Second Script (Blue)

-

Blue

COMPLETE DARKNESS
BOY (VO)
Sometimes…
EXT- DAY- THE BOY IS UNDERWATER, THRASHING AGAINST THE PULL OF THE WAVES, LIGHT BEAMS DOWN FROM ABOVE, WHICH HE REACHES FOR BUT CANNOT TOUCH, THIS CONTINUES THROUGHOUT HIS MONOLOGUE
BOY (VO)
I feel like I’m drowning. I’m at the bottom of an ocean- I don’t know which one- I mean they’re all pretty much the same… and I just… can’t… breathe. Like my whole life is just… on pause. And I’m just sinking… drifting away… my lungs filling up… and when I scream… no one can hear it…
 INT- IN THE BOYS ROOM- NIGHT- THE BOY LAYS ON HIS BED, LOOKING DIRECTLY UPWARD. THE LIGHT DAPPLED ACROSS HIM IS BLUE, JUST AS THE OCEAN WAS PRIOR.
MONTAGE-
1)  (EARLY) THE BOY STANDS ALONE AT A TRAIN STATION PLATFORM

2)(EARLY) THE BOY WALKS ALONG A STRETCH OF ROAD, ALONE

3)(MIDDAY) HE SITS AT A LUNCH TABLE, NOT ENTIRELY ALONE, BUT COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM EVERYONE ELSE

4)(MIDDAY) HE STANDS OUTBACK SMOKING, OTHERS ARE AROUND HIM TALKING AS THEY SMOKE BUT HE IS ALONE

5)(LATER ON) HE SITS IN LESSON, DRAWING A FLAME


6)(THE SUN IS ON ITS WAY DOWN) HE SITS AT THE SAME STATION PLATFORM, ALONE ONCE MORE

INT- IN THE BOYS ROOM- NIGHT- THE BOY LAYS ON HIS BED ONCE MORE. VERY SIMILAR SHOT AS BEFORE.
BOY (VO)
I often think… or at least wonder… because I don’t understand- I can’t comprehend it…
INT- PITCH BLACK ROOM, HE IS ALONE IN A VACUUM, TALKING DIRECTLY TO THE CAMERA.
BOY
Maybe it’s to make connections, to experience things… to feel… to care… to love. Or maybe that’s all bullshit. I don’t know… because they’ve always been things that I struggle with… opening up… being… me. I wonder if I’m just…
INT- DAY- END OF A LESSON AS THE BOY PACKS HIS BAG, MID-CONVERSATION WITH A FRIEND.
BOY
Nothing much. You?
FRIEND
Well… yeah not a lot. Got a party this weekend.
BOY
Yeah?
FRIEND
Yeah… yeah. Should be good.
BOY
Who’s is it?
FRIEND
Oh mine…
BOY
Cool…
FRIEND
Oh shit… you can totally come… did I not put you in the chat?
BOY
I dunno. Don’t think so…
FRIEND
I’m so sorry… just come mine at like… eight Saturday, yeah?
BOY
Sure… thanks.
INT- HIS BEDROOM- EARLY HOURS- THE BOY SITS ON HIS BED, THE LIGHT CRACKS THROUGH THE CURTAINS IN A THIN STRIP ACROSS HIS FACE, HE LOOKS OUT THROUGH THE LIGHT.
MONTAGE (SAME AS PREVIOUS BUT MUCH FASTER, BARELY EVEN FIVE SECONDS LONG)-
1)(EARLY) THE BOY STANDS ALONE AT A TRAIN STATION PLATFORM
2)(EARLY) THE BOY WALKS ALONG A STRETCH OF ROAD, ALONE
3)(MIDDAY) HE SITS AT A LUNCH TABLE, NOT ENTIRELY ALONE, BUT COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM EVERYONE ELSE
4)(MIDDAY) HE STANDS OUTBACK SMOKING, OTHERS ARE AROUND HIM TALKING AS THEY SMOKE BUT HE IS ALONE
5)(LATER ON) HE SITS IN LESSON, DRAWING A FLAME
INT- SCHOOL CORRIDOR- SUN ON IT’S WAY DOWN- HE WALKS ALONG ONE WAY, A MYSTERY GIRL THE OTHER. AS THEY PASS ONE ANOTHER, THEIR SHOULDERS BRUSH, SHE CONTINUES BUT HE STOPS, AND LOOKS BACK AT HER AS SHE LEAVES.
EXT- DAY- THE BOY BURSTS FROM UNDERWATER, HIS HAND EXTENDED UP TOWARD THE SUN
INT- SCHOOL CORRIDOR- SUN ON IT’S WAY DOWN- THE BOY REACHES UP AND TOUCHES WHERE HER SHOULDER DID AND LOOKS CONFUSED.
INT- NIGHT- HIS ROOM- HE LAYS BACK ON HIS BED AND APPEARS DISTRAUGHT.
BOY (VO)
I wasn’t sure what it meant. And I wasn’t sure who she was. I hoped it was something… like a shift somehow… something important… but… perhaps it was nothing at all. I don’t know…
(HE CLOSES HIS EYES)
INT- AT THE PARTY- NIGHT- BRIGHT LIGHTS FLASH, LOUD MUSIC BOOMS OUT AS HE STALKS THROUGH THE CROWDS OF PEOPLE. HE IS LOOKING FOR THE GIRL BUT SEEMS UNCOMFORTABLE AT THE PARTY. HE THEN STOPS, SEEING HER SURROUNDED BY OTHER GUYS, THE MUSIC FADES AWAY, RED LIGHTS FLASH ACROSS HIS FACE, THE SAME LIGHTS ACROSS HER BACK. HE TURNS AND WALKS AWAY.
EXT- ON THE ROOF- NIGHT- HE SITS ON THE ROOFTOP WITH A CIGARETTE IN HIS MOUTH. HE GOES TO LIGHT IT, FAILING A COUPLE OF TIMES.
EXT- IN BLACK VACUUM
BOY
You alright?
EXT- ON ROOF
BOY
Yeah… no.
EXT- IN VACUUM
BOY
Oh.
BOY (VO)
I think…
BOY
What?
EXT- ON ROOF
BOY
I think I’m done…
BOY (VO)
With…?
BOY
Maybe… everything?
BOY (VO)
Oh…
HE HEARS SOMEBODY COME OUT, TURNS SLIGHTLY.
BOY
Hi…
GIRL
Hi… you got a spare one?
BOY
Yeah… definitely.
SHE SITS NEXT TO HIM, HE HANDS HER A CIGARETTE WHICH SHE PUTS IN HER MOUTH. HE MANAGES TO LIGHT HIS OWN, THEN EXTENDS HIS LIGHTER TO HER, SHE TAKES IT AND AS THEIR HANDS TOUCH FOR A MOMENT-
CUT TO BLACK



With this script, I very much wanted to return to my initial idea of a symbolic, and very visually focused script. First thing- I really, really like this script. A lot. It's very self-indulgent of the character, and is very focused on him and his psyche. It's also very ambiguous and aimed to allow an audience to decide what they think it is about. It is very much inspired by Richard Ayoade's 'Submarine' which I love to no end. A lot of the imagery and moments are influenced by this. I have a very clear vision of what I would want this short film to look like, and am deeply considering filming this for my final project as I like it that much. I had considered only writing a script for my coursework, but as this is short and I adore it, I have been swayed over to making the whole film instead. I'm now fairly certain this is what I want to do.  


Comments

  1. Caroline Birks18 October 2018 at 12:36

    I like your ideas here, I like the way you explore character and the structure to the narrative. My only concern is how you will film some of the water sequences. You are clearly passionate about this script, so am sure you will make it work.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inspiration for Blue

-
Image
As I am very passionate about the script for Blue I wanted to look through some of my inspirations. First and foremost is Submarine by Richard Ayoade. The film focuses on Oliver Tate, a boy who obsesses over a girl at his school Jordana. As the story progresses the two form an uneasy relationship consisting of visiting cold British beaches, industrial estates and a lot of pyromania. Oliver is a self-absorbed character with much of the film focusing on his thoughts and concerns, with some internal sequences where he is seen in a black void talking directly to the camera, and a section where he lays on a bed which is eventually imposed over an endless sea. Much of the imagery is to do with the sea, and the visuals are incredibly 'blue' and overcast reflecting the British setting. It is easy to draw comparison between my script and Submarine. Second being a strange influence, but a large one none-the-less. Jaden Smith's SYRE is an incredibly reflective album looking ba...
Read more

Work on Dialogue in film

-
The rules of dialogue (From 'The Art and Science of Screenwriting' by Phil Parker- It has clear dramatic function (eg. advances the story, reveals character) It relates to the visual aspect of the moment It is character specific It is economical (short and to the point) It reflects the style of the narrative It delivers only what the action and visuals cannot It is speech, not prose After looking at these rules, we analysed extracts from various film scripts such as 'The Full Monty', 'Good Will Hunting' and 'Fargo'. My group focused on the 'Fargo' extract, seeing how the dialogue between Marge and Norm presented their marriage and the state of their relationship. We see it is stale, and had gone on so long that here is no sense of ego or need to entertain one another. They simply exist around one another, with no pressure on their relations. The conversation focuses on Norm's painting rather than the baby or Marge's current poli...
Read more

The Fly by Olly Williams

-
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+fly+short+film&view=detail&mid=A0C812280605FED6DDE2A0C812280605FED6DDE2&FORM=VIRE After viewing 'The Fly' twice, I overall like the film a lot. It delivers a fast and frantic story, as well as a relatively engaging protagonist and an entertaining structure. The film is solely set in the car of the driver (played by Jack Doolan), parked at the exterior of a bank his follow heist-members are robbing. The scenes are constantly cross-cut, between the hilarity of the drivers encounter with the fly and the panic inside the bank, only heard through muffled shouts coming form inside. We do not see the robbery, and by doing as such the film creates a comic tone while staying on a small budget and not having to choreograph an entire heist sequence. The camera work is mostly steady, maintaining a fairly regular medium shot and uses shots form the exterior of the car when the driver freaks out to show how small the issue truly is and ...
Read more