Script for Film Opening

A script is an essential tool for any filmmaker/production company in that it provides clarification and guidance to, not only the actors performing in the piece, but also to the production staff such as cameramen and lighting crews as although they will not be performing dialogue or 'in role' so to speak- they will still be performing aspects of the film production all be it different ones to 'performers.' They will still require guidance as to how best to perform their role. A script acts as a basis- or foundation- from which the crew and actors can stimulate and springboard developments from an original, guiding source. This is why a script is so fundementally important as it acts as a guiding light to keep all team and crew members on track and not become deviated too much from the original story and ideas discussed at an earlier pre production stage.
  

Old Habits Die Hard script

(Tracking establishing shot of the main character, Toby Scott, commentary over the top as audio track)

(Cut to master shot of sharp fencing, symbolic.)

(Homeless people crouching in litter and rubbish, long shot with a slight pan)

(Long shot that develops into a two shot, showing two main characters)

(Conversation between the two men begins)

[Dialogue]

Creegan: You’re back for more then? (Gruffly)  I haven’t seen you in bloody ages.

Toby: Not exactly Creegan

Creegan: You complaining Toby, or… something else?

Toby: No, not really far from it. I love the hits man, but only when they last. I’ve had to make a choice mate….

Creegan: (Suspiciously) What choice? This better not be heading where I think it is, or you know what will happen. (Reaches into pocket threateningly)

Toby: No... I mean the hits mate. They get fewer and fewer every time. (Maddening slightly) I need this, I crave it. But, I’ve come to a bit of ‘rough luck’ shall we say.

Creegan: What ‘rough luck’ is this? A bribe to hand me in to the pigs?! You got another thing coming mate!

(Two shot, slight pan, argument begins.)

Toby: If you think I’d hand you into that lot I could’ve done it. The offer was open for me...

Creegan: ... And you went and fucking took it. And they say I’m a lowlife!!

(Creegan pushes Toby against the wall.)

Toby: ...but I refused the offer despite the money. The wealth of friendship is worth far more than any amount of money …even in our world.

Creegan: Don’t you lecture me on your petty bullshit. Your words are filth; and so are you!! You’re scum; Scott!  Scum that’s about to be wiped off the face of the Earth!

Toby: And I thought you couldn’t sink any lower, I guess I was wrong.

(Zooms in to over the shoulder shot)

(Toby breaks free, enters chase)

(Toby runs out of tunnel, Creegan follows later after being punched)

(Match on action shot of Creegan getting phone out and dialling a number into his phone)

(Shot reverse shot of Creegan talking onto his phone)

(Close up of Toby’s legs as he runs down the street. Long/mid shot of Toby running down the street, commentary audio under the action) 

Toby: When you’ve been in the ‘game’ as long as I have you begin to realise when shit is going down. If you fail to notice it quick enough you could be fighting for your life. That’s what the drugs do; turn a simple bit of fun into roulette between life and death; a numbers game, luck of the draw as some might say.

Show wide shot of different trees. Cutting and splicing in-between them to show a sense of mystery and foreshadowing. Cut to: shot of forest floor, focussing on mud and dirt on the track. Use low angle shot to show. Audio: rustling of leaves.

Cut to: tracking shot of running feet. First, show the leading pair of feet and then those of the pursuer.

Cut to wide shot showing curve in forest track, shoot the shot from here, now showing the two characters running towards the camera and track them round the bend, kicking up dirt to show urgency and speed of the characters.  Have camera follow the characters in handheld steadicam shot to show a sense of chaos and urgency.

Pursuer grabs his target by the scruff of the neck, throwing him to floor.

Pursuer should be shown as the antagonist of the opening, dark apparel and scars to show this. Pursuer is a violent criminal.

Pursuer/Dealer/ Antagonist; Creegan Donohue.

Protagonist; Toby Scott

Creegan turning over Scott on the ground, POV Shot.

Creegan: You’re finished Scott, you’ve changed the balance forever. Now I’m gonna kill you, for all the fucking misery you’ve caused me

Cut to: webcam shot of main character, focussing his webcam and re-adjusting the lens.

 

Toby: Is this thing on?... (Sits back in chair, relaxing, but on edge)  Right, ok (Clears throat) Yeah what you just saw, I mean before I (indicates himself with a wave of the hand) came in, was the day, the day, (pauses, zoning out slightly) my life changed and not…. (Pause, considering his word choice) not in a good way. We’re all born different, yeah ok I get that- we all make different choices in our lives, good or bad, proud or regretted; I know I’ve certainly made some choices in my life that I’ve lived to regret even to this day. We just gotta face every new day as it comes, even if that day is the darkest day we may ever face. That day, my world changed forever, I… I… killed a man not out of hatred or greed. Just defiance. Defying and standing up to his oppression. He was making a living off other people’s addiction. He had to be stopped. I don’t defend what I did; I just hope it’s easier for people to understand.

(Fade to black; end credits roll)      

Codes and Conventions of the Thriller Genre

 

To my mind, the Thriller genre of film is one of the most exciting genres of film to watch; let alone make. In this post I will be analysing and examining what makes Thriller films so successful and exciting to watch as a viewer. As our film opening is a hybrid Social Realistic thriller. (i.e.: it contains elements of both a thriller and social realism films or a mix of both genre defining elements from both areas of film), I have conducted the following research into the codes and conventions of the thriller genre so that our film can conform to both of it's parenting genres as closely as possible.
Thriller films, in particular their openings conform to the following defining, key characteristics that unquestionably mark the film out as belonging to that of the "Thriller" genre:

Thrillers are all about creating an air of mystery and suspense for the viewer, particularly within the opening moments of the film, thrillers must fulfil an obligation in that they must begin whetting the appetite for viewers who are waiting in hungry anticipation as to what will happen next. It is this steady increase and build up in tension that either draws the viewer in, hungry for more with their appetite whetted satisfyingly or makes viewers turn a blind eye and lose any original interest they had in the film, if any. From this, it is important to grasp the idea that the audience are merciless and as such our opening must begin to slowly increase tension and anticipation levels amongst audience members before accelerating further to a crescendo of tension and excitement from viewers at a later point in the film.

Music is another area that the thriller is dependent upon to make an impression upon viewers. Music and Soundtrack are able to dramatically aid the feelings of sinister suspense, or in some cases, simulate a vast increase in adrenaline rushes from audience members and consequently as a result an increase in excitement levels for the viewer and really aid the audience in expressing emotions such as adrenaline or panic as they will begin to feel more emotion for the characters as through the pace of the music their emotions will become heightened as well as feeling more interwoven and connected to the narritive through the unifying medium of music as they may be drawn towards the narrative through the catchy and pulsating rhythm of the music, for example.

Lighting is a crucial aspect of the thriller genre, as much in the same way as Music or Soundtrack is intended to have an effect on the mood of the film's audience, lighting also does a similar thing for audience members in that it is able to set the mood of the piece; often dark, oppressive and isolated. Lighting will nearly always aid this in that the majority of the film screen at the beginning of a thriller is often shrouded in darkness to effectively sustain and maintain an air of mystery about the opening. Very little light is often seen at the beginning of a film typical of the Thriller genre in order to not give away too much detail at the beginning of the film and perhaps comprimise certain aspects of the film at a later time.

The camerawork used at the beginning of films of the thriller genre is often very slow and deliberate to ensure that audiences are hanging on the edge of their seat in suspense as to what will undoubtedly unfold. Often the camerawork, complemented by the effective use and deployment of lighting will reveal very little to begin with. Indeed, it is not uncommon at the beginning of a Thriller film for a character's face to only be seen in a half light, the other side obscured in darkness or their identity completely obscured from view. Indeed, this is true of the opening of the fourth Harry Potter film, The Goblet of Fire in which the antagonist's face, that of Lord Voldemort, is completely obscured from view in the opening portion of the film in an effort by the director for his identity to remain a mystery, leaving it to the audience's imagination as to what the antagonist looks like. Indeed, the antagonist's face is obscured by the arrangement of a rear facing chair towards the camera and the use of greys, whites and blacks as the colours being used to situate his lair in a luminous light.

With regards to a chase sequence, with this being a main crux point of our film opening, this is typically a thriller aspect that we are implementing into our film opening I feel effectively and will hopefully through the successful implementation of the above areas effectively we are able to produce a hybrid film opening that successfully conforms to the large part of the Codes and Conventions for both parenting genres out of which our new hybrid Social Realistic Thriller, was born.

With these aspects in mind, we will aim to consider what best befits the needs and requirements of our piece and move forward progressively with a plan of action, ensuring that we as a production team aim to conform to the Codes and Conventions of each individual, particular genre in order to create a successful film opening of our new hybrid film.