Story & Script Rationale WORD COUNT: 1,165

Charlotte Lenihan, 1600173 (without quotes)

Story & Script Rationale

Charlotte Lenihan
1600173
5DM044

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Story & Script Rationale WORD COUNT: 1,165
Charlotte Lenihan, 1600173 (without quotes)

Contents
List of illustrations ....................................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Story and historical context ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Creative influences ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
The creative matrix ..................................................................................................................................................... 4
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Bibliography – Research (academic books, articles, documentaries etc) .................................................................... 5
Bibliography – Inspirational media and case studies .................................................................................................. 7
Bibliography – Illustrations ......................................................................................................................................... 8

List of illustrations
Fig 1: Brotherhood and Motherhood (2018). Harry Potter fan art (Alessa Trunfio, 2018)

Fig 2: The Creative Matrix and The Animation Matrix Diagram (Paul Wells, 2007)

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Story & Script Rationale WORD COUNT: 1,165
Charlotte Lenihan, 1600173 (without quotes)

Introduction
The requirement of our brief was to create and develop an idea for a story, to establish our idea in the form of a
script and to then visualise the project through storyboards and concept artwork. My story, titled Miss Lovell and
the Case of the Stolen Parents, is an Edwardian Whodunit which centres around a young woman, named Purdie,
whose parents are held hostage by their doppelgangers. It is a story about freedom, social oppression and love.

Story and historical context

The story revolves around Purdie, a quick-witted, audacious debutante. She wishes to follow her own path in life,
but she's pressured with the expectations of upper-class society. However, when her parents are abducted by their
doppelgangers, Purdie must utilise her skills to save them before it is too late.

After being left for dead in the middle of a forest, Purdie is saved by Meridith, a huntress whose idea of family are
the local foxes. Meridith harbours a deep disdain for the upper-classes. They're the ones who hunt her foxes for
sport. As a stark contrast to Purdie, Meridith has little in the way of normal social conventions: Her idea of fun is
picking the dirt from underneath her nails. It’s a rocky start, but the two begin to form a relationship which grows
into accidental flirting, blushing, and awkward romantic tension. Eventually, they strike a deal to help save each-
other’s families.

Setting the story within Edwardian Britain adds appeal to the aesthetics of the world. However, rooting it within an
era creates a conflict of Reality vs Artistic Liberty. There will have to be a lot of creative liberties taken to appeal to
modern audiences, primarily because our morals and values have changed drastically since the Edwardian era. The
major inaccuracy would be the lesbian-romance subplot with a happy ending. Although it is unrealistic to the era, it
is something modern audiences can get something out of. Nonetheless, I researched into several aspects of history.
Primarily, I researched into the culture, practices and history of debutantes. I also researched fox hunting, the
suffragette movement within Edwardian Britain, and The Secret Service Bureau.

Creative influences
I have an avid interest in mystery/detective/crime media. The most noteworthy of these are: the Nancy Drew (1998
– present) game series, the Randall and Hopkirk [Deceased] (1969 - 1971) TV series and The Sinclair's Mysteries book
series. I especially love periodic stories set between the Victorian age and the 1970s. It is the world-long-gone
settings, the unfamiliar social norms and the curious objects which intrigue me the most. They're not close enough
to be too familiar, not old enough to be completely alien. I wanted this to reflect in my story.

While writing, I studied several film scripts including Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016). I thought it
read very clearly and vividly: It was the most inspirational. This is what I wanted in mine. Despite Fantastic Beasts
being live-action, I think the best medium for my own story would be a 2D style. When designing art pieces for the
story, one artist I had in my mind Alessia Trunfio. I’m a fan of her Harry Potter franchise (1997 - present) fanart,
especially her choice of colour pallets. She inspired many of my colour choices. For example, this illustration here:

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Charlotte Lenihan, 1600173 (without quotes)

The dark green tones in Trunfio’s illustration are

used to represent the antagonistic nature of
Walburga Black. Within the Harry Potter universe,
green is primarily attributed to the antagonists.
Especially the wealthy ones. Dark green is often
associated with money, greed and jealousy. The
only areas not dark green or black in tone are: the
innocent boys who are wearing white shirts and the
golden glow of the upper staircase. The staircase is
their refuge, their bedrooms. However, the glow
ends with the dark green dress of Walburga as she
blocks their path.

Some characters are based, in part, off people I have

Figure 1: Brotherhood and Motherhood part 1 (2018). Harry Potter fan
art by Alessa Trunfio known in real life as opposed to relying purely on
pre-established fictional characters. I did this
because I wanted to avoid stereotypes as they are
predictable and boring. “As soon as the audience recognises it, it knows what to expect.” (Parker, 1999, p. 88)
William, is partly based upon one of my closest friends, Sean. While William is of the loquacious sort, Sean is very
introverted. Meridith is partly inspired by a girl I knew at school, Katie. She was boisterous, practical and very active,
and as for Purdie, she is partly based upon one of my roommates, Amy. She is outgoing, friendly and I think she
wants to be uncaring of other’s opinions but can self-consciously fall prey to social norms.

The creative matrix

I considered both Philip Parker’s Creative
Matrix and Paul Wells’s Animation Matrix.
However, I decided to focus more on Parker’s
as I believed that it was more relevant to
what I was trying to accomplish:

It was the characters who came first. I

conflict with the character relationships and
interactions with the two main protagonists. I
further developed my characters by creating
a couple of exercises, the most important of
these was the Internal vs External Conflict
list. I wanted the story to highlight and deal
with their conflicts and issues. This would
feed into the 'Theme' and 'Plot' within the
Matrix.

With the 'Theme', the main internal struggle

of the two main characters is their freedom.
Meridith has the choice of what to do with her Figure 2: The Creative Matrix and The Animation Matrix Diagram (Paul
own time, the freedom of movement and the Wells, 2007)
freedom to make her own decisions. However,
she lacks money, opportunities and power to do
what she would like in life. On the other hand, Purdie was born into wealthy society. She has privilege and money

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Charlotte Lenihan, 1600173 (without quotes)

and will live comfortably for the rest of her life. However, the society she was born means she lacks the freedom to
choose how she would like to live. Society dictates what she’s allowed to do, not allowed to do, and how to do it.

As for the 'Plot', I had backtracked from the initial concept. I asked myself a series of questions: "why", "how" and
"who". I then constructed a 12-Point Narrative for it. This fed into the 'Genre', 'Form', and the 'Tone'. The primary
genre of the film would be Mystery Romance as a subplot. The ‘Form’ is linear as the story would advance as time
passes. However, the tone is greatly affected by my target audience of 11 - 15. My script displays a tonal whiplash
from a comedic tone to dangerous. I wanted to make the latter emotion more poignant and effective.

Conclusion
Reflecting on the work I have produced and the brief requirements, I believe I have successfully completed the task
well. Miss Lovell and the Case of the Stolen Parents is a historical story for a contemporary audience. Along with the
core theme of the story, being ‘Freedom’, I wanted to stress the importance of different relationships and how
society can have too much input on what you should value. I wanted to create a rich and immersive world for these
characters, creating a sense of mystery, the spirit of adventure and with a touch of angst.

Bibliography – Research (academic books, articles, documentaries etc)

APass Educational Group LLC. (2016) . 5 Common Literary Motifs. [online]. [Accessed 23 February 2018]. Available at:
<http://apasseducation.com/5-common-literary-motifs/>.

Australian Catholic University. (2017). Form and Style in Drama. [online]. [Accessed 23 February 2018]. Available at:
<https://resource.acu.edu.au/siryan/Academy/theatres/form_style.htm>.

BBC. (2010). The elements of drama. [online]. [Accessed 23 February 2018]. Available at:
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/drama/exploring/elementsrev2.shtml>.

Changing Minds. (2007). Propp's Dramatis Personae. [online]. [Accessed 23 February 2018]. Available at:
<http://changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/characters/propp_personae.htm>.

Cole, N. L. (2017). Definition of Social Oppression: An Overview of the Concept and Its Components. [online].
[Accessed 23 April 2018]. Available at: <https://www.thoughtco.com/social-oppression-3026593>.

Feldman, D. (2017). Why the Five Stages of Grief Are Wrong. [online]. [Accessed 10 February 2018]. Available at:
<https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/supersurvivors/201707/why-the-five-stages-grief-are-wrong>.

Fleming, G. (2018). Symbols and Motifs in Literature. [online]. [Accessed 23 February 2018]. Available at:
<https://www.thoughtco.com/symbols-and-motifs-in-literature-1857637>.

Hawkley, L. (n.d). Loneliness. [online]. [Accessed 10 February 2018]. Available at:

<https://www.britannica.com/science/loneliness>.

Historic England. (2015).The Struggle for Suffrage. [online]. [Accessed 9 February 2018]. Available at:
<https://historicengland.org.uk/research/inclusive-heritage/womens-history/suffrage/>.

History Files. (2017). BBC Timewatch - Debutantes. [Accessed 10 February 2018]. Available at:
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdx5XFlK-Lc>.

Holland, E. (2009). The New Woman, 1880-1915. [online]. [Accessed 9 February 2018]. Available at:
<http://www.edwardianpromenade.com/fashion/the-new-woman/>.
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Hughes, K. (2014). Gender roles in the 19th century. [online]. [Accessed 9 February 2018]. Available at:
<https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/gender-roles-in-the-19th-century>.

Intriguing History. (2015).Women’s Roles in Edwardian Era. [online]. [Accessed 9 February 2018]. Available at:
<http://www.intriguing-history.com/womens-roles-in-edwardian-era/>.

Jolliffe, G. (2014). Examples Of Themes. [online]. [Accessed 23 February 2018]. Available at:
<http://www.practicalcreativewriting.com/what-is-a-theme/examples-of-themes/>.

Jones, C. (2013). Hidden Women of Victorian and Edwardian Science. [online]. [Accessed 9 February 2018]. Available
at: <https://aliensbrewery.weebly.com/blog/category/story-and-script>.

Jones, J. (2008). Lecture Notes Week 2: The Forms of Drama. [online]. [Accessed 23 February 2018]. Available at:
<http://homepage.smc.edu/jones_janie/ta%202/2formsofdrama.htm>.

Johnson, B. (2012). Fox Hunting in Britain. [online]. [Accessed 9 February 2018]. Available at: <https://www.historic-
uk.com/CultureUK/Fox-Hunting-in-Britain/>.

Kessler, D. (2008). The Five Stages of Grief. [online]. [Accessed 10 February 2018]. Available at:
<https://grief.com/the-five-stages-of-grief/>.

Literary Devices. (2004). Literary Devices. [online]. [Accessed 23 February 2018]. Available at: <http://literary-
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MacCarthy, F. (2008). Recalling the lost era of the debutantes. [online]. [Accessed 9 February 2018]. Available at:
<https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1581822/Recalling-the-lost-era-of-the-debutantes.html>.

MI5. (2017). GRADUATE CAREERS AT MI5. [online]. [Accessed 9 February 2018]. Available at:
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MI5. (n.d).THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SECRET SERVICE BUREAU. [online]. [Accessed 9 February 2018]. Available at:
<https://www.mi5.gov.uk/the-establishment-of-the-secret-service-bureau>.

MI5. (2016). THE HISTORY OF MI5. [online]. [Accessed 9 February 2018]. Available at:
<https://www.mi5.gov.uk/history>.

Nora Laurinda. (2016). UNCOVER Truth of Life in Edwardian Families | British Manor House || Documentary english
subtitles. [Accessed 10 February 2018]. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGCJ05kNhIY>.

Parker, P. (1999). The Art and Science of Storytelling. 2nd ed. Exeter: Intellect Books.

Patterson, A. (2014). 155 Words To Describe An Author’s Tone. [online]. [Accessed 23 February 2018]. Available at:
<https://writerswrite.co.za/155-words-to-describe-an-authors-tone/>.

QSX Software Group. (2002). Color Meaning. [online]. [Accessed 30 April 2018]. Available at: <http://www.color-
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2015). MI5: BRITISH GOVERNMENT. [online]. [Accessed 9 February 2018].
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The National Archives. (n.d). THE MANCHESTER SOCIETY FOR WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE. [online]. [Accessed 9 February
2018]. Available at: <http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/604bfcb0-97a1-4dd9-899c-25b7564642d0>.

TV Topes. (2008). Motifs. [online]. [Accessed 23 February 2018]. Available at:

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Winch, G. (2014). 10 Surprising Facts About Loneliness. [online]. [Accessed 10 February 2018]. Available at:
<https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201410/10-surprising-facts-about-loneliness>.

Bibliography – Inspirational media and case studies

Berry, J. (2014). The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place. London: Roaring Brook Press.

Columbo. (1968 – 1978). [TV]. NBC.

Columbo. (1989 – 2003). [TV]. ABC

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. (2016). [Film]. Directed by David Yates. Hertfordshire: Heyday Films.

House of Anubis. (2011 – 2013). [TV]. Nickelodeon.

My Life as a Courgette. (2016). [Film]. Directed by Claude Barras. England: Thunderbird Releasing.

Nancy Drew. (1998 – 2015). [Game Series]. Her Interractive.

Never Trust a Ghost. (1969). Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Season 1, Episode 4, ITV, 12 October.

Now You See Him. (1976) Columbo, Season 5, Episode 5, NBC, 29 February.

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). (1969 – 1970). [TV]. ITV.

Red Dwarf. (1988 – 1998). [TV]. BBC Two.

Red Dwarf. (2009 – 2018). [TV]. Dave.

Rowling, J. K. (2016). Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them the Original Screenplay. London: Little, Brown.

Rowling, J. K. (1997 – 2007). Harry Potter. [Book Series]. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Stewart, T. L. (2007). The Mysterious Benedict Society. London: Chicken House.

The New Avengers. (1976 – 1977). [TV]. ITV.

The Red Turtle. (2016). [Film]. Directed by Michaël Dudok de Wit. England: Studiocanal.

The Snow Queen. (1957). [Film]. Directed by: Lev Atamanov. England: Five Star International.

TV Tropes. (2010). Characters / Red Dwarf. [online]. [Accessed 23 April 2018]. Available at:
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TV Tropes. (2012). Series / Columbo. [online]. [Accessed 10 February 2018]. Available at:
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TV Tropes. (2012). Series / House of Anubis. [online]. [Accessed 10 February 2018]. Available at:
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TV Tropes. (2011). Series / Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). [online]. [Accessed 10 February 2018]. Available at:
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TV Tropes. (2013). Series / The Avengers. [online]. [Accessed 10 February 2018]. Available at:
<http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/TheAvengers?from=Series.TheNewAvengers >.

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We Do Promise Honestly We Can Look After Your Dog (2005) Charlie and Lola, Season 2, Episode 6, CBeebies, 14
November.

Woodfine, K. (2015 – 2017). The Sinclair’s Mysteries. [Book Series]. London: Egmont.

Bibliography – Illustrations
Trumfio, A. (2015). Brotherhood and Motherhood. Tumblr. [online]. [Accessed 29 April 2018]. Available at:
<http://alessiajontrunfio.tumblr.com/post/172070205503/brotherhood-and-motherhood>.

Wells, P., 2007. Basics Animation 01: Scriptwriting. London: AVA Publishing SA, p63.

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