Decisions & More Research - Part II

Now that my group and I have established an idea for our short film, I will now create an outline of our story’s plot. In the article, “Elements of a Short Film,” the writer describes common characteristics short films embrace. The article explained these elements, such as characters and climax, through a series of questions. By answering them, I was able to better understand our purpose for our film and also helped me develop a detailed story arc. The questions below came from the article itself, I then included a detailed response for each:

• In our short film, we will have two main characters. However, the main protagonist, in which the story is created around, will be the guy in a relationship. The point of view for our film would be mostly from a third person lens. Thus, the story will be told from the view of someone watching from the outside.

• The main character is trying to figure out why time has stopped around him and why he is the only one that is physically moving. This will be considered symbolic as it makes reference to the reality of him never wanting to let go of the negative memories, which is causing him to slowly damage his present relationship. By understanding the purpose of the couples therapy simulation he is in, the main protagonist will be able to remember all the good and memorable moments in his relationship and will have the opportunity to change his habits sooner than later.

• This story is different from a normal day because it is not apart of reality. The main setting is taken place in a simulated world that mimics the characters real location. The simulation also makes time and the people to be frozen around the main character. I think my group and I decided to choose this idea because it is a combination between science fiction and romance, thus it definitely appeals to a wider range of audiences that are searching for a story on love while also seeking the concept of the limitations of realism.

• The breaking point will be when the main character realizes that he is alone. Because he is the only that can move and everyone around him is frozen, he feels frustrated and scared the he has no one to help him. Thus, he eventually decides to give up until a girl, who can also move, touches his shoulder to reassure that he has someone. Yet, it is up to him at this point to try and remember the good moments in order to fix his relationship in the real world.

• From this experience, the character understood that it's important to stop and remember the good moments, rather than be stuck in the negative past. This will allow him to create a stronger relationship with his girlfriend. Our short film will end with a cliffhanger of him leaving the simulation terrified of losing his girlfriend, and telling her he will fix what he can so he never has to live a life without her.

• If I can describe the story in one word, it would be “reflect” because the story talks about how sometimes one needs to look back and think about why they are where they are in the first place. So, the main character reflects on the positive moments on why he has and always will have a strong relationship with his girlfriend and why he needs to stop reflecting back to the negative moments.

Below is the developing story arc for our short film. My group and I definitely need to come together and agree on every detail, but for now this is the general concept of what our story will be:

Citations:

Ibanez, Daniel. “Elements of a Short Film.” Digital Portfolios for Education, www.bulbapp.com/u/elements-of-a-
short-film.