Script Writing 25/9/13

Scrit Writing

Rachels Lesson

Todays lesson, we talked about doing some filming for our soap. 

But the first thing we had to do was talk about a story line and characters. 

<---- We went back to this brain storming idea.

We eventually got ideas of having a family and friend, and the dad of the family having an affair with the sons best friend Brandii-Mae Brown. 

We then discussed in detail Brandii character a little more and how she should look for the opening sequence, when she talks to her councillor about her past… (we will do a montage of flash backs, this is how she will look)

Costume Ideas

- Brandiis costume ideas for the opening sequence;

I decided to look like this becaue I thought it fit my personality well as the sort of 'chav' but who has a sensitive side to her. Brandiis personality has changed from a very chavy, very out there charcter to a sweet, can't take the abuse little scared girl, but she still dresses like she wants a lot of attention.

- Bed layout

The bed was set like this because the whole feel of where Brandii is and where she is living and who she is living with is very dirty and dusty and we wanted it to look very untidy and look like it was a place where a lot of sex and drugs happens.

We then filmed the first scene of our script. 

We filmed the montage that Brandii talks about in the first scene (her having sex with all these people for money that he so called 'boyfriend' is earning). We filmed with Kyle, James and Matt, the scenes we did film, were when Brandii is talking and explaining to the councillor about the problems she has had throughout her life. She explains about how she was raped and used for sex and how she was a sex slave for her boyfriend. She was being used for others peoples sexual desires aswell. 

Script writing 19/9/13

Rachels Lesson

Script Writing

Today we watched opening sequences from different iconic films. They get the audience interested in the rest of the film. 

Three opening scenes that appeal to me are

1. Titanic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtVyu-A3vkY
2. The Impossible - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmEkpSd1THk
3. Nowhere Boy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvL3pwdjy4k

Nowhere Boy

Character Questions
Which characters are in the scenes at the start? 
In the beginning scene, John Lennon is dreaming about himself being chased by lots of girls. Then finally he is woken up by his mother. He is then later eating breakfast and his mother and father are both in the shot. They are both significant to the beginning and to the rest of the film because without those two key characters John wouldn't develop the way he did throughout the film. John has a lot of friends and is very popular with the ladies, so I think from the time he leaves the house to the time he arrives at school, his whole persona changes, he becomes a cocky, bigheaded boy, around girls he acts like nothing fazes him. He will do anything for attention. 
How does the casting of particular actors influence how you see the characters? 
Aaron Johnson who plays John Lennon, I think has a massive influence on how I see the character. From a girls point of view looking at Aaron, I think he is very good looking, most stereotypical 'good looking/fit' boys are the dick head type, and his character John fits in well with the stereotype, so for me he influences how I see the character. 

What do the costumes tell you about the characters?
In the film the characters in very standard 1950/60s. Mimi, Johns mother wears very dull colours to show herself as the strict not 'fun' parent. John wears the typical 1950s 'lad' outfit, but after he listen to some 'new/different' music he starts to dress more 'rocky' and this shows he isn;t afraid to be different...which is always a good thing especially in his case because he ends up becoming very famous for him being himself. 

Setting
Where do the scenes take place?
The scenes take place in Johns house, his school and along the roads of Liverpool. The school is very 1950s and Johns school has a lot of flower patterns on to represent and show that they are in the 1950/60s. 
The film has a set order to how we see the film. It starts off with his fantasy of him running away from something and then he comes back to reality (him in bed, in his mothers house), it switches from location to location because he is travelling too school, so you see him riding his bike with friend, through the woodsey area, and the roads of Liverpool and then eventually at the school gate.
Why do the scenes take place in the locations they do an does it help to tell the story or does it distract from it?
I think the locations help to set the story more about how John lived his life and how they didn't have all the advantages that we have nowadays. There are a few scenes that have different loactions e.g. when they play there music on the back of a truck, they are in a massive field having a summer fate and by doing this, it breaks up having the same looking locations.

Mise-en-Scene

Harmonica - This was given to John by his father and he promised John that he was going to give lessons to John everyday. This signifies there love for eachother and the love the John has for music.
Glasses - Johns glasses are used, when he doesn't wear them when he leaves for school, so his auntie says 'Glasses John', this shows the relation they have, because John listens to her and puts them on an then leaves.

Lighting
How are the scenes lit? Most of the scenes are using day light. Opening of the curtains, sitting by the window, outside cycling to school. The whole opening scene is all used by natural light, so I don't think that I would changed anything about the lighting, because it is supposed to be morning and I don't think it would look right using artificial lighting to represent morning time.

Sounds and Music
The music in the opening scene is all set in that era, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and more of Johns own music, but as far as we are aware, we don't know that John is going to be a musician. The music definitely sets the mood of the film, sets it up to be a happy, jolly film. 

We also had a look at other opening scenes, to see how other directors look at different aspects of putting across the setting of the film. 

Action Opening - the film 'Cliffhanger' it gets straight into the action.
Character Driven - Location establishing - 'Perfume' 
Backstory - dramatic music - montage of life events the film 'Up'
Music/Location - the lion king

Script Writing 13/9/13

Rachels Lesson

Script Work

In todays lesson, we talked about what we would be doing for the unit and what it would involve. 
We were talking about how in the next few weeks, we will be filming and episode or trailer for a soap. 

The first thing we did was draw (diagram below) because we were talking about what we could use or how we could start our little soap/film. 

We did this because we wanted to find the easiest and quickest way to get a starting point for  our project. We did this in groups of 4, I was with Charlotte, Joe and Ben. 

We came up with ideas, then narrowed them down into smaller groups of ideas we liked best and eventually had a basis of what our story could be about and so we came up with characters. 

Characters:

Charlotte: Sheila Townsend (37)

Emily: Brandii-Mae Brown (18) 

Joe: Junior Townsend (17)

Ben: Phil Townsend (38)

My characters name Brandii is still being discussed, because we don't know how her character will develop.

After discussing and developing her character more, we all decided as a group to change her name from Brandii to Courtney.

Courtney's character: Courtney 15, has been through a lot in her life. She lived in Liverpool with her mother and father, but they were hardly ever around, she used to do a lot drugs and smokes a lot and just hangs around with her friends all the time. 
Courtney was once hanging around smoking when she gets a text from her mother telling her to get home, when a man from the distance spots her and follows her home. He tells her that she is beautiful and that he thinks she has great model potential and he asks her to move to London to pursue a modelling career. Courtney accepts, but she didn't realise what she had got herself into. 
She moved to London and was told by this mystery man to do what she was told and basically was his sex slave and had to meet his every desire. 
Now 18 years old she goes to see a councillor because she has den through a lot and it has effected her, but the more she talks to her councillor, the more she opens up to him and falls in love with him. 


This is why we decided to change Brandii to Courtney, we just thought that Brandii now didn't fit into the backstory and the character details that she has. 

First draft of the script.

Act 1 Scene 1

Start with establishing shot of 27 year old man watching Courtney and her friends, just having a laugh. 

*Friends laughing, messing around*

She gets a text from her mum asking her to come home to cook dinner. 

Courtney: (suggestively - wink) Oh, I gotta go, i'm meeting someone 
*Friends* shouting, cheering, wolf whistling etc

Courtney walks off down alley "alone"
Courtney feels someone watching her and reacts by turning discretely to look behind her. 

Half-way down the alley Courtney turns around and confronts the "mystery man"

Courtney: (angrily) I've already got a shadow thanks

She carries on walking. She stops and eventually she turns around 

Courtney: (confrontational) Do you have a problem?

Man: (sultry and sexy) I'm sorry I just think your gorgeous

Courtney: (surprised and flattered) oh… thanks 

Courtney turns away smiling and starts to walk off. Man then stops her

Man: (stopping her) No, wait. Look i'm a scout and I know with that face you will go far. 

Courtney is shocked and just stand there. 

Man: (eagerly) Take my card. Call me. 

Man turns to walk away Courtney just stands there looking at the card

Man: (excited/firm) No wait, let me take your number. I'll call you.

END SCENE

Fade into Courtney at the airport waiting room with Man

Man: (casual talk) You'll love London. It's great!
Courtney: (lovingly) I can't wait! 

She holds his hand and he squeezes hers back

Courtney: (Astounded) OMG! This place is amazing!
Man: (slyly) Welcome to London! 

Courtney gives him a peck and he takes it too far, but Courtney goes along with it because she trusts him. They passionately kiss and go into the bedroom, the door slams and you assume they are about to sleep together. 

Scene changes to man and friend in the living room talking. Courtney comes out of the bedroom and goes through to the kitchen to get herself a drink. Man and friend notice Courtney and they talk about her.The man calls Courtney over

Man: Come here babe, I want you to meet my friend Matt

Courtney is pulled down on to the sofa by man. She is in-between them both. Matt puts his hand on Courtney's leg and starts kissing her neck. Matt stands and takes her to the bedroom

Courtney: (worried) Whats going on?
Man: (firm) Don't worry babe, just do what you're told!

Courtney keeps eye contact with man until the door closes.