2. Treatment for Idea One
BROWN SUGAR
1. Working title- The current working title is Brown Sugar. The reason I chose to use
this title is because it’s a type of heroin you can get over in America.
2. Length of the film- I think the length of the film will be around 7-10 minutes. I think
this will be a substantial amount of time to show the story. Furthermore, the quicker
it goes I think it will show how quickly these types of things can happen to people.
3. The tagline- Our last summer, When did it end?
4. Key characters-
Aster
Aster starts off as a 16 year old girl but throughout the film she ages and at the end we
leave her as a 19 year old. She’s a sweet natured girl who fell in love with an older boy
who ended up being the end of her. She loves to read and write. She likes going to the
pub with all her friends and going to parties.
Aster is striking and has a lot of potential. She loves her art and wishes to go to Central
Saint Martins collage of art once she finishes and leaves the grotty town. She Loves
spaghetti bolognaise. And dislikes Brussel sprouts.
Billy
Billy starts off as a confident 17 year old who’s charismatic and charming. He met Aster
at a party and stay together for a further three years. Which is when he’s 20. Billy has
always been into drugs, weed, pills, Ket, Coke. Throughout the years he has done these
with his mates at parties. He’d always do the most but still look the least messed up
than anyone else there. He’s a heavy weight with drinking and drugs.
Billy works at the local pub- The Winchester. He seems confident as he works and talks
to people all day at the pub but in reality he’s very insecure. He’s not as happy as he lets
out to be and the only person he lets see the vulnerable side of him Is Aster. He loves
her to pieces. Almost too much sometimes.
Synopsis
Act 1- In the firstact we are introduced to Aster and her friends getting
ready for a party that her friend Rachel got invited to by one of the older
guys in their sixth Form. The girls get ready and leave for this “gathering”
this guy is having. When they arrivethe housedoesn’tseem to be a massive
party that the guy promised her. They walk in and there’s justa few guys
hanging out drinking laughing. Aster stands there with her wine in her hand
feeling awkward whileRachel is rushed off to another room by the guy who
3. invited them. Aster’s other friend Mel starts talking to the other guys
including Billy. Aster asks wherethe toilet is and one of the guys says down
the hall. She finds herself in the kitchen and looking out of the window. Billy
Then walks into the kitchen and starts talking to her. “Pretty dead gathering
don’t you think” he says making her jump. “Not really the type of vibe I was
expecting no” she smiles.
Billy spend the wholenight talking satin the garden smoking, drinking,
laughing talking about anything and everything.
Act 2- Time Jump. Billy and Aster have started dating they’re1 and a half
years into their relationship and are lying in a field smoking a spliff. After,
that Billy gets a call fromone of their mates to go pub. They wonder down
and spend the afternoon/evening there. Towards 11 Billy and his mates
want to get some coke. Turns outStan one of their mates already had some
so the go into the pub toilets and do some. Billy takes Aster by the hand
racks her up a line and strokes her hair while she snorts thepowder up her
nose. A time Sequence of them both snorting lines continues until they
wakeup in bed on a morning. Dazed and tired.
A continuous edit shows them taking pills in clubs, snorting lines of powder
off of phones and mirrors, each time showing the drugs consumeBilly into a
haze of sex and drugs. With each pill, each line, there are less friends than
there was before. Until it’s justBilly and Aster. Aster slowly seems skinnier
and tired. Billy’s housemessy and dirty. An ash tray by the bed and a
couple, slowly deteriorating.
Act 3- Billy is 20 now Aster 19. Mostof their friends have gone to university
now or off starting careers. Billy and Aster are still in the sameplace.
Working to fuel the drug haze that they’re both in. Billy talks to a guy at the
pub. This guy knows that Billy parties hard and offers him something that
will help him slow down a bit. Billy is intrigued and says “I’llmeet you after
my shift”. That evening Billy stays at this guy’s houseand tries heroin for
the firsttime. Aster left at home worried about wherehe is calls him
multiple times. While he lays on a mattress on the floor completely
intoxicated. The next morning Billy leaves and wonders back to his house
wherehe finds aster asleep. He lays next to her stroking her head slowly
waking her. “I have the best thing for you to try.” He pulls out a little baggy
4. with something which looks like brown sugar in it. “What is it?” she asks.
“Something that you’ll love”.
They make their way to the kitchen. Aster sat on the kitchen side in a big t-
shirt. Billy stands in frontof her holding her legs. “Do you trustme?” he
asks her. “I trustyou” she replies. Billy then gets a spoon and bends the
handle down he adds somewater to it and adds someof the brown sugar
to it. He asks her to hold it while he gets out a lighter. He heats up the
mixture on the spoon. Watching it boil and simmer. He then gets a needle
and pulls up the mixture into it. Slowly he injects the needle into her arm.
Kissing her on the forehead once its done. He the repeats the same for
himself. Sharing the needle. Slowly they make their way to the lounge
whereAster falls on the sofa and closes her eyes. Billy doing the same.
Allowing the high to take him away. #
Billy wakes up a little time later to see Aster her eyes open looking up with
white around her mouth. Billy grabs her hand crying, screaming frantic with
emotion. He dials 999. Desperately he pounds on her chest, trying to
resuscitateher. She’s dead.
Target Audience
The target audience can be for both genders but perhaps predominantly for
young girls aged 15-24. I would say this because love is intoxicating to a
young girl. It’s whatwegrow up wanting to find. Our Prince charming. But
when a girl dates an older guy, they can be very impressionableon her. So I
think this film would appeal to girls as the beginning is what any girl really
wants.
The target girl would come from a good background perhaps working class.
A C2 on the 4C’s scale. Their parents would have taught them good morels.
They would probably come from a happy home wheremoney isn’ttoo
much of an issue. They would havea job. Maybeat the local coffee shop or
supermarket. They would spend time with friends like any normal young
woman.
Form and style
I would do this in the classic Hollywood narrativefilm style. So it would go
in chronological order. I would stick to the 180 degree angle so that it made
sensehow the characters wereplaced. I think this would be easy for the
5. audience to watch as well since it’s not confusing or unusualto
comprehend.
Marketplace
I can see this film being shown in film festivals but also on YouTube as well.
So that people can watch it and take it in. I think this wouldn’thave direct
sequels or prequels however it might have stories that are going on in the
same universe. Perhaps, whathappened to all the friends who didn’t stick
around for all the partying. Perhaps them going on to University or jobs in
other Cities. To show how it’s so easy to be the one who makes out of a life
without lots of opportunities. To having the life where you don’t particularly
do anything with the life you have. Or perhaps a story of whatBilly does
with himself after Aster is dies. I think this has multiple opportunities to
show and teach people what could happen.
6. Script + Storyboard
Brown Sugar
The hangout scene
Were in a field. The sun shines brightly at a low angle creatinga dreamy
summery atmosphere. A light breeze makes the trees from behindslowly
sway. Creaking like doors half opened. Dust and pollenglistens gentle in
the air around them. We see aster lying in the grass withBilly By her side.
Her long brownhair traipsingby her sides. Billy passes her a spliff.
Aster- (giggling)
She takes a drag of the spliff. Her small fingers shaking as she does it.
She slowly sits up restingher weight on her right arm. She takes another
toke. Billy looks up at her in admiration. Smilingsweetly up at her.
7. Brown Sugar
The last scene
Were in the kitchen. The rooms amess uncleaneddishes in the sink the
window dusty. The white light shines throughthe glass, painting the
room ina light white wash. Aster sits onthe kitchen side in a baggy
oversizedwhite top. Billy stands in front of her his hands onher thighs.
Billy- (takes a spoonfrom the side bending downthe handle. He picks up
a transparent baggy filled withbrownpowder. He taps alittle into the
spoonand adds some water from the tap.)
Aster-(she flicks openthe zippo top andlights the lighter. She hands it to
Billy)
Billy-( Billy starts to boilthe concoctioninthe spoonholding the lighter
under the spoon.)
The liquid boils in the metalspoon. Bubblingand simmering. Slowly
dissolving the heroininto the water.
Billy-( Takes the needle from the side and pulls up the liquid into the
needle.) Do youtrust me?
Aster- Itrust you. (tilts her head backlookingat the ceiling.)
Billy-(slowly injects half the heroininto Asters arm. Andthenusing the
same needle puts the rest in his)
Alt-J –Pusher starts to play quietly inthe background.
Aster and Billy-(walkinto the living room and collapse onto a sofaeach.)
Screenturns black and then fades into a shot of Aster lyingwithwhite
foam on her lips.
Billy- ( Billy slowly moves over to her lookingat her) Aster? (he shakes
her) Aster?(morealarmedher shakes her and puts his ear next to her
chest to see if he can hear her heart. He dials 999 on his phone frantically
speakingabout what happenedin indistinct language)
The shot fades into black. Alt-J pusher gettingloader.
The End
