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‘THROUGH THE LENS’
SCENE ONE: INT: DINNING ROOM – AFTERNOON
As introduction titles are displayed, black screen fades out as ‘happy
birthday’ is being sung, we are met with 17-year-old Riley sitting in-
front of her birthday cake, center screen at the dining table.
Camera, of which is focusing close up on moody her face, slowly pans
out as her arguing parents standing over her, come into frame. We hear
the muffled mummers of their argument as the singing fades out, before
Riley’s voiceover narrative fades in.
MUSIC: EMOTIONAL INSTRUMENTAL FADES IN, COINIDING WITH VOICE-OVER
SCENE TWO: HALLWAY/LANDING - EVENING
We see the silhouettes/shadows of Riley’s parents arguing, before the
camera pans to her, as a singular tear drop falls from her eye.
RILEY (VOICEOVER)
It’s like this all the time. The arguing, shouting. If I had it
my way, I’d never celebrate my birthday. At least not while
they’re around to ruin it.
SCENE THREE: WOODS – AFTERNOON
Riley walks through the woods with her camera around her neck, as she
gazes up and the trees above her, blinded by the sun shining through
the cracks in the leaves. She begins to aim her camera at the nature
surrounding her, taking multiple precise and detailed photographs.
I’d much rather be out filming, taking photos, something. That’s
my ideal day, hours spent looking through the lens, imagining
what could be. Living vicariously through the ability of the
camera to play pretend, as it allows for its user to create
almost anything, and erase almost everything.
Riley continues her stroll through the woods, taking photos and gazing
upwards, before sitting on a bench upside down. With her legs hanging
over the back of the bench and her eye peering through the lens, we
see an upside down shot of the field in front of her, of which
indicates her view of her, currently, upturned world.
Sometimes I’ll bring my camera on days out, I’ll take photos of
my mum, dad; when I get home I’ll look through them, and
sometimes, when I’m lucky, I'll have captured mum’s smile, and
it’s funny when I do, because I know it must've only lasted a
few seconds as she sarcastically grinned at one of dad’s jokes,
before resuming her role as foe. Thats why I like taking photos,
to help me reimagine the day, recall it differently, I guess.
SCENE FOUR: PHOTO-BOOTH – EVENING
Riley and her best friend, Omar, are in a photo-booth as they begin to
argue about a topic undisclosed to the audience; in between shots they
are visibly disagreeing with one another, before managing a smile in
time for each photo. Omar then storms out of the photo-booth
indicating a falling out, as Riley picks up the photos of which depict
an enjoyable and happy experience despite the reality. This
demonstrates the absolute ability of a camera to inaccurately convey
happenings.
An almost escape from reality, as I produce a new one by way of
distorted light and artificial smiles. Viewing the world the way
I wish it was, manipulating actuality, no different than reading
to escape, drawing to create, or writing to imagine. I film to
believe. Believe that things are the way they exist in my mind.
Happy. As everything is in the eye of my camera, after all When
you put four edges around some facts, you ultimately, change
those facts...
Riley stares longingly/sadly at the photos in her hand, camera shoots
close up of photos.
END MUSIC TRACK
Now back in the dining room, we hear the mummers of the guests/other
people, before her dad speaks.
RILEY’S DAD
“Sorry Rie. Go on, blow out your candles.”
Riley stares blankly at the camera, before taking a deep exhale and
blowing out her candles, the screen then goes black.
SCENE FIVE: HIGH STREET, SKATE PARK – AFTERNOON
MUSIC: UP-BEAT, QUICK PACE TRACK FADES IN
With her camera in hand, Riley walks down the road happily, as the sun
shines upon her. As the fast-paced music fades in, we see several
angles of Riley as her walk progresses. She begins to take photographs
of that surrounding her, as we see the shots from her lenses point of
view. Illustration animation then comes in, visually depicting the
frames, making for a story-board type feel. The quick-pace nature of
the track mirrors that of the editing, before we are then met with
multiple still shots of Riley sitting at the skate park, headphones
on, as the music switches to headphone audio.
SCENE SIX: HALLWAY, KITCHEN – AFTERNOON
A centered shot from afar captures Riley walking through the front
door, taking out her headphones
END MUSIC TRACK
as she is greeted by her dad making a cup of tea. We watch as he
begins to boil the kettle as the high-pitched sound of it fades in. He
reaches for a mug as Riley’s mum makes a comment.
RILEY’S MUM
“Oh, so you weren't planning on offering me a cup of tea, no?”
RILEY’S DAD
“Listen, [laughs frustratedly/sarcastically] I’m not in the mood
for this right now, make one for yourself if you’re that
bothered.”
RILEY’S MUM
“We wouldn't be having this conversation if you weren't so lazy.”
Riley's dad slams his mug on the kitchen counter out of rage,
coinciding with the beginning of the next song.
MUSIC: UP-BEAT, LOUD TRACK FADES IN
Riley winces at the situation, close-up of face, before returning
upstairs.
SCENE SEVEN: BATHROOM – EVENING
Riley turns the shower on, water begins to pour. Centered shot of the
back of Riley’s head as she washes her hair in the shower, before then
moving to the mirror to brush her teeth. Running water sound plays.
RILEY (VOICEOVER)
They wonder why my brother is always out, and they wonder why I’m
never in, they’ve conditioned our minds to believe that life
can't be fun, at least not within these four walls it can't. I’m
at my happiest when I’m taking photos, videos. Capturing the
happy, in hoping that it compensates for the sad.
SCENE EIGHT: HIGH STREET – EVENING
Two strangers hugging outside a pub, general bustle high street.
Even if not my own special moment, someone else's, someone else’s
laugh, someone else’s hug,
SCENE NINE: CONCERT – EVENING
Riley films those on stage as she smiles, before we are then met with
a central shot of performer.
song, dance; I find joy in it all, the preservation of their
memory fills my own with hope. Hope that in this life I’ll have
plenty of time to fill it with laughs of my own, if not with my
parents than someone else.
SCENE TEN: BEDROOM – EVENING
Riley sits centered on her bed, as she watches her mum and dad's old
wedding video, the footage plays on screen, before we are then met
with a close-up of her face, of which is being lit up by her phone.
She smiles.
It wasn't always like this, they used to get along, somewhere in
between then and now though, their jokes turned to digs, and
their laughter became shouts. Sometimes I look back, at their old
photos and videos, filled with embrace and companionship. The
fading of their once fulfilling relationship only reinforces the
paramountcy of photos, visual capsules of frozen time, static
smiles that don't dim as the clock's big hand progresses.
SCENE ELEVEN: WOODS – AFTERNOON
Birds-eye shot pictures Riley looking up the camera, followed by a
shot of her view of the sky.
As humans we’re often trapped in analog, while we continue to
live, through digital, the photos on our phones the only thing
keeping us from the inevitable. Almost as if the frame of the
picture is holding the seconds hostage, out of reach from the
tampering hands of time. For nobody knows what the future holds,
or what's going to happen next, nothing’s promised,
SCENE TWELVE: TELEPHONE BOX – AFTERNOON
Riley stands off center to the photo box as she takes photos with her
camera, shot of sky then follows.
but it's different with photos each one a pinky swear of what has
gone before, reassurance of the love that was once present;
because without them, you might start to convince yourself that
it never really existed at all.
SCENE THIRTEEN: BEDROOM – AFTERNOON
A close-up of the photo collage on Riley's wall pans through. (Also
ones on fridge).
How much of photography is real? And how much of it is formed by
the assumptions made by our eyes, when they are met with the
shared seconds of others? Each photograph a page in a bigger
book, the contents of each one, writing the unspoken words of the
chapters, the storyline, of life.
SCENE FOURTEEN: FEILD – AFTERNOON
Riley, laying on the grass, points her camera up at the sky before
taking a photo. We then see a shot from her point of view as she lies
there.
The camera gives us the ability to choose what happens in our own
story. To create, and romanticize. Pave the way for our desired
plot, bringing it to life by way of every calculated visual.
Every shot and every snap, the vivification of our own books.
SCENE FIFTEEN: WOODS – AFTERNOON
Riley, from sitting on the bench, then stands up on the seat with her
hands in the air as she takes a deep exhale in.
Maybe one day, the pen that I hold in my hands in the form of a
camera can be put down, and I can finally live a life so worthy
of being photographed, that I won't have to anymore.
Screen goes black. End credits come in.
END SCRIPT