Script

Script

Why Me?

By Mustafa Omar

ACT 1

FADE IN

INT. CHARACTERS HOUSE – NIGHT

MEDIUM Shot- CHARACTER

Character – male aged 17, with biology book in left hand and pen in right tries to revise and make notes for his biology exam. He finds it extremely difficult, he become quite frustrated and angry, he gives up and slams the book and pen on desk.

Cut to

Medium shot – Character on desk

Character forcefully slides revision book, pen and paper off the desk

Cut to
Long shot – Character on sofa
Character on sofa with remote in hand.

Cut to

CLOSE UP – Remote

Character forcefully and rapidly pressing buttons on remote. He’s irritated as he can’t choose a channel.

Cut to

Close Up – TV

The channels on the TV are changing quickly, there’s a black screen (its turned off)

Cut to

Medium close up – character

Character places both hands on forehead. Character is feeling useless and pathetic as watching TV and choosing simple decision is impossible.

Cut to

Medium Close up – Character

Character is not giving up he now tries to read ‘Of mice and Men’, he’s eyes are moving left and right their fixed on the page he’s determined to accomplish this simple task. However he’s agitated and finds it difficult to relax. He gives up and closes the book.

Cut to

CLOSE UP- CHARACTER

For some reason he’s determined to accomplish this simple task. He takes a deep breath.

Cut to

Medium Shot

Character opens book.

Cut to

POINT-OF-VIEW SHOT, Character at desk

Character reading the book. He begins to turn the pages. Out of frustration and anger the character vigorously close the book and slams it on desk. He then stares at the book with pity.

CUT T0

LOW ANGLE MID SHOT - MIDIUM CLOSE UP – Character

Character with palms on head, looks downward and shakes head out of disbelief and frustration. It’s becoming quite evident that there’s something wrong with this character, and he’s most likely depressed.

CHARACTER:

[VOICE OVER]

‘what should I do, what should I do, what should I do’


Cut to

Medium Shot - Camera pans to the left and stops at wardrobe. Camera pans to the left whilst he’s reaching for wardrobe

Character on desk reaches out to wardrobe.

Cut to
POV Shot - Character

Character staring at therapist leaflet and notepad, he’s deciding what to do which

is to either seek help or write a suicide note. He chooses the notepad.

Cut to
POV Shot – Character
Character begins to write suicide note.

CHARACTER:

[VOICE OVER, reading suicide note aload]

I love you both. I hope you know how grateful I am for bringing me into this world, and for your love, kindness and affection. I am tired of this life. I don’t know who I am, why the hell I am I here?. I have no purpose in this world. If were born to die then death……………………………..


Cut to

Medium Shot – Character

Character tries to continue, but he hears the scribbling of the pen, he tries to continue but it gets loader and loader. In his facial expression we sense the pain of writing the suicide note. He head begins to ache. He gives up and closes the book.

FADE IN
OPENING CREDIT

TITLE

ACT 2
(Train scene)
CUT TO

INT. TRAIN – Morning

Long Shot – Character on train

Character staring at the opposite chair, he’s in his own world. He is isolated and lonely.

Continuous

Zoom – The camera is in a long shot position, it then slowly zooms into character face.

Character staring out of window, we can sense that he feels zoned out and miserable.

Cut to
POV Shot – Character
We see what he is seeing outside the window.

Cut to

Medium Shot – Character

Character looking at the floor. He feels miserable and feels useless, and hates going to school, we can tell this through the narration.

CHARACTER:

Voice over

‘This constant struggle, I just feel this emptiness and despair filled with this feeling of hopelessness, these feeling will never go away. All the will and determination to fight on has left me. I just hate, literally hate going through the same routine, and here I am just staring out the window, why me?’.

CUT TO

EXT. SCHOOL – Morning

LONG SHOT - CHARACTER

CHARACTER walking on school road, intending to go to school. As he’s walking two students walk past him. His walking by himself highlighting the fact that he’s lonely and isolated.

Cut to
Long Shot – Character
Camera in front of Character
Character walking towards school.

Cut to
Long Shot – Character
Camera behind Character

Character still walking to school.

Cut to
Long Shot – Character
Character walking up pavement to School.

Cut to
Establishing Shot – Hampstead School
Establishing the school setting.

Cut to
EXT. Outside School. INT. Reception
Long Shot – Character

Character inside reception, showing that he is now in school.

Cut to
EXT. Sixth form common room. INT. School

Extreme Long Shot – Character

Character walking to lesson.

CUT TO
INT. SCHOOL CLASS ROOM – MORNING

Long Shot – Character entering English lesson

Cut to

Medium Shot – Mark

CHARACTER:

Voice over

‘Sorry I’m late’

Cut to
Medium Shot – Teacher

CHARACTER:

Voice over

‘Sit down your late. You have an exam’

Cut to

Long Shot – Character
Walking to desk

Cut to
Medium Shot

Character forcefully placing bag on desk and taking pen out of pencil case. He then looks at board

CUT TO

Medium Close up – Of Board

The board says, ‘How does Steinbeck represent Racism in Of Mice and Men?’

Cut to
Close up – Character
Character sighs

CHARACTER:

Voice over

‘ahh not this’’

As he realized that he has to do an essay.

Cut to

Time Lapse Shot

Every member of the class is doing the essay, Mark isn’t he looks lost, miserable and has pessimistic though – we hear this in the voice over.

CHARACTER:

Voice over

Just look at them, so focused working hard for the future.

Once TIME Lapse is done, the camera slowly zooms into the character face.

CHARACTER:

Voice over

They think the worlds a perfect place; they don’t know that it can make you feel so sad and miserable. They don’t go through what I suffer; they don’t know what I went through yesterday, why am I so different, just why cant I be like everyone else.’

Cut to
Medium Shot – Character

Character with pens in hand begins to write. He hears the scribbling.

Cut to
Close Up – Character

Character head begins to ache as the scribbling gets loader, he places both hand on head.

CUT TO

Medium Close up of Teacher in Class

CHARACTER:

[VOICE OVER]

‘Your homework for the holiday is to read Nineteen Eighty Four’

Cut to

INT. Library – Afternoon

Long Shot of Library

CUT TO

Long Shot – Character

Character waling to book shelf

Cut to
POINT-OF-VIEW SHOT – CHARACTER

We are now seeing what the characters seeing, he moves to the shelf and with his hands he moves he’s hand across the books until he finds the letter N, he then sees a book called ‘How to overcome depression’, and begins to wonder why the book is there.

Cut to
Close up, Low angle medium shot- character

CHARACTER:

[VOICE OVER]

‘Was this meant to happen?’

Cut to
Long shot – character walking away from shelf

CHARACTER:

[VOICE OVER]

‘I am I destined to overcome this’

Cut to

360 degree shot – Character wondering weather to take the book

CHARACTER:

[VOICE OVER]

‘I don’t know tbh, is this pain and feeling damaging me, or will this hard time make me stronger? Theirs only one way now, I done know why but something’s telling me to to beat this I can’t control my future but I trust my soul’

Cut to

Low Angle – Mid Shot - Character

CHARACTER:

[VOICE OVER]

‘I guess theirs now way of knowing until you know’

Cut to

High Angle – Mid shot - Character

CHARACTER:

[VOICE OVER]

‘I guess theirs now way of knowing until you know. from this moment from this second I need to survive and not allow my self to be trapped in this intolerable situation.

Cut to
Long Shot – Character

Character walking back to desk, he’s intending to try and overcome depression.

Cut to
POV Shot – Character
He grabs the book.
Cut to

Medium Shot – Character

Character seating on comfy sofa in library reading the book

Cut to

Close up – Character

Character begins to blink – he’s tired after reading the book for so long. He sleeps but the audiences don’t know he’s sleeping.

Cut to
CUT TO

EXT. Out of school – Afternoon

Long shot – Character

Character walking out of reception school door, he intends to go home.

Cut to
Long Shot - Character

Character outside school walking down pavement.

Cut to
Long Shot – Character
Character walking through long road.
Cut to

EXT. Train – Afternoon

Medium Shot – Character

Character on the train back from school to home.

Cut to

EXT. Road near home – Afternoon

Long Shot – Character

Character walks through gate, still intending to go home.

Cut to

ELS – Character

Character continues to walk; he is walking down a slightly downhill pavement, he stops near wooden gate.

Cut to
Low angle Medium Shot - Character

CHARACTER:

Voice over

‘I know I can beat this’

Cut to

360 degree shot - Through the voice over the character talks about he’s negative attitude. He places he’s fist together and locks tense, he question him self and says

CHARACTER:

Voice over

‘Were did I get this pessimistic attitude from, now is the time’


Cut to

Long Shot - Character running, camera behind character

Character begins to run through downwards hill, he’s trying to overcome depression.

Cut to

Long Shot – Character running – camera in front of character.

Cut to

Medium Close Up - Character

We see characters facial expression whilst he’s running, which depicts he’s determination to overcome depression.

Cut to

Ext. Office – Afternoon

Close Up – Character

The characters hand on door knob.

Character behind therapist office door, he reaches fir door knob, he’s trying to overcome depression by seeing a therapist, he’s trying to defeat it by performing the pillars in the book which include exercising (releasing stress) and seeking help (seeing a therapist)

Cut to
CUT TO

EXT. Road near home – Afternoon

Long Shot - Pan Shot – Camera pans to right whilst he runs

Character running steadily through a straight pavement.

Cut to

Int. Office – Afternoon

Two shot – Character and Therapist

Character talking to therapist, he’s expressing his feelings.

Cut to
CUT TO

EXT. Road near home – Afternoon

Long Shot - Character

Character continuing to run steadily through pavement, he sprints faster and faster so to dismantle he’s pessimistic feeling and to triumph over depression.

Cut to
Medium Shot – Character
Low angle medium shot

Character crouches down and breathes heavily, he’s tired after running.

Cut to
Long angle – Medium Close up

He begins to itch he’s aching head as he hears the scribbling which is a reference to suicide.

Cut to

INT. Library – Afternoon

Long Shot of Library

Medium Shot of Librarian

CHARACTER:

[VOICE OVER]

‘Wake up, your in a library’

Cut to

Medium Shot - Character

High Angle

Character stretches and yawns, he’s woken up from the overcoming depression dream.

Cut to
Close Up – Character, in a dolly shot

CHARACTER:

[VOICE OVER]

‘I guess I have to decide’

We dont know if he commits suicide or whether he overcomes depression, it ends with uncertainty.