Film Studies Blog Post 8 : Final Script

 The Script below is the final Script for my Short Film, including Stage directions and a Plot outline.

This is Script however, might change later one as I get closer to filming 

Loop – A Short Film

By Marcus Bale

Black Screen

EXT. STREET

Camera is positioned from a distance in a wide establishing shot of the house

In the top right the Day counter of 1 can be seen

Title card LOOP appears on screen, as it cuts to Alexa’s blue ring as alarm hits 7:00 and starts playing

As title card fades out, outstretched hands appears across the frame to turn it off, OLLIE wakes up, opening the curtains as montage begins

 

INT. BEDROOM/HOME – MORNING

OLLIE

Hey Alexa play my morning playlist

Cuts to shot from him opening the curtains to Alexa again, starting his morning routine, song plays – “ I want to break free”

MONTAGE BEGINS:

Taking clothes off rack

Brushing teeth

Tying tie

Pouring Orange juice

Toast popping out toaster

Opening cutlery draw

Buttering toast

 

Cuts to the door being closed as the camera pans to the Calendar which reads 10th December.

 

EXT. PATH - MORNING

Cuts to OLLIE walking to school with WILL, wide establishing shot of path. Two friends are in shot whilst a stranger walks by.

WILL bumps into stranger as coffee, keys and books are dropped on floor

Quick cut as school bell is heard and book is slammed onto classroom table

 

INT. CLASSROOM - DAY

Camera is positioned on the desk, gradually zooming outwards until in front of the Will

whilst doing work, bored, slump facial expressions and minimal movement

Cuts to a shot of the clock, ticking sound is made louder, for emphasis

Cuts to camera positioned behind the character, in shot we can see classmates and teacher.

Will glances at someone carrying books, cuts to camera positioned in Infront of WILL again, as we see someone drop books in the background

Quick cut as OLLIE and Will open corridor doors

 

INT. CORRIDOR – DAY

Cuts to OLLIE and WILL walking through school corridor, talking to each other

As he turns the corner, he suddenly trips over, hitting his head, cutting to his head slamming against the floor.

CUTS TO BLACK

BLACK SCREEN

 

INT. BEDROOM/HOME – MORNING

Day counter appears again showing day 2

Alarm clock can be heard fading in and eventually getting louder, until stop

Camera is positioned above bedside table, as CHARACTERS hand reaches across

Quick cut to character turning it off as he starts his morning routine, song plays – “ I want to break free”

 

MONTAGE BEGINS:

Opening curtains

Taking clothes off rack

Brushing teeth

Tying tie

Pouring Orange juice

Toast popping out toaster

Opening cutlery draw

Buttering toast

 

Cuts to door closing as camera pans across to calendar, which still reads 10th December.

CUTS TO BLACK

 

EXT. PATH - Morning

Cuts to 10 mph road speed sign, as OLLIE and WILL walk to school

Camera is positioned behind, but cuts in front just before

As WILL bumps into stranger again, coffee and books are dropped on floor again.

They help pick up his belongings, as they carry on walking towards camera, until the stop.

Character turns and at his friend

 

OLLIE

(confused, shocked facial expressions)

Do ever feel like you’ve seen something before

WILL

What like déjà vu

OLLIE

Sort of yeah, I can swear that I’ve seen this before,

Turns back looking backwards at where the stranger once was

That person and this

Pointing behind him

Camera sinks into ground, Invisible cut

 

INT.CLASSROOM – DAY

School bell is played, fading out

Camera rises from floor and is positioned in a medium shot towards character

 

 

Talking can be heard, fading out more as scene continues

OllIE can be seen doing both work and looking up towards teacher

As we see someone fall over in background again,

Character quickly looks down and again at the clock

Cuts to clock, zooms in and zooms out again in corridor

 

INT. CORRIDOR – DAY

Walking through corridor , as camera is positioned high (Close to the ceiling)

Cuts to them opening corridor doors

OLLIE

thingy, fell over again today and I could swear

Camera then tracks them from behind

Character steps over foot, avoiding getting tripped up

WILL

You were saying

Saying it whilst turning back

OLLIE

Doesn’t matter because

Walks around a corner, until door slams into camera/OLLIE’S face.

 

CUTS TO BLACK

INT. BEDROOM – MORNING/HOME

Alarm clock fades in getting louder, until sudden stop

Day counter three fades quickly in and out, top right

Camera is positioned above alarm; the blue ring appears as it turns 7:00 and alarm is played. Character wakes up, turns off alarm, as curtains are opened.

Cuts to shot of him starting his morning routine, song plays – “ I want to break free”

MONTAGE BEGINS:

Taking clothes off rack

Brushing teeth

Tying tie

Pouring Orange juice

Toast popping out toaster

Opening cutlery draw

Buttering toast

 

Cuts to front door closing, as camera pans to calendar which shows 10th December, as day hasn’t changed

 

EXT. PATH – Morning

Cuts to wide shot path

WILL is leant up against the lamp as the shot changes from a wide, establishing shot to a medium which follows Infront.

They begin walking together as OLLIE quickly moves Will out of the way, before being knocked into

They stop walking as OLLIE looks confused and worried

WILL

What’s up

OLLIE

I have seen before that person

Turns back pointing at stranger

WILL

It’s probably just déjà vu

OLLIE

No because you said that yesterday

WILL

We didn’t see each yesterday

Pause as OLLIE looks clueless around him

OLLIE

What date is it today

WILL

The 10th, why

Quickly cuts to flashbacks of previous day (walking to school, falling over in class)

Character has his moment of recognition, sick looking facial expressions, and movement as he turns walks into the camera

OLLIE

Doesn’t matter, leave it

Both walk towards the camera in an invisible shot as camera rises from being OLLIE in class

OLLIE glances at person carrying books around

Cutting then to a medium shot in front, as OLLIE looks directly into the camera and snaps his finger as they fall over, cutting to black as soon as he clicks his fingers

BLACK SCREEN

INT. CORRIDOR – DAY

Wide shot of school corridor as OLLIE and Will walk and stop at their lockers.

OLLIE

I need to tell you something, but this doesn’t go any further alright, and don’t laugh

As he points his finger at Will

WILL

Alright then,

As he shrugs his shoulders slightly

Pause

OLLIE

I think I’m reliving the same day

WILL

Laughing, no really what’s the matter

OLLIE

For me, we spoke like this yesterday, somebody in science fell over with the same books again and in the morning, if I wasn’t for me, you would of bumped into a stranger and drop everything

And in 5 seconds that door is gonna slam open

Pause

Door is frame

Door eventually opens

I haven’t just seen this before; I’ve lived it at this precise time

He points and taps at his watch; camera is positioned at a close up

 

As scene changes from a clockwise wipe

The day counter is centred frame, quickly rising as days increase until stopping at 21’680 and then ticking over to day 21’681

Alarm is turned on and off in a montage

With the day counter increasing in the top corner, whilst getting faster

Quickly cuts to OLDER OLLIE looking at camera in a close up which gradually zooms out until COUNCILOR speaks

Day counter reads – DAY 21’681

INT. OFFICE - DAY

COUNCILOR

It’s quite sudden, to want an appointment

OLDER OLLIE looks into the mirror to the right and sees his younger self

Cuts to a wide shot of the office, as both are in shot, sitting at the table

As OLDER OLLIE looks back again

OLDER OLLIE

For you, its new, but for me um, we’ve done this thousands of times

COUNCILOR

We can all feel like that

CHARACER

It’s not a feeling

COUNCILOR

Then what is it

OLDER OLLIE

I thought it was just déjà vu but apparently, I relive the 10th December 2020 every day, I wake up to the same song every day, to the same show on the television

COUNCILOR

And…

OLDER OLLIE

Like I said, for you, this is new

But for me I’ve walked to school thousands of times, seen the same person fall over thousands of times, hit my head thousands of times and I’ve heard you look at me and say that thousands of times

COUNCILOR

Alright then well, if you’ve heard say this before, instead of not believing you, what if I ask

How does it feel, honestly and then how many times

Really…

OLDER OLLIE

21’681 days

Pause

Cuts to a wide shot again, of the office

To everyone around me I look the same

COUNCILOR

And that’s a problem

OLDER OLLIE

I don’t see myself like that anymore, I’ve lived this day so many times, like no other

I’ve still changed

COUNCILOR

Go on

OLDER OLLIE

I’ve aged and still I’m stuck

Cuts to a wide shot, as COUNCILOR looks and writes something down

Camera then cuts in front of COUNCILOR as she looks up

COUNCILOR

Well, I don’t see it

Camera gradually pans around her until the camera is positioned is behind her with in front blurred.

As OLLIE speaks, the blur disappears as we see YOUNGER OLLIE

OLLIE

Its because your not stuck in a loop

CUTS TO BLACK

CREDITS

THE END

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