Reflective analysis
My aim for my screenplay
was to write a teenage drama, aimed at teenagers. I wrote my screenplay from
the middle of the story. I thought this would clearly show how the story
would go and what would be in the rest of the screenplay if I were to continue.
The screenplay is based on 8 characters, all of which are features in the
scenes I wrote. From this experience I have learned about the screenwriting
layout and learning how to tell as story with dialog and description.
I think the work that I
produced was successful in showing the correct format for a screenplay and
showing teenagers in a way that teenagers are not normally seen as in the
mainstream media. As these teenagers are aimless and the story doesn’t consist
of anyone being “special” in some way they are ordinary teenagers, who also show
anxiety which isn’t a common theme in most mainstream teenage dramas. As most
teenager films and TV show teenagers to be special in some way or filled with
purpose, not facing any stress or anxiety, but that isn't realistic, teenagers
do waste time and live normal lives. So I wrote the teenagers to be normal and
imperfect, getting themselves into pointless situations and stressing
themselves over nothing. I feel like my screenplay shows this as Cassie,
stresses over being in a bar, not knowing anybody and stressing over
practically nothing. And when Alife, Cassie, Mia, Ade and Katherine are hanging
out before they find Eugine, they are wasting time, just wondering around, and
this is what teenagers actually do sometimes, this is also shown in La Hain.
My screenplay was inspired
by La Haine, made in 1995 and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. La Haine is a
French independent film. It inspired my screenplay as I think it represents
teenage activity well. For example there is are some scenes in the film where
Vintz, Hubert and Said, wonder around the estate aimlessly. This is a similar
scene I have, where Alfie, Mai, Cassie, Ade and Katherine wonder around before
they find Eugine. There is also a link between drugs, as there is a scene in La
Haine where the three main characters are practically doing nothing, and Vice
is sat down and on the floor by him is a needle. This represents the drug
activity and as he plays with the needle with his foot, it shows that the drug
use is common. This is similar to Alfie, as when Eugine is passed out on his
floor, Alfie knows that he must have taken drugs to be in a state like this. However he doesn’t act shocked or surprised, more disappointed, showing that this
drug use is also common. Drugs are a convention of the teen drama, as it offers
a form of escapism from there slightly dull lives, as teenagers often dream of
leaving their hometown and making it somewhere big, like New York.
However I wasn't so
successful in the imagination of the story, in the scenes I produced there
wasn't as much drama as I possibly could have written. I also could have made
it more dramatic but still realistic to make it more interesting, however I
didn't I stayed to realism more than imagination. I also had trouble continuing
to write in present tense all the way through, as I would often drift and write
in past tense, which I had to continuously go back and change. I also feel like
because I wrote the screenplay, not at the beginning but slightly into the
narrative, so it is hard to get into the narrative when the characters haven't
been introduced, so if someone with no context of the screenplay may have
trouble getting into the narrative. I also don't think that I have hinted towards
camera angles, as in a screenplay you are not meant to put any camera
techniques in. You can hint towards what the camera angle would be. For example
if you write that someone is looking at something. The hinted camera angle
would be a close up of said object. I do not think I have done this often
enough or at all.
My screenplay shows common
conventions of the teenage drama, genre. For example one of the scenes takes
place in a bar, which is a substitute for a party, as it is a social gathering. This is similar to the scene in La Hain, where Said, Vince and Hubert join
teenagers who are on a roof, eating and smoking, however it doesn’t show
alcohol. Where as in my screenplay there is implied alcohol as they are in a
bar, and Eugine, although it is never said that he drinks alcohol or takes
drugs. It is implied when he slide money over to a stranger and wakes up with
his head in the toilet.
My screenplay also has the
element of friendship that is common in the drama as Alfie takes care of Dexter
when he has passed out. As well as a group of friends hanging around together
and as a group helping another friend. This is similar to the friendship shown
in La Hain, as throughout the film Hubert and Vintz have disagreements like
when Vintz says he is going to kill a policeman if their friend dies, they have
constant disagreements throughout the film and Said is left to choose sides. Said is always in the middle but they always end up coming together as a three. This
is similar to my screenplay as Eugine makes mistakes and like turning his back
on Cassie at the bar and being passed out in his own home, but his friends are
there for him, to look after him.
Eugine and Hubert are quite
similar, like how Hubert near the beginning of the film, while Vintz and Said stand
in the background, deals drugs in public. Eugine buys drugs in a public place
without batting an eye. This is normal behavior for both Eugine and Hubert. The
way that Eugines friends, Alfie, Mia, Cassie, Ade and Katherine react to
Eugines behavior similarly to how aid and Vintz react to Hubert, that they
don’t make a big deal out of it. This normal behavior for both Eugine and
Hebert to be dealing with drugs.
