Screenplay Update #4

We're reaching the end of the writing process as we have written the drafts for the last two parts of the screenplay!

Montage

The first is of a montage sequence where the Narrator quickly transitions between different genres and mediums to humiliate the Protagonist for their rebellion against the story. When deciding which of these styles to pursue, we came up with a list of multiple conventions we could recreate. They were:

• Sci-fi
• Fantasy
• Comedy
• Horror
• Western
• Vintage/Silent Film
• Animation/Storyboard 

In order to save time and be able to bring these segments to life without any trouble, we went with these final four:

• Comedy
• Horror
• Vintage/Silent Film
• Animation/Storyboard

Genres such as sci-fi, fantasy, and western require a lot of effort in mise-en-scene and an extended amount of visual effects. Due to the small scale nature of the production, these would be too problematic. Comedy and horror would be simpler, as they could be conveyed through sound effects such as laugh tracks and monster noises, and as well be easier sets to find, such as a common living room or a forested area at night. The silent film section could be done through color grading our footage to black and white with an overlay of film grain on top, and the storyboard can be taken from the actual storyboard we will eventually illustrate. 

I was the lead writer for the sequence and am very happy with how it came about. I made sure to emphasize the rage the Narrator has due to the Protagonist's debauchery in a comedic fashion through the dialogue and scene changes. Here is the montage in full:

Ending

Last but not least, the conclusion to this absurd piece of media. This scene went through many variations and was the most difficult to figure out. It first started off with the Narrator in the flesh handing the script to the Protagonist. You might remember that I had originally posted this scene when my team first started writing the script, but since then we decided in a meeting with our advisor that the Narrator should have no physical presence at all. What then followed was a version of the scene where the Protagonist lashes out at the Narrator. We ultimately decided against it as both characters have argued with each other since the beginning of the film, and we wanted to go for something more powerful instead of just incessant yelling. 

In the end, we had concluded that making the scene more somber was the way to go. This change of tone from the bizarre comedic moments to a genuine one-on-one between both characters is monumental, and allows us to be able to communicate to the audience what the story is truly about, which is having control of your own personal narrative. With the two talking it out, the film ends with the Protagonist beginning to write their own script. We think this ending is the right choice in wrapping up the short and are highly satisfied with it. Take a look for yourself: