First Edition

The Time
Traveler

TONY MAX HOWARD TAISHAN

The Time Traveler

A short script about a time

traveler and some actors
making a horror movie.

Section 1

Background
Information
This Section Will Include
1. Costumes
2. Props
3. Sets
4. Music Usage

Costumes

Props

Characters wear casual day to day clothing (excluding Puck). As it is a location

scout, characters will wear normal clothing as if it was just checking a place out.

The Laptop

Left - Bottom !
Right - Snug

The usage of common clothing show that the scene is

relaxed and calm in contrast
to a serious mood. On the
other hand, the normal clothing of the characters show
that the mood of the situation at hand is tranquil and
peaceful. The characters who utilize this type of tone are Bottom, Snug and Quince.
On another note, Puck uses a futuristic type of clothing shown by his capes worn on
him. He is shown to be a darker individual, whilst in contrast to the red and purple
insides which is also represents blood and royalty. The red blood and anger colors
juxtaposed to a refined and more dominant royalty colour show a mix of moods for
this character. Puck is a rather elusive character as he is shown to be a spectator in
most
scenes, entering and
manipulating as he
sees fit.

The computer has been the tool of choice for creative individuals for many years. As a director, bottom holding a laptop shows how he has pre-prepared notes and is ready to talk about
the movie and share it with his crew. His laptop, and the fact that he has a prop shows the
fact that he is in power and that he is most knowledgeable.

Set(s)
The First Set (main set)
This first set is where the main characters are set and placed for their upcoming act.
Once there, they practice their lines for pyramus and thisbe scene. The characters
Bottom, Snug and Quince all show up here at some point and practice their parts in
the play.

The Secondary Set (side set)

The secondary set is used when Puck teleports into the scene from the future and
shows up in a bright white flash. This particular scene can also be seen in the frame
of the first set while the main set is going on, Puck entering the scene shows his sly
actions toward the plot of the story.

Music
Our music choice, is completely based around our mood of playfulness. This playful
music reflects our comedic approach for this short film. The characters depicted in
the scenes attempt to be serious but ultimately becomes a comedic and playful
scene. The transition between music pieces show the development of plot within the
story as music can influence the course of action within a character, potentially foreshadowing a future event.

Section 2

Script

This Section Talks About:

1. Script
2. Subtext
3. Characters
4. Costume
5. Prop Usage

Actions
Bottom stands on the chair, being the highest person in the scene, he is shown to have
dominance and to be the
boss. His laptop establishes the fact that he is a
director who has preprepared notes to share
with his crew.

Blocking 1.1 Blocking

This video shows blocking from this page to

the next.

Framing
A camera is placed by the edge of the scene and another is placed in the center of the
chairs.

The camera at the edge of the scene

has one side blocked by a pole which
creates depth to draw in an audience,
while the wide framed shot acts as an
establishing scene to establish the fact
that the actors are in a playground.

The second camera in the middle of the

scene is also a wide shot, used to establish the scene and setting. The characters are framed using the rule of thirds in
the top left edge and are emphasized.

Framing
The shot is reframed and is shown with the characters closer together. As Bottom is still the
one in power, the shots are framed over the shoulder for Bottom, showing him using a camera pointed from low to high, suggesting his power in this scene, and the shot of Snug from
regular eye-level which suggests regularity. Over the shoulder creates depth and allows the
audience to imagine the distance that the two actors have which creates comfort. The contrast between characters as
they line up against the rule
of thirds, with Bottom taking
two points of the thirds
while Snug is placed directly centered onto the
framing. This thereby
points the camera onto
Snug.
FF

Subtext:
This sentence shows Pucks confusion on what events are happening around him
which ultimately effects his character as a time traveler: What do we have swaggering here so close the the Dairy Queen?. His reaction towards Maybe even an
actor! demonstrates his eagerness to join the play showing his inner feelings toward his surroundings. As puck is part of the background characters, this is also
reflected :Ill be a spectator, showing his tendency to space himself out from
other characters showing his shy and sly personality within the film.
When Puck stresses the final words of ...an actor! his voice raises higher showing his excitement towards being part of a large play. Additionally, some vocal
pauses that he shows are between What, a play? starting the phrasing with a disgruntled question, and ending with a higher sense of mood in contrast to before.
Pucks facial reaction during this scene changes as he begins the play as a more
neutral tone, natural and when he is prompted with being in a play, his eyebrows
raises up, demonstrating his delight to being a potential actor. As soon as Puck arrives from his time machine, he swirls his capes and ends with his chin high up exerting dominance on his surroundings. Once he realizes that he arrived somewhere, he careful zigzags into a better place to see on the opposite side where Bottom, Snug and Quince are located.

Blocking

His odd otherworldly movements reflect him as he steps into the unknown with the
upmost care for his own wellbeing. However, as he gets closer his shifts into a position where he can clearly and concisely see everything within the play itself. Nonetheless, he utilizes this and carefully sits down onto a place where he wants to
watch the actors practice their parts, discreetly enjoying every part of the whole
act.

This video demonstrates the actions and reason for doing so.
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Framing
This following shot of Pucks entrance shows his passive emotions toward the scene. As the
frame inputs Puck from afar, and changing into a closeup encounter from a over-the shoulder
perspective. This allows the viewer also to see from Pucks point of view, as a bystander of the
play. The distance between Puck and the
characters in the
other scene (Bottom
and Quince show a
sense of a third party
looking in.

Actions
Puck spins around and comes into this new time through time travel and
leans into the bushes to get a better look of the play while they are reciting the lines and arguing about who is the real director.

Subtext
The positioning and framing of Quince and Bottom show the contrast between characters once they meet. As Bottom was in a physically higher place then Snug from the previous shot, Bottom steps down from the balancing beam equalling in height. However,
framing of the shot is placed in a perspective that Quince is visibly looking down at Bottom returning him to his
rightful place under the
real director.
Swings
Swings

When both characters

interact with each
Balance Boards
Balance Boards
other, they attempt to
Bottom
show dominance over
Bottom
Bo
d
ar
ar
Bdo
o
d
B
one another but
ar
ar
o
d
B
Quince eventually overSwings
Swings
Snug
takes Bottom as he
Snug
leaves the scene in defeat. However, once
Quince utilizes some
hand movements like
the finger quotes, it
shows his sarcasm towards the topic at hand.
This also reflects his comical approach to the scene in contrast to Bottom, who actively
wants to overtake him.

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Section 3

Rationale
This Section Includes
1. Tonys rationale
2. Howard's rationale
3. Maxs rationale
4. Taishans rationale

Tony
In the directors notebook, I contributed to the first section of the script. I wrote page
1 and half of page 2, then alongside the script, I created the subtext of the film. Also,
I showed Bottom and Snugs costumes in section 1. In terms of the performance, I
framed the shots for the first 4 minutes and applied the cinema analysis knowledge
to the film by using different camera shots and angles. I also put together and edited
the entire film in post-production. Our group explored the theme of power within our
performance. One person in the film was always showing more dominance over the
other. It started out at Bottom(Max) showing more dominance over Snug(me), and
then it ended in a fight for power between Quince(Taishan) and Bottom(Max). To
show this dominance, we mostly used levels. We had Bottom stand on a balance
beam to gain more height than Snug. This created a dominance over Snug, who was
sitting on the balance beam below Bottom. Another example of this exploration of
power and dominance was through the framing of the shot.
In the angle shown below, the camera films Bottom from the bottom to the top, which
creates a sense of height and greatness, therefore, creating dominance and creating
the effect
that he
has
more
power
in the
scene.

I developed
my
character to have the least power in this scene. My character, Snug was always at a lower
level in the shot and always listened to Bottom when he spoke about the movie. My
character did not talk back and was always at a lower level of power. My character

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utilized the setting by sitting down on the balance beam to show that he was at lower
power than others. My character always didn't want to start conflicts with other characters and tried to remain calm when bottom was getting annoyed at him. My character played a supporting role in helping establish the thematic issue of power, As he
was always at a lower amount of power than others, he was able to help show how
powerful the other characters were.

other change of power from a higher point of power in this case is Bottom, dominating the scene by taking up most of the space in the framing representing his importance in the scene. Once puck get annoyed enough, he uses his magic spell to
change Bottoms head into a monster-like face, scaring and frightening Quince. Puck
enters the scene as a small, secondary character, eventually turning into a more
dominant role, demonstrating the switching of power within the characters.

Howards Rationale
Inside of the directors notebook, I contributed to the first page describing Pucks costume and how it is relevant to his overall character. I also wrote all of the different
sets for the film and its significance to the mood of the scene, Including that part, I
also wrote the importance of music in certain parts of the film where it builds up and
shows our mood of playfulness while maintaining a development of plot within the
film. In the directors notebook, I contributed to the subtext of my entrance scene
where I demonstrate a understanding of subtext by explaining the usage of facial expressions and tone along with actions to show how a character is depicted within the
film. With this in mind, I also did the blocking parts of both scenes of where Puck enters and starts to investigate his surroundings, and also the second one showing the
positioning of the characters in the third scene and the overall dominance of the characters which attempt to contrast each other. In addition to that, I also wrote the subtext of this particular scene with Bottom and Quince. The positioning and framing of
Quince and Bottom show the contrast between characters once they meet. When
both characters interact with each other, they attempt to show dominance over one
another but Quince eventually overtakes Bottom as he leaves the scene in defeat.

When Puck stresses the final words of ...an actor! his voice raises higher showing
his excitement towards being part of a large play. Additionally, some vocal pauses
that he shows are between What, a play? starting the phrasing with a disgruntled
question, and ending with a higher sense of mood in contrast to before. Pucks facial
reaction during this scene changes as he begins the play as a more neutral tone,
natural and when he is prompted with being in a play, his eyebrows raises up, demonstrating his delight to being a potential actor. This shows his connection to the theme
of playfulness by showing his excitement and happiness.

Our group explored the theme of power which is fixated within our characters and
actions. By utilising different forms of cinematic perspective, the contrast of power
between Bottom and Snug were very prominent as it demonstrated the level of
power within the character. On the other hand, when Bottom is confronted by
Quince, a change of power commences, therefore implementing a reposition of
power, interchanged between characters. Those two characters tries to show dominance over each other, and eventually, they come to a conclusion with Bottom backing off in defeat. Another example of power and dominance was through the framing
and positioning of the shot. However within Pucks scene with Bottom, it shows an-

From the very first show, Bottom is seen standing on a ledge of sorts. I this scene,
which he shares with the character Snug, this stance is one way the character asserts his dominance sub-textually. The shot and angles of this scene are framed, as
well, to support the assertion of dominance in Bottoms character. The two different
angles used in this scene represent different elements that coordinate with the plot
and characters; the first shot, looking upwards, further elaborates on Bottoms power,
as it looks up to him from a low to high perspective. All the while, in this same shot,
Snug is given an eye-level shot, signifying him as the subordinate character. The second shot in this scene is over-the-shoulder of Bottom; with a slightly heavier focus on

Maxs Rationale
In our interpretation of A Midsummer Nights Dream, which brings the Shakespeare
classic into the modern setting of the 21-century, my unique portrayal of the character Nick Bottom (simply referred to as Bottom in our film) converts the identity of the
quirky actor from a Worker to a teenage high school student keen on directing his
own film.

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Snug, as his face is the only one visible. In addition, this shot also creates a sense of
depth, as it looks from a high to low perspective, allowing the audience to imagine
the distance between the two actors, creaking a sense of comfort.
In this short-short-film, I used my 21st-century reinterpretation of Bottoms character
to capture the spirit of the original Shakespeare classic. In A Midsummer Nights
Dream, Bottom is depicted as being an over-confident and generally naive actor with
an overdone belief in his own abilities. In my portrayal, the reimagined Bottom takes
self-appointed dominance over his fellow actors, much like Nick Bottom does with
the production of Pyramus and Thisbe. From the very start, he is seen dictating creative choices, providing unwarranted opinions, and, in one case, even patronizes
Snug. However, much like his Shakespearean counterpart, much of this, if not all, is
done out of good intention, as he genuinely believes to be the grandiose showman
he sees himself as, while, in reality, there are few who take him seriously.
More specifically, in the notebook, I wrote the very last section of the script; from the
scene in which Taishans character (Quince) enters and onwards. This portion of the
story was a lot of fun for me to write, as it was, in bulk, comedically rich interactions
between the various characters. I was truly able to widen my horizon embodying the
characteristics of Bottom in his awkward arguments with Quince, where (surprise) he
tries without fruition to assert himself as the director. In this particular scene, the
blocking shows Bottom stepping down from his ledge to greet and talk to Quince.
This represents that while they more or less hold the same level of power, Quince is
the actual bigger man, hence Bottom steps down from his level rather than Quince
stepping up. Bottoms over-the-top perception of his own acting skills is seen as he
clumsily delivers the line, I am one of style, and drama!, attempting to assert a dominance of skill over the actually talented Quince.

onto a ledge to have a higher view on things and afterwards Snug sits down on the
balance board making him even smaller in comparison to Bottom. We showed the
power struggle between Bottom and Quince by having them fight over the role of director, the character Nick Bottom(Max) is shown with the most dominance or power
in the scene, standing on higher ground before Snug(Tony). After Quince(Me) is enters the scene Bottom steps down from the ledge to show that Quince and Bottom
have around the same amount of dominance, until after their argument Bottom tries
to push Quince back a little bit to show dominance, however Quince doesnt stumble,
showing that he has taken the place of higher power. However, in this interpretation,
we still have the base idea that Quince is the leader of the mechanicals, so we made
Bottom and Quince fight over the the position of director, which Quince eventually
wins and has a solid hold of the position of director.
In the notebook I wrote the second section of the script, which was a small conversation between Bottom and Snug, I also helped to write the subtext for the last section,
which was generally just the actions of how Puck was trying to get Bottoms attention
and turning his face into a monster-like face, as well as Bottom Chasing Quince after
he sees Bottoms horrifying transformation.

Taishans Rationale
In our more futuristic interpretation of A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare, I show my portrayal and futuristic interpretation of the character Peter
Quince, who I portrayed as a very ordinary person who doesnt do anything big and
generally just an everyday person. In our interpretation of A Midsummer Nights
Dream, we explored the theme of power, with a character that has very little power or
dominance(snug) and two characters that end up in a power struggle (Bottom and
Quince). To show that Snug had less power than Bottom, we had Bottom step up

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 TONY HOWARD MAX TAISHAN

All characters and other entities appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, dead or alive, or other real-life entities, past or present, is
purely coincidental.

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