Digital Screenwriting Unit - Script Untitled

Digital Screen Writing

Film Script 2009-11-16

Untitled
(Working title)













Digital Screen Writing

Film Script 2009-11-16

Untitled
(Working title)




























FADE FROM BLACK

THIS FILM IS IN BLACK AND WHITE WITH GRADUAL USE OF COLOUR IN EACH PROGRESSION OF THE STORY UNTIL THE SCREEN IS COMPLETELY FILLED WITH COLOUR AS THE FILM REACHES IT’S CLIMAX.

POSSIBLE SHORT, OPENING CREDIT SEQUENCE

INTRODUCTION.

SCENES OF A DESOLATE TOWN SHOT IN BLACK AND WHITE AT NIGHT. (Silence)


A door opens and only darkness can be seen within the opening. Footsteps can be heard for some time; gradually getting louder and louder. Eventually the body of a man (main character) dressed in what appears to be initially an impeccable white suit but is somewhat distressed begins to appear from the darkness.
As the figure’s face emerges completely on to the street of a deserted, industrial and gothic looking city where factories, tenements and bars can be seen as far as the horizon, he looks at his surroundings with no obvious emotion showing. No other soul can be seen.
CUT TO:
He begins to wander down the street away from the opened door glancing back at it as he goes.

The man is shown to be unfamiliar with his surroundings and quite unaware of how he got there however, he is unusually calm and collective. As though he accepts and embraces that he is in a place that he does not belong.
CUT TO:
He continues to walk down a dull, street lit pavement pondering his surroundings as though he is a tourist – there is no panic or negativity in his appearance despite his dark surroundings. He stops as he notices something.
CUT TO:
Across the road from where he stands is a red light above a large metal door.
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He crosses the road towards the bright red light feeling compelled to move towards it like a moth to a light bulb and stands in front of the large metal door.
CUT TO:
Standing there, he looks up at the red light.
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He then looks at the door which has a series of unfamiliar but spectacular symbols beautifully engraved into it. The door itself is rusted but solid. The metal door looks shoddy but the engravings remain untouched as though they were recently added or cannot be affected by time or natural wear and tear.
CUT TO:
After admiring the symbols somewhat cynically, he knocks on the door with three large thuds. There is no answer as he waits for a few moments. He thuds three more times louder and harder than before. Still no reply as the door remains shut fast.
CUT TO:
He turns away from the door and looks around him wondering what to do; a strain of sarcastic panic cracks over his face as though mocking his current situation. It is apparent that the man is a surrealistic state of emotional oblivion as though he has drunk (or drugged) himself sober.
CUT TO:
As he takes a couple of steps away from the door there is the sound of a large bolt unlocking. He turns to face the door.
CUT TO:
The door begins to open slowly and an extremely tall and skeletal man dressed as a bouncer stands before him. The man leers at him for a prolonged period of time. The main character stares back blankly; almost expressionless.
CUT TO:
The skeletal man eventually cracks a morbid smile and gestures to the main character with his head to come in as though he is welcoming him back.
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The main character enters through the door to a very long, bleak corridor. The corridor has red lights equally placed on either side above his head and a door can be seen in the distance at the end of it.
CUT TO:
The skeletal man ushers him down the corridor. As he does so, the seemingly bland, average corridor begins to change as he progresses; becoming more and more dirty and dark. They reach the end of the corridor and the skeletal usher/bouncer opens the door revealing a beautifully decorated staircase.
CUT TO:
The main character is ushered down the stair case by the skeletal man; admiring his surroundings as he goes until another door is reached. This door is quite the opposite of the first door he knocked on. It has grotesque markings and scratches of filthy and vulgar remarks etched into it. Some look like dry blood.
CUT TO:
The skeletal man grins before opening the door. As the door swings open, rockabilly (or surf style music) bursts out of the door and he is signalled to enter by the skeletal man.
CUT TO:
As the man walks in he scans the large area; cramped with misfits: business men, gangsters, pop stars, women dressed both provocatively and classy alike – with every possible incarnation of evil in human form present. He continues through the crowd and past the flooded dance floor that he notices to his right where there is a group of people dancing in unison and another collective dancing chaotically and provocatively. They appear to all gradually and eventually dance together in such a manner as though they are performing some kind of ritual.
CUT TO:
He spots a free seat at the bar, sits down and looks towards the bartender whose back is turned.

Main Character to Bartender
“Hello? Bartender?”

The bartender acknowledges the main character with a “just a moment” gesture with his hand; his back still turned.
CUT TO:
“Take your time”
He says to himself contentedly



As he waits he takes in his surroundings and pauses when he notices a statuesque man staring at him leaning against one of the pillars situated just in front of the dance floor. He appears unconcerned and looks away.

Bartender asks from behind main character
“O.K what would you like?”
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The main character turns to face the bartender and a look of confusion appears on his face.
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The bartender is shown to be the same man who ushered the main character through the door from the street and lead him into the club, this time dressed as a bartender.

“Aren’t you the bouncer?”
“I mean didn’t you just let me in here?”

The bartender looks at the main character with a warm, sympathetic smile and replies softly:

“What will it be sir?”

The main character, although in a state of confusion, regains his composure and orders a drink.
CUT TO:

The main character sits clasping his drink like a child would hold a hot chocolate on a snowy winter’s day. It seems to comfort him. He continues to take in his surroundings; watching the interactions of the individual conversations and conflicts from the various groups.

A voice is heard:

“What makes you what you are?”
CUT TO:

The main character swings around. The statuesque man he saw staring at him earlier stands before him.

Main Character:
“Excuse me?”

Statuesque Figure
“What makes anybody what they are?”

Main Character
“Um… Who are you and what are you talking about?”

Statuesque Figure
“This world is filled with those who deem themselves worthy to excel in society; to be someone else; someone they are not naturally. They try to accept in their minds that their actions are just and spend the rest of their lives trying to convince themselves of it.”

The statuesque figure sighs and looks away from the main character. He appears to be self assured and graceful but there is an air of discontent that surrounds him as though he is trying to convey a hidden emotion; a hint of desperation or eagerness.
CUT TO:

The main character stares at the man with a look of condescending disbelief.

Main Character
“Where am I?”
“What is this place?”

Statuesque Figure
“This is a world tailored to your own twisted and confused sense of being, a place where you should feel at home. No?”

As the main character begins to reply, the statuesque figure interrupts in an apprehensive manner:

Statuesque Figure
“Have you known happiness in your life?
Do you believe in it?”


Main Character replies abruptly
“I don’t believe in nightmares”

The statuesque figure stops and stares at the main character as though analyzing him. The main character swigs his drink in a nonchalant manner; trying to hide his discomfort and turns his back on the statuesque figure to return to browse his surroundings.
CUT TO:

Statuesque Figure
“I can save you”
“It doesn’t have to be like this”
????????????????????????

Main Character shouts with impatience
“You don’t know me! Leave now stranger as I have no use for you!”
.
The statuesque figure stops and stares once more; analyzing: this time in a more pitiful and exasperated manner.

Statuesque Figure says inquisitively but surely:
“You have always found it more relevant to separate intellectual speculation from action and experiment. Have you not?”

With this question the main character’s face turns red and succumbs to a state of anger and a sense of catastrophe.

Main Character
“Stranger… I warn you. You know not who I am or what I have done. You best not make this sense of precarious thought; be you some kind of psychotic or ridiculously false prophet; be the end of you. Now LEAVE ME!”

CUT TO:



The conversation begins to draw some attention from the surrounding crowd. The statuesque figure again stares relentlessly at the main character. A look of desperation and eagerness can be seen in his eyes. A burning glare begins to intensify as he stares harder at the main character. The main character stares back with as much (if not more) intensity; his eyes burning with anger, his face gleaming with rage. The two men's eyes are locked together as the attention of the crowd grows.
CUT TO:

The statuesque figure’s burning stare begins to soften and transform into a sympathetic gaze.

“I offer you one last chance to allow me to help you”
“I offer to save you… from this”

Main Character
“LEAVE!”
“Now”
He says in a conclusive manner.

The main character turns away from the statuesque figure in order to conclude the conversation.

The statuesque figure continues to look at the main character. He places a hand on his right shoulder causing the main character to look at it and shrug him off.

Simultaneously the statuesque figure’s other hand slips a pill into the main character’s glass and then he leaves.
CUT TO:

The main character sits somewhat shaken and bewildered from the last few moments of confrontation. He downs the last of the spirits in his glass.

Main Character says impatiently
“Bartender, Same Again”
CUT TO:

As he waits for his drink he begins to feel uneasy. His head begins to feel heavy and his eyes seem to darken. His body begins to buzz; his stomach begins to fill with butterflies. He takes a deep breath which only adds to the dizziness. The room begins to spin and the lights seem to become larger and immensely bright.

He begins to breathe heavily in a panic; his heart now pounding and sweat is bursting through from his forehead and temples.
CUT TO:
He stands up and begins to stumble frantically looking for a way out. The atmosphere in the room becomes dark and evil. As he stumbles through the crowd, the faces around him begin to change; men and women begin to turn into ghouls and vampires before his eyes. Women are cackling like hyenas, men are pointing and pushing him around like bullies.
CUT TO:
The main character is now intensely frightened and screaming; hysterical, he falls to the floor and passes out.
CUT TO:

more to follow....

Things to consider adding.

times tide will smother you

what is the world?

its your own twisted malady, a tortured melody of depravity

take me home from the nightmares and to the safe haven of my daydreams. why wont you just let me be and take me home.

because happiness is not a destination

what is? monkey tennis?

Communication and Interaction Sketchbook

This is my skctchbook for communication and interaction module , year 3 visual communications and media design.

I will give examples of new media designers who inspire my own ideas and concepts and also include words given from my tutor that I have been tasked with trying to visually communicate.

Ident Ideas for The Institution of Art, Media and Computer Games.


I have been trying to figure out what would be the best approach towards producing an ident for the institute. The below designs are a mixture of logos, posters, possible desktop screen savers and postcards. I will let you decide what one's you think I have designed for each kind...

Most of the below designs will be incorporated into my electronic screen cube sculpture CONCEPT. I capitilise concept because this has not been possible to acheive without a lot of money.

Instead, the cube sculpture is made up of balsa wood and hardboard with the logos below printed on card to represent the concept of electronic screens.

Most of these images can be clicked on to see them in full quality as some are a bit small and/or blurred.

Cube Sculpture.

I plan to construct a cube that represents the interdisciplinary aspects of the institute.

I am hoping to make it an interactive piece with rotating faces and include LED lights to represent the different colours of each face.

Cube Material:


Balsa Wood


Dimensions:


Whole cube = 45cm to the power of 3 (cubed'


Whole face = 45x45cm


Individual cube faces = 15cmx15cm


Metal Screwed rod diameter = 10ml (1cm)


Metal Screwed rod height = 60cm

Words

Week 1 - Curiosity

I tried to imagine what I am curious about personally as well as in human nature.

Human nature is curious about things such as science, religion, the meaning of life and space exploration to name a few; as am I.

But on a more personal and simple way to look at it, I thought of the tireless hours I spend when reading a good book and how I can’t put it down until I know what is going to happen.

I recently read an Oscar Wilde book called “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and it produced a passage which also gave a good description of curiosity.

“He felt keenly conscious of how barren all intellectual speculation was when separated from action and experiment”

This sentence also conveys how curious Dorian Gray was about life and how he didn’t want to merely wonder what certain things in life were like; he wanted to experience them for himself.

His curiosity eventually got him in to trouble and ruined his distinguished reputation hence; curiosity killed the cat. The image is hard to read to make whoever looks at it curious as to what it actually says.

More to be added...

Week 2 - Fall

More to be added...

Week 3 - Chaos

Chaos can mean disorder or unpredictability. Possible examples:

Weather

Chaos means to disturb the natural order of things.


Chaos Theory or the Butterfly Effect is a good way to sum up how the flapping of a butter fly’s wings can disturb the natural order of things.

More to be added...

Week 4 - Disguise

Make up, cosmetics, clothing, high heels etc are forms of disguising one's appearance.

Week 5 - Communication

See new post...

To be uploaded shortly...

New media Designers Who I Admire

Themes for Sketch Book. Politics, War, Science and Religion: Human Behaviours

Victor Keon

I see Victor Koen as a pioneer in terms of digital design using images such as photographs and manipulating them to make thought provoking pieces of art and his skills push this process to its limits.

He describes his work in “tasks and Games” as:

“The images communicate questions and concerns rather than opinions…”

This is what I have tried to do in my own 2 images below. Images I have been inspired to create through his work.

Victor Koen inspired me to make a point of creating images condemning war, politics and religion.

Although his views and art work on some of these subjects are ironic and supposed to be, in his own words “serious jokes” I wish to take this simply seriously.

The actual inspiration behind this image and concept I have made did not come from a political or religious statement made from the designer. In one of his reviews from his exibition “Tasks and Games” the reviewer describes the work from Victor Koen as below:

“Koen's absurdist vision reflects a frightening Dr. Moreau-like future, glimpses of which have emerged in his editorial illustrations…”
Taken from http://www.viktorkoen.com/exhibitions/tasks_and-games/F_tasks.html
Line 47 of the review.

Dr Moreau was a fictional scientist who practiced vivisection. The book was released in the late 19th century when vivisection was a hot debate; eventually being banned 2 years after the books release.

I then had the thought of how the British government have been metaphorically vivisected (politician’s lies exposed while still in their jobs / a frog’s organs exposed while it is still alive) and then dissected (politicians removed from their positions of power once having been exposed / a frog’s organs removed from their bodies once they have been exposed).

In the political vivisection design I have created, I am trying to show how the media has managed to publicly dissect (to a negative effect) everything that MPs have been doing and showing them for what they really have been inside: leading a corrupt system of freeloaders and liars. They have been exposed over expenses and second homes scandals like the organs of the frog have been exposed.


I have used the image of a vivisected frog, with its insides showing, and also a picture of a tired looking Prime minister and tried to convey that the organs of the frog are the brains of Gordon Brown. In doing this I am trying to show that he and his fellow politicians have been metaphorically vivisected publically along with the entire government including the Tories, SNP, Liberal Democrats etc.

Now that the public has gained this knowledge, the MPs are held up to scrutiny and are removed from their posts, like an organ being removed from a vivisected frog.

I tried to make the image look like Gordon Brown’s brains are the frog’s organs much in the same way that Victor Koen fuses old children’s photographs with mechanical objects and other various images as in his Tasks and Games exhibition.

The image below is to show human-kind’s questioning as to whether there is a God.
I have tried to convey that the agony expressed by the skeleton in my picture is pleading in vain to god for mercy. This is a concept that I derived from some of Victor Koen’s statements on his own work.

“Today through genetic technologies, social engineering and developmental psychology we believe we control previously inaccessible natural workings that strongly influence the way children are born, learn and grow. Pedagogues and biologists are continuously debating the beginning of life and the formative years with every step of progress, before and after every experiment, successful or not.”
Taken from his statement on his exhibition “Tasks and Games”. http://www.viktorkoen.com/exhibitions/tasks_and-games/F_tasks.html

This inspired me to think of the way that the human-kind perceive science and religion in a modern day world and how much it is in contrast with faithful followers of religion; in this case that being the skeleton figure in my image.

“debating the meaning of life”

This quote got me thinking of how far the human race has gone to put into question the whole idea that God exists.
A long time ago religion was the meaning of life; to worship our creator and lead good lives; abiding by God’s Will to reach eternal peace and happiness.
War (hence the bomb in my image) goes a long way to contradict that very concept in modern day life.

The use of image manipulation in this image was inspired by Victor Koen’s own work also.

To be continued...

DONT LIKE

MATT POWELL

Although simplicity can sometimes be the best option, I feel that his graphic design
work for Nintendo is too simplistic and boring. I think the "goNintendo"web banner
could be more a bit more adventurous.


LIKE

NOPLACE

By Marek Walczak and Martin Wattenberg

Noplace is an online application which allows for the creation of your own personal
video by using the words from a specific sentance you type that is significant
to you and then generating images from the web that relate to those words.

"The video is created from images that were taken from the web, prompted by your
thoughts"

This is a very creative way for people to communicate their thoughts or how they
are feeling by typing a sentance that has meaning to them, perhaps for example, if
they typed a sentance like "i think the world is mostly sad" then the images
generated would be relating to both sadness and the world.

"Creating a video involves drawing up to several thousand individual frames"

The idea is a variation of other ideas such as Jonathan Harris' We Feel Fine Project
in which he uses his own technology to study what he calls "footprints" from people
who blog on the web deriving from these, moments of personal expression; be it sadness,
happyness, depression, loneliness etc and then uses them to create a virtual star system
with each star representing a feeling. There are also many other ways in which to view these
feelings other than the star system.

Google "NoPLace" to try it yourself

IDENTS

The Channel 4 idents are one my of favorites as they are very original and at the same time,
very simplistic. They take a very simple number 4 and bring it to life in many variations
that are both creative and unique.

Some examples can be referenced on youtube searching for
"channel 4 idents" the search generates a video that shows a collecton of the idents.

The ident that I find the most compelling are the ones that take forms of other objects
such as buildings but as the shot moves along the objects begin to take the form of the
simple number 4. I find this very creative and I am curious as to how you would manage to
produce such an image.