• Issue - Rape
• Location – House – Kitchen and Bedroom
• Characters – Main female character – Rape victim
Main male character – Rapist
Extras at party – Friends of the main characters
Plot Overview:
The film begins with a group of friends at a party all having a good time and enjoying themselves; the camera is focused on a young girl who seems relaxed and happy. After a while the doorbell goes and a young male arrives, the camera then focuses on both him and the girl however this time the girl’s disposition changes as she becomes tense and uneasy; we see the male constantly looking over at the girl. During these close-up shots of the girl the digetic sound of music and chatter blurs out and we hear the non-digetic sound of a struggle between a man and a woman. After a while the woman goes upstairs and we see the man follow suit shortly after. The next scene we see is of the these two characters having a short, heated exchange and then we see and hear the struggle that was previously heard between the two in the girl’s head, the audience then realise that this has obviously happened before and that the girl is a victim of rape and that this man is her abuser.
This was my first initial idea which was later used as the basis for my first synopsis and main task. I feel that this idea worked well as it was the right length, fitting into the five minute time frame specified by OCR and contains high stakes and some form of journey for both the main characters. It also contains a great deal of tension ensuring that the viewer would be interested and want to continue watching the film. Although my initial idea was fairly successful it did change along the way and is fairly different from my final product.
Monday 17 January 2011
Film Synopsis One
Several young adults are hanging around in a modern kitchen where a small gathering of friends is taking place. One girl stands out from the crowd, she is relaxed and happy, laughing away with her friends. The doorbell goes and a young male arrives, most of the party go over to greet him except the girl who now looks tense and uneasy, she finds it difficult to look at the boy, fiddling with the glass of drink in her hand and constantly looking at the floor. The boy keeps glancing over at the girl looking eager to talk to her. The commotion surrounding the boy dies down and he goes over to talk to the girl, he grabs her arm and asks if they can talk but she wrestles it free and makes an escape to one of the bedrooms upstairs in the house.
Once in the bedroom she sits on the bed and puts her head in her hands. The boy in the kitchen is now drinking and laughing with those in the kitchen but keeps looking at the stairs wanting to go after the girl. The girl is now in the bedroom looking intently at her reflection in a mirror, she breathes heavily and begins to fix her make-up. Suddenly the young boy from downstairs appears behind her in the mirror, she turns round to face him and walk out the room but the boy slams the door hard. The girl sits on the bed and the boy sits next to her, she moves away and doesn’t look him in the eye. He begins to talk to her, touching her face and moving her hair out of the way. She gets up to leave but he throws her onto the bed.
The rest of the party downstairs hear a struggle from the bedroom above, there is a mixed response with a couple of girls and boys from the party running up the stairs to investigate. They fling open the door and see the girl cowering from the boy on the bed while the boy jumps up and tries to leave the room not making eye contact however he is stopped by his mates who demand to know what’s been going on.
The first synopsis of my chosen idea produced a hard-hitting social realism film with strong themes of violence and aggression, therefore causing issues to arise. One of the main issues with this synopsis is that some viewers may find the end scene between the main characters distressing and disturbing to watch, this end scene also doesn't have much purpose in the fact that it doesn't move the story or the characters along in any way, it just tells the audience what has happened between the two previously. However this scene creates a great deal of tension, a key ingredient to a successful short. This synopsis also identifies the protagonist of the piece although their want or need is not identified.
Once in the bedroom she sits on the bed and puts her head in her hands. The boy in the kitchen is now drinking and laughing with those in the kitchen but keeps looking at the stairs wanting to go after the girl. The girl is now in the bedroom looking intently at her reflection in a mirror, she breathes heavily and begins to fix her make-up. Suddenly the young boy from downstairs appears behind her in the mirror, she turns round to face him and walk out the room but the boy slams the door hard. The girl sits on the bed and the boy sits next to her, she moves away and doesn’t look him in the eye. He begins to talk to her, touching her face and moving her hair out of the way. She gets up to leave but he throws her onto the bed.
The rest of the party downstairs hear a struggle from the bedroom above, there is a mixed response with a couple of girls and boys from the party running up the stairs to investigate. They fling open the door and see the girl cowering from the boy on the bed while the boy jumps up and tries to leave the room not making eye contact however he is stopped by his mates who demand to know what’s been going on.
The first synopsis of my chosen idea produced a hard-hitting social realism film with strong themes of violence and aggression, therefore causing issues to arise. One of the main issues with this synopsis is that some viewers may find the end scene between the main characters distressing and disturbing to watch, this end scene also doesn't have much purpose in the fact that it doesn't move the story or the characters along in any way, it just tells the audience what has happened between the two previously. However this scene creates a great deal of tension, a key ingredient to a successful short. This synopsis also identifies the protagonist of the piece although their want or need is not identified.
Film Synopsis Two
Several young adults are hanging around in a modern kitchen where a small gathering of friends is taking place. The sound of pop music plays in the background while various decorations are dotted around the room, one a banner saying “Happy Birthday” and another a balloon saying “Happy 21st”. One girl stands out from the crowd, she is relaxed and happy, laughing away with her friends in the midst of the group. The doorbell goes and a young male arrives, he is dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt, most of the party go over to greet him except the girl who now looks tense and uneasy, she finds it difficult to look at the boy, fiddling with the glass of drink in her hand and constantly looking at the floor. The boy keeps glancing over at the girl looking eager to talk to her. The commotion surrounding the boy dies down and he goes over to talk to the girl, he grabs her arm and asks if they can talk but she wrestles it free and makes an escape to one of the bedrooms upstairs in the house.
Once in the bedroom she sits on the bed and puts her head in her hands. The boy is now in the middle of a drinking game with those in the kitchen but while everyone else is laughing and knocking back shots he keeps looking at the stairs wanting to go after the girl.
The girl is looking intently at her reflection in the bedroom mirror, she breathes heavily and begins to fix her make-up. The boy is now outside the bedroom door listening carefully, he knocks gently against the door and hears no response. He knocks again and enters. The girl is sitting on the bed rifling through her bag, the boy goes over to sit next to her offering her a drink, she moves away and doesn’t look him in the eye. Seeing she doesn’t want to be near him he walks over to a chair in the corner of the room, placing the drinks on a small bedside table, both of them sitting in an awkward silence. Suddenly the girl gets up from the bed and walks quietly over to the boy, she grabs his neck, pushing him against the wall and forcing him up out of the chair. He doesn’t react or even look her in the eye. Tears stream down her face as she releases her grip on the boy, she leaves the room while the boy slumps to the floor.
In this synopsis I added in the familiar event of a 21st birthday party, to help the reader identify with the scene and also to make the short more successful, as having an identifiable event within the film means the audience are familiar with the situation. It also places the characters in a world of barely suppressed emotions, which is useful for generating tension.
However the biggest change to this synopsis comes in the development of the antagonist of the film. In the first synopsis he is very confident around the girl and far more aggressive towards her, whereas in this synopsis he is much more gentle, knocking on the door before entering and offering her a drink as a kind of peace offering. He also doesn't touch the girl in any way physically, one of the main changes to the character.
The protagonist is also developed a lot more as she challenges the boy physically, this development within the character tells us that she is actually extremely angry with the boy and that her taking action against him is a huge part of her journey. This ending ultimately lets the audience make their own conclusions as to why she's so angry at him, unlike the first synopsis where the ending tells the audience what has happened between the two.
Once in the bedroom she sits on the bed and puts her head in her hands. The boy is now in the middle of a drinking game with those in the kitchen but while everyone else is laughing and knocking back shots he keeps looking at the stairs wanting to go after the girl.
The girl is looking intently at her reflection in the bedroom mirror, she breathes heavily and begins to fix her make-up. The boy is now outside the bedroom door listening carefully, he knocks gently against the door and hears no response. He knocks again and enters. The girl is sitting on the bed rifling through her bag, the boy goes over to sit next to her offering her a drink, she moves away and doesn’t look him in the eye. Seeing she doesn’t want to be near him he walks over to a chair in the corner of the room, placing the drinks on a small bedside table, both of them sitting in an awkward silence. Suddenly the girl gets up from the bed and walks quietly over to the boy, she grabs his neck, pushing him against the wall and forcing him up out of the chair. He doesn’t react or even look her in the eye. Tears stream down her face as she releases her grip on the boy, she leaves the room while the boy slumps to the floor.
In this synopsis I added in the familiar event of a 21st birthday party, to help the reader identify with the scene and also to make the short more successful, as having an identifiable event within the film means the audience are familiar with the situation. It also places the characters in a world of barely suppressed emotions, which is useful for generating tension.
However the biggest change to this synopsis comes in the development of the antagonist of the film. In the first synopsis he is very confident around the girl and far more aggressive towards her, whereas in this synopsis he is much more gentle, knocking on the door before entering and offering her a drink as a kind of peace offering. He also doesn't touch the girl in any way physically, one of the main changes to the character.
The protagonist is also developed a lot more as she challenges the boy physically, this development within the character tells us that she is actually extremely angry with the boy and that her taking action against him is a huge part of her journey. This ending ultimately lets the audience make their own conclusions as to why she's so angry at him, unlike the first synopsis where the ending tells the audience what has happened between the two.
Film Synopsis Three
Several young adults are hanging around in a modern kitchen where a small gathering of friends is taking place. The sound of pop music plays in the background while various decorations are dotted around the room, one a banner saying “Happy Birthday” and another a balloon saying “Happy 21st”. One girl stands out from the crowd (Fearne, aged 20); she is relaxed and happy, laughing away with her friends in the midst of the group. The doorbell goes and a young male arrives (Jack, aged 21), he is casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Most of the party go over to greet him except Fearne who now looks tense and uneasy. She finds it difficult to look at Jack, fiddling with the glass of drink in her hand and constantly looking at the floor. Jack keeps glancing over at her while being yanked away to a table full of shots by a mass of guys and girls all the while still glancing at Fearne. She catches his eye once, twice, three times and instantly looks away every time finally making an escape to one of the bedrooms upstairs in the house.
Once in the bedroom she sits on the bed and puts her head in her hands. Jack is now in the middle of a drinking game with those in the kitchen but while everyone else is laughing and knocking back shot after shot he keeps looking at the stairs wanting to go after her.
Fearne is looking intently at her reflection in the bedroom mirror; she breathes heavily and begins to fix her make-up. Jack is now outside the bedroom door listening carefully; he knocks gently against the door and hears no response. He knocks again and enters. Fearne is sitting on the bed rifling through her bag, Jack goes over to sit next to her offering her a drink, she moves away and doesn’t look him in the eye. Seeing she doesn’t want to be near him he walks over to the corner of the room, placing the drinks on a small bedside table, both of them in an awkward silence, him fiddling with a small ornament. Suddenly Fearne gets up from the bed and walks quietly over to Jack. She grabs his neck and forces him up against the wall all the while trying to look him in the eye, her face overwhelmed with emotion. He doesn’t react or even try to calm her down. Her face is now a mixture of anger and hatred as she releases her grip on him; she leaves the room while he stands there in a daze.
This third synopsis hasn't changed much from the previous one however the main characters now have more of an identity as they have been given names and ages.
Overall this synopsis is fairly successful although it doesn't include any motive for Fearne to get up and attack Jack.
Once in the bedroom she sits on the bed and puts her head in her hands. Jack is now in the middle of a drinking game with those in the kitchen but while everyone else is laughing and knocking back shot after shot he keeps looking at the stairs wanting to go after her.
Fearne is looking intently at her reflection in the bedroom mirror; she breathes heavily and begins to fix her make-up. Jack is now outside the bedroom door listening carefully; he knocks gently against the door and hears no response. He knocks again and enters. Fearne is sitting on the bed rifling through her bag, Jack goes over to sit next to her offering her a drink, she moves away and doesn’t look him in the eye. Seeing she doesn’t want to be near him he walks over to the corner of the room, placing the drinks on a small bedside table, both of them in an awkward silence, him fiddling with a small ornament. Suddenly Fearne gets up from the bed and walks quietly over to Jack. She grabs his neck and forces him up against the wall all the while trying to look him in the eye, her face overwhelmed with emotion. He doesn’t react or even try to calm her down. Her face is now a mixture of anger and hatred as she releases her grip on him; she leaves the room while he stands there in a daze.
This third synopsis hasn't changed much from the previous one however the main characters now have more of an identity as they have been given names and ages.
Overall this synopsis is fairly successful although it doesn't include any motive for Fearne to get up and attack Jack.
Film Synopsis Four
Several young adults are hanging around in a modern kitchen where a small gathering of friends is taking place. The sound of pop music plays in the background while various decorations are dotted around the room, one a banner saying “Happy Birthday” and another a balloon saying “Happy 21st”. One girl stands out from the crowd (Fearne, aged 20); she looks withdrawn and subdued, quietly chatting with her friends in the midst of the group. The doorbell goes and a young male arrives (Jack, aged 21); he is casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Most of the party go over to greet him except Fearne who now looks tense and uneasy. She finds it difficult to look at Jack, fiddling with the glass of drink in her hand and constantly looking at the floor. Jack keeps glancing over at her while being yanked away to a table full of shots by a mass of guys and girls all the while still glancing at Fearne. She catches his eye once, twice, three times and instantly looks away every time, finally making an escape to one of the bedrooms upstairs in the house.
Once in the bedroom she sits on the bed and puts her head in her hands. Jack is now in the middle of a drinking game with those in the kitchen but while everyone else is laughing and knocking back shot after shot he keeps looking at the stairs.
Fearne is now looking intently at her reflection in the bedroom mirror; she breathes heavily and begins to fix her make-up. Jack is now outside the bedroom door listening carefully; he knocks gently against the door and hears no response. He knocks again and enters. Fearne is sitting on the bed rifling through her bag, Jack goes over to sit next to her but she moves away and doesn’t look him in the eye. Seeing she doesn’t want to be near him he walks over to the corner of the room, standing beside a small bedside table, both of them in an awkward silence, him fiddling with a small ornament. Suddenly, uncomfortable with the awkward silence between them both Jack begins a lame explanation of what he did to Fearne. She ignores him while he carries on trying to excuse his actions. A moment’s silence ensues between the two. Jack begins to ramble on again when all of a sudden he says something which angers Fearne; she gets up from the bed and walks quietly over to Jack. She grabs his neck and forces him up against the wall all the while trying to look him in the eye, her face overwhelmed with emotion. He doesn’t react or even try to calm her down. Her face is now a mixture of anger and hatred as she slowly releases her grip on him, composing herself and trying to hold back her emotions. Fearne leaves the room while Jack stands there in a daze.
This fourth synopsis has developed Fearne more as a character as she is subdued and quiet compared to relaxed and happy in the third synopsis. Jack also says something to trigger Fearne's reaction, a development in both the plot and the characters. Jack's speech to Fearne and the awkward silence between them also creates more tension with the film.
Once in the bedroom she sits on the bed and puts her head in her hands. Jack is now in the middle of a drinking game with those in the kitchen but while everyone else is laughing and knocking back shot after shot he keeps looking at the stairs.
Fearne is now looking intently at her reflection in the bedroom mirror; she breathes heavily and begins to fix her make-up. Jack is now outside the bedroom door listening carefully; he knocks gently against the door and hears no response. He knocks again and enters. Fearne is sitting on the bed rifling through her bag, Jack goes over to sit next to her but she moves away and doesn’t look him in the eye. Seeing she doesn’t want to be near him he walks over to the corner of the room, standing beside a small bedside table, both of them in an awkward silence, him fiddling with a small ornament. Suddenly, uncomfortable with the awkward silence between them both Jack begins a lame explanation of what he did to Fearne. She ignores him while he carries on trying to excuse his actions. A moment’s silence ensues between the two. Jack begins to ramble on again when all of a sudden he says something which angers Fearne; she gets up from the bed and walks quietly over to Jack. She grabs his neck and forces him up against the wall all the while trying to look him in the eye, her face overwhelmed with emotion. He doesn’t react or even try to calm her down. Her face is now a mixture of anger and hatred as she slowly releases her grip on him, composing herself and trying to hold back her emotions. Fearne leaves the room while Jack stands there in a daze.
This fourth synopsis has developed Fearne more as a character as she is subdued and quiet compared to relaxed and happy in the third synopsis. Jack also says something to trigger Fearne's reaction, a development in both the plot and the characters. Jack's speech to Fearne and the awkward silence between them also creates more tension with the film.
Film Synopsis Five
Several young adults are hanging around in a modern kitchen where a small gathering of friends is taking place. The sound of pop music plays in the background while various decorations are dotted around the room, one a banner saying “Happy Birthday” and another a balloon saying “Happy 18th”. One girl stands out from the crowd (Fearne, aged 18); she looks withdrawn and subdued, quietly chatting with her friends in the midst of the group. The doorbell goes and a young male arrives (Jack, aged 19); he is casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Most of the party go over to greet him except Fearne who now looks tense and uneasy. She finds it difficult to look at Jack, fiddling with the glass of drink in her hand and constantly looking at the floor. Jack keeps glancing over at her while being yanked away to a table full of shots by a mass of guys and girls. She catches his eye once, twice, three times and instantly looks away every time, finally making an escape to one of the bedrooms upstairs in the house.
Once in the bedroom she sits on the bed and puts her head in her hands. Jack is now in the middle of a drinking game in the kitchen but while everyone else is laughing and knocking back shot after shot he keeps looking at the stairs.
Fearne is now looking intently at her reflection in the bedroom mirror; she breathes heavily and begins to fix her make-up. Jack is now outside the bedroom door listening carefully; he knocks gently against the door and hears no response. He knocks again and enters. Fearne is sitting on the bed rifling through her bag. Jack stands just inside the doorway looking at her. She doesn’t look him in the eye. He walks over to the corner of the room. He stands beside a small bedside table fiddling with a small ornament. Jack begins a lame explanation of what he did to Fearne. She ignores him while he carries on trying to excuse his actions. A moment’s silence ensues between the two. Jack begins to ramble on again when all of a sudden he says something which angers Fearne; she gets up from the bed and runs at him. She grabs his neck and forces him up against the wall all the while trying to look him in the eye, her face overwhelmed with emotion. He doesn’t react or even try to calm her down. Her face is now a mixture of anger and hatred as she slowly releases her grip on him, composing herself and trying to hold back her emotions. Fearne leaves the room while Jack stands there in a daze.
This fifth and final synopsis doesn't differ much from the fourth although Jack doesn't attempt to sit next to Fearne, instead he gives her her space while Fearne is much more aggressive towards Jack, running at him and forcing him up against the wall.
I also changed the main character's ages as I felt that the actors cast for the parts would be more believeable playing older teenagers rather than young adults.
Overall this synopsis is well laid out in the correct structure and contains the key ingredients needed for any successful short film: a familiar event or setting, tension, a character's journey and the ability for the audience to come to their own conclusions.
Once in the bedroom she sits on the bed and puts her head in her hands. Jack is now in the middle of a drinking game in the kitchen but while everyone else is laughing and knocking back shot after shot he keeps looking at the stairs.
Fearne is now looking intently at her reflection in the bedroom mirror; she breathes heavily and begins to fix her make-up. Jack is now outside the bedroom door listening carefully; he knocks gently against the door and hears no response. He knocks again and enters. Fearne is sitting on the bed rifling through her bag. Jack stands just inside the doorway looking at her. She doesn’t look him in the eye. He walks over to the corner of the room. He stands beside a small bedside table fiddling with a small ornament. Jack begins a lame explanation of what he did to Fearne. She ignores him while he carries on trying to excuse his actions. A moment’s silence ensues between the two. Jack begins to ramble on again when all of a sudden he says something which angers Fearne; she gets up from the bed and runs at him. She grabs his neck and forces him up against the wall all the while trying to look him in the eye, her face overwhelmed with emotion. He doesn’t react or even try to calm her down. Her face is now a mixture of anger and hatred as she slowly releases her grip on him, composing herself and trying to hold back her emotions. Fearne leaves the room while Jack stands there in a daze.
This fifth and final synopsis doesn't differ much from the fourth although Jack doesn't attempt to sit next to Fearne, instead he gives her her space while Fearne is much more aggressive towards Jack, running at him and forcing him up against the wall.
I also changed the main character's ages as I felt that the actors cast for the parts would be more believeable playing older teenagers rather than young adults.
Overall this synopsis is well laid out in the correct structure and contains the key ingredients needed for any successful short film: a familiar event or setting, tension, a character's journey and the ability for the audience to come to their own conclusions.
Script One
This first script has a few grammar errors alongside some structural problems such as characters names not being in capital letters and their ages not being included. It also has a few problems with dialogue where the speech didn't seem to fit the synopsis correctly or it just didn't flow well.
However, overall this first script hasn't got that many problems with it and so therefore will be used as the structure for my next draft.
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