Direction Unit: Initial Script Feedback

I handed my script into Simon and I agreed with his feedback that the script was too long and would not fit into the 3 minute frame which we have been set in our brief. I will try and cut it down to 3 pages by getting rid of unnecessary dialog and maybe one of the characters. By getting rid of one of the characters it will make my script shorter but it will also make it easier for me when I come to shoot the scene as I will only have to concentrate on directing 3 characters rather than 4. I will also make sure that I am as descriptive as possible when I re-write the script so that my actresses know exactly what is expected of them.

Narrative and Genre: X Factor Research

From reading through my notes and looking at X Factor I know the genre of the programme is Factual Entertainment and the narrative plot line they use is that of a Quest.

From doing research online I have found a pdf which I think will come in very useful with answering the question http://www.bfi.org.uk/education/conferences/mediastudies2010/x_factor.pdf. I have also found this radio broadcast which I think could be useful http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9280000/9280919.stm. I've also got a few books out of the libary which I will read through and pull some references from.

Narrative and Genre: My chosen programme

I have chosen to use X Factor as my programme for the essay as it has developed alot over the years and I feel there is alot I can talk about regarding narrative and genre. I also think that the narrative and genre tools which X Factor uses would defiantly be influenced by online media transmission because so many people choose to watch it online know instead of sitting down at the correct time to watch it on TV.

Commission Unit: Leaving Home

My idea didn't get commissioned but I have been put in a group with Jane and Lauren. Jane's idea was the one which was commissioned. It is called Leaving Home and focuses on a couple who had to leave their home in South Africa due to the reversal of apartheid. It will show their journey and how the move has changed them as people and how they have coped with starting their lives over again. We will use archived footage and one to one interviews to show the couples point of view remaining objective all of the time to insure their is no racial prejudice.

I haven't worked with Jane and Lauren before and this will be a great opportunity to see if we work well as a team and find out what each others strengths and weaknesses are.

This is our blog for the documentary so we can all share our research easily
http://leaving-home-uca.blogspot.com/

Commission Unit: Final Pitch

To day we had to pitch our ideas to Helen and Simon so that they could then choose which documentaries they thought should get commissioned. 

Millennium Road Pitch

The documentary will focus on 4 generations all living on Victoria Hill Road, how they celebrated the entering of the 21^st century, did any big events happen to them in the past 10 years, what were their goals and aims for the new century and were they achieved. Victoria Hill Road is named after the Victorians and has a joining road called Stuart Close which was named after the Stuarts who came before the Victorians and this is why Stuart Close leads into Victoria Hill.

The style of the documentary will be interview, archived footage and natural observation footage.

I will unravel all of the 4 individual’s stories in order to show how the noughties have changed them.

The 4 generations will be:

A child who was born in 2000 and is now 11 and starting secondary school. What big events have happened in their life?

Someone who is in their mid to late 20’s now and so was a teenager in the 10 years of the noughties. What kind of teenager they were? Do they think the stereotype of teenagers change? Has a teenager’s role in society changed over the 10 years?

Someone who is 40 now so back in the noughties they were 30 and had children? Were they scared about parenthood? How did they deal with it? Do they think parenting techniques changed over the 10 years? What are their ambitions/ plans for their children’s life? Is there more pressure these days to plan and save for your children’s future extremely early?

Someone who is 70 now and so was in their 60’s back in the noughties and retired. What have they done with their new found free time? How have they coped with the constant change in technology?

My opening and linking sequences will be travelling up the road and entering the different houses and I will use music from the era where necessary. At the end of my documentary all of the generations will get together showing that neighbours still exist and even though they are very different ages and lots of different things have happened to them in the last 10 years they can still all relate and respect each other and be friends.

The unique selling point of this programme is the fact that it focuses on people in the noughties and covers a range of different events instead of just focusing on one event which happened in the noughties.

This idea should be commissioned because it is unique and shows the noughties through the eyes of those who lived it.

Narrative and Genre: Choosing a Programme

I've been trying to think of a programme to examine for my essay my initial idea was to do a cosmetic makeover programme like Extreme Makeover or The Swan as the characters in the show go on a voyage and return journey and I think there would be alot to talk about with the narrative and the genre of the show.

With The Swan it is a mixture of 2 genres Voyage and Return and Quest and so I would have alot to talk about with genre.

I have also thought about doing the X Factor as it has changed so much over the years and has become alot more about the narrative then the actual talent.

Direction Unit: Initial Script

INT.TRUDY'S KITCHEN

               TRUDY a TIRED SCRUFFY looking mother and KATIE a SMARTLY
               dressed doctor walk through to join SIOBHAN a WELL DRESSED,
               WELL GROOMED LAWYER who is sitting at the LARGE dinning table
               drinking wine. JESSICA a TRENDY CASUALLY dressed events
               planner walks over from pouring drinks, greets Katie and sits
               down.

                                   JESSICA
                         You see married men are a no
                         brainer their bedroom changed,
                         their low maintenance and you've
                         got a ready made excite strategy.
                         No mess, no fuss. Hi

                                   KATIE
                         Hi

                                   SIOBHAN
                         Except sometimes the wives catch
                         you.

                                   TRUDY
                         Well isn't that the whole point?

                                   JESSICA
                         No the point was to shag him in the
                         top 3 Parisian bridal suites at our
                         client's expence.

                                   SIOBHAN
                         God I want your life Jess

                                   TRUDY
                         How can you say that. Harry's the
                         loveliest man in the world.

                                   SIOBHAN
                         Alright I'd only want her sex life.
                         And your kids.

                                   TRUDY
                         Ahh. Well at least your in love.

                                   KATIE
                         Put together you'd make one
                         perfectly satisfied individual.

                                   JESSICA
                         No I'm satisfied with sex.

                                   TRUDY
                         Jess you don't die if you don't get
                         your leg over.

                                   JESSICA
                         Clearly I would have buried you
                         years ago.

                                   KATIE
                         No fighting

                                   SIOBHAN
                         Ok. Katie multiple choice sex, love
                         or kids?

                                   KATIE
                         What can I only have one? Ummm.
                         Love

                                   TRUDY
                         I think someone asked me out today

                                   KATIE
                         Really

                                   JESSICA
                         Oh yeah

                                   SIOBHAN
                         Hello

                                   TRUDY
                         He's a new dad at school and I
                         think he's just got divorced and we
                         got chatting at the supermarket and
                         he said that we should go for a
                         coffee and I went "errrmmm errrmm"

                                   JESSICA
                         Hang on a minute he asked you out
                         for a coffee in Sainsbury's?

                                   TRUDY
                         No. In Tesco actually and well I'm
                         not really sure he was asking me
                         out.

                                   SIOBHAN
                         What did he say? Exact words

                                   TRUDY
                         Do you fancy going for a coffee?

                                   SIOBHAN
                         He said fancy?

                                   TRUDY
                         I think so

                                   SIOBHAN
                         If he said that he was asking you
                         out

                                   TRUDY
                         Oh no maybe he said won't

                                   SIOBHAN
                         Well that's different. That's more
                         tricky to interpret.

                                   JESSICA

               Stands up and takes an empty bottle of wine and puts it on
               the side.
                         You see this is exactly why I
                         switched from English to modern
                         languages

                                   TRUDY
                         Sorry do we want to talk about your
                         sex life some more?

                                   SIOBHAN
                         Come on women think. We've been
                         waiting 6 years for this. Want? Or
                         fancy?

               Jessica picks up a letter, with a cheque for £2,000,000
               attached to it,from the side and reads it. Then looks at
               Trudy.

                                   TRUDY
                         Fancy

                                   SIOBHAN
                         He was asking you out

                                   TRUDY
                         Really

                                   JESSICA

               Walks back to the table and shows Trudy the letter she has
               found.
                         Trud. When did this come?

               Siobhan takes the letter and reads it

                                   TRUDY
                         It came this morning

                                   SIOBHAN
                         So you've scored a million and
                         pulled on the same day

               Siobhan passes the letter to Katie. She studies it for a
               while.



               INT. TRUDY'S HALL WAY

               Trudy sees Jessica and Siobhan out of the door.

                                   JESSICA
                         See ya Trude



               INT. TRUDY'S KITCHEN

               Katie is standing up still looking at the cheque. Trudy is
               clearing the table.

                                   KATIE
                         Why haven't you paid it in yet?

                                   TRUDY
                         Guilt. I know everything is
                         screaming at me to move on the
                         girls are both at school finally
                         settled for money and someone's
                         even asked me out after 6 years. I
                         mean someone I quite like. I mean
                         how can I move one? I still don't
                         know what happened to Paul. I mean
                         what if he is still out there.

                                   KATIE
                         No he's not out there

                                   TRUDY
                         There's phone calls

                                   KATIE
                         Police traced them

                                   TRUDY
                         But they were from public places

                                   KATIE
                         Thousands of people died in the
                         towers Trudy where else would he be

                                   TRUDY
                         Well maybe he lost his memory

                                   KATIE
                         Then he wouldn't be calling you
                         from pizza restaurants and cab
                         firms would he?

                                   TRUDY
                         You don't understand what it's like
                         not being able to say goodbye to
                         him properly ...

                                   KATIE
                         ... It's been 6 years Trudy let it
                         go for christ sake. I'm sorry

                                   TRUDY
                         Katie. Is everything alright?

                                   KATIE
                         I've been having an affair

                                   TRUDY
                         What?

                                   KATIE
                         For 2 years he was married. He was
                         going to leave his wife but he got
                         ill and he died last week. John's
                         funeral was this morning.

                                   TRUDY
                         Oh my god. Why didn't you tell me?

                                   KATIE
                         I couldn't. I wanted to loads of
                         times and oh god I know it sounds
                         completely mad but I just couldn't

                                   TRUDY
                         Why not?

                                   KATIE
                         Because he was my patient and
                         because you would have told me to
                         stop