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Tuesday, 29 November 2016
Monday, 28 November 2016
Actors, Props, Costume, Location
Actor Research
In terms of actors, we will need two find at least 4 people- three males and one female. These people will ideally be adults between the ages of 28 and 35 with previous acting experience. None of my group feel that it is appropriate to act in our short film, as the story follows a married couple and two detectives- we are only 17.
One member of our group is related to the actor Terence Keeley, who played Jack Lowry in the series Titanic: Blood and Steel. We would hope to have him play Patrick Maloney.
Props
Analogue clock- Patrick Maloney glances at the clock while he waits on his wife to return home from work. It is important that the clock is visible as the clock ticking is a focal point of the beginning of the film. We don't have to buy a clock as there is one already present in the room we're filming in.
Leg of lamb- Patrick Maloney kills his wife with a leg of lamb and feeds it to the detectives investigating her murder.
This leg of lamb will be provided free of charge by a family member who is a butcher, helping us to budget for our other props.
Alcohol- Patrick and Mary Maloney both have a drink at the beginning of the film.
Phone (Landline or Mobile)- Patrick Maloney must be seen to pick up the phone in preparation to phone the police.
Crockery, Cutlery- Patrick hands the detectives plates stacked with meat and potatoes.
Police tape- the detectives tape the living room off where Mary's body is.
Costume
Mary Maloney- Hillary Clinton-esque pant suit, sensible detective clothing
Patrick Maloney- turtle neck jumper, thick glasses, cord trousers, slippers- Inspired by Alvin Steele (League of Gentlemen)
Detectives- Trench coats, trousers, formal shoes, maybe an umbrella.
Location
Terraced houses, small/no garden outside.
Small rooms, homely, cosy feel, artificial lighting.
Old fashioned kitchen, cramped.
In terms of actors, we will need two find at least 4 people- three males and one female. These people will ideally be adults between the ages of 28 and 35 with previous acting experience. None of my group feel that it is appropriate to act in our short film, as the story follows a married couple and two detectives- we are only 17.
One member of our group is related to the actor Terence Keeley, who played Jack Lowry in the series Titanic: Blood and Steel. We would hope to have him play Patrick Maloney.
Props
Analogue clock- Patrick Maloney glances at the clock while he waits on his wife to return home from work. It is important that the clock is visible as the clock ticking is a focal point of the beginning of the film. We don't have to buy a clock as there is one already present in the room we're filming in.Leg of lamb- Patrick Maloney kills his wife with a leg of lamb and feeds it to the detectives investigating her murder.
This leg of lamb will be provided free of charge by a family member who is a butcher, helping us to budget for our other props.
Alcohol- Patrick and Mary Maloney both have a drink at the beginning of the film.
Phone (Landline or Mobile)- Patrick Maloney must be seen to pick up the phone in preparation to phone the police.
Crockery, Cutlery- Patrick hands the detectives plates stacked with meat and potatoes.
Police tape- the detectives tape the living room off where Mary's body is.
Costume
Mary Maloney- Hillary Clinton-esque pant suit, sensible detective clothing
Patrick Maloney- turtle neck jumper, thick glasses, cord trousers, slippers- Inspired by Alvin Steele (League of Gentlemen)
Detectives- Trench coats, trousers, formal shoes, maybe an umbrella.
Location
Terraced houses, small/no garden outside.
Small rooms, homely, cosy feel, artificial lighting.
Old fashioned kitchen, cramped.
Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Treatment
The film begins with an establishing shot of a row of terraced houses. We cut to a closer shot of one of the houses, looking in the front window through a gap in the closed curtains, where we see a woman (Mary Maloney) waiting for her husband to get home. We hear a clock ticking, and then there is a sound bridge as we cut to the inside of the living room. There is a wide shot of the full living room where we see Mary Maloney sitting on the sofa. There is a close up of the clock- the ticking continues.
Suddenly, we hear the door open and shut abruptly. A man (Patrick Maloney) walks into the room while taking his coat off. Mary rises and takes her husband's coat to hang up as they greet each other. A tracking shot follows Patrick to his seat as Mary walks out of the scene into the kitchen to get them each a drink. She asks him if he is tired from the other room. Patrick answers dryly- "Exhausted"- as Mary hands him his drink. Immediately, Patrick downs his drink and rises to get another, much to the surprise of his wive, who also jumps up. She tells him she'll get him another drink, but before she can take his glass he tells her to sit. Mary slowly sits down, confused.
Patrick leaves the room and we see another wide shot of Mary sitting, similar to the beginning of the film. Patrick returns with his drink and sits opposite his wife, not looking at her. Mary asks her husband if he wants anything to eat, in response he sips his drink. She tells him she'll get him some bread and cheese, but he snaps back- "I don't want any". There is an awkward silence and a wide shot of the two sitting. Mary turns to her husband and tells him that he has to eat. As she rises to go to the kitchen, Patrick tells her to sit again. She sits down, looking worried, and asks him what's wrong.
The scene cuts to outside the window looking in (the same as the beginning) where there is a time lapse of the conversation playing out. Cut back to inside where Patrick is telling his wife that she'll be taken care of. Mary, looking distracted, gets up and walks into the kitchen, mumbling about making tea. Patrick looks exasperated.
Cut to the kitchen where we see Mary with her back to the camera opening the freezer and retrieving a frozen leg of lamb. We hear Patrick shout from the living room that he doesn't want anything to eat. As Patrick is putting his coat on, Mary walks up behind him and hits him with the frozen meat. He stumbles, and as he begins ask why she would do such a thing, she hits him again. He falls.
Mary walks back into the kitchen. Cut to inside the kitchen, where Mary looks expressionless. She prepares the leg of lamb as though nothing is wrong, and puts the food in the oven. When she is finished, she smooths her hair and walks to the house phone to phone the police. Cut to the empty living room where Patrick is lying on the floor, and from the kitchen we hear Mary exclaiming (on the phone) that Patrick is dead.
There is a cut to black in which we hear a knock at the door. There is a sound bridge into the scene where Mary is opening the front door to the detectives, to whom she explains that her husband is dead. From here there is a time lapse of the detectives coming in and out of the house, placing tape around Patrick's body, and talking to Mary.
The scene cuts from the time lapse back to normal time, where each detective is theorising about how Patrick died. While they discuss this, Mary asks them to stay for dinner. At first, they are reluctant, but then Mary explains that Patrick would want them to eat. They agree to stay.
We hear the detectives continue to discuss the situation as Mary walks into the kitchen. Cut to Mary who is in the kitchen preparing the food for the detectives. She brings them a plate stacked with lamb, potatoes and gravy each. They eat messily, still discussing the murder weapon. A tracking shot follows Mary as she walks back to the kitchen. The film ends with a close up shot of Mary, faintly smirking.
Suddenly, we hear the door open and shut abruptly. A man (Patrick Maloney) walks into the room while taking his coat off. Mary rises and takes her husband's coat to hang up as they greet each other. A tracking shot follows Patrick to his seat as Mary walks out of the scene into the kitchen to get them each a drink. She asks him if he is tired from the other room. Patrick answers dryly- "Exhausted"- as Mary hands him his drink. Immediately, Patrick downs his drink and rises to get another, much to the surprise of his wive, who also jumps up. She tells him she'll get him another drink, but before she can take his glass he tells her to sit. Mary slowly sits down, confused.
Patrick leaves the room and we see another wide shot of Mary sitting, similar to the beginning of the film. Patrick returns with his drink and sits opposite his wife, not looking at her. Mary asks her husband if he wants anything to eat, in response he sips his drink. She tells him she'll get him some bread and cheese, but he snaps back- "I don't want any". There is an awkward silence and a wide shot of the two sitting. Mary turns to her husband and tells him that he has to eat. As she rises to go to the kitchen, Patrick tells her to sit again. She sits down, looking worried, and asks him what's wrong.
The scene cuts to outside the window looking in (the same as the beginning) where there is a time lapse of the conversation playing out. Cut back to inside where Patrick is telling his wife that she'll be taken care of. Mary, looking distracted, gets up and walks into the kitchen, mumbling about making tea. Patrick looks exasperated.
Cut to the kitchen where we see Mary with her back to the camera opening the freezer and retrieving a frozen leg of lamb. We hear Patrick shout from the living room that he doesn't want anything to eat. As Patrick is putting his coat on, Mary walks up behind him and hits him with the frozen meat. He stumbles, and as he begins ask why she would do such a thing, she hits him again. He falls.
Mary walks back into the kitchen. Cut to inside the kitchen, where Mary looks expressionless. She prepares the leg of lamb as though nothing is wrong, and puts the food in the oven. When she is finished, she smooths her hair and walks to the house phone to phone the police. Cut to the empty living room where Patrick is lying on the floor, and from the kitchen we hear Mary exclaiming (on the phone) that Patrick is dead.
There is a cut to black in which we hear a knock at the door. There is a sound bridge into the scene where Mary is opening the front door to the detectives, to whom she explains that her husband is dead. From here there is a time lapse of the detectives coming in and out of the house, placing tape around Patrick's body, and talking to Mary.
The scene cuts from the time lapse back to normal time, where each detective is theorising about how Patrick died. While they discuss this, Mary asks them to stay for dinner. At first, they are reluctant, but then Mary explains that Patrick would want them to eat. They agree to stay.
We hear the detectives continue to discuss the situation as Mary walks into the kitchen. Cut to Mary who is in the kitchen preparing the food for the detectives. She brings them a plate stacked with lamb, potatoes and gravy each. They eat messily, still discussing the murder weapon. A tracking shot follows Mary as she walks back to the kitchen. The film ends with a close up shot of Mary, faintly smirking.
Monday, 21 November 2016
Screenplay
Inside the living room, Patrick Maloney waits for his wife to return from work
PM Doing general chores. Religious imagery- crosses in the background etc
CUT TO BLACK
PM in the kitchen. He cuts vegetables for their dinner.
CUT TO PM removing lamb from the freezer. He hears the front door shut.
Enter Mary Maloney
Patrick rushes from the kitchen to greet his wife
PM: Hello, Darling
MM: Hello.
PM takes her coat from her. He gets them each a drink.
PM: Tired, darling?
MM: (sigh) Exhausted.
MM downs her drink. She rises slowly. PM jumps up.
PM: I'll get it!
MM: (Irritated) Sit.
MM leaves to get another drink.
MM returns.
PM: I'm making lamb tonight, your favourite
MM doesn't respond
PM: Or I could fetch you something smaller-
MM: (snappy) I don't want anything.
PM: I can make some soup, or we can order in, or-
MM: Forget about it.
Patrick stands up
MM: Sit down- for one minute. Just sit.
PM sits- He looks worried.
PM: What's the matter?
(From outside) The conversation plays out- muffled
Brief cut to inside
MM: She's 25, I didn't know how to tell you-
Cut to outside, the conversation further plays out
INSIDE
Brief cut to inside
MM: She's 25, I didn't know how to tell you-
Cut to outside, the conversation further plays out
INSIDE
MM: You'll be taken care of.
PM: (Whispering) I'll fix some tea.
PM walks to the kitchen and starts to prepare the tea.
MM: (from the living room) I told you I don't want anything, I'm going out.
PM lifts the leg of lamb, walks to the living room behind MM. He hits her over the head with the leg of lamb.
She falls.
She falls.
Cut to PM entering the greengrocers. He picks up a bag of potatoes.
Cut to PM re entering his house. He drops the bag of potatoes in shock at the sight of his dead wife.
Cut to PM re entering his house. He drops the bag of potatoes in shock at the sight of his dead wife.
PM picks up the phone.
PM: (on the phone) Quick! Come quickly! Mary's dead!
Cut to black.
Cut to inside the detectives' car
AM: They're an odd pair, Patrick and Mary
AS: Completely mismatched, I don't know what she ever saw in him.
AM: (Suggesting that she is gay) I don't know what she ever saw in any man if you ask me
AS: Aye she's a butch one alright
Cut to black
Sound bridge to a knock at the door.
Cut to inside the detectives' car
AM: They're an odd pair, Patrick and Mary
AS: Completely mismatched, I don't know what she ever saw in him.
AM: (Suggesting that she is gay) I don't know what she ever saw in any man if you ask me
AS: Aye she's a butch one alright
Cut to black
Sound bridge to a knock at the door.
Enter detectives
PM: (Quietly) Mary's dead- she's dead!
Time lapse
Cut To black
Cut to living room- the detectives are having a discussion
AS: She must have been hit by a blunt object
AM: It's a brutal attack- Patrick, did you see anything?
PM: (Stuttering) No, I was just out at the grocers buying vegetables for the dinner, and when I came back she was- (Can't continue, too upset to speak)
AS: Our Mary's a strong woman, I don't know how anyone could manage to take her out
Time lapse of detectives laying police tape, taking samples, speaking to each other.
Cut to black
Cut to living room
Patrick enters the living room
PM: You must be starving, please, have some supper while you're here.
AM: We mustn't Patrick, we're busy men.
PM: The dinner is made, it'll go to waste if you don't have some.
AS: (To AM) It smells fab [AM], we could just have a plate.
PM: I'll fetch you both some dinner.
PM walks into the kitchen
PM enters the room with two plates
AS and AM begin eating
PM goes back to the kitchen
AS: (Eating) Whoever did it couldn't carry a weapon that big around
AM: (Messily Eating)I'd say it's right under our noses
Cut to PM in the kitchen
PM begins to smile faintly
CUT TO BLACK
PM: (Quietly) Mary's dead- she's dead!
Time lapse
Cut To black
Cut to living room- the detectives are having a discussion
AS: She must have been hit by a blunt object
AM: It's a brutal attack- Patrick, did you see anything?
PM: (Stuttering) No, I was just out at the grocers buying vegetables for the dinner, and when I came back she was- (Can't continue, too upset to speak)
AS: Our Mary's a strong woman, I don't know how anyone could manage to take her out
Time lapse of detectives laying police tape, taking samples, speaking to each other.
Cut to black
Cut to living room
Patrick enters the living room
PM: You must be starving, please, have some supper while you're here.
AM: We mustn't Patrick, we're busy men.
PM: The dinner is made, it'll go to waste if you don't have some.
AS: (To AM) It smells fab [AM], we could just have a plate.
PM: I'll fetch you both some dinner.
PM walks into the kitchen
PM enters the room with two plates
AS and AM begin eating
PM goes back to the kitchen
AS: (Eating) Whoever did it couldn't carry a weapon that big around
AM: (Messily Eating)I'd say it's right under our noses
Cut to PM in the kitchen
PM begins to smile faintly
CUT TO BLACK
Thursday, 17 November 2016
Ideas
For our short film, we have decided to use Roald Dahl's short story Lamb to the Slaughter.
We decided that it was important to add our own twist to the story, and so we have decided to omit the scene set in the grocers. As well as this, Mary will not be pregnant in our production.
The idea of using lamb inspired us to add religious imagery- the idea of complete and utter devotion to her husband, and by extension God
In terms of setting, we are keeping to the original story, as our short will be set in a small house, preferably terraced.
We discussed the possibility of having our characters be chavs/slobs, drinking beer and eating either fast food or childish food- for example potato smiley faces. We came to the conclusion that this idea could make our product look overly comical and so difficult to take seriously- Our piece is a satire, it is supposed to be dark, not comical.
Genderbending- We have decided to review the idea of a role reversal- Patrick is a house husband who kills his wife- perhaps he is a minister/reverend.
ORIGINAL SCRIPT
MM Doing general chores. Religious imagery- crosses in the background, religious jewellery.
Mary hums to herself as she irons one of her husband's shirts.
CUT TO BLACK
MM in the kitchen. She cuts vegetables for their dinner.
CUT TO MM removing lamb from the freezer. She hears the front door shut.
Enter Patrick Maloney
We decided that it was important to add our own twist to the story, and so we have decided to omit the scene set in the grocers. As well as this, Mary will not be pregnant in our production.
The idea of using lamb inspired us to add religious imagery- the idea of complete and utter devotion to her husband, and by extension God
In terms of setting, we are keeping to the original story, as our short will be set in a small house, preferably terraced.
We discussed the possibility of having our characters be chavs/slobs, drinking beer and eating either fast food or childish food- for example potato smiley faces. We came to the conclusion that this idea could make our product look overly comical and so difficult to take seriously- Our piece is a satire, it is supposed to be dark, not comical.
Genderbending- We have decided to review the idea of a role reversal- Patrick is a house husband who kills his wife- perhaps he is a minister/reverend.
ORIGINAL SCRIPT
Inside the living room, Mary Maloney waits for her husband to return from work
MM Doing general chores. Religious imagery- crosses in the background, religious jewellery.
Mary hums to herself as she irons one of her husband's shirts.
CUT TO BLACK
MM in the kitchen. She cuts vegetables for their dinner.
CUT TO MM removing lamb from the freezer. She hears the front door shut.
Enter Patrick Maloney
M.M (From the kitchen) : Hello, Darling
P.M: Hello.
MM walks into the living room where her husband is standing. She takes his coat from him. She gets them each a drink.
M.M: Tired, darling?
P.M: (sigh) Exhausted.
PM downs his drink. He rises slowly. MM jumps up.
M.M: I'll get it!
P.M: (Irritated) Sit.
PM leaves to get another drink.
PM returns.
MM:I'm making your favourite tonight
PM doesn't respond
MM: I'll make some bread and cheese.
PM: (snappy) I don't want it.
MM: You have to eat.
PP: Forget about it.
Mary stands up
PM: Sit down- for one minute. Just sit.
MM sits- she looks worried.
MM: What's the matter?
(From outside) The conversation plays out
INSIDE
PM: You'll be taken care of.
MM: (Whispering) I'll fix some tea.
MM walks to the kitchen and starts to prepare the tea.
PM: (from the living room) I told you I don't want anything, I'm going out.
MM lifts the leg of lamb, walks to the living room behind PM. She hits him over the head with the leg of lamb. He is not dead yet.
PM: What are you-??
MM hits him again. He falls.
PM: What are you-??
MM hits him again. He falls.
MM walks back into the kitchen, expressionless. She prepares the food and puts it in the oven.
MM picks up the phone.
MM: (on the phone) Quick! Come quickly! Patrick's dead!
Cut to black. There is a knock at the door.
Enter detectives
MM: (Quietly) Patricks dead- he's dead!
Time lapse
Cut To black
AS: He must have been hit by a blunt object
MM: Please, have some supper
AM: It's against police rules, we mustn't
MM: Patrick would've wanted it
AS: Well, since you're a friend
Mary walks into the kitchen
Mary enters the room with two plates
AS and AM begin eating
Mary goes back to the kitchen
AS: (Eating) Whoever did it couldn't carry a weapon that big around
AM: (Messily Eating)I'd say it's right under our noses
Mary in the kitchen
MM: (Quietly) Patricks dead- he's dead!
Time lapse
Cut To black
AS: He must have been hit by a blunt object
MM: Please, have some supper
AM: It's against police rules, we mustn't
MM: Patrick would've wanted it
AS: Well, since you're a friend
Mary walks into the kitchen
Mary enters the room with two plates
AS and AM begin eating
Mary goes back to the kitchen
AS: (Eating) Whoever did it couldn't carry a weapon that big around
AM: (Messily Eating)I'd say it's right under our noses
Mary in the kitchen
Mary begins to smile faintly
CUT TO BLACK
CUT TO BLACK
Tuesday, 1 November 2016
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