Homework Thread

[Loyal Subject]

There we go.

Okay, so basically, the main story that's due is it's about a girl who ends up getting stuck in a dollhouse.

The first scene is she's talking with her friend in an antique store. Her friend's basically a hipster and thinks all this old stuff is really cool. She, on the other hand, thinks it's just junk. She gives her friend 5 more minutes in the store. When the friend leaves, she notices the dollhouse. As she turns to call her friend over, she winds up in the dollhouse. But she doesn't know that's where she is yet.

So, she's looking around this weird house/location. As things are getting scary, she runs into this guy. This guy was in a similar plight: was just talking with his friend and now he's in this place. So right when they decide to go off and figure things out together, a shadow passes from behind them.


Then I have the ending written out which consists of Emily back in the store and her friend's come back from exploring the store. Emily asks her if she saw any guys in the store and she says no. As they're looking at the dollhouse, Emily notices that there's a plush that looks like the guy she was with in the dollhouse. And she ends up buying him.


I'm trying to think of how to make the middle (and basically the dollhouse world) scary but also feasible.

[Lee]

Before I give any feedback or ideas, this is a script right? You're not actually animating this or filming, right?

[Loyal Subject]

It's a script but it is potentially going to be my thesis film. i already have another idea that's more feasible though.

and my film teacher (from high school) said it's totally possible because i asked him about making a model of the house that we would film it in and he told me how i would make one. and he's made them before for the school play. so i got that covered.

[Lee]

I don't need to know that, I only wanted to know what form you were working with. And you're working with literature/a script. The fact that this could be animated/turned into a film later isn't a concern, at least not to me :P

I just needed to know, because there's a lot of different things you can do depending on which form you're working with. Anyway I'm assuming this shadow is supposed to be the shadow of a normal sized human or child, who owns the playhouse. Or some normal size (but large to them) animal, like a dog or cat, that's posing a threat to them.

There's little I can suggest if all I have is how it immediately starts and how it immediately ends. I'd understand if you're keeping it a secret, like if it was a story I had to read later or some kind of Fan-Fiction, but I thought I was supposed to be giving you some ideas/pointers :P

Anyway if the large shadow is supposed to be a giant whatever, you'd basically have to have a part where it has an obscure introduction, it is fully introduced, and how the two plan on besting the giant in their tiny state. Then again I have no clue what this shadow is. For all I know you could be trying to implement LOST's shadow into this...

[Loyal Subject]

the shadow is a doll in the playhouse Lee. and it would be normal size.

[Lee]

So is this doll super huge compared to them? And is it just a doll or is it sort of alive in some way?

[Loyal Subject]

the only way I can describe it is it is like the dollhouse episode in Doctor Who. Amy and Rory get trapped in a dollhouse and the dolls come after them. It's the same basic principle. The dolls move, they're alive and they're coming after the two.

this is what im thinking the progression is going to be like: after the scene where the two characters meet, they'll probably go into a kitchen or dining room or something and realize that things aren't right. Like, they won't be able to open the cabinets, the food will be stuck to the plate, etc.

then the doll's going to attack or come after them again.

they're going to run and try to figure out how to escape. The only logical thing they can think of is to just use the front door.

they race to the front door. dolls are coming. either the front door works or it doesn't. Emily escapes.

final scene.

Or, something like that. hardest part is going to be developing their friendship/relationship so that when Emily comes out of the dollhouse, she has a reason to care/take the doll.

[Lee]

I think if they have to confront and fight (fight used loosely) one of the dolls together that would develop that relationship you're looking for. Like maybe they aren't really working together in the beginning. I have to say, running to the door isn't really being a team. That's just going with the flow, because it's convenient.

So at the beginning they could probably be like not working well together, but in the middle somewhere they have some plan, elaborate, or whatever, to take out one of the dolls. Like maybe that doll has the key to the door.

[Loyal Subject]

yeah, that makes sense. i mean, in regards to them not getting along, i was thinking about them bickering with one another when the doll comes in the kitchen.

i dont know, maybe if i get this done tonight, i can send it over to the professor and get his opinion before sharing it to the class. i mean, everyone's script is draft version anyway with the intention of us ripping it apart :p

[Lee]

You need more then them bickering. You need a reason they would have to team up. Getting to the front door might be plausible, if done right, but it's probably easier to make there be a reason why it's not easy to get to the entrance.

[Loyal Subject]

well it's automatically not going to be easy to get to the entrance because 1. they don't know where the entrance is and 2. there are dolls chasing them.

my only issue with them having to fight off a doll to get a key is i dont want you to be able to see what the doll's face looks like. part of it is a feasibility issue the other part is i think it'll be scarier if you don't see the face of the doll.

so far, ive got a scene where they're now hiding under the table cloth from the doll and the dolls standing right by the table. then, im thinking of having the doll go down and they see its face but we dont.

[Lee]

Like I said, fight can be used as a meaning not completely referring to a real fight. Like take the break out the toys performed in Toy Story 3. It's a different kind of fight.

[Loyal Subject]

oh okay. well yeah, im kind of doing that then.

im starting to see what my problem is though and im going to try and finish the draft tonight and then send it over to my professor. i think the length is a problem. like, it feels like a condensed episode of a tv show rather than a film right now. but ill see what he says and ill add the stuff that you said when i email him.

[Lee]

Well good luck and hopefully they'll email you before your class starts. Although it's probably hard to reach anyone on the weekends.

[Loyal Subject]

Well class isn't until Wednesday. So...yeah.

[Lee]

That's good, I thought you said that it was on Monday.

[Loyal Subject]

oh no. it's wednesday. i wanted to send it by yesterday though so he had time to respond and i had time to fix it up. i hate doing stuff at the last minute.

[Lee]

So I'm just going to bite the bullet and ask, how are things going with school currently. I know that it should be now time for exams soon, maybe two or so weeks left of school.

[Loyal Subject]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Well....

-1 Motion Titles and Graphics Project is due in 2-3 weeks.

-I have to film several scenes for Portfolio Class in 2-3 weeks.

-15 more pages of my screenplay is due in like 2 weeks...

-Web Series due in 3 weeks. My group's in an okay position but I can't say for the rest.

-then whatever art homework is.

Did I mention I am nowhere near being done with any of these?

[Lee]

Wow that's quite a load, I've had a few semesters like that. It's not fun when it gets that big, especially when you have stuff that needs getting done (that's not related to school) Good luck though! I'm here for advice and feedback, if and whenever you may need it!

[Loyal Subject]

Yeah....

I'm way farther in my Motion Titles and Graphics project than we're supposed to be because I can't handle this last minute crap with Web Series going on. Seriously, we were supposed to have tutorials done this week that was going to help us with the project and he never sent them. Or, he'll send them tonight and expect them done in the morning. I get that he's trying to teach the graphic design kids the kind of scenarios they'll be in but....dude, not everyone in your class is a graphic design major. I can't be expected to do homework on Sunday that's due Monday when I have Web Series thats filmed almost every weekend.

Haven't touched the screenplay because I don't know what I'm doing. Might go bother Tobin again....for like the millionth time.

Did test scenes for the Portfolio class but will probably have to redo at least one because I'm running into problems.

Web Series the only thing that I really have to do is record one thing and then shoot and edit the opening. And crew. But in terms of us completing tasks, my group's in pretty good shape actually.

With art homework Im just to the point where i just dont care anymore. I mean, I'm still going to do the assignments and put the time in it but it's the least of my problems right now.

But yeah, Motion Titles and Graphics is going to be the pain in the ass just because we get our stuff/help/feedback at the last minute and I just don't have time for that.

[Lee]

Did your professor deliberately state that's why he does things last minute? Because I feel that's not the reason and he's just one of those last minute professors. Yeah you got to deal with them if you want a grade, but they're just assholes, short and simple.

I had one professor send an email to all the students like a day before a final project was due. Basically the revised guidelines or the ones he failed to mention practically went against what we were doing and a lot of my classmates had to scape their projects altogether.

[Loyal Subject]

i honestly think it's a combination of both.

dont get me wrong, i like this professor. his last minute tendencies just irritate me.

[Lee]

Well, if he didn't state it, it could just be one of those annoying behaviors/habits. Also added snow to the main forum page. Had to change the color scheme slightly, hopefully this gets you in the X-mas spirit, if only a little bit...

And just so we're clear, I'm not doing anything to the forum colors.

[Loyal Subject]

i noticed its been looking different.

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