Final Script

WE FIXED OUR SCRIPT!
remember the 5 page long script the person reading this probably skipped over? Now we have a two page script you can skip over!
Being two pages long will actually let us fit what we want to convey into the time allotted for our introduction. It also removed unnecessary things that did not fit into our plot.
Speaking of plot, this new script is centered around the plot we thought up and is a lot better because we actually knew where we were going with this one.
Without further a-do:

This script is the clear winner between the two.
Although Ricardo and I cannot definitely say that this will be the final script, we don't see any reason to change it.
The putting the boxes in the closet scene is such a crucial part to the story, however, that in the final product more emphasis and care will be applied.
This script is a lot better in representing our character, along with cutting to the chase. We show exactly the character, plot, problem, everything!
I think its pretty close to perfect.
It foreshadows a lot more of the movie and is overall more feasible to film. It also is very clear how writing out the entire plot focused and improved our introduction.
One thing I may change is instead of Trevor actually using the toilet, he would just sit on it and smoke, fully clothed. This is to a) make it slightly more PG-13 and avoid awkward editing, cuts, or shots, b) keep it true to the 70s when you never saw someone without a cigarette in their mouth and c) imply that he is nervous. Since cigarettes are infamous for calming people down, Trevor smoking one would imply its not easy for him to kill. We would have to find fake cigarettes that produce real smoke, though. No smoking allowed.
See you next time!

We planned out an entire movie for a two-minute intro

Yes, I know this is just an intro.

Yes, Ricardo and I planned the entire movie anyways.

Initially, only the plot of the movie was drafted, scripted, and thought out. However, this brought up many,
many problems.We had no idea where our intro was going and we had to idea what to make our
character do, since we didn't even know who he was. Since we had no end goal, and the character had
no story, it was hard to write with a purpose. In creating the entire plot, we were able to make our
introduction more authentic and make it better.

Movie introductions are usually made to hint at the rest of the plot, and many hide "easter eggs" that
relate to the entire movie later on. Therefore, we would not be able to make this introduction without
writing out the entire story.

Without further a-do, here is our story:

Set in the 70s, our main character, Trevor Mazzanti works as a projectionist for his local cinema. He
usually overlooks romance movies and loves to fantasize about his life as a main character in a romance
film. However, he is unable to attain love. We realize he is a pacifist, and heavily opposes the Vietnam
War. He is dating a politician's daughter, and the politician unfortunately approves of the war. However,
this does not create much of a problem with Trevor.

Trevor, whenever he has a victim, cherishes them. He is kind towards them and resents killing them. He
tries to calm and soothe them, acting as a loving figure. Once he does kill them, due to frustration of his
victims not returning the love he believes he feels, he keeps boxes full of "memories" of his victims. Each
box has photos, teeth, hair, and other gross stuff you would never want to find in a box.

After he kills the politician's daughter, he is caught, and goes to trial.

With this plot in mind, Ricardo and I have scripted a great introduction.

Our initial script

Ok Sooooooooo WE MADE A SCRIPT! 

Its really long, therefore it has to be cut down. However, it is a start! 

Ricardo wrote most of this script because he has more experience in screenwriting. However, I looked it over and contributed a lot to this. Ricardo often gets carried away with writing, and writes WAAAAAYYYYY more than he should. However, its better to cut than to have to add. 

This script that we have would probably translate to approximately 5 minutes screen time. Ricardo and I are working on a new, improved, shorter script. 

Anyways, here is the original script:

Apart from it being lengthy, this script strays from the Trevor Ricardo and I want to portray. This character is strange and creepy, borderline psychotic. The whole purpose of making Trevor the way we planned was to make the audience almost sympathize with him. The audience couldn't do that to someone who pretends to murder a mannequin. 

After much discussing, we also believed that the introduction should take less of a focus with his next victim (in this case, his neighbor, which we also changed), and focus more on Trevor. We had to make it seem like these murders weren't planned, they were bumps in the relationship. Therefore, this script was unusable unless we changed our entire movie. 

Now that we know our direction now, though, expect an awesome script by the next post.

See you soon!

Meet Trevor, Your Friendly Neighborhood Serial Killer

Who exactly is Trevor Mazzanti?
Good question.
Heavily inspired by the movie Taxi Driver, Trevor is an interesting character.
The main character of Taxi Driver, Travis Bickle, plans on "cleaning up the streets of New York". He plans, and kills, people that make New York "dirty". Basically, anyone who he doesn't deem fit to live in the city.
Although our character, Trevor, does not have the same intent, he is still based off of Travis (catch the similarity in the names, anyone?). He believes that people need to fit into the picture of perfect romance movies, and if they can't play the part, well then..... yikes.
Trevor doesn't have malicious intent, however. It is his mind that's all twisted and messed up.
As stated a couple of posts ago, Trevor is a lonely projectionist who mainly runs romance movies. He wants to live his life like one, but unrealistic to any human being on earth, he cannot come to terms with the fact that he cannot.
This love translates to him being unusually caring and comforting to his victims before he kills them. Its the only way he can be as caring and kind as a lead man, and maybe this will win him the love of his life.
The 30 year old keeps boxes full of "memories" of his victims, because he still quite loves them, in his own twisted way.
The audience is made to pity and sympathize with Trevor, which is what makes the movie so great. Usually, people don't look at a serial killer and think "awww poor guy". It makes the audience question their thoughts and moral compass. That is what we hope to convey through Trevor.

Planning

My partner, Ricardo, and I have been brainstorming possible genres and story lines for our film opening. Ricardo eventually brought up an idea months in development, which was a horror/ slasher film opening. We have since planned out the dialogue and the basic plot. We decided to follow less dialogue and rather talk through the film. Not only does the lack of dialogue create suspense, it also allows for mystery and audience interpretation. We are depending on the actions to tell the story.
Our script will depend mainly on actions, and we are hoping to use great symbolism in our opening to truly hint at the rest of the film. Soon, we will create our script and plan our scenes shot-by-shot. I am also looking forward towards creating visually pleasing shots, especially with great contrast and saturation. I believe that with time, effort, planning, and patience, we can create an effective and impressive film opening.

Genre: Psychological Thrillers

Psychological thrillers make us question and fear our own minds. They show how our minds can make us perceive the world and act in ways that we would normally never do.

One of the most interesting ways that psychological thrillers affect the audience is it skews our moral compass. Psychological thrillers usually focus on the character, and show or at least

Characters in horror and slasher films are usually separated into victim and killer. The killer is usually cruel, heartless, and indestructible. They are usually driven by revenge and anger. Many of them are supernatural or sociopaths. They are quiet and sneaky, and smart. The victims, on the other hand, are not so bright. They make silly mistakes that make the audience cringe. They are usually young, female, naive, and foolish.
The plot of slasher movies, although may alternate, follows the same tropes. There is the killer, victim, and survivor. The killer usually has a deep, tragic, backstory and the victim has usually committed some type of wrongdoing. The killer and the victim are trapped in a small area, usually, and it is inescapable. The victim and killer run around, but usually the killer wins and kills the victim. Many times, there is usually a sexual scene or relationship in the movie as well. Many films also have jump-scares, just to fuel the adrenaline rush in the audience. Sometimes, the killer re-emerges and comes back in the most unexpected way.
Many special effects are used in these films in order to show the deaths. Usually produced with cgi or makeup, they are bloody and graphic. They require special effects to pull these off on screen. Especially when the supernatural is involved, it is necessary for technology to play a part in creating the final product. Technology is necessary for the entire story to be pulled together and the audience the get the full experience of the story and the characters.

“Slasher Movie.” TV Tropes, tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SlasherMovie.
"Write a Slasher Horror Story / So You Want To.” TV Tropes, tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SoYouWantTo/WriteASlasherHorrorStory.

Media Representation: High School Students/ Teenagers

       The media is known to represent High School kids and teenagers in an unrealistically and inaccurately. The media usually represents teenagers as lazy, rebellious, rude, and often portray them as being separated into different cliques. In "Mean Girls", the teenage girls are seen as moody, vengeful and petty, and the entire school is separated into exclusive groups. They describe teenagers and high school as the most critical moment in one's life, filled with drama and problems they must resolve. Another film, "Bring it On", also portrays high school girls as competitive and petty, and makes cheerleaders the stereotypical "queens of the school". It does not show these teenagers worried about school or any other responsibility teenagers usually have, but rather they are focused on drama and school gossip. It is important to note that in both of these films, romance is a major driving factor in the plot and the characters' decisions, and the teenage characters are played by full-grown adults.
      I believe that these representations are neither fair nor correct. Although friend groups may revolve around similar interests, they are never as exclusive as portrayed on film. Most high school students worry about their SAT scores and test grades to be caught up in petty drama, and overall, the high school experience is not as dramatic as portrayed. All in all, most high school kids worry more about their grades and college admissions than they do about relationships, drama, or revenge. It is also worth noting that your seat in a high school cafeteria is not the most important decision of your entire life.
    One representation of high school teenagers I would retain is the trope that at the end of the day, everything is resolved and that everything turns out okay. It is a nice change from all of the negative representations of teenagers in the media. It also tends to overturn all of the negative representation from earlier in the film. Although I would challenge almost all media stereotypes of teenagers, the two I would focus on is body image and laziness. Although there are many reasons why actual teenagers cannot be hired to play high school children, hiring adults may be harmful to teenagers' body image. Adults with clear skin, fully developed bodies, and a slim, mature figure may cause insecurity and doubt in many teenagers. Girls may question why they don't have the same body type or skin as the model we constantly see on screen, and high school boys may wonder how this "teenager" presented in front of them happens to be over 6 feet tall and extremely muscular and developed. I would also challenge the stereotype that teenagers are lazy in nature. Although there are lazy teenagers, most students must balance school, work, homework, extracurriculars, sports or physical activities, family time, and sleep all into 24 hours. Being a teenager is exhausting, and not seeing the hard work represented in the media makes teenagers feel as if though all the things they juggle in a say are not enough, and they are still lazy, unmotivated creatures.