fist make for a more mature, potentially more violent film. Which might make it harder to watch.
Counter-Arguements
- Even so, a replica gun. If I absolutely must have a weapon, why not a knife? Much more relevant and contemporary.
3. Text on screen at the end
Why?
- It's too easy to end things with this method.
My opinion
- I quite like the text at the end: if done well enough you can land one last sucker punch on the audience. (Text at end will appear at bottom of this post).
- This a personal taste thing.
- It can help cut what could'e been 2-3 minutes or even more, down to 30 seconds. Which is valuable when making a short film when you need to use every second well.
Text on screen:
Friday, 4 October 2013
Story-Telling Unit: Idea Development - The Psychologist
I find the idea of including a psychologist interesting; it could provide some background information or present personality traits of the father.
Possible quotes:
Psychologist: "What about death? Do you want Mr. Telson dead?"
Father: "Of course; any parent who'd lost their child would want the guy responisble dead."
Psychologist: "Forgive me but...would you want to be the er...say, 'cause'...of Mr. Telson's death?"
Father: "You're asking if I would kill him?"
Psychologist: "Yes...I am."
Father:[Pause] I don't know...I'd want him to suffer but...I don't think I could do it myself..."
End of film:
Psychologist: "Mr. Roberts...do you er...do you think James could still be alive?"
Father: [Long Pause, we can hear his voice break a little] No...I don't think [exhales in a way to calm hismelf down] I don't think James is alive..."
OR
Psychologist: "Mr. Roberts...how do you think you would react or behave...if it turned out Mr. Telson was innocent?"
Father: [Immediately] He isn't."
[several seconds of silence, as if the psychologist is taken aback by the father's confidence]
Psychologist: "And why do you believe that?"
Father: "He was there...he took my boy...I just know..."
Possible quotes:
Psychologist: "What about death? Do you want Mr. Telson dead?"
Father: "Of course; any parent who'd lost their child would want the guy responisble dead."
Psychologist: "Forgive me but...would you want to be the er...say, 'cause'...of Mr. Telson's death?"
Father: "You're asking if I would kill him?"
Psychologist: "Yes...I am."
Father:[Pause] I don't know...I'd want him to suffer but...I don't think I could do it myself..."
End of film:
Psychologist: "Mr. Roberts...do you er...do you think James could still be alive?"
Father: [Long Pause, we can hear his voice break a little] No...I don't think [exhales in a way to calm hismelf down] I don't think James is alive..."
OR
Psychologist: "Mr. Roberts...how do you think you would react or behave...if it turned out Mr. Telson was innocent?"
Father: [Immediately] He isn't."
[several seconds of silence, as if the psychologist is taken aback by the father's confidence]
Psychologist: "And why do you believe that?"
Father: "He was there...he took my boy...I just know..."
Story-Telling Unit: Idea Development - Character names
Character names:
Father - Luke Roberts
Missing child - James Roberts
Accused man - Nick Telson
Father - Luke Roberts
Missing child - James Roberts
Accused man - Nick Telson
Story-Telling Unit: Idea Development - Content
With a basic premise thought up; I need to think what's actually going to fill the time. Below are some 'spitballs'.
- Use of a psychologist, the father see's one to help him out with the stress.
- Father possibly mentions the psychologist to the accused; show him the 'path of destruction' his actions have caused.
- Police begin to prepare to move in a resolve the situation.
- After a beating or two and a lot of shouting: the accused confesses. (Either to just shut the father up or the stress is so much he cracks).
- Father, satisfied, drags accused out, telling the police that the accused man has just confessed and that they should arrest him.
- Police tell him to put the gun down and to move away from the accused man.
Options for ending:
1. Father argues with them for a short while, at one point he waves the gun in the police's general direction as he is caught up in the heat of the moment, thinking he's just pointing. The police open fire: both the father and the accused are killed in the hail of bullets. A few days later they check the location the father said the accused man hid the body: no body is found. The accused man lied.
What I like: It provokes a saddened response from the audience, shock tactics.
What I don't like: Both men dying seems a little Hollywood to me
2. Same as above but this time, the actual person who kidnapped the child comes foward and hands himself in, the body is recovered. Told via text on screen at the end.
What I like: Closure for the family, the actual criminal is arrested.
What I don't like: Nothing, this ending is pretty decent.
3. Either ending but during the credits a segment of a session with the psychologist is heard: the father is asked if he would kill the accused man himself. A response is given that stays with us. e,g, "I'm not a monster like him" (this would work if the father actually kills the accused man).
- Use of a psychologist, the father see's one to help him out with the stress.
- Father possibly mentions the psychologist to the accused; show him the 'path of destruction' his actions have caused.
- Police begin to prepare to move in a resolve the situation.
- After a beating or two and a lot of shouting: the accused confesses. (Either to just shut the father up or the stress is so much he cracks).
- Father, satisfied, drags accused out, telling the police that the accused man has just confessed and that they should arrest him.
- Police tell him to put the gun down and to move away from the accused man.
Options for ending:
1. Father argues with them for a short while, at one point he waves the gun in the police's general direction as he is caught up in the heat of the moment, thinking he's just pointing. The police open fire: both the father and the accused are killed in the hail of bullets. A few days later they check the location the father said the accused man hid the body: no body is found. The accused man lied.
What I like: It provokes a saddened response from the audience, shock tactics.
What I don't like: Both men dying seems a little Hollywood to me
2. Same as above but this time, the actual person who kidnapped the child comes foward and hands himself in, the body is recovered. Told via text on screen at the end.
What I like: Closure for the family, the actual criminal is arrested.
What I don't like: Nothing, this ending is pretty decent.
3. Either ending but during the credits a segment of a session with the psychologist is heard: the father is asked if he would kill the accused man himself. A response is given that stays with us. e,g, "I'm not a monster like him" (this would work if the father actually kills the accused man).
Story-Telling Unit: Idea Development
I'm rather liking this new potential idea I have; it's certainly more engaging and interesting than 10 minutes of three people insulting each other.
I think I'm going to go with this idea instead.
So what about the 3 story ingredients?
Goal - Father wants Accused to confess and to give him the location of his son.
Problem - Accused protests his innocence.
Change - Father's son is found but Father is arrested.
Pitch:
An accused kidnapper gets an unexpected visit from the victim's father at a public park.
(15 words)
I think I'm going to go with this idea instead.
So what about the 3 story ingredients?
Goal - Father wants Accused to confess and to give him the location of his son.
Problem - Accused protests his innocence.
Change - Father's son is found but Father is arrested.
Pitch:
An accused kidnapper gets an unexpected visit from the victim's father at a public park.
(15 words)
Thursday, 3 October 2013
Story-Telling Unit: Project Update
On one of my train journies I got thinking about other ideas and the idea of an interrogation cropped up: inspired by watching a lot of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
I worked with it and came up with basic premise:
A police detective is interrogating a criminal who is a strong suspect in a missing persons case. The suspect doesn't give anything away and just when we think he's won: he slips up. Accidentally saying something he couldn't have possibly have known unless he was guilty.
This then morphed slightly into the missing person being the detective's son. I then looked at it from a family perspective, a parent having to come face to face with their child's kidnapper/killer.
After a little more tweaking; I ended up with this:
We learn that a fathers’ son has gone missing and that the prime suspect is released due to lack of evidence. The film starts with the released man in a public park, the father approaches him and a heated discussion is had. After a short while the father draws a gun on the suspect and drags him to the nearby public toilets. An eyewitness calls the police and soon it becomes a standoff between the father and the police.
I worked with it and came up with basic premise:
A police detective is interrogating a criminal who is a strong suspect in a missing persons case. The suspect doesn't give anything away and just when we think he's won: he slips up. Accidentally saying something he couldn't have possibly have known unless he was guilty.
This then morphed slightly into the missing person being the detective's son. I then looked at it from a family perspective, a parent having to come face to face with their child's kidnapper/killer.
After a little more tweaking; I ended up with this:
We learn that a fathers’ son has gone missing and that the prime suspect is released due to lack of evidence. The film starts with the released man in a public park, the father approaches him and a heated discussion is had. After a short while the father draws a gun on the suspect and drags him to the nearby public toilets. An eyewitness calls the police and soon it becomes a standoff between the father and the police.
Story-Telling Unit: Research
We paired up and chose two types of people from a box and then chose a location, all of which was from random.
We got an actor and a single mum. The location was a library.
With the same title as our project: The Meeting, we had to come up with a 10 minute short film about these two characters set in the location we picked.
Below are the notes I made:
Possible romance? Chance encounter?
Single mum - Might work there
Actor - Researching role, role is of single mum, plot twist!!
Actor's role: Gay man/married man, so into the role he stays in character as much as possible. She's heartbroken when she asks him out. She see's his film realises the truth.
Single mum's kid - See's film, tells mum.
Main Characters: Timid, shy, too afraid to ask guy out, gentle, soft spoken, caring, passive, middle aged 40's.
Actor: Mid 30's, appears to audience as gay but is just in the role, confident, passionate about career, up and coming actor, well dressed, fits sterotype.
Every now and then we see subtle clues suggesting that's he actually gay.
Kid puts mum on a dating site.
Her friends are pushing her into finding a guy.
Problem created when someone wants to date her. "Gay" actor see's her on one of these.
The gay character actor is playing, needs a profession.
Doctor? Curator? Historian?
Something that gives him reason to go to a library.
Changes to characters:
Actor - Focuses less on work and more on the single mum and kid. No longer selfish or rude to P.A, he realises what people do for him.
Single mum - Becomes confident, cares more about her appearance, change in career? Has ambitions.
Pitch: When a chance meeting evokes an unlikely attraction; exploration of self will either bring them together or push them apart.
(20 words)
Story Idea: Single mum likes history, she works as a librarian. Actor goes into library; he's rude, selfish and mean to P.A. He's researching history-related. She, being a history nut, approaches him. They learn that they like each other, but because he's rude and selfish; single mum is put off a little. Actor, blowing his chances, is told by P.A to be happy he must better himself.
We got an actor and a single mum. The location was a library.
With the same title as our project: The Meeting, we had to come up with a 10 minute short film about these two characters set in the location we picked.
Below are the notes I made:
Possible romance? Chance encounter?
Single mum - Might work there
Actor - Researching role, role is of single mum, plot twist!!
Actor's role: Gay man/married man, so into the role he stays in character as much as possible. She's heartbroken when she asks him out. She see's his film realises the truth.
Single mum's kid - See's film, tells mum.
Main Characters: Timid, shy, too afraid to ask guy out, gentle, soft spoken, caring, passive, middle aged 40's.
Actor: Mid 30's, appears to audience as gay but is just in the role, confident, passionate about career, up and coming actor, well dressed, fits sterotype.
Every now and then we see subtle clues suggesting that's he actually gay.
Kid puts mum on a dating site.
Her friends are pushing her into finding a guy.
Problem created when someone wants to date her. "Gay" actor see's her on one of these.
The gay character actor is playing, needs a profession.
Doctor? Curator? Historian?
Something that gives him reason to go to a library.
Changes to characters:
Actor - Focuses less on work and more on the single mum and kid. No longer selfish or rude to P.A, he realises what people do for him.
Single mum - Becomes confident, cares more about her appearance, change in career? Has ambitions.
Pitch: When a chance meeting evokes an unlikely attraction; exploration of self will either bring them together or push them apart.
(20 words)
Story Idea: Single mum likes history, she works as a librarian. Actor goes into library; he's rude, selfish and mean to P.A. He's researching history-related. She, being a history nut, approaches him. They learn that they like each other, but because he's rude and selfish; single mum is put off a little. Actor, blowing his chances, is told by P.A to be happy he must better himself.
Story-Telling Unit: Project Update - Quotes
Quotes for idea
Character names:
James
Matt
Joe
I wanted the comedy in this idea to be slightly mature; not rude or adult but not too childish either. Witty remarks are sought after as well.
Having conversations with friends is an almost guaranteed way to get decent one liners and insults. Here are a couple that stood out for me when chatting to some of my mates:
"Dibs ____ shares a bed"
"Dibs ____ has to sit outside the plane"
"I don't care where I sleep"
"50 miles from us!"
"Doubt my luck's that good mate!"
"I'm either blind or stupid"
"Try both"
One I came up with:
"[about a hotel] How about the bell?"
"I know what sort of bell you'd be!"
I mentioned a possible prank war between Matt and James, we see two aspects of that in the first scene:
James is removing screws from Matt's chair whilst he's gone.
Joe (the boss friend) enters
"Where's Matt?"
"Gone to the toilet"
"And what are you doing?"
"I...(stands up) am rigging said Matt's chair"
More examples of their prank war are given in a later conversation during the planning of the holiday:
[James has just been insulted by the other 2]
James: "Great, gang up on me"
Joe: "You deserve it"
James: "What've I done lately?"
Matt: "Ketchup in the coffee; ketchup in the soup"
James: "[Shrugs] I like ketchup, but you give as good as you get!"
Matt: "Such as?"
James: "Stapling my tie to the desk"
Joe: "What's wrong with that?"
James: "I was still wearing it!"
Matt smiles to himself in a satisfied way
Character names:
James
Matt
Joe
I wanted the comedy in this idea to be slightly mature; not rude or adult but not too childish either. Witty remarks are sought after as well.
Having conversations with friends is an almost guaranteed way to get decent one liners and insults. Here are a couple that stood out for me when chatting to some of my mates:
"Dibs ____ shares a bed"
"Dibs ____ has to sit outside the plane"
"I don't care where I sleep"
"50 miles from us!"
"Doubt my luck's that good mate!"
"I'm either blind or stupid"
"Try both"
One I came up with:
"[about a hotel] How about the bell?"
"I know what sort of bell you'd be!"
I mentioned a possible prank war between Matt and James, we see two aspects of that in the first scene:
James is removing screws from Matt's chair whilst he's gone.
Joe (the boss friend) enters
"Where's Matt?"
"Gone to the toilet"
"And what are you doing?"
"I...(stands up) am rigging said Matt's chair"
More examples of their prank war are given in a later conversation during the planning of the holiday:
[James has just been insulted by the other 2]
James: "Great, gang up on me"
Joe: "You deserve it"
James: "What've I done lately?"
Matt: "Ketchup in the coffee; ketchup in the soup"
James: "[Shrugs] I like ketchup, but you give as good as you get!"
Matt: "Such as?"
James: "Stapling my tie to the desk"
Joe: "What's wrong with that?"
James: "I was still wearing it!"
Matt smiles to himself in a satisfied way
Wednesday, 2 October 2013
Pitch for a news headline
We were given homework to do overnight: find a news article and write a pitch for it as if it was a new film.
Name: The Hacker
Pitch: Police face an incredible challenge as they hunt for a mastermind teenager who steals money through internet hacking.
Real story: An Argentinian teenager was arrested after stealing £30,000-a-month through hacking websites and having money sent to his bank account.
Name: The Hacker
Pitch: Police face an incredible challenge as they hunt for a mastermind teenager who steals money through internet hacking.
Real story: An Argentinian teenager was arrested after stealing £30,000-a-month through hacking websites and having money sent to his bank account.
Pitch for Soft
We watched a short film called Soft Directed by Simon Ellis. Afterwards we were tasked with coming up with a pitch for the film.
My Pitch for Soft:
A quiet family's fears come true when a group of violent youths gather outside their home
(16 words)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og1w2KrEgVg
My Pitch for Soft:
A quiet family's fears come true when a group of violent youths gather outside their home
(16 words)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og1w2KrEgVg
Story-Telling Unit: Project Update - Idea Suggestions
Idea #1
Story - 3 men in a car or sat on a bench; waiting to carry out a deal.
Plot - Three men are sat on a bench/in a car. We learn that they are here to carry out a drug deal. Whilst they are waiting boredom begins to kick in and they trade insults on subjects such as intelligence levels, jibes at family memebrs and whatnot. Finally one poses a question: do we have the drugs ready to sell? As it turns out; no-one remembered to bring them, one final, but brief, arguement is had.
Pitch - 3 best friends are waiting to carry out a deal, however they're not as well prepared as they imagined.
Pro's - Very simple idea, easy to produce, has potential for great one liners.
Con's - Big chance that jokes are either hit or miss, too simple, 3 protagonists instead of two, no actual meeting is witnessed.
Idea #2
Story - Several office workers are in a meeting
Plot - 3 friends are called into an important meeting by their boss; who is also a friend. This group, however, are notorious for not getting much done/achieved. Going off into a tanget, trading insults and generally behaving like teenagers. The boss friend tries to keep everyone on topic but is fighting a losing battle. The meeting is dismissed after getting only one small area covered.
Pitch - An important meeting is called between 4 friends at their workplace. However they're notorious for not getting much done.
Pro's - Like the first idea: there is some potential and simple.
Con's - Hit or miss jokes, 4 protagonists all as important as each other.
Idea #2 does attract me to itself though, if I can think of jokes that will get laughs then I may be onto something here.
What if, instead of an important meeting, they're organising something?
A holiday perhaps?
And what if 2 of the protagonists have some sort of prank war going on?
Start the film in the 'main' office, protag 1 setting up a prank, they're called into a meeting, post meeting the characters return to the 'main' office, protag 2 suggests calling a truce on the prank war, to which he then springs the trap protag 1 set up at the start.
Rigging his office chair? Removing the screws?
Story - 3 men in a car or sat on a bench; waiting to carry out a deal.
Plot - Three men are sat on a bench/in a car. We learn that they are here to carry out a drug deal. Whilst they are waiting boredom begins to kick in and they trade insults on subjects such as intelligence levels, jibes at family memebrs and whatnot. Finally one poses a question: do we have the drugs ready to sell? As it turns out; no-one remembered to bring them, one final, but brief, arguement is had.
Pitch - 3 best friends are waiting to carry out a deal, however they're not as well prepared as they imagined.
Pro's - Very simple idea, easy to produce, has potential for great one liners.
Con's - Big chance that jokes are either hit or miss, too simple, 3 protagonists instead of two, no actual meeting is witnessed.
Idea #2
Story - Several office workers are in a meeting
Plot - 3 friends are called into an important meeting by their boss; who is also a friend. This group, however, are notorious for not getting much done/achieved. Going off into a tanget, trading insults and generally behaving like teenagers. The boss friend tries to keep everyone on topic but is fighting a losing battle. The meeting is dismissed after getting only one small area covered.
Pitch - An important meeting is called between 4 friends at their workplace. However they're notorious for not getting much done.
Pro's - Like the first idea: there is some potential and simple.
Con's - Hit or miss jokes, 4 protagonists all as important as each other.
Idea #2 does attract me to itself though, if I can think of jokes that will get laughs then I may be onto something here.
What if, instead of an important meeting, they're organising something?
A holiday perhaps?
And what if 2 of the protagonists have some sort of prank war going on?
Start the film in the 'main' office, protag 1 setting up a prank, they're called into a meeting, post meeting the characters return to the 'main' office, protag 2 suggests calling a truce on the prank war, to which he then springs the trap protag 1 set up at the start.
Rigging his office chair? Removing the screws?
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