Are you still there?

First of all, WOW! What a week!


In the last week I have finished shooting my trailer, began editing it, re-worked my script, roughly sketched my storyboard, discovered I may have my first REAL job as a RUNNER, managed to get tickets to the Chelsea Vs Utd champions league quarter finals AND..... had a sneaky trip to Amsterdam!.


As much fun as that all sounds, I've learnt a HELL of a lot too!


 Firstly,  I have discovered that I have a slight OCD about colour correction on FCP. On Monday before the trip to The DAME, I must have spent around three hours going through each clip changing the brightness, contrast, gama, hues, intensity and noise levels, roughly twenty times!!! Only then to decide that no matter what I did, it wasn't going to be the perfect constant colour and look as professional as I had hoped. So I made a bold move............ my trailer is now totally BLACK AND WHITE!


 It looks a lot better, and I really think it adds to the mood and grittyness, that the trailer is trying to convey. It also fits with the idea that my character, Jessica's life isn't in technicolour until "The Meeting".. maybe I'm justifying a bit too much, but I hope everyone thinks it adds to it, rather then takes anything away.


I also started work on my script again. I left it quite along time because I was quite happy with it already, and was scared I was going to some how ruin it.  Simon mentioned that there was quite a few formatting issues, where there was too much spacing. That really worried me, because I had spent a lot of time trying to make every page end on some kind of cliffhanger, and now I would need to move everything up ALOT, possibly meaning that my script wouldn't quite be ten pages either. Thankfully however, it looks at the moment, that with a few tweaks and adding a bit more detail where it was needed,  everything important has stayed pretty much where I wanted it to be!


I have been reading a book called "How to write great screensplays and get them into production" It's really helpful and pretty much hammers in everything Simon has told us, including a brilliant section on The Witness and the Three Act structure, so its a great reference!


So what's next? Well I've got to add the titles to my trailers now that I'm happy with the final edit, re do my pitch an synopsis (Simon I'm really stuck!) and finish off my Storyboard. Also I'm going to try and do a bit more in terms of my essay, it seems like it's a horrible monster lurking over my shoulder, and really stressing me out. I know once I get rolling it will be ok, I just really don't know what direction I want to head in....... HELP!!


Anyway, best of luck to everyone with their story telling unit, can't wait to see everyones finished work! After all the effort everyone is putting in (special mention to Hennie for all the time she spent on props!!), I know it's going to pay off!!

Youtube Channel

I've started up my own Youtube Channel, where I'm currently uploading as much of my work as I can.


 here's the link .......


http://www.youtube.com/user/laurenjay901

I would love to get some feedback! Thanks :)

THE MEETING SCRIPT FIRST DRAFT

Thought I would share with you the first draft of my script for "THE MEETING" any feedback would be really great, as well as ideas for the trailer... I'm STUCK!!!

(something has failed in the upload, so ignore the first two pages, it starts on the third! )
The Meeting by Lauren Howard, Draft 1

SOFT TRAILER

Hey, firstly apologies for not writing sooner. I have been locked away for the last week writing my script, which I am really happy with, just need to do a few tweaks here and there...
... So on to the trailer!


To practice our editing skills, we have just finished making a one minute trailer for an existing short film called SOFT, by Simon Eliis. 


Here's mine, let me know what you think!

Exploring the idea of "The Meeting"

"The Meeting"

(Here goes... first attempt at exploring my idea... be gentle!)

Character Profiles:

Jessica

Jessica is twelve years old. She is an only child and lives with her neglective mother.  She has long blonde hair, which she always keeps tied back, her clothes are dainty, and very respectable. Her favourite dress, is knee length, mauve cotton, with tiny white flowers, neatly embroidered around the neck. It reminds her of days in freshly cut fields, and linen that has just been washed at her Grandmother’s house. Jessica is well organised, she is never late for school, and is always dressed, ready to make her breakfast at 8:15, while her mother often lays sleeping on the couch.

To cope with the stark independence of her day to day life, Jessica has spent years living in a world of make-believe, trying to create her own entertainment, with the help of her imaginary friends. Yet on the outside she is very old for her years, making dinner for herself and buying the weekly shopping. Jessica has taken on the adult role in the household and deals with the day to day running of it. Within the home there is a clear role reversal, which is uncomfortable to watch, as the audience longs for Jessica to just be a carefree, little girl.

 Jessica’s Mum

A nameless character, who creates a miserable world for her daughter Jessica.  Her life is not quite what she had imagined, falling pregnant at a young age with Jessica and suffers from the feeling of abandonment by Jessica’s father. She heavily relies on drink to fill the void and often leaves Jessica to her own devices, whilst she meets numerous men and stays till closing at her local pub, the “Who’d A Thought it”.  Jessica’s mum is juvenile, her hair is straw like, with dark routes seeing through her poorly died plantium blonde hair and she wears clothes far too young for her age. Her reading age is around 10 years and has the emotional capabilities of someone nearer to Jessicas age, and has no maternal instincts. Jessica's Mum blames everyone but herself for the way her life has turned out.

Themes

- Child Neglect

- Online grooming

- Split families due to war

Setting

- Two Bedrooms, semi detached council house, cluttered, Kent, Maidstone.

- Jessica’s Bedroom is the only organised room in the house, filled with soft toys, lots of drawings created by her and a make-shift den.

Story/ Synopsis:


"The Meeting" is a contemporary drama, with elements of fantasy and animation. A young girl fights to keep her dreams alive in a South East council estate, famed for being Europe's teenage pregnancy capital. Her mother is a raging alcoholic, full of contempt for how her own life has turned out and total resentment for her daughter, which she has no intentions of hiding. Jessica finds solitary comfort playing with her imaginary friend, an army general, yet longs to be loved and feel human connection. 


She imagines everyday being rescued by a knight in shining armor. With animated dreams of  her abusive mother being locked in a tower or fed to a pool of crocodiles, she can no longer leave her at night to meet vicious and vile men.  To the rest of the world, Jessica keeps her emotions closely guarded, not wanting to make any friends in her neighborhood, adamant this will not be her home forever. Staying strong, she keeps the house clean and her clothes pressed, making dinner at six and her breakfast at eight.


Soon finding hope in a seemingly caring stranger she talks to online, their relationship begins to grow stronger every day. With his caring words and protective nature, she prays he will come and take her away. In a house where she cannot be a child, hounded by her mothers verbal attacks, he gives her light in the darkness . 


Arranging to meet, Jessica begins to count down the days until they are united, sworn to secrecy and not wanting to ruin their plans, she stays silent.  In a world with no affection, only lies and neglect, will her stranger bring the shelter she needs, or steal the one part of her childhood and innocence she has left? It is their meeting that will ultimately decide.

The Pitch Draft 1:


A young girl fighting to keep her childhood innocence, in a world where fantasy and neglect collide. Talking to a stranger online, she finds compassion. Their meeting will determine her life forever. 


( I know its a few words too long.... any ideas on how to shorten it? I'm stuck!)


The Reveal


In todays culture, my story of this young girl conversing with someone online, who is revealed to be someone much older, immediately creates a feeling of unease and fear for her safety. As the emails become more and more personal, emotionally expressive, and build towards some kind of a "meeting" , we automatically come to the conclusion that Jessica is being groomed by a pedophile. Yet the twist at the end, when "the meeting" actually occurs, it is actually Jessica's Dad, and he has come to "rescue" her upon his return from duty in Afganistan.


I came up with this idea after exploring stories about young girls meeting strangers online, and the homecoming of soldiers, embracing their loved ones after a long period of absence. I thought it would be a clever idea to merge the two ideas, to add a surprise element to each story, and create a "good feeling", when there are so many stories in the media, where especially neglect, only ends in tragedy. 

Story Telling Unit - Pre-writing Phase

Before I started this course I had attempted to write numerous scripts. Starting off with great ideas and knowing how they would end. However, I made the huge mistake, as pointed out to us this week, that if you sit down with an idea, and go straight into writing the actual screenplay, it takes FOREVER!!! Not only this, but as I have done, you give up. The story gets lost, all your ideas fall at the wayside and you are left with just the beginning.

So this week I was given a extremely valuable lesson, about pre-writing. Write down all your ideas, the plot, the characters, even every scene in bullet points if you can. Explore every theme, every setting and research as much as you can. Then when you do eventually sit down to write your screenplay, it will be a piece of cake.... well almost! It's because you have a map, you know exactly where you are going, how you are going to get there and all the possible obstacles and events you are going to face a long the way.

To put this into action, we were given a task in groups to select a story in that days newspapers as a starting point, and create an idea, a plot and develop the characters and settings, for a ten minute film. We chose a really difficult story from the Guardian, about a young mother and her children murdered by the father. In reflection, it was perhaps a little too fresh and raw, but it did give us much more emotion and grit to our writing.

Here's what we came up with....

“ESCAPE” – THE PRE-WRITING STAGE

Genre: Social realist drama.

The Idea/story: Escape is about domestic violence within a nuclear family set up. Aram is a young father on benefits, who is addicted to cannabis, consumed by paranoia, possessiveness and violent outbursts. His family suffers at the brunt of his split personality and his frustration at his loss of masculinity. Aram’s wife Joy, works hard to bring in food for her young family, and is desperate to change the life she is destined to have.  Yet, Joy out of fear, stands by and helplessly lets her husband beat her daily and mentally abuse their children, will she ever escape?

The Plot:  We enter the family’s life at breaking point.

Main Plot points:

1.       Opening scene, Aram is on the couch, all day smoking cannabis and watching daytime television. He is uninterested by his 2 and 4 year old sons, who are left to their own devices, with dirty clothes, raiding the kitchen for any scraps that they can find.

2.       Joy arrives home from work at the local Tescos, ten minutes later than normal, due to an unexpected delay. Aram, with irrational jealousy verbally attacks Joy. The situation escalates, and the audience is left watching the reaction of the children in the kitchen as they listen to the familiar sound of their mother being violently attacked, pleading for him to stop.

3.       Later we see, Joy, tenderly tucking her children into the cramped and cold beds, as she fights to hold back her tears.

4.       The next morning Joy awakes, and the full extent of the attack is shown on her swollen, bruised and battered body, including a black eye. Which she desperately tries to mask with make-up, before leaving the house.

5.       Whilst at work, Joy is confronted by her manager, who calls her into the office. The manager unsympathetically, explains to Joy that the unexplained bruises, that have appeared constantly since her employment three years ago, are not the kind of image that she wants portrayed to her customers any longer. If it continues then her contract will be terminated.

6.       Joy is in turmoil trying to muster up the courage to escape her violent life, not only for her, but also for the sake of her young children.

7.        Still undecided, Joy arrives home to the usual scene of Aram lying on the couch with a spliff in hand. She finds both children hysterical with cigarette burns all over their body. Her mind is finally made up. 

8.       Joy agonizingly waits until Aram is again unconscious for the night on the couch. She frantically collects her and her children’s necessities. Gently waking them, taking the youngest in her arms and the eldest by the hand she attempts her escape.

9.       Stepping through the front door her efforts are all in vain, as Aram suddenly grabs the eldest child pulling him back into the house.

10.    Joy and her children are tied to the kitchen chairs, as we see Aram’s descent into complete madness. The monster douses his family in petrol, as the Zippo lighter falls to floor, the front door closes, as the audience is left to imagine the horrific scene that follows. Has Joy finally escaped?

THEMES:

1.       Loss of masculinity in an economy that is not longer dependent on manufacturing.

2.       Family and Relationships

3.       Lack of self-belief.

4.       Gender roles.

5.       Drugs

6.       Domestic Violence/child abuse

CHARACTERS:

ARAM:

1.       Is 23, unemployed former factory worker for Rover.

2.       Nobody, stoner, with working class family upbringing.

3.       Strong masculine values that he cannot meet due to him not being able to provide for his family, this brings immense frustration.

4.       Male dominant- only expresses his emotions through violence.

5.       Sever drug dependence, that only amplifies his paranoia, violent behavior and depression due to lack of male role and respect from peers.

6.       Aram is of average build,tall, strong and dominant. Poor personal hygiene, scruffy, dazed and confused.

7.       He only feels strong, when he exposes others weaknesses.

8.       He also lacks self worth and feels he has lost all control of his life. The only thing he can control is his weaker family.

JOY:

1.       21, employed Tesco worker.

2.       Quiet, shy, repressed and keeps herself to herself.

3.       Good at covering up her abusive life and has become submissive due to this.

4.       Joy was raised in an abusive household, in the same estate and doesn’t know any different.

5.       Joy became a mother at a very young age; she never enjoyed her childhood and never fulfilled her aspirations of getting out of the council estate.

6.       Emotionally scarred, trapped and extremely vulnerable

7.       She lacks the self-respect and courage to change the pattern in her life.

8.       Her appearance amplifies her situation; she is thin, weak, exhausted and immensely fragile.

9.       She takes on all the roles of a modern woman, juggling caring for her children, making sure her chores are carried out and working full time to support the whole family, including Aram’s drug habit.

SETTINGS:

1.       North of England

2.       Grotty council estate

3.       Cramped, dingy and dirty flat

4.       Present day

5.       Tesco supermarket

I now feel a lot better about writing the screenplay for "The Meeting", and hopefully will finally go about writing one the correct way :)

Media Strategies

As part of our theory unit, we have been asked to answer the question, "How have audiences affected the creation and transmission of contemporary programming".

We started off by picking apart "Skins" and "Grange Hill" , both of which were made for the same age group , and dealt with controversial issues, yet because they are thirty years apart, they are both extremely different.

(Grange Hill series 1, episode 1, part 1)

Audiences today expect a much faster pace when watching television shows. They expect to be hooked and entertained very quickly. This is because today we have hundreds of channels, all fighting for ratings, and so, as an audience member, we have a far greater choice, and can simply change channels if we are not satisfied. This can be seen across all genres and formats, as well as shows targeted for different ages.


Yesterday, we looked at how a change in representation legislation and political correctness, has also affected how audiences have changed the creation and transmission of contemporary programming. 


The idea of "representation' in the media is about how people are used, presented and represented in television and films. It can cover issues relating to:


Disabilty
Income/class
Values/culture
Ethnicity and Race 
Religion
Sexuality/sex/gender
Isuses e.g. crime, violence, gang culture
Tokenism i.e. shows that tick boxes and have the token asain/gay/black/white
Youth/Middle/Old age


This has also changed considerably from the days of "love thy neighbor", where it was acceptable to portray racist people as normal and common, to programes that are made where everything revolves around being sensitive and politically correct. Recently, however things have gone full circle,  where documentary makers and film makers alike, are trying to challenge the audience to see a world where PC has gone way to far,  to mock what it stands for and to make us feel uncomfortable, in order to highlight the fact that it can alienate groups even further.


Here is a clip of "love thy neighbor" 1970's before, the word PC was even mentioned:

In today's culture, with so much legislation about racial, sexual, disability, age, faith and gender discrimination, people always find something to be offended by , even kids television programmes like Rastamouse:

Some shows however, although maybe trying to represent certain groups in a new way and bring insight, they end up falling back to and showing the typical stereotypes. My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, 2011, C4, does show the traveling community to be very moral with a strong sense of respect and protectiveness for one another. However the show can not help itself but to focus on the outlandish weddings, fighting and oppression of women, arguably causing a worse image in the face of any hope of non travelers and travelers living in harmony.

Others like Cast Offs (C4) and a scene with the "token" disabled person on the work force in Come Fly With Me (BBC1) , try and tackle over political correctness, to show things have gone to far, and that people are afraid or saying anything and throwing common sense out of the window.

(come fly with me) 

I think this is a very interesting topic, and one I want to cover in my essay.

Light Relief

Ok.... I know this isn't exactly what I should be doing, whilst researching our essay assignment, but it certainly put a smile on my face. Sorry for the foul language, but thought you all deserved a little giggle, enjoy!

 

Oh and it can be related to our course, as it  shows how audiences have changed over the years by the arrival of the internet and Youtube.... sort of!

Spaced The Synopsis

Spaced is a new Channel Four sitcom, starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes, directed by Edgar Wright. Set in contemporary London, Spaced thrusts the audience into the lives of newly found friends, Tim and Daisy.  Tim is a typical British twenty-something, with high hopes of becoming a graphic designer, yet lacks all the motivation to get there. His time is taking up by getting stoned, playing video games and creating hilarious mime shoot-outs with his best bud, Mike. Tim starts the series  on self destruct mode, after his messy break up with Sophie, but this fuels great story development, as we see him get high, drown his sorrows and do anyone and anything to mend his broken heart. His character also develops as the series continues, due to his growing friendship with his delusional flat mate Daisy. She helps to balance out the duo, by contrasting Tim’s moodiness, with her ditsy and loveable personality. Daisy is also a dreamer, and calls herself a writer, but seems happy enough just following Tim around on his mis-adventures.  This sitcom brings something new to the extremely popular “Friends” style comedies of the nineties. Spaced is full of popular culture references and jokes, pulling the audience in and making them get involved. Its style is really what gives it the edge. The rapid editing, abstract ideas, and surrealism, appeal to a post modern generation, who require much more stimulation, than the basic story telling techniques of old. With transitions of live action to animation, that work beautifully, and a brilliant alternative soundtrack, the sitcom keeps you entertained and wanting more. The sci-fi/comic elements, also seamlessly fit within the show, due to the explanation of Tim’s dream career, and its utter randomness never leaves the audience out in the cold. Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes first pitched the show as a cross between “The Simpsons, The X-files and Northern Exposure”. A very unusual mix, but it works!

No More Ugly Duckling

Black Swan

Black Swan is a psychological thriller, following Nina (Portman), a ballerina in New York City, whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive mother, who can do nothing, but watch her daughter break into pieces under immense pressure. Nina must fight her way through her terrifying demons to the performance of a lifetime.

When I sat down with my popcorn at my local Odeon, I knew that the film I was about to see had already won Natalie Portman the Golden Globe, and was rumored to give her the Oscar too. After watching it I must agree, Black Swan is the performance of her career so far!

It is extremely complex, fragile and disturbingly hard to watch, yet unmissable. Of course this is not just down to her, she owes the script and cinematography a lot too. The uneasy and inescapable close ups, propel you into a world of insecurity, relentless passion and damagingly severe mental illness. It feels very claustrophobic the whole way through, with great use of the Manhattan underground clubs, walkways and dingy stage dressing rooms. It tackles almost every issue a young girl, changing into a woman, must go through, from sexual naivety to the never-ending search for perfection. Yet, it is certainly NOT a teen movie, this is harsh and is sure to play on your mind for days if not weeks. It isn't a film for everyone, and certainly not for those with a faint heart, but for an outstanding example of how GREAT acting, mesmerising shots and beautiful use of sound can create extreme tension and powerful emotions, Black Swan is without doubt worth a look!! 

Spaced out!

Yesterday we had our first real lecture of the year, kick starting off our Story Telling Unit. We have been asked to hand in a 10 page correctly formatted script, 1 page treatment, 25 word pitch, a story board and a 2 minute trailer for our own short film called "The Meeting", due 6th April.

It sounds like a really daunting task, but I'm really excited, as its the first time I'll have a complete piece of work with all the prep documents to go with it :) 

We started off yesterday talking about pitches. They are 25 words or shorter, and are used to pitch an idea to everyone you want to sell your story too; to get funding, talent and to get the thing made! It has to include some kind of unique selling point, to make it stand out from the rest, and intrigue the intended audience, so they want to read your treatment/synopsis and then hopefully your script!

A pitch doesn't give everything away, and of course in 25 words, it can't go into much detail. It just has to give an overview about the most interesting points to your idea. This can include things like major plot points, themes, characters, setting and genre/style.

To start off a miserable and cold Monday morning, we watched two episodes of "Spaced", picking apart the things that make it original, it's unique selling points and then each writing a 25 word Pitch, as if we were trying to sell the idea for the first time ourselves.

Spaced is a Sitcom written by and starring Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes, and 

directed by Edgar Wright, before they became really famous. It was recognised for its extremely fast editing, frequent pop culture references and jokes, eclectic music, and surrealism. Two series of seven episodes each were broadcast in 1999 and 2001 on Channel 4.

I had never seen it before, but I really enjoyed it and intended to watch the re-runs on More 4 on Sunday nights from now on!

After a few drafts, (It's a bit tricky, but something I need to get used too!) here's my own pitch for SPACED;

Sitcom, centered around the abstract lives of two, twenty-something dreamers, sharing a flat, who collide together in a series of fast paced and surreal mis-adventures.  (I know, 26 words, but hey! )

Just to make sure we really grasped the idea, before we needed to write our own for "The Meeting", we wrote a pitch for one of our favorite shows, can you guess mine?

Comedy based around the embarrassing lives of a group of misfit, sixth form boys, who's dreams of sex, wild parties and fast cars, never quite get off the ground.

 ????

Our next task is to write a 300-500 word synopsis for Spaced, which I'll post shortly... in the mean time go watch it! 

About Me

Since a very young age cinema and television has fascinated me, it’s the only thing I get really passionate about, and the one thing I can see myself having a future in. One of my earliest memories was accompanying my mother and father to the first screening of The Lion King, at the Odeon, Leicester Square. The pure spectacle of the experience has stayed with me ever since, from the leopard print seats, to the smell of freshly made popcorn, to the music man who appeared from below the stage, to the moment Mofussa was thrown over the cliff.  But I suppose I first fell in love with film during Christmas 1996, when Edward Scissorhands was screened on BBC 1. I was totally transfixed by the world being shown before my eyes, and the character that I would share a great love affair with through the rest of my youth. From a very young age I was mesmerized by the idea of cinematography and creating such a rich, intense and spellbinding escape from the harsh realities of every young girl’s life.

Tim Burton became an inspiration for me, I wanted to be a part of his world, to see through his candy cane spectacles and to peek into his imagination. He was the first director I really paid attention too, enjoying his work from the insanely bizarre Beatlejuice, to the harrowing and beautiful story of Big Fish. 

Along with my adoration for Burton, came hand in hand my love for Johnny Depp. His catalogue of work is perhaps the most diverse, outlandish and truly artistic performances to grace our screens in the last fifty years. (In fact, he is turned into a bit of an obsession of mine, to the point where I paid to go to the Sweeney Todd premiere and sneaked onto the latest Pirates of the Caribbean set!)

Johnny Depp and Me :)

Pirates Set in Greenwich, London

So, when did I first pick up a camera? Well, I was about nine years old. I used to take the rather large family camera, and film various family functions, Christmases, holidays and birthdays, until I started getting involved in other projects, like music videos for local bands and short documentaries in and outside of school.

My First Music Video "Hero in Error" for As Worlds Collide

An interview with director Ken Russell, that I helped to film with Kent TV.

A mini documentary I shot with Kent TV, covering a street running event in Herne Bay.

For anybody interested in film, the one question everyone seems intent on asking you is the dreaded, “So what is your favourite film?”, and with sincerity I always answer, “I’ll let you know when they stop making them”.  How can I possibly decide my favourite film? I don’t pretend that I have watched all the films ever made, or know what the future holds.  I can of course comment on the films I have seen to date, and discuss those that really have affected me and influenced my own ideas.

So where do I go from here? Well, I have just started my new course, a Foundation Degree in Broadcast Media at Maidstone Studios, lead by The University of the Creative Arts. My aim really is to keep learning how to tell stories, to watch as much film and television as possible, talk about my ideas, and gain a hell of a lot of experience, so that hopefully one day I can make my own mark on the Industry. Until then I’ll keep you up to date on my course and open up discussions on any ideas I have or pieces of work I’ve seen… Anyway I hope you stay with me till the credits roll!