Notes: Soft in Relation to Marilyn Milgrom's 'The Script'

These notes explore Simon Ellis' Soft, and applies theory from Marilyn Milgrom's 'The Script'.

Unity

Milgrom states that each new scene should reveal something to the audience that they didn't know before.

Causality

If each new scene moves the narrative forwards, then the filmmaker can ensure that the end couldn't have happened any earlier.

Soft (2006)

Written and Directed by Simon Ellis 

Issues: Gangs, Bullying, Crime/Violence, Anti Social Behaviour,  Youth Rivalry/Influence, Lack of things to do/ Boredom, Neglect, Poverty, Masculinity- Pride and Communication, Example/ Role modelling, Power (shifts and coming of age)  

Themes: 'Fight or flight', 'Nature/Nurture', 'Apperance vs Reality', 'Violence/ Peace'

Unity and Causality

First scene: running/ from a camera's POV

Second scene: Car pulling into parking space outside of home - street does not suggest poverty and contrasts in nature from previous scene

Third scene: Links previous two scenes together, as the man is coming into the house in which the boy is playing loud music. The boy is withdrawn, and having issues communicating with his father.

Crosscutting between the man's journey and the people outside the corner shop: First visible sign of intimidation after the initial phone footage, this time on the public.

Scene with father and son: 'Do as I say not what I do'- dilemma for son and father

Next scene: Power of father is diminishing whilst the gang outside are becoming more powerful.

By the end of the film, the power has been shifted from the father to the son.

Want/Need/ Obligation

Fathers POV

Want: pride and power over his house/son etc

Need: to eradicate teen gang from his area

Obligation: to bring up his son and keep him safe

In the media in 2006, a long standing focus on young people and violence began circulating the UK. This includes anti social behaviour, youth attire and the creation of stereotypes.

Notes: The Girl in the Lay By in Relation to Marilyn Milgrom's 'The Script'

These notes looks at Sarah Gavron's 'The Girl in the Lay By', and relates it back to Marilyn Milgrom's 'The Script', by applying her 10 point plan to the narrative.

Milgrom's 10 point plan:

If the filmmaker is able to pitch their script in under a minute using the ten point plan, it suggests a good spine for the story.

-Title
-Genre/Tone
-Setting
-Main Character
-Want/Need/Obligation
-Opposition
-Catalyst for Change
-Climax
-Resolution
-Themes

'The Girl in the Lay By' 
Directed by Sarah Gavron
Title is a metaphor. It has literal meaning, but it suggests that her life isn't going anywhere.
Genre- Drama; straight and sincere with a sombre, melancholic tone
Setting- Middle of nowhere- stasis Made in around 2002, set in early 90s
Main Character- Girl
Want/Need/Obligation- Wants to get away from job and travel to New York, Needs someone to help her gain confidence, Obliged to work
Opposition- Her boss
Catalyst for Change- Old man
Climax-
Resolution- Some things are often resolved, but others are left open to question. Some narratives are cyclical, which is a resolution of some sorts, as the problems are still there, but are adjusted.
Audience Thinks and Feels - Not an issue to have them asking questions at the end, but they need to be able to understand some aspects of it. The audience should be thinking and feeling.

Notes: Gasman in Relation to Marilyn Milgrom's 'The Script'

The following notes looks at Lynne Ramsay's Gasman, and uses it as an example to think about the 'problem' section of Marilyn Milgrom's 'The Script'.

Making the problem manifest to the audience

You need to make them see it, as they are not in the protagonists head

Gasman (1998)

Wizard of Oz reference- 'no place like home', is ironic when her idea of home is somewhat distorted 

Mother is seen as antagonist, she is not the girl's favourite parent

The girl definitely favours her father

The silence and facial expression shows the first moment in which something doesn't feel right

Narrative is fairly long. The problem is introduced at 5:02, and so a 5 minute narrative will have to be introduced much sooner

Seen as an ideal Christmas party for the little girl

Neglect seen from adults whilst children are misbehaving and fighting

The colour palette and camera movement tells audience that something bad is about to happen

The girl thinks about throwing the rock in the direction of the girl and her mother, but doesn't; the audience isn't told all the answers so they can guess what she is thinking

This is the end of the journey; literal and metaphorical

The girl has come to the realisation that the world isn't a perfect place

Are the Stakes High Enough?

When the filmmaker sets up the narrative to show what the character has to lose, the audience can understand why they need to resolve this issue.

The Best Point of View
A different point of view changes the meaning of a story, as each character has a different ending.
Many short scripts fall down when the point of view switches to someone else half way through, as the audience can't connect with either.

What Does My Story Mean?
Awareness of the meaning of the story is important when refining and developing the script.

The Tone of the Film
Tone is intimately connected to genre, which can cause implications as genre isn't seen to be as important to classify short films. It also causes implications because the audience are not expecting the tone for a cynical narrative to be set up in comical way, for example.

Tone emerges from the way each narrative element supports the underlying meaning fo a story.

Summary:
There needs to be a change in protagonist. The audience will feel underwhelmed if the change isn't great enough.

The change in character/event must be:

*Universally significant- make sure it expands what you are passionate about to others too, must effect other people

- a moment that is of significance to the protagonist - whether they know it or not

- are the stakes high enough?