STORYTELLING TECHNIQUES
LHL5003 CRITICAL MEDIA LITERACY EDUCATION ELISE MARIE ELLUL
CONTENTS
06
WHAT IS A STORY
07
WHAT MAKES UP A STORY
THREE-ACT STRUCTURE
12
24
30
TASK 1 ANALYSING A MOVIE OF OUR CHOICE
TASK 2 FINDING LOGLINES
54
TASK 4 CREATING A STORY ABOUT FILOMENA
10
TASK 3 CREATING A CLASS ACTIVITY
Once upon a time...
WHAT IS A STORY A story, also known as a narrative, is a number of events or experiences told for entertainment or to bring a message to the reader or viewer. It can be an interpretation of someone’s life and past events or the growth of something. A story can either be real or invented, and each story has a theme which is the main idea that underlines the story. What makes a story great are the three elements that are found within; a person, a goal and an obstacle.
It is the process of how these three elements are combined together, showing how the person who is the main character of the story changes throughout to achieve a particular goal in their journey, having the need to undergo some obstacles to achieve the goal. A combination of these three elements create a strong story, however, when one of them is weak, the rest of the story is weak.
WHAT MAKES UP A STORY A story is made up of five points; characters, setting, plot, conflict and resolution. Without one of these points, a story cannot be told. RS
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Characters are the individuals the story is about.
They are described through their physical appearances and personalities. Every story has a main character, who determines how the story develops and who will solve the problems of the story. There can be more than one main character. All the other characters are important as they supply additional details, explanations and actions.
setting
The is the location of the action of the story. It is the time and place of the story as it often answers the question ‘When?’ and ‘Where?’. The time could be the past or future, day or night, summer or winter. It can take place anywhere, such as in a school, jungle, big city, desert. The environment or surroundings are described in detail. It can be an unusual setting like a fantasy world or it can be an everyday setting like a house.
plot
The is the actual story. The term ‘plot’ is used to describe the events that make up a story, or the main part of a story. These events relate to each other in a pattern or a sequence. The structure of a novel depends on the organization of events in the plot of the story. It is where we learn more about the characters, the setting, and the moral of the story. The plot should have a clear beginning, middle and end. It helps the reader and/or viewer to make sense of the action and follow along from start to finish.
conflict
Every story has a to solve. A conflict is defined as any struggle between opposing forces. Usually, the main character struggles against some other force. This type of conflict is what drives each and every story. Without it, the story would have no point or purpose. The plot is centered on this conflict and the characters’ attempt to resolve the problem. The conflict can be defined by the “types” that exist — internal, external, people vs people, people vs society, etc. When the story’s action becomes most exciting, right before the resolution, it is called the climax.
resolution
The is the solution to the problem. The resolution is the part of the story’s plot where the main problem is resolved or worked out. It occurs after the falling action and is typically where the story ends. It is the conclusion of the story’s plot, where any unanswered questions are answered, or “loose ends are tied.” Examples: stopping a fight, solving a mystery or helping out someone. The resolution must fit the rest of the story and solve all parts of the conflict.
THREE-ACT STRUCTURE The three-act structure is a model used to divide a story into three parts (acts): the Setup, the Confrontation and the Resolution. The traditional three-act structure includes the following parts: • • •
Act I - Setup: Exposition (beginning), Inciting Incident, Plot Point One Act II - Confrontation: Rising Action, Midpoint, Plot Point Two Act III - Resolution: Pre Climax, Climax, Denouement (finale)
Within each Act is a number of different ‘beats’ – a plot event. Each act should be bridged by a ‘beat’ that sends the narrative in a different direction. Stories must be a chain of cause-and-effect beats: each scene must lead into what happens next and not be a standalone “episode.” The three-act structure is just one way to think about a story, so writers should not feel limited. The benefit of using the three-act structure is that it will help ensure that every scene starts and end with a clear purpose and direction.
Rebecca
(2020)
Act 1 Rebecca opens with the narrator describing a dream of Manderley and then taking a long walk down memory lane. It covers her speedy courtship and marriage to Maxim de Winter and also shows us the initial phase of her new life at Manderley. The act closes with Mrs. de Winter going to bed after a disastrous costume ball. Act 2 The second act opens the very next morning, with Mrs. de Winter thinking her marriage is over. At the climactic moment, she is almost convinced by Mrs. Danvers to jump to her death from Rebecca’s window. Shortly after, Rebecca’s boat is found with her dead body inside, Maxim confesses to her murder, and Maxim and Mrs. de Winter rekindle their passion. Act 3 In the final act, we learn that Rebecca was terminally ill with cancer when she was killed; this gets Maxim off the hook, but makes us think that Rebecca instigated her own murder. The story closes as a happy Maxim and Mrs. de Winter drive toward Manderley, only to see their beautiful property ablaze in flames.
Task 1 Analysing a movie of our choice
REBECCA Logline
A newly-married young woman falls in love with a handsome widower. Little did she know that her marriage will be haunted by the late mistress’s shadow, the elegant and urbane Rebecca, whose legacy was still much alive long after her death.
Storyline
During the accompaniment of her mistress at Monte Carlo, a young woman meets and falls in love with a handsome aristocrat widower, Maxim de Winter. Spiralling into a whirlwind of love, the newly-married couple return to Manderley, his family estate situated on a windswept English coast. Unaware and naïve, Mrs de Winter begins to settle into her new life, but she finds herself being pushed away by the members of the family estate, especially by Manderley’s sinister housekeeper Mrs Danvers. She soon realises that she is being haunted by the shadow of Maxim’s first wife, the elegant and urbane Rebecca, whose legacy still lived on.
CHARACTERS Lily James stars as the unnamed Mrs. de Winter, the young second
wife of Maxim de Winter. She is a beautiful, naive, young woman with no family members, working as a companion for her mistress Mrs. Van Hopper. Mrs. de Winter finds herself falling in love with a widower aristocrat when accompanying her mistress in Monte Carlo, only to leave newly-engaged. Unsophisticated and timid, she is insecure about her role as the mistress of Manderley and is overwhelmed by the constant reminder of Rebecca in the estate. She becomes increasingly preoccupied with Rebecca and ultimately concludes that Maxim is still in love with her. After Maxim confesses the truth to her, she is suddenly free from Rebecca’s shadow and can assume her true role as mistress of the house and Maxim’s wife.
Armie Hammer plays the mysterious widower Maxim de Winter,
a handsome aristocrat, the intelligent and cultured owner of Manderley. At first, Maxim is a mystery, seemingly tormented by the memory of his first wife. He dislikes talking about Rebecca and increasingly detaches himself from his new wife, leading Mrs. de Winter to believe that he is still in love with Rebecca. After Rebecca’s boat is found on the bay, Maxim confesses the truth to his wife: his marriage to Rebecca was a facade, and he despised her so much that he murdered her in a fit of rage. In the end, Maxim realized that Rebecca manipulated him into killing her so that she would not have to die slowly of cancer.
Kristen Scott Thomas plays Maxim’s devoted housekeeper and Mrs.
de Winter’s adversary Mrs. Danvers, Rebecca’s maid and the housekeeper of Manderley. Mrs. Danvers accompanied Rebecca to Manderley after her marriage and continues to run the estate in the same way that she did when Rebecca was alive. As the story progresses, Mrs. Danvers reveals an unhealthy obsession with Rebecca and a determination to punish Mrs. de Winter for taking her place. She takes every opportunity to undermine her and remind her of her inferiority to Rebecca, convincing her to dress as Caroline De Winter for the costume ball and even urging her to kill herself by jumping out of the window. Like Jack Favell, Mrs. Danvers suspects that Maxim was involved in Rebecca’s death and ultimately sets Manderley on fire.
Ann Dowd
appears as Mrs. Van Hopper, Mrs. de Winter’s obnoxious American employer. A wealthy and gossipy American woman who hires Mrs. de Winter as a “companion” for her European travels. During their time at Monte Carlo, Mrs. Van Hopper introduces herself to Maxim and inadvertently prompts the friendship between Maxim and Mrs. de Winter. After hearing about their engagement, Mrs. Van Hopper raises the first doubts in her mind with the warning, “Personally, I think you are making a big mistake--one that you will bitterly regret.”
Sam Riley as Jack Favell, appearing in Rebecca as the
titular Rebecca’s first cousin and lover. Mrs. de Winter first meets Favell at Manderley during Maxim’s absence and is put off by his bold manner and suggestive remarks. After Rebecca’s body is discovered, Favell contends that Maxim murdered her and attempts to prove that they were planning to run away together. He brings in Ben as a witness, displays a note from Rebecca, and prompts the trip to London to interview Dr. Baker. After Dr. Baker seems to confirm the coroner’s findings, Favell returns to Manderley and presumably sets the estate on fire with Mrs. Danvers.
Tom Goodman-Hil
as Frank Crawley, plays an employee of the Manderley estate, the overseer of Manderley, and becomes a friend to Mrs. de Winter. Known for his loyalty and tact, Frank is one of Mrs. de Winter’s sole friends on the estate and assures her that she is what Maxim needs. However, he is reticent to discuss Rebecca except to comment on her great beauty, and Mrs. de Winter concludes that he was just as much in love with Rebecca as everyone else. Later on, it is revealed that Frank almost quit his job at Manderley because of Rebecca’s constant attempts to seduce him. The narrator suspects that Frank also knew that Maxim had killed Rebecca.
Ben Crompton
as Ben, a mildly retarded man who lives on the Manderley estate. He witnesses Rebecca having an affair with Jack Favell, but he denies it when interviewed by Inspector Welch because he fears that Rebecca will fulfill her promise to send him to an asylum. Ben is the only character to describe Rebecca in a negative light from the very beginning of the story.
Keeley Hawes as Beatrice Lacy, plays Maxim’s sister and
Giles’ wife. Athletic and outspoken, Beatrice initially intimidates Mrs. de Winter but eventually becomes more supportive. She gives her a set of beautiful art books as a wedding present, takes her to visit Maxim’s grandmother, and comforts her after the disaster of the costume ball. Her comment, “You are so very different from Rebecca,” is one of the first times that Mrs. de Winter is directly compared to Maxim’s first wife.
Mark Lewis Jones
as Inspector Welch, playing the investigator looking into Rebecca’s mysterious death. The local magistrate who investigates Rebecca’s death. Inspector Welch is unwilling to accept Jack Favell’s accusation that Maxim murdered Rebecca. He meets with Dr. Baker and ultimately concludes that Rebecca did commit suicide.
Rebecca, Maxim’s first wife and the beautiful mistress of Manderley.
Lauded for her beauty, sophistication, and elegance, Rebecca seems to be the superior to Mrs. de Winter in every way. Even Maxim asserts that all of Manderley’s beauty is due to Rebecca’s taste and influence. Mrs. de Winter concludes that Maxim is still in love with Rebecca and is tormented by her presence in everything at Manderley. Eventually, it is revealed that Rebecca was an evil woman who committed unspeakable atrocities under the guise of her grace and beauty.
MOVIE ANALYSIS Rebecca opens with the introduction of a young women working for Mrs. Van Hopper in Monte Carlo. This
young woman becomes acquainted with Maxim de Winter, a recent widower. After a brief courtship, they become engaged and get married. They then head to his mansion in England, Manderley where Mrs. de Winter’s new life is unfolded and we are introduced to the members of staff. Mrs. de Winter meets Mrs Danvers, the housekeeper, who was devoted to his first wife, Rebecca, who recently died in a boating accident. The staff and Maxim’s friends also were fond of Rebecca, placing the new Mrs. de Winter in an unwanted position. Mrs. Danvers also emphasizes the new Mrs. de Winter’s inferiority by comparison. Mrs. de Winter finds out about Jack Favell, Rebecca’s cousin, when he visits Mrs. Danvers as she secretly invited him. Mrs. de Winter starts to unravel certain mysteries which she wasn’t aware of as Maxim never spoke to her. Maxim did not have a good relationship with Favell, and after learning about his presence at Manderley, he bans Favell from the grounds, and accuses Mrs. de Winter of betrayal which she denies. Mrs. de Winter confronts Mrs. Danvers for conspiring against demanding her resignation, however, Mrs. Danvers insists Favell was lying.
Secretly the two begin working together, as Mrs. Danvers kindly assists Mrs. de Winter. After trying her best to feel welcomed and accepted at Manderley, Mrs. de Winter accepts Mrs. Danvers assistance and asks her to revive the Manderley Costume Ball. Out of spite, Mrs. Danvers suggests that Mrs. de Winter chooses a dress that will win Maxim de Winter’s heart. When Mrs. de Winter wears the dress of Maxim de Winter’s ancestor, the guests are shocked and Maxim is furious. The act closes with Mrs. de Winter going to bed after a disastrous costume ball. Mrs. de Winter later learns that Rebecca wore the dress the previous year. Feeling manipulated and believing that Maxim now regrets their marriage, she flees. Mrs. Danvers admits her contempt for the new Mrs. de Winter as she believes she is trying to replace Rebecca, her former mistress. She tries to convince Mrs. de Winter to jump to her death from the window, however, a nearby shipwreck was brought in from the storm, revealing the ship was Rebecca’s with her decomposed body on board.
The investigation into Rebecca’s death reopens, and Maxim is seen confessing to his wife that his marriage to Rebecca was a fake and that he always hated her. He mentions that she was cruel, selfish, adulterous and manipulative. On the night of Rebecca’s death, she told Maxim that she was pregnant with another man’s child, which she would raise under the pretence that it was Maxim’s. She manipulated Maxim as she placed his gun to her chest and stated that the only way to be free of her was to kill her. Enraged, Maxim pulled the trigger, then disposed of her body by placing it in her boat and sinking it. Despite his confession, Mrs. de Winter is relieved to know that Maxim loves her and resolves to support him during the investigation. Favell attempts to blackmail Maxim, claiming to have proof that Rebecca did not intend suicide, in a note she had written to him. The trial shows Rebecca’s boat to have been deliberately sunk. Testimony from Mrs. Danvers implies Rebecca’s visit to a London doctor shortly before her death had to do with the pregnancy. The prosecutor produces Maxim’s cheque written to Favell for the note, and Favell accuses Maxim of murdering Rebecca placing him under arrest. At Manderley, Mrs. Danvers reveals that Rebecca hated all the men in her life. Mrs. de Winter fires Danvers and locates Rebecca’s doctor and reads Rebecca’s file, which reveals Rebecca could not have been pregnant because of advanced uterine cancer and would have died within a few months. An investigator concludes Rebecca committed suicide by destroying her boat, while Mrs. de Winter privately concludes that Rebecca wanted Maxim to kill her. Maxim and Mrs. de Winter drive home after the trial to find the mansion ablaze. A maid reveals that Mrs. Danvers started the fire and fled. Mrs. de Winter is aware of Mrs. Danvers whereabouts and races to the cliffs, and finding Mrs. Danvers standing on a cliff. She pleads with Mrs. Danvers not to jump, but Mrs. Danvers curses the two of them to never know happiness and jumps into the sea to be again with her mistress Rebecca, and drowns. Awakening from a dream years later, Mrs. de Winter is with Maxim, as they search for their dream home.
SETTING We first meet the story’s young, nameless heroine (Lily James) working as a ladies’ companion in 1930s Monte Carlo. Here she encounters the enigmatic widower Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer), who is known to have lost his wife Rebecca to a boating accident a year before. Soon the two are married, and travel back to Maxim’s ancestral Cornish estate, Manderley. The second Mrs de Winter struggles to get to grips with her new life, but finds herself haunted by Manderley’s intimidating housekeeper Mrs Danvers (Kristen Scott Thomas), and the lingering presence of her predecessor, Rebecca.
CONFLICT AND THEMES conflict
A is a clash of interest and the opposing force created. The conflict within the story generally comes in four basic types: 1. Conflict with the self 2. Conflict with others 3. Conflict with the environment and, 4. Conflict with the supernatural In Rebecca, a number of conflicts are present. All these conflicts are represented as 1. Jealousy 2. Escaping the past 3. Good versus Evil 4. Love versus Hate 5. Identity 6. Gothic fiction 7. Manderley
themes:
“We can never go back again, that much is certain. The past is still close to us. The things we have tried to forget and put behind us would stir again, and that sense of fear, of furtive unrest, struggling at length to blind unreasoning panic—now mercifully stilled, thank God—might in some manner unforeseen become a living companion as it had before.” — Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca
Task 2 Finding loglines
LOGLINES A logline is a brief summary, usually one sentence long, of a television programme, film, or book that states the central conflict of the story, often providing both a synopsis of the story’s plot, and an emotional “hook” to stimulate interest. Loglines extract the most important elements of the screenplay, informing us about the main character, the setup, the central conflict, and the antagonist, into a clear and concise teaser. It does not however, reveal the ending of the story. There are four parts in a logline:
[protagonist] + [inciting incident] + [goal] + [conflict] A logline does not necessary need to be in this exact order. However, when a logline is being structured, these four components should be clearly defined. Here’s how to write a good logline in four steps:
1 Identify the
2Describe the inciting incident
protagonist
3Highlight your 4 protagonist’s goal
Create a compelling central conflict
Valerie decides to elope with Peter before her parents get her married to Henry. Her plans are disrupted when her elder sister is killed by a werewolf and Father Solomon is called to take vengeance.
Tris, an adult resident of a futuristic world divided into five factions, elects to join the Dauntless faction. But she actually belongs to another faction, which she must hide, as a major war looms.
Charlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend’s suicide and his tumultuous past.
Task 3 Creating a Class Activity
Slide 1: Title
Slide 2: Aims and Objectives of the lesson
Slide 3: Discussion - What are stories?
Slide 4: Definition of a story/narrative
Slide 5: Definition of a story/narrative
Slide 6: Starting to create the story
Slide 7: Discussion - what makes up a story?
Slide 8: The points that make up a story - Characters
Slide 9: The points that make up a story - Setting
Slide 10: The points that make up a story - Plot
Slide 11: The points that make up a story - Conflict
Slide 12: The points that make up a story - Resolution
Slide 13: The 3 elements that a story has
Slide 14: Focusing on one of the three elements - A Person: Characters of the story
Slide 15: Identifying the character
Slide 16: Guessing the character game through playing charades (see Appendix 1)
Slide 17: Discussion of character profile/description
Slide 18: Discussion of character profile/description
Slide 19: Discussion of character profile/description
Slide 20: Activity - creating a character profile
Slide 21: Watching video of Avengers to create a character profile on one of the characters
Slide 22: Activity in pairs/groups to create a character profile on one of the Avengers characters
Slide 23: Creating a character of your own - working individually
Slide 24: Creating a character of your own - working individually
Slide 25: Conclusion - discussion on what we spoke of and worked in class
Appendix 1 Flashcards Charades Activity
Task 4
Creating a story about Filomena
The Illusion Logline
Waking up next to a bloody red rose, a young teenager finds herself searching the truth about her past. She had gone missing for a couple of hours, when in fact it was a lifetime. Who was Filomena and where has she been to?
Storyline
It was 2012 and Filomena had just woken up. Confused and weary, Filomena finds herself lying in a field with a red rose by her side. She hears her name being called as her friends approach her. They had been calling her for hours as she had disappeared for a while from their picnic in Buskett. Filomena doesn’t recall what happened but feels a strong connection to the red rose that laid beside her. Where did Filomena go? Where was she in those few hours she went missing?
Themes The story is set up in the year 2012, the present, as Filomena and her friends set out on a mystery mission to find what had really happened to her when she went missing. During their search, Filomena encounters several flashbacks of her other life in the 19th century which bring her closer to the truth of who she really is and where she belongs to. The story will set out to show the themes of: 1. Present versus Past 2. Reality versus Imagination 3. Symbolism 4. Love 5. Mystery 6. Good versus Evil
Setting The story is set in Buskett, Malta, set mostly in the gardens of Buskett and the Verdala Palace. However, it is set out in different periods of time; 2012 and the 1800s. The group of friends move along with Filomena as she randomly has visions of her past and this journey she has been to. They secretly enter the Verdala Palace where they all get sucked in Filomena’s visions and need to find a way to save themselves from getting stuck in the past forever.
Symbolism Filomena starts to encounter visions of the past when: 1. The blood from the prick on her finger from the rose keeps coming out. 2. She touches the red rose. 3. She visits the Verdala Palace. She starts remembering a black and a white horse, a castle, a man, masked balls, blood, red roses and other people from another time.
Past
Present
Characters Filomena Protagonist
A young, curious and adventurous, 18 year old Maltese girl who cannot remember what has happened to her that day she was out on a picnic with her friends. She went missing for a couple of hours when in fact she had gone for a lifetime. Visions of her past seem to be troubling her present as she tries to remember where she has been. However, she feels a strong connection to a rose which was the only thing that connected with her past. Filomena is secretly in love with Jean but gets confused when she knows she has a past lover, Louis.
Jean
Lover/Friend A handsome, 19 year old male Maltese teenager who is Filomena’s best friend and secret lover. Jean was devastated when Filomena went missing and does everything to help her find what she was looking for, only to become heart-broken and lost when he gets to know that Filomena has someone else in mind whom she met in this other life she lived.
Louis, Marquis Testaferrata-Olivier
Myterious man of the past
A 23 year old Marquis from the 19th century who Filomena had encountered on her journey when she went missing that day of the picnic. Louis is not known very clearly at the beginning of the story, as Filomena finds it hard to remember where she has been and whom she had met. But the red rose and the visions it brought her, were her only connection to Louis and to everything that happened to her. The rose was her only hope to get to know what had really happened to her that day, or perhaps years long ago.
Filomena’s friends
Clarissa
Jade
Emily
Filomena’s supposed-tobe best friend is secretly in love with Jean and is against helping Filomena on her journey to search for her past. She has always been jealous of Filomena. She plays the role of an antogonist character.
Filomena’s loyal friend who is eccentric and loves an adventure. She is always on Filomena’s side and manages to solve most of the mysteries throughout their journey. She plays the role of a confidante character.
The follower; Emily continues with the gang as she and her boyfriend Ben get sucked in the adventure along with the others. She plays the role of a static character.
Matthew
Jeremy
Ben
Matthew is in love with Clarissa and does everything to get her attention. They are secretly dating and finds himself in an uncomfortable position when Clarissa shows more affection towards Jean. He plays the role of a round character.
Similar to Jade, Jeremy is a sweet and loving guy who is always there to help. He is Jean’s best friend and always tries to give Jean the best advice. Jeremy plays the role of a confidante character.
The joker of the group and Emily’s boyfriend. Ben gets along with everyone and lightens up the mood throughout the journey. He plays the role of a static character.
Friend
Friend
Friend
Friend
Friend
Friend
Act 1 The story starts with different shots showing a vision of a masked ball in the 1800s where everyone is seen dancing and enjoying themselves. Conversations are heard but are unclear. The guests are gossiping about a possible marriage taking place at the masked ball which takes us to two individuals; We follow these two characters from behind, a male and a female, as they enter a hall and they start dancing alone, away from the ball, without a clear indication of their whole face. All is well and calm, when suddenly we hear a female screaming and a red rose full of blood falling on the floor in slow motion. The scream takes us through the iris of a woman in the 1800s and out through the eye of Filomena, who laid on the grass in Buskett gardens, on a Spring day in 2012, as she woke up in shock, breathing heavily. Her friends approached her shouting her name. Jean, her best friend and secret lover, was devastated and constantly asks her if she was ok, helping her up to her feet. Her other friends approached her as Filomena still tried to figure out where she was. Clarissa started to explain to Filomena that they had been searching for her for hours when she went wandering off in search for the restrooms and never returned. They all spoke randomly trying to comfort Filomena, asking her questions at the same time, when suddenly Jade spotted the red rose on the ground that laid beside Filomena. Filomena is taken aback when she hears the word ‘rose’ as she recalls a vision which takes her to a masked ball. This sudden strange behaviour from Filomena troubled her friends, especially Jean, as they saw her stand still in awe. She gained back her present thoughts and Jean takes a decision to go back to their belongings to pack and leave Buskett. As soon as Jean takes Filomena by hand, she gets another flashback of two people holding hands who happen to be in danger as the vision takes Filomena to the scream that she woke up to. Filomena looks around and spots the Verdala Palace getting another flashback of a girl walking around the castle, and instantly realises that she needed to get some answers from that location. Jean is too scared of losing Filomena like he did a few hours ago and reassures her that it was all a dream that she had when she was away. He asked the others to help him convince Filomena that it was time to go home. Confused and weary, Filomena accepts their decision and they head home.
Throughout the night, Filomena is troubled by her dreams which are haunted by these visions of this other world. We see more of these visions coming true as Filomena is shaken through her sleep. She wakes up in shock as she hears the scream again and calls her friends. She tries to explain to them that something had happened to her, that she keeps getting visions of other people, of another time, and that she needs to know now what really happened to her and why they keep coming back to her. She decides to go back to Buskett that night on her own and doesn’t want to oblige anyone into going with her. Jean definitely doesn’t want her to go on her own and she was too stubborn to allow Jean to change her mind, so he decided to follow her. Clarissa who happened to secretly have a crush on Jean did not want them to get any closer than they already have been, so she immediately joined in the quest. Jade is worried about Filomena so she joins along and convinces Jeremy to tag along too. Matthew doesn’t want to be the odd one out, and since Clarissa was going, he wants to protect his girl so he accepts only to be with her. Emily and Ben decide to join as they don’t want to miss out on what their friends were up to. So they all set out that night to Buskett, this time stopping outside the Verdala Palace. The gates are closed and there doesn’t seem to be a way in, when suddenly Filomena gets another vision as she touches the gate which shows a girl laughing with another man along a secret pathway. This pathway happens to be just under the fence guarding the gardens and Filomena knew exactly where it was. She guides the others to it as they blindly trust her. Filomena feels a rush of excitement and nerves filling her body as they walk along the pathway. She starts hearing voices as they approach the castle, but the others are not hearing anything. They start to think that she is going crazy, when they see a trail of red roses on the floor to the entrance of the palace.
Act 2 The group of friends entered the dark and silent castle, Filomena leading them on. She could hear the voices growing louder as they followed the trail of red roses. Suddenly a vision of a black and white horse rushed through her speeding up in front of her, making Filomena run to catch up with them. The others were in shock seeing Filomena run all of a sudden and followed her, shouting to her to stop. They all stopped suddenly as they saw Filomena staring at a huge blank hall in surprise. Jean tried to approach Filomena but Clarissa held him back to wait for Filomena’s next move. Filomena bowed down as she smiled onto the bare hall. The others were confused as they saw nothing in front of them, confirming Filomena was losing her mind. Filomena suddenly spoke the words “it’ll be my honour Marquis”. Jean got furious and went to pull Filomena back when she decided to take a step forwards and vanished into thin air. Jean and the others remained staring at the open bare hall in shock. Where did Filomena go? They could not believe their eyes. Jade slowly approached to where Filomena was previously standing, while Jeremy warned her to be careful. Jean was in disbelief and Clarissa was there to comfort him. They couldn’t understand what had happened, and where Filomena went. They tried to see the odds to where Filomena could have vanished to but they slowly started realising they were losing their minds too. Jade didn’t want to give up, and she quietly tried to patch things up. She gathered all the roses that formed the trail and placed them on the spot where Filomena vanished. The roses slowly started to form a phrase which read “Welcome to Kastell de Verdalle”. Approaching the note, Jade stumbled on one of the roses and fell forward. She too had vanished like Filomena.
The others screamed Jade’s name as they went closer to where she fell. Jeremy decided to take the plunge and go forward, to see what happened to two of his friends. Matthew was reluctant at first as he did not like how things were evolving. Jean wanted at all costs to find Filomena again now that Jade vanished too, and accepted what Jeremy was thinking. They all stepped forward into what seemed to be the line where Filomena and Jade vanished. They held each others’ hands and together stepped forward into the unknown.
Climax Still holding each others’ hands, the group of friends found themselves standing in front of a huge audience who were all wearing fancy dresses, suits and masks. They all freaked out as they too were wearing fancy dresses, suits and masks. What had happened? Where are they? Jade approached the group and explained to them that they had all been sucked into another dimension, some period during the 1800s. She was hearing a couple of conversations when she tried to follow Filomena around. She also noticed that time here travelled faster than the present. Jean approached Jade and asked her about Filomena but Jade disappointed Jean as she couldn’t find her anywhere. They decided to split up and look around the ball to get some answers. Clarissa thought this was a good time to spend with Jean and paired up with him. Matthew didn’t like the idea so he tagged along with them. Emily and Ben decided to stay together knowing they could enjoy all the booze from the ball, and Jade and Jeremy wanted to get to the bottom of this and find the clues.
A couple of hours had passed into the ball and still there was no sign of Filomena. Clarissa was enjoying this as she danced the night away with Jean. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves at the ball, as they stopped looking for Filomena except for Jade. Jade was not buying all of it. She noticed they were falling into a trap and warned the others to remain focused.
Suddenly, they saw Filomena at a distance dancing in the middle of the hall amongst the other guests with another man. Jean was shocked and rushed to catch up with her but Clarissa pulled him back. Jade advised them to keep their cool as everybody was watching them, suspecting them. They soon noticed that Filomena and the man started walking away from the dance floor. Without making a scene, they tried to keep an eye on Filomena as she walked past the guests with this other man, but there were too many people and soon they lost sight of her. Little did they know that the Filomena they were eyeing was an exact copy of their friend Filomena, who happened to be her ancestor, Madame Filomena, the soon-to-be wife of Louis Marquis Testaferrata-Olivier. In the meantime, Madame Filomena and Louis Marquis TestaferrataOlivier were leaving the ball when she needed to visit the restroom to freshen up. They agreed that Louis would wait for her outside with the carriage. Louis made his way out of the ball and notices Filomena standing there. He grabbed her by the hand to escort her to the carriage, when Filomena pulled back out of surprise. Louis could not understand why she didn’t want to join him and kept insisting by pulling her towards the carriage. Filomena was in shock and kept thinking that she was being captured. When she noticed he would not let go, she screamed and Louis panicked, he pulled her even harder and directed her straight to the carriage where they left off. When Madame Filomena was heading to the restroom, the group noticed her and darted straight towards her. Jean grabbed hold of Madame Filomena and kissed her, afraid he would lose her again, making Clarissa even more jealous. Madame Filomena was confused and could not figure out who these individuals were. Jade informed them that she had found the hall they came from and they all had to walk to the hall as soon as possible. Jean grabbed Madame Filomena’s hand and started pulling her towards the hall. Madame Filomena resisted them, demanding that she would be let free. Jean did not want to let go of her this time and held his grip tighter. Madame Filomena was panicking and screamed to get the attention of the other guests. The group ran faster pulling Madame Filomena with them till they saw the pile of red roses on the floor. They held each others’ hands and leaped forward, back to 2012, only to have brought Madame Filomena to the future.
Act 3 The group could not believe their eyes as they were back to their normal selves, all in modern clothing, except for Madame Filomena who got transported to 2012 with the same clothing from the masked ball. They were all overjoyed and hugged one another, up until they realised that the Filomena standing next to them was not Filomena they befriended. Who was this exact copy of Filomena and where did the real Filomena go?
To be continued...
The Illusion
is a sequel movie which will continue to unravel the mysteries of why and how the present Filomena was sucked into another time period. We will also get to know more on Filomena’s ancestors, Madame Filomena and Louis Marquis Testaferrata-Olivier and their connection to Filomena. What will happen to Filomena and Louis in the 1800s, and to the group and Madame Filomena in 2012? Will they manage to go back in time and save their own Filomena? Or will the two Filomenas get stuck in the separate time frames forever?
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day.” —”Old Man’s Advice to Youth: ‘Never Lose a Holy Curiosity.’” LIFE Magazine (2 May 1955) p. 64” Albert Einstein