We decided to do two separate treatments so that we could both stretch our knowledge of writing professional treatments. Within these treatments, we write some character biographies, a description of locations and a basic outline of a narrative.
Character Bios:
19 year old Roxanne Smith is 5ft.5" and has straight, light brown hair that comes down to the middle of her back, medium skin and blue eyes. She is a hot-headed but caring and passionate person. She sometimes lets her emotions get the best of her and often jumps to the wrong conclusion too quickly without considering the facts, hurting those she holds dear in the process. Due to a misunderstanding, Roxanne throws her friend, Lucy, out of their shared home, laving Lucy alone, upset and unsure of her friendship status with Roxanne, whom she has known for a long time and cherishes their friendship.
19 year old Lucy Roberts 5ft6" with shoulder-length dark brown, wavy hair, a fair complexion and green eyes, reflecting her innocence. She is a very sensitive yet secretive young woman, but she is known for her sharp tongue and talent of being spiteful when provoked. She is also known for her vivid imagination often lets of her mind wander of its own accord, dreaming up scenarios and situations in her head. After an argument with Roxanne, her friend of many years, she finds comfort from an unlikely source; a seemingly complete stranger. Will this stranger be able to make her open her heart?
Charlie Lewis is 5ft11" with shaggy light brown hair, hazel eyes and a mischievous smile, reflecting his playful sense of humour and optimism. He is a handsome, kind-hearted and charming 20 year-old with a selfless personality. He is exactly what Lucy Roberts needs after the fight, and seems perfect in everyway; almost too perfect to be true. The audience then discover that he is indeed too good to be true, as he is actually a figment of Lucy's imagination that is made in her need of comfort.
Locations:
Interior - Lucy's bedroom
A typical teenage girl's shared bedroom. Posters of idols and photos are stuck to the pale green walls. Makeup, clothes and university dissertations and essays are littered over the desk and the floor. The bed is unmade and looks like the owner has only just left it. Photo frames of the two girls are dotted around the room, showing their close relationship.
Exterior - House
A typical suburban house. Faded peach pebble-dashed walls, an empty driveway (signifying that the girls cannot drive and thus implying that Lucy has to walk), a wooden door and 4 windows at the front. The driveway and front garden is a little messy and unkept, with a few bits of litter in the flowerbeds, signifying that the girls are not too bothered about the aesthetics of the house.
Exterior - Park
Various sections of Crystal Palace Park will be used:
- Main conversation between Lucy and Charlie - a park bench. Tall trees are visible from the back of the shot, moving in the breeze, and grass lines the foreground.
- Montage - Dinosaur exhibit. Surrounded my tall trees and near a lake, the sunshine reflecting off the surface.
- Children's play area. Grass surrounding. Brightly-coloured play apparatuses are visible, reflecting the happiness Lucy feels with Charlie.
Treatment:
Lucy Roberts' life has always been happy, and this is why it comes as such a shock when she is thrown out of her shared house with the best friend Roxanne. Alone, upset and in desperate need of a comforting arm around her shoulders, she finds what she needs in the most unlikely person; a complete stranger that seems intent on getting to know her. Trust is easy exchanged and the two become close, but once the matter between her and Roxanne is resolved, will he stick around? Does he even need to stick around?
Scene 1:
Lucy is sitting at the desk, revising yet another draft of her dissertation for her History degree. She looks up to the calendar. A POV shot shows that she has crossed off most of the days in May, she has put a thick, red circle around the day that the semester at university ends and she can go on the holiday that she and Roxanne have planned for ages.
Suddenly, Roxanne enters angrily, disrupting the piece, Lucy's phone in her hand. She begins to shot at Lucy, telling her that it's not safe to give people she meets on the Internet her phone number; they might not be who they say they are, and there's no knowing what they will do to her. Lucy, disgusted by the fact that her best friend stole her phone to spy on what was none of her business, begins to shout back at Roxanne, telling her leave her possessions alone and to not butt in where she is not wanted. Realising that the words came too quickly out of her mouth, there is nothing she can do as she watches Roxanne's anger rising even further. She is grabbed by the arm and pulled out of the house, down the stairs and out of the front door while Roxanna challenges her to live without her protection and their friendship. Lucy tries to free herself from Roxanne's grip, but she too strong, and before she knows it, she is out of the house and the door is slammed shut.
Lucy looks back at the house she has just been kicked out of before sighing, burying her hands in her pockets and walking away.
Scene 2:
Lucy is sitting on a park bench, unaware of the people around her enjoying the nice weather. She is looking at her shoes while tears fall down her face, landing on her jeans. She doesn't move to wipe the moisture away.
The scene shifts to a young man walking down a path not too far away from Lucy, spinning a full 360°, implying that is looking for someone or something. He walks past Lucy before double-taking at her, stopping dead and turning on his heel to face her. The camera shifts to a view from behind the bench as the young man sits down next to Lucy. He asks her is she is ok, to which she replies that she is fine. He remarks that she doesn't look like she is ok, and gently and patiently encourages Lucy to tell him what is wrong. She is reluctant at first as she doesn't know him at all, so he jokingly offers a hand in a handshake and introduces himself as Charlie before commenting that she would feel better if he told her what was the matter. Lucy gives him and tells him in her own words what has made her so upset. Charlie does not interrupt and listens intently to Lucy. She feels slightly embarrassed as she has just poured her heart out to a stranger and asks Charlie why is he is so interested, to which is replies with a nonchalant shrug and claims that he "doesn't like to see a pretty girl cry". He offers his hand again and asks if Lucy would like to join him for an ice cream. Feeling that she can trust Charlie, she accepts without having to be persuaded. The two walk hand-in-hand down the path and away from the camera.
Scene 3:
Lucy and Charlie are standing by an ice cream van laughing and with ice creams in their hands. A short montage follows which shows them around various sites around the park, at the dinosaur exhibit, the children's play area, near the lake, etc. Lucy looks happy to be in Charlie's company and Charlie in hers.
The pair are walking down a path hand-in-hand when Lucy's phone goes off, signifying that she has received a text message. She stops in order to retrieve her phone from her pocket. Charlie realises that she has stopped when he feels a tug on his hand. He turns to see Lucy reading a message on her phone and approaches her to find that the text is an apology from Roxanne, telling her that she was only trying to protect her and she wanted her to come home so they could make up properly. Lucy then persuades Charlie to home with her and meet Roxanne, which he begrudgingly agrees to.
Scene 4:
Lucy and Charlie walk through the door of Lucy and Roxanne’s house it a fit of laughter. Lucy introduces Charlie to Roxanne, but Roxanne tells Lucy that there is no Charlie; there is no one standing next to her. Lucy looks at Charlie to find that Roxanne is right; Charlie is not there. The scene ends with the audience coming to the conclusion that Charlie never existed; he was a fragment of Lucy’s soul.
