Working Script

Script for Short film – Stop Motion

Title: Tentative

Opening/Establishing shot – White walls (probably a white washed box room)

Shooting style: POV

Narrative: The film begins with an opening shot of a white empty room. No music – maybe a still beat. When the music starts, the room walls start getting covered in newsprint from revolution days etc. The camera then does a pan and a tilt where there’s a stack of newspapers. POV follow to the newspaper and the papers become little paper planes and are thrown around. One manages to slip out of the room (either through corridor or window – depending on room) and lands into Town Square. From then on, it is the journey of the paper plane that we will be shooting/following.

The paper plane is symbolic of us as individuals. Since the film so far has been shot in POV, the camera perspective changes and we can now see the plane in the film and the camera follows it. The camera will switch between POV and paper plane to establish subjectivity of the film.

The main idea of the film is to reflect on the meaning of a revolution and the reasons for it. It also discusses subliminally it’s ill-effects and what we can do to change things in our own little way without harming the larger welfare of others. In the end, it boils down to one fact – that we ourselves are the cause and effect of a revolution and change can be brought about only if we as individuals act on it. An inner revolution is what is the answer to everything.

To explain this concept without the use of dialogue or voice over I will be employing simple words from the dictionary to describe whats going on in the film. The following words (as it is) with meanings will show throughout the film:

Revolution: /rɛvəˈluːʃ(ə)n/
noun
• a forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favour of a new system.
• a dramatic and wide-reaching change in conditions, attitudes, or operation: marketing underwent a revolution

Change: /tʃeɪn(d)ʒ/
verb
• make or become different:

Become: /bɪˈkʌm/
verb (becomes, becoming; past became /bɪˈkeɪm/; past participle become)
• [no object, with complement] begin to be

Be: /biː/
• To exist

Exist: /ɪgˈzɪst, ɛg-/
verb
[no object]
• have objective reality or being. As self.

Self: /sɛlf/
noun (plural selves /sɛlvz/)
• a person's essential being that distinguishes them from others.

The words (in this order) describe how a “revolution” ends up in “self”, and is a message that a revolution must end in an inner change or a change in self. The words are pulled out from the definitions of previous words to maintain continuity and a sort of derivative pattern. The words will appear at different turns of the town square – maybe at the end of a lane or on the ground the plane is flying over. The definitions will be followed by quick cuts of props used as symbols defining the word and some banners/cut outs of revolutionary art defining these words. After ‘self’ has shown in the film, the film will fade to black with a voice over/quote/question followed by end credits.

Look and Styling: Since revolution is the main theme of the film, the look of the film will have war like features. The main colours I plan on using are red, white and black, with hints of army green. The town square is the main element of the film and so much work will be put into the styling of the model. The reason I have chosen a town square as the central location of my film is because it is where most revolutions took place as it is a common meeting space for the people of a city. Also, squares are easy to work with in terms of carrying a story forward and are aesthetically appealing. Since the film is a stop motion animation project – I will be employing an intentional cut out style that will make the film look more organic and worked on, as opposed to dull and monotonous.

Mood boards/concept boards: I will be creating a series of mood and concept boards further describing the look of the film.

Research: All the research has been updated on the blog