Prezi

The Family Brainstorm

 

Researching materials for your script

Background Material:

Published Scripts:















I found and gathered information on already published scripts through secondary research, and in this case it was looking at websites such as the BBC Writers Room, Wikipedia and IMDb.

ITV drama 'The Children' (David Evans, 2008) is a three part drama that was broadcasted in 2008. It follows the storyline of a families young daughter being murdered. It shows her siblings and parents perception of her in flashbacks before it shows the culprit to be her fathers ex-wife.



BBC drama 'My Murder' (Levi David Addai, 2012) is a TV movie, that was aired in 2012. The programme opens in silence with only ambient sounds and the noise of silent breathing present, before it shows Shakilus Townsend laying bleeding on the ground. Like The Children, it then travels back in time to show us the events which will eventually culminate in Shakilus' death. It turns out the girl he was in love with already had another boyfriend Danny McLean, who was a violent gang member, and when he finds out what's been going on he orders his girlfriend Samantha Joseph to trick Shakilus into crossing paths with him and his gang, and it ends with the teenagers brutal death.


Factual Information:

I gathered my factual information through secondary sources such as the television and newspapers. As my screenplay is ultimately about violence at home it can relate to a lot of factual information. New stories which can relate to my own storyline are that of Baby P. He was young toddler who was continuously the victim of physical abuse from his parents.
A poll by the NSPCC and YouGov shows that less than one in five (17 per cent) would report concerns as soon as they arose.




Opinion:

My drama is very relatable to the public as it is a realistic storyline and anyone could be involved in any sort of scrap with their family. Its all to do with family life and growing up, and there are bound to be differences in opinion. I could get peoples opinions from this by devising a questionnaire asking whether they think having high pressure jobs implicate on attitudes towards family, and whether they've ever had fights and falling outs with their families.



Speculation:

I researched secondary information for the NSPCC through the internet and looking on their website. As of the issue I've raised from my drama, it promotes certain charities like the NSPCC's cause to try and stop abuse involving children. On their websites it says "A poll by the NSPCC and YouGov shows that less than one in five (17 per cent) would report concerns as soon as they arose". This can lead us to speculate about the people who do not report their abuse, and how many more victims there are because of this.


Existing Material:

I took inspiration for my own screenplay through watching programmes such as The Children which I have said about previously in this blog. I liked:

•  The way it was set out as a drama
•  The Format
•  The overall concept

Sources:

I found information on published scripts at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scripts/search/page/3/genre/Drama/platform/TV
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Children_(2008_miniseries)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2201131/plotsummary
 
I found my Factual information at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/baby-p/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Baby_P

I found my speculation issues at:

http://www.nspcc.org.uk/news-and-views/our-campaigns/current-campaigns/dont-wait/dont-wait-campaign_wda88525.html

Screenplay Pitch

The Family by

Screenplay Essay

There are many reasons why you might want to produce a script proposal, this could be that you have an excellent idea for a one off movie, or perhaps you have the basis of a script which could be formed into a series. These usually happen with fictional entertainment programmes like dramas and comedies, and you can usually find this genre of programmes on channels such as ITV and the BBC.

When I finish my own script proposal I intend to present my ideas through both a written report to show my understanding of the requirements in more detail, and through an oral presentation to show others verbally what my general idea and overview for a script is going to be.

The title I have chosen for my drama is The Family. I decided to call it this central narrative is about one family and the struggles they face because of disagreements within the group. It is also short and directly tells the viewers what the drama is going to revolve around.

For my script I intend the genre of it to be a drama. It is going to be based around the death of a teenage male within a 'close' family, and viewers will know from the off that it is someone in his own family which commits the murder. Throughout the programme we learn more about each character and how their relationship with the victim changes the watchers perspective of 'whodunnit'. The 'whodunnit' element is the unique selling point of my drama as it enables me as the writer to throw in twists to make the programme more interesting. The target audience for my script proposal is going to middle and working class citizens, both male and female between the ages of 25-50. I have chosen this target audience because people who are in those age brackets are more likely to be interested in dramas. The 'story' of my script begins with the murder, however we do not get a clear view of the killer so it leaves us asking questions about how it could be. After these opening scenes it goes back in time to show you (as I said above) the victims relationship with everyone in his family.

The product is going to be set over about 3 episodes, over 3 weeks so it in a sense is a mini series as its storyline is too long to be considered a single.

The intention of my product is to raise awareness of violence at home. I want to promote the fact its not just adults that receive domestic abuse, but also children and teenagers. I would display this at the end of the programme, with an advice line just incase any of the viewers have themselves been affected or someone they know by the storyline.

My product isn't high concept as it isn't in the same format of your regular drama. It is going to be more of a realist drama as I want to be able to relate to normal day-to-day life.

I will try to communicate with my target audience through the language my characters use and what the characters every day life is like. I will use typical English, neither posh and upper class or street slang, it will be how common everyday people speak. I have chosen to use this kind of language so the viewers can connect easier with the drama. The characters in my screenplay will also live in a suburban area on the outskirts of London and go to school and work like a typical family would. This would also help my audience get into the drama as they would have a similar lifestyle.

The characters in my screenplay will be a mother and father Lucy and David Sharp who are both in their mid 40's, their role in the narrative is similar as they both want to keep their family as close as possible but lifestyle of one of their twin sons makes this near impossible. The twins will be 18 and the role of the first son, Michael Sharp is to be a rebel, he does not want to told how to do things by his family, he wants make his own choices, leaving them very irritated and this includes the other twin Harry. His role is to try and change the way of his brother, but his controlling nature leads to the Michael distancing himself even more from his family. Their are two close friends of the family, Tom Ashcroft, and Liam Brown from the fathers work, they are aged 35 and 40. Their role is to support the parents, when they are asked for suggestions on how to manipulate the sons attitude. However even with their help the son still wants to be independent. The controlling nature of the family and friends, mixed with the Michael's own rebellious nature culminates in an angry encounter with the son and one of the other characters leading to the accidental death of the twin, but who does it? 

Screenplay Synopsis

At the beginning of the screenplay it opens up with a scene of the murder of Michael. You see him falling backwards as if hit or accidentally pushed whilst in his room. He lands, smashing his head against the corner of his desktop, killing him instantly. During this course of events you do not see who is responsible and the culprit quickly flees the scene. After this the drama travels backwards in time and shows you Michael's relationship with his family and the family's close friends. Its clear to see he goes against their wishes and in the middle of the drama you see tempers rising because his parents David and Lucy and their friends Liam and Tom are continuously giving their opinions on how they think he should go about things, including what university he should go to and other new things. This constant harassment gets to much and reacts angrily by completely dismissing their suggestions before storming out, and even after all that even his brother Harry tries to persuade him to change forcing Michael to move out and stay with his friends for a couple of days. This leads into the final scenes, which show Michael returning to the house and collecting things from his room. It shows versions of the different characters killing him after another angry argument, showing us them all lashing out at the twin, which keeps us wondering which could it be? Its only until the final scene that we see his brother, running from the house and driving off with no intention of returning. This then flashes back to what actually happened, which shows the brothers arguing before Harry grabs his brother in anger, however, he accidentally knocks Michael off balance as he trips over the leg of a chair, sending him over and against the desktop. In fear he will get the blame, Harry leaves, leaving only a note in the kitchen downstairs which simply reads "I'm sorry".

Screenplay Research

“giving you access to commissioners and production departments but most importantly to the skills and experience of established writers”[1].

“At writersroom, the most important thing is our relationship with writers - and our ability, no matter how long it takes, to help them get their work commissioned and made”.[2]

At the BBC writersroom, they are looking for “those who want to write, who have an idea that is itching to get out, and who would like a guide or structure to help them take it from idea right through to a first draft”[3].

From the TV listings above, it shows that drama’s such as Merlin and Eastenders usually screen at around 8pm in the evening. It has competition from other channels such as ITV with shows like Coronation Street and Downton Abbey.

Inspector George Gently is a BBC produced drama about 3 members of the police force in Northumberland. The 3 characters are Inspector George Gently, Detective Sergeant John Bacchus and PC Taylor. The overview of the show is these 3 characters have to work together to solve crimes, with every new episode being a different story. It is a crime solving drama.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB-CVIREzvU

 There are a variety of different bbc dramas, here are some:

- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

- Boys from the Black Stuff

- Casualty

- Holby City

- Merlin 

Research texts 

In the opening scene, in the episode 'Choices' on Silent Witness, you see Ainsley Modest dropping off his girlfriend, Helen Roach at a nightclub. After talking about and looking at the engagement ring which she is wearing, they both exit the car, with Helen walking out first to meet her friends. Modest parks the car and heads over towards the club when a car drives past and shoots at them using a machine gun. As a result of this, Modest's girlfriend Helen dies along with an innocent person. The characters involved in the scene were Ainsley Modest, Helen Roach and the doormen.

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[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/about/what-we-do

[2] http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/about/success-stories-and-commissions

[3] http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/write-a-script/

Understanding the requirements of working to a brief

There are many ways in which you can respond to a brief. This can be through a contractual brief, negotiated brief, formal brief, informal brief, commissioned briefs and tender briefs. A contractual brief is a written document which is included within an employment contract, when you are in the stage of being offered a job. It will say what your employers expect of you, and how much you will receive if you successfully complete your duties. This can work both ways, with the client pitching potential shows towards TV corporations, for example Louis Theroux usually thinks of ideas for his next documentaries and asks the BBC for permission for it to be broadcast on their channel. This is also a commissioning process.
A negotiated brief is when the potential employee works with the corporation to highlight the objectives which should be included in a brief. This therefore makes it easier for both parties to agree on and sign the contract. When a new show is thought of, a negotiated brief may occur. This would be between the new shows producer and the channel. They would negotiate what can and can't be included in the programme.
A formal brief consists of both the client and the employee having a meeting in which they will tell you verbally, and face-to-face what they require you to do. For example, this can usually happen when a producer has a new idea for an advert, a host of people will sit around a table a discuss what will make it suitable. This has happened in the case of Levi jeans. Whereas in contrary, an informal brief would simply be the client phoning you and discussing the aims and objectives, or through emailing.
A commissioned brief is when a client will quickly request and employ a worker to fulfil specific objectives. It is the step before a contractual brief.

A tender brief is sent out via post or email by a specific company. This gives potential employees the chance to put forward their ideas before sending it back to whom sent it. They will then rival other people and companies who have expressed their ideas. E4 send out these kind of briefs, and it was the same brief they sent out to myself and my fellow pupils for our Estings.
There are also competitions which you can enter in order to get your ideas broadcasted. These briefs will be sent out to applicants and they will then produce their own production, after it is complete, every competitor will send their shorts to the specific corporation which sent out the briefs. They will then decide who has the best one, before they win whatever was on offer. Virgin media have these kind of competitions, here is an example of one of their latest winners in 2012.

When producing our own Estings, we were given a tender brief highlighting what was demanded of us to make a successful production. It give us implicit rules such as the length of our Estings having to be 10 seconds long, and that when it was finished we had to post them on our blogs and send E4 the blog address. However, before we did all this, E4 recommended that we look at previous Estings which had successfully been

put onto the website and there TV channel. They encouraged us to do this as it would help to give us ideas for our own productions. E4 were also clear that our Estings had to be finished and submitted by the 9th November 2012, otherwise any sent in after the deadline would not be accepted.

When producing my Esting, I constantly consulted with my tutor. As I was thinking of how to set out my animation, she would give her advice and feedback on how it could perhaps be improved and how it could be made more fluent. She told me to add things like a big top to my set, and to add more colour to it as my esting was centered around a clown and the circus. Once I had moved onto the editing stage, I consulted her on how to include soundtracks and how to make the lighting more consistent, after this I worked relatively independently throughout the rest of the production.
When I read the brief it was clear it wasn't particularly strict, the deadline gave me enough time to plan and produce my Esting to the standard I wanted, however I did recognise the consequences if I hadn't met it. However it was strict in other areas, such as how long the animation had to be and the amount of Estings we could send in and the soundtrack.

My Esting did have constraints though, as said before in another post on my blog there were legal, ethical and regulatory constraints. In channel 4's editorial guidelines it states "those externally who are engaged by C4 are responsible for the editorial decisions they are making. Crucially this includes making sure that all content they are responsible for has been subject to the appropriate level of editorial compliance". This can include harmful and offensive material such as violence, the use of drugs and discrimination against religion. Infringement of copyright laws is also included, so using someone elses soundtrack, or ideas for characters are examples of infringement. Ofcoms BCAP code impacts channel 4's guidelines by enforcing these rules against the programmes and video shorts they broadcast.
When we had finished our Estings we then had to gather feedback on what we had produced. We used methods such as questionnaires, blog posts, youtube videos and taking part in a class focus group to achieve this. From this I found out what was good and what could be improved about my Esting, with many people praising the fluidity of my video but constructively criticising the use of the E4 logo. The continuity of the two clowns I used also had to be improved. I acted on this by re-creating my smaller clown so it looked virtually identical to the main clown in my animation. I also chose to hand create an E4 logo out of plasticine and placed against the cannon. I put this in the sequence of shots just before my clown was shot out of the cannon. After these amendments had been made I felt the Esting looked better, so the feedback and consultations were extremely helpful.

We didn't have to make any changes to our final budget because we didn't directly use it. The college supplied us with plasticine for our characters and we made our set designs out of cardboard boxes and materials used from the props room. In my case I used a stripy t-shirt out of the prop cupboard for the big top in my set. We also didn't have to make any adjustments to the time used because we finished before the deadline we had been set.

This project has helped me to understand animation much further and develop my media skills which I can now take forward into future media jobs. I learnt how frame rates affect how smooth an animation will come across and how stop motion animation is used in popular TV programmes and movies like Wallace and Gromit. It has enhanced my own skillset as I have learnt how to make successful motion picture through taking still frame pictures, and and it has also widened my knowledge in the editing stage. This therefore would help me in future as it shows I have a range of skills in both making normal videos and stop motion animation videos. At certain points I had to multi-skill, and I mainly did this when shooting my Esting, I had to both move camera angles as well as moving my characters, trying to achieve seamless footage. I feel I contributed a different theme to Estings. Out of all the Estings I have seen I have never came across one using clowns with circus environment. So I feel my Esting was completely unique.