G324 Advanced Portfolio in Media

Short Film Treatment

Working Title (this may change later): Birdie

Genres incorporated:
Drama

Primary Target Audience (age, gender, socio-economics, psychographics):

15 to 25 years old, females or individuals who suffer with mental health
(schizophrenia). My primary audience would fall into C1,C2,D and E socio economic
groups, due to that audience often having more time to engage with films.

Log Line (a snappy description of your story in 2-3 sentences. Like a blurb):
My narrative will follow a young girl who constantly thinks she is being followed by
an older girl, Birdie, everywhere she goes. She shows sign of schizophrenia
throughout. However, the twist is when the young girls turns around in anger and
says stop following me, Birdie repeats the same sentence at the same time. This
allows the audience to understand the true nature of the narrative to show that
Birdie never followed the young girl, the young girl follows her.

Profile of the main character (name, age, gender, any relevant back story that
influences their actions or attitudes in the present):

Birdie. 18. Female. Its not clear why she has it or when it started but this will engage
the audience further to try and work out the character. All that is know is that Birdie
displays the symptoms for the mental health condition, Schizophrenia, due to the
therapist adhering to that in the interview.

Locations:
House
Bus stop
Bury town
Therapist Office

Props/ Costumes needed:

Props for therapist office such as posters, notes and appropriate clothing for the
therapist. Costumes for the young girl and Birdie will be everyday, ordinary clothing.

Breakdown of Plot (think about how your story fits together and why were
watching these characters journeys):
Minute 1 Young girl is being followed by Birdie. This will involve different
locations such as town, home and the bus stop.
Minute 2 Young girl is interviewed by the therapist. Birdie is there.

Minute 3 Other symptoms of schizophenria are displayed in the young girls

behaviour, such as muddled thoughts (cresendoing above visuals) and
changes in her behaviour.

Minute 4 Young girl and Birdie shout at the same time, stop following me.
Camera now follows Birdie suggesting that she was never the stalker
but actually the character that is living in reality and not the true
G324 Advanced Portfolio in Media
Short Film Treatment
hallucation.

Minute 5 Follow Birdie showing signs of schizophrenia in public, similar shots to

young girl. Last scene will be the little girl following Birdie, and when
Birdie swiftly turns around nothing is there.

Narrative Structure:

Specific filming and/ or editing techniques you intend to include:

Time Lapse Character staying off in the distant, whilst the public are in time lapse
around Birdie or the young girl.
Tracking over the shoulder shot creates sense of someone being followed
Very slow zoomed out shot when narrative needs to rapidly slow down, audience
get to see a how character reacts to her mental health.
Fade transitions create a sense of time passing, thus suggest Birdie has suffered
from these symptoms for a long time.

Any additional requirements or considerations:

Actors Sam Alberts (Birdie), Rosie Wallace (Young girl) and preferably a middle
aged male as the therapist.