Short film about computer addiction

R

rc444

Well-known member
I'm writing a short film about computer addiction. I suppose I could do it the stock standard way of something frantically typing on a keyboard, followed by close ups of the screen and reverse shots of their reactions, looking really tired and tranced. Is there a more interesting way to show this???

Basic plots goes like this:

* Girl gets mailed a computer for birthday present
* Girl opens computer and later becomes so addicted to it, she closes off from family, friends and school
* The postman/delivery man who gave her the birthday present befriends her at the end, saying that there are more important things than computers etc.

Regards,
David
 
Actually a lot of interesting angles would be fun. A birds eye quickly moves to a side shot, then from over the computer, then behind, then another side, then a worms eye as she keeps her eyes to the screen and her fingers slamming the keyboard.

But whith whom will she interact?

Could be fun to have her speaking in text message-ese via a microphone.

Show an arc where she starts out reluctant, then in no time is a fanatic
a

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Good ideas, Alex. I particularly like that she starts out reluctant, but becomes hooked.

Maybe she is intimidated by the whole computer/Internet thing. But she's forced into isolation for a period of time for some reason -- illness, maybe. Reluctantly she unboxes the computer, sets it up, and starts learning how to use it.

What could get her hooked? Maybe she has a crush on some famous teenage heartthrob, and finds all kinds of fan sites about him -- learning stuff she didn't know, conversing with other fans, etc. These leads her into a whole world of heartthrob fan worship.

Could be interesting!
 
A question.....who sent her the computer? And why?

She could win it in a contest, and not really want it. (She wanted the Grand Prize, whatever that was.) Or it could be a gift from her parents, who come to regret the decision when she becomes addicted and walls herself off from everyone. It could be from some anonymous person -- perhaps someone who has some evil intention, like planning to initiate an online relationship with her for nefarious purposes.

What did you have in mind for this, David?
 
To go back to your original question -- I do have one concern. If you show the computer screen and what she's doing -- websites, etc. -- then you're going to run into copyright issues if you use real websites. You may have to create fake sites of your own. You might also run into copyright issues if anything related to the Windows (or Mac) desktop or windows, including the title bar and toolbars of the web browser, are shown. That's an issue I'm having to work around with my current feature, 'Tangled Web'.
 
and be warned that lots of shots of computer screens are really boring to audiences - as are lots of shots of people typing on keyboards
 
True. That can get dull in a hurry. A fairly quick montage, spanning a good range of time, should convey the point without being too drawn out and boring.
 
I don't see the screen/web sites as all that important. Just the woman,and her expressions, and her new text message-ese.

It could be she ordered the computer, but only to do some specific, work-related task.

a friend calles her and tells her to set up chat, and then this friend sends her a link or two, and it's all down hill from there.

If you do want screen stuff, you could add a second actress that only shows up via web camera.

a
 
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