'Pressure' treatment

Working title: Pressure

Genre: Drama

Target Audience: 14-28 age range

Tagline:

Our future is uncertain, undetermined, but despite all you must decide what life you will live.

Brief Synopsis:

(50 words)

The story of an adolescent girl, Hannah. The pressure of the unknown and making the right decision at such a young age. Desperate to find herself Hannah battles with the pressure of not fitting in at school, being unable to perform academically despite her efforts, and dealing with the pressure of making career choices which could dictate her future lifestyle.

Brief Description:

(500 words)

The story begins with the protagonist (Hannah) at the breakfast table, eating cereal before school, staring through the camera, almost in a trance. Meanwhile her parents, oblivious, walking in the background prepare for their working day.

Hannah snaps out of trance down to a table full of university applications, scholarship applications, grade reports, homework, notes, and revision text books. She gathers the objects together, and slams them into a pile in frustration.

Hannah is now on the bus, reading revision textbooks and writing notes. She looks up out of the window and watches the town pass her eyes. Now off the bus, at the bus stop, Hannah looks to her school/college directly ahead as the bus drives past. Hannah remains still, staring ahead.

Later that evening Hannah is situated in her darkened bedroom, at her desk, late at night, surrounded by textbooks, notebooks, documents and a blaring laptop screen. A voice over explains Hannah’s mind frame as she checks university requirements. She now sifts out her current grade report underneath the chaos that is her desk. Her grades aren’t sufficient. We watch Hannah’s disappointment and frustration.

(MONTAGE) A few different days of Hannah again at her desk/on her bed/ on her floor, surrounded by homework, laptop of academic supplements, notebooks, sticky notes, and highlighted texts. We watch Hannah furiously revising in order to achieve the grades she needs.

(A NEW DAY) Hannah’s parents leave an application form on her desk. She begins to look at the requirements for the universities and scholarships again. Hannah reveals her new grade report; still no improvement despite her efforts. Hannah looks ahead through the window above her desk. We watch her emotionless face of exhaustion.

(A NEW DAY) Hannah is now in a bus station staring at a poster about a volunteering scheme about leaving home and travelling in Africa for a year. We observe her as she observes the poster.

(A NEW DAY) Hannah again sat at the breakfast table, eating cereal before school, stares through the camera, in a trance. Her moment is broken by a text from her friend whose message explains how she knows exactly what she wants, has the perfect grades, and has been accepted for a scholarship. Hannah on the other hand is stuck in a cycle despite her efforts she ends up in the same position she started.

(MONTAGE) Hannah leaves the house and heads for the woods. She yearns for an escape, leaving everything behind. We witness the scenic beauty that surrounds her as she walks through the woodland. The escape, the freedom, Hannah remains in peace for a while, in serenity. We appreciate the space that surrounds her. Hannah notices movements in the woods behind her and thinks there’s someone lurking in the shadows. Hannah is unsettled. She attempts to leave, but struggles to find her way out. Unable to determine the right pathway, Hannah panics. She persistently looks over her shoulder for her potential follower and stumbles over a tree root. Hannah falls and tumbles to the ground below her.

A blurred figure reaches a hand forward. Hannah hesitantly accepts the guiding hand. This could be construed as her finding her inner guidance, an actual saviour, or even a mere figment of her imagination as result of her pressure. The ending is left ambiguous for individual viewer interpretation.

Main Character Biography:

(250 words)

Hannah Timms is an adolescent going through the struggles and pressures most teenagers can relate to. She feels unsure about what choices to make regarding her future and what direction she should take concerning education, career choices and travel choices. She feels as if the selections she makes now will affect the rest of her life, and is compressed by the need to please her parents and be successful. The battle against her fears for the future don’t only stem from pleasing her family but also from her struggle to make decisions. Hannah’s want is to escape these pressures and hide away from the choices she has to make. Her need however is guidance and support. In contrast with her parents, who add to her anxieties, she needs someone who can help her.

Our film intends to show a realisation that sometimes it’s impossible to escape from life decisions. The journey into the woods symbolises this, at first it’s a nice escape and feels peaceful away from her stresses, but as she becomes lost it shows that distracting yourself isn’t always the answer. In the end a silhouette of a person reaches out to Hannah, this could be the answer to her problems; A friend which can lead her into the right direction.

Our character isn’t special in a significant way but she will be relatable. Many people struggle with anxiety as a teenager and find it hard to deal with the pressures society, school and parents put on you. Hannah is an ordinary girl who is struggling to find happiness because of our culture’s requirements. 


Directors Statement of Intent:

(250 words)

This film represents a state of ‘Pressure’. The film will follow the narrative of this young girl, exploring her current lifestyle and the psychological impact that is has on her. Using a juxtaposition of long and short shots throughout will allow us to represent Hannah’s mind frame through different parts within the narrative. For the most part of this film, the mood will be grey, slow, and gradual. Paired with focused audio, and occasional voice overs the film will set a low tone. ‘Pressure, will be construed in its ability to alter a person’s emotions. Using this alteration in pace; pressure will be shown through shorter shots accompanied by character emotion. In summary we will have experienced a low depressing state (slow), anxiety (fast), distress and exhaustion (emotional acting paired with juxtaposing shots). Later into the narrative when Hannah finds herself in the woods, the colour scheme will appear brighter and naturally more colourful, the scenery will reflect the mood, slow attractive imagery will portray is serenity. The imagery will appear much more cinematic and creatively experimental. The entire mood and pace of the film will differ entirely to the previous to create a sense of space and escape (her want). This change will emphasise the mood by comparison. When Hannah feels paranoid, tension will be developed through a combination of ambient sound, soundtrack and fast, close shots. Moving images and unsecured cameras can help to portray a dramatic feel to this scene by playing with the mood in movement. At the end, Hannah will accept a guiding hand from what a blurred darkened figure. The entire scene is a metaphoric representation of her pressure, the emotion, panic and tension built are equally expressive components of the mood “pressure”. The ambiguous seeming ending allows for viewer interpretation, as the narrative will be a strongly reflective piece that requires audience relation to create an emotional emphasis/empathy. Any and all viewer interpreted endings are correct.