Final Timed Writing

Directions: If you were to create a filmed advertisement (a "trailer" for a movie based on The Grass-Eaters, which scene would you select? Why? Discuss ways in which you might film the scene.

My choice is the scene of Ajit Babu and his wife opening and shutting the door of the train wagon with great satisfaction.

In the story, after Babu and his wife suffered from the living conditions of the footpath, where there was no privacy, no freedom but only violence and miseries, their discovery of the wagon appeared to them as a gift sent by god. The great contrast between the footpath and the wagon reflects their terrible hardship, and their aggressive happy emotion stresses the absurd and hopeless live they led. This scene is the climax in the novel, and I want to make it the peek of my trailer, as well.

In my trailer, I would like to put three short scenes last for about 1 second before the scene of the wagon. The three scenes tell Babu and his wife’s living on the footpath, which can achieve the purpose of comparison.

Here is a raw script of my tailor.

The background color of the screen should be black at first.

The first scene appears gradually, form dark to light. It presents the overall situation of the dwellers on the foot path. Then the scene fades away.

The second scene appears the same way as the first. It shows Babu’s night at the footpath, when he got back after resting himself, he could find no place to sleep at all. Then the scene disappears gradually.

The third scene comes the same way and presents the fight between Babu and the man whose wife was hugged by Babu mistakenly during the night.

All three scenes were shot in grayish color and the background music must be slow and gloomy.

Then there comes the main scene of Babu and his wife opening and shutting the door of the train wagon with deep happiness.

Firstly, I will shot the wagon from a far distance and then as the camera drawing closer and closer, the wagon becomes bigger and clearer. Then I will give the wagon door a special shot. Shortly after, the shot focus on Babu’s hand on the handle, quivering slightly. Later, there is another special shot of Babu smiling to his wife and his wife smiling in return. Meanwhile, the screen should turn from the former color to a light and bright one, and the music changes into a delightful style, implying the internal happiness of Babu and his wife. Finally the screen shows that they are closing and opening the door madly. The music goes louder and the screen even lighter.

Finally, the screen turns to dazzling white and then returned to black again. There remains no sound at all.

22.6.07 05:46