Pressure Part 2 treatment

Working title: Pressure (Part 2): The Taunting Years

Genre: Drama

Target Audience: 14-45 age range

Tagline:

Is there such thing as a biological ticking clock? Do we live a life of pattern? Do we follow or find our own way?

Brief Synopsis:

(50 words)

Hannah is exactly where she dreamed she would be. Her sheer will and determination excelled expectations as she now leads her own company. Hannah has achieved everything she aspired for in her career but there’s one thing she’s missing: A life, a relationship, a companion. We watch Hannah battle to either overcome or succumb to the pressures of life and society and the demand for coupledom.

Main Character Biography:

(250 words)

Hannah Timms spent the early years of her life studying, struggling with the education system. Her academic grades would tell her she’s a failure, but her creativity in arts told a different story. For Hannah studying books and writing essays was difficult, but music and art showed a unique talent. The music she could compose was remarkable and the songs she could sing were beautiful. This self-taught star found her escape in music and used this talent to guide her into her future.  She worked tirelessly over the years to prove to herself and society that academic grades don’t dictate your life. Her goal was to prove that individual talent can surpass the guidelines of education and she can still live a life of success and happiness. Hannah did just that, working from the foundations up Hannah developed her own music production company. Unfortunately once reaching this goal Hannah quickly realised her settling loneliness. Her stature at work completely contrasted against her life at home. Friends had family, children, they were engaged, married, or expecting. Hannah is just Hannah. This pressure to find a partner in this new era of her life now opens up new battles that she must understand. She must now find a way to invite the possibility of someone new to share her life. Hannah is a strong career orientated woman, her independency is abundant. Prompted by society Hannah’s biological clock is ticking, and she must decipher what she wants in her life now and figure out new ways to achieving it.  

Brief Description:

(500 words)

Hannah is in an office, it is clear she is the boss from her smart appearance and confidence.  One of her employees enters her clean organised office for short meeting. Out of politeness, Hannah asks them if they have had a good weekend. They respond with stories of a family camping trip and ask what Hannah got up to and whether she has a love interest or not yet. Hannah brushes this off as an inappropriate comment, and adds that she’s single and that’s how she prefers it to be. At the end of the day we see Hannah drive home. This is a clear transition in mood, at work there are bright lights and Hannah seems comfortable, as soon as she gets into her car the lighting is dark and she seems stressed. This hints that she is heading towards something doomful, which is her home, where she is lonely and unfocused. On the journey she is stopped by a red light, it is a pedestrian crossing and a couple walk across the road holding hands and laughing. Hannah looks annoyed, rolling her eyes and accelerating quickly once the light turns to green. We follow Hannah to her large attractive home. Inside she opens a ‘meal for two’ ready meal lasagne, she cuts it in half and eats it at her dining table alone with a glass of red wine. She takes the rest of the wine to the lounge, where she sits and scrolls down Facebook, looking at her friend’s happy lives.

The next day another employee enters Hannah’s office. He explains that his wife has asked if she would like to come for dinner at his house, and adds that she can bring her partner if she wants to. Hannah looks unimpressed and says she will give it a miss. On her journey home a different couple stop the pedestrian crossing. They take extra-long to cross the road, too caught up in each other’s company; Hannah gets annoyed when they haven’t crossed by the time the green light is on show. She starts peeping in frustration and curses under her breath. At home Hannah retrieves the second half of the lasagne out the fridge. She gets a new bottle of white wine and eats in the lounge. After her food she returns to Facebook. Looking bored and frustrated she shuts down the laptop and looks across to a shelf. On the shelf lives a memory box full of pictures, tickets, posters, drawings, gifts and certificates. Looking through the stuff, Hannah disregards a picture of her and an ex-partner and goes on to find a travel poster about a ‘gap year experience’ under her breath she says ‘if only’. The moment is then interrupted by a Facebook message, it’s an ex-partner and he wants to rekindle their romance. He says he’s off to Milan for the weekend and would love it if she would join him.

The following day Hannah is alone in her office contemplating her offer to go to Milan. She seems distracted, flickering through papers and constantly checking her phone, re reading the message from her ex. For the final time we see Hannah’s journey home, she reaches the same traffic lights but this time without any pedestrians, the mood and pace has altered here as we feel a sense of urgency. Hannah rushes inside her home, straight up to the bedroom and starts chucking her clothes into a suitcase. In the end we hear Hannah on the phone ordering a taxi; the suitcase is packed beside her. As she leaves the house with her case but in her hand we notice the ‘gap year’ traveling poster.

Directors Statement of Intent:

(250 words)

Much like the first film ‘Pressure’, this film will follow the same theme and mood. The protagonist here is now facing new pressures from a different era in her life. Again socially and psychologically we explore the impact of her new life and the social demands. Using wide shots and utilising empty space will emphasise the protagonist’s loneliness and sense of isolation. Juxtaposing between wide open shots to tight close ups of her face and eye level will convey her emotion and create the opportunity for spectatorial empathy. The pace throughout this film will alternate between the fast franticness of her work life and the grey, slow and gradual pace of her home life. The low tones used in her home life will resemble the same style and mood in the first film to create a correlation between this specific mood and this character. Similarly the use of slow gradual imagery, fast anxious shots will allow for the development of pressure as in the existing film. In the final later part of the narrative, Hannah is contemplating two eventualities on her life. This becomes much faster paced and intense, as this is the captivating moment, the turning point to the film. What Hannah decides dictates her future. In her inner realisation, the colours naturally become more colourful and brighter and thus the mood of the film has a sense of guidance and upcoming resolve. The sense of ambiguity throughout this time leaves the spectator in the unknowing and builds tension. It isn’t until the final moment of the film that our questions are answered in the close up shot of a clenched poster in her hand. The resolution teaches that our lives are to be lived for ourselves, society and education cannot dictate our future, we are responsible for our own happiness. Hannah choses her independency and understands that what she appeared to want (partner), wasn’t truly what she needed.