Drama Shot List

To help create the storyboard, we created a shot list and used that as a guideline combined with the script.

SHOTLIST FOR DRAMA PIECE

(Need to add a few establishing shots and cutaways during script. Please add where necessary)

FADE IN:

INT. DINING ROOM #1 – DAY

·      Mid shot of daughters face panning out straight above her eyeline as she watches Father exit. 10secs cut by door shutting.

INT. DINING ROOM - DAY

·      Wide shot at Father and Daughters eyeline level of them at Dining room table. 4secs

·      2 shot from other side of table (Still at same eyeline) 7secs

·      Close up of Father Saying Don’t worry, we’ll get it done together flower 3secs

·      Close up of Daughters smiling back at Father. 2secs

·      Back to 2 shot as they carry on with work. 3secs

INT. BEDROOM #2 - DAY

·      Tracking shot starting at far right side of bedside table moving right to left through the pictures and over to a mid/long shot of Father sat on bed looking at a picture and smoking. Stays on until he puts down picture. 12secs

·      Cutaway shot of bedside table as he puts the picture back on it and takes the pill box from the surface. 4secs

·      Cuts back to mid/long shot of father taking pills. 5secs

INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY UNSURE OF SCENE

·      Static wide shot in corner of room throughout Fathers different mood swings.

INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT

·      Establishing shot of clock on bedside table (or on wall in bedroom) the time showing 1.30am focus pulls to father in bed shuffling.

·      Long shot looking straight down at Father layed in bed trying to get comfortable then sighing and getting straight out of bed.

·      Mid shot with bed in background, Father is pacing from right out of shot to left out of shot repeating this about 3 times.

·      Long shot to other side of bedroom looking at door as he decides to walk through it.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

·      Shot inside fridge as Father opens door to get food

·      Mid shot side view of fridge as Father piles up food in his hands then closes it with his feet and exits toward Living Room.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

·      Tracking mid shot or over the shoulder of Daughter walking into room and seeing Father slumped on sofa.

·      2 shot and over the Fathers shoulder shot as Daughter clears up mess around father and nudges Father.

·      Mid shot of father as he awakes.

·      Back to 2 Shot as she grabs her bag and leaves. (door slams in  background)

INT. DINING ROOM #3 - DAY

·      Long shot of front door as daughter arrives.

·      Long shot down hallway that Daughter is in as Father appears quickly into the frame.

·      Tracks and pans with daughter as she walks into the Dining Room

·      2 shot at Dining room table as they sit and talk.

·      Close up of Father

·      Close up of Daughter

·      Mid shot of Father

·      Mid Shot of Daughter

·      Cutaway shot of pills next to or on daughters side of the table.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

·      Long shot framing daughter central but Father in the right side slumped on the sofa as daughter gives Father a cup of tea

·      Mid shot of Fathers vacant expression at his eyeline

·      Mid shot as Daughter speaks and her expression afterward

·      Mid shot of Fathers vacant expression

·      Back to 2 shot

·      Mid shot as daughter holds back tears and turns around to exit room

·      Back to mid shot of Father still with a vacant expression.

INT.  KITCHEN - DAY

·      Wide shot of daughter crying on kitchen surface.

I/E. CAR #4 - NIGHT

·      Establishing night shot looking up at stars but with trees at bottom of frame

·      Long shot of Father in car

·      Mid shot from back of car looking out of car windscreen

·      Mid shot inside car looking at Father dreamlessly staring at nothing.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

·      Mid shot daughter reading at eyeline

·      Wide shot as Father enters room with flowers in hand and says line.

·      Mid shot back to daughter

·      Mid shot of father

·      Back to 2 shot

INT. LIVING ROOM/DINING ROOM #5 - DAY

·      Long shot of front door as daughter arrives.

·      Long shot down hallway that Daughter is in.

·      Tracks and pans with daughter as she walks into the Dining Room

·      Wide shot at Dining room table as father stands up angrily

·      OTS shot of Father as he marches up to her

·      Mid shot of Father

·      Mid Shot of Daughter

·      Close up of Father

·      Close up of Daughter

·      2 shot as daughter grabs pills toward pills.

·      OTS shot looking at Father as he hits pills out of Daughters hand.

·      Close up father as he starts to push forward at her

·      Handheld 2 shot as Father talks and pushes daughter to the ground

·      Mid shot low angle from high up as we follow Daughter fall to the ground

·      Mid shot/reverse shot of both the reactions in silence starting at Father then at Daughter

·      Back to Father as he leaves the room at exits.

·      Back to Daughter (Same shot as opening scene) as we hear the car start and Father drive off

EXT. BRIDGE #6 - DAY

·      Wide shot of car arriving at entrance to bridge and Father getting out of car, smoking and walking toward bridge

·      Mid/Long shot of him walking away from camera toward bridge

·      Mid shot tracking in front of him as he walks and arrives at bridge edge

·      OTS shot of him as he looks down

·      Wide shot at other side of bridge looking at him

·      Wide X Long shot from away from the bridge as he is looking

·      Mid shot as he steps back and puts his hand into his back pocket

·      Cutaway Close up following his hand holding his wallet as he opens it and gets out a picture of his Wife and Daughter together putting his wallet back straight after.

·      Close up High angle looking up next to where his hand is looking at his expression as a tear runs from his face

·      Mid shot panning up slightly as he looks up and bursts into tears maybe handheld

·      Back to Wide shot.

·      Mid shot again as he gets phonecall and answers it

·      Close up of face whilst he is talking and looking at picture

·      Cutaway of pic again?

·      Back to mid shot as he puts down phone and puts pic back into back pocket. Starts to walk forward

·      POV shot as he steps up to edge looking at feet and then down to bottom of bridge

·      Wide shot at other side of bridge again

·      Mid shot from him looking down and examining bottom expressionlessly and then looking up to the camera for 5secs

END

Drama Script

Rhys produced the script and I adjusted a variety of lines that needed altering. We then collaborated together, and with the others and settled on a FINAL script that is shown below.

FADE IN:

INT. DINING ROOM #1 – DAY

DAUGHTER is layed down on back. She has tears running down her face and is laying still as if not daring to move. Her FATHER is stood up away from where she is laying and has the expression of both shock and guilt on his face. He leaves the room walking out the front door and is followed around by the eyeline of his DAUGHTER still unmoved on the floor.

As the door shuts cut to...

INT. DINING ROOM - DAY

FATHER is sitting next to DAUGHTER, on the table are open homework books. DAUGHTER is writing and FATHER is pointing to a page in a book.

                     DAUGHTER (exasperated)

               I'll never finish this! Only a week for planning!

                     FATHER (kindly)

               Don't worry, we'll get it done together, flower.

FATHER smiles as he watches DAUGHTER writing.

INT. BEDROOM #2 - DAY

Tracking through the bedroom, we see the bedside table with the pictures of the family happy in different places, a flower is beside a picture of the Wife. The camera tracks round to reveal FATHER in his bedroom smoking, we see him take up the picture of the Wife and look at it lovingly with tears in his eyes before he puts it down and taking up his pills, rattles them and sighs before popping off the cap and taking them.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

Fixed camera shot, FATHER paces up and down in room as he is unable to sleep.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

FATHER opens fridge and begins to pile up food.

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

DAUGHTER walks into living room with school bag, getting ready for school. She see's FATHER slumped on sofa asleep, surrounded by wrappers. Sighing, DAUGHTER drops her school bag and begins to clean up the empty wrappers; she abandons the task and shakes FATHER awake, he wakes with a jump.

                     FATHER (groggily)

               Eh? Sorry, I didn't sleep.

                     DAUGHTER (annoyed)

               I can see that. I'm going to school.

DAUGHTER collects her school bag and leaves.

INT. DINING ROOM #3 - DAY

FATHER is sitting by the dining room table in front of two plates of pasta placed symmetrically on the table with an empty seat opposite him where someone should be sat. DAUGHTER walks into house through the front door wearing school bag.

DAUGHTER

Hi dad, I’m home.

FATHER

(Ecstatically) Hi flower, I made us dinner, look! Took me a long time. Come on, tuck in! How's your day been?

DAUGHTER

(Smiles unconvincing) Well... this is nice. Thanks dad. How are you feeling today? What have you done? Have you taken your pills?

DAUGHTER takes pills and reaches out to give them to him. He takes them kindly and puts them next to him.

FATHER

Yes, yeah. Don’t worry about me flower. I’m more bothered about you.

DAUGHTER

Thanks dad. (Smiles) It’s nice to see you like this.

They share a smile and carry on eating.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

DAUGHTER brings FATHER a cup of tea, FATHER is sat on sofa beside side table with vacant expression on face, staring into middle distance. DAUGHTER tries to offer FATHER the cup of tea but he doesn't respond or acknowledge her presence so she puts the tea on the side table.

                    

DAUGHTER (reluctant to bring it up)

It's been a year…(pause) Shall we go visit mum tomorrow?

FATHER continues to blank DAUGHTER. DAUGHTER leaves, trying to hide her expression.

CUT TO:

INT.  KITCHEN - DAY

Opens with wide shot of kitchen, DAUGHTER is sat on kitchen surface with head in hands, sobbing is very audible and exaggerated.

I/E. CAR #4 - NIGHT

FATHER is sitting in car staring dreamlessly forward out of the windscreen. Stays there all evening.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

DAUGHTER is sat reading, FATHER comes in with a bunch of flowers.

               FATHER (happily)

          I bought some flowers to take for mum.

         

               DAUGHTER (confused)

          I thought you didn't wanna go?

               FATHER

          Of course I want to go, flower! Are you coming?

INT. LIVING ROOM/DINING ROOM #5 - DAY

Daughter returns home from school. Her father is sat at the Dining Room table looking down at the food not eating with a cigarette in his mouth.

DAUGHTER

Dad, I’m home.

The father looks up angrily and stands up so fast as to allow his chair to fly back and the table to move slightly. He marches toward her

FATHER

(Raising voice) Where have you been? Dinner has been sitting here for 5 minutes now and it's probably cold, whilst you've been…what? Fucking around outside?!

DAUGHTER

(Trying to cut in) No dad, I was walking home from school…

FATHER (interrupting)

Don’t give me that excuse! You’ve been avoiding coming back because of me haven’t you? You’ve been trying to keep away from me because you think this condition makes me a freak, don’t you?

DAUGHTER

No Dad, it's not like that! I swear, I’m sorry...(Grabs Pills) Look, you need to take your pills.

Father reacts aggressively hitting the pills out of his daughters hand onto the floor. He pushes forward at her.

FATHER

If you hadn’t of been so eager to avoid me this wouldn’t have happened you’re just selfish, all you care about is yourself. You never bothered with anyone else. You'll drive everyone away from you. Just... (pause) Look at what you did to your mother.

Father pushes his daughter to the ground. She lands in the same position as described at the start. There is a moment of unfilled silence as tears stream from her eyes and her father looks at her with a shocked and guilty face. He then walks from the room and leaves the house through the front door. She lays still putting her hands to her face and cries. A car is heard starting and driving off in background.

EXT. BRIDGE #6 - DAY

Father drives up and stops the car. He gets out and walks to the bridge stepping toward the edge. He lights a cigarette and takes out his wallet looking at a picture of his daughter and wife together. A tear rolls down his cheek before he bursts into tears. Shortly after his phone rings, he answers.

DAUGHTER

(Sobbing) Please come home dad. I'm sorry. I just...

FATHER (interrupting)

I’m so sorry flower. (pause) I’m so sorry for everything that's happened…(trails off and hangs up)

Father holds the phone for a moment before putting it away. Still crying, he puts the picture into his back pocket and flicks his fag over the side of the bridge. He then steps up to the side of the bridge looking down and slowly looks up until he is looking directly into the camera.

END

Auditions & Rehearsals

Rhys being the producer, managed to acquire some females to audition for the daughter role. We held the auditions in EMB and they were highly successful, unfortunately I could only stay for two out of the four auditionees due to work, however I was pleased to hear we went for Fiona, as she met the image I had in my mind. One in which could portray vulnerability, innocence and fragility.

Luckily, a couple of days after, we met our male actor James for the first time, and we had a rehearsal session with our actress and actor, a few days prior to going out and shooting on location. Everything went well, the emotions were clear, and the way we wanted to put forward the emotion was all sorted.

Father Synopsis

Being assigned as the director, I created a quick sample of how our father could be.

1. What do you know about this character now that s/he doesn’t yet know? *UNKNOWN*
2. What is this character’s greatest flaw? Being mentally unstable, being diagnosed with bi-polar
3. What do you know about this character that s/he would never admit? He misses his wife who passed away
4. What is this character’s greatest asset? Smoking
5. If this character could choose a different identity, who would s/he be? *UNKNOWN*
6. What music does this character sing to when no one else is around? Classical
7. In what or whom does this character have the greatest faith? God
8. What is this character’s favourite movie? *UNKNOWN*
9. Does this character have a favourite article of clothing? Favourite shoes? Polishing his shoes
10. Does this character have a vice? Name it. Picture of his wife
11. Name this character’s favourite person (living or dead). His daughter? Or wife?
12. What is this character’s secret wish? To try and provide a better life for his daughter – what he missed out on
13. What is this character’s proudest achievement? Becoming a father
14. Describe this character’s most embarrassing moment. *UNKNOWN*
15. What is this character’s deepest regret? *UNKNOWN*
16. What is this character’s greatest fear? Not fulfilling a good life for his daughter
17. Describe this character’s most devastating moment. Taking a knife to his daughter’s throat
18. What is this character’s greatest achievement? *UNKNOWN*
19. What is this character’s greatest hope? *UNKNOWN*
20. Does this character have an obsession? Name it. Smoking
21. What is this character’s greatest disappointment? His bi-polar disorder
22. What is this character’s worst nightmare? Delving into complete insanity
23. Whom does this character most wish to please? Why? His daughter, because his disorder is affecting both him and his daughter mentally and sometimes psychically
24. Describe this character’s mother. Unfortunately she has passed away
25. Describe this character’s father. Not applicable
26. If s/he had to choose, with whom would this character prefer to live? Where he is now, with his daughter, who takes care of him
27. Where does this character fall in birth order? What effect does this have? Not applicable
28. Describe this character’s siblings or other close relatives. Daughter – Caring, withdrawn from the outside because of the almost constant care of his father, neglected, occasionally shown affection from her father, perhaps frightened?
29. Describe this character’s bedroom. Include three cherished items. A pair of polished black shoes, a picture of his wife, a chain, or ring of some sort?
30. What is this character’s birth date? How does this character manifest traits of his/her astrological sign? NOT APPLICABLE
31. If this character had to live in seclusion for six months, what six items would s/he bring? His shoes, his picture, a chain or ring…?
32. Why is this character angry? His life is being torn apart by his bi-polar disorder, and is affecting his daughter
33. What calms this character? Silence, solitude
34. Describe a recurring dream or nightmare this character might have. An evening with his wife and daughter, in which he lost control and hit them both, screams and shouts occurred, and unfortunately that’s the last time he spoke to his wife before she passed away – regret, guilt.
35. List the choices (not circumstances) that led this character to his/her current predicament. *UNKNOWN*
36. List the circumstances over which this character has no control. His bi-polar disorder, changing from extreme to another
37. What wakes this character in the middle of the night? Nightmares
38. How would a stranger describe this character? Distraught, unpredictable
39. What does this character resolve to do differently every morning? NOT APPLICABLE?
40. Who depends on this character? Why? His daughter, because her father is the only person she has in her life
41. If this character knew s/he had exactly one month to live, what would s/he do? Go somewhere by himself, or perhaps with his daughter, wear his shoes, and just sit there, gazing across the landscape
42. How would a dear friend or relative describe this character? *UNKNOWN*
43. What is this character’s most noticeable physical attribute? *UNKNOWN*
44. What is this character hiding from him/herself? Hiding from his disorder?
45. Write one additional thing about your character. *UNKNOWN*