Hello,

Iam thinking of making a short film about a young girl (8 years old) who believes she dont belone on earth and that her parents are in fact not her own parents. She believes she is a alien.

The girl dont talk much, is a bit strange, and her parents are thinking and hoping that she will drop the nonzense about not being her parents. The dont understand her.

The girl is waiting for her real parents to arrive.


Iam not planning to make this a comedy, but a dramatic story about this young girl.
So its not only about aliens from mars or anything and i dont even know if the girl is going to meet her alien parents, but maybe she does. Iam inspired by the many, many storys about alien abductions and everything.

I do think that there are not many films about this subject (about aliens there are many movies, but about a child who believes she is from another world and waiting for her parents to arrive...? i dont know)

The pitfalls in making this movie are that dramatic movies can turn into real comedys when not making it right. Lauging is good, but not on moment when its serieus.

I believe that good comedy and good drama are both incredible diffult genres. So.. that a pitfall. The other one is the girl who is playing the girl... difficult to direct a young child i gues...

I hope some people in this forum can give a first reaction to my idea about making a short (10-15 min.) film about a young girl who is waiting for her alien parents to arrive.

Thanks,
Jerry

It sounds interesting, and could definetly work if done correctly. However, you need more than just this idea. You need a compelling script to go with it.

I don't know how old you are are what your experience is like, but if you haven't done much in terms of short films, I would personally advise you to steer away from the drama genre, at least until you've honed your writing and directing skills.

That's a really intriguing story! Nice twist on the whole paranormal/alien genre. I like it.

quote:

I don't know how old you are are what your experience is like, but if you haven't done much in terms of short films, I would personally advise you to steer away from the drama genre, at least until you've honed your writing and directing skills.

Yeay, i know what you meen.
I have made 2 short films and 1 one-minute film (wich was nominated for a price and was also aired on dutch television) But iam not a good writer. If someone tells me a story, i can build on that, or i can come up with a idea, but to make a real script is difficult...
But can be done!

One more quistion, how do you feel about using a child as actrice, and second, how do you feel about the movie centers arround a child rather than a adult?

Titaniumdoughnut (what a name to write!)thanks for the uplifting words, how do you feel about focusing on a child? instead of a adult?

Thanks,
Jerry

My opinion. Make a 5 minute off the wall comedy.
Really. It's great practice and it really does help you learn how to work with actors. In directing drama you really need to know what to tell actors to get the reactions you need. This'll be especially true in dealing with a child who you'll have to be specific with and understand how to direct her. Comedy is far more forgiving in this aspect.

However, I do like the idea a lot. Key things to think about that could set this above many others is...
how she discovers she's an alien (or discovers the reason for thinking it)
the ending will be a challenge. Since you said you weren't much for writing I just had one come to mind that I think could be interesting to play with at least. If her parents argue with her and ignore her all through the film, then have the girl stay up late looking into the sky in the last scene and transition into the parent's bedroom the following morning. Have the parents both go to wake her up, but find her gone with something of hers left behind.
This would let you bouce around the ideas that she is or isn't an alien, does she fit in, why isn't she "at home" with her parents throughout the film.

Again, film a resonible comedy first. Direct the comedy extremely seriously though. It's probably best if someone else writes it though just so you don't worry about people laughing at "your" jokes. The goal you set for yourself is to make the movie on the script as if it's a drama. This gives actor's easy material to work with, and lets you practice framing, shooting for the edit....ect. It helped me a great deal.

To help you expand on your idea a little bit watch this episode of Nova on Google video. It's about unique brain disorders. One story in the episode is of a man very similiar to the girl in your story. He suffered severe trauma to the head and no longer recognizes his parents as his own parents. As simply as I can imagine to put it is like so:

His trauma caused the emotional nerve center in his brain to disconnect from the memory of his parents. He would see his parents and think that they looked like his parents but wouldn't believe they were his parents because his memory of them was unplugged from the emotional center of his brain. Maybe the show will help more if that has confused you.

Now, you don't need to completely copy his story for the movie, you could use misdirection. Tell the audience that the little girl's brain is malfunctioning like that and then have the twist be that she really is an alien. Using the scientific aspect will ground the fact that it's a true situation of mental illness and possibly help for the dramatic aspect.

Or don't use any of it, that show was just the first thing to pop into my head when I read your synopsis.

elliott...

Gohanto
Thanks thanks for the advice, i know what you are saying about shooting a comedy
first, and i do understand that its easer to direct actors in comedy
than it is with drame. So i agree that this is the best thing to do...

But the technical aspects are no problem, i already know enough about the
technical side of filming, so i dont have to deal with that a lot and
i can focus more on the acting side, so if i can come up with a good story
(meanwhile its just a idea) than iam going to make this film.

Your ending is nice, i liked open endings with this kind of subject.
Because many people believe in alien life, and many more das not,
so to have a open ending were the audience is left with the quistion
"did she or did she not..." is good!


MeGrimlock i shall watch the episode of Nova! thanks for the link!!!
Your idea is also good point, with the scientific approuch you can let the audience
feel for her and her parents rather than just thinking she is plain
grazy... and then the twist... so its defentily a good option. Thanks.
I dont know if iam going to use it.
I want to be it a short film, so maybe there is no need for a scientific approuch.
The girl is just what the girl is.

Thanks both!
I let you know when i have something more!

Jerry

Whoa that is so weird. Believe it or not, but I actually wrote a story about that. It is 110 pages. But it was a feature length script not a short story. I never thought anyone would have the same idea as me. Anyway If you want some ideas I can tell you about my story. Mine is a little different because the girl has weird dreams and visions. She tries to tell her parents about the weird things that happen, but they think she is just imaginative. Then she does these things that no human can do and people start suspecting her. I came up with an amazing ending too that suprised everyone who read the script. Everyone who reads my stories tells me I'm a great story teller. That's how I got into filmmaking. I wanted to bring my stores to the screen. I am a good writer, but turning them into a film is where I fail. If you're interested, I thought since you know alot about filmmaking, you could use my writing and we could turn it into a film. I don't know just an idea. Anyway if you need ideas, I got em.

My e-mail DivinityFilms@hotmail.com

read into scientology!

BUT DONT JOIN!

quote:

BUT DONT JOIN!

I wont, thanks for the warning!

The problem i have now, is the use of the parents.
If the parents are playing a big role in it, than the girl has to interact with them. Its difficult enough for the girl to act, let alone act with two other persons who are playing mom and dad...

So iam trying to come up with some idea so that i can film only the girl and very few scenes with the mother and dad. So really centered arround the girl. And that is not easy.
So if someone has a suggestion, your welcome!

The girl could have her totally own world in her room. The massive door separating her from the other apartment and parents. It could be a mental wall.

She explores herself in and become aware of that she differs from her people around her a lot. She doesn`t have enough encourage to share her secret to her family(open the massive door). She doesn`t actually want to believe the whole thing at all, because afraids of losing people around her.

That a very good point you have!
Its very dramatic (als also very hard to film, because it plays most in her own mind, but it can be showed truw action)

Its a bit taugh, but the way you have written it sounds real good, but maybe you are a good writer!

Thanks for the advice

I like the idea. Thing to consider: what is your overall theme with this film? Is there a concept, a main idea? With an overall theme, it will make your screenplay much better, yielding a better film.

I wanted to make a short science fiction film, and i have also read a lot about alien abduction (my god, there are hundres of websites from people who are claiming to have been abducted)

So i was thinking of combining the two and make a short film about this subject.
But there are alot of alien abduction films...
So i came up with the idea of having a young child thinking she is a alien (because, according to alien geeks, the do abduct children, and there are hybride children on earht!)

But its very hard to nail this idea into a short screenplay. (i think i also want to much, covering many aspects and have comedy, drama and thriler at the same time, wich is not good)

I do have a dissapointment know, because i have read that the girl in the TAKEN mini-serie (Emmy award, Steven Spielberg) is a hybride child from a alien...

Damn... its done before!
(altough i have not seen the serie, not will i plan to, only after i have made my little movie)

But it does not go wel, i really like the subject and the idea to focus on the girl...
But i need a good script...

BUMP

First off let me say that I like your idea, and even though it may have been done before I dont think you should let that discourage you from making this film.

quote:

and second, how do you feel about the movie centers arround a child rather than a adult?

I don't think that's a problem. Some of the great films have centered around child characters (just look at ET for example). Getting the child to act convincingly may be the hard part though.

As for making a dramatic film that people wont laugh at, that will largely hinge on your script. Be prepared to write numorous drafts until you get it right. Maybe write the first one and post it on this site for some feedback.

Good luck with your film.

This idea reminded me of a movie starring Tommy Lee Jones... anyone know which one I'm talking about? Not the same idea, I know, but it might give you a different perspective to enrich your original idea.

E.

Batman Forever?

I think that it is a very interesting idea. Just do what you need to make it your own and run with it!

Keep us posted!

Mike