Wednesday 9 February 2011

3 Acts

Act 1

The scene starts off with a black screen, with a voice over playing over the top. This voice over will be a recording from a previous act the main character had been performing. This performance however is the performance where the character dies. The voice over will start with an introduction from a voice on a loud speaker, introducing the character, 'Scott Lone'. Scott will appear on stage and perform a sword swallow, this is where the audience start to scream. The voice on the loud speaker will ask everyone to leave because there has been a terrible accident. Around this point, the voice over starts to fade out. When Scott is introduced in the voice over, the screen turns from black to the viewing of an old poster of that act promotion. When the audience screams, the poster will tear off of a wall and float to the right. The camera will follow this poster going up and down, in the flowing motion of the paper poster. 'Scott Lone' will come into focus in a long black over coat with a large hat that covers his face, but reveils his chin, to let the audience know who it is. The poster will float off to the right out of shot.
Scott will make a grunt of some sort and start walking to the right. The camera will position right behind Scott showing the direction he is heading. This is where a abandoned train comes into view, with a read curtain covering the main door. A light is piercing through this curtain. The character approaches the curtain and goes to open it.

Act 2

At the start of Act 2 the camera will jump from outside the train, to the inside of the train. As an audience will we see 'Scott Lone' jump through the curtain, dressed in his showbusiness/stagey clothes, instant change from when he was outside. Giving an illusion of 'the show must go on' type of feel. Now, Scott will jump from behind the curtain, with a large grin, arms out wide, expecting a huge cheer. The shot will then shoot to a widescreened side view angle to show 'Scott' on stage but no-one in the train seats that he has laid out for possible viewers. Then theres a close up on the face of 'Scott', showing an immense amount of disappointment.
We'll seen 'Scott' pick up a camera, place that camera on the front chair of the audience (possibly on a stack of books on top on the chair to give the camera the right height). When he turns the camera on, our view of him is then viewed from the camera. He will start to perform an act of Sword Swallowing, making it look very professional, but instead of swords, it will be substitute items. These items will be 1. an umbrella and 2. a pool cue ( may need further thought on this item, it will be very important item at this stage, but the cue could be too large). First he will swallow the umbrella and hooking it over his mouth, (at this point he will open his shirt and show it poking through this rib cage). He will take the umbrella out and go for the pool cue, he will swallow this is some stlye, let the cue go, which is why it will drop through him and hit him on the foot. At this point he will jump in pain (going for a over-exaggerated cartoony jump), when landing, the train will shake, the camera will fall of the chair, land on the floor and crack the screen.

Act 3

Theres a lot of grunting coming from 'Scott' as well as footsteps that get closer and closer to us, which is when the camera is picked up by 'Scott'. We view the train all the way up and on to the character, up to the point where we are at his face, he'll push a button and the screen will fade out to black.




I need an improvement

Whats bothering me is in the last act, as of the moment, there is no problem solving. I want there to be a problem at the end, because I want the piece to seem as if would go in a cycle, as if the man character practices every day, even with no crowd. But I was thinking maybe a small problem solver right at the end could be a shot of 'Scott' placing a tape in an envelop and on that tape say 'you've been frame'. It will then show that he got to entertain in one way at least, but then can loop on to attempting it again another day.

1 comment:

  1. Hey Chris - I'm not sure what real contribution the train is making here either? It seems like it's just a set and in that sense - a train - which is an environment that moves and presents possible narrative opportunities in its own right.

    In terms of cameras, you might want to consider that aspect too - for instance, security cameras might give you a different feel; web-cameras too?

    Obviously, you've got sword-swallower - but, just as other people have done, your character doesn't have to be a sword-swallower exactly, but rather a character who ends up swallowing swords somehow; therefore, your character could be a lollipop lady to start off with, and then the story means she 'becomes' a sword-swallower. Maybe your 'sword-swallower' can't help but put things in his mouth? Consider:

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/07/11/us-surgery-metal-idUSN1138346620080711

    I think you should consider a less literal approach - and look for a more integrated story idea; for example, your sword-swallower could, because of his job, have become addicted to eating metal - rail tracks, for example... There's definitely a more satisfying story in the mix here.

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