1. ‘Turn of Phrase’
- Implieslinkstothe worldof literature whilsthighlightinganindividual’sidiosyncrasies’.
- Denoteslateral movement-achange of mindor opinion
The filmwouldbe approximately 10minutesinlength,if anything,slightlylessowingto the
simplisticnarrative of the film.
If booksare remnantsof the past,thisisone from the future.
Jessicaisthe protagonistof the short,a lonesomecollege girl withakeeninterestinnothingbut
books. Herlife isoccupiedwithfantasy andescapism,centralisedonherlove of fiction. Isolated
frommost of her peers, Jessicaspendsmostof hertime entrenchedinherbooks- howeverher
obsessive personalitysoonfixatesonanew subject.
The short’sfirstact introducesthe characterof Jessica.We witnessvignettesof herdailylife;
herintroduction tosixthform, hersearchfor more amongher friends andherfixatedreading. Itis
withinthisactthat she visitsa usedbookstore,domainof a forgetful,elderly man. Withinthisshop
she purchasesherliterature coursesrequiredbooks. Thisbookthenstayswithher,untouched,fora
periodof time- yetstill shotasthe centre of attention. Duringthistime Jessicagoesoutwithher
friendsinanattemptto experience more social functions,unsurprisinglyshe doesn’tenjoyitinthe
slightest. Itisthenthatshe returnshome,lonelierthanever,tobeginreadinghernew book, anditis
here that she discoversthe extensive annotationswithin.
From thispointforth,Jessicabecomesaddictedtothe bookandit consistentlysearchingthe
innerhandwrittenwork. The previousownerhadlovedthe textandchosentoturn itintoa personal
diary. Upon readingthe intimate commentsinside,whichvaryfromphilosophical ideastoangst-
riddensolitude, she beginstobuildapicture of the teenage laureate whousedtoownit.Her
romanticisedvisage isone thatshe cannothelpfromfallingfor,asthe wrinklesof personalityhave
beenironedoutbyherimaginative perfection. Inherlonelinessitisnow thatJessicabeginsto
ignore otherresponsibilities,insteadchoosingtosearchfor the boywho ownedthe bookbefore her.
The final act followshercrypticmethodsusedtosearchforthisboy,in whichshe returnsto
the bookshopshe purchaseditfrom,onlyto finditclosedand bankrupt. Herneglectedschool work
isbuildingupbythispoint,yetall she can considerinlessonisreadingmore of hisdiarywhenout.
As forthe diary itself,she isnearingthe endof it- as the writerisalsoreachinghisfinal exams,
manifestingasense of loomingapocalypse. Finally,she discovershiswhereaboutsvialibraryrecords
and phone numbers,travellingfiftyorsomilesona publiccoach. She finallyreacheshisplace or
work,spyinghiminthe distance.She hasfound him, yetcannotbringherself totake a stepcloser.
He doesn’tlive uptoherfantasy. She places the bookona benchand leavesforhome,forthe next
lostloverof literature tofindit.
Targetinga more mature,sophisticatedaudience,the filmisaslow burningdramathatcrescendos
ina quaintclimax. Includingfansof all formsof literature withinthe demographic,the filmcanmake
several cultural referencestoappeal tothem, suchas mentionsof niche booksandstories. The
audience mostlikelysitatC1 in the sociodemographicscale astheyare probablymiddleclass.
The filmwill be styledinaveryplain,white mannerinorderto complimentthe blandlifestyleof the
protagonist.However,more andmore colourwill beginflowingintoframe asherobsessiongrowsin
gravity.
2. Targetingsmall filmfestivals,the shortwill attempttogarnera small audience fromlocal venues
that wouldoffertoscreenthe filmduringdifferentanthological events,suchasthe Fordingbridge
Regal Cinema’svarietyof functions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYEC4TZsy-Y
