Wednesday, 5 February 2020

Final Story - Premise, Logline, Step Outline and Treatment

Premise

A young blacksmith builds his recently deceased father a sword whilst recalling his favourite memories.

Logline

Bjorn (a young blacksmith) decides to build a sword for his recently deceased father. The sword is made up of personal objects that have strong memories linked to them which will protect his father in the afterlife.

Step Outline

The scene opens with Bjorn hammering a small piece of metal. He dips the water in metal creating a small puff of steam. Bjorn looks at the piece of metal and moves over to his desk. Then he sees a small ornate box which he opens to reveal various objects. Bjorn looks at the box for a moment in despair, shakes his head and stands up to continue hammering at the piece of metal.

The scene fades to a young Bjorn struggling to hold a bow and arrow. He shoots an arrow, which travels less than a meter before hitting the ground. Bjorn's father appears towering over the small boy, he looks menacing until his face breaks into a smirk. He kneels to help his song moving his arms into a better position. A small bird floats above them, his father gives him a nod and he shoots the arrow, which hits the bird and falls. His father picks up the bird turns around with a small ornate box and places the bird’s foot into it. The scene fades to Bjorn looking at the box. He tips out the bones and grinds them in a bowl. He pours the dust into a pot over a fire and watches it melt. The scene fades again to show Bjorn's father teaching him how to blacksmith. they hammer away at a piece of metal. Bjorn eventually smiles and looks at his creation, a small round disk with a small pattern. The scene fades to bjorn looking at the same piece of metal. He pours the substance over the fire into a mold, adding the disk to the top of the piece. The scene cuts to him lifting the sword from the mold and hammering at it until he is satisfied. He dips to sword into a barrel of water, looks at his creation and nods. (Walks towards camera).

(Walking away from the camera), Bjorn enters the morgue. A figure covered in various materials on top of a stone table. His father helmet lay on top of the figure. Bjorn kneels at the side for a moment. The camera pulls away to Bjorn standing beside a small boat. He places the sword next to the figure and holds the torch near until the boat is alight. He pushes the boat into the water watching it float away. He looks sad (almost in tears), he lifts his head and a gentle smile spreads across his face. He wipes his eyes and walks away. 

Treatment

The scene opens with the blacksmith (Bjorn) hammering away at a small piece of metal against a large anvil in his workshop. Once he has finished, he examines the piece and dips it in a barrel of water which releases a small puff of steam. Bjorn lifts the metal from the water and places it on his desk next to a small ornate box. He lifts the lid to reveal its contents, a small collection of animal bones. He looks at the box in despair for a moment, shakes his head and places the box on the table, as he turns to continue hammering the piece of metal.

The scene then fades to a young Bjorn standing near the edge of a lake. The young boy holds a bow and arrow much too large for him to hold, yet he continues to attempt to shoot it. There is a large build up, he pulls the arrow back and let’s go. The arrow travels less than a meter in front of him. He looks disheartened until a large shadow is cast over him. He looks up to see his father glaring down with a menacing face. He sands there for a moment until his face breaks down into a smirk and he kneels to help him. He lifts Bjorn’s head, moves his arms into position and gives him a nod. A small bird flies over head, Bjorn lets go of the arrow and the bird falls to the ground. Bjorn's father stands, picks up the bird and reaches into his cloak to reveal a small ornate box. The scene fades to the present, Bjorn looking at the box on his work bench. He tips out the objects and collects the small set of animal bones. He grinds the bones in a small bowl and pours them over a pot of bubbling liquid sitting on a fire. He watches the substance melt for a moment and then stands to continue with his work. The scene fades again to show young Bjorn and his father in the same workshop. His father hands him a hammer and shows him how to bend a piece of metal. Bjorn hammers away at piece of the metal until he smiles and holds it up to his father. His father smiles with pride. The piece of metal is a small disk with a pattern of lines across the surface. The scene fades back to Bjorn poring the liquid into a mould. He waits whilst the liquid settles and then breaks the mold and hammers away at the sword. When he is done, he takes the same patterned disk of metal and place it on handle of his newly made sword. He dips the sword into a barrel of water, releasing a hiss and a puff of steam. He lifts the sword to inspect his creation and gives a sharp nob before picking up his cloak and walking away from his desk. 


The scene cuts to Bjorn in a dim lit stone room (morgue). In the centre there is a stone table with a figure draped in various materials. On top of the figure rests his father’s helmet and cloak. Bjorn walks towards the table, and kneels by its side, holding onto the sword with a tight grip. His head hangs low. The scene cuts to the body on a small boat at the edge of a lake. Bjorn places the sword next the body, lights the boat on fire and pushes it out into the water. As the boat floats away, he hangs his head low with a great look of pain across his face. He lifts his head with his eyes full of tears, sees the boat, and gives a gentle smile. He then lifts his shoulders wipes his eyes and walks away. 

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