Written Documents: Beat Sheet, Logline, Pitch, etc.

Beat Sheet:

• Opening image: a white screen. Meant to symbolize emptiness and cold. A lack of a picture is a lack of emotion. Starting with an empty palette.

• Theme stated: first line of the VO is heard: “it’s always winter inside my mind. Cold and empty, like a void of some kind.” The film will be about the inability for people to change even when they want to, and the coldness of the mind that is created from it. Sets the tone.

• Debate: when the woman sits at the cafe table writing as the scene changes around her, and she then gets up and leaves: it expresses her inner turmoil with not knowing what to do.

• Midpoint: some kind of fake emotional peace

• All is lost: towards the end the woman is seen walking towards screen left, first on an airplane, then on a train, then in the hallway of the reoccuring home. Shows the uselessness of her efforts to move forward.

• Finale: woman sits in a chair in an open and primarily empty room to the reoccuring house as the camera slowly pushes in on the tree outside the window. The tree is slowly faded out by a snowstorm.

• Final image: a white screen. It’s a book ending. Shows that nothing has really changed inside - there’s still a lonely and cold feeling lingering.

Logline:

It's cold outside, but inside isn't any warmer.

Pitch:

This film is an exploration of the mind through visuals that evoke "cold" emotions such as restlessness or the inability to move/change.

Treatment:

The film will be centered around a female character who travels through a changing mindscape while exploring thoughts on the idea of wanting to take action but ultimately not being able to because of some unidentifiable obstacle. The color palette will remain extremely light and wintry - bleached even, with low contrast to further the idea that it is an internal and imaginary place. Movements will be slow and meaningful, with the main screen directions being right-to-left and bottom-to-top, emphasizing the weight of these thoughts and emotions.

Poem:

It’s always winter inside my mind

Cold and empty, like a void of some kind

A ceiling of clouds the sun hides behind

Grey and damp and leaking with lies.

I’m consumed by vices; jealousy, greed

Judge of corruption, breeder of weeds

Addicted to what isn’t, to the life I’ll never lead

Feeding off the loss of what will or won’t ever be.

My soul is weak; the fissure in this house grows

The windows are broken, the walls molded stone

I weep as a specter - eyes sunken, skin taut

Fated to grieve for the life I have wrought.

Some overall notes:

• I want my film to leave people with a sense of cold beauty. I want it to be sad, but not depressive. I want it to linger lightly.

• I was hoping to get away with not having anything huge change. I think it's one of the stronger points I have going right now, lol. I'm trying to get this point across by using screen direction and imagery. Everything will move from right to left and bottom to top.

• I think composition is going to play the biggest part in conveying the feeling I'm going for. I'm excited for this.

• I think having the writing incorporated into the film is a great idea and I want to use it in another place besides the cafe.