Tuesday, October 19, 2010 Collaborative 3D Video Project -- Story Treatment

This story was developed as a collaboration between participants of the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network, during the summer of 2010, interested in exploring three dimensional story development on an international scale. The Clubhouse Network empowers creative outputs and outcomes from underserved youth throughout the world and this story attempts to represent several key values expressed by teen and staff participants including:
  • an ability of youth to construct a world using illustration, Legos and media,
  • self deception of youth following trauma,
  • a dog viewed as an oracle but an unreliable source of direction and
  • varied landscapes including a steampunk, fantasy garden, desert and urban milieu.
A detailed 15 page story treatment document was created that covers the characters, locations, and shooting techniques (none of which are set in stone at this point). The synopsis below will give you a quick idea of the story and the sensibilities of the project. (More detailed character and location documents can be provided.)

Untitled
A Synopsis in Three Acts
Act I
An Artist at a Computer Clubhouse creates Lee, an adolescent girl running away from her home with her family dog, Taymor (probably a cgi character), whom she was criticized for imagining was famous people. In another part of the world, Jose, an adolescent boy also flees his violent home but is followed by Esme, a teenage girl from that home.

Act II
Lee stumbles into a surreal industrial lot and is told by a seemingly wise prophet to enter a magical garden beyond the lot but she loses Taymor when she enters the garden. Jose leaves Esme and finds Taymor in the lot after it has been abandoned. Lee’s brother Mike, having followed her, discovers her in the garden.

Act III
Lee, Mike, Taymor, Jose and Esme meet in the abandoned lot and, escaping an attacking Snake, realize they must join together to survive. The Clubhouse Artist puts them back in their respective homes with their new understandings.

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The next step is to begin writing the script based on the story treatment. I will be working on that with some of the members at the Howard Area Computer Clubhouse here in Chicago. However, we would really like to have your input into this process. Now that we have established the basic premise of the story, characters and locations, almost anyone that would like to write individual (or multiple) scenes can consider doing so. You can contact me for a full copy of the treatment as a guide to the scenes that need to be written and we can discuss what you might like to contribute. Our team here at Howard will take on the responsibility of coordinating any scriptwriting done throughout the network, and beyond, to make sure that it all fits together. You could write a lot or a little, and you can see your words turned into 3D action! Give it a try.

Prospective screenwriters, please get back to us by November 15th.