Plot Planned Out

Hey Cambridge! Now that I've decided all of the aspects for my genre, Coming-of-Age, I can start finalizing the plot of my opening. So, as you know I'm making my story about a rebellious girl who runs away but I still had to figure out a lot of things. I also got some constructive criticism from my teacher, and she told me I needed to figure out where and why is she running away? So, without further ado, here's my final draft of the plot...

My title is going to be "Over It."

The story is going to focus on a 16–17-year-old teenage girl who reaches her emotional 'breaking point' after finding out she's pregnant and decides she’s so "over it.” The plot is going to focus on a character‑vs‑self conflict. I'm going to use the setting around her to help show the audience she's struggling. I'll use mise-en-scene like her messy room, open & dirty makeup, clothes everywhere, and the frantic packing to be visual cues of how overwhelmed she feels.

Her bedroom, the posters, and desk will be something like this:

 

Pinterest. (n.d.). Unorganized desk [Photograph]. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0b/07/8c/0b078c3a70b94673c8b5fee92e802c56.jpg

Freepik. (n.d.). Punk halftone collage in edgy modern style [Photograph]. https://img.freepik.com/premium-photo/punk-halftone-collage-edgy-modern-style-merging-rebellious-punk-aesthetics-with-dynamic-halftone-patterns-fusion-grit-sophistication-contemporary-visual-artistry_771426-52509.jpg

Dreamstime. (n.d.). Messy teenager bedroom during the day [Photograph]. https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/messy-teenager-bedroom-day-301319176.jpg

I'm also going to include small details like her phone dinging with stressful notifications from her boyfriend (I haven't chosen any names yet, but I'll definitely include heart emojis around his name) and even a voicemail of him saying "We need to talk. I'm so sorry just please call me back and let me explain! I overreacted just please talk to me." This is going to portray the "why is she running away" aspect and let the audience infer the boyfriend did something that's making her act out.

Another thing I will include is to have her on screen setting up a map's location on her phone, put it in her pocket, and then start biking away. It will show her on the phone on maps and focus in on the location. I will also have a diegetic sound of the phone saying, "Starting route to pharmacy." With all these little details, the audience can infer that she's pregnant and her boyfriend didn't take it well. It shows that she's already troubled with the conflict between her and her boyfriend and it alludes to something more that's going to happen.

Pinterest. (n.d.). Apple Maps navigation screenshot [Image].

My biggest inspiration for this project is Lady Bird. It has a lot of realistic emotional scenes, and it also uses everyday spaces to create the character's personality. I also like how chaotic they portrayed her typical teenage frustration. This movie is an amazing guide for me and creating my opening.

Pinterest. (n.d.). Lady Bird movie poster [Image].

Stay tuned for my script!