Director's Intent - Final Project

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT OF INTENT

1.       What is the story--the beginning, middle, and end--of this scene in three or four sentences? In other words, what happens in this scene as it starts, as it progresses, and as it ends?

In this scene, screenwriter Dalton Trumbo is angrily being interrogated by Congressman Thomas and HUAC investigator Robert Stripling about his affiliation with the Communist party.  He refuses to answer their questions in the affirmative, which only makes Congressman Thomas even angrier.  The scene ends as Trumbo stands up for himself and declares their actions to be unjust and unconstitutional.

2.       What, specifically, must the audience understand narratively? How do you intend to communicate that information?

The audience must understand what Trumbo is being accused of and the serious repercussions of the charges.  They must also understand why Trumbo is so against the charges and what he is fighting for.  Luckily, a lot of this will be communicated through the dialogue in the scene (especially since the accusation is repeated many times throughout the scene) but it will be important that my actors understand what they are trying to communicate, so I intend to talk with them and make sure they are clear of the character’s intentions and motivations.

3.       If this scene is from a longer piece, what is the narrative, emotional and thematic purpose of the scene in the larger story?

Narratively, this scene shows Trumbo’s determination to stick to his ideals and fight for his first amendment rights, which is made.  Throughout the entire film, Trumbo’s determination to fight the blacklist and end what he considers to be an immoral and unjust practice is what drives the narrative, so this scene is an early indicator of his constant desire to keep fighting for his beliefs, even if it ruins him.

4.       What emotion do you want to communicate in this scene? How do you intend to do this?  

I want to communicate a lot of anger and frustration.  One of the characters is literally beet red from screaming at Trumbo, and I want to show their frustration at trying to get Trumbo to confess.  I also want to communicate Trumbo’s righteous indignation throughout the scene.  I intend to do this by discussing with my actors what the characters are trying to accomplish in the scene.  I want all of my actors to believe that they are in the right, which would explain everyone’s frustration in their inability to convince the other side that they are wrong.

5.       What is the first image of the scene? What is the final image of the scene?

The first image of the scene is a close up of Congressman Thomas’ angry face as he sits at the stand, screams and bangs the gavel repeatedly. The final image of the scene is a wide shot of all three of them looking at each other angrily, nobody giving in.

6.       Why is this scene personal to me? What previous personal experience(s) does it remind me of? Why do I need to make this scene?

I connected to this script in a similar way to the Spotlight scene that I shot.  I read three different scripts trying to decide what to shoot, and I realized that all three of them had connections to Russian communism, the red scare, and the paranoia of the cold war.  I took this as a sign that some part of me really wanted to tell a story commenting on this subject matter.  The three scripts (Trumbo, Pawn Sacrifice, and Good Night, and Good Luck) were all fascinating. I especially liked Pawn Sacrifice because I love stories about prodigies and the incomprehensibility behind a genius’ mind.  But I settled for Trumbo because it also played to my love of justice, truth, and constitutional rights.  Even if I don’t agree with all of Trumbo’s communist views, I still respect his right to believe what he wants, and furthermore, I supported his campaign to express his views without fear of government action and repression. I felt like it was a very hard thing for him to do, and I wanted to pay tribute to that.

7.       What two visual elements (line, shape, space, tone, color, rhythm, movement) will you use to help communicate the emotion of the scene? (Be sure these elements apply to the assignment as listed on Learning Suite; only choose elements that you have read about or that we have covered in class.)

I want to use color to show the balance of power in the scene and to represent the concepts that are being discussed in the scene.  I know it’s cheesy and maybe a little too on the nose, but I really want the room to be filled with reds, whites, and blues to symbolize the American ideals that are being fought for on both sides, and how the main character seems to be in conflict with the American ideals of the times (1940s).  I also want to utilize space to show how alone Trumbo is in his fight (which he eventually loses) and how everything seems to be pitted against him.  I want to show his enemies in flat space, and keep the space feeling very claustrophobic and cluttered to show how everything is caving in on him and he can’t do anything to control it.

8.       What are two or three potential obstacles to creating a successful scene? How can you be prepared to overcome these? Be specific!

One obstacle will be to find a location that best fits the scene.  I plan on shooting in one of the courtrooms in the Law building, but there’s always the chance that the room won’t be available.  In that case, I will need to plan for a backup and find a similar room that will suit my needs.  There are also several props that will be required for the scene (and set dressing) so I’ll need to make sure that I know who will be bringing what and that I have access to the set dressing (such as a gavel and an American flag).