For my creative project, I chose to create a screenplay, due to the

budget restrictions, casting limitations and filming issues that would

come with producing a film. I also believed that through a script, I
could further emphasise my creativity and make the piece more
personal as well as extremely detailed. I chose to write the opening
sequence of the film in order to introduce its central themes, as an
opening should, and summarise the key concepts, adhering to my
aims and context.
My planning process was very organised and regimented. I first
developed an idea and allowed myself time to plan and construct
my piece over the time given and I kept to this plan, ensuring
everything was well thought out and every choice made had
purpose.
After starting work on one screenplay, I had the idea for an
independent gothic horror film, but decided that the genres didnt
really work well together and it was difficult to create something
more unique and detailed because of the strict conventions that
come with gothic horror films. Because of this, I chose to redirect my
ideas to the indie drama genre, typical to film festivals and arthouse cinemas. The idea for my screenplay was inspired by the
narrative of Jonathon Dayton and Vaerie Faris Little Miss Sunshine,
and also award winning, The Way Way Back. In this way, I chose to
focus specifically on the indie feel of the film and aimed to create a
relatable, but quaint dramatic atmosphere. I was especially
interested in portraying the dysfunctional family dynamic and I
wanted my work to draw influences from the indie-drama genre, but
also remain modern and hard-hitting with its addressing of
contemporary social issues like homosexuality. I, therefore, intended
my protagonist Clarke to be an encapsulation of revolutionary youth,
which my audience would then be able to relate and emphasise
with. I intended the target audience of my film to be teenage
festivalgoers, who could identify with key themes and elements in
the film, enabling them to infer and evaluate message and transfer
them to real-world contexts and issues.
I think that I achieved this to an extent through the father-daughter
dynamic of Isaac and Clarke, who represent the younger and more
traditional generations in terms of dominant ideologies and the
conflicts that highlight modern social issues. This relationship was
inspired by that of Frank and Richard in Little Miss Sunshine, who
frequently present conflicting morals and ideologies, but never
seem to reach a common ground. I wanted to subvert this slightly
and instead, present a struggling relationship in which both parties
are desperate to find a common ground. My intention with this was
to create a dynamic that a lot of young people, and adults alike,
could identify with, especially in an age when new ideologies are
becoming acceptable, yet young people still face the judgement of

an older generation. I intended to create a middle ground for these

two characters, which is where Morrigan was developed. Her
carefree character was inspired by Owen from The Way Way Back,
and I intended her to be the uplifting element that an indie-drama
film usually needs. She was intended to serve as a mediator
between the two main characters and give the audience a neutrality
that would allow them to examine Clarke and Isaac rom an unbiased
perspective that would allow for much further character
development. However, I dont think that in the opening sequence,
this can be seen and the audience dont actually get to see much of
Morrigan or how her character will develop or add to the narrative. If
the word count was wider, this is one aspect I would change about
my piece, and I would include more interaction between Clarke,
Isaac and Morrigan which would develop her character further and
doesnt just present the laid-back side of her character. Presenting
her with more depth probably would have had a greater impact on
the opening sequence, but with the restrictions given, wasnt really
a possibility if I still wanted to include other key parts of narrative
and detail.
However, I did intend to use Clarke as the focal point for the
narrative, which I think I achieved, especially through the focus on
mise-en-scene in her bedroom, which not only broadened and
developed my script, but also gave huge insight into her beliefs and
ideologies. Upon reading my screenplay again, I think the only
factor I would have liked to develop further is her standpoint and
narrative perspective. I think including another scene with the
protagonist could have emphasised further that this is her narrative,
and should focus more on her individually. Despite this, my script is
extremely fluid and fluent, as I used a wide variety of scenes in
order to keep my audience captivated, but also provide a vast
amount of small pieces of information that initiated an exposition,
but also keeps a reader/audience thinking and wondering how
certain events will play out. The inclusion of another scene also
would have taken me over the word limit and under the restrictions I
was given, I was very pleased with the outcome of my piece.
The setting I used for my work was a typical rural home in Britain,
which I think contributed to the verisimilitude of the narrative and
made it much more relatable to the average viewer. The focus on an
average family in an average home highlights the key issues faced
by so many people nationally and allows for a deeper focus on the
reality of family life. The depth and realism of everyday life is a
factor that I really wanted to accentuate in order to resonate with
my audience, and I believe that through my setting and relatable,
detailed characters, I managed to achieve this with my screenplay,
creating a fluid and fluent script, which deals with modern issues
and also delivers a gripping narrative that ultimately creates the
atmosphere of every other popular independent drama film.