Plan Of Action

The title
Nine Lives


Short pitch on my narrative
Beth has just escaped from a mental hospital, and running to commit suicide for the last time (jumping off a pier). 


Genre
Drama

Actors

• Teenage Girl - Beth Jackson a young girl (15 years old) with many problems. Her mother left 5 years ago, her dad abuses and doesn't take care of her and her brother, her older brother died in a shooting last year and she is failing at school. She is currently in a mental hospital as tried to commit suicide twice before - drugs and alcohol, and cutting herself. 
• Dad - 45 year old man, turned an alcoholic once his wife had run off with another man, sobered up after 4 years, and relapsed after the death of his eldest son. He has anger issues and is unemployed.
• Brother - 11 years old, Max, has a very shy personality and has little friends at school because always has scars and bruises he is to afraid to be seen with. He spends most of his time reading children's books in his bedroom staying out of trouble and pretends he is speaking to his mum every night before bedtime. 

Locations

• Mental Hospital 
• In the home
• Harbour pier 

Narrative

Beth has just escaped from a mental hospital at around 6pm. Whilst ripping off her hospital gown she is running away from the hospital in destination of the harbour pier to end her life. She is upset, and shown by the cuts on her wrists she has attempted this before. When she arrives at the pier, the waves are crashing on the rocks below and she takes a few moments before jumping. With a close up on her teary eye, flashbacks are shown of reasons why she is here (dad hitting her, brother's death, brother beat up, failing school, drinking alcohol and taking drugs). Her phone rings, and its her little brother calling for help, but Beth doesn't answer. The phone falls to the floor and the sequence will end with not knowing if she will jump or not. 

Props, costumes and makeup

Beth will be running from the mental hospital in a gown with old clothes on underneath, with slightly greasy hair, no makeup and scars on her wrists and faint bruises on her body.

Step by Step Plan

1. Footage of escaping mental hospital 
2. Coming to a walk, following her footsteps to the pier. 
3. Flashes between shots filming her moving, as well as shots as if she is the camera
4. Flashing to words mouthed by family (e.g. disappointed from dad, sorry from mum, help from brother)
5. Shots of destination in sight
6. Arriving at the pier, shots of sea and rocks below, and closeups of her emotions
7. Phone rings from little brother Max, picturing leaving him alone with her dad
8. Opening ends with a cliff hanger (does she jump or not?)