Sarah Jorda

Project Synopsis

The film I plan to make will be in three segments but

the theme of chaos runs throughout. The three parts

could stand alone as small stories, but together they

will examine technical uses of film and investigate

differences of medium. One sequence will show the

perspectives of a fight. The story will consist of a

couple fighting. But instead of their whole bodies,

their shadows will be the main visual feature. By

only seeing their shadows or parts of their bodies the

fight will be fragmented. This fragmentation affects

how the viewer perceives the fight and how the viewer

comes to understand the characters' perception. In

the second sequence I will use matte boxes to show

three different running images on the same piece of

film. This sequence will examine the space of a car,

where space is private yet public. Three people will

be in the car, a group of friends. During the

sequence they talk, listen to music, and share

silence. The third sequence involves a couple and a

car accident. It will look at the pure chaos that can

erupt from peace and tranquility. I plan on shooting

all three segments on film.

TREATMENT

Part I

A girl stands at a balcony looking out into the

darkness. She leans against the railing and one foot

taps the wood planks that are below her feet. There

is a jade plant next to her legs. She smokes a

cigarette nervously, looking around as she hears cars

drive by. She can hear music, Bebel Gilberto, playing

from inside her apartment. She paces a little,

stretching her neck and cracking her back. As she

walks her shadow moves against the outside apartment

wall. She hears a door slam below her and her head

snaps to the staircase that leads up to the balcony.

She extinguishes her cigarette with a look of disgust

on her face as the last fumes reach her nose. She

stands fixed, yet calm, in the corner of the balcony.

She hears loud, heavy footsteps trudging up the

staircase. She follows the ascending body of a boy.

"Oh course it's you," she says. "Who else?" he

replies. They stand across from each other trying to

look into each other's faces, but hesitant. "I was

just wondering, 'what if someone else came up these

stairs. What would I do?' But now that you're here,

I still don't know what to do." The boy chuckles,

meanly, "Do what you always do," The girl walks

towards the door to the apartment, her shadow crosses

across him and across the wall. "That's right, walk

away," he challenges. But she turns and opens her

mouth. Their voices escalate and their bodies move

with anger and confusion. They fight about where he's

been and if she even cares anymore. She tells him she

worries but he scoffs. He tries to make the words

come out right, but the fight seems to be having them,

instead of them having the fight. Their shadows get

larger and smaller on the wall, depending on where

they move. Parts of their bodies look disconnected

from their whole. They yell and scream a little,

saying words that are half true, half anger, but words

they never thought they would say out loud. In chaos

and frustration the boy gives up and trudges back down

the stairs. The girl stays on the balcony and turns

to look out over the other houses. She puts her head

down on her arms and the steam from her breath rises.

Part 2

Three friends pile into a car. They buckle up, load a

tape into the player, and zoom down the residential

street. Sunny Day Real Estate blares over the

speakers. The boy in the backseat has his arm out the

window letting the passing air push it around. The

day is sunny, the sky a light blue/gray, with clouds

hanging over like a curtain. The driver sings along

to the song. The girl sitting shotgun runs her

fingers through her hair and ties it into a bun, she

looks at the driver and smiles, "How about In and

Out?" she says. The car makes turns and speeds

through green lights. The yellow and black lines,

which make the car lanes, are a never-ending

companion.

The car pulls into a drive-thru. The music stops.

"Can I take your order?" The three friends wait in

the line and discuss the bands they saw last night.

The driver believes their bass player needs to take a

more active role. The girl chews on her thumbnail and

says she thinks the synthesizer needs to go. The boy

tells them they should tell the band. "Yeah right,

they wouldn't care". The driver asks the girl if she

has the map. She pulls out a hand drawn map, with

freeway numbers and street names. They drive away

with grilled cheese hamburgers in their hands. "Get

on the 91," she says. Cars honk and faster cars zoom

by. The tires make a whirring sound on the newly

paved concrete.

They get stuck in traffic, as construction is making

the lanes go from two to one. "Why are they always

working on shit?" the girl asks. "It never goes away"

the boy in the back replies. The driver joins in,

"Yeah, it just moves from place to place." The sun is

going down, the rays play off the hood of the car and

the driver must brave a haze. They continually look

at the map. "It's after Carson" the girl says. They

pass the Carson green freeway sign. They take ramps

and bridges. Other signs like Valley View and

Orangethorpe correspond to their map. They continue

in their circle. Night falls. The stereo lights are

a bluish violet and the dashboard lights are red. No

one talks, yet the three friends voices are heard.

The driver wonders if they'll ever get there. The boy

in the black discovers if he squints his eyes the

lights flare like magic. The girl tells herself to

have fun tonight, even if he is there.

Part 3

A couple, Max and Jill, pile into their station wagon.

There is a picnic basket and a blanket on the back

seat. "I hope it's not too cold," Jill says and she

backs out of their driveway. "Don't worry," Max says

smiling, "the sun's warm." At the stop sign, Jill

turns to look at Max and he turns his head towards

hers, "I love you," he says. She leans over and

kisses him, "I love you too," she whispers. A loud

honk startles them from behind. Jill laughs and

drives the car forward. They talk of other things as

they drive: the new paint for the spare room, Jill's

mom's upcoming visit, and Max's new song. They

approach an intersection. Jill sees the light is

green; Max puts his arm across the bench seat,

glancing to the left and sees another car. Their car

is hit, jolted, shaken, and crunched. Glass breaks

and falls on the black asphalt, lights flash through

their broken plastic covers. Steam comes up from the

hood of the car. Max puts his hand to his head; blood

is on his finger. A cut directly above his right eye

bleeds profusely. He sees Jill is still leaning over

the steering wheel. Her hands are clenched so tight

around the wheel her knuckles are white.

"Honey∑Jill∑Honey, can you hear me?" She turns her

head, "Get me out of here, get me out now." "Try the

door," he says. She tries but it won't open. "Open

the door, open the door, please, get me out of here,"

she says panicked. "O.K. O.K" Max gets out on his

side shaking, blood dripping down his face. Suddenly

a middle aged man is charging towards him, "What the

FUCK were you thinking?! Are you insane?" the man

says. Max is dumbfounded, confused, "I have to get

her out." Max goes for Jill's door; he hears children

crying from the other car, sirens are approaching.

"Jill?" She looks into his face and he looks into

hers.