Pitching

Below is the pitch that I wrote with Tom for the working title 'Ties' that we will be filming next semester. When writing the outline for the piece I always wanted to make a film that ultimately revolves around relationships and then find a scenario in which to place this drama. With family and relationships being the main focus in terms of the films overall theme, the expression of emotion will be vivid and carefully executed. I wasn't keen on making the film with conventional styles both narratively and cinematically however influences from existing pieces of cinema will resinate throughout.

When I pitched the idea there was only myself and Tom Newsham in the group, with myself down as the Director and Tom as the DOP. I had confidence that the idea would get picked and once the drafts were released I set about finding other students to work on the project, prior to pitching I had already spoke to George Dupays about producing the film though it wasn't until later on in the semester that George was able to work as the producer though we overcame this slight setback.

PROJECT TITLE: Ties DATE: 2/10/13

FORM OF PROJECT: Narrative Drama LENGTH: 15-20 mins

TAGLINE:

STUDENTS INVOLVED:

NAME ROLE

1. Tom Newsham Camera

2. George Beattie Director

3.  _____________________________

4.  _____________________________

5. _____________________________

6. _____________________________

PROJECT SYNOPSIS:

Our protagonist Shawn returns to his empty childhood home after being disconnected from his family dishonourably discharged from the Armed Forces. Pouring himself a drink he proceeds to watch old home videos of his younger sister and himself on the VCR. Reliving these memories motivates Shawn to reconnect with his family. Pouring himself a generous second drink he makes a call to his sister Adrianne. After a heated and emotional conversation Shawn finds out his mother’s whereabouts and Adrianne stresses that Shawn has no idea what she has had to do to keep her and her mother afloat. After trying to compose herself, Adrianne leaves the bathroom and quickly flees a flat, leaving a suited client laid waiting on a bed. He meets his mother at her new home, a cramped flat with not enough light. Living with dementia she no longer recognises her son, Shawn is overcome with guilt at leaving her and too ashamed of himself to be able to talk to her. Adrianne comes to her mother’s to find Shawn still there. The two talk and Adrianne confesses that she’s been working as a prostitute and she blames Shawn for leaving but admits that she needs help. Shawn meets with Adrianne’s procurer (Roland Vance) at his restaurant and tries to buy her out from him. Vance angrily explains that he’s got nowhere near enough to buy his most valuable whore and proposes Shawn can buy her out by working for him, killing a drug competitor. Shawn agrees to work for him with the intention of killing Vance himself.

Shawn lures Vance out to meet him under the guise of showing him the competitor’s body, only to kill Vance and ensure his sister’s safety.

OUTLINE OF VISUAL STYLE

We intend for the visual style to create a sense of separation between the characters, in order to suggest this the use of wide shots will be implemented. Slow tracking shots will also be used throughout in particular in the city scenes where Shawn proceeds in confronting his sisters pusher at his restaurant, these tracks will serve as a means for building tension as Shawn enters a darkened environment. Prior to Shawn meeting his sister and pusher a distanced shot of the city skyline will be used, the intention of this shot will be to incarnate the city as a way to illustrate how his sister has fallen victim to its lurid underbelly. For Shawn’s home scenes and scenes where Shawn is alone we’ll be using mainly static or slow tracking wide shots to show the emptiness and stillness of this old house and to emphasize how alone Shawn is. Then for the more intense scenes featuring the drama between Adrianne and Shawn we want to use uncomfortably close shots to show the unease of Adrianne’s situation. Though the narrative of the film revolves around the duty of the soldier to help his sister escape her tainted lifestyle and career, I would like strong focus on the emotion of the characters, to convey their ethos I plan to use the technique of neo realism where by the camera will hold on a character without cutting thus sustaining a more profound relationship so that the audience can value the person in real time and space rather than a fiction character.

OUTLINE OF SOUND STYLE

To compliment the simplicity of the wide shots and slow tracks we intend to use a minimalist soundscape that enhances the emotional theme resinating throughout. The tones in the soundtrack will dictate and heighten the mood depending on the scene, for example the pitch will fluctuate to higher pitch tones in the scenes where we witness the characters sorrow or solitude, however in the scene where Shawn meets the pusher the tone will become darker to introduce the element of fear whilst sustaining the anguish that surrounds his sister with instruments such as organs and heavier tones. With a distinctive difference in the tones used in different scenes, the scenes will have the ability to exist as individual pieces of emotion. The soundscape will lean towards the genre of contemporary classical, choral and sacred. To keep the film feeling polished and to retain a constant flow we intend to use sound bridges over the visuals, in particular the phone call scene at the beginning of the film, the conversation will play over Shawn in his house reviewing old video tapes of his childhood as it then cuts to him sat in tears whilst conversing with his sister.

Listen to Arvo Pärt - De Profundis as a reference to the sound style.

OUTLINE OF KEY THEMES

Family, self worth, duty, values, pride, neo realsim.