Pre - Production: Critical Reflection

Throughout the pre - production phase of the project, it has had immense pressure and time consumption which has been even more so with being screenwriter and producer. Screenwriting was always very enjoyable but the time restriction did pressure me and push me to always be conscious of how long scenes where and what I can do to make sure I don't go over - as this would be crucial during filming and the editing stage.
Creating such a twisted and in-depth plot has been very challenging - I've had to look into a variety of mystery dramas and screenwriting courses to get tips from professionals who have pulled off a great mystery drama. As challenging as it was, it also developed how I think and how to create even more depth with the characters backgrounds. I've learnt so much from raising the steaks to looking into psychopaths to make sure that I have Francis' character spot on. With the task of having to re write and re write, it's been hard to leave ideas behind, but seeing how much of a difference some things make, it's definitely worth it. I have enjoyed writing in the mystery drama genre as it's something i've always wanted to do - i've always wanted to create an enticing and enjoyable story that has so many twists and turns, and although it's my first one I think it's done quite good. Overall, being the screenwriter has pushed me further in ideas and pressure.

As the producer, it has had a variety of thoughts and feelings. At the beginning, I was feeling very positive and excited to be giving myself such a huge challenged, however, sometimes, it's been so stressful, but working in a great team has definitely helped. I've been able to control the team and make sure that everyone knows 100% what is going on in the film. A problem I did have with producing was the fact that it was very frustrating to me that when casting, although I wrote so much information and pay on the website - some actors completely ignored it, not even reading the first line which mentioned we was a student film, and when turning up to the auditions they was very shocked and confused. Some actors didn't read the pay, applied, was eager to audition and then began demanding more money than we could afford, even though a fixed price or travel expenses was clearly stated. This was just one minor problem, but it did set us back a little as it seemed most people wasn't reading the descriptions.

Overall, I definitely picked up some things along the way, such as, even though writing in a huge, beautiful theatre may sound and look amazing, will it fit the budget? Although there is many theatres in Kent and outside of Kent, I had various problems with theatres being extremely busy that they didn't ever get back to me, or the fact some theatres wanted £1,600 a day and wouldn't negotiate at all. This was very daunting and scary to me and the pressure was really building up to find this theatre and I desperately wanted a nice one to do justice to the film. I felt like as locations are such a huge part of the film, if one location is rubbish, it could bring the whole film down.

Controlling my team was generally not too stressful overall, I always made sure Vic and I was communicating always, and we both was very passionate about the idea that we kept discussing ideas all the way through. I made sure that after each draft, I asked Vic to read through it and give me any feedback including how he visualised it. Although he is the Director, it was nice to know if we had the same ideas or not. I have learnt to push my team and help whenever I can, including pushing for more concept art drafts or pushing for a storyboard to come through.
I feel I was very organised in communicating with the chosen actors constantly, and we have built up a great relationship so far. I organised the teaser filming and although we had to change some parts, our main actress stuck with us through it and I felt we produced a great film of work.

Having a great cinematographer, sound technician and directors assistant who only want the best for 'I Pull The Strings' is essential in the production. It took a lot of time and discussion to choose who I wanted to be on our team. I knew Chris is extremely reliable and through the project has been very supportive of us, I know he is dedicated to what he does and always pushes himself which I why I knew he would be a great sound guy. With Lawrence, he always listens to ideas and is extremely passionate about filming, I looked at previous work and was happy with what I found, he understands what we are looking for and I have discussed with him many times about the directors vision and filming dates so he is always up to date with what is going on.

For the directors assistant, I wanted someone friendly, reliable and passionate. The directors assistant will also be helping to direct any actors that are sitting around when Vic is busy, and I need someone who is energetic and friendly towards them so they feel at ease. I need someone who is reliable and confident which Patriciate Dixon definitely is, which is why she was one of my first choices.
Overall, my team so far has showed me how dedicated they are and i'm very happy with who we have.

Another key part which is often shrugged off until the end is the COSTUME and PROPS. Costume is definitely key in our film as we not only need a mask for Francis that covers his face and fits in the masquerade ball style, but we also need a prop mask for Bethany that she throws on the floor when she runs on stage. We also need a long red masquerade ball gown for Bethany and luckily I was able to find one very easily. I choose a long red sparkling ball gown that is beautiful. Immediately after casting Amy for Bethany, I asked for her dress size and ordered the dress. I have also been constantly ordering props and making sure to be ordering by the budget size so that we don't go over. I have made sure to be organised with the props as some of them (including the dress) are shipped from China and are taking a lot time, which is why it's good i'm doing it now as next year I don't want to be panicking that the mise en scene won't arrive on time.

Music was another key aspect I wanted to get sorted out straight away, and luckily, with the help of previous musician, Declan Gillgallon, and new composer Rupert Uzzell we have a absolutely amazing team of composers that are always pushing through with drafts and ideas for the film and always get it perfect.

Overall, this term has had it's ups and downs and definitely challenged me in so many ways, I have been so excited with the social media, hyping up the film and many people have become excited to which is really positive and helpful and I can't wait to post more when we get started. Everything came together in the end and myself and the team can't wait to get started next year!

Pre - Production: WEBSITE RESEARCH

To create a unique, dynamic and attractive website, I need to make sure it has all the elements needed to make an audience excited for the upcoming film. I need to make sure it's always up to date and that it looks elegant and professional. I have decided to research into what makes a great film website, and look into film websites that already are out there and see if there are any similarities that stand out. Doing so, will help me to create a website that is simple yet enticing.

A very interesting and helpful article I found was by Will on moviestud.io.com at https://www.moviestud.io/blog/film-website-guide/ 

Will goes into great detail about creating film websites, information that is needed, and tips on low budget film website creating.

''If you’ve already made a trailer for your film that should go front and center on the homepage. There is no better way to market your film than by showing (specially selected parts of) it. That is what your audience came to see.''

On the website, an idea I have is to take an attractive still from the film teaser, and place on the front landing page of the website. This will not only straight away give the audience something to see, but it will entice them into wanting to see the actual teaser. Will discusses this idea below,

''The content you want to feature on your site drives the design. For a film site you might want a splash screen featuring a trailer, a still from your movie, or your poster art. Film is a visual medium so the front page of your site should reflect that. The other pages of your site will differ depending on what content they contain.''

Looking at some websites below, I wanted to see what they put on the landing page, a basic view and see what the similarities are. 

I found that on the over view, all of the websites have a striking image on the front, usually with the main actor posing for the photograph, or a picture that looks like a still from the film. Due to not being in production yet, I would either have to set up a photoshoot, or as I said earlier, use a still from our teaser which I am leaning towards. I noticed that overall page usually fits on the screen, there is no need for scrolling as all the information is right there in front of you. The name of the film, release date and the main actors are featured large on the screen - these are the basic pieces of texts that cover the front page - with the occasional advert that is linked to a teaser or video.

Each film has a very individual colour scheme to fit with it's film and the genre; being a mystery drama, our film is going to be very dark with dark purples, blacks and reds - but making sure not to make the red colours too much like a horror film. The colour theme on the websites stick very basic on the front, but adverts and links are in bright colours so it attracts the audience's eye to click it. I want to put a link to the teaser on the front page in a bright colour so that it sticks out different from the colour scheme we will have. All the imagery is very interesting, non of the pictures are boring and most of them relate to the film somehow. For example, looking at 'A Walk In the Woods' the two men are clearly wearing back packs and in the background we can see the woods. The picture is extremely striking and although the colour scheme is very neutral and calm, the fact that the two men are stood in a discussion on the edge of the cliff, is very enticing and would want the audience to know what will happen.

In the film website to the right, they have chosen very bright and happy colours such as blues, reds and yellows, which match the colours of the actors. The producers have thoughtfully put two well known actors in a happy pose very large in the centre of the page, which would entice viewers immediately. They have chosen a location for the background that immediately tells the audience that the film is going to be set outside of a normal house and the two will be going on an adventure.

I want the website for our film to be very enticing and draw the audience in, guessing what sort of story is behind the picture. I want a picture of our actress close to the screen, with someone behind her watching her.
''Pan'' to the left is the type of theme I want on the website. It is very dark and mysterious and shows an adventure on screen. The colours all work extremely well together and they have clearly reached out to all ages of audience, with the 'Play Games' link on the front of the website. The colour theme uses a lot of blacks and dark colours to create a very fantasy like picture.

Moving on to targeting the audience with the immediate website homepage; The film 'The Intern' has a very mature look to it. Not only is one of the actors a little older, but the picture doesn't have any fancy effects, it is very simple and elegant.

Looking at the website below; I found some tips on creating a promotional film website.

http://filmcourage.com/content/create-a-website-for-your-film

Gareth Macleod says that, ''You only need five things on a teaser page. You need  the title, the trailer, some concept art or stills, Facebook and Twitter.''

This will make the website simple, with all the information, without making it too overpowering and confusing for the audience. It will be elegant and not cluttered with un needed information.

Next, I wanted to look more closely at what links are on the landing page that can entice our audience.

I found that on each website, they are all quite similar and simple. The main pages I found on every single one are;

• The Home page: This is the landing page and is what the audience first see. It has a large image and a few pieces of text on it. It is similar to a poster, but doesn't have all the text over it. It is very simple and elegant.

• The Story: This usually has a bit of background behind the story and a small synopsis so that the viewers can get an overall idea of what the film is about. 

• The Cast: This allows the audience to see who is in the film, any recognisable actors, and a little background behind them for any agents who notice the film.

• Social Media Links: These are always heavily featured on film websites. They direct viewers to personal social websites that they can keep even more frequently updated on. The main pages are Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. These often have unique cast pictures from on set and information on screenings and worldwide release dates. 

• Videos: This includes the teaser/trailer, behind the scenes footage and any additional clips that have been added.

I found that each website creates links and pages unique to their audience and film genre. For example, ''Pan'' is aimed at a younger audience therefor they have made it worded to apply to younger audiences with links such as ''Meet the characters'', ''Fun and games'' and ''Discover Neverland''. All these will encourage the audience to click the links due to the nature of what is written.

The Content.

I found when looking at all these film sites, that thought, detail and care has gone into every single page. There is a unique, relatable image for each page and the colour theme runs throughout. 

On the film website to the right, they have used the characters film genre to create a humorous, yet simple page to encourage the readers to watch. 

I also found that many film websites create a very personal and relaxed page which talks about all the producers and directors involved. This will both help the audience get a better understanding of the behind the scenes of the whole film, and also allow the crew to have a page for themselves so any filmmakers can also see what skills we have and films we have made.




To entice my young audience into being interested and keeping up to date with the website, I want to create a 'videos' page with behind the scenes things on it. When we begin rehearsing and getting together more, I want to interview the team and film extra bits of filming so that the viewers can see what it's like to create a film. It will also be good to here opinions of the cast and how they are feeling filming.

Overall, looking at film websites and researching into what actually goes into a website, has helped me very much in creating some ideas of what I want to portray on the site. I have better knowledge and understanding of the professional and elegant look that film websites go for, along with all the links and information that is needed.

Pre - Production: CHOSEN PLATFORM

Raindance film festival is an independent film festival that runs through many cities including London and New York. It showcases short films, music videos and feature films from around the world, It screens over 100 feature films and over 150 short films.

I Pull The Strings will be submitted to the festival in the category ‘’Narrative Short under 45 mins’’ and will be submitted to the 24^th Raindance Film Festival in the regular deadline entry May 20^th for £35.

I Pull The Strings would be a great submission in the festival due to the variety and styles of genres that are submitted including; mystery, sci-fi and documentary. Benefits of submitting to this festival are the fact that selected shorts will qualify for Oscar and BAFTA nominations. Also, British short films that are in the competition will also be eligible for entry for the 2016 British Independent Film Awards BIFA.

As well as recognition and nominations, the winner will also receive a trophy awarded for ‘Best Short’ or a trophy for ‘Best UK Short’

With a large age variety of supporters and filmmakers in the competition; our film will reach a new, larger audience as well as recognition to those who would be judging the film at the screening.

To enter into the Raindance Film Festival, we must provide the following:

>A Digital Cinema Package (DCP) and a back-up Blu-ray

> Production Still Photos - Digital 

> Photo of the Director - Digital 

> Biography/Filmography - Director 

> Biography/Filmography - Producer 

> Statement by the Director 

> Anecdotal Accounts 

Pre - Production: Developing Character Profiles

To build more depth into my characters and have a background behind them, I have decided to create a further in-depth character profiles with the further research I have been looking into.

CHARACTER PROFILES

BETHANY HUTSON

Name: Bethany Hutson

Occupation: Actress

Age: 21

Height: 5’8

Hair Colour: Chestnut brown

Eye Colour: Brown

Traits:

Caring

Shy

Kind

Talented

Polite

Growing up in sunny Brighton, Bethany Hutson has always had a dream of working her way up to perform in the West End. As a young girl, Bethany was always practicing dancing and acting with her friends and desperately wanted her mother, Julie, to see her, but Julie was always working as she struggled to earn money as a single parent, however, Julie and Bethany had a close relationship as she got older. Bethany recently graduated University in Performing Arts in London, and after tasting what it could be like performing in the West End, she is dying to live there full time - acting, singing and dancing. Bethany is a shy and timid girl whose personality and confidence comes alive when she is on stage. Bethany met her boyfriend George at a college party when she was 18, George approached Bethany and they talked for hours – as shy as Bethany was, she agreed to meet up with him again. The two gradually ended up living together in a small, cosy apartment. Bethany is deeply in love with George and always wants to make him happy. She see’s the best in everyone and always looks up to her successful sister Lucy for inspiration, although she feels intimidated by her and lets Lucy walk all over her. Being younger than Lucy, Bethany and Lucy wasn’t very close as children, but began speaking more as they got older. Bethany is currently working at a small theatre in Brighton performing shows. She loves to do it, but strives to push herself further in life and in bigger acting roles.

GEORGE YOUNG

Name: George Young

Occupation: Writer

Age: 25

Height: 6’’

Hair Colour: Brown

Eye Colour: Green

Traits:

Loyal

Caring

Workaholic

Short tempered

George Young has always had a magnificent imagination. From being young, he’s told stories to his friends and families that intrigue them to want to know more. Growing up, George often dreamed of writing novels and would spend most of his time writing idea in his notepad, telling them to his young brother, Darren. George isn’t only a writer, but he is a loving and devoted boyfriend. Although George is obsessed with his work, nothing comes close to the love and affection he has for his long time girlfriend Bethany Hutson – a girl he’s been madly in love with for years, ever since approaching her at a college party. George writes short stories for publishers, but deeply wishes to have a feature novel that publishers around the world will be fighting for. At school, George had friends, but mostly kept to himself and often got picked on for always being ‘into his books’ and loving English lessons. Although this knocked Georges’ confidence a little, in the long run it pushed him to want to prove that he has talents and can succeed. George is a very friendly and calm man, however, he does have a short fuse, which is often a downfall in his work and relationships. Nevertheless, George is a very trustworthy and loving man who always is there for everyone around him.

FRANCIS DELAGARZA

Name: Francis Delagarza

Occupation: Theatre director/CEO

Age: 35

Height: 6’’

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Brown

Traits:

Charming

Sophisticated

Stubborn

Charismatic

Alpha male

Francis has gone through a lot of changes in his life. As a mid 30’s businessman, he never used to be the man he currently is. When Francis was younger, his original name was Edward, which he later changed. He had a bad relationship with his parents, leading to him moving out when he was just 17, struggling for money; he began babysitting to earn for himself. Francis doesn’t have any siblings so often found it hard turning to anyone for advice. Francis always enjoyed listening to music, particularly Jazz and appreciated the performing arts. Francis was very close to Bethany a young performer he used to babysit, he thought she was a stunning performer and often got too close to her, as Bethany’s mother Julie had began noticing. Francis enjoyed spending time with Bethany as he had no friends, and thought he could call her a friend, although she was just 10 years old. Julie dismissed ‘Edward’, which knocked him as he felt he, again, had no one. After being told he would never get far in life by some old ‘friends’ from school, he was determined to change himself. Francis began working in an office and changed who he was completely – from a music loving, friendly man, to a stubborn, moody businessman.  After changing his name to Francis, and building up his career in business, Francis eventually bought a theatre and named himself as the director. Francis is a very controlling yet charming man to everyone around him and is very intimidating to the people he works with. He knows how to talk to people and charm them into liking him, however, he struggles to form real relationships with people. Francis believes that he is higher up than he is, and is often intimidated by successful Agents who come to the theatre to look for upcoming actors.

DANIEL MCCARTHER

Name: Daniel McCarther

Occupation: Talent Agent

Age: 50

Height: 5’6

Hair Colour: Grey

Eye Colour: Brown

Traits:

Friendly

Kind

Enthusiastic

Keeps to himself

Living in London, Daniel is a 50 year old man, happily married to Andrea McCarther for 15 years. As a kind, enthusiastic young man with a deep passion for musicals, he’d always dreamed of working in the performing arts industry. As a young boy Daniel looked up to his father, who worked as a Musical Director on a cruise ship. Daniel had bonded closely with his father, as they were both very much interested in musicals and theatre shows. Daniel always wanted to be successful like his father and was determined to work on musicals, somehow. Daniels father was proud of Daniel, telling him that he had a kind heart and could achieve anything. When his father died in a tragic accident on board, Daniel struggled to pick himself back up. During the dark time in his life, he met Andrea, who inspired and pushed him to carry on with his life and make his father proud. Andrea lit up Daniels life and helped him turn to music to get him through the tough times. Daniel always tried to honour his father by pushing himself to somehow make it as a Theatre Director in London. After a few knockdowns and setbacks, at just 24, Daniel became a Theatre Assistant Director. Daniel and Andrea quickly got married and he has always been thankful to her for giving him the push he needed. Although he felt like he would never take the next step up in his career, after years, he gradually worked his way up, using his knowledge and skill to become the Theatre Director. After many years of achievement and prosperity, Daniel is now settled as a successful, well known Agent – always on the look out for the next big thing. Daniel is a professional businessman, but also has a warm heart; with his overfriendly and loving personality many see him as a father figure. Daniel has been in the business for over 25 years and is currently looking for an enthusiastic woman to play ‘June’ in the West End show ‘Gypsy’.

LUCY TAILOR

Name: Lucy Tailor

Occupation: Managing Editor

Age: 29

Height: 5’’8

Hair Colour: Dark blonde

Eye Colour: Blue

Traits:

Blunt

Confident

Smart

Self-absorbed

Lucy Tailor is very much different from her younger sister Bethany. Lucy was never interested in performing arts or dancing, and when she was younger she was seen as the ‘tom boy’ of the girls. Lucy was very into computing and was often jealous of Bethany being seen as the ‘little princess’. Lucy wanted to be successful and as a very smart girl, she went ahead to study Journalism at University and graduated with a First Class honours degree. Lucy had always been a confident girl, but after becoming a successful Journalist, it went to her head a little. Lucy is self-absorbed and looks down on other types of creative jobs. Although Lucy has never acted on it, she resents Bethany a little for always having her parent’s attention. However, the tables have turned and now Bethany is the one who is jealous of Lucy and always wants her approval. Lucy sometimes acts stupid and portrays herself as a very blunt girl; however, she does have a soft side, which she shows every so often. Lucy married young, to James Tailor, she clearly is the dominant one in the relationship but James isn’t too fussed, as he is very carefree. Lucy successfully built her way up in the Journalism career and is now a Managing Editor at a well-respected newspaper in London, along with her freelancing in writing. Lucy can often be a handful around people but Bethany and her close friends always look for the best in her.

JAMES TAILOR

Name: James Tailor

Occupation: Bank Supervisor

Age: 34

Height: 5’9

Hair Colour: Brown

Eye Colour: Green

Traits:

Quiet

Ambitious

Stubborn

Clever

Fun

James Tailor is Lucy Tailors husband. He is a Bank Manager and is very settled in his job and lifestyle. Although James works in baking, he is a very chilled out man who quite typically enjoys a drink and watching the football with his friends. Being husband to a self-absorbed loud girl like Lucy, he often is seen as quiet and moody as she can be a little ‘too much’ when she’s had a few glasses of wine. James is generally a nice man who appreciates his family and gets along with Bethany’s boyfriend George quite well. James met Lucy at a business party and was attracted to her immediately, he liked how much of an independent woman she was and the two soon got engaged less than a year later.

JULIE HUTSON

Name: Julie Hutson

Occupation: Shop Assistant

Age: 45

Height: 5’7

Hair Colour: Ginger

Eye Colour: Brown

Traits:

Loving

Caring

Protective

Friendly

Julie Hutson is mother to Bethany and Lucy. Julie met her ex husband John when she was a teenager, and the two had an on off relationship for years. After Julie gave birth to her second child Bethany, the two’s falling outs became more apparent. Julie and John divorced when the girls were young, and John became less and less involved in the girls lives, until he was no longer in the picture. Julie has always made sure that she puts the girls first in her life and gives them the best upbringing and life she could. However, with a job as a shop assistant, Julie struggled to provide for the children and felt like she was going to fail as a mother. Determined not to, Julie took on a second job; however, this meant spending less time with the girls, and having to find multiple babysitters. Julie was delighted that Bethany had a dream of working as a performer, but was upset that she never had time to watch her practice. Julie began spending the few hours she had available in the week watching Bethany perform and cheering her on. Although Lucy was a lot older than Bethany, she still felt left out and thought that her mother only cared about Bethany. Julie eventually got back on her two feet and could look after Bethany by herself, by this time Lucy had moved out and was at University. Julie and Lucy have a stronger relationship now that Lucy is older, and Julie tries to visit the girls whenever she can.

MATT HARVEY

Name: Matt Harvey

Occupation: Actor

Age: 24

Height: 6’’

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Brown

Traits:

Friendly

Energetic

Ambitious

Talented

Funny

Matt Harvey is an actor at a local theatre in Brighton; he performs in shows and loves what he does. Matt is a very easy going, friendly guy who spends most his time at the theatre practicing with his close knit group of friends, or working as a barrister at a café on weekends, trying to earn extra money for himself. Matt and Bethany have been performance partners for over a year, and she puts her trust fully in him. Matt appreciates that Bethany wants to succeed in the West End and is always pushing her to become better and better. Matt enjoys performing shows and is quite settled with his current job, however, if he could, he would also love to perform in bigger theatres – which himself and Bethany often bond over.

Pre - Production: Treatment Research

When writing my treatment for the script, I need to make sure it has all the elements that would entice a producer to want to read my actual script. It should be enticing, exciting and leave the reader wanting to know the answers to the protagonists troubles they are facing. I decided to do some research into what goes into a treatment so I can understand fully the format of what is needed and how long it should be.

Producer and screenwriter Professor Marilyn Horowitz has written several feature length screenplays. and is the author of six books. She has wrote a very detailed helpful article on writing a treatment and synopsis on the website movieoutline.com


Marilyn has written the key elements that should go in a treatment.

1. A Working title.
2. The writer's name and contact information
3. WGA Registration number
4. A short log line
5. Introduction to key characters
6. Who, what, when, why and where.
7. Act 1 in one to three paragraphs. Set the scene, dramatise the main conflicts. 
8. Act 2 in two to six paragraphs. Should dramatise how the conflicts introduced in Act 1 lead to a crisis.
9. Act 3 in one to three paragraphs. Dramatise the final conflict and resolution.

I am going to sort my script into 3 acts, which will help me to create my treatment as it will be in 3 clear dramatic sections. 

• Act 1 is called the set up, it is when the situation and characters are introduced. This is usually around 30 minutes, but as my script is for a short film, it will be much less.

In act one I have introduced Bethany and George, in scene 2 the audience learn that George is a writer and Bethany is a performer. I tried to make sure that we immedietly establish in the script that Bethany and George are both struggling in their career, Bethany desperately wants to leave performing at her local theatre, and perform in London. George is a writer that needs someone to publish his book. 

• Act 2 is called the conflict. In feature films it is an hour long and it is where the conflict begins and expands until it reached a crisis.

In act 2, it is where my main story happens. Bethany begins receiving more intense parcels and finds out that George and Lucy have been lying to her. She confronts the agent and also the 'point of no return' is reached, when Bethany goes through all of Georges work, which she knows he's been working hard on for months. The two have a heated argument and the climax is when Bethany is about to perform on stage. 

• Act 3 is called the Resolution, the conflict gets bigger and is resolved.

In act 3, we see Bethany in a struggle on stage whilst performing, she is gradually taken away by an unknown person, and we finally see who has been tormenting her. The conflict isn't necessarily resolved as the audience don't exactly find out if she was actually going crazy, or if Francis really was the one behind it all, as he is suddenly sat in the audience.http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/how-to-write-a-treatment.html

I also looked into Charles Harris, an award winning writer and director and also co founder of the first screenwriters workshop in the world. On his blog he has written some points to remember for writing a treatment which I found extremely helpful.

1) Keep it short.

2) Remember the purpose of a treatment

The purpose of a treatment is simple: to get someone to read the script. You don't have to include every joke, or any of the subplots.

3) Show me an active protagonist.

Most treatments fail because the protagonist is passive or reactive. Make sure yours drives the story forwards through the actions she takes.

4) Put pictures on the screen of my mind.

Leave me with at least two or three vivid, exciting images.

http://www.charles-harris.co.uk/about-charles-harris/

I think that number 3 is especially important in the treatment and in the film itself, as I want to make sure that the protagonist starts off a certain way, and changes throughout the film. I need to show her as a loving, caring, shy character in act 1, and during act 2 and act 3, see the change in Bethany, she will become anxious, paranoid and more confident in confronting people.

For number 4, I am going to try set the scene in the treatment and describe the characters, but not in too much detail as I have to remember to keep it short and sweet. I want to make sure that when someone reads it they can at least picture the mood and style of the room and characters, just like I did when I wrote it.

I also looked into what makes a good log line. I've always struggled to tell my ideas in a simple way, I find it easier to write it. So when writing the log line I wanted to make sure that if I could tell someone it in person, they would fully understand it. I need to make sure it's short, but narrows down the whole film in a few sentences.

''A good log line doesn't tell someone too much. It's always good to leave a little something to the imagination.''  Jonathan Treisman

''Some may ask, why is the Spiderman logline a high-concept idea? It's high concept because, while we all can't relate to what it would be like to be Spiderman, the film has many high-concept themes that we can all relate to such as: unrequited love, parental approval and of course, wish fulfillment as a superhero.''

I find this very interesting as the film we are creating is dramatic, and over the top a little, but still relatable. It has the conventional romance in it which many people can relate to, whilst also showing how siblings can be jealous of one another. I want to make sure that the audience are intrigued by the log line, yet still find the realism in it somehow. 

https://www.writersstore.com/writing-loglines-that-sell/

Here is a draft of my treatment, which also includes a log line and short synopsis of the story.

Treatment

Pre - Production: AUDIENCE RESEARCH

To further determine our target audience, I have decided to do some research into the Demographics and Psychographics of our audience.

On a blog, I found some information about what to consider when thinking about our audience.

''In widest terms, to whom would you like your story to appeal to? David Heyman returned from a producer on the Warner Bros lot with the ambition to make children's movies. Painstaking research yielded JK Rowling and Harry Potter.''

The basic demographic questions I need to ask are:
Sex? Male Female
Age: Child Teen 20's 30's 40's 50's 60's
Status? Single Married Divorced
Education: High school College Graduate
Income: Low Average High

Further questions I found which may seem irrelevant but definitely help to build an audience profile are; where they live, do they rent or own their own homes.

''Empire Magazine has built their entire success around creating an audience profile avatar named Eric: a 20 something essex boy. Whenever they have a story idea they ask themselves if Eric would like it.

Finding out who your audience is could actually help you writing your story too!''

This is really interesting, when writing I should always be considering whether my audience will like it, if they will understand it, how they think, and any other questions which relate to them.

On Kansas Marketing, I found a template of demographics and psychographics that I can use to determine my audience. 

It is really helpful as it has a variety of questions that I should be thinking about my audience including hobbies, lifestyle and personality traits.

I also found a table that puts my audience into a bracket of the type of work they do. My audience would fit into the category C2 and D and E. Skilled workers, semi skilled workers and unemployed and students. Knowing my audience aren't high up and are students also helps to determine the age range. For example, people who are in the class A group probably would't be interested in a low budget short film that is a mystery drama, they probably can get thrills other ways, which students can't, students rely on entertainment through movies due to not having the money to get thrills other ways. 

Psychographics.

Psychographics are factors about the audience which are more relatable to psychology or behaviour. Psychographic measures include, personality traits, values, opinions, lifestyle, actives, hobbies, entertainment preferences etc.

Psychographics are very important when considering the audience as finding the hobbies and traits determine if someone would even watch your film. Young audiences have more spare time than businessman, and therefore, would more likely watch your film. People with busy lifestyles and a different entrainment preference such as going out to bars or work do's, would less likely watch our film due to their busy lifestyle. 

Considering this information, I have created an audience profile based on demographics and psychographics of my audience.

‘I Pull The Strings’ can reach out to a range of ages, there is something for everyone; mystery, drama, power, and a variety of three-dimensional characters. However, targeting a specific audience can help to develop the film around that audience groups needs and expectations.

The Demographics’ of our audience are as follows:

Gender: Male and Female

Age: 15 – 24

Single teenagers / married young adults

Education: School – Higher Education

Geographical Location: UK – South London

Class: Working Class: Low Income

Working Category: C2 and D. Skilled manual workers and semi – skilled and unskilled manual workers.

Race: All

Investigating the demographics of our films main social media page, Facebook, found that our posts where reaching 51% women and 49% men. 50% of our target audience are in the age bracket 18-24, whilst the rest is spread over 25 – 34 and all the way up to 56-64, with one very small niche 1% being over 65. This information is based on our audiences’ active interaction in our films posts. A similar film with the same nature and tone is Black Swan; one of the Top 20 UK films of 2011 with an audience of a majority of 15 – 25. Noting our average age is 18 – 24 and similar films targeting young audiences; our target age range for our film is 15 – 24.

The film involves a lot of mystery, which appeals to both male and females. Individual characters in the film may differentiate what gender watches the film. For example, Bethany’s background of dance and performing arts could stereotypically meet the demands of females and the

high interest in it. Moreover, Francis’ character may attract men who hide behind power. Underneath Francis’ masculine and powerful persona, is an insecure man.

Bethany’s character has a wide range of traits and personalities that can be relatable to the audience, causing a wider variety of ages to watch the film.

Lucy could attract both males and females. Males would be attracted to her domineering, sexy, business-like look, whilst women may see her as a role model due to her confidence, success and powerful nature.

The Psychographics of our audience are as follows:

Personality: Outgoing, sociable and friendly.

Active or Passive: Active audiences who will engage with the programme and have opinions of their own to share on social media.

Interests: Socialising with friends, enjoys problem solving, enjoys relaxing on evenings on social media, going to the cinema, enjoys similar shows such as Pretty Little Liars, Seven and Dexter.

Lifestyle: Busy with University work, enjoys dining out occasionally.

Values in the Psychographic groups: Aspirers, succeeders and explorers.

Attitudes: Some mature views to comprehend more twisted storylines.

Our target audience will be young adults that are Explorers: These people are driven by a need for discovery, challenge and new frontiers. Explorers are often the first to try out new ideas and experiences. They will also be very sociable and enjoy spending time with their friends at the cinema, dining out and socialising via online media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The audience will be active and form opinions of their own, along with striving to succeed and seeking status.

Classification:

12A

According to the BBFC a 12A film means that an adult must accompany a child when watching a certain film – due to some scenes causing the child to feel unsettled. In ‘I Pull The Strings’ the film doesn’t have any strong language or a large amount of violence, however, some scenes may cause distress or scare children. An example is in the scene where Francis has Bethany tied up in the cellar and the tension is building up, although nothing scary happens, the build up may cause anxiety in young children. Another scene, which may cause unease for children, is when Bethany is performing on stage and Francis pushes her and slaps her. If the scene was much more violence, we would have to class the film as a 15, however, it’s very slight and therefore we can allow it to be a 12A. The overall nature of the film is very chilling and twisted and due to children not understanding the psychological values and becoming scared, the film must be classed as 12A.

Sources:

http://www.raindance.org/8-questions-writers-must-ask-when-developing-audience-profiles/

http://www.kaszas.ca/wp-content/uploads/Target-Audience-Profile-Template.pdf

http://www.mediaknowall.com/gcse/keyconceptsgcse/keycon.php?pageID=audience

http://themarketpro.net/knowing-your-audience-demographics-psychographics

https://topnonprofits.com/know-your-target-audience-questions/

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Ng2tAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=film+audience+profile&source=bl&ots=xCpf1ipNW1&sig=_Zx2DPgRo7xmMrBYq9sF6IIsgRM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiEqdSeosfJAhUMBBoKHeYsBtkQ6AEIWzAL#v=onepage&q=film%20audience%20profile&f=false

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GKnTnnDs07IC&pg=PA18&dq=film+audience+profile&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjYmL_FosfJAhXC2xoKHUesC_AQ6wEILDAC#v=onepage&q=film%20audience%20profile&f=false