Here is the brief of two short film ideas which would be suitable for my A2 production. As you can see, I have more detail on the first idea, 'After Hours' because we think that this is the idea we will stick with due to casting complications with 'Fern'.

1. A2:ShortFilmBriefEllie Weedon and Jacob Lawrence

2. ‘AfterHours’

3. Backgrou
rsisageographyteacheratSaltHigh.Whilststilllivingathomeafterarecentdivorce,andafteryea
ejobwiththesametypesofkidsandthesameteacherswhoover-performhiseverymove,heistir
fedupwithhislife.
ssuresfromhismotherwhowantshimtolivea‘cerealboxlifestyle’,comparinghimtothesuccessfu
sthatheisworkingwith-specificallyMrRickStokerwhoisyoung,attractiveandsuccessful–being
umanitiesfacultyandmoreimportantly,hastheattentionofMissAnnaFlowerswhoistheonlywom
tunderstandshim.
nistheoutcastinthestaffroom.Hissarcasticandsadisticsenseofhumourisn’tunderstoodbyany
na.Theonlyformofsocialinteractionhehasinschoolisbeingpartoftheteacher’sbasketballtea
joinedbecauseAnnaaskedhimto,nonetheless,RickStokerisalsoontheteam.

4. Equilibriu
esup,looksmiserableandturnsbackoverinbed:anotherdayinthecycleofhismiserablelife.Nex
sapileofprintedoute-harmony,match.comandfriendfinderpages,withanoteontopfromhis
thoughtthesewomenlookedsuitable,havealookatthemwouldyouDon.’
athroom,getsreadyandgoesdownstairswherehismotherismakingbreakfast,‘Don“Morning..did
ulookamess.Didyouseethepileofmatchesnexttoyourbed?Ithoughtthey’dbelovelytostarta
nowyou’vereallygottomoveonfromyourdivorce…Ialwaysthoughtshewasabitofa(closes
nyway…”Mothercontinuesspiel,Doncompletelyignoringherandleavesthehouse.
ightstylejourneyshots)Donmakeshiswaytoschool.Endsonashotofhimplacingmoneydownfo
–‘tea’sgoneupto£1.80nowdear’–looksinhiswallet,doesn’thaveenough.Avoicebehindhim,
ouDon’–AnnaFlowers,theonlyteacherhegetsalongwithintheschool,heisgrateful,butsheis
tokerwhoisexactlythemanDon’smotherwantshimtobeand,forthat,hehateshim.Hemakesa
Onthewaytohisclassroom,heseesafightdownthecorridorandthekidsseparatewhentheysee
cktohisdesk(messy,loadsofwork,pictureofbasketballteam,worldglobe…)
byinaseriesofshotsshowingthevariouslessonshe’steaching:‘turntopage34andmakesome
instructionsonthesheet’,‘watchthisclip’,‘turntopage89andmakenotes.’…Findsapileofwork
markbeforetomorrowbecauseOfstedarein.
k,stillmarkingat17:00,stillhasahugepiletofinish.Heismarkingwithoutlookingatthework,just
eyesbegintocloseandhefallsasleep.

5. Disruptio
ptofindthatheisstillinschoolat8pm.Realizingwhathehasdone,hepanicsandru
oors,justintimetoseethatthecaretakeriswalkingawayfromtheschool,with
,havingjustlockedupthebuildingforthenight.
seupshotofcaretakerwalkingawayfromtheschool,accompaniedbythediegetic
the’slisteningto,whilstinthebackground,wecanseeDonbangingontheglassdoor
isattention.)
mentoftotaldejectionandanger.Heattemptstogetoutofthebuilding,shakingdoor
windows,tryinghisphone(whichhasrunoutofcharge)…butfinallyherealizesthath
re.
intotheschool,withDonstandingbehindtheblinds,connotingtheclichéofschool
rison.)

6. Recognitio
owntheemptycorridorandcomesacrossadisplayboardwithapictureofRickStokersmiling
hilsthelpingoutonacharitytripfor(underprivilegedfamilies?).
tthephotograph,dwellingonhowmuchhehateshislife;thefactthatallthekidsheteachesare
alfwits,thefactthatheisdivorced,hismother’spressurestobesomeonethatheisn’t,themundanit
style,hispatheticrelationshipwithAnnaFlowersandthefactthathiscolleaguesthataresomuchm
him.
nderwhatexactlyRickStoker’sdealis.Whyishesosicklyhappyandsuccessful?Where’stheman
’shehiding?
hts,Dongetsanidea:tolookattheclassifieddocuments.
hroughtheclassifieddocuments,Doncomesacrosssomefilesofthekidsthathehatesandisamus
haveembarrassingquirks:onekidhasabladderproblemwhichmakeshimweehimself,oneofthe
swas(foundhavingsexwithanotherboyinthechangingrooms?)
sacrossRickStoker’sfileandfindsoutthatheusedtobeintheadultfilmindustry:‘RichardStroker
planstosetMr.Stoker’sdesktopasapictureofhimintheadultfilms,howevertheinternetisdown.
,Donlooksattheboardinstoker’sclassroomwhichhastheremainsofapreviouslessonstill
ntheboard,thereisaquotefromGhandi:‘Happinessiswhenwhatyouthink,whatyousayandwh
rmony.’

7. Reparatio
tthequotethathesawonMrStoker’sboardandrealizesthatit’shewhoispreventinghislifefrom
xciting.Heisnottryingtobehappy.
foundunderstanding,hedecidestotryandhavefunwithhistimelockedinschool.Atfirst,hesimply
pieceofpaperintothebin.Theuseofellipsesshowsthathefailsseveraltimesandbeginstoget
finallythrowingtheballofpaperintothebinandfeelingasenseofdelight.Hunguponthisfeeling,
elfbyincreasingthedistancetothebinandrepeatedlygetsthepaperinthebin.
ndschool,somewhatpleasedwithhimself,butthenheseessomethingoutofthecornerofhiseyea
amerafixedonhisreactiononly).Thenextshotisanextremecloseup,croppingintoDon’seyes,
isfocussingonsomethingmuchtallerthanhim.WethencuttoaslowmotionshotofDonbouncing
espotandthenwecuttoapanningshottorevealthebasketballnet.Shotinahighlydramaticway,
beplayingagainsthisothercolleagues,dodgingthemandtauntingthem,beforefinallyscoringthe
,heactsasthoughthecrowdaregoingwildaroundhimandhelaughshispretenceoff.

8. NewEquilibr
sintoamontageofwaysinwhichDonfindswaystoenjoyhimselfintheschool:wheelingdown
irs;makingsomethingintech;stealingfoodfromcafeteria;werealizesthathe’smakingadesktidyt
eetsandpensin;heorganiseshisdesk;markstherestofthework;rollshissleevesup;slackeningt
etoftissuepaperflowersinart;placestheflowersonMissFlower’sdesk;hesitation,deliberation,
rsfromthedesktothebinandbacktothedesk;writesanotetogowiththem…finallyhesitsbacki
oksaroundhisclassroom.Itistidy…hislifeisinorder.
s,fastcuttodaylight.
tartledbythenoiseandsmiles.

9. FilmsofaSimilarSt
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Fern

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Fern:BriefOv
plot
ist:WilliamStone
on:RetiredMentalHealthWorker
etFern50yearsagowhenshecametohimneedinghelpduetohermental
problems.WillturnedFern’slifearound,makingherhappyandgratefulf
feshehad.UsingtechniqueslikelistmakingtohelpFernstaypositivea
stic.Thetwofellinloveandspenttherestoftheirlivestogether.
ecentlywidowed,Willisplungedintohisownimpenetrabledepression.How
ewithoutFern?Rightupuntilthefuneral,whichhisbestfriendhadto
dehimtogoto,Willisn’treadytoacceptthatshe’sgone.Nonetheless,
othefuneralandtakesaFernplanttoplantnexttohergravestone.
abouttoplantit,reachingtowipehistearingeyeswithhishandkerchief
cket,whenfoldedinthefabric,hefindsalist.Abucketlistthecoupl
ogetherinordertoensureoptimismandhappiness.
mdecidesthathemustcompletethebucketlistbeforeacceptingthatFern
orever,sowithhisplant,hesetsouttocompletethelist.
The List
•Spend a night in Europe
•Go to a Winter Wonderland
•Camp out on the moors under the stars
•Write poetry together
•Eat…..