Treatment

The adaptation of the Thailand Tsunami has been taken from the Impossible film however, it will
be produced from a different survivors perspective. It will be based on two survivors who I have
researched. Tom and Arlette Stuip were enjoying their holiday in Khao Lak, Thailand. Their
relaxing, carefree breakfast was soon disrupted by the unexpected disaster that followed. This
adaptation based on a true story follows the heart wrenching tsunami in the perspectives of Tom
and Arlette. Following the separate journeys of the couple will they survive this horrible attack
after being hauled under the water which devoured anything and everything in its path. This will
be adapted into the format of a film in order to fit the survivors whole experience in. It will be first
shown in the cinema so that the target audience being 15-24 year olds will be able to view it and
then it’ll come out on DVD and streaming services such as Netflix. However, once it come out
onto DVD and streaming services, the new media will have a higher viewer rating for the film.
This target audience especially the younger years are in the psychographic E so their parents
being the secondary target audience will pay.

In the real life event the couple did not get taken under the water and made it to high ground
where they watched the whole island get caught up in the tsunami. I have changed the storyline
slightly in order for the audience to experience what the mass population went through.

‘The Unimaginable’ is the name of this adaptation because when you go on holiday you never
imagine to be caught up in a tsunami fighting for your life. You go on holiday to spend time with
your loved ones and have a relaxing time away from reality. Therefore the tagline that i have
came up with is ‘ the journey through the unimaginable event.’ This is appropriate because the
couple fight for their lives through this horrible disaster.

Furthermore, it will be turned into a film, however, I shall create the script for the film. If I were to
make a film of this by me having a low budget it wouldn’t be achievable to obtain a heart
wrenching experience for the audience which they connect with the characters. I’d need a large
budget so that i could produce it in a film studio where i could achieve the special effects
needed. Therefore, this is why i have chosen to create the script in order to provide a detailed
and thrilling experience of the tsunami which will allow the audience to understand what people
went through in real life. The approximate running time for the film will be 124 minutes which
comes to 2 hours and 6 minutes, in order for the film to include before the earthquake, during it
and after.

It is going to have a non linear narrative structure. I’ll begin with the couple on the plane home to
allow the audience to get an insight of the devastation that it caused. The couple Tom and
Arlette have been injured from the tsunami. It then has a flashback to them arriving in Thailand
ready to have a relaxing holiday. For 10 minutes of the film it has before the tsunami. The main
part of the film is during and after the tsunami. Once the sea levels drop we follow the separate
journeys of the couple trying to find one another. Right at the end of the film when Esme has
joined them they are the lucky ones to go home. Esme has no family left so goes home with
them. Throughout this adaptation the target audience are able to submerge themselves into
Tom and Arlettes experience of the tsunami and realise how traumatic it was.

The two main characters in this adaption will be Tom, 27 and Arlette, 25. The storyline will focus
on the couple trying to survive this horrible tragedy. Along their way the audience will see
sprawls of dead and injured bodies. Tom and Arlette do their best to try and help as many
people as possible but this serious event makes it hard for them to help everyone. However,
Arlette comes very connected to a young girl Esme, 8 who lost her family in the tsunami. Not
wanting to leave her Esme joins their journey in survival. Tom and Arlette shall be performed by
Liam Hemsworth and Phoebe Tonkin. These two actors are perfect for the role because i need
two brunettes but also they have starred in big well known films and are very well known so if I
celebrity endorse my adaptation with well known actors the higher the viewing rating will be. The
audience will be able to connect with these two as they will create a captivating performance
which will keep the audience thrilled. Other cast members include the two tourist survivors who
help Tom find Arlette. These are performed by Mckenna Grace(Esme), Lucy Hale and Paul
Wesley (Tourists). I am including well know and less known actors to make it more realistic as
people who went through this horrific disaster were just ordinary people therefore, i want the
people who are playing the role to present them in a normative manner.

As it is a serious subject of a film choice the soundtrack will be used to change the mood.
Therefore, before the tsunami the soundtrack will be uplifting due to the couple enjoying their
holiday. When the tsunami suddenly comes the track ‘All I Want’ by Kodaline will play. I think
this is a good choice of song because when people get taken under the water the lyrics, ‘when
you said your last goodbye’ is relevant for some of the people in the disaster because a lot of
people did not make it out alive or even if they did they were injured, mentally or physically so i
think that it will really get to the hearts of the audience. However, when the couple find each
other the track ‘Oblivion’ by Bastille will play because they haven’t lost each other and their love
story can continue. This will be the part that is emotional for the audience because it highlights
to them to not take life for granted. I am also going to be including composers scores throughout
my adaptation. Dustin O’Halloran will open up the section that i am adapting which is called
‘Arrivals N2’. The couple have arrived on holiday and are enjoying their relaxing, carefree
breakfast in the unknowing of what is about to happen. This instrumental provides a happy and
uplifting mood and atmosphere before this changes minutes after. Also, ​Antony Partos score,
‘Trek’ will be included in my adaptation which will play when the water reclines out and then comes
hauling back. It is suitable for this part of the film because the tension builds up. Fernando Velazquez will
feature a lot in my soundtrack. He produced the soundtrack for The Impossible therefore it is very fitting
for my adaptation due to being very similar. Each hurdle in the film this composer’s pieces fit the setting.
Finally at the end of the film when the tsunami is over and Arlette and Tom have survived, Nathan
Halpern’s score ‘Home’ plays which is the perfect ending track. ​This soundtrack would be subjected
to the creation of the film which i shall include in the script.
 The target audience for this film is rated 15 because some parts of the film will include graphic
scenes that could harm a younger audience. In order to show the audience what people went
through graphic scenes need to be shown to make them feel any sort of sympathy and
attachment with the characters. The primary target audience are 15 year olds who are going to
be in full time education so are in the psychographic E. This psychographic highlights that they
are not getting an income so their parents who are the secondary audience will purchase the
cinema tickets for them and then once it comes out on DVD they’ll purchase the DVD for their
child. I have not targeted my film adaptation at a specific gender because i think that both
genders need to understand this tragic event.

The legal and ethical issues that could arise are copyright. I can’t fully copy the original film ‘The
Impossible’. However, as it is from a different survivors perspective their whole experience will
be different so I am not too worried that copyright will arise. It could also cause harm and
offense in some way if i were to not show the true picture of the story line. It is a very heavy
topic for the two survivors Tom and Arlette therefore, i will not be able to show an unrealistic
performance of their experience as they could get very offended. So i’d have to heavily research
their tsunami experience which will enable me to see their whole picture. Also, i need to
consider health and safety regulations such as when a film does get produced that none of the
equipment gets damaged. Water is a large feature of the concept so the equipment will have to
be protected in order for it to not harm any of the cast members or the production team if
anything were to happen.

Aimee Grant
aimee.grant@franklin.ac.uk