2. The script is finished. Now we have to make sure it works. How do we do that?
Well I watched a lot of reviews for many movies and I realised that every review
goes over almost the same bullet points:
- Concept
- Plot
- Structure
- Character development
- Motivations
- Pacing
- Visuals
Of course we haven't finished the film, so we cant do a full review, but we can
have a look at the story relevant bullet points.
3. Concept
There are many films based on school, some would say that every idea has been filmed,
but I haven't seen our concept on a big screen yet.
A teacher who sells exam results is something so unrealistic that people don’t or can’t
believe when they hear it, but they get interested, because it’s something they don’t
hear about every day.
So when they read about it, they first don’t believe it, but after Scene 2 it becomes more
and more relatable and moves into the possible.
So I would say that the concept for the short film might not be original, but definitely
something new, especially for the short film genre.
4. Plot and Structure
The plot is very dynamic and blends well from scene to scene through sound
dialog and timing.
Things happen which are unexpected.
The climax is a shock moment and really unexpected.
The narrative knows where it is going and for-shadowing is used to enhance that.
It is realistic but still different enough to be interesting.
5. Character development
Eddie is a really innocent guy, who just wants to pass his exams. He struggles
with deciding what is good and bad. Should he take the results, shouldn't he?
He takes them in the end. He is really intimidated by Mr Anderson and especially
by Steve.
But as the story comes to its end he gets more and more confident, he doesn’t let
Steve push him around any more and gets more active, instead of being passive.
In the last scene we see him being smart and confident.
So Eddie becomes a whole different person throughout the unravelling of the
plot.
6. Steve is a really aggressive and selfish guy and we don’t see a lot of
development in him for the most part of the plot. But when he realises that he
got tricked by Mr Anderson his aggression turns more into frustration and makes
him more vulnerable.
By the End we find out that Steve joined the army and started to do something
good and useful with his life. So here we see that Steve turns from a bully into
sort of a “hero”.
Mr Anderson is more a complex character and has had already some
development before the plot starts. So this short script shows the last bit of Mr
Andersons character development. It makes the audience more interested in the
Mr Anderson character.
So all in all we have enough character development to make the audience cares
about the characters.
7. Motivations
The biggest question that people ask themselves when they watch a movie is:
Why is the Character doing what he is doing?
What is his/her motivation?
We needed to make sure that all our characters had a motivation, so the plot
sticks together well and reason is given to everything that happens.
Eddie:
Eddies motivation is that he wants to succeed with his A-level. But there is a problem, he
is lazy and doesn’t work hard for it. That’s why he chooses the easy way by buying the
exam results.
8. Steve:
Steve is a really messed up guy and his motivations are not the best ones, but still
realistic. He wants a motorbike/car and that’s why he is after the money, of course he also
wants to pass the exam. These motivations show that Steve has a small minded view
about life. Steve’s condition makes it really hard for him to make friends and the fact that
he joins the army in the end shows that maybe he just wants to be excepted.
Mr Anderson:
Mr Anderson is fed up with his students and tired of working in school. He still tries to act
professional. In the second scene we get to know his motives, he needs a break and wants
peace. This makes it look like that he doesn’t really care about anything else and puts the
fact that he sells exam results on a more interesting and complex level.
As you can see everybody has his motives, which is important for the audience. It
makes them care and makes them wonder if the characters get what they want
in the end.
9. I gave the script to many people who are in the short film industry and people
who love movies and judge them by their quality. Most of those people were
teachers, students, friends and family members. After they read the script I
asked them all the same questions:
1.Who is the main Character?
2.Is Mr Anderson a bad person?
3.What do you think of Eddie?
4.Is Steve a bully or a victim?
5.Did the script satisfy you?
6.Did the story go as you expected it?
It is important that the audience’s answers are as I want them to be, so they
see the story like I see it, but still have their own view on it as well.
10. 1.Everybody knew that Eddie is the main character.
That was really important to me, because I wanted the protagonist to be someone who is relatable. For
example if someone had thought that Mr Anderson was the main character they wouldn’t have got into
the plot that easy, even though he is a interesting character, he is too far off from the norm that people
might not like him as a protagonist.
2.The majority said no.
Most of the people I asked said that he is neither good or bad. He does something bad, but he does it
for a good reason. He is tired and wants peace, so it’s kind of justified that he tricks the students, but
kind of not. Everybody said that Mr Anderson is the most interesting character in the plot.
3.I got many different answers on that one.
Some said that he is good boy who needs to learn to work hard. Others said that he is a lazy teenager
who finally learns his lesson in the end. And some others said that Eddie is really confused, but in the
end finds the right path.
4.At that questions the people split in half.
The one half said that he is a bully and the other half said that he is a victim to himself and his
condition.
5.All of the people I asked said yes.
In their eyes the script had all the crucial things like character development, motivations, something
new and most important of all, a happy end.
11. 6.Every one I asked said that at some point, at least one time, the plot had a shock
moment.
The plot had some unexpected turns like:
-Mr Anderson selling exam results
-Steve going to Mr Anderson to get the money
-Mr Anderson giving the wrong results
-Mr Anderson leaving the country
These are the moments when ,the people I asked said, something unexpected happen.
All in all I was really happen to hear these answers, because the important things are in the
audiences eyes the same way that they are in mine.
The plot is not that simple that people can predict what happens and not that complex
that people get to the point where they don’t get it.
These answers have shown me, although many things have been made clear, that there is
still some space for discussion, for example people have different views on the characters
or the end, which is really satisfying to hear.
