Who is the protagonist? Kath
Who or what is the antagonist? Neighbours or is it Evie?
What are the protagonist’s main problems and obstacles? Keeping Evie alive whilst being distracted by her past, her present and Evie’s future (and on an internal level- her own future)
What do they want? To keep Evie alive and then get to her first day at work.
What do they need? Reassurance that everything will be okay and that she is good enough this time to save the child and to save herself in the process.
What is their external journey? Trying to save the child she finds on her way to work
What is their internal journey? Trying to move past loosing her own child by succeeding in this instance and learning that she has enough strength inside to keep going even when no-one else will help her.
How does the protagonist change during the story? She is hopeful at the start, then anxious and emotional but as she starts reliving the past she makes the decision to stay strong and continue. She succeeds and then is deflated when she just returns to the start again.
What is the genre of your short film? Drama (satire)
At this point, we should have a good understanding of our protagonist, who they are, what they want, what they really need underneath it all, their character arc – where they start off and how they have changed by the end, and a good external and internal journey for them to go on in the process.
- What is the inciting incident?
- What is the first act climax?
- How does it set up the second act of the film?
- What are the main turning points of the film?
- How is the film resolved in the third act?
These points helped me to focus on my 19 point story arch.
19 Point story structure
ACT 1:
- Establishes the world and tone
- Establishes the protagonist and the initial problem – on her own
- Introduces the second story
- Development of crisis leading to end of Act 1
- Climax end of Act 1
ACT 2:
- Turning point
- Moment of reflection dramatic pause can introduce 3rd and 4th story
- New kind of development in story one
- Significant development in second story
- Crisis in sub plot second story
- Main story development and complications
- Climax second story
- Climax end of Act 2
ACT 3:
- Second turning point
- Moment of reflection dramatic pause
- Set up final solution
- Second story resolution
- Climax main story
- Closing moments
Teachers:
ACT 1:
- Kath is in her flat preparing for her first day back teaching.
- Kath lingers on a photo of the family she once had.
- When leaving the estate Kath finds Evie unconscious.
- Calls 999 and starts CPR
- Flashback – House on fire, her husband tells her to get out while he saves their daughter.
ACT 2:
- Two neighbours stop to offer unhelpful advice and snap Kath out of the flashback just as Evie coughs and is put in the recovery position.
- Voice on her phone reassures her she’s doing well.
- Flashback- Kath gasping for air on the ground making the call to 999
- Someone who knows Evie runs over and starts panicking and distracting Kath
- Evie stops breathing again and Kath has to start CPR again.
- Gathering crowd of neighbours all seem to have different ideas, none of which are helpful.
- as her husband appears holding their unconscious daughter and they both fall to the floor. Kath starts giving child CPR.
- Kath is snapped out of flashback by busybody housewife grilling her as if she had hurt the child herself.
ACT 3:
- There are so many neighbours gathered at this point it’s overwhelming to hear all their viewpoints at once.
- The phone voice says the ambulance is nearly there
- Evie finally comes to just as her mum arrives on the scene
- Flashback -Ambulance arrives too late
- Ambulance arrives and Evie’s mum whisks her away from Kath and into the ambulance
- Kath gets back to going to work.
