Travelling

This week I have once again been inspired to write a song. I was listening to Motion City Soundtrack, a band that I listened to a lot when I was travelling from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and it got me thinking about travelling and how life changing it all can be. When trying to find similar songs I remembered The Cure and their song Pictures of You which is a very influential song about remembering someone and how important the memories are. So this song is a multitude of feelings that I have towards my many memories of travelling.

The Cure - Pictures of You



I found a few blogs with people discussing world travels and one personal blog, Liesing Life, gives you a general feel to people that travel and the types of experiences they can have. This is all very interesting to me as I am travelling around Europe in the summer and so hopefully that will give me a whole new incite, and hopefully many more songs!



The fun we used to have

I’m having that feeling of childish reprise
I’ve turned into someone you wont recognise
Not because I’m different, unhappy or sad
But because I’ve realised what a good life I’ve had

There’s nothing better I can think to do
Than look at these pictures of you
And sit here and reminisce
Over those times I shall surely miss

Sunset walks in unfamiliar places
Running wild with smiling faces
It’s still summer in my eyes
Even though it’s freezing cold outside
Every time I think about the fun we used to have

Song writing

One of the most appreciated arts is that of music. Whether it be classical music with its high class connotations or popular music all ranging through multitudes of styles and artists music can be appreciated even if one does not have the ability to understand language. For me this can be a problem for writing songs as it demands a high ability to be able to not only produce lyrics but to find a harmony between the words being sung and the music being played of which my ability is limited. However the reason I started to write lyrics was not to accept this challenge but simply because I was inspired by events in my life at the time and through one argument managed to write my first song.

The lyrics for this song were influenced late Monday night when I was anxious about what to do with my life and if I was doing the right thing which is a worry I’m sure most have felt at one point or another. This song also reflects a spiritual belief that you can have anything in you life as long as you believe in it wholeheartedly without a single doubt presented in the line ‘just believe your belief and it will be’. This can be seen in many songs but for me the best representation can be seen from the Christian rock band Switchfoot. Songs such as ‘Dare you to move’ from the album 'The Beautiful Letdown' in my interpretation tells you to take a chance and if you want something to take it.

Switchfoot - Dare you to Move



As with most of my songs they are written with a rhythm in mind which for this song was from a band I had just recently heard of called Halifax. According to wikipedia they fall under the genres of rock and pop-punk but really any song that I listen to may give me an idea for a rhythm which I can then keep in mind when I am writing my lyrics.

If All I Want I Want to be Me

Have you ever had that dream?
Waking up and feeling unclean
I’m having the same nightmare
Where I cant get anywhere

I’m in the right place for me
But there’s something else I need to see
That’s right in front of you
Whatever you saw in me I now need too

Be alive to find my dream
The only way to make your reality
More than a mission of more to be
If all I want I want to be me

Don’t say the words but hold them close
With rested hands know what you want the most
A girl, that job your destiny
Just believe your belief and it will be

Don’t tell me you haven’t seen it
Don’t tell me you haven’t felt that way before
The end is coming if we don’t do something we adore
If you love yourself then you can love me
If all I want I want to be me

Script for Sea Food

Finally I have finished the script for the story I previously posted. For this I have made a slideshow video with some possible locations and the eerie sound that influenced its creation.



Scene 1

INT: Locker Room – Night

A group of boys run around the locker room. PETER and BEN are stood at their lockers near to each other as they crouch down to change out of their football clothes. BEN stands next to the mirror on the locker door whilst putting on layers of aftershave and checking his hair as PETER looks at him in playful disgust. BEN passes him the comb and PETER starts to comb his hair. BEN taps PETER playfully on the shoulder.

BEN
‘I can’t thank you enough for setting me up with Laura’

PETER nods as BEN closes his locker and walks away. BEN goes to shut his locker but stops to stare at a picture of the two boys and girlfriend.

PETER
(Sighs)

INT: Football club – Night

PETER and BEN walk past the many tables to the exit. The CAPTAIN is leaning on a large table with a group of football players and a white board talking strategy. When he sees the two boys the CAPTAIN looks up and stops talking.

CAPTAIN
‘You boys be careful’ (Laughs)

BEN looks at PETER wondering what he is on about. PETER shakes his head and shrugs his shoulder as he hurries BEN towards the door. The CAPTAIN dismisses the football players, has a drink of water from his sports bottle, and stands to leave. As the CAPTAIN walks away from the table he rests his newspaper down to reveal the front headline ‘Harbor Boy Found Mauled’.

Scene 2

INT: Girls Bedroom – Night

LAURA is stood by a large mirror holding a pair of hair straightners whilst KATE is sat on the bed leaning over to her desk trying out different types of perfume.

KATE
‘So. How’s things going with Ben?’

LAURA rests the hair straightners by the sink and passes a hand through her hair. LAURA picks up a heart locket with a picture of her and BEN inside, closes it and places it round her neck. KATE sits up from the bed and places both her hands round LAURA’s neck to fasten the locket.

LAURA
‘Really well’

KATE puts her hands down and stands up to walk over to the mirror.

KATE
‘What about Peter, he still jealous?’

KATE turns he head and smiles sarcastically towards LAURA. LAURA glares at KATE as she sits down on the bed and starts to put her high-healed shoes on.

Scene 3

EXT: Harbor – Night

PETER and BEN walk through the harbor gazing at the boats as they walk past. BEN pulls a score sheet from his pocket and starts to count the numbers. PETER raises his hands out into the air and looks up as if he is admiring the boats. BEN, still counting the numbers doesn’t raise his head from the score sheet but turns to his side as if to speak.

BEN
‘Who scored in the 26th min...'

Ben looks up and realizes there is no one there. A gust of wind then rattles the boats and blows the score sheet out of BEN’s hands. BEN looks around confused.

BEN
‘Peter?’ (Shouting) ‘Peter’

Looking around BEN looks scared as he wonders around the boats, crouching down to look around them. The sound of footsteps makes BEN run round the corner to see if PETER is there. BEN stands on a large object and feels it is soft. Wondering what it is BEN slowly looks down and sees it is the captains half eaten body. BEN places his hand on his mouth and runs over to the wall, leaning over as if to be sick. PETER then places his hand on BEN’s back so that BEN can hear him breathing heavily. BEN turns around slowly and sees PETER stood behind him. PETER then lunges into BEN knocking him onto the floor and then starts to eat. This reveals the sign on the wall, 'sunset paradise cruises’. The sound of the boats continues to creek as BEN falls unconscious from the shock.

Scene 4

EXT: Bus stop – Night

A bus approaches and stops letting LAURA and KATE off the bus. LAURA and KATE both look around as there is no sign of the two boys and KATE checks her watch to see what the time is.

PETER
‘Hello ladies’

KATE and LAURA both jump as PETER walks in between them as he approaches from behind. PETER turns and then smiles at LAURA putting out his hand to hers. LAURA looks at PETER slightly confused.

PETER
‘Ben couldn’t make it’
LAURA looks slightly disappointed but then smiles as PETER links arms with her and starts to walk her away.

KATE
‘So are we still eating?’

PETER looks sick at the thought of food and places his hand over his stomach.

PETER
‘I’m full’

Valentines Day

In line with the 14th of February, Valentines Day, I decided to search for romantics and their love poems and songs to get inspiration for my own writing. Whilst surfing the web I discovered many differing opinions on the true meaning of love and Valentines Day making claims that love is dead by people suffering break-ups which I wont link to due to some content issues! Yet there are some who still believe in ‘The Power of Love’. The global voices Valentines Day poetry contest blog has a competition running for the best love/valentines poetry. On seeing this I couldn’t help but have a go at writing an entry myself, the script for my scary story will have to wait for this one time opportunity.

Speak for we all have love

One day when sitting under the pier
I ask of you to take hold of my hand
And walk for a while on the cold gritty sand
So I can show you off to my friends, from a far distant land

How will we get there, you hastily add
(From here we can see the world)
As I show you my blog, this crazy new fad
To share our love to all who will see
This Valentines Day atrocity

If love is evil, and love is dead
(Through lover’s pain of breaking up)
Then what is here, but a morgue of red roses?
Love is much more, its hear as we speak
A united army of voices and souls
Take control of our world, cherish and speak

Making a scary story

Hello and welcome to my weblog maintained for the module On the Web, which to me is really a place to express my ideas and to further my knowledge of writing and scripting stories for short films. My previous experiences on making films throughout secondary school and college have always shown that having a strong idea is key to any good film although it is only recently that I have finally come to understand the importance of having a good script. One cannot expect to make a great film unless first they have a good script. And so here I am presenting my ideas on-line. This blog will also act as a place for expression in other forms of writing such as poetry and even song writing, my cosmic garden shed, the quiet place for writing.

The idea for this story was actually given to me by my girlfriend the other night when we were sitting down watching the first episode of season 3 Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’ve always found that Buffy makes great use of narrative structure and the monsters always convey a deeper meaning such as in episode 2 season 3 ‘Dead Man’s Party’ when Buffy realizes she can’t bury her issues, and so an army of zombies who literally can’t be buried come to express her emotions. Check out the wikipedia site about Buffy. When my girlfriend spoke about her day she mentioned how the creaking of boats in the harbor at night would make for a really good story and this got me thinking for the rest of the episode about how to combine scary elements with a simple narrative and deeper meaning.

Sea Food

Premise: What if you found out your best friend was a cannibal and used you as a tasty snack to eat.

Controlling idea: You only find out who your real friends are, when you have something they want.

Synopsis: On their way home from the football club in the local town at night Peter and Ben decide to walk through the tide filled harbor to explore whilst Ben waits for his girlfriend. Having lived in the town for three months you would have thought Ben would have heard the rumors about the strange disappearance of people who were all last seen at the harbor at night. Yet unknown to the dangers the boys proceed whilst checking the latest football scores at the back of the paper.

At the house near the top of the hill the two girls, Laura and Kate are getting ready to meet the boys in town. The hds sizzle and the smell of perfume fills the air as Laura Natters about her new boyfriend Ben. Peter had introduced the two of them last month at his welcome back house party but had never expected things to go this far and unknown to his feelings Laura blissfully discuses her friend.

Suddenly back at the harbor a breeze blows the paper from Ben’s hand making the headline ‘Harbor boy found mauled’ visible yet as he turns to grab it he realizes Peter is nowhere to be seen. Shouting out for his friend Ben remembers how he hates being alone in the dark. The creak of the boats on the wind, with the gulls scuttling overhead and the strong salty smell of seaweed lingering in the air adds to his fear. As he turns the corner to the boathouse Ben walks over a soft and sticky rock, cracking as he walks over it. The strong smell of men’s deodorant overpowers the sea air. Smells like the captain. Ben looks down and yelps as he sees the half eaten man resting next to the jetty. Before he can turn, he feels a cold hand placed upon his back…

At the bust stop just off the harbor Laura’s heart sinks as she only sees Peter stood there waiting. He gives her his hand and explains that Ben had a prior engagement, but Ben had given him everything so he can look after her just as well.

I think that this story says something about friends going against each other in such a way that Peter eats his friend Ben because he wants to have the relationship that he has. Not quite up to Buffy standard as the boat theme doesn’t really enter the story, sailing off into the sunset with the perfect girl, but Peter being a cannibal shows jealousy and wanting to become someone else. Well that’s the story, next comes the script.