Film Six: Statement of Intent, Shot List, and Lined Script

Statement of Intent

1.     What film or TV show is this from? Beginners (2010) – Mike Mills

a.     Have you ever watched this film? No.

b.     Do you have the actual script of the film—not a transcript? Yes.

2.     After reading the entire script, in 3 sentences, what is the story of the entire film?

A man experiences confusion and depression after learning about the difficult and morally confusing pasts of his parents who have both died. He meets a woman who is also depressed and confused because of the incessantness of her suicidal father; however, he and the woman hit it off and become close. They eventually struggle being with each other and decide to break off their relationship, but finally reconsider being together despite both of their difficulties.

3.     After reading the entire script, what is the theme or message of this film?

This theme of this film is that it can be difficult to live with someone with depression, complications, and internal struggles, but that sometimes the things we get from and give to them can make those difficulties worth it.

4.     In 3-5 sentences, what happened in the story immediately before your selected scene?

Oliver and Anna have started hanging out in a casual but intimate sort of way, really getting to enjoy each other’s company, both through humor and through more serious stuff. They’ve also started to tell each other about their familial problems. Additionally, Oliver has been having flashbacks about his father, in which he struggled to see his father do things that harmed himself.

5.     In 3-4 sentences, what is the story—the beginning, middle, and end—of this scene? In other words, what happens as the scene starts, as it progresses, and as it ends?

Oliver and Anna enter Anna’s hotel room while the phone is ringing. When Oliver goes to pick up the phone, Anna tells him not to because it’s her father, who she can’t stand to talk to. They then role play, with Anna playing her father and Oliver playing Anna, so that Anna can demonstrate to Oliver how hard it is for her to live with her father. Afterwards, they have a silly but intimate exchange, ending with Oliver suggesting they go out and do something illegal to lighten up the mood.

6.     What, specifically, must the audience understand narratively/plot-wise in order to engage in this scene? How will you communicate each piece of information?

They need to understand that Anna has a hard time communicating with her suicidal father because she is the only one he relies on, and the pressure is really putting her in an emotionally vulnerable state. This will be communicated because it is pretty explicit in the lines. However, additionally, they need to understand the underlying sadness of both characters, in that they don’t want to have hard feelings toward their parents, but they can’t really help it based on some of the things they put them through. This will be a bit more implicit, but it will be able to be communicated through acting, lighting, set dressing, and camera angles. Finally, they need to understand that Oliver and Anna really like each other and enjoy each other’s company, even though they also struggle with the other’s demons. This will be communicated through blocking.

7.     What is the narrative and thematic purpose of this scene within the larger story?

It is kind of a highly indicative scene of the overall arc of the film. Anna struggles with depression about her father, and she doesn’t want to have to place that sadness on Oliver, but he understands her so well that she does it anyway. As hard as it is to see each other suffer, they both enjoy and appreciate one another at the end of the scene. This scene shows the beginning of their relationship with all these complications, which are all things that both lead them to break up and to come back together again in the end of the film.

8.     What emotion do you want the audience to experience while watching this scene? Why? How, specifically, do you intend to do this?  

I want them to be sad—I want them to empathize with Anna the way that Oliver does. Then, I want them to feel hope and joy as the two of them are able to be a bit lighthearted at the end of the scene. I want them to feel this way so that they understand the dynamic of the relationship, with both its highs and lows. This dynamic is what makes the relationship in the film so complicated, and so powerful. I intend to convey these feelings largely through acting and story, but also by focusing equally on Anna’s experience in the room, and on Oliver’s experience of empathizing with her.

9.     What is the first image of the scene? What is the final image of the scene? Why do you think the director chose these specific images?

The first image is of Oliver, Anna, and Arthur (Oliver’s dog) entering the hotel room, with Oliver rushing to grab the ringing phone. The final image is of Oliver lying on the bed, looking up at Anna standing over him, with both of them smiling.

I think the first image was chosen largely out of narrative purpose. The whole point of the scene is for Anna to share with Oliver what a phone call with her father is like. At the beginning of the scene, Oliver doesn’t understand this, and so is eager to rush to the phone to help. This allows Anna to stop him in his tracks and for the emotional and narrative purposes of the scene to come through.

The final image is more emotional. After having gone through the emotional pain of the scene, Oliver and Anna have remained connected and thus have found a way to lighten the mood. Because of this, they are even more hopeful by the end of the scene, culminating in this hopeful image.

10.  Why is this scene personal to you? What specific personal experience(s) does it remind you of?

I relate a lot to Oliver, who struggles because of his father’s choice to marry a woman (his mother) even though he was gay, and because of his father’s death without fulfillment or closure. Although I don’t have these same issues with my father, the conflict between being gay and other values is very true and real to me as someone who is experiencing those struggles in my own life. A key point of Oliver is that he is able to relate to Anna because of his relationship with his own father. Since I relate to Oliver in this way, I am also able to relate to Anna in this way.

Additionally, this film is about having a relationship with someone with depression. I have several friends who have depression, and though I love them, I often do not know how to help them. Additionally, occasionally, I feel that being with them may be bringing my emotional state down. This film is about this experience, but knowing that the relationship is sometimes more important than its negative side effects. This scene honestly and nicely represents this.

11.  How should the lighting feel in this scene? Why? You may include sample image(s). (Not from the actual film!)

The lighting will feel soft and warm, but somewhat low key. I am doing this partially out of practicality because the scene takes place in a hotel room at night, in which the lighting probably would be warm. However, additionally, I am using this lighting for emotional effect. This is a scene of connection between two people, but it is a difficult connection. The softness of the light is to indicate that there is no danger—that comfort can be found here. The low key-ness will be to indicate that this is difficult and sad. Everything is not perfect and comfortable.

12.  Which two specific visual elements—line, shape, space, tone, color, rhythm, movement—do you intend to use to purposefully communicate the emotion of the scene? (You will be graded on your execution of this plan)

I will use color. Everything in this scene will be warm except for the eyes of the characters. My intention here is to show that everything is comfortable in the relationship, but there is sadness in each of the characters. If the eyes thing isn’t bold/clear enough, I will give each of them one royal blue accessory to keep near their face.

Additionally, I will use line. The room will consist of no diagonals, and I will do my best to keep planes and lines horizontal throughout the scene. I want the attention to be brought to the vertical lines of the human figures in the scene, which will be eased up on when Oliver lies down on the bed near the end of the scene.

13.  In a bulleted list, describe three potential obstacles you may face in creating a successful scene. Describe how can you be prepared to overcome these? Be specific!

One obstacle is location. This takes place in a hotel room with two beds. I would really prefer to not have to rent a hotel room for this because of my financial situation. However, it will probably be hard to find/create a location that matches what is needed without doing so. I will begin looking/brainstorming right away. If needed, however, the option of getting an actual hotel room is always open.

Another obstacle is that this scene features two landlines in one room. While only one of them needs to be working, they should ideally match, and look like they both are functioning. This will be difficult to pull off, considering how rare landlines are nowadays, especially among college students. I will ask around families who live near me to see if I can find someone with landlines.

Finally, casting and acting may be difficult. Anna needs to speak with a slight French accent, and within the scene, the characters act like other people. I need who they are and who they are pretending to be to remain clear and obvious throughout the scene. I will make sure to cast actors that I am confident in for this scene (since it only needs two this should be doable).

Shot List

Lined Script w/ Breakdown