Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 1.2
Ellie Darcey-Alden as Katie in a scene from
Pranks.
Let's see how the story breaks down in terms of a traditional three-act structure:
•
Act I:
The first act of
Pranks
is made up of Scenes 1 through 6 in the script and establishes the characters
(Katie and Joyce) and the dramatic situation of the story (a reclusive child moves into a new foster home),
ending on a turning point that presents a problem for the main character to solve (someone is disrupting
Katie's new room).
•
Act II:
The second act consists of Scenes 7 through 16 and is all about the obstacles and conflicts that the
main character faces as she tries to solve the problem encountered at the end of the first act. In Act II, Katie
first seeks Joyce's help, only to have her complaints dismissed out of hand. When the pranks continue,
Katie is forced to take matters into her own hands and embarks on a quest to obtain photographic evidence.
After a cat-and-mouse chase around the house, the act ends on a second turning point, when Katie begins to
come out of her shell and enjoy the games.
•
Act III:
The third act is comprised of Scenes 17 and 18 and resolves the story problem. Katie finally
comes face to face with the boy and learns the truth about who he is. The ending shows how Katie has been
positively impacted by the events of the story and concludes on a bittersweet note as she waits for his re-
turn.
We'll be delving deeper into some of the story points as we work through the edit later in the topic, but for now
let's take a closer look at the characters.
The characters
Katie is a 12-year-old orphan with a troubled past. For most of her life, she has been hauled from one foster
home to another, never staying long enough to form any kind of bond with the caregivers that take her in. Be-
cause of this, she has become self-reliant and is reluctant to let anyone get close to her for fear of getting hurt.
She especially distances herself from other children, from whom she feels completely alienated. This has caused
problems with some of the families she's stayed with, earning her a reputation for not “playing nice” with the
other children of the house. Though she is searching for a place to call home, it has to be on her terms, and it's
this uncompromising attitude that gets her into trouble every time.
Joyce's life has always been about children. A best-selling author of children's topics, she has been living off
the royalties from her topics since splitting from her husband only a few short years into their marriage. Her
compassionate nature led her to put all her energies into setting up a residence for homeless children, fostering
many orphans over the years. This came to a tragic end when her son, Jason, became very ill and died. Heart-
broken, she could never bring herself to look after another child, becoming reclusive and leading a solitary ex-
istence for years. Burdened by the guilt she carries from losing a child in her care, Joyce is oblivious to the fact
that the child's spirit still resides in the house with her. Joyce sees this new opportunity to foster another child as
a way to make amends with the past. However Katie's tendency to withdraw from everyone makes this difficult
for Joyce. Joyce's main objective is to form a bond with Katie and build a relationship with her. She spends the
whole story trying to connect with Katie, a goal she manages to achieve with some indirect help from Jason, the
child she lost.
Jason's spirit is trapped in limbo inside the house he shares with his foster mother (Figure 1.3). He has spent the
past few years wandering the house alone, trying to get his foster mother's attention, but to no avail. With
Katie's arrival, he sees a potential new playmate and is anxious to involve her in his games, despite her reluct-
ance to participate.
