Externally Set Brief: Treatment

Structure

Treatment

1. James is sat at the kitchen table whilst his brother Ben stand behind him at the sink staring down, then looking out the window. They are talking/arguing about Ben and his heroin addiction.  Some recent event which involves Ben and the drugs has pushed the brother apart and James feels responsible being the older brother. Ben explains to James that it is his life and his choice and James needs to realise that and get on with his own life.

2. Ben leaves the room and sits down in the living room. James runs past the door and up the stairs but is now wearing Jeans and T-shirt. Ben shouts up a few times before following James up the stairs he finds James slumped in a bedroom doorway. Ben approaches James and sees into the bedroom to see himself lying dead on the bed with a needle in his arm.

3. Ben feeling repulsed sits down halfway down the stairs. He stares intently on the front door. Suddenly a figure emerges on the outside, the figure uses a key and opens the door. James walks in wearing his jeans and t-shirt he is wearing up stairs.

4. James shouts up to Ben about having some food and carries the bag into the kitchen. A surprised Ben follows James into the kitchen. Ben is staring at James but James does not see Ben. Before James puts the shopping down he notices a note on the table he picks up the note and reads it. Ben is still staring intently on James. James drops the bag and the note and runs down the hall and up the stairs.

5. Ben stares again at the front door as a figure appears outside, this time its Ben who comes in, he’s in need of a fix and looks a mess. He walks into the kitchen and writes the note on the table and then heads up stairs.

6. Ben picks up the note as the front door opens again. This time it is James in a black suit and tie, Ben doesn’t really acknowledge James entrance, he doesn’t read the note either, just looks out the window. James walks down the hallway towards the kitchen. Ben walks over to the sink looking out of the window. Behind him James removes his jacket and tie and then sits at the table. Ben looks down at the note and reads.

        James,
        I couldn’t do it. Its not your fault.

    I chose this life and I’m a lost cause.

    Get on with your life.

    Remember its not your fault :)

Externally Set Brief: First Draft-Script

This is the first draft of the script  'James and Ben'. The description needs some work but the it gives the idea of the film.

James and Ben

Major Film: Inspirations and Ideas

Michael Mann's 'Thief' (1980)

The opening sequence is 9minutes in length with virtually no dialogue, but uses style and music to build suspense and tension.

David Mamet's 'Heist' (2001)

Sidney Lumet's 'The Anderson Tapes' (1971)

Major Film Synopsis 2

Duration : 15-20 minutes
Genre : Crime/Thriller

The film follows a gang of criminals as they break into a museum to steal diamonds and Art worth millions of pounds. The film is a build up of tension as it will take hours to break the safe and they have to sit it out.

The film starts at dawn and plays out of the 24 hours until the heist is completed and the gang separates.

Dialogue is kept to a minimum the film focuses on the execution of the heist and the individual roles the characters play.

For example: the nervous kid on his first job is responsible for looping the cameras and checking the police frequencies and how he copes just sitting there alone waiting.

Major Film Synopsis 1

Synopsis:


Nick only in his late 20's is already a career criminal. His talent lies in planning and executing high end robberies usually jewels or art from vaults or safes. He stays away from armed robberies as they carry a longer sentence and unusually has spent no time in prison. He is meticulous and careful always moving after a job and lying low before his next score.

Nick generally scopes jobs on is own but an old friend tempts him with a job that nick just can't refuse the payday is too good for him to turn down. A safe full of jewellery and diamonds worth over 3 million.

Nick gathers his gang together and plans and executes the heist.



In chronological order:

1. Finding out about the job from one of the security guards fathers who work at the house.
2. Getting the gang together.
3. Planning the heist and getting equipment.
4. Doing the heist.
5. The getaway/ Getting Caught.

Externally Set Brief: Log Book

Week 1

Initial Idea

After contemplating a number of ideas, Starting with some sort of documentary or music video as these types of videos are about finding a subject or band to film, A short film has the added pressure of finding actors who you then rely on and rehearsals and costumes and makup etc. Even with all these factors I decided that I would prefer to produce a short film to enter into a festival rather than a documentary, music video or factual piece. 

The idea for the short film came from something I read about a mythical creature called a  'Devas' also known as a 'Fairy' the general idea is that these creatures are expelled by God from heaven to earth. This is how my idea came about.

Week 2

Working out basic plot structures and how the Devas will interact in the film and whether they should be CGI or real actors. I've spoken to a CGI modeller who has come from a games background and he is looking into whether it is feasible for quality CGI characters within the time frame. I'm looking at a few different plots to see which will work best with the mythical characters.


The plot will either revolve around a couple maybe moving in together, or a family who have been living in the house for some time but now are noticing the effects of the 'Devas'.

Week 3

The plot has not really developed, Instead I have been looking at other ideas in the outcome that the CGI modeller cannot create the characters in the time frame.


Back Up Ideas 

1. A short documentary on the subject of free-running and the integration with gymnastics.


2. A short drama film.

Week 4 


After discussing further with the CGI modeller who was designing the 'Devas' for the short film his timeling for initial drawings, then modelling and texture and then putting the 3D elements into live action footage would be possible but very labour intensive and the results may not be that great and with no time to re-do 3D models or re-shoot it appears to be too much of a challenge in the time frame. I will have to look at back up ideas and see which one is more feasible in the time.


Week 5

I have decided to stay on the film side rather than the documentary route as I feel a short film will be more challenging and is an area I am interested in. I am working on a script about two brothers, one being a heroin addict. The whole story takes place in a house which makes locations and filming slightly easier as all the action will take place in a controlled environment.

Week 6 
The script is just about finished after three re-writes and I'm now looking for actors. I've posted on a few websites and because my location is now secured and is in Leeds I'm hopeful of some local acting talent might be interested in the script.


Week 7
One actor secured and he has a close friend who is also an actor who is interested in playing James. The filming dates will be the 5th and 7th December. This leaves me four weeks to edit and re-shoot any shots if required.


Week 9
Disaster my actors have let me down four days before filming which totally ruins the project. With Christmas looming it's becoming difficult to find actors with the time before Christmas and the deadline is the 6th of January. The solution is a fellow student who also acts. I'm currently writing a script for one character I'm trying to keep elements of the original script if possible. 


Week 10


So a new script has been written and my actor and crew are all available it is unfortunately going to be close to the deadline filming on the Tuesday the 20th Dec and on the 2nd of Jan leaving myself a few days to edit and hand it in. I feel as long as I can film majority on the 20th and have it edited and ready just for the last of the footage to be dropped in I can get everything and keep the standard high.


Week 11


Filming on the 20th December went okay apart from I didn't get as much filmed as originally planned, because the film revolves around on actor playing different characters it is the set up time and the process of filming is quite difficult. It will be a busy few days before the hand in.


Week 12

Externally Set Brief: Research

One of the major issues is whether to have the devas/fairies as full 3D characters or as real life characters filmed on green screen and then compositioned in to a live action scene.

Stills

The Snowflake Fairy

 The Demon Fairy

  

 

Still From the Film 'Tinkerbell' (2008)

Videos

Below gives an idea of the type of style which can be achieved real life actors with CGI elements such as the wings and using a green screen.

This Video shows a basic composite of a real person with CGI elements with a live action scene

http://vimeo.com/9631626 

This video gives an example of how the green screen is used

http://vimeo.com/9731533

This video shows how the green screen elements, CGI and live action footage come together.

http://vimeo.com/10470416

The videos below show 3D CGI characters.

Comedy type character

http://vimeo.com/6808832

From the Disney film 'Tinkerbell' (2008)

Externally Set Brief: Initial Ideas

Initial Ideas

Original Idea


A short film based on the idea of creatures called ‘Devas’ (fairies) that live amongst real people but move so fast that they cannot be seen. The theme of the short film is that these ‘Devas’ cause mischief and are responsible for small unexplained events.


In the film time is slowed down to reveal the ‘Devas’.


The basic plot outline :
The story revolves around a young couple and how the ‘Devas’ play pranks to annoy and scare the couple.


Opening:
Back Story to the ‘Devas’ being expelled from Heaven by God and that generally they live away from humans but every so often the most mischievous can't resist entering our homes and playing tricks on us.


Middle:
The couple begin to suspect they have a ghost or some sort of unknown being living in their house which again the ‘Devas’ play on to scare the couple.


End:
The outside ‘Devas’ arrive to capture the mischievous pair and return them to their rightful place.


Characters


The idea is to keep characters to a minimum there will be the couple who will be played by real actors and the ‘Devas’ who will either be CGI (computer generated Imagery) or actors on a green screen. A much more detailed profile of actors and plot will come after test shots and script development.


Backup Ideas


The reason for the backup idea was in the outcome that the fairy sequences in the short film would be too time consuming to create and would not be possible in the time allocated. 
Slackliners
A short ducumentary looking into a new activity of attaching a slackline to two trees and then performing tricks on them.





James and Ben’


A short film about two brothers having a conversation/ argument as one of them is a heroin addict.


The premise is that Ben is in fact dead and James is talking to himself this becomes evident to James when he is taken back to the scene of his own death in the house from an overdose. The film ends where t it begins and the whole film begins again almost as if Ben is in some sort of Jericho.