Script Proposal

Garrod, Ben (55117)

55117@eastnorfolk.ac.uk
Ben Garrod, 55117 Script Proposal

Contents

Overview .............................................................................................................................. 2
Purpose ............................................................................................................................... 2
Narrative .............................................................................................................................. 2
Target Audience ................................................................................................................. 4
Main Character Profiles ..................................................................................................... 5
Robert Smith .................................................................................................................... 5
Dorothy Smith.................................................................................................................. 5
Mary Smith ...................................................................................................................... 5
John Smith ...................................................................................................................... 5

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Ben Garrod, 55117 Script Proposal

Overview

Title: Living in the Future

Logline: A family from 100 years ago is transported into the year 2020 and find
themselves in an unrecognisable world.

Purpose

This script will be a fictional feature film, with the aim of portraying the stark
differences in lifestyle between generations. The focus will be on our reliance on
technology and our current lifestyle during the Covid-19 outbreak. 1920 and 2020 will
be compared and contrasted in this film. The world has become unrecognisable in
the last century; innovations in travel have allowed us to explore the earth, life
expectancy has increased by an average of 30 years and equal rights have improved.
This film will cause the viewer to reflect on the lifestyle changes the last century has
brought about and their implications. The limitations of living in lockdown in many
ways parallel the hardships experienced post WW1 and the outbreak of Spanish Flu
(which died away in April 1920.)
Life in 1920 would have not been easy; Britain was recovering from the social and
economic implications of World War 1. For example, debts were incurred of over
136% of Britain’s GDP. However, rights were increasing, as the Representation of the
People Act (June 1918) gave the vote to all men over 21 and women over 30. The
Spanish Flu pandemic, which began in 1918, saw many parallels to life in 2020.
Spanish Flu was incredibly deadly – young adults between 20 and 30 could be dead
within the day if the caught the virus.
Similarly, in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has restricted our freedoms and cost
50,000 people their lives in the UK. The impact on health, the economy and education
has been catastrophic, causing at least 1.5 million people to lose their jobs in the UK.
My film will contrast these two time periods, causing the viewer to question if we
would be happier living 100 years ago?

Narrative

Synopsis: A nuclear family (a traditional family structure with two parents and
children) from the year 1920 wakes to find that time has advanced by 100 years. The
film explores their struggles adapting to the new Covid-infected world that they find
themselves in. Everyday life has changed so dramatically that they struggle to carry

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Ben Garrod, 55117 Script Proposal

out the most basic tasks, such as buying and cooking food. To make matters worse,
no-one believes their story, making them feel alienated and out of place. During the
course of the film, they meet up with their family from the future, who help them
search for clues as to what has caused the shift in time. The film ends with the
family successfully time travelling back to 1920, thanks to the discovery of a time
machine.
Genre: The primary genre of my feature film is adventure, as the plot is centred
around the family finding their way back to the 1920s. It will also have some
comedic and sci-fi elements. The comedy will stem from the family’s confusion and
bewilderment in the world that they find themselves in. For example, the family have
never used any modern amenities – they’ve never had running water or central
heating in the house. The family’s return to the 1920s will involve elements of sci-fi;
they will use a time machine to return to the correct time period.
Themes: One of the key themes in this film will be the confusion and bewilderment
that the 1920s family feels in the modern world. Technology which could only be
dreamed of has now become a reality – we are living in the future!
Another key theme to explore is disease and infection. Both time periods experience
pandemics, so the handling of each can be explored. The 1920s family will show
emotions of shock and disbelief, as it appears to them that the world is in a
perpetual pandemic.
Parallels and differences can be drawn between the handling of the Spanish Flu and
Covid-19. What has been done differently? Is the situation better 100 years later?
Visual Style: Most of the film is set in 2020, with the final scene (after they have time
travelled) being set in 1920. A triadic colour palette will be used for the majority of
the film, showing the vibrance of modern life. A complementary colour pallet and
static effect overlay will be used for the scene set in the 1920s; the limited range in
colours will represent the shift in time.
Unique Selling Point: The unique selling point of my screenplay is the direct
comparison between two livelihoods 100 years apart. Flashback scenes are included
to reference the 1920s.
A film with similar themes is Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Bill and Ted are both
underachieving at school, and risk failing their history class. Ted’s father will send
him to military school if he fails, which would split the two boys up. However, they
must stay together to protect the future; Rufus from the future has come to ensure
that they pass the course and stay together. They bring back many historical figures
from the past, who help them pass the report. This film has similar sci-fi themes and
includes time travel. This film was a box office success and received positive
reviews, making a $40 million profit.
The Crazies is a film about a dystopian society, triggered by a disease released by
the military that turns people into violent psychopaths. The theme of disease and

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Ben Garrod, 55117 Script Proposal

infection is explored in this film; the scramble to control the infection parallels the
pandemics that are explored in my film. The Crazies was a box office success,
making a $55 million profit. A review from Common Sense Media said that “The
Crazies retains all the social commentary of the original, but streamlines it and
smoothes it into a regular horror film.”
Films with themes of disease and time travel themes can provide mainstream
success and have critical acclaim.
Gaps in the Market: Currently, there are few fictional screenplays that reference the
global Covid-19 pandemic. The adventure genre, with comedic elements, is an
unusual genre combination.

Target Audience

Primary demographic: Primarily, my film will be aimed at a middle class (B)

demographic, as the historical and adventure elements will likely appeal to those
with a higher level of education.
Secondary demographic: My secondary demographic is the working class (D), as the
sci-fi elements (time travel) are likely to have a wider appeal.
Primary psychographic: My feature film will be aimed at the ‘reformers’
psychographic, as this psychographic group is socially aware and seeks personal
growth. Both these elements are present in my feature film; the social differences
100 years brings about are explored and the personal growth the 1920’s family
experience is presented.
Secondary psychographic: My secondary psychographic group would be those who
are interested in the implications and intricacies of time travel. The ‘adventure’ to
find the cause of the shift in time would keep the viewer wondering how the time
travel occurred.
Target age group: My film is likely to appeal to retired people, aged 60 upwards.
Generally, older generations, who have seen significant change in the world, have a
deeper interest in history. Therefore, they are more likely to be interested in this film.
Primary audience: Primarily, this film is targeted towards an audience who is
interested in the historical differences and parallels between 1920 and 2020.
Secondary audience: This film’s secondary audience is anyone who enjoys comedy,
as this film will have comedic aspects due to the 1920’s family being confused.
Product intention: The intention of this feature film is to make people realise that
although the world is constantly changing, history does repeat itself. Evidence of this
is in the parallels drawn from the 1920’s Spanish Flu compared to the 2020 Covid-19
outbreak.

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Ben Garrod, 55117 Script Proposal

Main Character Profiles

Robert Smith

Aged 41, father of John and Dorothy Smith and from 1920. They dislike their
newfound life in 2020 and seek answers as to how the shift in time happened. The
lead the quest to go back in time to 1920. They are motivated by the memories of
their previous life, and desire to socialise and return to their previous job on a farm.

Dorothy Smith

Aged 43, mother of John and Dorothy Smith and from 1920. She is motivated to
protect her children at all costs; therefore, she learns to quickly adapt to life in the
21st century. Dorothy takes care of practical aspects of running the family, such as
shopping, cooking, and housework.

Mary Smith

Aged 14, daughter of Dorothy and Robert Smith and from 1920. As the youngest
member of the family, she is the quickest to adapt to her new life in 2020. She is the
only member of the family who does not want to return to her former life, as she has
grown dependent on technology.

John Smith

Aged 21, son of Dorothy and Robert Smith and from 1920. John aids his father,
Robert, on the quest to find a route back to their previous lifestyle in 1920. Both John
and his Father work together to find clues as to what has caused the shift in time
and deal with scepticism and disbelief from others along the way. He is motivated to
get back to the 1920s, as his girlfriend has been left behind!

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