Your script idea

Think of an idea for a film, short film or TV pilot. Post in the forum a short description about the characters and the story (100-250 words). It does not necessarily need to be the idea for your assignment, but it might be useful, since you have to do it anyway.

Title: A Foreseer’s Future (Film)

Genres: Sci-fi, mystery, action

Plot: Set on an Earth-like planet, a young adult with the ability to Foresee and an Assassin who hates all Foreseers team up to unravel the mystery behind the destruction of a 'sister' planet.

(Foreseers are people who have the ability to “step” into someone’s timeline and change and/or witness that person’s past, present and/or future. All Foreseers are exiled due to the government’s growing concern and lack of understanding.)

Characters:

Terra

Female. The protagonist. Young adult. A Foreseer.
Grew up in a small seaside town.
Sometimes impatient but ultimately wants to find out who destroyed the planet.
 
Assassin

Female. Helps the protagonist. Prejudiced against Foreseers.
Family was murdered by 2 Foreseers when she was younger.
Was taken in by an old man, he trained her in the art of assassination.
 
 
Mr Smith

Male. Passes on his ability to Foresee to Terra when he dies.
He’s almost like a cross between a hero and a mentor. He’s wise, brave and has been a survivor all his life.
 
Walter Graham

Male. CEO of the privatised global health organisation.
He has a lot of power and money. He’s stern and driven.
He is a secret Foreseer.
 
The Mechanic

Male. Owns a mechanic shop on the outskirts of the city.
He’s clever, calculating, always one step ahead of everyone.
Has a mechanical arm, knows how to play people, whatever outcome he wants, he gets it.
The only redeeming quality is his truthfulness but he always hides the truth in some complicated way, like a riddle or a memory.
 

There are more characters but I’d go way over the word count

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Title: A Cold Winter’s Night
Genre: Drama
Synopsis: As Rachael Noble arrives home from a hard day’s work she is surprised by her husband Jim. As the night awakens Jim decides to take Rachael out for dinner, as they leave their house little do they know only one will return home.
Character: Rachael Noble –
Rachael Noble is a young 25 year old woman, who thrives on success and being independent. At the age of 18 she attended university to further her career and education; at the age of 20 she met her future husband Jim. Rachael Noble has blonde hair and blue eyes, she always dresses in a formal manner to keep a high presentation of herself to the public, but once she is home she dresses in an informal manner, this helps her relax and feel more at home with her self especially with her husband who is known as a more chilled and relaxed man.

Jim: Jim is a 27 year old man, who is more chilled and relaxed than Rachael; Jim has worked in a pizzeria for the past 4 years. He first met his future wife Rachael while working in the pizzeria. Jim grew up in a working class background, at the age of 16 he started working trying to gain as much experience and money as possible to help forward his career as an artist. Jim is an average sized man with brown as and dark coloured hair along with an average built tone dressing in an informal manner compared to his wife Rachael which helps show his more relaxed side compared to Rachael. 

Unnecessary Violence

Genre: Drama/Romance.

Plot:

A young man named 'Michael' lives in a broken world. The year is 2033 and the country is USA. There is no government, no police, no military. Instead, the nation is run by terrorists; 'the bad guys'. They snatch women off the streets and force them into their country-wide sex-trafficking ring whilst also disregarding the upkeep of the nation completely; infrastructure is crumbling; people are dying and society is moving backwards.
Michael however lives in an area of the country where people are still trying to hold onto fragments of the old world. He attends high school with other local boys (girls are seldom seen out in public anymore) and he tries to fight for what he believes is right in life. If he sees a girl being ganged up on in the street he will try and help her; but unfortunately he keeps getting his nose broken. 
One day in social history class however, a young woman enters the room. She is a new student and suddenly Michael knows she is 'the one'.
He fears for her life however as the bad guys might sweep her up off the street and with prom fast approaching can Michael step up to the plate and be the hero nobody thinks he is?

Central characters: 

'Michael' 

-Age: 20.
-Gender: Male.
-Hobbies: Vinyl collecting and/or listening, Tarantino films, green tea, typewriting, talking to himself.
-Agendas: Country to be eradicated of evil, win the heart of his one true love (blow her mind at prom i.e. present her with a love letter), stay alive.
-Favourite song: Summer in the city by the Lovin' Spoonful and The Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone.

'The Girl'

Attends Michael's social history class. Talks to Michael; sometimes.

-Age: Unknown.
-Gender: Female.
-Hobbies: Educating herself, remaining an enigma to Michael.
-Agendas: Come out on top of the bad guys; become strong independent woman.
-Favourite song: The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel.

'The Boogeyman'

Leads the bad guys in Michael's hometown. Collects women for sex trade. Plays a lot of music.

-Age: 55.
-Gender: Male.
-Hobbies: Snatching women, being bad, playing music on his boombox, smoking cigars, wearing sunglasses inside, crashing parties.
-Agendas: "To be the baddest motherf**cker in the whole country" - direct quote. 
-Favourite song: I'm your boogie man by KC and the sunshine band.
-Dream casting: Kevin Bacon.

Note: The film will be structured in a 50/50 format. The first two acts will follow Michael as he navigates the messed up society in which he lives whilst he's also trying to win the heart of 'the girl'. The last two acts will take place on the night of the prom and will follow Michael as navigates through the events of the night and will show he reacts to situations and scenarios that go down on said night. It gets bloody. It gets messy. It gets violent.

Lima
 
The Plot concerns a Hostage situation where a criminologist is one of the hostages at a bank and must attempt to negotiate with her captors to try and save the lives of her peers and try to avoid a potential gunfight between the bank robbers and the police.
 
The Characters
 
Beth: Our protagonist a 23-30 year old criminology graduate who ended her pursuit of her job in the field of criminology after her father, a career police officer, was stabbed to death 2 years earlier.  Since the death of her father she has been swallowed by grief and has become distant to her friends and family and only goes out when completely necessary at the least busy times.
 
Bank Robber (Crowd Control): The antagonist a seemingly calm bank robber who communicates fairly well with the few hostages and convinces them that they will be safe if they remain cooperative with his demands. Beth is the only one of the 5 hostages who mistrusts him and attempts to try and understand his plans which leads to him becoming progressively more aggressive.
 
   
Negotiator: Voice of the police negotiator over a walkie-talkie he gives in to the robbers demands far too quickly and is naïve to the intelligence of the plan of the robbers as he has never actually had any first hand experience negotiating with criminals prior to this.  

Title: Darkhorses 

Genre: Comedy 

The town of Jeffersonville, Georgia have been captured with election fever, but this isn't just any election, this is the Jeffersonville mayoral election. Three young candidates compete against one another to become the head of the town hall of the great city. The three candidates have their own unique qualities and the campaign becomes growingly intense and challenging for all three. Brett Sinclair is one of the richest men in Jeffersonville with the know-how and confidence, but will his popularity affect his run? Trent Brockman is your average everyday family man who has the self-belief and positive attitude to go the whole distance. Finally, Randy McBride - the son of the late, great Mayor Bobby McBride - may not have the knowledge, but he know this town needs one thing, and that's Randy McBride. As the campaign goes on, difficulties start to arise and Trent Brockman is forced to withdraw from the election due to budget problems, but help is on had as he and Randy Mcbride join parties and make history as the attempt to become the first co-Mayors of Jeffersonville. But can these darkhorses beat the wealth and knowledge of Brett Sinclair and make history? 

Characters 

Brett Sinclair: 
30
Brett is extremely egotistical and has brought his way into politics. Owner of Jeffersonville's biggest car dealership and multi-millionaire, he definitely knows how to take control and move into the right direction and as successful as possible. But due to his arrogance and self-confidence, he has became unpopular with many people in the community which could affect his chances drastically. 


Trent Brockman: 
33
Trent is hard-working father of two and seen as the biggest underdog in the campaign. He wishes to become the Mayor and be a success and good role model for his family. He has gradually worked his way up through city hall over his life, but financially, he is struggling to keep his campaign running. 


Randy McBride 
32
Randy is the son of one of the greatest Jeffersonville Mayors, Bobby McBride. Wanting to following in his footsteps, Randy decided to pursue a career in politics, despite not being the brightest spark around as well as lazy and slobbish and is unaware as of what a mayor does. None of this, however, changes Randy's attitude towards the campaign and he fully believes he can do it.

Title: MEKONG (Film)


Genre: Action/Adventure/horror


Background information:


The Mekong river is the 12th largest river in the world running through South East Asia. The river runs through a small country called Laos eventually leading to Cambodia. In the south of Laos the river splits the land into what is known as the '4000 islands' which is exactly what is says on the tin. The islands are only accessible by boat. some of the Laos south islands are as tiny as a footprint, others home villages and popular tourist traveller spots. One of the Laos south islands is forbidden and no human is aloud to step foot on it.


Plot:


Loosely based on true events, the narrative revolves around Tim, an eager, adventurous traveller who's next destination could be his last. Travelling with a small group he has met in North Thailand the group pursue the next location via slow boat down the Mekong river. The film follows Tim as he embarks on his ventures in south east Asia as he is wrapped up in adrenaline, romance, an drugs. Eventually reaching Laos '4000 islands' staying in the hippie village on Don Det, Tim and co befriend a local teenage group who let slip of the mystery surrounding the 4000th island. A place where no local will visit or speak of and strictly forbidden ground. The enigma surrounding the island divulges Tim's time as he and the group manage to persuade a local fisherman with all the money they have left. The fisherman promises a one way trip via slow boat in the black of the night, and will return a week later for them. With no escape from the island for a week as croc's and piranhas are rife in the Mekong, Tim finds himself in an adventure gone wrong and the 4000th island inhabitants do not take kindly to visitors.   


Characters:


Tim:
22, English, protagonist, Determined, funny and adventurous.
Hates the 'real world' and routine. Lives life on the edge and always on the move.


Kristian:
23, Welsh, Tim's 'sidekick comedy character', travelled with Tim throughout Asia and share similar attributes and attitudes. Also eager for the trip to the 4000th island.


GaGa (The fisherman):
48, Burmese, poor yet grateful for the smaller things in life. befriends Tim and teaches him the tip and tricks of the jungle (tarantula hunting, elephant riding and metallic beetle eating) Strongly against Tim's trip, however like many locals, GaGa will do anything for the right price.  


Amanda and Cris:
24, Spanish, travelling Asia during gap years, met Tim in North Thailand, romantic link to Kristian, takes persuading to visit the island but eventually agrees.


A few more people join the group to the island however the ones above are the lead characters.

My feature film idea is based around Ty (the protagonist) in Peckham, London who is a 17 year old male struggling to complete his college education while dealing with his home life of his mother being a borderline alcoholic, living in a deprived, crime ridden area and also being unable to get a part time job to support his mother and younger sister.



He is conflicted throughout the film whether to continue with his college education and trying to find a job or go down the path of dealing drugs like many of his friends from the same estate.

Title: A lullaby Demise (short film)

Synopsis: A young man has regularly started attending therapy session due to the stress and anxiety of a reoccurring dream. The dream is causing the young man concern as it is always the same, a young woman singing, however after a period of the time the woman’s appearance beings to change in a negative way. The man soon becomes obsessed with what this dream could mean and so he convinces himself he is seeing the woman from his dreams everywhere and her appearance is worsening. The fear of the dream cause the man to try and stay awake, until one night the man must witnessing an awaking truth about the dream.

Characters


Monroe: Monroe is the main character, he is a jaded man in his early 20’s who is not only distant from people around him but also himself. We learn from his therapy session that he doesn't have a great life or social life and a lot of this is inflected by himself. We see him infatuated with the meaning behind his dream because it’s the only interest we know he has.


The Girl: we know nothing about this girl, her name, her origins or age. All that we know is that she is changing rapidly and the only person that can see her and feel her pain is Monroe.

Title: N/A (still to think of one)

My short film idea/ TV series is about a council estate in Liverpool, where the main character is a boy aged 13, who doesn't go to school that often and is forced into selling drugs on the street from an older character who is 20. He is using the young boy in order to protect himself from getting found out by the police who gets called to the council estate every week. 

Characters:
Steven (Aged 13) - He lives on an estate with his mother who is a single mother. He doesn't go to school that often, but is mainly seen in his uniform as his mother believes that he is actually going to school. Steven is forced into selling drugs and comes home with bruises where Callum has been grabbing him and hitting him. Steven doesn't fully understand that he is being used because he is young and naive. He doesn't think nothing of it. 

(Steven's mother) - Lives on benefits and is unemployed. She doesn't do a lot for Steven, and is a heavy alcoholic. 

Callum (20) - He is the drug dealer that uses Steven. He got to know Steven because he always seen him play football in the street, and also lives at the end of the street to where and Steven lives. He has already spent time in prison for robbing etc. 

Police Officers.

[ltr]Name: N/A ?  [/ltr]




TV Pilot 

Genre: Mystery/Sci-Fi/Film-Noir Style.

My TV Pilot is about Two detectives in 1940s America, Investigating a small seemingly abandoned town, there are very few people left and they are all in hiding, As they dig deeper they will find answers to the mysteries of the strange goings on in the town and get way more than they bargained for. 

Nancy 
Late 20s,Petite, Dark Hair, Pin Curls,  Dark Green Skirt Suit Combo, Heels, has an eye for detail and is very Precise. likes to be in control.  

Richard 
Late 30s, Tall, Has a problem with alcohol, Smokes Cigars. Hard Faced and a No nonsense kinda guy. wears a suit and fedora. 

Rats

Vincent Vitale is a soldier in the Gambino crime family toying with the idea of becoming a police informant in order to save his family and himself. While waiting in his car outside the FBI headquarters he spots his close friend and fellow Mafioso member Riccardo Beretta who was witness to a murder carried out by Vincent. Vincent now has to decide how to deal with his close friend Riccardo, worrying that murder may be his only option once more.

Characters


Vincent - 28, Italian American, high levels of stress and an intense feeling of guilt leads Vincent into becoming disillusioned with the Mafia, he is however well liked and finds it hard to turn his back on his chosen lifestyle due to the social and financial perks. Vincent also has a wife and young child that he fears may come into harm's way if he doesn't get out while he can.

Riccardo - 40, Italian American, a friend of Vincent's and a higher ranking member within the family, well liked and respected but equally feared, has no family despite his age, the FBI have him bang to rights for selling Heroin and he decides to turn informant.

Title : Enjoy the tour

Plot

Group 5 of friends go on a tour of the catacombs in Liverpool, they get lost during the tour and also lose their tour guide. Several hours later they find another tour group strangely in the same boat as them. Strange things start to happen as one of the groups claim to be from a different time to them. Both their tickets read different dates one 2007 and one 2015. After searching for a way out they soon find a mysterious room with a computer. The computer strangely contains personal information about each person on the tour. As more and more mysterious things happen, both groups are pushed to their limits whilst having to find an escape for the endless corridors or the catacombs.

 

Main Characters

Michael (main protagonist)

Male 22

His character gradually becomes more noticed throughout the film. As the situation they’re in worsens he is one of the few characters that decides to take control. He is no hero but he is defiantly the one who copes the best under stressful situations.

 

Kevin (member of second tour group)

Male

21

Kevin is a relatively quiet person, not shy but just keeps to himself. He is a fairly intelligent boy however can be quite suborn in his ways and often disregards other people’s ideas or views.


Sarah (member of first tour group)

Female

20

Sarah is level headed and a rational thinker. She is scared of the dark but is also determined on finding a way out of the catacombs. Her and Michael work well together.

 

 

Annie (member of second tour group)

Female

20

Annie is quite dramatic and becomes hysterical very easily. Although her intentions seem good to the group she tends to do more damage than good. We learn she was locked in a basement by her younger brother when she was 10 which explains her behaviour.

Genre : psychological, thriller, horror  

I have chosen to create an idea for a TV pilot, although does not yet have a title.
 
GENRE: Genre/Thriller.


STORY: A police officers daughter ‘commits suicide’, and due to it being a family member, her father is not allowed to work on the case. After a short investigation, the case is closed and it is decided that she committed suicide due to depression. Although, her father cannot accept this, as she was always such a kind and loving person around him, so he decides to take a new investigation into his own hands, alone without anyone else being aware, to uncover how she really died.
 
CHARACTERS:
 
FATHER (Ryan Hardy)- Middle aged, police officer for 13 years. Has a really close relationship with his daughter since his wife’s passing 8 years ago.
 

DAUGHTER (Lila Hardy)- 17 years old, has a great relationship and home life with father, yet in school, has a horrible boyfriend who mistreats her and has turned all of her friends against her.

SCRIPT IDEA-


GENRE- ACTION/ADVENTURE

The basic guidelines for my film are as follows
Ex-politician Rosa Reade returns from hiding for ten years after an uprising caused the mass removal of all government figures under what seems to be unsuspicious circumstances. In the decade she was gone, in a dystopian society somewhere floating amongst time, all problems seem to have been solved on a worldly basis. The removal of poverty, war and disease from a new and mysterious government- ‘The People’s Party’, has caused population to soar beyond control. The past ten years have seen the idea of hope, positivity and anticipation for a better world corrupt the minds of the once working class, poverty stricken town of Knasnille, the current home place of Rosa’s sixteen year old daughter Delta. Constantly promised “It gets better”- it seems the definition of “better” is fading into nothingness.Once reunited, the mother and daughter pair set out to investigate the mysterious goings-on as they travel to reach ‘the source’ of the government’s power. 


ROSA READE- 
Non-typical action hero- late fourties, does not care for her appearance. Petite, long, dark but greying hair, piercing blue eyes. The look of someone who had been very attractive but no longer prioritises this. Has very little drive or motivation for anything other than her initially finding her daughter, the only aspect of her life that kept her alive throughout her hiding. Sarcastic and quick-witted. Many enigmatic elements to the character, the non-reliance of a male figure adds predominant feminist themes to my film and questions the idea of the need to male protagonists in action films. Her downfall is her temper- flashbacks reveal her brutal and outspoken role in politics. 

DELTA READE-
More typically feminine- jewel toned long, red hair, naturally beautiful features. Mature for her age due to fending for herself for much of her life. Although initially sceptical of her mother's goals due to their relationship being removed for so long- she grows to love her deeply in their quest.

Genre: 
Drama/Comedy

Plot: 
This is based about Jonas, in his late teens who moves to England for the first time with his uncle coming from Zimbabwe to seek work and to be able to make living to send back money home. He finds himself having to make friends at his new work place as a joiner in the most absurd of ways, telling completely outrageous stories in the process. He finds a new friend, Mickey who tries to introduce Jonas to a whole new culture, something almost alien to them. During the process of that he finds himself on the threat of being deported out of the country despite being allowed in, having to battle a court case to stay in the country.

Jonas: 
He is the kind of guy that is proud of where he is from and who is. Despite that he is very open to trying new things, but can be a little bit clumsy so ends up having a few 'moments' when trying to fit in with the new environment he is in. 

Mickey: 
He is the go to guy and perhaps the safe haven character like in this. He is a very relaxed and calm guy but also likes to wind up Jonas about his inability to talk to the girls in the pub amongst other things.

Genre: Romance

I've had this idea for a while now so I thought I'd use it for my homework. My script idea is based in the 1960s when Rock 'n' Roll was in its prime and the only idea of a good time would be to head to the local club and listen to live bands.

This story is based in 1960s California and the entirety of the plot derives from the first studio album by the band The Mama's & The Papa's. The reason for this is the song list tells an entire story about love (in all of its mysterious ways, good and bad).

Songs and how they fit into the film:

1. Monday, Monday
This song tells the story of the first day of the week being hard to cope with because their love is not with them. This could be used to show a struggle in the romantic theme of the two main characters.

2. Straight Shooter
This song asks whomever it was written for not to play with one's heartstrings otherwise they'll never have a chance to be together. This could involve a third party who may or may not be an ex partner of one of the main characters.

3. Got a Feelin'
"Got a feelin' I'm wasting time on you babe; got a feelin' you've been untrue."
This may have something to do with the third party becoming an obstacle in the love story.

4. I Call Your Name
This would be the climatic moment of the film where the two lovers realise the error of their ways and try to find one another before its too late.

5. Do You Wanna Dance?
I imagine this song to be playing when the couple first meet in the club. One character would ask if the other would like to dance.

6. Go Where You Wanna Go
This song gives a positive message telling the listener to do what they believe is right in life with whomever they desire to be with. This would be used as a possible ending song where the two lovers 'go where they want to go' together, happy ending.

7. California Dreamin'
One of the band's most famous songs, California Dreamin' tells the listener about how the Cali-born group miss their home during the winter season. This could connote a feeling of yearning, missing home or the hometown of that love-at-first-sight stranger you've just met.

8. Spanish Harlem
It took me a while to decide what to do with this song and I decided to make the female lead character of Spanish origin, hence the songs use. It describes a beautiful rose that would be cared for throughout its life, much like you would treat someone you truly loved.

9. Somebody Groovy
A very upbeat 60s song that would have young people dancing. This song would be used when telling the female lead's story at the beginning of the film.

10. Hey Girl
Again, another song that tells a story for the male role showing that he's thinking about the girl he wants.

11. You Baby
A song devoted to the one you love, this would play for both main characters as they spend an enjoyable evening together at the nightclub or throughout various date scenes in the film.

12. The 'In' Crowd
A song that talks about being a part of the popular crowd, this would connote a feeling of being involved in the spotlight with everyone watching you. This basically shows that the two lovers consider each other to be worthy of each other's love.

Characters:

Jack: A young man who idolises rock 'n' roll bands of the 60s such as The Beatles and others. He enjoys listening to live music and meets the girl he falls for when watching his favourite band in California.

Mandy: A beautiful Spanish girl who visits this specific area of California to see the band she supports dearly and who ends up bumping into Jack during the concert.

Title: A walk to the edge of the earth
 
Genre: Adventure, Drama
 
Plot: Two middle aged wealthy men have lived their lives as they wanted but are now bored and depressed. With nothing to do with their lives that's new or exciting one of the men decide to come up with a bet and asks the other man to participate.
 
The bet is as follows: one of the men will have 4 attempts to disappear whilst the other man will attempt to find the hidden character 4 times and there aren't any rules. The two men are sworn to raise the stakes as high as possible. One of the characters says if he is the victor then he would like everything the other has, all his possessions and everything he treasures until he has nothing. The other character stakes his opponents life and says "if you cannot find me your life is mine, if you find me my wealth is yours" (the reason for why he wants his opponents life is because both of them would like to take everything away from each other one respects his body and life and the other loves money more than his family)
 
The two battle it out and become obsessed trying to outwit each other, one to escape and one to pursue.
 
First character: Avery Cooper
A rich businessmen who has come from nothing who now owns major enterprises.
He glorifies living life on the edge and is an adrenaline junkie.
Competitive.
 
Second character: Adrien Mochitino
Arrogant middle aged half Italian half American man who inherited his wealth from his father.
Clean and healthy individual who doesn't do drugs and treats his body like a temple.
Competitive.
 

Note: Avery is the one escaping and Adrien is the one tracking. The places which Avery escapes to become more creative and more illusive than the last.

Name: Which way
Character
Mia:
Female Age 22
Can be socially awkward at times but can really come out of her shell when she is around people she’s comfortable with. Very open minded and easy going. Quiet a funny/quirky character in an uncool way. Tends to be quite clumsy even though she is very OCD about certain things (organisation of clothes, room, and routine)
 
Joanne Steen (Mia’s boss)
A stern character who Mia gets off on the wrong foot with. Far too passionate about her job but grows fonder of Mia as she gets to know her. Very loudly spoken.
 
Milo:
Male Age 23
Milo is a very cool character. He is the host of a local event at a club in Liverpool with a lot of connections. Very relaxed and outgoing. Has a criminal record.
 

A short film, set in modern day Liverpool, about a girl who moves from her parents’ home in the country side to the city. The story represents the quirky lifestyle of this slightly abnormal girl and her struggles to “fit in” in the normal world. After finding a job in a local school she soon makes some friends and learns more about her ambitions and goals in life.

Short Film: Clear

Characters:

Title:  Rolling With The Punches

Genre: Crime, Drama

Synopsis: Feeling ostracised by a society not catered for those with disabilities, Joel Griffith a 19 year old wheelchair user comes up with an abstract plan for him and his friends to make money illegally, and starts to become a cult hero within the disabled community. But as he falls deeper into a dark world that is introduced to him by his psychopathic gangster Uncle, his morals are tested and he is left wondering if being a good guy is really possible when you are fighting for equality.

The Three main characters:

Joel Griffin: (Protagonist)

-19 years old.
- Has tragic past
-Leader of his group of friend’s
-Frustrated with what he proceeds to be injustices for disabled people in his local community.
- Has a temper, can be arrogant, though he has a clean moral compass at start of film.
- Ambitious, generally wants to be seen as a good person.


Matt Hawks: (Best Friend)

- Has a slightly more severe disability than Joel.
- Is the comedian of the group doesn’t take things to seriously
- Has dreams of going to university but problems arise that get in the way
- Can be more rational than Joel, though has less confidence within himself

Uncle Frank Griffin (Antagonist)

- Released from prison near start of film.
- Gangster
- Was in on a number of chargers including the distribution of narcotics
- Feared within the local community, though has lost a considerable amount of power since his time away.
- One of the few remaining blood relatives of Joel and the only one to hold the same last name.
- Appears to have decent relationship with his nephew.
- As film progresses his psychopathic nature is slowly revealed

funfunfun wrote:Title: A Foreseer’s Future (Film)

Genres: Sci-fi, mystery, action

Plot: Set on an Earth-like planet, a young adult with the ability to Foresee and an Assassin who hates all Foreseers team up to unravel the mystery behind the destruction of a 'sister' planet.

(Foreseers are people who have the ability to “step” into someone’s timeline and change and/or witness that person’s past, present and/or future. All Foreseers are exiled due to the government’s growing concern and lack of understanding.)

Characters:

Terra

Female. The protagonist. Young adult. A Foreseer.
Grew up in a small seaside town.
Sometimes impatient but ultimately wants to find out who destroyed the planet.
 
Assassin

Female. Helps the protagonist. Prejudiced against Foreseers.
Family was murdered by 2 Foreseers when she was younger.
Was taken in by an old man, he trained her in the art of assassination.
 
 
Mr Smith

Male. Passes on his ability to Foresee to Terra when he dies.
He’s almost like a cross between a hero and a mentor. He’s wise, brave and has been a survivor all his life.
 
Walter Graham

Male. CEO of the privatised global health organisation.
He has a lot of power and money. He’s stern and driven.
He is a secret Foreseer.
 
The Mechanic

Male. Owns a mechanic shop on the outskirts of the city.
He’s clever, calculating, always one step ahead of everyone.
Has a mechanical arm, knows how to play people, whatever outcome he wants, he gets it.
The only redeeming quality is his truthfulness but he always hides the truth in some complicated way, like a riddle or a memory.
 

There are more characters but I’d go way over the word count

 Sounds very interesting and well within the genre. I can see you have thought about your characters and tried to give them some personality, that is essential. I'd love to read it if you make a full script, I am a huge fan of fantasy and sci-fi.

Kevin_Eire wrote:

[size=37]Short Film Idea: A Cold Winter’s Night[/size]

[size=37]Genre: Drama[/size]

[size=37]Written by: Kevin J Mc Corry[/size]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Title: A Cold Winter’s Night
Genre: Drama
Synopsis: As Rachael Noble arrives home from a hard day’s work she is surprised by her husband Jim. As the night awakens Jim decides to take Rachael out for dinner, as they leave their house little do they know only one will return home.
Character: Rachael Noble –
Rachael Noble is a young 25 year old woman, who thrives on success and being independent. At the age of 18 she attended university to further her career and education; at the age of 20 she met her future husband Jim. Rachael Noble has blonde hair and blue eyes, she always dresses in a formal manner to keep a high presentation of herself to the public, but once she is home she dresses in an informal manner, this helps her relax and feel more at home with her self especially with her husband who is known as a more chilled and relaxed man.

Jim: Jim is a 27 year old man, who is more chilled and relaxed than Rachael; Jim has worked in a pizzeria for the past 4 years. He first met his future wife Rachael while working in the pizzeria. Jim grew up in a working class background, at the age of 16 he started working trying to gain as much experience and money as possible to help forward his career as an artist. Jim is an average sized man with brown as and dark coloured hair along with an average built tone dressing in an informal manner compared to his wife Rachael which helps show his more relaxed side compared to Rachael. 

Very good, you have gone in depth and provided them with backgrounds as well as appearance. I like the synopsis, you have created tension and suspense, keeping alive the need to know more.

matr1x168 wrote:Unnecessary Violence

Genre: Drama/Romance.

Plot:

A young man named 'Michael' lives in a broken world. The year is 2033 and the country is USA. There is no government, no police, no military. Instead, the nation is run by terrorists; 'the bad guys'. They snatch women off the streets and force them into their country-wide sex-trafficking ring whilst also disregarding the upkeep of the nation completely; infrastructure is crumbling; people are dying and society is moving backwards.
Michael however lives in an area of the country where people are still trying to hold onto fragments of the old world. He attends high school with other local boys (girls are seldom seen out in public anymore) and he tries to fight for what he believes is right in life. If he sees a girl being ganged up on in the street he will try and help her; but unfortunately he keeps getting his nose broken. 
One day in social history class however, a young woman enters the room. She is a new student and suddenly Michael knows she is 'the one'.
He fears for her life however as the bad guys might sweep her up off the street and with prom fast approaching can Michael step up to the plate and be the hero nobody thinks he is?

Central characters: 

'Michael' 

-Age: 20.
-Gender: Male.
-Hobbies: Vinyl collecting and/or listening, Tarantino films, green tea, typewriting, talking to himself.
-Agendas: Country to be eradicated of evil, win the heart of his one true love (blow her mind at prom i.e. present her with a love letter), stay alive.
-Favourite song: Summer in the city by the Lovin' Spoonful and The Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone.

'The Girl'

Attends Michael's social history class. Talks to Michael; sometimes.

-Age: Unknown.
-Gender: Female.
-Hobbies: Educating herself, remaining an enigma to Michael.
-Agendas: Come out on top of the bad guys; become strong independent woman.
-Favourite song: The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel.

'The Boogeyman'

Leads the bad guys in Michael's hometown. Collects women for sex trade. Plays a lot of music.

-Age: 55.
-Gender: Male.
-Hobbies: Snatching women, being bad, playing music on his boombox, smoking cigars, wearing sunglasses inside, crashing parties.
-Agendas: "To be the baddest motherf**cker in the whole country" - direct quote. 
-Favourite song: I'm your boogie man by KC and the sunshine band.
-Dream casting: Kevin Bacon.

Note: The film will be structured in a 50/50 format. The first two acts will follow Michael as he navigates the messed up society in which he lives whilst he's also trying to win the heart of 'the girl'. The last two acts will take place on the night of the prom and will follow Michael as navigates through the events of the night and will show he reacts to situations and scenarios that go down on said night. It gets bloody. It gets messy. It gets violent.

Good, you have thought about little elements and small details. You might need to add more background. Work on the summary, the content is good but you might need to work a bit on the punctuation and structure. I like the "agendas" part, it connects with what we discussed in class about the primal need in many of the cases. You made me smile with that "direct quote" . Even if you do not know an exact age, you should include an average or a decade: her 20s or 20 to 25, etc.

AshleighJackson95 wrote:Lima
 
The Plot concerns a Hostage situation where a criminologist is one of the hostages at a bank and must attempt to negotiate with her captors to try and save the lives of her peers and try to avoid a potential gunfight between the bank robbers and the police.
 
The Characters
 
Beth: Our protagonist a 23-30 year old criminology graduate who ended her pursuit of her job in the field of criminology after her father, a career police officer, was stabbed to death 2 years earlier.  Since the death of her father she has been swallowed by grief and has become distant to her friends and family and only goes out when completely necessary at the least busy times.
 
Bank Robber (Crowd Control): The antagonist a seemingly calm bank robber who communicates fairly well with the few hostages and convinces them that they will be safe if they remain cooperative with his demands. Beth is the only one of the 5 hostages who mistrusts him and attempts to try and understand his plans which leads to him becoming progressively more aggressive.
 
   
Negotiator: Voice of the police negotiator over a walkie-talkie he gives in to the robbers demands far too quickly and is naïve to the intelligence of the plan of the robbers as he has never actually had any first hand experience negotiating with criminals prior to this.  

Quite good! I find very interesting that the negotiator is a voice over. I might be inclined to include more information about their personal backgrounds, it might not be relevant later on for the plot, but it will create a clearer idea of who your character is and how s/he might behave. Think of class, age, race, gender, sexual orientation, educational background, work experience, family, friends... You have mentioned it with your lead character, but it is good to do it for every main one. It could affect the way the bank robber behaves or it would explain the behaviour of the negotiator at times.



I like the plot already and would love to know where this will go. I like the fact that you are putting a heroine in the main role. Are the "bad and/or incompetent" characters all male? Think about it, because you might want to mix things up with the other characters, those not mentioned here, to balance it out ... unless that is your intention, of course!  : )



Have a look at the punctuation

Gym&Groceries wrote:Title: Darkhorses 

Genre: Comedy 

The town of Jeffersonville, Georgia have been captured with election fever, but this isn't just any election, this is the Jeffersonville mayoral election. Three young candidates compete against one another to become the head of the town hall of the great city. The three candidates have their own unique qualities and the campaign becomes growingly intense and challenging for all three. Brett Sinclair is one of the richest men in Jeffersonville with the know-how and confidence, but will his popularity affect his run? Trent Brockman is your average everyday family man who has the self-belief and positive attitude to go the whole distance. Finally, Randy McBride - the son of the late, great Mayor Bobby McBride - may not have the knowledge, but he know this town needs one thing, and that's Randy McBride. As the campaign goes on, difficulties start to arise and Trent Brockman is forced to withdraw from the election due to budget problems, but help is on had as he and Randy Mcbride join parties and make history as the attempt to become the first co-Mayors of Jeffersonville. But can these darkhorses beat the wealth and knowledge of Brett Sinclair and make history? 

Characters 

Brett Sinclair: 
30
Brett is extremely egotistical and has brought his way into politics. Owner of Jeffersonville's biggest car dealership and multi-millionaire, he definitely knows how to take control and move into the right direction and as successful as possible. But due to his arrogance and self-confidence, he has became unpopular with many people in the community which could affect his chances drastically. 


Trent Brockman: 
33
Trent is hard-working father of two and seen as the biggest underdog in the campaign. He wishes to become the Mayor and be a success and good role model for his family. He has gradually worked his way up through city hall over his life, but financially, he is struggling to keep his campaign running. 


Randy McBride 
32
Randy is the son of one of the greatest Jeffersonville Mayors, Bobby McBride. Wanting to following in his footsteps, Randy decided to pursue a career in politics, despite not being the brightest spark around as well as lazy and slobbish and is unaware as of what a mayor does. None of this, however, changes Randy's attitude towards the campaign and he fully believes he can do it.

Sounds funny and crazy

You might need to include a bit more information about their personal lives, not just what affects the plot and the campaign, in order to make sure you will create three rounded characters and understand their decisions beyond the stereotypes of each one.

TomCruise10 wrote:Title: MEKONG (Film)


Genre: Action/Adventure/horror


Background information:


The Mekong river is the 12th largest river in the world running through South East Asia. The river runs through a small country called Laos eventually leading to Cambodia. In the south of Laos the river splits the land into what is known as the '4000 islands' which is exactly what is says on the tin. The islands are only accessible by boat. some of the Laos south islands are as tiny as a footprint, others home villages and popular tourist traveller spots. One of the Laos south islands is forbidden and no human is aloud to step foot on it.


Plot:


Loosely based on true events, the narrative revolves around Tim, an eager, adventurous traveller who's next destination could be his last. Travelling with a small group he has met in North Thailand the group pursue the next location via slow boat down the Mekong river. The film follows Tim as he embarks on his ventures in south east Asia as he is wrapped up in adrenaline, romance, an drugs. Eventually reaching Laos '4000 islands' staying in the hippie village on Don Det, Tim and co befriend a local teenage group who let slip of the mystery surrounding the 4000th island. A place where no local will visit or speak of and strictly forbidden ground. The enigma surrounding the island divulges Tim's time as he and the group manage to persuade a local fisherman with all the money they have left. The fisherman promises a one way trip via slow boat in the black of the night, and will return a week later for them. With no escape from the island for a week as croc's and piranhas are rife in the Mekong, Tim finds himself in an adventure gone wrong and the 4000th island inhabitants do not take kindly to visitors.   


Characters:


Tim:
22, English, protagonist, Determined, funny and adventurous.
Hates the 'real world' and routine. Lives life on the edge and always on the move.


Kristian:
23, Welsh, Tim's 'sidekick comedy character', travelled with Tim throughout Asia and share similar attributes and attitudes. Also eager for the trip to the 4000th island.


GaGa (The fisherman):
48, Burmese, poor yet grateful for the smaller things in life. befriends Tim and teaches him the tip and tricks of the jungle (tarantula hunting, elephant riding and metallic beetle eating) Strongly against Tim's trip, however like many locals, GaGa will do anything for the right price.  


Amanda and Cris:
24, Spanish, travelling Asia during gap years, met Tim in North Thailand, romantic link to Kristian, takes persuading to visit the island but eventually agrees.


A few more people join the group to the island however the ones above are the lead characters.

Check spelling and punctuation (aloud/allowed, who's/whose).

The last one "Amanda and Cris" are two or one character?

You would need to make sure it is different from The Island, but you can certainly create the mysterious atmosphere surrounding the place. I would add more to the character's background, likes or dislikes beyond the plot. These lines are perfect for the script, right where you introduce the characters, but for a character sheet you need more information.



Good work

Tia Mae wrote:My feature film idea is based around Ty (the protagonist) in Peckham, London who is a 17 year old male struggling to complete his college education while dealing with his home life of his mother being a borderline alcoholic, living in a deprived, crime ridden area and also being unable to get a part time job to support his mother and younger sister.



He is conflicted throughout the film whether to continue with his college education and trying to find a job or go down the path of dealing drugs like many of his friends from the same estate.

Check punctuation, you are making the first paragraph one single sentence.

I think it could be a great social film, is this the genre you were thinking of? Or drama? I would include more information on what he likes and dislikes, things that are not related to the plot, in order to create a more rounded character. By doing that, you will find that it is easier to make your character have dialogues that don't go in one direction, but show different layers of his personality.

KevinK23 wrote:

Title: Mother

Genre: Drama

Plot:

Initially set in the second world war, Winnie, a 20 year old Irish woman visits her brother who is in Scotland serving as a soldier. While in Scotland she meets a soldier named Fergus who she falls in love with. Fergus dies in combat, however Winnie finds out that she is pregnant with Fergus’ child. She puts the baby up for adoption as she can not bring a child back to Ireland as her parents, the community and especially the Catholic church would disown her. The years go by as Winnie and her childs lives unfold, both of whom are desperately trying to survive the consequences initiated from Winnies decision to leave her child.

Characters:

Winnie:

At the beginning Winnie is sweet, considerate, innocent, all round a good natured person, easy to talk to, confident but not cocky, outgoing and a natural beauty with a kind face. She grew up poor which makes her grateful for the smallest things. Winnie does not expect anything to be given to her, she is quite independent and financially stable working as a bus conductor. She send money back home to her parents as they are exceptionally poor.

After Winnie gives up her child she becomes a sterner woman. She starts a new family and becomes overly protective of the children, attempting to make up for the child she let go. Winnie becomes secretive and does not share much with anyone, the lingering fear of judgement always follows her.

The Child

The child believes herself unlovable and she carries the shame of being abandoned by her real parents. She does not know where she comes from and who her parents are which in turn makes the struggle of finding herself more difficult. She is meek, shy and eager to please everyone.

Good drama. Check spelling and punctuation, some commas and apostrophes missing.
Really well-thought characters in relation to how they feel and their personalities. Add more background and personal information in your character sheets, so you can make sure they do not end up unidimensional and are well rounded. That would aid you in presenting conflict, relieving tensions, etc. Think of what their hobbies are, what they dislike and what they like (beyond what is central to the plot), that way you will be able to use that in scenes were you need to diffuse some tension or create it by having conflicts in "safe places", etc.

vcamp wrote:Title: A lullaby Demise (short film)

Synopsis: A young man has regularly started attending therapy session due to the stress and anxiety of a reoccurring dream. The dream is causing the young man concern as it is always the same, a young woman singing, however after a period of the time the woman’s appearance beings to change in a negative way. The man soon becomes obsessed with what this dream could mean and so he convinces himself he is seeing the woman from his dreams everywhere and her appearance is worsening. The fear of the dream cause the man to try and stay awake, until one night the man must witnessing an awaking truth about the dream.

Characters


Monroe: Monroe is the main character, he is a jaded man in his early 20’s who is not only distant from people around him but also himself. We learn from his therapy session that he doesn't have a great life or social life and a lot of this is inflected by himself. We see him infatuated with the meaning behind his dream because it’s the only interest we know he has.


The Girl: we know nothing about this girl, her name, her origins or age. All that we know is that she is changing rapidly and the only person that can see her and feel her pain is Monroe.

Check the grammar in the first paragraph.

Despite knowing little or nothing about the girl, you do need to make a character sheet for her (if she is real). I would add more background information for Monroe, likes, dislikes, etc. That way you can also work on other habits and tics, if desired. If they are all normal and common habits, the audience will be inclined to think he is right about these visions. If he has weird habits and ticks other than his obsession, the audience might be inclined to think he is not completely sane. Thinking about that  would help you make decisions regarding the way he talks or reacts to conversations, for example.



Good start and interesting plot

HarryStyles wrote:I am yet to have a title for my film idea but the concept for my film/ TV series is based on gangland England in the mid-90's where guns,knives and drugs are in full force with teenagers in the North West.


Main Character 
Charlie   

-17 years old
- Working class white male
-In a gang in Liverpool which is heavily involved in knife crime


Charlie is a Liverpudlian who is in a gang and moves to Manchester because of his parents divorce, he struggles to find new friends and to fit in. 


John
-18 year old Mancunian 
-In a gang in Moss Side, Manchester

John is the leader of a gang in a rough working class part of Manchester during the a period that Manchester is being renamed as "Gunchester" by the media due to it's gun crime activities. He wears all black tracksuit with a black baseball cap and has had trouble with the police in recent years.

Check spelling.
Sounds interesting and you could do a good research for this.
I would add a bit more information on likes and dislikes, for example, to ensure that you will add little touches later on, such as what band they like. What are their motives? What do they want? What is their plan or project? You need to tell me a bit more of what they are doing or want to do. Are they leading a gang or are they at the bottom? Are they dealing with drugs or are they consumers? Are they in trouble with another character or are they going to be the ones creating in? Etc

JackZD96 wrote:Title: N/A (still to think of one)

My short film idea/ TV series is about a council estate in Liverpool, where the main character is a boy aged 13, who doesn't go to school that often and is forced into selling drugs on the street from an older character who is 20. He is using the young boy in order to protect himself from getting found out by the police who gets called to the council estate every week. 

Characters:
Steven (Aged 13) - He lives on an estate with his mother who is a single mother. He doesn't go to school that often, but is mainly seen in his uniform as his mother believes that he is actually going to school. Steven is forced into selling drugs and comes home with bruises where Callum has been grabbing him and hitting him. Steven doesn't fully understand that he is being used because he is young and naive. He doesn't think nothing of it. 

(Steven's mother) - Lives on benefits and is unemployed. She doesn't do a lot for Steven, and is a heavy alcoholic. 

Callum (20) - He is the drug dealer that uses Steven. He got to know Steven because he always seen him play football in the street, and also lives at the end of the street to where and Steven lives. He has already spent time in prison for robbing etc. 

Police Officers.

Would you make this a social film, crime drama...? Sounds good, you could do some research on gang culture and gang history in the North of England if you were to take it further.

Check the grammar and spelling.
I would recommend you to add more information to your characters' sheet, more background information or something personal, just to help you develop the characters later on.




Thanks

AmyLou93 wrote: Title: The Secretary
Genre: Drama/Thriller

Plot
A young girl working in a law firm is brutally attacked by her boss, the attack sends her into a psychotic state, she is unable to cope with the attack and tries to put the attack behind her by drinking. She is also on sleeping tablets to combat her insomnia. Eventually attempting to tell people about her ordeal, and finding that no one believes her, she plots revenge on her boss by killing him.


Character
Felicity

Felicity loves her new Job working for one of the major business companies in London she thought her life had just started getting on track, she’s finally starting her dream career. However this all changes when Felicity’s boss won’t take no for an answer and attacks Felicity. Knowing she will never be believed, Felicity can’t go to anyone not her colleagues, the police or friends. Deciding to drink to try and numb the pain she bumps into an old school bully the memory of what he did to her and her boss’s attack fresh in her mind, Felicity loses it and then plots to kill her boss as revenge for what her boss did to her.

Good work
Good summary : ) Some of the sentences need rewording and could be more concise, but you include the basic relevant information. For your character, I would suggest to work on a character sheet and include more information about her background and personal life, as this would help you to write dialogue and make her reactions more rounded.

Charliemarie wrote:

[ltr]Name: N/A ?  [/ltr]






TV Pilot 

Genre: Mystery/Sci-Fi/Film-Noir Style.

My TV Pilot is about Two detectives in 1940s America, Investigating a small seemingly abandoned town, there are very few people left and they are all in hiding, As they dig deeper they will find answers to the mysteries of the strange goings on in the town and get way more than they bargained for. 

Nancy 
Late 20s,Petite, Dark Hair, Pin Curls,  Dark Green Skirt Suit Combo, Heels, has an eye for detail and is very Precise. likes to be in control.  

Richard 
Late 30s, Tall, Has a problem with alcohol, Smokes Cigars. Hard Faced and a No nonsense kinda guy. wears a suit and fedora. 

Re-read the text, some issues with punctuation and capitalisation. First paragraph doesn't read well.

Is Nancy one of the detectives? You might need to explain how she became one, as in this time in history it would be uncommon for a single girl in her twenties (or any age) to be a detective. You could make her an "unofficial" detective, or the secretary who actually knows and do more than typewriting notes, but think about her background and how she gets to be that detective, specially at that age.


You might need to work on the character sheet, more information for the background and their personal lives might be needed.
I really like where this could be going. Would this be a supernatural kind of subgenre or sci-fi in the sense of aliens and spaceships, a bit like X Files in the 40s?

mcn wrote:Rats

Vincent Vitale is a soldier in the Gambino crime family toying with the idea of becoming a police informant in order to save his family and himself. While waiting in his car outside the FBI headquarters he spots his close friend and fellow Mafioso member Riccardo Beretta who was witness to a murder carried out by Vincent. Vincent now has to decide how to deal with his close friend Riccardo, worrying that murder may be his only option once more.

Characters


Vincent - 28, Italian American, high levels of stress and an intense feeling of guilt leads Vincent into becoming disillusioned with the Mafia, he is however well liked and finds it hard to turn his back on his chosen lifestyle due to the social and financial perks. Vincent also has a wife and young child that he fears may come into harm's way if he doesn't get out while he can.

Riccardo - 40, Italian American, a friend of Vincent's and a higher ranking member within the family, well liked and respected but equally feared, has no family despite his age, the FBI have him bang to rights for selling Heroin and he decides to turn informant.

Good start for a plot. You might want to think about what has triggered his desire to be an informant. The convention is that informants are usually put in a corner and forced to provide information, the idea that he is going freely to the FBI headquarters do that would probably need to be addressed. At the same time, maybe rethink the location. I am not familiar with the realities of FBI informants but I do wonder if it is common practice to meet right in the headquarters, specially when being undercover. Think also of ulterior motives for both. You say that Riccardo has decided to be an informant because the FBI has a case against him because of drug dealing. Would he be double crossing them? Is he actually giving them the whole information? Is he keeping something? Why has he got no family? The names might suggest that they are of Italian origin and a stereotype and convention is that usually they are very family focused, the need to get married and "settle down" appears often, even if only to keep appearances and proof themselves as heads of a family. If you remember the Godfather's quote from last class, a man who is not a family man is not a man, or something along those lines. Could he be widowed? The expectation with the genre is there, you might need to explain why it does not convey with it.

Good work

MATTBARR96 wrote:Title - Unknown


Genre - Action, Thriller

Synopsis -  A lay-about, stay at home with a mysterious past is forced to delve back into a life he believed he had left forever when he receives an eerie call from a long forgotten coworker,  who has a favour to call in - he must assassinate an unknown target. However when their identity is revealed this violent anti-hero must overcome the greatest threat he has faced, the inner conflict between unconditional love and the hunt for personal redemption and great wealth.    

Review punctuation.
I miss the information about the character.
Good story. It is not clear who you are referring to with this "their" in "their identity is revealed". Is it the man who made the call and the man who received it? Is it the unknown target and the man who received the call? is it all of them? Who is this "unconditional love"? Is it his father or son? Has he got a family? There is not a lot of information there to answer these questions, you might need to add a line or two.

melfiol wrote:(Yet to be titled) Film Idea

A young woman in her early 20s (Michelle) works in a DVD rental shop. It’s a dying medium and the empty shop means her life is becoming increasingly dull by the day. During a quiet period, finds a blank DVD and watches a romantic film. However, when she goes back to work the leading man from the film (Jerry) walks into the shop. He is like the character she has been watching in every single way. She can never find or track down the film again. Eventually, the events of the film begin to unfold with Michelle as the leading lady. She has to decide whether to let it happen or to take control of her life whilst hiding a very strange secret…


The Characters:
Michelle: She has just graduated from College and is leading an uneventful life. Though she enjoys her job and her friends, she always wanted something more. She's always been unusual and has never quite met anyone that understands her fully.
Jerry: He is the real-life version of the leading man in the mysterious film that Michelle has just watched. He is sweet, caring, romantic and will cater to anything Michelle wants. However, as their relationship progresses he begins to realise that Michelle only sees him as a romantic figure in her life - not a full person who has his own flaws, worries and ambitions. This puts a strain on the couple because happy endings aren't always so simple.


Genre:
Romantic, comedy, surreal, sci-fi

Rework the summary a bit. You mention in one place she finds the DVD and watches it, then later on you say she has watched it every day and further on you mention she cannot find it again. It is not clear if this is inconsistency or if you mean in the first instance that she "watches it every day from that day onwards" and then suddenly disappears when the man in question appears. By saying that she watches it in a quiet period and then goes back to the shop, you imply that she has only watched it once before meeting the man. You also say she cannot find it again, therefore still implying she has watched it just that one time. This contradicts the sentence where you say she has watched it every day.

You might need to hint a bit more at her secret. Initially, in the summary we are led to believe he is the mysterious one who might or might be not real. Yet you say in the character's description that he is in fact real, so we are led to believe that the plot rests in her inner conflict is that she does not know if she is hallucinating or if the man is real. Specially since we know the DVD has disappear all of a sudden. However, by adding the last line about her secret right at the end, you add confusion. You begin by saying her life was uneventful, yet at the end you say that she is keeping a secret. The mystery in the plot seems to be in one direction and all of a sudden you end the summary saying that it is in another. It might be all very clear if I had read the script, but as it is I would not know where the film goes or what it is about. It is fundamental that the plot is clear, even if you keep things a mystery: is it about her secret? is it about the boundaries between reality and fiction in relation to the man? is it about alternate universes that are crossing over? what is the significance of the DVD? Can she "bring to life" what she watches? The character's description says the man is real, so therefore this last bit would not fit. I think you need to reword it. It is good to create suspense and expectations, to build a mystery and let the audience to crave answers. If you have the chance, read Save the cat and look at writing a slug line. In the lecture from second week there is a slide from that, on "Tell me a story about someone who...1) I can identify with, 2) I can learn from, 3) I have compelling reasons to follow, 4) I believe deserves to win and 5) has stakes that are primal and true to me". You need to try to fill those gaps in your slug line. For example, from your summary, I get that the lead character is 1) a next-door girl, someone who is exactly like me or the people I love, 2) from one of the plot points you mention, I am going to assume that she will learn to stop romanticising the man and find that the real person behind her fantasy is even better. The learning curve would be to learn to love the real things around you. At the same time, being a normal girl, I would 3) desire that she finds love because we know she is so lonely and have not found anyone who understands her, which connects with 5) because everybody wants to be loved and understood. The point number 4 needs to be clear, why does she deserve this? Is she a very nice girl? what have been her issues and problems in life? Why should I want her to win his love? You need to make this structure work as well with the "secret" element of your script.


It seems like a good plot. It is not clear why you say it is sci-fi, at least from the summary, and I definitely do not know why you say it is "surreal", do you mean "supernatural"? By saying it is "surreal" you are ascribing this film to the surrealism movement, alongside for example Buñuel or Jodorowsky. Make sure this is what you mean and that it will reflect on the script clearly or change the genre tag if not.
Good work

Achidlow95 wrote:Title : Enjoy the tour

Plot

Group 5 of friends go on a tour of the catacombs in Liverpool, they get lost during the tour and also lose their tour guide. Several hours later they find another tour group strangely in the same boat as them. Strange things start to happen as one of the groups claim to be from a different time to them. Both their tickets read different dates one 2007 and one 2015. After searching for a way out they soon find a mysterious room with a computer. The computer strangely contains personal information about each person on the tour. As more and more mysterious things happen, both groups are pushed to their limits whilst having to find an escape for the endless corridors or the catacombs.

 

Main Characters

Michael (main protagonist)

Male 22

His character gradually becomes more noticed throughout the film. As the situation they’re in worsens he is one of the few characters that decides to take control. He is no hero but he is defiantly the one who copes the best under stressful situations.

 

Kevin (member of second tour group)

Male

21

Kevin is a relatively quiet person, not shy but just keeps to himself. He is a fairly intelligent boy however can be quite suborn in his ways and often disregards other people’s ideas or views.


Sarah (member of first tour group)

Female

20

Sarah is level headed and a rational thinker. She is scared of the dark but is also determined on finding a way out of the catacombs. Her and Michael work well together.

 

 

Annie (member of second tour group)

Female

20

Annie is quite dramatic and becomes hysterical very easily. Although her intentions seem good to the group she tends to do more damage than good. We learn she was locked in a basement by her younger brother when she was 10 which explains her behaviour.

Genre : psychological, thriller, horror  

Sounds interesting and I liked the way you presented the plot in your summary. However, you mention a group of five friends and it seems that only one is main protagonist, since the other people you mention are from the other group. Make sure you present one character as the lead and that you hint at that in your summary. You do not need to give names yet if you want him to take the lead slowly and build up his arc, but you can say that as the events unfold, an unlikely hero will have to take the lead... or whatever it fits the plot. Audiences are more likely to be interested if there is a clear hero or heroes in the film.

Try not to repeat words in such a short text, you repeat strange(ly) three times.



More information about your characters would be good, it will help you build their dialogues.

LSSOMCKA wrote:I have chosen to create an idea for a TV pilot, although does not yet have a title.
 
GENRE: Genre/Thriller.


STORY: A police officers daughter ‘commits suicide’, and due to it being a family member, her father is not allowed to work on the case. After a short investigation, the case is closed and it is decided that she committed suicide due to depression. Although, her father cannot accept this, as she was always such a kind and loving person around him, so he decides to take a new investigation into his own hands, alone without anyone else being aware, to uncover how she really died.
 
CHARACTERS:
 
FATHER (Ryan Hardy)- Middle aged, police officer for 13 years. Has a really close relationship with his daughter since his wife’s passing 8 years ago.
 
   
DAUGHTER (Lila Hardy)- 17 years old, has a great relationship and home life with father, yet in school, has a horrible boyfriend who mistreats her and has turned all of her friends against her.

Some issues with punctuation. It sounds like a good plot for a crime thriller : )
You mention two main characters, but only one seems to make the summary. What is the relevance of the daughter? What is her function in the film? Make sure you put your main characters in the summary and that there is a clear function for them in the script.
For your character sheet, you need to add more information. For example, the daughter is hardly described except through the relationships she has with other people. Who is she? What is she about? Is this another daughter or the one that "committed suicide"? Does it mean we are going to see flashbacks? Are they going to be so often that you consider her a main character, instead of the accessory or object of investigation? Or is she really a second daughter that does not appear in the summary?

amycowap wrote:SCRIPT IDEA-


GENRE- ACTION/ADVENTURE

The basic guidelines for my film are as follows
Ex-politician Rosa Reade returns from hiding for ten years after an uprising caused the mass removal of all government figures under what seems to be unsuspicious circumstances. In the decade she was gone, in a dystopian society somewhere floating amongst time, all problems seem to have been solved on a worldly basis. The removal of poverty, war and disease from a new and mysterious government- ‘The People’s Party’, has caused population to soar beyond control. The past ten years have seen the idea of hope, positivity and anticipation for a better world corrupt the minds of the once working class, poverty stricken town of Knasnille, the current home place of Rosa’s sixteen year old daughter Delta. Constantly promised “It gets better”- it seems the definition of “better” is fading into nothingness.Once reunited, the mother and daughter pair set out to investigate the mysterious goings-on as they travel to reach ‘the source’ of the government’s power. 


ROSA READE- 
Non-typical action hero- late fourties, does not care for her appearance. Petite, long, dark but greying hair, piercing blue eyes. The look of someone who had been very attractive but no longer prioritises this. Has very little drive or motivation for anything other than her initially finding her daughter, the only aspect of her life that kept her alive throughout her hiding. Sarcastic and quick-witted. Many enigmatic elements to the character, the non-reliance of a male figure adds predominant feminist themes to my film and questions the idea of the need to male protagonists in action films. Her downfall is her temper- flashbacks reveal her brutal and outspoken role in politics. 

DELTA READE-
More typically feminine- jewel toned long, red hair, naturally beautiful features. Mature for her age due to fending for herself for much of her life. Although initially sceptical of her mother's goals due to their relationship being removed for so long- she grows to love her deeply in their quest.

I like the fact that you tell me the conflicts of the characters and where their character arc might be. That helps to understand them much better.


You will have to have a very clear idea on how all this removal of power was possible, in order to appear coherent. Many plotlines focus on one region or country, which becomes isolated from the rest of the world, in order to be more believable. However, if your script explains this, it is ok. It would be worth reading Huxley's The island  and Brave New World, for example, to see how other dystopian worlds dealt with questions of power and control. Obviously not for Thursday, but if you plan to take your script further.

bethel95 wrote:Genre: 
Drama/Comedy

Plot: 
This is based about Jonas, in his late teens who moves to England for the first time with his uncle coming from Zimbabwe to seek work and to be able to make living to send back money home. He finds himself having to make friends at his new work place as a joiner in the most absurd of ways, telling completely outrageous stories in the process. He finds a new friend, Mickey who tries to introduce Jonas to a whole new culture, something almost alien to them. During the process of that he finds himself on the threat of being deported out of the country despite being allowed in, having to battle a court case to stay in the country.

Jonas: 
He is the kind of guy that is proud of where he is from and who is. Despite that he is very open to trying new things, but can be a little bit clumsy so ends up having a few 'moments' when trying to fit in with the new environment he is in. 

Mickey: 
He is the go to guy and perhaps the safe haven character like in this. He is a very relaxed and calm guy but also likes to wind up Jonas about his inability to talk to the girls in the pub amongst other things.

some punctuation/sentence issues.

I like the concept but it is not clear from the summary what kind of film this is and where is the inner character conflict and journey. I see many elements but cannot see which one is the main plotline and to what genre it ascribes. For example: is this a social film? Are we going to see Jonas' journey of discovery of a new culture whilst struggling to remain legal in the country? Is his case going to be about his rights to remain in the country? Is the film going to focus on cultural integration and multiculturality? Is it going to address questions of ethnicity, migration and racism? Or is this a thriller where the main plot is with the court case and finding out if Jonas is guilty or not? is therefore the cultural aspect a way to approach the audience to Jonas? Is the audience going to face in this case a dilemma in whether one should believe this charming and open-minded guy who has shown an interest in the UK, versus distrusting him because he might be using all that charm to put everybody on his side and get the case dismissed somehow? Or is it a comedy and the "outrageous" comments meant they are funny and exaggerated anecdotes? Or is the "outrageous" the same as "unbelievable"? Or "illegal"? "morally unacceptable"?You need to avoid adjectives that can convey several meanings.

Breaking Bad Jones wrote:Title:  Rolling With The Punches

Genre: Crime, Drama

Synopsis: Feeling ostracised by a society not catered for those with disabilities, Joel Griffith a 19 year old wheelchair user comes up with an abstract plan for him and his friends to make money illegally, and starts to become a cult hero within the disabled community. But as he falls deeper into a dark world that is introduced to him by his psychopathic gangster Uncle, his morals are tested and he is left wondering if being a good guy is really possible when you are fighting for equality.

The Three main characters:

Joel Griffin: (Protagonist)

-19 years old.
- Has tragic past
-Leader of his group of friend’s
-Frustrated with what he proceeds to be injustices for disabled people in his local community.
- Has a temper, can be arrogant, though he has a clean moral compass at start of film.
- Ambitious, generally wants to be seen as a good person.


Matt Hawks: (Best Friend)

- Has a slightly more severe disability than Joel.
- Is the comedian of the group doesn’t take things to seriously
- Has dreams of going to university but problems arise that get in the way
- Can be more rational than Joel, though has less confidence within himself

Uncle Frank Griffin (Antagonist)

- Released from prison near start of film.
- Gangster
- Was in on a number of chargers including the distribution of narcotics
- Feared within the local community, though has lost a considerable amount of power since his time away.
- One of the few remaining blood relatives of Joel and the only one to hold the same last name.
- Appears to have decent relationship with his nephew.
- As film progresses his psychopathic nature is slowly revealed

I like the premise, it is not something seen before. You would be playing with the perception of stereotypes on screen with regard to disabled people. I have a colleague who has written a paper on that, it is quite interesting how they are often denied agency and put in positions of victimisation, where they need help from non-disabled people to overcome difficulties. I think that the fact that your main characters are disabled is already challenging this whole notion and would give a more realistic representation of disability, in the sense that each character is unique and has a personality, instead of reflecting a "plain" personality derived from the stereotypes.


You might need more information with regard to the characters, you will need a character sheet and provide more background and personal information in order to construct the characters. Have a look at the slides in week 2 in relation to Black Snyder and Syd Field.

I am not sure about this sentence: "left wondering if being a good guy is really possible when you are fighting for equality.". I would assume that it is possible to be a good guy when fighting for equality, for me the question according to your script is whether it is necessary or whether it would be as effective, hence the moral dilemma. The audience needs to see the dilemma in order to decide to watch the film.

DayTripperTommy wrote:Genre: Romance

I've had this idea for a while now so I thought I'd use it for my homework. My script idea is based in the 1960s when Rock 'n' Roll was in its prime and the only idea of a good time would be to head to the local club and listen to live bands.

This story is based in 1960s California and the entirety of the plot derives from the first studio album by the band The Mama's & The Papa's. The reason for this is the song list tells an entire story about love (in all of its mysterious ways, good and bad).

Songs and how they fit into the film:

1. Monday, Monday
This song tells the story of the first day of the week being hard to cope with because their love is not with them. This could be used to show a struggle in the romantic theme of the two main characters.

2. Straight Shooter
This song asks whomever it was written for not to play with one's heartstrings otherwise they'll never have a chance to be together. This could involve a third party who may or may not be an ex partner of one of the main characters.

3. Got a Feelin'
"Got a feelin' I'm wasting time on you babe; got a feelin' you've been untrue."
This may have something to do with the third party becoming an obstacle in the love story.

4. I Call Your Name
This would be the climatic moment of the film where the two lovers realise the error of their ways and try to find one another before its too late.

5. Do You Wanna Dance?
I imagine this song to be playing when the couple first meet in the club. One character would ask if the other would like to dance.

6. Go Where You Wanna Go
This song gives a positive message telling the listener to do what they believe is right in life with whomever they desire to be with. This would be used as a possible ending song where the two lovers 'go where they want to go' together, happy ending.

7. California Dreamin'
One of the band's most famous songs, California Dreamin' tells the listener about how the Cali-born group miss their home during the winter season. This could connote a feeling of yearning, missing home or the hometown of that love-at-first-sight stranger you've just met.

8. Spanish Harlem
It took me a while to decide what to do with this song and I decided to make the female lead character of Spanish origin, hence the songs use. It describes a beautiful rose that would be cared for throughout its life, much like you would treat someone you truly loved.

9. Somebody Groovy
A very upbeat 60s song that would have young people dancing. This song would be used when telling the female lead's story at the beginning of the film.

10. Hey Girl
Again, another song that tells a story for the male role showing that he's thinking about the girl he wants.

11. You Baby
A song devoted to the one you love, this would play for both main characters as they spend an enjoyable evening together at the nightclub or throughout various date scenes in the film.

12. The 'In' Crowd
A song that talks about being a part of the popular crowd, this would connote a feeling of being involved in the spotlight with everyone watching you. This basically shows that the two lovers consider each other to be worthy of each other's love.

Characters:

Jack: A young man who idolises rock 'n' roll bands of the 60s such as The Beatles and others. He enjoys listening to live music and meets the girl he falls for when watching his favourite band in California.

Mandy: A beautiful Spanish girl who visits this specific area of California to see the band she supports dearly and who ends up bumping into Jack during the concert.

well thought : ) I personally think that in that not long ago records used to tell a story, as a whole, something that it has been lost with the mp3 and Spotify era, when songs are listened to individually and out of context. I can see how you could use the songs in several parts of the film but it is not clear how the plot would develop and what are the main events.

Make sure you create a character sheet and add more information for the characters. It is not clear their own internal struggles and attitudes from the character description you give, I know more about them through the plot summary.
Good work!!

yaro1231 wrote:Title: A walk to the edge of the earth
 
Genre: Adventure, Drama
 
Plot: Two middle aged wealthy men have lived their lives as they wanted but are now bored and depressed. With nothing to do with their lives that's new or exciting one of the men decide to come up with a bet and asks the other man to participate.
 
The bet is as follows: one of the men will have 4 attempts to disappear whilst the other man will attempt to find the hidden character 4 times and there aren't any rules. The two men are sworn to raise the stakes as high as possible. One of the characters says if he is the victor then he would like everything the other has, all his possessions and everything he treasures until he has nothing. The other character stakes his opponents life and says "if you cannot find me your life is mine, if you find me my wealth is yours" (the reason for why he wants his opponents life is because both of them would like to take everything away from each other one respects his body and life and the other loves money more than his family)
 
The two battle it out and become obsessed trying to outwit each other, one to escape and one to pursue.
 
First character: Avery Cooper
A rich businessmen who has come from nothing who now owns major enterprises.
He glorifies living life on the edge and is an adrenaline junkie.
Competitive.
 
Second character: Adrien Mochitino
Arrogant middle aged half Italian half American man who inherited his wealth from his father.
Clean and healthy individual who doesn't do drugs and treats his body like a temple.
Competitive.
 

Note: Avery is the one escaping and Adrien is the one tracking. The places which Avery escapes to become more creative and more illusive than the last.

That is a very original plot. When you are saying that he hides and the other one tracks, do you mean disappear and go to another country? Or is it about hiding in the city? How are you going to justify the fact that it would mean leaving jobs and family for a while, in order to properly hide? Add sub-plot with conflict for each character. Have a look at the slides on character, specially the first 5 or 6.

Good work!

Achidlow95 wrote:Name: Which way
Character
Mia:
Female Age 22
Can be socially awkward at times but can really come out of her shell when she is around people she’s comfortable with. Very open minded and easy going. Quiet a funny/quirky character in an uncool way. Tends to be quite clumsy even though she is very OCD about certain things (organisation of clothes, room, and routine)
 
Joanne Steen (Mia’s boss)
A stern character who Mia gets off on the wrong foot with. Far too passionate about her job but grows fonder of Mia as she gets to know her. Very loudly spoken.
 
Milo:
Male Age 23
Milo is a very cool character. He is the host of a local event at a club in Liverpool with a lot of connections. Very relaxed and outgoing. Has a criminal record.
 

A short film, set in modern day Liverpool, about a girl who moves from her parents’ home in the country side to the city. The story represents the quirky lifestyle of this slightly abnormal girl and her struggles to “fit in” in the normal world. After finding a job in a local school she soon makes some friends and learns more about her ambitions and goals in life.

"abnormal" is a term that is not politically correct in many contexts and English speaking countries, I would avoid its use.



The summary does not show conflict or journey. The story should be about more than just getting to know what she wants whilst struggling to fit in. You need to show conflict and subtext at different levels, through a main plot and possibly also through a sub-plot. Often one of the plots would focus on private life and the other on public life, depending on the genre you choose, you might have one or the other as main plot. What will she learn? Why should the audience care? What is special about this girl? Why do I want her to achieve her goals? What are the obstacles? Who is going to aid her? ... You need to answer most of these questions in some way.



Blake Snyder recommends to fill the gaps in this summary template

• On the verge of a Stasis=Death moment, a flawed protagonist has a Catalyst and Breaks Into Two with the B Story; but when the Midpoint happens, he/she must learn the Theme Stated, before the All Is Lost, to defeat (or stop) the flawed antagonist (from getting away with his/her plan).
  
  

For example, you could say: On the verge of being unemployed, Mia, a quirky young girl who has just started to work in a school is sent to a disciplinary panel for a misunderstanding with the headmistress, Mrs Steen. Feeling lonely and hopeless, she gets lost in the city and ends up in a nightclub, where she will meet Milo, an apparently nice guy with a troubled past. When drugs are found in her school locker, she must bring herself up and proof her innocence before the disciplinary panel reaches a decision and Milo is sent back to prison for breaching his parole. Finding the truth of what happened will be a journey of rediscovery, where friends and foes are not what they seem and where dreams can be destroyed or built in a moment.

The script has potential, although you do need to create some conflict and probably better than the one I just came up with.