The Movement of the Soul A Short Film Spring 2010 Produced/Directed/Written/Choreographed By Christy Breyman
Treatment: Statement of Purpose: To create a film short incorporating the aesthetic movement of dance while holding on to the idea that dance is more than an art form; it is an expression of life itself. Concept: "We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams." Albert Einstein We are telling a love story; however very little dialogue will be used. Instead, movement will take the place of words. The goal is tell the couple s story completely through dance. Take a good look around a crowded place, your campus, the mall, even a grocery store. People are walking along minding their own business, but beneath their guarded exteriors lie a million-and-one thoughts beating out rhythms in their heads. Stress related to school, or finances or just life in general. Whatever the thoughts are they have a path, a way to make one s expression change. But what if what we were really thinking was reflected outwardly through dance? Our story revolves around Boy and Girl. They have no unique name because they are the mere representation of all love-sick people. We open with a dialogue sequence layered on top of footage showing hundreds of people just walking along, getting on with their normal routines. This is where we get our first glimpse of Boy. As he walks he casually glances about at those passing him. He stops and sits. Opposite the boy, a good distance away we zoom-in on Girl. She is preoccupied with shuffling her many books and papers but glances up as she passes where Boy is sitting. Eye contact is made and both stay completely still for an uncomfortable amount of time, everyone else remains walking around them, perhaps stopping to stare at the awkward pair. A distinct tango begins to play in the background but no one else seems to hear it. Contact is broken and each continues in their own world. The camera breaks away and we focus on other people dealing with their own emotions. They are all walking in different directions but when the camera stops on them we see a white flash and suddenly we can see exactly what they are thinking about expressed through dance. One man looks angry and as we see into his head he dances in frustration. Another person cannot stop smiling and as we gain access to the mind we can see them clutching a paper with a giant A written in red. The person dances in glee. Our final passerby is incredibly hungry as is shown through his mind dance. Throughout the whole short we will jump between the couple and different strangers. The Boy and Girl are the only ones who actually dance. Each time they meet more is added to their choreography. At first it was just a glance, the next time more steps are added and so on and so forth. They never exchange a word but their relationship grows through the choreography. The film ends with the couple finishing their dance and walking away hand-in-hand. The screen fades to black and we are left with the quote by Albert Einstein.
Target Audience: This film short will be entered into the First Take Film Festival which usually takes place in Augusta, GA during the Masters Golf Tournament, but this year will be held in October. This particular festival strives to bring together various artistic genres to people in an area that may not usually (or easily be exposed) to such varied thoughts and view points. Not only will professional, first-time, and student filmmakers be present to view the art, but the festival will also, act as a trade show where vendors can come and display the latest technology, equipment, and products. Because First Take happens during the Masters, an unusually diverse audience will be present including athletes, celebrities, and locals. According to Scarborough Research, men s golf fans are almost evenly split between men and women with women at 52%. The typical age group ranges from 25-65 year olds who have completed some form of college. They are typically white and middle-class (http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/108393). According to the 2000 census, Augusta, GA s demographics are slightly different. Women are once again present at 52% with the majority of the population being between the ages of 25-54 years old. The African American population is slightly higher at 51.4% with the second highest being White (http://www.helloaugusta.com/census.cfm). Finally, according to the Asheville Film Festival demographics most attendees are female at 68% with 82% of all attendees being college or post-college graduates and 40% have an annual income of $100,000 or above (http://www.ashevillefilmfestival.com/sponsorships/asheville%20film%20festival%20s ponsorship.pdf).
FADE IN: The Movement of the Soul A Film Short Script EXT. FRONT CAMPUS OF GCSU (GEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE UNIVERSITY) AFTERNOON (Students, Boy) We open on the front campus of GCSU where we see many students walking to and from class, some are talking on cell phones or listening to music, but all of them are absorbed in their own little worlds. The camera angle is tilted downward so we have a broader view of the campus. In the background we do not hear the students but instead there is soft, classical harp music playing, letting the audience know they are about to witness a love story. Suddenly we hear a voice. WOMAN S VOICE (V.O.) We are by nature private beings with private thoughts expressed only within the swirling cavities of our mind s eye. Desires, hopes, fears, an endless sea of emotion just waiting to burst forth. EXT. FRONT CAMPUS OF GCSU AFTERNOON (Students, Boy) Angle changes so that now we are on the same level as the students. On the straight sidewalk that runs directly up front campus and leads to the fountain by A&S we can see a tall man walking towards us. His name is Boy. His hands are in his pockets and as he continues up the sidewalk towards us we can see him casually glancing around. He continues walking until it seems he will walk into the camera itself. The harp continues to play and the voice continues. V.O. But what if our innermost reflections became mirrored by movement? EXT. FOUNTAIN BY A&S AFTERNOON (Students, Boy, Girl) The camera angle has changed again so now we watch as Boy continues to walk past us and we see him approach a bench by the fountain and sit down. He pulls out a cell phone and begins to text someone. We zoom-in and get a CU on his face as he glances up. No we are seeing what Boy sees, a LS of a very pretty woman walking up the sidewalk toward him. Her name is Girl. She is busy juggling her many books and papers and does not seem to notice him at first. When she is a few feet away and about to walk the same
sidewalk he had just come by she glances up and their eyes meet. Once they make eye contact the soft harp music in the background changes to a sultry tango. They hold contact for an uncomfortable amount of time, causing those around them to stare as they walk past. As they continue to be still we the camera pan back towards the students walking about. We focus on an individual coming out of the library. EXT. WALKWAY IN FRONT OF THE LIBRARY AFTERNOON (Students, Stressed Out Student) If anyone glanced at her they would not be able to tell what was occurring in her mind, but after a flash we can her dancing out all the stress in her life, nervously biting her nails and spinning around as though never being able to stop. Back to reality. The camera continues to follow her into A&S. Then the shot changes and it is as though she is walking towards the camera she continues past and we transition to a whole new location. INT. A&S MORNING (Students, Boy, Girl) We are now on the second story of A&S at one end of the hallway. Students are sitting on the ground up and down both sides as though waiting for class to begin and the doors to be unlocked. Some are studying; others are talking to their neighbors. Suddenly classes let out and we see a steady stream of people exiting the classrooms. Among those students are Boy and Girl. Coming out of separate classrooms they see and walk towards each other. Once again as soon as the two glimpse each other the tango music begins. Once they reach each other they begin to dance the tango. Not the whole dance but the first 16 counts or so. The students watching look confused or try to walk around them, none seeming to hear the music the two lovebirds do. Just as they suddenly joined hands and danced they just as abruptly stop and walk away from each other in opposite directions and the harp music resumes. INT. ATKINSON HALL AFTERNOON (Students, Boy, Girl, Tired Student, Happy Student) The camera pans about the lower level of Atkinson. Students are sitting on couches or mingling about the tables. The camera focuses on one individual who has a huge smile on his face as he looks at some papers in his hand. A flash and we can see him doing a happy dance because he has aced a test. A second flash bringing us to reality and we begin to follow a student whose flash shows he is extremely tired and burnt out. He stops beside Boy who is waiting for the elevator. The elevator reaches their floor and the doors open to reveal Girl. The tango music begins and the two dance in the elevator along with the tired student who is looking
extremely uncomfortable and awkward. They arrive at their floor and the camera angle has changed so we are now watching the elevator doors open to reveal Boy and Girl dancing. They tango out of the elevator and then go their separate ways and the harp music resumes. EXT. SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THE REFLECTION POOL LATE AFTERNOON (Students, Boy, Girl, Arrogant Student, Sassy Girl) The camera is positioned so that we see students filing out of their dorms or into their dorms. One guy passes by and as he walks one can tell he thinks he is the coolest thing since sliced bread. As we zoom-in on his face there is a flash and he dances the way he feels about himself. Flash again and back to reality. He sees a girl in front of him and winks at her. As they cross the camera switches to her view where she walks away with no expression on her face but after a flash we see her doing a sassy dance. Back to reality. The sassy girl passes Boy and we zoom-in to get a CU as he comes closer. He meets up with Girl and they add more choreography and dance along the reflection pool. They stop and the camera captures their image in the water as we transition to our final scene. EXT. FRONT CAMPUS OF GCSU SUNRISE (Boy, Girl) We fade back in to a shot of front campus again except this time it is sunrise and no one is around. The harp music continues to play and we see a few different shots of the campus. Suddenly we see Boy walking up the right side of the sidewalk. He is looking down but then looks up and stops. The camera now changes to his viewpoint and we see Girl walk up the other side of the sidewalk walking towards him. The harp music swells and when they get close enough to touch we get a MS of just their heads placed close together. They dance once last time to the tango which then fades back to harp as the two lovers walk hand-in-hand down the same sidewalk Boy had walked all by himself before. The screen fades to black and this quote appears on the screen: "We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams." Albert Einstein Fade to Black. Roll credits.
Cast in Order of Appearance: BOY Joe Dumford GIRL..Samantha Carrick STRESSED GIRL.Marianna Miller HAPPY BOY...Anthony English TIRED BOY..Kyle Whitmire ARROGANT BOY...Alex Barhite SASSY GIRL...Joye Server Crew List (depends on the day): Grips: Christi Wright Ashley Ooten Scott Howard Prop List: Cell phone for BOY Papers and schoolbooks for GIRL A paper for HAPPY BOY Budget: To rent a camera for 6 days it costs about $365. To rent a tripod for 6 days it is about $73. The batteries required cost about $22 for 6 days, and the extension cord for 6 days costs about $7. The lighting kit is rented per day and so for 6 days it would cost $750. For a cast and crew of 10 people for 6 days if paid at minimum wage for $7.25 it would probably cost about $3,480. So if I were really ambitious and was able to complete filming this short in 6 days it would still cost me about $4,697.