Final Project

There are 10 posts filed in Final Project (this is page 1 of 1).

Shut-Out Assembly

First cut/assembly of the film. 
Will have to rework the general pacing as well as cut down some dialogue that doesn’t seem to work well.
Mother’s voice has yet to be recorded too.
Much more to be done!

Shut-Out Screenshots

Currently in the last leg of edit for the final scene.
Hope to get something out soon!

Meanwhile, here’s some teaser shots.
Wound is looking pretty realistic with some AE.

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Acting Rehearsal Shut-Out

End of page 1 to end of page 2 (when he dials his mother)

Scene Synopsis

This excerpt mainly depicts how James (main protagonist), deals with a confusing and strange situation that interrupts his daily regime.

I chose this scene as the scene requires a lot of major underlying transition of emotions and realizations that are somewhat tricky to portray through the simple actions required.  

Here is a breakdown of the scene’s activities and emotional state:

  1. The scene starts with the James taking a break from a high intensity computer game session, opening a packet drink. His mind is still in the game that just ended, thinking how the hell he just lost.
    • Anger and frustration must be seen from the way he opens the drink packet and retrieves the straw. 
  2. He hears thumps from the wall and gets agitated. Coupled with the adrenaline from the game, the anger from the loss and the loud Japanese pop music in the background, he flares up at the neighbour, taking it out on the wall between them.
    • Anger has to be a sudden burst from the surface of a calm exterior, taking it out on the spacebar to mute the music first, before ramming the wall. 
  3. He expects a thumping competition to go on between them, but hears a weak cry for help instead, calming his nerves instantly. A sudden compassion and concern grip him.
    • The strange response makes him put aside his anger momentarily but it is still reflected on his face.
  4. Thinking that it might be a prank though, he lets go of the feelings of compassion  and decides to screw it, going back to his daily activities.
    • The idea of “screw it, this is a scam, i’m retarded to actually believe for a moment” must be prevalent in the way he goes back to his computer activities 
  5. After some thought though, the idea that it might actually not be a prank grips him and he decides to give the neighbour a second chance, ready to cash in on the revenge if his feelings are cheated.
    • Still apprehensive, eager to release the kraken if his feelings are cheated, an excuse to release his pent up rage from the various sources (Game and annoying thumps) he gives does a double take and gives the neighbour a benefit of a doubt, hoping to ensnare him. 
  6. However, the weak voice calls out for him a second time and James gets more drawn into the situation out of his frustration, curiosity eggs him forward.
    • Forgets his previous ulterior motives and genuinely wants to understand the situation
  7. After acquiring the vague and strange realization that the neighbour might actually be dying, his first reaction is to pull in his dear mother’s help as always.
    • Confusion and lost, first instinct: mother

The scene only requires a table, a chair (gaming station) and a wall. Packet drinks, computer keyboard and phone can be simulated. Blocking only involves travelling to the wall approx 2 meters away, back to the station, ending back at the wall again.

Shut-Out Character back stories and Logistics

Actors required:

  • James (main protagonist)
    • An Otaku of 26 years old, unemployed, full-time gamer who is 100% reliant on his mother for life support from the comfort of his gaming throne. An uncaring individual who games from day to night, screaming vulgarities and savagery at noobs all day long. Little do we know that there is a sliver of humanity and compassion left in him through this encounter.
  • Jeremy
    • A slightly older man in his mid 30s who has already lost the meaning of life. Lost the love of his life to cancer, lost the will to live to depression and has been struggling with his meaning of life ever since. He slits his wrist on a regular basis in a bid to relief the overwhelming pain that he cannot endure, cutting deeper everytime in hopes that he might actually accidentally die. He finally meets death’s door, but is suddenly caught by the fear of death, giving him the desperation to live again.
  • Mother (voice only)
    • A naggy, mother who truly cares for her son to the point of spoon-feeding him, although she seems otherwise from her constantly annoyed speech-patterns.
  • 2 Paramedics

Locations required:

  • Otaku Room w curtains
  • Toilet
  • Kitchen
  • Main door/Corridor

Props required:

  • Various Anime/game related posters and/or figurines if possible
  • 6 pack drink packet and 2 packs worth of empty cartons.
  • Computer
  • Headphone with mic
  • Phone
  • Keys
  • Shower head
  • Toilet paper roll
  • Razors
  • Blanket
  • Med Box
  • Bandages
  • Blood

Shut-Out (Draft 1)

Here’s the first draft of my script Shut-In. >Shut-Out<
Its still a tad too long, will work on shortening the screenplay in the next draft.

I went to the premise of suicide as Sebastian suggested, a man who has lost everything and still decided to give one last try at living. Though I will probably not dabble in the elderly as explained below.

Death by Wrist Slashing
I did a little research on death by wrist slashing and found out that it is more than just letting your blood flow till death’s door. To get a sufficient blood flow, one has to dig really deep into the wrist to reach sufficient blood streams as the main one on the wrist is not sufficient, a deep, approximately 6-8″ gash. Even so, it will probably take half an hour or so to bleed unconscious. Not stating the fact that to get a deep enough wound, one would sever a few tendons in the process, possibly rendering a few fingers immobile. It is so painful that most people give up after slicing only one arm. Lying in a warm tub of water helps to loosen the body and increase blood flow greatly. Some interesting facts to note include drinking lots of water in preparation for the “activity”, to increase blood pressure.

A great premise for the story, a slow death, with a large threshold of saving possibilities, sufficient time for regrets.

Tendon Information

8 Steps to slit your wrist

A forum discussion with many interesting opinions

The “Why?”
Also regarding the issue of “why?”, I’m still exploring on the idea of loss. Most real-life examples were actually caused by mental issues. 90% in fact, if which depression is the highest piece of the pie. Depression has over 30 possible causes or mixtures of them.  Other reasons include a fast escape from overwhelming odds (which is also a cause for depression), some because of a philosophical desire to die, while others a victim of mistake (for example addiction to oxygen deprivation). Many cases of death in hospitals by suicide deal with mental illness patients and a small fraction deal with loneliness and the unbearable passing of time. For the elderly, its a combination of both, as such it’s too complicated to weave a story on this in a short film to introduce such a premise.

I have a friend in charge of lower health status personnel (PES E) in the army and almost every batch there is a suicide case from depression or anxiety disorder and the likes. As such, I believe that any idea for suicide that doesn’t deal with a depraved state of mind will suffice for the story, as long as the main character is still capable of normal thought. What’s more important is his choice to live while at death’s door.

Conclusion
Although he ultimately still dies, one can only imagine the message that the other person has gleaned from the experience. The scene still needs quite a bit of refinement to make the message and dynamics of the story stronger

Film Directing Story Idea: Shut-Out (Working Title)

Logline

A shut-in gamer is drawn to a cry for help from next door and decides to leave his room for the first time in ages. What greets him is a man in a bathtub of ice, mixed with his own blood.

Idea

A dying man teaches a wasteful youth his deepest lesson on living.

 

Synopsis

One hot mid-day, Zhi Xiong (26) is playing a first person shooter game to the sound of loud japanese pop when suddenly a barrage of loud banging from the neighbours distracts him and causes him to lose his match. In a fit of rage, slams the itunes pause button, shouts back at the neighbour and returns the favour in frustration. Cooling down in the silence, he suddenly hears a soft whimpering voice,

“Help me… Call the police… Please… Help…. help…”.

In a fit of selfishness, he scoffs a few curse words before resuming his gaming regime to the sound of loud music. However, something grips his cold heart and he entertains the thought of a real accident.

“Hey, are you there? What happened. Oie! What happen?!”

A soft coarse voice tells him of a tub of ice water and blood everywhere. Zhi Xiong grabs his mobile phone and dashes for the door, hesitating to turn the knob of his room door. He overcomes and takes some time to find the gate keys. Finding the neighbour’s door ajar, he dashes into the bathroom only to see a gruesome scene of blood, ice and a dying man. He struggles to find composure but manages an emergency call.

Dipping his hands into the ice, the blood shields the wound from his eyes. He tries to lift the man out of the water but the man stops him, mouth trembling as if wanting to speak.

In the next minute, he shares a moment with the dying man and takes a dying will with much difficulty. The man fades away into death, leaving Zhi Xiong a lesson on the act of living.