reubenmediablog-blog

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Research + Development of Ideas

I began researching by watching experimental videos on the internet, this included some short films by David Lynch

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ_t1eOAipo 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc-nZbhN_Dw 

Not necessarily in these videos but in David Lynch’s work in general he is very talented at conveying mood through not only visual but through sound as well and this later inspired me to use ambient noise such as wind and traffic in my video. 

another experimental film i watched was this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrDx3nI3_wE

  This video set itself from the others for me because of it’s disorientating editing and also how subtle it was in conveying it’s theme. I subsequently decided to be the same way with my film. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liBfcQBU5tc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV9CEmAMd0k

Above are also two brief scenes from films i had recently watched before making my film. Both of these scenes i thought conveyed a strong atmosphere despite the occurrences being quite usual and while i don’t think my film evokes the same feeling, I did have these scenes in mind when developing my ideas. 

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U4 Production Management

I began coming up with an idea of what i wanted to do by watching other experimental videos on the internet (which i have referenced in task 1).  I found that the more abstract of these videos appealed to me more rather than ones which were overtly centred around a certain theme for instance. 

I then went out with my camera with a few vague visual ideas of what i wanted to capture but with no solid storyboard or theme to base it around. I did this few times over a few days. I then put the footage i’d gathered together and edited it down into a film which is intended to evoke an atmosphere. I mean to achieve this through the use of sound and visual imagery. In terms of sound i played around with several different effects, music and different ideas regarding editing before finishing the film. 

Here is a screenshot which shows the sound and video I was editing

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film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awLsmDzF-8w

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U35 Experimental LO1

The use of technology and techniques

Video art has been present for several decades and has grown alongside constantly evolving technology. The video artist Bill Viola has been working in conceptual video art for many years now and the technological advancements have seen him adopt techniques involving extreme slow motion. 

Narrative and non-narrative forms

Experimental films are all about re-evaluating cinematic conventions and so it is very rare that you would find a piece of video art that would conform to a conventional narrative. Often video art doesn’t just have an unconventional narrative but infact has no discernible narrative whatsoever, an example of this would be in some of the experimental short films by David Lynch such as his film ‘steps’.

Use of exhibition space to create meaning

With any kind of art installation the exhibition space can be used to add further meaning or context to a piece. This could be achieved through use of space, lighting etc. 

Here’s an image of an exhibition space in a warehouse in France. The exhibition space is designed to be a church, this further contextualised the works inside.

The relation of work to own ideas

After having watched many experimental films on the internet by artists such as Gillian Wearing, David Lynch and Bill Viola and researching video as an art form i have been able to allow this to influence and inform ideas of my own. The use of Emotion over narrative which is especially prominent in the films of David Lynch has informed my own ideas especially and also my research on the use of installations has given me ideas as to how to further contextualise my own work if i choose to.

(some experimental films i watched)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp4EUryS6ac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7dN4jiAsJA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHdX7sApIMc

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U22 Task 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfBf6weaAXs&feature=youtu.be

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U24 Script

The Gift (Working title) 

Interior- a small dark room with seldom anything inside. A couple of self help posters and religious posters are scattered up along the far wall, the room is dimly lit and has only one inhabitant. A young girl or woman, who is tied to a chair seemingly unconscious, the temple of her head is dried with some blood and it looks as if she experienced some sort of trauma.

 Young Girl

 (Slowly begins to raise her head and squint against the dim light. She lets out a dazed gasp and slowly glances around the room with confusion. For a moment there is nothing, then the sudden fear that comes with the realization of her situation sets in. She begins to panic and fight against the binds that keep her to the chair) Help! Is anyone there!? Please help me! (Begins to hyperventilate as she looks around frantically, tears building in her eyes. She breaks into a quiet sob, takes a deep breath and screams) Help! Anybody!? (She is met by no answer and her head slowly lowers as she sobs quietly to herself. That's when she hears footsteps out side of the door leading into the small room. She quickly darts her head up and cries out once more) Is anybody there?! Please help me!

 The door to the room slowly opens and a man steps in. He is decently well dressed and wears a disturbingly large smile on his face given the circumstances.

 The Man

 Ah how wonderful! (Eerily up beat and chirpy) You are finally awake. (Chuckles lightly to himself) I wont lie, you had me worried for a while there I thought you'd never wake up! (Continues chuckling to himself as he closes the door he entered through behind him, his chuckle Isn't a sinister one, but that of someone who might have just heard a joke that tickles them in the right way. It's oddly joyful and innocent) But don't worry I wont hold it against you (Gives her a warm smile as he stands a few feet away from her with his hands locked in front of him)

 Young Girl

 (Cautiously as she struggles to stop herself from bursting out into tears) Who...who are you?....Where am I!?

 The Man

 (Slaps his own forehead gently in a comedic way) ah how rude of me! (Steps forward and extends a hand out to her) My name is Peter. How nice to meet you...(Looks down and realizes her hands are tied to the chair. He laughs out loud) Oh how silly of me, I'm sorry I am not usually this clumsy I promise. (Kneels down in front of her and pats the back of her bound hand and looks her in the eyes) It is a real pleasure to have you on board with us.

 Young Girl

 (visibly terrified as tears roll down her cheeks) Where...where am I?

 Peter

 (Looks around the room and sighs) Ah....I know this isn't the most accommodating of places...but....it's the best I've got unfortunately. (Looks to her head and his smile slowly turns to a concerned frown) Oh would you look at that...(Strokes his hand over it) I am so, so, so sorry about that. Really I am. But you wouldn't come calmly (Chuckles) But don't worry, you got one back on me (Pulls his collar down to reveal a set of scratch marks along his neck as he chuckles more) Don't worry I wont hold it against you...I admit, maybe I could have been more  sympathetic to how you were feeling. I mean, if a strange man jumped out at me and grabbed me I would likely do the same. (Laughs and waves his hand) But that's in the past now. No reason to keep harping back to it now is there?

 Young Girl

 (Begins to cry frantically)

 Peter

 OH...honey...Come on don't cry. (Reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tissue which he uses to dab her tears) Come on now. It's all going to be okay.

 Young Girl

 (Mouse like whisper as she is finding it hard to speak through her sobbing) What do you want from me!?

 Peter

 Oh... I don't want anything from you silly...(Smiles warm and wide like a parent would to there distressed child) No...I want to give you something. A gift! One not many people are lucky enough to receive.

 Young Woman

 (Sobs) I want to go home....Please..

 Peter

 Go home? (Smiles fades slowly from his face as anger and confusion takes its place) Go home....why would you want to do that?

 Young Woman

 Please...I wont tell anybody what happened...I promise. Just...Just...let me go. No one has to know (Shakes her head slowly as she sobs) No one will know...

 Peter

 (Stares at her with a angry, almost hurt expression) Home...you want to go home?

   Young Woman

 (Nods her head as she sobs)

 Peter

 (Stands up and sighs as he places a hand over his forehead. He turns his back to her and looks to the ceiling. He sighs deeply again. He then slowly turns back to her and shakes his head slowly) I am sorry dear. But you can't go home.

 Young Woman

 (Gasps and continues crying)

 Peter

 No, no, no, don't cry. You will be going somewhere much better I promise you!

 Young Woman

  (Finds her strength and screams) I want to go home!

 Peter

 No. No home! I won’t hear another word about it. (Sighs and shakes his head slowly) I thought you’d be happy? Grateful even. Look, clearly you are very distressed. I think its best if i leave you to calm down a little. (Turns and starts to leave)

 Young Woman

 NO! Please! (Door slams shut and she starts sobbing to herself again)

 Fades to black for a few seconds, then fades back into shot and we reveal some time has past, likely a few hours, either by a clock or a little time stamp. We see she is still alone in the room tied to the chair, but has seemingly fallen asleep. Likely due to the stress draining her of all her energy. We hear keys rustling from the other side of the door and the Young woman slowly lifts her head as Peter steps in to the room holding a tray of food.

 2

 Peter

 Rise and shine sleepy head! (Chuckles as he closes the door) I brought you some dinner (Smiles) It’s not much but I thought I’d help keep your strength up. You got a big day coming up soon Bethany (Chuckles innocently) Wouldn’t want you to be all weak and skinny for when he arrives.

 Bethany

 (Sounding exhausted and defeated like she has no fight in her) when who arrives…

 Peter

 (Pulls out a napkin and starts to tuck it around her neck) Don’t worry about that for now. (Spoons up a bit of food) Open up, come on…you have to eat something honey.

 Bethany

 (Closes her mouth tight and turns her head away, staring at the spoonful of food with a cautious look)

 Peter

 (Notices her glance and starts laughing) Oh…oh you think I?….No…no don’t be silly (Eats the spoonful) See? Nothing wrong with it. Now be a good girl and eat up, (Scoops up a second mouthful of food and offers it to her)

 Bethany

 (Cautiously eats it and stares at Peter with confusion as she does)

  Peter

 See. Now that wasn’t so bad was it? (Smiles wide and feeds her another spoonful) How about some music to lighten the mood a little? (Sets the plate down and goes to an old stereo on the table in the corner of the room. He presses play and turns to her grinning as ‘Make you own kind of music’ slowly starts up) Ah…Mother and I loved this one. (Starts slow dancing around the room in front of her as if with an imaginary partner)

 Bethany

 (Watches him dance around the room with a deep confusion. Then it finally clocks on to her that he used her name) How….how did you know my name?

 Peter

 (Pre Occupied with his dancing) HM?

 Bethany

 You got a big day ahead of you Bethany….that’s what you said…how did you know my name?

 Peter

 (Stops dancing and tilts his head) Oh did I?

 Bethany

 You did….That's what you said.

 Peter

 Well…I guess the cat is out of the bag now (Chuckles lightly and approaches her)

   Bethany

 (Recoils slightly as he kneels in front of her and rests a hand on her knee)

 Peter

 (Smiles and reaches into his pocket where he pulls out his phone. He then opens up a picture and shows her a Facebook profile picture of a man who looks like a model ,his name on the profile is ‘Owen Thornton’  *place holder name*) See, I know you more than you think.  

 Bethany

 (See the looks of distress creep across Bethany’s face) You….You’re…

   Bethany

 (Sudden realization of what has happened) You’re a fucking psycho!

 Peter

 (Recoils slightly) Excuse me!?

 Bethany

 You…you…you freak!

 Peter

 Hey! You should be grateful to me Missy!

 Bethany

 Grateful!? You kidnapped me! You fucking Lunatic!

 Peter

 I offer you the gift of a life time and this is how you repay me!? I mean Jesus Fucking Christ! (Stops suddenly and covers his mouth as his eyes widen) Oh…oh no. Look what you made me do….look what you made me do. Using the lords name in vein at a time like this….

 Bethany

 Fuck you! (Spits on him)

 Peter

 (Recoils and stares at her with a very disturbing and angry look. There is a long pause as they stare back at each other before he suddenly lashes out and back hands her. Bethany lets out a whimper and starts to sob as Peter takes off his glasses and wipes her spit from the lenses with his shirt. He sighs heavily and shakes his head slowly) I didn’t want to do that Bethany. (Walks over to the stereo and turns it off) I mean, I brought you food, played sweet music for you…and this how you treat me. (Snatches up the tray from in front of her) Perhaps more time alone will help fix your manners.

 Bethany

 (Shakes her head slowly) No please, don’t leave me alone again please! Please! (Peter exits the room and slams the door)

  Shot slowly fades to black once more and eventually opens back up on what would probably be a new day, though there is no real way of telling that besides the clock. We see a shot of Peter preparing a bucket of water when Bethany’s phone buzzes on the table next to him. He picks it up and looks at it. There is a few missed texts and a lot of missed calls.

 Text 1- From Father

 ‘Bethany. Where are you!? Me and your Mother are worried sick! Text 2- from mother

  Honey, please get in touch and let me, and your father, know where you are. We are worried about you xx

 Text 3- from Bro

 You are in so much shit when you get home. Mum and Dad are going crazy over here.

 Peter

 (Texts back to father) Don’t worry I’m Fine. I’m Staying at a friends house.

 3

  Peter

 (Enters the room whistling the tune to 'Make your own kind of music'. He carries a bucket of water with him and a flannel) Morning beautiful. How we feeling today?

 Bethany

 (slowly raises her head to look at him. Her face is blank and heavy with exhaustion and she just stares at him. The fight seemingly gone from her)

 Peter

 (Timidly looks at her and bites his lip) You aren’t still mad at me for my little outburst yesterday are you? I hope not. I didn't mean to hit you. (Puts the bucket down and starts to roll up his sleeve) Look...I made sure I was punished for it...(Shows her a set of wounds that go across his arm, like he has slashed it with a knife or sharp object) See? (Rolls his sleeve back down and holds up the flannel) I was hoping you'd let me clean your head...you aren’t going to spit at me again are you?

 Bethany

 (Slowly shakes her head which looks to heavy for her to hold up)

 Peter

 (Smiles wide and picks up the bucket of water) Wonderful. (Approaches her and kneels down in front of her as he begins to dip the flannel in the water and ring it out a few times) I'm so glad you are mature enough to put this behind us. Most girls your age would be cussing up the walls after what I did. (Gently begins to dab the wound on her head and clean it up as he chuckles) But not you...no, you're a good girl. A nice girl. It's why I chose you mainly.

 Bethany

 (Her voice is hoarse and rough) Chose...chose me for what....?

 Peter

 (Continues to dab her head) For this gift...

 Bethany

 (Stares at him blankly) What...what is the gift...

 Peter

 (Stops and looks at her before nodding and dipping the flannel back into the bucket) Yeah... I suppose it is time I told you. (Continues to dab her head gently) You see, You are going to be part of something...big...bigger than anyone or anything that walks gods glorious green earth. Something Special..

 Bethany

 Tell me...

 Peter

 Ah yes, listen to me rambling like a senior (Chuckles) I'm just so excited for you Is all. (Clears his throat) “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship”...that's Romans, verse 12:1, from the book of our lord...  in case you didn't know.

 Bethany

 (Looks to him confused) What...what does it mean.

 Peter

 Well...It means a sacrifice. To our gracious lord.

 Bethany

 Sacrifice...?

 Peter

 (leans back away from her and smiles brightly) You must be so confused...I am sorry about that. Let me think how I can put it to you more...clearly, shall we say. (Looks around the room for a moment and then snaps his head back to her quickly with an inquisitive look about him) Do you keep up with the news Bethany?

 Bethany

 (Nods her head slowly)

 Peter

 Ah good. Then you know that the current state of our world is appalling to say the very least. Wouldn't you agree?

   Bethany

 (Stares at him blankly waiting for him to continue)

 Peter

 Well. What would you say...if I said, that me and you, could change it? Could stop all the senseless violence, the killings, the wars, the lying, and the cheating, and all that nasty business...you would want to try, right?

 Bethany

 I guess so...

 Peter

 (slaps her knee cheerfully and laughs) You see. That is why I chose you. You have a pure heart. Something that is unfortunately difficult to come by these days. Well Bethany...that IS what I am saying to you. We DO have a chance to change it all. To make the world...pure again. To change it back to the way our loving lord wanted it when he created it in his own minds eye.

 Bethany

 how...?

 Peter

 (Playfully nudges her) Oh come on now silly. You know...(Waits for her to respond and when she doesn't he chuckles) A sacrifice you big dummy!? (Smiles wide and points to her) A sacrifice of a pure soul. That's you.

 Bethany

 (Suddenly the fear creeps back across her face) You mean....you're going to kill me? (Tears well up in her eyes)

 Peter

 Kill you? No...no...honey not at all. I'm going to...set you free. The world in its current state does not deserve a soul as pure as yours. No...killing you would be condemning your soul to the eternal black of nothingness. But...doing it this way...your soul we be accepted into the loving embrace of our lord and his lucky select few. You'll spend eternity in a place to beautiful for words. You'll be free...and safe. And...when my time comes...the lord will take me in too. (Chuckles) So you wont be too long without me do not worry.

 Bethany

 (Breaks down into tears again)

 Peter

 Oh honey. I know it's scary. But it's for the greater good. Your sacrifice will wash the world clean of sin.

   Bethany


Please...I don't want it. Not me...pick someone else...please.

 Peter

 (Shakes his head slowly and gives her a compassionate look) There is no one else Bethany...it has to be you.

 Bethany

 (continues to cry) I don't want it...I'm...I'm not pure. I'm not worthy. I promise you I'm not...I'd...I'd only ruin it for you. Let me go...I'll help you find someone who is worthy...I'd help you look I promise I would I'd..

 Peter

 (Interrupts her as he places a finger on her lips) Shhh...hush now. It's okay Bethany. I know the idea is intimidating...but do you really think you'd be here if I wasn't one hundred percent sure of you? Hmm? Now come on...cheer up. (Smiles and nods to her) You deserve this. You lucky, lucky, girl. (Suddenly he snaps his head to the side and looks to be listening intently to something)

 Bethany

 I don-...

 Peter

 Shhh! (Looks back to her slowly and smiles wide) Do you hear that?

 Bethany

 (Listens and hears nothing. She shakes her head) I don't...no. Please jus...

   Peter

 Shh! (Listens a little longer and chuckles as he checks his watch) I didn't think it'd be time now...(Shrugs) But hey who am I to question. (grabs the bucket and flannel and stands up)

 Bethany

 What's going on!?

 Peter

 It's time.

 Bethany

 No...no..please..

   Peter

 (Gently stokes her cheek with the back of his hand) Don't worry sweetie. Everything, will be fine. I'm going to leave you alone now. And the next thing that steps through that door there will not be me. But I want to assure you...you are perfectly safe. I promise you.

  Bethany

 No. No no no please! Please don't do this please (Sobs loudly) I want to go home! I want to go home please!

 Peter

 (Starts to leave) Chin up Bethany. People will sing songs and tell tales of your bravery from this day forth. (Looks back at her one last time and smiles) I am so, so proud of you. (Leaves the room)

  Bethany

 (Starts screaming frantically) No! NO! Please! Let me go! Let me go----- (Words start to be broken up by sobbing as she lets out a cry of terror)

 We get a close up on Bethany as she bows her head and sobs. Then we hear a noise, a growl or something of that nature. She slowly looks up with a face of utter terror and distress. A shadow starts slowly creeping over her and she lets out a final scream. Cut to black.

 End of first draft.

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U24 Task 7

I used the primary research i gathered to more accurately depict the condition of the main character. Because i had gained the knowledge to be able to depict this character accurately it meant that the viewer wouldn’t be pulled out of the viewing experience by any inaccuracies. 

The secondary research i gathered regarded whether my target audience would respond well to the kind of story being written. The feedback from the secondary research was very positive, indicating that the fundamental story i was writing would appeal to them. As a result of this i decided to stay with the story and not make any changes to any original ideas/concept

When writing the script i was aware of the target audience and what they would respond well to. In terms of the dialogue/ language used it is fairly quick moving  and easily digestible dialogue which manages to pull in the viewer and give them understanding of the story without speaking down to them or having any exposition which would lose their interest. There were instances regarding the condition of the main character where exposition may have been placed however i decided against this as the film is mainly aiming to be a horror/thriller and any medical exposition would detract from this. Judging from secondary research i had previously gathered, i think that the audience will respond well to this.

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U22 Task 6

Evaluation:

Scheduling:

Regarding scheduling the project stayed mostly on plan however due to some technical difficulties i did have to reshoot on one day. This wasn’t hard to arrange because we only had two actors and were working in one location within the college.

Working with actors:

We worked with two actors during the making of the short film. We had auditioned and chose the actors weeks before filming, given them scripts and gotten their phone numbers prior to filming as well. Because we had already made contact with both actors by the time it came to shooting it meant that filming ran smoother because we were familiar with one another and they knew their lines.

Technical difficulties:

I encountered many technical difficulties during filming, this included batteries and SD cards not working as well as issues with the lighting. In relation to the issues with SD cards and batteries, I had prepared backups in case this happened. Because we had prepared beforehand it meant that we could continue with filming immediately. 

The issue i had with the lighting was that the red gel we placed over the light with masking tape kept falling off during filming. In order to fix this i cut the gel smaller and placed additional tape over the gel, this kept the gel in place and meant we could continue filming. 

Working in a group:

I worked in a group of 4, each of us had set roles which we stuck to throughout the production as well as helping one another when needed. As a group we communicated well with each other and had an understanding of what we wanted to achieve. The only issue regarding working in a group was when members were absent during mornings when we were setting up the equipment or when team members were absent during filming. This meant the members who were present had to put in additional work which then pushed filming back slightly. Fortunately when members were not present it was sometimes possible for us to use other media students in college at the time.

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Team Production Meeting 9th May

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U22 Task 4

Shooting Script

Script

Proposal

https://reubenmediablog.tumblr.com/post/158622820872/u24-lo3

Hazard Assessment: 

Schedule: https://reubenmediablog.tumblr.com/post/160296175657/u22-task-2

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U22 Task 3

Video Equipment: 

DSLR 

Tripod

Steadicam

Audio Equipment:

Boom mic

Lighting Equipment:

light from store room w/ stand and red gel

Talent: 

David Williams 

Hannah Stacy

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U22 Task 2

24th April - 

Scene 1. Time:  9.10 - 14.50. Location: Dark Room. All actors and crew present. 

25th April - 

Scene 1 And 2. Time: 9.10 - 14.50 Location: Dark Room. All actors and crew present. 

27th April - 

Scene 2. Time: 9.10 - 10.50  14.50 - 16.30. Location: Dark Room. All actors and crew present

4th May - 

Scene 2 and 3. Time 9.10 - 10.50 14.50 - 16.30 Location: Dark Room. All actors and crew present

8th May - 

Scene 3 . Time 13.20 - 16.30 Location: Dark Room. All actors and crew present

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U22 Task 1

01 With regard to  Single Camera Drama(s) produce a 3 part report on the different:

a. Formats

 Serial

Serials are an example of a TV genre that utilise single camera productions. Serials are able to do this because there’s a long period of time between shooting each season of the show, this means that they can use this time to use one camera and get the highest possible quality footage possible. An example of a serial would be Breaking Bad.

Soap Opera

Soap Operas are not single camera projects. Because Soaps stick to tight schedules, they have to shoot, edit and release episodes with little time in between. In order to save as much time as possible, they use a multi camera set up, meaning that they do not have to take time stopping and changing camera angles for each shot. An example of a soap opera which uses multi camera would be Eastenders.

b. Narrative Structures

The tumblr post below explores the same Narrative structures that are present in single camera drama.

https://reubenmediablog.tumblr.com/post/157234005867/01c

c. Technical Aspects

The tumblr posts below evidence the same Camera, lighting sound, editing, scripting techniques that are present in single camera dramas.

https://reubenmediablog.tumblr.com/post/156307757982/01b

https://reubenmediablog.tumblr.com/post/151708475542/task-4

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U24 task 5

https://soundcloud.com/mccmedia/u24-meg-reuben-tom 

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U24 task 4

Proposed working title: ‘The Gift’

Genre: Thriller/ Horror

Plot:

A psychotic man kidnaps a young woman.

USP:

The story is unique in its exploration of themes including religion and mental illness, and aims to captivate audiences with dialogue driven scenes in one fixed setting.

Premise:

The initial premise focuses on a young woman who has been kidnapped and is being held hostage by a psychotic man. 

Target Audience:

Our target audience is adults aged 18 and upwards who are interested in psychological horror.

Narrative:

The narrative focuses on themes of religion and mental illness and how these can be mistreated and the consequences of it. We researched into the symptoms, causes and treatment for schizophrenia to inform our narrative. The character of Peter’s mental illness and religious beliefs plays an important role in driving the narrative forwards and conflicts with the character of Bethany. 

Message:

Our message is to explore the idea of a worst possible outcome out of the special set of circumstances we are presenting, shown through the character of peter and his mental state.

Peter (young adult male)

Bethany (young female aged around 18)

Character Biographies:

Peter:

Peter is mentally ill young adult male who is socially isolated and driven by extreme religious beliefs. In his own eyes he is a hero and is doing Bethany a favour. He isn’t evil, he’s just the victim of his own mental state who seeks identity through religious beliefs rather than medical assistance.

Bethany:

Bethany is a young innocent girl raised by a loving religious family, and has never wronged anyone in her life. She is the audiences window into the madness, as she becomes the victim of Peters religious sacrifice. She gives the audience someone to sympathise with.

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U24 Task 3

Script Purposes

Factual: Scripts for Documentary films/TV are usually based upon ideas for key scenes and the themes for the documentary and what the filmmaker wants to achieve and communicate to the audience. The script cannot be too specific due to the unpredictable nature of documentary filmmaking, this means that this initial script is will often be strayed away from as the production continues. Depending on the style of the documentary and the content there may also be narration scripts and scripts for re enacted scenes.

Scripts for News programmes must stick to certain rules in order to communicate the news to the viewer in an accurate and to the point way. There will be scripts for news presenters which will use short, attention catching sentences, will be written using present tense where appropriate and will contain accurate facts and figures. In relation to the use of figures, they will not be entirely specific as the viewer doesn’t need to hear every entire digit, for example £3,970,567 will probably be written as ‘close to four million’ in order to avoid needless digits which will take up time and lose the viewers attention. News scripts will also attempt to avoid cliched terms which have been written in articles time and time again. And finally, due to the large amount of time which needs to be communicated in a small amount of time, the dialogue will be designed to keep pushing the story forward and waste no time.

Entertainment programming: Entertainment programming such as quiz shows aims to entertain the viewer. They achieve this through the script by writing jokes for the host which are concise, fun, and humorous. As with many game shows, there will also be trivia questions which are scripted and there will be basic camera and editing direction in the script.

Live broadcasts: Scripts for live broadcasts primarily aim to be informative of the live event happening, such as sporting or music events. Because the events that will take place are live and cannot be predicted most of the dialogue (in a sports game for instance) is improvised by the commentators as the event is happening. Continuing with the example of a sport game, there will also be strict guidelines relating to when to cut away from the event and back to the studio, such as at half time.

Fictional: Fictional TV shows/ Films aim to  tell a story that entertains the viewer and the scripts are very detailed in order to achieve this through dialogue for actors, lighting, camera angles/movement and editing direction. Screenplays adhere to strict formatting rules which means crew and cast members will be able to easily read the script and understand what is required of them, for instance the character speaking will always have their name above their lines so the actor knows when their lines are.

https://www.writersstore.com/how-to-write-a-screenplay-a-guide-to- scriptwriting/

This article demonstrates the strict formatting that screenplays must stick to

http://flash.sonypictures.com/video/movies/thesocialnetwork/awards/thesocialnetwork_screenplay.pdf

Here is a screenplay that reflects and evidences the points i have already made and evidences the formatting that is used on screenplays.

Scripts for fiction are different to factual for several reasons. First of all a fictional script doesn’t need to stick to the truth as its main aim is to entertain and not necessarily inform the viewer. Scripts for fictional projects are also typically much longer and have been planned out in advance long ago to make sure production runs smoothly where as news scripts are written and then put into use very quickly. Also, scripts for documentaries are far less detailed than fiction scripts because of the unpredictability.

REFERENCES:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/production/article/art20130702112136074 

https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-write-a-news-script-for-tv-news-2315281  

http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-genre/script-writing/scripting_unscripted_television 

[reubenmediablog-blog]

U24 Task 2

A) Why is it important generally? Facts v speculations, medical terminology etc.

Research is a vital step in the preparation of a screenplay/script. 

If information is handled inaccurately in a film then it can pull the viewer out of the experience. For instance if one of the characters is a professional doctor but they only know as much as the general audience member, then this comes off as unbelievable, this is applicable to medical dramas such as Casualty and House.

B) Carry out research to inform your own idea (primary and secondary)

In the screenplay i’ve written for this unit one of the characters is schizophrenic. In order to correctly depict this illness i did research into the condition to inform the script. I mostly used this webpage for my research. which helped me learn about the symptoms, causes, how to treat it and what it’s like to live with schizophrenia. This aided me in terms of writing as it meant i had better understanding of the condition and therefore could depict it more accurately, making the story more believable for the viewers.

SURVEY RESULTS:

Here are the results of a survey i conducted regarding horror films to further inform my research for the script.

C) Evaluate research found

The survey was taken mainly by young adults which is the target audience for the project. The responses given aided my belief that what i was writing would be something they’re interested in. I believe the results of the survey emphasise that the script i’m writing would be popular with the target audience because, for instance, 80 percent of people asked answered that they enjoyed horror films, and none of them answered that they wouldn’t like the idea of a short horror film in one location with only two characters.