reflective analysis

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.