Production Evaluation

My task for the production was to create a DVD cover and a promotional poster for my television drama. The DVD cover is for the first season of the television drama, and the poster will be advertising to sell the television drama.

My first part of conducted research was to look at existing DVD covers for television dramas. I chose three to analyse the layout, images, and uses of colour, camera angles, characters and other generic conventions. I used the analysed features to put towards the progress of my own DVD cover and poster. This will be helpful as I will be able to see what makes them good and what is similar about them so I can mimic it.

Once this research was done I could create some ideas for my DVD cover and poster. I drew out eight sketches, showing where I could put things on them, then four bigger pictures of the four best ones, and then two large pictures of my best two with text on them, which would help when I had to actually do them later on.

Next, as I did with the pre-production pieces, I carried out a focus group test. I chose a group of people to answer some questions about the DVD cover and poster I made. I asked them a set of open questions to get a better glimpse of their opinion. It was good to use open questions because then I could get specific responses, to make them look better and I could give the audience what they want. The suggestions they gave me helped them to look a lot better.

The target audience of the television drama is for young people aged 16-24. Knowing the target audience meant that I could cater the poster and cover for what attracted people of that age. Both of them are simplistic, with bold lettering. This makes for a quick and easy read which is what most young people will tend to prefer. My font is quite simple on the poster, and the two lines of text are different. This is similar to the DVD cover I researched for ‘Supernatural’ where the same type of text was used. The use of the ‘15’ rated logo also determines the target audience because it means that there will be content in the show that means that It needs to be that rating, and that will appeal to young people. There is also the used of the male and female gaze. Laura Mulvey’s theory states that people will watch the media for pleasure, relying on scopephillia, also linking to the uses and gratifications surveillance.

The DVD cover and promotional poster both use visual and technical codes. For my cover I used three images and for my poster I used one. On the individual shots used we see the main protagonists alone, each doing their individual thing, so we assume that they maybe do not know each other or that they do not like/talk to each other. Then, we see a juxtaposition because on the poster they are laughing and talking as a group. This challenges the stereotypes of young adults because although they seem to not like each other when they are not together, when in a group, can talk very easily together. In the editing on the photographs, there is a lot of natural light which makes them look more youthful because they are outside, and is iconic to being young as they are outside with friends.

The attention of the audience is captured through the use of direct mode of address used on both the cover and poster. The direct mode of address- the way the characters look, gives the audience personal identity, meaning they can relate to the characters in one way or another, either by their age or appearance, or even the troubles they face in the text. This is similar to the DVD cover I researched for ‘Merlin’ because in that all of the main protagonists on the cover are giving the audience direct mode of address too.

Because of this, we are lead to the audience effect theory of uses and gratifications. These are the main reasons people engage and interact with the media. The ones implemented in my television drama are;

-          Personal identity: The audience would watch the show and put themselves in the shoes of the characters, relating to them and comparing themselves with the characters, either by appearance, attitude, or the problems they face.

-          Escapism: The audience would watch the drama as means of their entertainment, and to escape from routines and escape problems/stresses.

-          Personal relationships: The audience would look at the relationships between the characters and compare them to what they have.

In conclusion, my DVD cover and my promotional poster were designed for my television drama through my own ideas and the responses that I got from my open questions questionnaires, also with the help of the media theories.

Pre-Production Evaluation

The task we were given was to create a television drama. The pre-production of the task was to write a script, and involved writing a 10-15 minutes section of the script, for any part in the series for the drama.

To start off with, I jotted down my ideas for what I could potentially write about. I wrote a list of them to show how many different ideas I could use. I thought a lot about the types of television programmes I enjoyed and this helped to influence my decision. This helped because it meant that if I was having second thoughts about doing one of them, I could just as easily choose another to do. I didn’t really change genre as such, I knew what I wanted to do in that aspect.

When I had my idea, I wrote it down in a brief. The idea I had chosen to write about was a teen drama, revolving around both teenagers and young adults, and it was going to be called ‘A splitting of the mind.’ I gave a small description of what the show was going to be about, then as I only had to script 10-15 minutes of the show, I decided to write the first section of the first episode.

I next created a questionnaire. This was going to be an important part of the task as it would largely influence the way my script turned out. I asked closed questions so I would get clear answers that would definitely be helpful. Some of my questions included what television shows they liked the most, how many characters they liked to be included and what channel they tend to watch the most of. This helped me choose the type of channel I thought it would be best broadcast on, and what time it would be aired, as both are vital in attracting an audience. When I got my responses I created graphs and charts so I could see clearly the responses and see if they were any patterns or trends in the results. I then wrote a short analysis under all of my results.

I then wrote the first draft of my script. It was very roughly written as I had written the main plot for the episode, but I hadn’t yet researched about the concept of script writing successfully. I would later go on to change it after conducting research about this. All of the research I did was vital to pre-production; I did things like brought up scripts of popular shows, and show that I enjoyed watching, looked at what was common in them, annotated them and then tried to incorporate that in my own draft. I then watched some television dramas, to analyse the key elements of cinematography and Mise-en-scene that have been used in them, so I could then use it.

I then had to choose a focus group, who could answer the set of questions that I wrote about how I could Improve the way I had been writing my drama. My focus group was who the target audience for the drama was (16-25 years) For these i gave open questions, that way they could be more opinionated and that would be a lot more useful to me. This helped massively because, as they wrote what they thought, i could then change my script a lot more drastically than if i had just asked them closed questions, like i did with the questionnaire. I asked three people their opinion on five questions, and wrote an analysis of my findings.
My script was not yet good enough, so i conducted research on the generic conventions of screenplays, and this explained the finer details such as the font, text size and layout. I then had to make a third draft; it had now started to look a lot more like an actual script for a drama now. My focus group mentioned that I should develop my characters more, because they didn't quite add up to how I wanted them to come across when they read it. Scripts are for the actors and the directors, so I had a few people act out bits of my script to see whether it went smoothly or if I needed to change it- due to stumbling on large chunks of dialogue or talking mechanically. This created the fourth draft of the script.
Asking people’s opinions and writing them down was vital in improving my work because if I didn't get a second opinion and use it then my script wouldn't have improved as much as it did. Making sure I used all of my feedback accordingly gave me a successful pre-production. 

DVD Poster

DVD Cover

Focus Group Test For Poster

The majority of the people i asked about my poster said the same thing, that i should put all of the main protagonists on it. I plan to do this by maybe getting a picture of them stood outside all together as this looks good and is not too difficult to put together in a short amount of time. They also said that i should put the title and the tagline diagonally across from each other so i will do just that.

DVD Poster Designs

DVD Cover Designs

Focus Group Test for Cover

Most people i asked thought that i should try and show all of the characters on the cover. I intend to do that, by  maybe putting the main two on the front, and a couple more on the back maybe. They also thought, most of them, that i should have text at the top of the back page, and then a couple of pictures in the middle. The majority thought that i should have ratings and reviews somewhere on there so i will try to include those as well.

Supernatural TV poster analysis.

This is the TV poster for the show Supernatural. At the top right hand corner there is a couple of things. There is the Cleveland's logo for Warner Brothers, this will make people want to watch this because it tells you to expect a certain thing just from that. Next to that is the time that it is being aired and what channel- this will also give an indication of the quality of the show.
Then at the bottom of the page there is the name 'Supernatural' that is in the iconic font of the show- fans will recognize it as being so. It is the largest text on the show and the most important so people will see that first and because that is the biggest possible clue to what the show is about then it'll make people watch it. Underneath that is the tagline "Fear is a luxury." This creates an enigma because you don't know why that was significant enough to be included in the poster.
The genre for the show is horror and supernatural. The poster shows us that because of the location. Horrors are often shot in the woods because of the budget of the show and also because it will make it more cutting edge, if the characters are being chased through busy streets, it will have not nearly enough of the same effect of if they are being chased along an abandoned road or through woodland.
Also in the poster we can see the two main protagonists- Sam and Dean Winchester. They are stood next to their car- an iconic symbol of the show. Dean is closer to the audience- signifying that he is the eldest and is protecting his brother Sam who is behind both him and the car. Both of them are looking off into the distance- at something we cannot see worriedly. This creates an enigma because we do not know what they are looking at, and why they are looking shocked and panicked. There is a filter of light from the top right hand corner of the screen but they are not included in such light- this could mean that they are not light, that they are dark.

Smallville TV Poster Analysis

This is the TV poster for the series Smallville. There is a lot going on in this poster. In the bottom right hand corner we can see the Smallville logo and then the night it is on. This will make people want to watch it because it tells you exactly when, so you can make the time to watch it, or if they normally don't watch anything that night. Then it gives the channel network it is being aired on so this will suggest the type and quality of the show- if you are a fan of the other work that they put out then you may be more inclined to watch the new show if it has been advertised.
The poster seems to be almost split in two. One of the halves is a big image of a closeup of the main protagonist  Clark Kent's face. It is a close up to emphasize his facial expressions which is worried. It creates the enigma of what is he looking at, he is giving us the direct mode of address so we cannot see what he is looking at.
Next to Clark we see a silhouette of a girl. Because Smallville is about superman before he gets his abilities  even if people do not know that, this gives us a clue. This is because she is in the air reflecting the 'superman' type pose. Beside her is the tagline "The new girl... friend or foe?" This is confusing for the audience, because she is in the superhero type of persona we wonder why she could possibly be a foe.
Finally, in the top left hand corner we can see the skyline of Metropolis. This is a very important part of the show because it is where Lex Luthur lives. The skyline goes all the way along the poster, behind Clark so it makes us wonder what connections he has to the city.

Merlin TV Poster Analysis

This is the television poster for the show Merlin. Unlike the other there is no logo or time for when it is aired. For the top third of the page the background is white with snow, and a mysterious looking tower on the right.      It provides a major contrast to the bottom two thirds of the page which is black. In front of the snowy landscape is the name of the show in large, old looking gold font. It is the iconic logo for the show, and that is the way it is shown on their merchandise and in the show itself. So when people see it later on they will know where they have seen it previously straight away. Everything is dark on the poster expect from that so it gives the audience a sense of mystery.
The genre for the show is fantasy. And there are lots of things in the poster that are indexical to the fantasy genre, and also the well know Arthurian legends.  This is things like swords, fire, Merlin about to perform magic and Morgana along with the other obvious characters.
Then in the middle of the page we see the main five protagonists. Four are the same size, and then one of them is a lot larger. The top two are Gwen and Morgana. Because they are so iconic to the show, and people would know about their rivalry, how they were friends and then after Morgana turned evil, they became fierce enemies. Gwen is bathed in light and is looking majestic in fancy clothes and fine jewelry, and Morgana is cast in shadows with her hood up wearing dark clothes looking sullen.
The bottom two are Arthur and Gaius. All of the characters in the poster are giving the audience a direct mode of address. Arthur is holding a sword, and looks to be wearing chain mail and armour. This tells the audience that he is the strongest of the characters shown, and that he will be the hero of the text. Gaius is clearly the oldest member in the text, and he looks quite odd next to the other four young people on the poster. He could be the father figure for them.
Then, directly in the middle is Merlin- the main protagonist  He has the biggest space on the poster and this shows his importance. He has a ring of fire around him and has his hand raised in front of him, giving direct mode of address. This creates the enigma of why is he more important than everyone else, what else can he do?

Ghost Whisperer Season 1 DVD Cover Analysis

The front cover of the Ghost Whisperer DVD has quite a lot going on and so it gives a good indication on what the show will be about. The background and main color for both the back and front of the cover is purple. Purple is a very feminine color and this reflects the main protagonist Melinda as she is female. 
On the front cover it says the the actress's name who plays Melinda, and then the name of the show along with a little caption saying it is the first series. All of the text on the cover is white and so contrasts with the purple and black background. There is also a subheading saying "The dead are talking... And she is listening." This will give a big indication on what the show will be about, along with the title. 
The background of the cover is black and purple mostly, quite dark overall. This makes the way Melinda is represented very contrasting. You can see her from the bottom of her shoulder up, and she is wearing pale clothing to show that she is light in contrast to the dark around her. She is stood sideways with her head facing you, this adds a hint of mystery about her.
On the title, the O is a moon and there is a spider on the corner of the text. Both these have connotations towards the horror or supernatural genre. When people see that it will then attract the fans of that genre to want to watch the series. Above that says the main protagonists actors name. Because they are in relatively the same size font this guides us towards the fact that both will make people want to watch it- the title for it's genre conventions and the name because of her status in acting. Also on the front cover is a shadowy figure of a man wearing a hat with his back to us. This creates an enigma because we want to find out who he is and why is he such an important person in the series for him to be on the front cover.
On the back page the layout is quite different to most covers. At the top we have the actors name, the title and text saying which season it is, all in the same font as on the spine and the front cover. Then, underneath that there is a couple of paragraphs of a blurb telling you a little bit about the series. It tells you about how Melinda got her ability and briefly about a couple of her missions, then tells you that there are "22 First Season Episodes" in this season. Then underneath that there is a line of five pictures- screenshots from the series. They are all joined together, this looks neat as there is no line dividing them up. Two of them are of Melinda, one of them is of the shadowy man wearing a hat, one of them is of a woman, and the last of a man. Obviously we have no idea about who the last four people really are, so this is just one big enigma.
Then underneath that is another interesting quote from the show "What happens to these people in their last moments really matters." This is putting together the pieces of the puzzle into telling people what the show is about. Then there is a long list of the bonus features on the DVD, like the blooper reel and 'A tour of Grandview.' But on either side of that is two strange pictures. On the left hand side is a dress with wings, and on the right hand side is a suit with wings. They are both purple, so fit well into the background. The technical details are tiny compared to most, and only really contain the bare minimum.

Sherlock Season 1 DVD Cover Analysis

The DVD cover for the BBC's take on Sherlock Holmes does not necessarily have a lot going on, but is still an effective and eye catching cover. On the first page, the front,    there is a picture of the two main protagonists- Sherlock and John Watson. Both men are giving a direct mode of address and their look almost looks confrontational. They are wearing dark clothing so this suggests they are quite dark themselves and that they walk around unnoticed. Sherlock is stood slightly in front of Watson so this suggests a lot of things, the first being that he is the one in charge of whatever they do, the one with all of the authority.  Another thing it could suggest is that Watson needs protecting, and Sherlock is his protector and looks after him, like a sibling type of relationship. 
In the background of the image they are stood on a bridge and there is the backdrop of London in the background. This gives an indication as to where it is going to be set and what it is going to be like as it shows the London eye and large office type buildings. 
Throughout the cover the same kind of font is used. It is a very masculine one, suggesting that this text could be mostly aimed at males.
The logo for the BBC is both on the spine of the DVD and on the back. The BBC are well known for showing good standard of programmes, so the fact that the logo for that is in plain sight will appeal to people, they will assume that it is a good series and worth watching. 
They have also put a lot of different reviews on the cover, they have ones from heat magazine saying they give it five stars, from The Daily Telegraph saying "Sherlock Holmes, brilliantly reinvented." And from more places such as The Independent and The Mail on Sunday's. They have put in a range of places where they got their ratings and comments from, heat magazine to the mail on Sunday is a massive leap down the class scale. This is purely to keep up the idea of trying to make everyone think it is directed at them, that they are the target audience in order for them to buy it. 
Around the reviews is the outline of Sherlock, the back cover is very simple but effective. Then there is the technical details, such as the rating and whatnot. It also has a few faded out photos, a skull, some old looking buildings and a man sat at a table looking through a microscope. 

Supernatural Season 1 DVD Cover Analysis

The front cover of the Supernatural DVD has a lot going on and instantly catches your gaze, and immediately stands out. The two main protagonists, brothers Sam and Dean Winchester are amongst the many things on it. The character more at the front of the image is Dean; he is fully facing the audience, giving it a direct mode of address, he is also holding a pistol. This, in contrast with his normal clothing- ripped jeans, a collared leather jacket and a t shirt, all dark, gives off the impression that he is dark. This is in contrast to the lighting that is there, you can see the headlights from their car, which is an important part of the television show and an iconic symbol for it because it is so recognizable and a rare car. Because Dean is stood in front of his brother, it shows that he is the older and almost protector of the people, and his brother also, representing him as a strong masculine figure.

The lighting gives them an almost holy look, their job is to find leads of anything odd going on around America, and then go after them, hunting demons and other types of evil. The lighting emphasizes that even though they are clad in black, they are out saving and helping people even if they are indeed killing things. Even if you do not know about the show, the name ‘Supernatural’ is in a large, masculine font- long, slim letters, showing the masculinity of these men. Behind them in the top half of the image is a sky, with dark clouds and lightening, this could be  foreshadowing of the problems they face and the deep emotional problems they have to deal with.

The other man in the image is Sam. He is exhibited to be very different to his brother in this scene.  He is stood slightly behind him holding a knife- again emphasizing that they are dangerous and need weapons, on the flip side it shows a bit about their lives, they need weapons so are obviously in danger a lot of the time. Sam is not giving a direct mode of address as his brother is- he is looking at the camera but his body is facing away. This gives him an air of mystery about him- you wonder what is maybe distracting him and what he has to do with the other things in the image. 

To their left, under the car is a massive bag of rock salt. This is also a very iconic thing to the show, and a very important supernatural symbol.
On the back of the cover, there is eight images from the show and then a chunk of text which is the blurb, and then the technical details. All of the images show important scenes- and so the exciting scenes, this makes it look appealing to the audience and make them want to watch it. On quite a few of them, the background colours are mainly red. This has connotations of danger, blood (which some of the characters are covered in) and this is emphasized by the background colour of the back cover. 

In the blurb, the text is separated into two main parts- the bottom half is plain white writing, all of the text the same size and font. The top paragraph is in yellow font, and certain words are bold and bigger than the rest, such as "Sam, Dean Winchester, Hunted, Spirits, Spooks, Terrorize, Living." This gives an even bigger inclination to appeal to the Syfy/supernatural fans by making the words bigger it shows how important certain things are to the show.

The supernatural genre has been a big influence in making the cover- there is a lot of typical conventions of the genre on the cover. This includes the weapons the main protagonists are holding- the pistol and then curved knife. Then there is the iconic massive bag of rock salt.

Script Take 5

Fifth Draft of Media Script.

1, EXT A car park next to a main road, surrounded by office type buildings, then to a reception office. 9:00AM.

The camera tracks along the front of a large grey building, zooming in on the peeling paintwork and the fading lettering on the front door.

Diegetic sound of high heeled shoes on pavement, a shot of the same feet walking, a smart, business looking woman walks into the building.

BUSINESS WOMAN:

[To receptionist, well-spoken tone]

 Good morning Mrs Greenford.

The receptionist looks up from her paperwork, immediately putting her papers aside and looking at her computer, then turning to smile at the business woman.

RECEPTIONIST:

Good morning Amanda, would you like me to fax

your days appointments to your office?

AMANDA:

[Smiling and nodding slightly] 

Yes, that would be excellent, thank you.

She walks down the corridor into an office, sits down at her desk and begins to scribble down a few notes on a piece of paper that is on her desk.

The camera returns to the front of the building where once more there is a diegetic sound of shoes, this time scuffing along the floor slightly, a man of around twenty one walks up to the building. Zoom in on his name badge, which reads ‘Ryan.’

RYAN:

[Grins cheerfully] Hey! Uh…

He peers at her name badge, which reads ‘Melody Greenford.’

…Melody!

MRS GREENFORD:

[Peers down her glasses at him, the camera changes to give her a power shot] 

That is MRS Greenford to you, Mr Valo.

RYAN:

[Smile fades] Ah, uh, yes, Good morning,

 Mrs Greenford.

MRS GREENFORD:

[Frowning]  That is much better. You’ve got some

 Reports that need to be filed [emphasis] IN alphabetical

Order this time; this will of course be the THIRD AND

 FINAL TIME.

She then turns away from him and picks up the phone, smirking slightly, and then suddenly becoming more upbeat.

RECEPTIONIST:

Why hello there Angela, how wonderful

 to hear from you!

RYAN shakes his head and walks into a small room to the left of the receptionist’s desk.

There are some shots of inside the building, of someone cleaning the floor, some people sat in a waiting room and some other general shots.

The camera tracks along the building, once more, diegetic sounds of more footsteps, then a long shot of a man of around twenty five, clad in a dress shirt, black jeans and converse, walking into the building.

The camera zooms in on the receptionist’s face, paying particular interest in the sudden change in her attitude and obvious change of her facial expression.

RECEPTIONIST:

Good morning Jon!

JON:

[Teasing Her]     Mornin' Mrs Greenford, hard

morning at the office?

RECEPTIONIST:

[Dramatically]    Ah! Only that utter buffoon

 of an assistant of yours!

JON:

[Sighs]     Cut him some slack, he’s only young

, Give him time... No doubt he’s in over his head

 for the time being, he’ll soon get the hang of it.

RECEPTIONIST:

[Purses her lips, seemingly unimpressed] Still, he should-

JON:

[Interrupts her, smiling apologetically]

 Well, it has been lovely,

 talking to you, but I really must

 get some work done.

RECEPTIONIST:

[A bit flustered, clearly not used to being talked to like that] 

Oh yes, of course, I’ll email you your

 appointments.

JON nods in response, then walks down the corridor, stopping at a door, and then poking his head round the door before walking into the room and leaning against the doorframe, where RYAN is sat at a desk, as JON walks into the room, he is on his phone, and upon seeing him, he hurriedly puts it back in his pocket, when he sees who it is, he is clearly relieved.

RYAN:

[Dramatically puts his hand on his chest]

 For god’s sake, do you have to creep up on

Me like that? I thought it was her coming to

 ‘inspect’ my working process again!

[When he says ‘inspect’ he turns his hands into inverted commas and has a sarcastic expression.]

JON:

[Smirking]  Ah, sorry man, I had no idea

 you were so.. On edge.

RYAN:

Hey, catch any of the game last night?

JON:

Pitiful. You joining me for lunch?

RYAN:

[Shrugs] Yeah, sure.

Jon nods, and then leaves the room, rhythmically tapping the doorframe as he goes. He walks even further down the corridor, and then goes into his office.

The door shuts with the camera on the outside of the door. The only diegetic sounds are the keys of the receptionist’s computer and muffled voices. The camera fades to black after showing shots of the waiting room and the corridor, then the outside of the building again.

2.INT Outside Jon’s office, 11:30AM.

There are diegetic sounds of muffled voices. Then, the door opens, revealing JON and a teenage boy. He walks him to the door, and then opens it for him, letting him past.

JON:

Right, well I’ll see you next week

, take care of yourself Spencer,

 yeah? [Smiles]

Spencer:

[His head bowed] Yeah, seeya.

He walks past him, and out of sight. JON walks back through to a room where some people in smart dress are, it is clear that they are having a meeting, there are notes and clipboards on the table. Jon takes a seat next to the top of the table, in front of the notes he had made on his and Spencer’s conversation. He places his elbow on the table, and fiddles with his pen with one hand.

MAN 1:

[Clears his throat]      So, has anybody come

 to any conclusions?

Man 2:

In my opinion, I think he needs

 to be kept on a much closer watch;

 to be sure he is not a danger to himself.

 If the problems increase, I think it may be

 time to introduce medication.

There is a collective murmur of agreement, and then MAN 1 turns to JON.

MAN 1:

What do you think Jon? It's your call after all,

 you are his case worker.

JON:

I’m not so sure if that’ll be necessary,

 he seems to be a lot more alert and able

 to cope with things than the last time I saw him-

MAN 1:

[Slightly disbelieving] You think he’s improved?

JON:

Yes, I really, really do. Last time we met,

 he was almost too shy to even look at me,

 now he’s talking almost freely,

 with a bit more work surely-

MAN 2:

[Calmly]     Surely they could be introduced to

 him though? Merely as a precaution

 a safety net if you like?

JON:

[Sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes]     

I-    I just really don’t think that this

 sort of action is needed.

[MAN 2 goes to interrupt him again, but JON silences him with a wave of his hand.]

JON:

[A little irritated]     No. Let me finish. We’re

 only just making some good progres,

 some real progress. It’s took so long

 to get this far, and I’m not going to

 throw all that hard work away, both

 from him and from me.

MAN 2:

[Puts both hands on the table, leaning a little more forward, in a slightly more defensive manner]  I should think that

 given my knowledge on the minds of [Patronizing tone] 

vulnerable young people,

my opinion should be respected and my views put to

action, rather than the likes of a man who is

 barely out of Childhood himself!

JON:

[Scoffs]    You can’t learn everything from a book.

 Sometimes you have to actually try to

 help them, instead of being in this

 job for yourself [mocking] Sir.

MAN 2:

[A bit flustered, putting his hands on the sides of his chair as if he’s about to stand]  I am NOT going to sit here

and let my respected opinion

be hacked down like this.

[Jon begins to make a snappy remark, but before he can, MAN 1 stops him.]

MAN 1:

[His tone stating a high level of authority]    Jon! Do what you think

 will be the best for the boy

, your opinion is most valued in this case.

 Not all by any means, but you do

 know him the best.

[The meeting finishes and various members of the congregation walk out of the room, making small talk at the same time, but JON beelines for the his office, and is shown putting on his coat, and meeting RYAN at the front door]

3.INT In the local coffee shop. 12:30

[JON and RYAN are sat in a booth in the back room of the coffee shop. The shop is mainly deserted; they are discussing the meeting that has happened previously]

RYAN:

[Curiously]       Who was the dude in the suit?

 He looked like well pissed off at you!

 What did you do this time?

[Jon sighs, and massages the sides of his temple before answering]

JON:

[Laughing ironically]   He was just another business

 type clone thinking he can read all the

 books in the world and understand people,

 and anyone who hasn’t is instantly below

 him- in fact

[A waitress comes over with their food; they thank her and begin eating, after a few minutes, JON soon picks up his rant from where he left off, clearly not going to let it go anytime soon.]

JON:

[Irritated]       He just… tries to fix things

that these people are going through with

 medication and other crap, he doesn't listen

 to them or try to help them himself, or try

to make them feel like they’re not alone, just

 uses them for his research!

[He pauses, waving his hands around, trying to find another lead to go off on a rant about]

JON:

He doesn’t respect the kid’s

privacy. Never mind anything else!

 He goes around, betraying their trust

 whenever he feels like it! AH.

[He stops, and seems to be more relaxed now all that’s out of his system, RYAN has sat there in silence the whole time, chewing thoughtfully]

RYAN:

[Simply, with no emotion} Dick.

[This sets the mood and atmosphere a lot more happy and humorous. Both men laugh, both seeming more at ease than previously.]

JON:

[Jokily]   

See Ry that is the reason I keep you around!

RYAN:

[Smirks]    I try. I try. So, when do

 you next meet up with him then?

JON:

[Pauses] Uhh… Friday I think, in the morning.

RYAN:

[Nods thoughtfully, and makes an affirmative noise]

      Ah, what’re you gonna do then?

JON:

[Sighs]     I have no idea. I cannot

just betray his trust like that, it’s taken

 so long for us to get this far, when we

 first met initially, and he would barely

 even talk to me for god’s sake.

RYAN:

Well, can you really blame him huh?

[Jon sighs, then the shot fades to black]

Script Take 4

Fourth Draft of Media Script.

1, A car park next to a main road, surrounded by office type buildings 9:00AM.

The camera tracks along the front of a large grey building, zooming in on the peeling paintwork and the fading lettering on the front door.

Diegetic sound of high heeled shoes on pavement, a shot of the same feet walking, a smart, business looking woman walks into the building.

BUSINESS WOMAN:

[To receptionist, well-spoken tone] Good morning Mrs Greenford.

The receptionist looks up from her paperwork, immediately putting her papers aside and looking at her computer, then turning to smile at the business woman.

RECEPTIONIST:

Good morning Amanda, would you like me to fax your days appointments to your office?

AMANDA:

[Smiling and nodding slightly] Yes, that would be excellent, thank you.

She walks down the corridor into an office, sits down at her desk and begins to scribble down a few notes on a piece of paper that is on her desk.

The camera returns to the front of the building where once more there is a diegetic sound of shoes, this time scuffing along the floor slightly, a man of around twenty one walks up to the building. Zoom in on his name badge, which reads ‘Ryan.’

RYAN:

[Grins cheerfully] Hey! Uh…

He peers at her name badge, which reads ‘Melody Greenford.’

…Melody!

MRS GREENFORD:

[Peers down her glasses at him, the camera changes to give her a power shot] That is… MRS Greenford to you, Mr Valo.

RYAN:

[Smile fades] Good morning, Mrs Greenford.

MRS GREENFORD:

[Frowning] That is much better. You’ve got some reports that need to be filed [emphasis] IN alphabetical order this time; this will of course be the THIRD AND FINAL TIME.

She then turns away from him and picks up the phone, smirking slightly, and then suddenly becoming more upbeat.

RECEPTIONIST:

Why hello there Angela, how wonderful to hear from you!

RYAN shakes his head and walks into a small room to the left of the receptionist’s desk.

There are some shots of inside the building, of someone cleaning the floor, some people sat in a waiting room and some other general shots.

The camera tracks along the building, once more, diegetic sounds of more footsteps, then a long shot of a man of around twenty five, clad in a dress shirt, black jeans and converse, walking into the building.

The camera zooms in on the receptionist’s face, paying particular interest in the sudden change in her attitude and obvious change of her facial expression.

RECEPTIONIST:

Good morning Jon!

JON:

[Teasing Her] Hey Mrs Greenford, hard morning at the office?

RECEPTIONIST:

[Dramatically] Ah! Only that utter buffoon of an assistant of yours!

JON:

[Sighs] Cut him some slack, he’s only young. Give him time, no doubt he’s in over his head for the time being, he’ll soon get the hang of it.

RECEPTIONIST:

[Purses her lips, seemingly unimpressed] Still, he should-

JON:

[Interrupts her, smiling apologetically] Well, it has been lovely, talking to you, but I really must get some work done.

RECEPTIONIST:

[A bit flustered, clearly not used to being talked to like that] Oh yes, of course, I’ll email you your appointments.

JON nods in response, then walks down the corridor, stopping at a door, and then poking his head round the door before walking into the room and leaning against the doorframe, where RYAN is sat at a desk, as JON walks into the room, he is on his phone, and upon seeing him, he hurriedly puts it back in his pocket, when he sees who it is, he is clearly relieved.

RYAN:

[Dramatically puts his hand on his chest] For god’s sake, do you have to creep up on me like that? I thought it was her coming to ‘inspect’ my working process again!

[When he says ‘inspect’ he turns his hands into inverted commas and has a sarcastic expression.]

JON:

[Smirking] Ah, sorry man, I had no idea you were so.. On edge.

RYAN:

Hey, catch any of the game last night?

JON:

Yeah, pitiful. You joining me for lunch?

RYAN:

[Shrugs] Yeah, sure.

Jon nods, and then leaves the room, rhythmically tapping the doorframe as he goes. He walks even further down the corridor, and then goes into his office.

The door shuts with the camera on the outside of the door. The only diegetic sounds are the keys of the receptionist’s computer and muffled voices. The camera fades to black after showing shots of the waiting room and the corridor, then the outside of the building again.

2. Outside Jon’s office, 11:30AM.

There are diegetic sounds of muffled voices. Then, the door opens, revealing JON and a teenage boy. He walks him to the door, and then opens it for him, letting him past.

JON:

Right, well I’ll see you next week, take care of yourself Spencer, yeah? [Smiles]

Spencer:

[His head bowed] Yeah, seeya.

He walks past him, and out of sight. JON walks back through to a room where some people in smart dress are, it is clear that they are having a meeting, there are notes and clipboards on the table. Jon takes a seat next to the top of the table, in front of the notes he had made on his and Spencer’s conversation. He places his elbow on the table, and fiddles with his pen with one hand.

MAN 1:

[Clears his throat] So, has anybody come to any conclusions?

Man 2:

In my opinion, I think he needs to be kept on a much closer watch; to be sure he is not a danger to himself. If the problems increase, I think it may be time to introduce medication.

There is a collective murmur of agreement, and then MAN 1 turns to JON.

MAN 1:

What do you think Jon? After all, it is your call after all, you are his case worker.

JON:

I’m not so sure if that’ll be necessary, he seems to be a lot more alert and able to cope with things than the last time I saw him-

MAN 1:

[Slightly disbelieving] You really think he’s improved?

JON:

Yes, I really, really do. Last time we met, he was almost too shy to even look at me, now he’s talking almost freely, with a bit more work surely-

MAN 2:

[Calmly] Surely they could be introduced to him though? Merely as a precaution… a safety net if you like?

JON:

[Sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes] I- I just really don’t think that this sort of action is needed.

[MAN 2 goes to interrupt him again, but JON silences him with a wave of his hand.]

JON:

[A little irritated] No. Let me finish. We’re only just making some good progress, some real progress. It’s took so long to get this far, and I’m not going to throw all that hard work away, both from him and from me.

MAN 2:

[Puts both hands on the table, leaning a little more forward, in a slightly more defensive manner] I should think that given my knowledge on the minds of [Patronizing tone] vulnerable young people, my opinion should be respected and my views put to action, rather than the likes of a man who is barely out of Childhood himself!

JON:

[Scoffs] You can’t learn everything from a book. Sometimes you have to actually try to help them, instead of being in this job for yourself [mocking] Sir.

MAN 2:

[A bit flustered, putting his hands on the sides of his chair as if he’s about to stand] I am NOT going to sit here and let my respected opinion be hacked down like this.

[Jon begins to make a snappy remark, but before he can, MAN 1 stops him.]

MAN 1:

[His tone stating a high level of authority] Jon! Do what you think will be the best for the boy, your opinion is most valued in this case. Not all by any means, but you do know him the best.

[The meeting finishes and various members of the congregation walk out of the room, making small talk at the same time, but JON beelines for the his office, and is shown putting on his coat, and meeting RYAN at the front door]

3. In the local coffee shop. 12:30

[JON and RYAN are sat in a booth in the back room of the coffee shop. The shop is mainly deserted; they are discussing the meeting that has happened previously]

RYAN:

[Curiously] Who was the dude in the suit? He looked like well pissed off at you! What did you do this time?

[Jon sighs, and massages the sides of his temple before answering]

JON:

[Laughing ironically] He was just another business type clone thinking he can read all the books in the world and understand people, and anyone who hasn’t is instantly below him- in fact…

[A waitress comes over with their food; they thank her and begin eating, after a few minutes, JON soon picks up his rant from where he left off, clearly not going to let it go anytime soon.]

JON:

[Irritated] He just… tries to fix things that these people are going through with medication and other crap, he doesn’t listen to them or try to help them himself, or try to make them feel like they’re not alone, just uses them for his research!

[He pauses, waving his hands around, trying to find another lead to go off on a rant about]

JON:

He doesn’t respect the kid’s privacy. Never mind anything else! He goes around, betraying their trust whenever he feels like it! AH.

[He stops, and seems to be more relaxed now all that’s out of his system, RYAN has sat there in silence the whole time, chewing thoughtfully]

RYAN:

[Simply, with no emotion} Dick.

[This sets the mood and atmosphere a lot more happy and humorous. Both men laugh, both seeming more at ease than previously.]

JON:

[Jokily] See Ry that is the reason I keep you around!

RYAN:

[Smirks] I try. I try. So, when do you next meet up with him then?

JON:

[Pauses] Uhh… Friday I think, in the morning.

RYAN:

[Nods thoughtfully, and makes an affirmative noise] Ah, what’re you gonna do then?

JON:

[Sighs] I have no idea. I cannot just betray his trust like that, it’s taken so long for us to get this far, when we first met initially, and he would barely even talk to me for god’s sake.

RYAN:

Well, can you really blame him huh?

[Jon sighs, then the shot fades to black]