Assessment Test

Submitted by Tamara Gurbis

12/22/23

Instructions:
Please write a short story (3-5 paragraphs) and a corresponding shot list* for that story. The
story must be based on the provided description of the audience and the story instructions.
*A shot list describes the types of photos or videos one would use to illustrate that story.
You will be writing this story for:
Audience Description:
Adult (18-25)
Lives in New York, NY
Activities: eats out, goes to concerts, enjoys the park, takes lots of sel es, has lots of
houseplants, and travels internationally every year
Story Instructions:
Your story must focus on this adult and their group of friends.
The characters must be gender-neutral.

Description:

In the opening scene, the main character begins the day in an industrial loft, set against
the orange-tinted morning skyline of New York City. Surrounded by unusual household
plants, friends join the protagonist and exchange greetings with hugs and waves. The
camaraderie sets the tone for a day of shared experiences.

Transitioning to a bohemian garden rooftop in Scene 2, the group enjoys a breakfast

picnic with a picturesque cityscape as a backdrop. A montage of sel es captures their
bonding moments, accompanied by uplifting music. Scene 3 explores the Brooklyn
Botanical Gardens, featuring close-ups of exotic plants and the characters interacting
with a plant identi cation app. The group explores the vibrant landscapes, taking quirky
sel es amidst the ora.

Moving to Scene 4, a drone captures the group at a lively food truck festival in DUMBO,
Brooklyn. They sample international cuisines, share bites, and engage in humorous
interactions. Scene 5 unfolds at the United Nations building, where the characters
marvel at the architecture and re ect in the giant UN golden globe. They share travel
plans using map apps and showcase the versatility of language translation apps.

Scene 6 transports the group to a Gen Z concert at Central Park, highlighting their
enjoyment of music and the vibrant concert atmosphere. The nal scene, set against
the evening skyline in the same industrial loft, features a birthday celebration with a
glowing cake. The group gathers to sing Happy Birthday, emphasizing the theme of
overcoming solitude through shared experiences. The video concludes with a powerful
message: "The best way to conquer solitude is by being together," displayed on a
screencard/titlecard as the visuals fade out.
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 Shot list:

Scene 1:

• Wide shot of the main character in semi-silhouette against an industrial loft window
displaying an orange-tinted New York City morning skyline. In front of the window, also
in silhouette, is an array of vines and leaves of unusual household plants. The main
character stretches, drinks a sip from a coffee cup, puts it down, and looks at his
iPhone. From the left and right frame, walk in the main character’s friends – loft-mates
with their coffee cups and iPhones in hand. They greet each other with a hug, wave,
or bro hug.

Scene 2:

• Wide shot from above: On a bohemian garden rooftop with a similar view of the city
skyline now in full morning daylight, the main character and roommates are enjoying
a breakfast picnic of bagels, avocado toast, coffee, and fruit.
• A photo montage of sel es of the characters lounging together on couches and
blankets, taking in the morning vibes. Uplifting music is playing.

Scene 3:

• Close-ups of otherworldly orchids and Venus Flytrap plants inside the Brooklyn
Botanical Gardens. The main character and each of the roommates’ faces enter the
closeup frame, smelling and looking astounded by these exotic plants.
• A shot of the main character using a plant identi cation app.
• Wide shot of the outdoor Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, where the group explores and
frolics in the vibrant gardens and landscapes.
• Mid-closeups of the characters taking funny, kooky sel es amongst the plants,
owers, and trees.

Scene 4:

• Swooping drone shot of the group walking down an alley amongst a bustling crowd
at the lively food truck festival in DUMBO in Brooklyn.
• Group shots with food truck backdrops.
• Close-up and mid-wide shots of the main character and friends sampling different
international cuisines and humorously sharing, feeding, and “stealing” bites.

Scene 5:
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 • Wide, pan-down shot of the mirrored United Nations building in Manhattan. As the
camera pans down, the group is walking across the frame in front of the building. All
the world’s ags are ying on agpoles above them.
• Wide shot of the United Nations front entrance with the UN logo and name on it and
the group’s entering the building.
• Medium and closeup shots of the group looking up at the impressive and expansive
modernist design and international-style interior of the UN building.
• Medium-wide shot of the re ection of the group in the giant UN golden globe. They
are jumping up in the air, and one character is taking a photo of the group re ected
in the globe.
• Medium shots and closeups of the group sitting on outside benches and showing
each other on their iPhone map apps where they would like to travel on their phone.
• A medium shot of the main character using a speech translation app that permits
them to speak in another language, saying something funny in another language.

Scene 6:

• A wide overhead shot of a large crowd at a Gen Z concert at Central Park.

• Medium and closeup shots of the characters enjoying the concert, dancing, and
singing along.
• Medium and close-ups of the band and energetic crowd.
• Group shots capturing the electric atmosphere.

Scene 7:

• Wide shot of the main character and the group in semi-silhouette against an industrial
loft window (the same as in Scene 1) displaying an orange-tinted New York City
evening skyline. One of the roommates walks in with a big birthday cake glowing with
candles. The whole group gathers around the main character and starts singing
Happy Birthday.

FADE OUT picture and sound.

Screencard/Titlecard: The best way to conquer solitude is by being together.

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