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"My Best Friend Has Autism" Updated Script Ideas / Comments from…
"
My Best Friend Has Autism
" Updated Script Ideas / Comments from Friday the 27th of January:
Patrick:
Comments:
I would like Cian to find the courage to approach Ruth for the sake of character development. Obviously I realize that everyone wants it to be more interesting. I was thinking of him trying to start communication with Ruth rather than "forcing / putting them" together.
Has this become two friends with disabilities working on a project together and growing to like each other rather than two friends with disabilities helping each other with their individual struggles and being friends?
Ruth is open / proud of her Autism E.g. Cap. Cian is not open about his Dyslexia.
Love Ruari's idea of Cian not feeling like he is doing enough to help Ruth , so he takes on so much of the project, unaware that him just talking to her is very helpful.
I really like all the technical suggestions.
Ideas:
Ruari:
Comments:
Ruari really wants to keep in the anxiety attack in the corridor with the tiny tiles.
Ideas:
How They Could Meet? - Have them be forced to work together in a class assignment. The teacher announces everyone has to pair off and do a presentation, everyone pairs off in their friends. Cian and Ruth are forced to work together and help each other. Cian hates writing and Ruth hates presenting due to nerves. They struggle in the beginning, but learn to work it out in the end. It's good drama
Alex doesn't believe a teacher would let this happen in real life. Ruari suggest we could look at the first day of school - "See how you go" Gerald said the teacher may not be motivated?
Cian could see Ruth in the canteen for the first time?
Maybe in the second act, Ruth drops her pencils on the floors of tiny titles, which leads her to have an anxiety attack, showing the audience that she is not rude "She has something wrong with her". Cian helps her, Ruth then starts thinking that Cian actually may not be that bad and start's to trust her.
Fintan:
Comments:
Ideas:
Teacher is explaining something to do with the King Henry test and Cian rifts off and constantly hears the name "Henry" playing in his head E.g. he starts thinking of Henry the train.
In the opening scene, have Cian sitting by himself in the canteen and we pan down to a group of people around a table. We cut to a wide shot of the group of people talking and having fun and then cut to a wide shot of Cian to empathize his loneliness.
Jack:
Ideas:
Cian could struggle reading lyrics during music.
Ryan:
Comments:
Cian - If there is too much information, it forces you to have to narrow down your field of focus and sometimes that could land on the wrong thing. E.g. Cian is under too much pressure with his group project and ends up drawing instead.
I'm more of a visual learner, I like watching movies or documentaries, I read them like a book.
Ideas:
In the canteen, depth of field trick shot of making it look like Cian is sitting in the canteen with a group of people, but we show that he is sitting alone.
Alex:
Comments:
Ideas:
For Cian, have him read signs that are familiar to him but they are distorted in his eyes.
Idea for Cian - When he is reading, have the letters dancing within the words. About three - five different writings styles dancing all over the page.
Gerald:
Comments:
Good Opening. The theme of the drawing "Another day of struggles" is good.
It would be really great if we could get inside Cian's Dyslexia.
It's all good that we want to show Cian as this dedicated student, trying to be good, and that's going to help the audience get on his side because he tries so hard.
Should Cian sit in the same place all the time in class?
How do we raise the stakes / put more pressure on Cian? It's Leaving Cert Year? Lots of assignments.
How can Cian be helped? Maybe make him a visual learner?
Uniform or clothing? Is Cian neat or messy dresser?
Ideas:
Scene 1, potentially show over time from that night how Cian struggles with his assignment from early movement,.
Sound design - Have music or different voices playing in Cian's heading when he is trying to concentrate on someone or something else.
Have Cian pinch himself to get himself to concentrate. Maybe dig his finger nails into his legs.
Possible Crisis Point - Cian finds the project and pressure from Ruth overwhelming so that he can't do it and instead does a drawing?
Cian can get distracted quickly and can forget an important thing.
Plot Draft as of 27/01/23:
Act Two:
Will they be able to work on this project?
Revealing Ruth's autism that she's not open about it.
Various meetings between them.
Struggle to work together but gradually they get on - Cian helping Ruth - Ruth helping Cian.
Crisis Project - Cian takes on an aspect of the project - say he's doing it but isn't able to and doesn't want to admit this - can show his dyslexia getting really "bad". Overwhelm of sound and vision.
This may cause a break-up between them. Ruth cracking up. Cian upset.
But then he has a solution and shares it with her. She's reluctant but he convinces her.
Act Three:
He builds model - she takes photos.
Presentation Day - We see end of group presenting.
Then it's Cian and Ruth's turn.
Just show edits of the presentation. Applause. Teacher applauds.
Outside school, Cian wants to celebrate. Ruth has her routine but will see him tomorrow and we have so many other projects to do.
Act One:
Introduce Cian and his struggle with the project. gives up on project and instead draws picture. Or instead he designs a world?
Cian's dyslexia how to show - going to school, letters and sounds etc.
Cian in canteen in isolation
Night: Cian at home again, more struggle?
Next Day: Classroom, teacher project group work. All form groups apart from Ruth and Cian.
Forced to have to work together. Ruth not very friendly but practical. Cian more open to the idea.