Unit 22: Research Survey before writing the sreenplay

The first two questions are used to find out some information about the people who have answered the questions. This helps me to understand what different people like/want from a film so I can write my script in a way to best suit what my target market likes. 

I asked in my survey whether people liked 'Drama' shows to see if the genre of my film would be popular. These results show that the majority of people asked in my survey liked this genre, therefor telling me that my choice of the genre 'Drama' is a good choice for my final film. 

I wanted to ask a question about complexity of films because I have seen complex storylines a lot in TV and films I have bee watching. I believe it keeps the viewers engaged with the film as they are always having to think/try and work out what is going on. My survey shows that people do like this so this is something I will try and include when writing my screenplay. 

The results of this question show that people prefer to find out things as they character does. This means that when I am writing my screen play I should not reveal things before it actually happens (my film should be written in present tense). 

I asked a question about dialogue because this will massively effect they way I write my script. These results show that just most people prefer less dialogue and more 'action' in a film. However the results were relatively close so I will be sure to include a mixture of both in my film. 

The results to my question on music were overwhelmingly in favour of having music in the film. I will have to work out when, where and for how long music should be played whilst writing the script and how it can be used to add effect to the film. In post production i will then have to find appropriate music to use in editing. 

The results here show that most people prefer for a story to be resolved properly, although both options have a substantial amount of votes. Depending on which one of my two developed ideas i choose I will do this differently. If it is the money idea: I will have a resolution for the story as this will make more sense and keep the viewers watching to the end. They will want to know why the money was there. If it is the doctor storyline: I will leave it a cliff hanger, the scene will suddenly cut out and leave the viewers with no idea what is going on. 

By finding out which films people like the most from a random selection of options, I can now look at the most popular (Finding Nemo and Dunkirk) and pick out special features/styles that appear in these films that make them so good. I can then try and implement these into the making of my film along with my own style to make something good that I know people will like but also something unique for me. 



Unit 22: Planning for screenplay writing.

Planning of the writing of the Screenplay (script) for ‘Part Timer’

Based on feedback from a variety of people reading my ideas I have decided to write the screenplay for the 'Doctor' film. This was because people had said that it would be more exciting and interesting too watch. Too help me begin to write the screenplay I have created the above plan to make sure I keep on time and don't miss any important aspects. 



Unit 22: Developing 2 Film Ideas

Film 1

Working Title: Unusual Deposit
Logline: Never under estimate what's down the hole.


Running Time: 10 minutes
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Target Audience: Teenagers & Young Adults


Suggested Cast: A guy who lives in the house, the guys friend. A plumber.




Order of Events:

• Two friends are sat in one of the friends house chilling out having a chat.
• One of the friends go to the toilet.
• Then there is a flushing sound put it doesn't sound right.
• A few moments later the friend comes out the toilet saying the toilet wont flush, the other friends gets pretty mad with him.
• After a few moments the two boys decide to call a plumber.
• The plumber arrives with a toolbox and a plunger and gets to work.
• The plumber spends a long time trying to unblock the toilet.
• Eventually the plumber pulls all the money out.
• The boys are all shocked.
• The plumber asks what they should do with it.
• The credits role.

Character Profiles:

• Friend 1: He is the one who lives in the house. He is friendly and makes the other guy laugh. He is wearing casual clothes. When it comes to the toilet being blocked he is concerned because he doesn't want his parents to get annoyed with him.
• Friend 2: He is quite clumsy and does not always take care with what he is doing. He laughs a lot and makes himself feel at home. He is always wearing casual cloths.
• Plumber: Very chatty down to earth guy, he is wearing overalls which are quite dirty. He has a full kit and is very dedicated to his job (works hard from the start to get the job done). At the end he doesn't ask for any of the money and just walks out as if nothing had happened.

The Story:

The film starts with 'Friend 1' making coffee for 'friend 2', they are chatting and laughing. The scene is filmed with multiple cameras. Constantly flicking between cameras as each person talks. When the coffee is sat down the conversation (which is about where they should go next year on holiday continues). After a few sips of the Coffee (of which is spills some on the table), friend 2 decides to go to the toilet. From the Friend leaving the table to the toilet the camera follows Friend 2 from behind (all one shot), then the same shot continues as the toilet door closes in front of the camera. The camera slowly moves away from the toilet moving back down the hallway (meanwhile sound effects of a man weeing are played). Then after a few moments silence, then Friend 2 comes back out of the toilet complaining that it wont flush. The camera (still the same long shot) pans back to Friend 1 who is annoyed. Friend 1 complains why Friend 2 always has to be like this. He looks in the toilet (camera angle from above) and decides that he is going to have to call a plumber. The phone call is filmed from a distance with cinematic camera sliding shots whilst music starts to play. The plumber arrives and the music briefly fades unto the background while a quick conversation takes place. The plumber then gets to work as the music fades back up. A sequence of camera shots from all different angles play whilst the plumber works, light fades through the windows and the light comes on do show extended passing of time. The camera end up on the floor down the hallway, as the song ends we hear the plumber say: 'Oh my God'. There a few more water sound effects and then the plumber shouts the two friends. The two friends come into the bathroom and the plumber is seen with a huge pile of cash in his hands (with water dripping). The boys cheer with excitement. They then count the money on the table and eventually get the sum of £100,000. They then ask the plumber how much he would like. It says 'just my standard charge, £30'. he then thanks them and leaves the house. The credits role.




Film 2

Working Title: Part Timer
Logline: Too good to be true


Running Time: 10 minutes
Genre: Action
Target Audience: 15+


Suggested Cast: 5 patients that the doctor is helping in his surgery, the doctor, the man who is tied up in the car.




Order of Events:

• The doctor is in his GP surgery helping people who are not well. 
• The clock strikes 5pm (home time) so the doctors leaves work. 
• He drives (fast & viciously up a hill towards the open countryside.
• He pulls up outside a forest and drags the man out of the boot into the woods. 
• He ties him up to the tree and threatens him. 
• The man then desperately goes to find money and ends up robbing peoples houses. 
• He gets caught by the police - he explains what has happened with the doctor. 
• The doctor also gets arrested. 

Character Profiles:

• GP Surgery Person 1: This person (a middle aged man dressed in a suit) is complaining to the doctor about a sore ankle.
• GP Surgery Person 2: This person has a cold (a young girl holding loads of tissues) and wants the doctor to help. 
• GP Surgery Person 3: A teenage boy (dressed in jeans and a T shirt) is complaining of a sickness bug.
• GP Surgery Person 4: A old women is complaining to the doctor that she doesn't think her tablets are ding the correct job. 
• Doctor: A middle aged well dressed man (shirt and trousers, with a stethoscope).
• Man in boot: A young man wearing ripped cloths and has a blood stained face.
• Police #1: A police officer dressed in normal clothes with an ID pass. 
• Police #2: A second police officer dressed the same as the first. 

The Story:

The film starts with an opening scene of the doctor at work, helping various different patients, writing notes and organising his room. He appears a very friendly and helpful man (music is playing during this section and there is no audio from the actual surgery, the camera is moving on a slider in all shots to create a cinematic effect). Then the camera focuses on the clock as it strikes 5pm. The camera then follows the doctor from his room out of the building to his car (all one shot), music still plays. Then as the Doctor starts the engine the music stops and we here a muffled sound from the boot. The doctor then drives out of the car park and up a hill (very fast and sharp driving). Multiple camera angles of the car and the doctor driving are displayed. There is no music, just the sound of the car and the wind. The car then comes to a stop in a gravel car park and the doctor opens the boot and drags this man out of the car. The man has his legs and hands tied together with blood a blood stained face.
The Doctor takes him into the forest and ties him up to a tree. He then starts questioning/threatening him, claiming that his family will be hurt. The Doctor demands that that the man pays back the money he owes him. The cameras in this scene are focusing on both characters with close up angles but are very shaky. When finished speaking the doctor un ties the man, he collapses to the ground. The camera then fixes on the Doctor as he starts to walk away, staying on him until he gets in his car. The doctor then drives away into the distance (same camera shot) as much starts to play. The next day the man is seen trying to rob a house desperately searching for money, he eventually gets caught by the police. The man is so desperate at this stage he tells the police everything tat has happened. The police then capture the doctor. Both men are taken away before the film ends. We see the man smiling (this makes us presume the family are ok, but we never actually find out specifically what happens to them as they are not mentioned).

Unit 22: 6 ideas for a short film

Idea 1

Genre: Drama
Title: Unusual Deposit


A plumber is sat in a Coffee shop on his break enjoying his break when he overhears a man complaining to the shop workers that the both of the toilets are blocked. After the staff attempt to deal with it and fail to succeed the plumber offers to have a look for them. He looks into it (having to go out to get some more tools to solve the problem) and eventually finds a blockage. He ends up pulling £100,000 of cash out of the pipes to everybody's surprise. The film ends with the plumber asking what he should do with it.


Idea 2

Genre: Action
Title: Part Timer

A doctor is working in a GP surgery helping out his patients (he comes across as really kind and helpful). After work however he drives to an abandoned building and pulls a man out of the boot of his car. There is a struggle before he gets him tied up. There is then some questioning about a deal that went wrong. He claims that if the money is not paid by the following day bad things will happen.  The man than desperately robs houses to find money but ends up being caught by the police and arrested. The Doctor also ends up in handcuffs after an investigation.


Idea 3

Genre: Sci-Fi
Title: Dog Life

A dog has the mind and intellectuality of a human being. He has to wait until everybody goes to work everyday before he can leave. When they do, he travels to work on a bike and when he is there sits at a desk with a computer. The dogs talk to each other throughout they day. They are running a bank where all dogs can deposit there money from other dogs. They have there own world (the same as ours) but no humans know about it.


Idea 4

Genre: Romance
Title: Uncertain Reality


A guy is talking to a girl on social media. They talk a lot (messages, calls, video calls) often staying up all night and regularly getting distracted in glass at school. After a few weeks they agree to meet up. The guy is really excited and the girl seems to be (over messages) too. The guy travels all the way into the city to meet her (they are texting all the way) but as soon as the time to meet comes. The texts stop. The guy is sat there alone. He waits for hours but no one turns up. He tries calling, texting...nothing. All her social profiles disappear. There is no trace of her. The film ends.


Idea 5

Genre: Horror
Title: The old shack

There is this one house above the town of Ilkley that nobody ever goes near. This is because anybody that has gone has never come back. Nobody ever comes out the house or goes in, there is never any lights on, never any sign of life. However, the energy company that services the house with power claims that huge amounts get used every month. Yet nobody is paying the bills. They have now got to the stage where the council and police are involved. However the police of Ilkley are very aware of the history of this house and do not want anything to do with it. The council worker assigned to the task things its all complete rubbish and completely made up. Once day he decides he will go up and solve the problem once and for all. When he arrives everything seems clear, he puts on his MP3 player and gets going with the work of cutting off all energy supplies to the house (water, electricity etc.) As soon as the power is cut off though. Thats when strange things start to happen....noises come from below ground and before he knows it and old man comes up through the door in the ground. With a blood stained axe he traps the man, ties him up and then drags him away into the bushes. Sound effects play as the credits role....we never find out what really happens at the place.


Idea 6

Genre: Adventure
Title: Out of Hours

Two mischievous kids break into a school in the school holidays so gain access to the computer  systems.  They break in through a gap in the gate and run down. They end up having a few close calls with members of the site crew who almost spot them. Eventually they make it into the IT block but discover that a teacher is in the room. They hide in the store cupboard until the teacher leaves. They then sneak in to a room and try to install some software that would take down the network. Everything is going well and the boys are starting to celebrate but then they hear a noise. They rush to hide but it is to late. The headteacher walks in...she shouts...the credit role.