Assignment writeup

For my midterm shooting I ran into a few bumps in the road but I think it went well. The entire process took a lot longer than I expected; however, this was my first time shooting anything of this length.

I knew at the jump that I wanted my assignment to revolve around relationships. The idea for this topic came from my watching people and reality television. So many people, young especially, get into relationships and end up staying even when the love has gone sour. The reasons behind this are numerous and vary with every situation. I want my audience to watch this and sort of open a dialogue about why couples stay together even when the best thing may be for them to part ways. It is easy to decided what a person should do in these situations, but put yourself in the shoes of the characters and try to understand why.

location photos

bathroom-has a small echo
kitchen-slight echo

Production Schedule

Monday March 14-

INT. BEDROOM-MORNING

INT. KITCHEN- MORNING

INT. BATHROOM- MORNING

9am-11am

Opening bedroom scene

Second Morning scene

Kitchen scene

7pm-9pm

INT. LIVING ROOM-EVENING

INT. BEDROOM- EVENING

INT. BATHROOM- EVENING

fight scene

ending scene

All actors will be present during all shooting

Script

INT. BEDROOM- EARLY MORNING

Both characters, Sean and Brook, are asleep in bed with their small dog between them. The alarm on a cell phone rings. Sean opens his eyes and reaches for the cell phone. He rubs one hand across his face and flips the phone open and it is blinking “wake up…wake up”.

SEAN

Shh!

Sean grunts at the early time. He puts the phone back down and gets out of bed. As he gets up, the movement wakes up his girlfriend. She reaches over and grabs the phone to see the time. She rubs the dog’s head, gets out of bed, and walks to the bathroom behind Sean.

INT. BATHROOM-MORNING

They both get ready (brushing their teeth, combing their hair, showering ext…) without acknowledging each other’s presence.

INT. KITCHEN-MORNING

Brook is leaning against the fridge drinking a glass of milk. Sean walks in front of her to grab his keys.

SEAN

Five o’clock

They barely make eye contact

Brook

Okay

The dog is sitting and looking at Brook like he wants something. Brook laughs.

Brook

Okay, okay come on.

Brook grabs a leash and picks up the dog cuddling him and smiling.

INT. LIVING ROOM-MORNING

Brook re-enters the apartment with the dog and takes off his leash. She reaches down to take off his collar and pets him.

Brook

Be back later Max! Be a good boy today! I’m gonna miss you! Bye Max!

INT. LIVING ROOM- EVENING

Brook walks in from work and puts her things down. She walks to the bedroom.

INT. BEDROOM-EVENING

As Brook Undresses in her closet the time on her clock can be seen; it is four-thirty in the afternoon.

INT. LIVING ROOM- EVENING

Brook sits on the couch watching television. Sean walks through the door and Brook follows him with her eyes as he walks to the bedroom. She picks up her phone and looks at it: Six-thirty.

Brook

I thought you said five?

Sean

Aw yeah, I ran some errands. Is there anything to eat?

Brook nods her head in the direction of the kitchen. Sean heads to the kitchen.

Brook

Why don’t you try calling or something next time you’re gonna be late.

INT. KITCHEN- EVENING

Sean stands over a cold and dry store-bought pizza. He looks disgusted. He pulls out raw meat from the freezer and starts to cook. Brook stands in the entryway.

Brook

So what was wrong with the pizza that I left?

Sean

Look at it! I don’t want it.

Brook

You had to cook that! I was saving that for later. Now the pizza is gonna get cold and nobody will eat it.

Sean

Well if you’re so worried then you eat it.

Brook

I don’t want it. I already ate and I left it for you!

Sean

Oh well, do something with it. I’m not about to eat that right now.

Brook rolls her eyes and walks back to the living room

INT. LIVING ROOM- EVENING

Sean comes in with a full plate of delicious food. He sits and starts to eat when he notices Brook glaring at him.

Sean

Want some?

Brook

Nope, already ate. (making sure not to look at him)

Sean

Good

Sean shakes his head

Brook

What?

Sean

Nothing, nothing at all…

INT. BATHROOM- EVENING

Sean and Brook are preparing for bed. Brook wraps up her hair and heads into the bedroom first.

Brook

It’s your turn…

Sean looks down at the dog and seems very annoyed.

Sean

Let’s go (in a stern voice). Now Max I don’t feel like waiting for you!

The dog follow Sean out the door.

INT. BEDROOM- NIGHT

Brook lays in bed watching tv as the sound of the front door closing is heard. She tosses and turns until the sound of the door closing sounds again. Sean comes into the bedroom, takes off his shoes , and leaves them on the floor. He climbs into bed and they allow the dog to sleep between them.

Sean

What time do you get up?

Brook

Eight

INT. BEDROOM-MORING

It is the next morning. The alarm on the cellphone sounds and Brook wakes up to grab it. She rubs her eyes and sits there for a few seconds before rolling out of bed. She heads for the bathroom.

Brook

Wake up!

Before she can make it out of the room she trips on Sean’s shoe.

Brook

Damn! Watch where you put your stuff!

She waddles into the bathroom. Sean stays in bed as the sound of the shower starts. Water turns off, and Sean rolls out of bed as Brook comes back into the bedroom.

INT. KITCHEN-MORNING

Brook walks in and sees the pizza from the night before all cold and rock hard. She throws it a way.

Brook

(sighs) A waste… Come on baby let’s go outside!

The dog jumps in excitement. Brook grabs the leash and they walk out the door.

INT. BATHROOM-MORNING

Sean is brushing his teeth and shaving. The sound of the door closing is heard. Brook peeks her head into the bathroom.

Brook

I’m gonna be late today. They need me to help finish the project for this weekend.

Sean

What time?

Brook

I don’t know, whenever I’m finished.

Sean

Uh… Can you give me an estimate?

Brook

Not really, um… eight?

Sean

Ok whatever

Brook

Alright

Brook leaves

INT. BEDROOM-MORNING

Sean fastens his shirt and looks at his reflection in the mirror. He also looks at the photographs of himself and Brook throughout their relationship pated to the mirror. They look younger in the first photo. Sean then looks down and sees the camera that he’d given Brook on her birthday. It seems to be in bad shape.

Sean

(talking to himself) I spend an entire paycheck to buy you this camera for your birthday and you treat it like this.

Sean switches the camera on and holds it toward his face. Sean grabs his keys and walks out the apartment door so quickly he almost steps on the dog.

INT.LIVING ROOM. EVENING

Brook comes home and Sean is sitting watching tv.

INT.BEDROOM EVENING

Brook enters and starts putting her things away. She sees the camera on the bed and looks puzzled.

Brook

Not where I left you…

She walks over and picks it up and then turns the camera on. A new video is on the camera and Brook presses play.

Video Plays

Sean

The next time you want some super-expensive gift don’t tell me about it because you clearly don’t care about or take care of your stuff. You know what, next time I’ll just get you some ten-dollar sneakers ; it’s expected for you to tear those up.

INT. LIVING ROOM-EVENING

Brook storms in with the camera in her hand

Brook

What the hell is this suppose to mean?

Sean

Exactly what it says. What did you do? Take the damn thing out in the rain?

Brook

What?

Sean- I didn’t spend all that money for you to treat my gifts like it’s one of your cheap toys.

Brook

Excuse me? Are you seriously mad?! The camera is fine. You’re blowing this way out of proportion.

Sean

And that’s your problem! I can’t stand that about you!

Brook

What are you talking about? I’m not the one making problems out of nothing! I can’t stand that about you!

Sean

The camera is fine… Just like that nasty, dry, sorry excuse for food you tried to give me yesterday!

Brook

Oh the pizza you were gonna eat later? The one I threw away this morning because you were too lazy to even put it up?

Sean

You gotta be kidding me. I told you to do something with that stuff. And I don’t recall ever saying I would eat that crap.

Brook

First of all, you were the one in the kitchen. So why should I have to do anything if you’re the one in there making a mess? We barely talk all week and the first real conversation you wanna have with me is about this? You really need to calm yourself. The camera is fine, it’s just getting a little old.

Sean

Maybe you’re getting a little old! Something is definitely wrong with your mind if you think this is fine! You don’t care about anything. It’s like I’m in a relationship with nobody! I put a lot of thought into buying you that camera; the least that you could do is take care of it. Where the hell is the lens cap?

Brook

Whatever, don’t even act like you’re perfect. Don’t even get me started. So just shut up!

Sean grabs his keys and storms out the door. Brook paces the apartment with an angry look on her face.

INT. BEDROOM-EVENING

Brook looks into the mirror and her face becomes frozen as she looks at the pictures on the mirror. More time passes as she waits and Brook has calmed down; however, she is anxious. She walks over t her bed and sits down. She dials her phone and puts it to her ear.

Brook

Sean, where are you?... Can you come home? I wanna talk… Because this is completely stupid… just talk to me… you were right about the camera.

End.

Crit on Critique

The feedback I recieved was very helpful. I decided to make my male character much more rude to bump up the effect of the bad relationship. I also have given my female character more of a connection with her pet to show the difference in how she treats her boyfriend as oppose to a dog. I have made it clear that the boyfriend does not like the dog and he may be a little jealous of how the dog gets treated.

Logistics

a. 3 Characters

1 Male (SEAN)- 20-25yrs old

1 Female (BROOK)- 20-25yrs old

1 Dog (MAX)- Pomeranian

b. How many scenes each actor will be in and the total length of their performances.

Sean (all scenes)- approx 10 min

Brook (all scenes)

Max 3 scences approx 3 minutes
c. The requirements, number, and types of locations.

Location 2136 Westchester Circle

Apartment

d. The number and types of stunts and special effects.

N/A
e. What special costumes and makeup will be required?

N/A

f. What props are required

Camera

Leash

Store bought pizza

Script Breakdown

This is a story that happens all too often. Young couples live together and despite how bad the relationship has become, despite the faults that they both have, they continue to stay in these bad relationships. Both characters have bad qualities (the male more so than the female) but I want to show more so how some women would rather stay in a bad partnership than be alone.

Opening scence

Serves to show that this is a young couple living together and that they have been together for a while. We are also introduced to Max, their dog, who serves to show difference in the way Brook treats her boyfriend and her pet.

First evening- Food conversation

This scene serves to show how small conversations with this couple somehow turn into an argument. This also is a rising action that will feed the later, larger argument.

Finding Camera

When Sean finds the camera in bad shape, this brings rise to how the argument will start.

Climax

the argument where everything comes up

falling action

Brook calming down and calling Sean to come home

Establishing

young couple living together gets up on a typical day and we follow what goes on within thier home, showing a comfortability with each other but lack of communication.

3-4 mins

Rising action

next day

daily activities continue

Sean finds camera in bad shape

2 min

climax

fight

sean leaves

1 min

falling action

brook is upset and paces until she calls sean to make up

1 min

actors

floorplan of set