Film Studies and Cinematography - Project 1

1/10/2019 - 15/10/2019 (Week 6 - Week 8)
Lee Yu Hui | 0335787
Film Studies and Cinematography
Project 1

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In this week's class, we are required to come up with a story idea for our first project. I initially had a few ideas for my story, but somehow I think that it is not good enough and some story ideas has a lot of flaws. Then, I remembered about an old lady that used to live a few streets below, she has a cat that she adored so much to the point that she would get overprotective. I decided to create a 'What if' scenario from it, and build a story from the old woman. 
Synopsis:

In a small neighborhood, lives an old woman with her cat, Ruby. The old woman loves the cat dearly, to the point where she would get overprotective towards the cat, and would get mad and chase after people who interacts with her cat. Everyday, the old woman goes through the routine of cleaning the house, watering the flowers and feeding her cat. However, there’s a room in the house that she particularly cleans carefully everyday. It was her granddaughter’s room. She would be very cautious when cleaning her room, and would always leave the room after cleaning with a gentle smile. When preparing dinner, she would also prepare extra dishes on the table… with no one sitting on the other side of the table. This goes by everyday until one day, she found out that Ruby was missing! Panicking, she rushed in and out of the house looking for Ruby, but the cat was nowhere to be found. Once she stepped outside her house, at the corner of her eye, she sees a little girl who was wearing a beanie caressing Ruby across the streets. The old woman got furious, and rushed to the girl’s side and snatched the cat away from her.The girl got shocked, and was forced to leave as the old woman took away the cat from her. Returning into the house, the old woman continued with her routine with feeding the cat and cleaning the house, and remembered to shut the gate outside as she went to bed.

The next day, the grandmother once again found out that Ruby was missing, and she once again panicked and looked around the house for Ruby, until she heard Ruby’s voice somewhere in the gardens. As she looked at the gardens, she noticed the same girl who wore the same beanie as yesterday was feeding Ruby through the fence. Furious, the old woman once again took the cat inside, leaving the girl outside, disappointed. Once the old woman went into the house, she only found out that the girl lives just across the street, however the old woman just took a glance and continued with her routine. The next day comes along and the old woman doorbell’s rang. It was the same girl as the day before, and this time, she is holding a handful of cat food and toys, offering to the old woman. The old woman glanced away and was ready to close the door, but the girl held the door and looked at the old woman with pleading eyes. The old woman looked at her, ready to say something, until a huge wind broke out suddenly and blew off the girl’s hat. As the hat flew off, the old woman stood at the doorway, looking stunned. The underneath the girl’s hat was her bald head. The old woman’s eyes widened, looking shocked, and hurriedly close the door against the little girl and head inside. 

Once the old woman walked inside, she mind wandered off. At the corner of her eyes, she sees the cat looking at her while meowing, looking sad. The old woman looked at the picture of her and her granddaughter with Ruby on the wall, frowning. The same night, the old woman could not fall asleep as she flashes back to her memory with her granddaughter, who is the same age as the little age who lives across the street. She took out a photo album of her and her granddaughter, and the images shows her memories with her granddaughter with her, from being a baby until she was learning to walk and run, to the first day of her school, and the last photo landed on her picture with her granddaughter…. with bald head. She holds the album against her tightly, and fell asleep.

The next few days passed, and the old woman never see the girl again. Somehow, she is waiting for the girl to appear once again. Ruby, too, felt gloomy over the past few days, and looks out at the window everyday. Then, she noticed a car parked into the girl’s house. A pair of couple came out of the car looking worried and sad as they went into the house. Hesitantly, the old woman slowly carries Ruby and walked out of the house. She continued walking until she realizes she is at the doorstep of the girl’s house. She knocks on the door and is greeted by the girl’s parents. They let her in and as she scans across the house, she notices that the girl used to own a cat that looked similar to Ruby. When the old woman finally reaches her room, she hands the cat to the girl and smiled.

After showing Mr Mike the story, he suggested that I place the story into the story spine to determine which part should be cut down. He said that the story is okay and has a degree of originality in it, however it is too lengthy.

I then cut the story shorter to fit the timeframe by following the story spine/ beats. This is my final proposal for the story:
Story spine/beats:

Once upon a time… there was an old woman who lives with her cat Ruby in a small neighbourhood, and she loves the cat dearly.

Everyday… she would protect the cat from outsiders, and would chase away anyone who tries to interact with the cat.

Until one day, she found out that Ruby had sneaked outside across the street, playing with a little girl in a beanie. The old woman who found out got furious and snatched the cat away from the girl, leaving the girl sad and disappointed.

Because of this, the old woman took extra precautions to ensure that Ruby does not run off outside the house. However the next day the old woman finds the same girl again with the cat at the fence. She hurried to their side and took Ruby away, scowling.

Because of that, the girl came to the house the next day again, but with a handful of cat food and toys. The old woman rejected initially, until she realized the girl was bald. She was shocked and hurriedly close the door upon her.

Because of that, she could not stop thinking about the little girl, and her granddaughter who has similar condition as her. However, she noticed the girl never appeared again, which left her feeling suspended.

Until finally, when the old woman and the cat was chilling and watching TV shows together, the cat jumped out of her lap and run straight outside. Panicking and worried, the old woman hurried outside to go after the cat, when she finds herself in the therapy that the little girl was in. She sees the little girl lying on the bed, pale but happily caressing the cat. The old woman stood there for a second before growing a smile.

Ever since then, the old woman no longer closes her and Ruby from people, and she often visits the girl with Ruby.