But Everybody`s Doin` it! part 1

Tadaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Here is my Simulated Client Project proposal (yes, I could crack a few jokes about "simulation" in Romanian, but I won`t).

BUT EVERYBODY`S DOIN` IT


(Working title)


CONTEXT AND MOTIVATION

`But Everybody`s Doin` it` is a short stop-motion animation about young peoples` attitude towards the subject of digital piracy, and most importantly, to the censure it instigates in public debates. Its aim is to show how for young people, the possibilities the internet opens up for seeking, sharing, acquiring data of all kind, proves to be as irresistible as a candy store with no limit on how much you can take. Most importantly, it instigates a Jekyll-and-Hyde bi-polarity within an individual, as students contemplate (briefly) the moral conundrum of digital theft and self-gratification, only to then fall into temptation and continue downloading and sharing content. However there is always a justification for this, in each individual`s mind: `Everybody`s doin` it! `.

TREATMENT

The piece starts off with our main character, a respectable looking young woman who the viewer can assume is either a student or a junior staff member, casually strolling out of a café with a cup in her hand. She is having a break and after finding a nice spot, sits down, takes out her laptop and begins typing. The camera closes in over her shoulder to reveal the pages she is surfing. All of them seem so tempting: a song she really likes on YouTube, that DVD on Amazon. Sure enough, after a few seconds of pondering, she looks around with a guilty look on her face, to make sure nobody is watching. As this happens, an IM window pops-up on her monitor with the message `come on, everybody`s doin` it`, as if to say `don`t be silly, we all know what you`re about to do, we all did it`. Relieved, she starts clicking away on the download buttons that appear on her screen. Progress bars run to completion like mad, and as all of this happens on her laptop, we can see short glimpses of the young woman, slowly undergoing a metamorphosis, turning into a Hyde-like character, with a mad grin on her face, dishevelled hair, make-up stains and more rugged clothes. Her gestures also become spasmodic. The animation stops as there is a fault in the internet connection and everything reverts back to normal, as if in a dream.

STYLE AND RHYTHM

The reference to R.L. Stevenson`s work would normally bring to mind a Victorian setting. Yet, what I have in mind is another era of split-personality with regards morals and desires: the 1950s. Thus, the animation will have pale, delicate colours (baby blue, light yellow, candy floss pink, etc), with the exception of the intense red (see sample picture).

As the metamorphosis happens, the colours will be even more desaturated, until almost black and white.

The rhythm will be even and rather slow until the character`s transformation, after which it will increase to suggest the frantic nature of the search for `booty`, reverting back to the initial tempo right at the end.

LENGTH

The estimated length of this piece is 2-3 minutes.



LOCATION

The location of choice is University of Nottingham`s park campus, outside the café (see sample pictures).

MUSIC

The sound will reflect the somewhat carefree, happy-go-lucky feel of 1950s commercials. Prospective songs to be used from FreePlay.com are:

Summer Night Party

Duration: 2 minutes, 17 seconds

Composed by: Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%)

Published by: Dynamedion Publishing, SESAC (50%), Freeplaymusic, BMI (50%)


Lucky Sun

Duration: 2 minutes, 1 second

Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%)

Published by: Dynamedion Publishing, SESAC (50%), Freeplaymusic, BMI (50%)



EQUIPMENT

SONY Powershot Camera

ARI Lighting set

Reflective shield

Tripod

R-09 Edirol (for sound effects recording)



COSTS

Travelling costs from Peel Street-Nottingham University Campus: 20 ₤

Food and refreshments for crew and actor: 20 ₤

Make-up: 15 ₤