Ryan Farmer

Draft 8

EXT, PALMER’S COLLEGE, MORNING

The scene opens with a puddle filling the screen. The camera is very close to the puddle almost to the point where the camera is laying on the ground next to it. The lighting is very dull, resulting in muted colours. It is raining, so there is the sound of rain falling. A voiceover cuts in after a few seconds continues as a sound bridge into the next scene, and this shot lasts for about five seconds.

SOPHIE
(v.o)
Dear Diary,
Someone once told me that…

INT, PALMER’S COLLEGE, MORNING

The voiceover continues from the previous scene as a sound bridge, linking the scenes to the character as well as to one another. Sophie is carrying a large folder across her chest and has a courier-type bag over her shoulder. She is wearing very dull colours like white, grey and black, reflecting the first shots monotonous feel, and her own feelings too.
There is a deep-focused long shot of Sophie walking towards the camera through a crowded corridor which is slightly high angled, partly so Sophie can be seen in the corridor and also because it shows that Sophie feels small and unimportant. The camera angle then changes to a point of view shot as Sophie walks through a large group of people, who push and insult her. The corridor is dark and has al lot of shadows being cast over characters.
The diegetic sounds like the insults and chatter in this scene are very muted, but the voiceover continues as normal.

SOPHIE
(v.o)
…today will be like yesterday,
And tomorrow like today.
Well, today was just another day.
Just another
rainy day where I
was ignored at home,

CAMERA - CUT TO POINT OF VIEW FROM SOPHIE'S PERSPECTIVE

tormented in the classrooms and
as for the corridors...
they weren't very nice either.

CAMERA - CUT TO REACTION SHOT - CLOSE UP OF FACE

And despite all of this
I'd never tell anyone about
what I was feeling.
Except for Julian.

CAMERA - CUT TO CLOSE UP OF EYES

My Julian.
But there was another problem
that I had to suffer every day.
He would never be my Julian,
no matter how badly I wanted him,
or needed him.

CAMERA - SLIGHTLY HIGH ANGLED MID SHOT

I don't want to sound like I'm
blaming him for this,
maybe we're just too close to
be like that.

CAMERA - POINT OF VIEW SHOT FROM SOPHIE'S PERSPECTIVE

But I... Oh I don't know.
I know that if there's one thing
I've learnt from my stubborn bitch
of a mother is that its easier to
shut up and put up with it than
to make a fuss and risk losing
what you've got. Thanks Mum.
But I'm sure that if I made
a fuss with Julian, I'd lose him.

CAMERA - MID SHOT OF SOPHIE AT EYE LEVEL BUT CAMERA MOVES BACK AS SOPHIE WALKS FORWARD TO KEEP SAME DISTANCE

I'm sure of it.
Like I said,
it's just another day.

INT, A 'NOOK' IN PALMER'S COLLEGE, MORNING

The camera is at Sophie's eye level, but where Julian is sitting on a window ledge, it appears to be a low angle shot of him. There are uses of over the shoulder shots giving the impression that this is a more private scene as the characters won't let you inside them through a point of view shot. One of the over the shoulder shots has the camera outside the window, with Sophie looking out the window past the camera and Julian looking at her.

CAMERA - OVER SOPHIE'S SHOULDER LOOKING UP TO JULIAN

SOPHIE
Boo

JULIAN
Hey you!

JULIAN DROPS FROM LEGDE AND CAMERA ANGLE CHANGES FROM LOW ANGLE TO EYE LEVEL, AND SHOT CHANGES TO A MID SHOT OF JULIAN.

I've got something for you

SOPHIE
(v.o)
I forgot to mention,
today is my birthday.

JULIAN
Happy Birthday!

SOPHIE
Thanks

JULIAN
You're welcome.
Hey, what're you up to tonight
after college?

SOPHIE
(v.o)
Nothing, I never do anything with my lousy family.
Which actually comes out as

SOPHIE
Nothing I can't get out of, why?

JULIAN
I just wondered if you wanted to
go see a movie, get something
to eat, my treat

SOPHIE
Yeah, that'd be great

JULIAN
Great, so I'll be at yours for...
six-ish. See you then.

SOPHIE
OK, bye.

CAMERA IN FRONT OF SOPHIE ON OPPOSITE SIDE OF WINDOW, LOOKING BACK TOWARDS SOPHIE AND JULIAN. JULIAN IS SLIGHTLY OUT OF FOCUS.

JULIAN
Oh, and Sophie?

SOPHIE
Yeah?

CAMERA FOCUS SHARPENS SO JULIAN COMES INTO FOCUS

JULIAN
Smile, it’s your birthday.

INT, PALMER’S COLLEGE, MORNING

The scene opens at Sophie’s locker, where she is putting a folder and her present from Julian away.
The camera is placed inside the locker at eye level while Sophie puts the folder into the locker. It starts as a black screen because the locker is closed but the sound of the voiceover continues.

SOPHIE
(v.o)
That’s another reason
why I’m scared to make a fuss.

LOCKER DOOR IS OPENED – SOPHIE CAN BE SEEN FROM INSIDE THE LOCKER AT EYE LEVEL – MID SHOT

I don’t want to lose that, the way he
just cares. I know what’s in this box.
They’re the trainers I’ve wanted
for ages but my mother wouldn't get
for me. Not girlie enough, she said.

CAMERA – CHANGES TO OUTSIDE LOCKER WITH THE CAMERA TO THE SIDE OF SOPHIE – MID SHOT AT EYE LEVEL

Julian didn’t even ask me what
I wanted. He knew. And I love
him for it.

BEKKI
Sophie!
Oi, birthday girl!

SOPHIE
(v.o)
Bugger, I tried to keep it quiet.
Enter Bekki Callaghan, queen bitch
and every day she’s followed by a
group of her minions.
Today’s just another day.

CAMERA – POINT OF VIEW FROM SPOHIE’S PERSPECTIVE – LOW ANGLED SHOT

BEKKI
Got anything nice?
How about from your boyfriend?
He’s a bit of a looker, eh?
How did you manage to get him?

CAMERA – REACTION SHOT – SOPHIE TURNS TOWARDS CAMERA WITH HER BACK TO BEKKI

SOPHIE
He’s not my boyfriend.

BEKKI
Aww, is that because he won’t
stoop so low, or just because you’re a
dirty lezza?!