Play For Keeps: Treatment

Log line: A young man wants to reclaim his dominance in Galaga.

Grant and a group of friends own the arcade. They are kings. All the little children worship their pro-ness. Whenever Grant or whoever enters the vicinity, all the other children part like the red sea, bowing down to the kings.

One day, they enter the arcade like usual. "Wassup Joe", Grant says to the store owner. "What's poppin' king, someone done beat your high score, bruh". "Oh hell naw." Grant rushes to his dominant machine. No one is acknowledging his presence. The kids have lost interest in the king. Some 'ACE' has beat his high score.

Grant decides to try and find this 'ACE'. He plays the detective one day. Other days, he empties out his pockets on the machine trying to beat the highscore. He cannot. Broke, Grant has only one option. Find the 'ACE' and compete with them.

One day he enters the arcade, sleep deprived, deranged. He sees a girl, who has a keychain - 'ACE' down the lanyard. It leads to one conclusion - ACE IS A GIRL!

He stands, puzzled. Is it right to confront a girl? Can he beat her? What if he loses? Beads of sweat wash down his face. Worst of all, this girl was HOT! Like smoking hot. Sizzle sssszzzzz.

(There's only one thing he can do. HE BUSTS OUT A KAMEHAMEHA and blasts her away.)

(He challenges her. An intense game is spawned. While Grant is sweating profusely, the girl is calm and in control. Losing the game, he drops to his knees and screams is disappointment.)

Instead of the thoughts that he has imagined. He decides that it is useless to try and compete. How often will you ever find a hot gamer gal? This is the only chance he will ever get. He approaches her and asks if the high score is hers. Turns out it is not. He questions about the keychain. She pulls it out, revealing TR(ACE). Ha, her name is Tracey. They hit it off and walk out the shop.

As they leave, a fat boy walks in glasses and everything. He walks into the room and film ends with kids in arcade beginning to bow down...


ALT.
(Come back to his standing stunned. He challenges her. Epic game goes on. As the game is about to conclude, power shuts off. GAME OVER. Grant slams the machine and slaps the screen. The two look at each other. What do they do now? They shrug, make up and walk out together.)

Advanced Editing Concepts

I Erased You
The Departed — MOVIECLIPS.com

This scene in The Departed illustrates the use of classicist editing. Like most of the modern day films, this film is very quick paced as dictated by the short shot length. The longest shot is only about one and a half seconds long. Along with this, the film varies in shots in order to expand the amount of coverage in the scene; it also utilizes a multitude of angles. Aspects are even used from D.W. Griffith's arsenal of film techniques including close ups to highlight intimacy and psychological reasons. In this particular scene, close ups are used to emphasize the fact that both characters are in a rough predicament. One is held at gunpoint, where as the other is an undercover cop who is not even recognized. In this case, close ups intensify this part of the film.

Officer Down
The Departed at MOVIECLIPS.com

At the end of this scene from The Departed, realist filming techniques are used. When the police commander discovers that his men are shooting at the group of gangsters, he stays static for the rest of the scene. He does not say anything, he does not move anywhere, he doesn't even put down the phone. In this example, realist editing is used for dramatic intent. The Matt Damon character is to be analyzed by the audience. He stays static in a wide shot in order for the audience to take in the different aspects of the shot. We see him at a desk where he calls orders. He is in an office - probably in the police station. He has a shelf behind him with government documents and folders. All these pieces of the production design are available for the audience to pick up. Through the use of realism in this film, it not only build up emotion, but also provides context.


Lastly, Formalism is also used in this film in the beginning to establish a setting. Because the city that this film is so large (which also makes the plot so large), a lot of coverage must be used to fully depict the city. The editing cuts from one part of the city to another, from riots to peaceful parts. Formalism is mostly used in this film to build context. By revealing all these different aspects that relate to each other, the audience gets an idea of the setting of the film. Furthermore, not depicted here, the film also uses formalist cutting to reveal backstory about characters. The Leonardo DiCaprio character is shown a lot of times in this way. Because he is an undercover cop, people do not oftentimes know a lot about him. The use of formalism therefore provides information that isn't provided otherwise.

Step Outline

Character

Two possible protagonist whose stories are told in a parallel structure. One may assume the 'misfit' role, but it will not be shown in an obvious way like in dress (e.g. the nerd archetype). Maybe throughout the story, it will be subtly and slowly revealed how he is an outsider. The character himself is of course oblivious to the fact.

Backstory
The character may have had things happen to him that makes him not recognize that he is a misfit. He is oblivious to the fact that he does not act like everyone else. Maybe it was something in his younger years. Maybe the two protagonists will unite at a point in which they realize they are not the brightest bulb in the box.

Goal
The goal is unique to both characters. The should be related so that the stories of each character seem to be related by some magical connection. The universal goal can be used to create meaning or do a social commentary.

Relationship
Relationship is told to further create character. In this instance, the misfit interacts with his surroundings. That is his relationship. Because he does not fit, maybe he has a group of friends that are just as oblivious as himself. As the two parallel stories are being told, it can be alluded to that the two characters will soon cross paths.

Setting
The setting really depends on what the problem of the protagonists are. Maybe the setting will be one single location in which both characters are at the same time or a broader range of settings will be used.

Obstacle
The obstacle is...

Mood 
Mood should be comedic throughout but possibly a dramatic ending that connects all story lines and makes sense of things. Together the separate pieces can be comedic through awkwardness, jokes, but this needs to be executed well.

Time
Time will be manipulated in that pacing will be determined by editing. Maybe the story spans over multiple days or maybe in a few hours. Dramatic intent can be emphasized through rhythmic cuts or even shot duration. The 'content curve' should be acknowledged.

Unknown

The unknown that we will give the audience is why the two stories are being told at the same time. This will have the effect of wonder. The audience should wonder what the relationship between the two are and what the significance is of the two stories being told simultaneously.

Discovery
Discovery will be highlighted in both finding out backstory about the characters as well as realizing the relationship between the character. This is where the narrative must shine. In order to end the film with the impact I want, the character relationship must be alluded to and then revealed. Another alternative is that we reveal so much about the characters that the audience is sure what the relationship is, only to discover in the end they were wrong and misinterpreted little details.


Scratch the whole 'im a misfit, lemme figure out what's wrong with me idea'
Misfit must have a goal more than that - too generic, character can still be 'misfit' but his story must function out of the stereotype.

OUTLINE
1
A. character is introduced - maybe the audience will first see character as cool kid
B. second character is introduced - subtle details to show relationship between the two

2
Relationship is subtly revealed through slight details that the audience weaves together.
One of the two characters is supposed to be going on a date with the second character, but they keep on 'just missing' each other. Some sort of action keeps them from meeting up.

3
characters are revealed to have some sort of relationship with each other.