Writing the Script

 After writing the synopsis and being placed in a group my next task was to write the script. As the idea was my own, the group decided that I should write the script as well as direct. 

To do this, I primarily used my previous experience in the different script writing modules (COMM2655, COMM1890). In these modules, I had a lot more pages to construct the three-act structure and as this film is only 4/5 pages I realised quickly that I would not be able to do this effectively. Furthermore, as my idea is essentially four narratives in one story (view my synopsis here), I decided I needed a slightly different approach. After discussing with my group, I decided to write the four narratives almost as their own stories and intertwine them with one continuous motif- a photo. 

For inspiration for the writing, I thought about the dystopian show Black Mirror which not only covers similar topics such as the ending of the world but also has self-contained narratives in the episodes, acting as more short stories than long form television. In the show, they often force the watcher into the world straight away, emerging them and allowing them to work out the rules of this new reality. As I only had a short amount of space this is something I wanted to do. As a result, my characters have little introduction and the focus is more on how they react to this inevitable death. Their personalities are presented to the audience straight away through the tasks they are doing- obsession with astronomy, caring for their children, dedication to finishing a novel and living rough alone in the park. These characterisations, then, impacted how they responded to the situation at hand. 

Moreover, we also decided to include a quote in the script, as suggested by another member of our group. I was struggling with how to round the piece up and felt this was the perfect way. The quote is:

This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang but a whimper.

The quote is from a poem called The Hollow Men and was written by T.S Eliot in 1925. We felt it encompassed the characters perfectly, reflecting how these are your normal mundane people, and their reactions and minuscule within the great landscape of what is happening but entirely monumental to them. It highlights their denial, hyper fixation and fear of what is happening. 

All these thoughts eventually led to our final script, which was then ready for storyboarding and filming.