Prostitution Exposition

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Filmtastisk

New member
Hi all. At the moment I am trying to develop a script for a short film with a length of roughly two minutes, the short film will be made in conjunction with a film contest that promotes prostitution awareness. I’ve got the general idea for my story firmly locked down, but there’s one aspect of the writing that I’ve encountered a roadblock on.

The main character of the film will be the prostitute herself.

Ideally, I would have loved to establish her vocation to the audience by simply guiding the camera through her apartment, lingering certain shots on particular items lying around in her home. Particular items of interest that when taken as a whole, would clearly communicate to the viewer that the girl is indeed a prostitute. Telling the story visually.

What I am having an issue with is how precisely to go forth in pulling this off. I have thought of certain ideas for various prostitution items that could be positioned in her apartment; such as the classic apparel (high heels, perhaps a short skirt and fishnets), something related to a STD (a doctors diagnosis, or maybe a medication) and I’ve also read about prostitutes carrying weapons, sexual toys and condoms in their purse. All of this, in addition to using a motif of the color red to symbolize the red light district.

What I am unsure of is if audience members will make the connection based solely on seeing these items in her apartment, especially as none of these items are exclusively linked with prostitution. And to be clear, I want to refrain from overtly showing the girl herself.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you have any other ideas for prostitution related items, generally any items a prostitute could have lying around? Or do you think that this approach is ultimately futile and that I should rethink my method?
 
I guess my question is: Why is it lying around her house? She would never take a client home. That's 101. So why is it everywhere?

Why can't you show her shoes / legs approaching a car on a street corner?
 
Instead of lying around the house, maybe you can show a closet with all this gear in it that obviously clashes with her otherwise normal apartment. But if you're going with the stuff lying around, make sure you show her having two different cellphones.
 
Yeah, seems to be a lot of knowledge of the behind-the-scenes elements of prostitution in this thread... :Drogar-Evil(DBG):
 
Filmtastisk said:
the short film will be made in conjunction with a film contest that promotes prostitution awareness.
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Err ... what is the film contest that promotes prostitution awareness? Is this like a artsy thing from the conservatives? Because the sex industry is everywhere and thriving quite well without awareness. From high class GFE's like soderbergh's Girlfriend Experience, massage parlour illegal immigrants, legal whores in registered zones like in the Dam, girls that screw rich guys and convince themselves they aren't really in the sex industry, strippers who offer hand jobs, street walkers working a stroll to get a $10 high, street walkers who work truck stops, but they all have one thing in common, money changing hands. Maybe is this film contest about awareness to the hazards of the job? I'm intrigued ... please enlighten us.
 
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So we never see the woman - do we also never hear her as voiceover? Then I'm unclear what the structure of the film will be - why are we the audience seeing her apartment at all? Is some onscreen character there, and why? What will we be seeing and hearing?

The items you describe are also common with other sorts of sexually active women, some of whom would laugh or smack you very hard at the suggestion of any prostitution link - I think you'll need to do a lot more than merely passively show those items.
 
I re read my post and I want to apologize if my tone came across as unnecessarily harsh. I guess I've lived in more than my fair share of low rent areas and I've know sex workers - some of whom I would count as my friends. So forgive me if I am dubious of a film contest that promotes prostitution awareness - sounds really stupid or purely exploitation so maybe I'm interpreting you wrongly. I can only hope that you meant to write promotes awareness of the portion of sex industry workers who suffer or who are not there by choice.

I also want to answer your question as one filmmaker to another. All the traditional props you mentioned need not define the owner as a prostitute. The only thing that does is the exchange of money. All of the examples I listed in my earlier post describe the vast array of facets to the sex industry. Decide on one, be clear with your imagery, avoid the cliche.
 

Initially I decided against posting the whole story of the film as I (perhaps wrongfully) thought it was irrelevant to the primary question, but here is my idea for the story

The film tells the story of a prostitute of japanese heritage who sets out to accomplish this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand_origami_cranes in her belief that it will attain her a wish. It will be implied that the wish revolves around escaping her current affairs, implied through showing that she is alone and unhappy.

As for the structure of the film, I was greatly inspired by this marvelous short film http://www.filminute.com/2011/ (it´s the one at the bottom of the Page called "Game" that was awarded the title of best filminute of 2007). The structure of this film will bear similarities. The film takes place inside her apartment, the first beat revolves around showing her folding a crane and displaying the collection of cranes she has already folded. In the second beat she is revealed to be a prostitute.

I re read my post and I want to apologize if my tone came across as unnecessarily harsh. I guess I've lived in more than my fair share of low rent areas and I've know sex workers - some of whom I would count as my friends. So forgive me if I am dubious of a film contest that promotes prostitution awareness - sounds really stupid or purely exploitation so maybe I'm interpreting you wrongly. I can only hope that you meant to write promotes awareness of the portion of sex industry workers who suffer or who are not there by choice.

I also want to answer your question as one filmmaker to another. All the traditional props you mentioned need not define the owner as a prostitute. The only thing that does is the exchange of money. All of the examples I listed in my earlier post describe the vast array of facets to the sex industry. Decide on one, be clear with your imagery, avoid the cliche.
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Yeah, it is indeed a contest that is against prostitution, i´m terribly sorry that i did not make that clear enough.

Ideally, I think it would be great to show that she´s a prostitute through only showing the interiors of her apartment, though I was unsure if this would be possible, so I came here for advice
 
Filmtastisk said:
escaping her current affairs, implied through showing that she is alone and unhappy.
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I think the opening scene needs to show that this is her plight. If you are already using the word escape then you are saying that she is not there by choice.
In a two minute film you need to place the viewer immediately in the story. Remember 30 seconds is a quarter of your film. I think you also need to show money changing hands, this will establish the setting without doubt. Money need not transfer to her, maybe instead to her pimp. You don't even have to show faces. Shadowy figures, cash in hand light by a flashlight is enough.
 
J Davis said:
I re read my post and I want to apologize if my tone came across as unnecessarily harsh. I guess I've lived in more than my fair share of low rent areas and I've know sex workers - some of whom I would count as my friends. So forgive me if I am dubious of a film contest that promotes prostitution awareness -
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I'd only enter a contest that had as a goal promote legalization, because prohibition has only benefited those that want to exploit prostitutes...

But that's me...

As for 'tells' in an apartment... these days, given the used of 'toys' and 'equipment' by people who just enjoy those sorts of things, it really does boil down to 'where's the money'...
 
Here in the land of the midnight sun (Norway), it is perfectly legal to prostitute oneself. It is the buying of sexual services that is against the law. The contest revolves around raising awareness and potentially changing buyers minds about the topic.
 
Filmtastisk said:
Here in the land of the midnight sun (Norway), it is perfectly legal to prostitute oneself. It is the buying of sexual services that is against the law. The contest revolves around raising awareness and potentially changing buyers minds about the topic.
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I personally don't see whether making paying, receiving of payment, or both illegal, as somehow different than prohibition, other than who may be charged.
 
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