Sounds like they want a boring same old, same old story and your hell bent on having an awesome original.
If thats the case, i'd do your story. Eraserhead isn't coherent. But it is forever in history.
I think you're spot on on the first statement.
Dead wrong on the second.
To Almd -
I remember from my graphic design skule daze (a hundred years ago) that I'd sit in class and watch in amazement the more immature students whine and gripe to the instructor about how much time and effort they put into a project that the rest of us would see as... cr@p. Just like the instructor intimated - in a much more professional way, of course!
Children & poor students equate time, effort, and energy expended as creating some
product of value.
Wrong.
A product is a commodity.
Oil.
Copper.
Gold.
lumber.
Soy beans.
Check out girl at WalMart.
Dentist drilling holes in your head.
Surgeons cutting out your bits and pieces.
Congressmen wheeling and dealing behind closed doors to bring pork barrel project cash to their/your district.
POTUS giving implicit approval of illegal technology sales to semi-allies to curry favor.
Art.
Film.
All are commodities someone else has to find VALUE in.
Your instructors' positions at the school are commodities.
If they can't filter out students that can't produce film product commodities they lose their jobs.
Write and film industry standard schlock for your instructors so that you can get your degree and maybe a job.
On your own time and nickel write and film your Ed Wood/Uwe Bol special.
"Yes", that sux.
"Yes", it will also work.
Review this:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...EI1dGU1VUxaVDhCQmVnVFBLeUxSaWc&hl=en_US#gid=0
Look for this story pattern in some films, then make one following the same cookie cut-out.
Here are some examples:
SWANN CLEAN
(Based upon BLACK SWAN)
NATE wakes up in a cliche filty apartment. Goes to interview for a job as a janitor. The janitor job involves both vacuuming and cleaning with spray bottle and rag. The boss, MR SWANN, notes Nate does well with the vacuum cleaner but doesn't do so well with spray bottle and rag. Desperate for a new office contract and despite shortcomings Nate is provisionally hired for the janitorial job with a warning to never sniff the cleaning solution.
But the question remains can Nate maintain his job?
Nate and his new co-worker LARRY are assigned to clean both a small and large meeting room before a deadline. Vacuum silliness & spray bottle difficulties ensue demonstrating what an excellent vacuum operator Nate is.
However, he breaks his spray bottle and has misplaced his cleaning rag. Actually, he's starting to flip out and thinks he saw himself steal the cleaning rag! Larry kids him about sniffing the poisons in the cleaning solution. Fortunately, with Larry's help he fixes the bottle and finds the lost cleaning rag. All is well until Larry tricks Nate into locking up his vacuum! Oh, no! The Boss is going to fire Nate for sure!
Using universal paperclip skills, Nate unlocks the door, continues with cleaning the meeting room on time. Despite bottle damage, missing rag and vacuum attachments by Larry, Nate does an excellent job cleaning the meeting room! Supervisor is impressed. Nate dies of cleaning solution poisoning.
BERT'S BUBBLES
(Based upon THE KING'S SPEECH)
BERT can't blow bubbles with bubble gum and endeavors to learn how. He is introduced to NELL who gives Bert "special" gum. It tastes funny and Bert is reluctant to even try. However, with Nell's "special" gum BERT learns to blow his very first bubble!
He practices blowing bubbles in different places. Delighted with his modicum of success, he shows his nascent bubble blowing skills to his big brother TED, the Bubble King, mired in his own troubles as he considers leaving town for job/college.
Nell tells Bert he could become the new Bubble King! This angers Bert who loves his big brother very much, causing Bert and Nell get into relationship ending argument. Big brother get's job/acepted into college and leaves. Bert is now alone with no one as his friend.
BERT realizes his foolishness, resolves his issues with both Nell and Ted before trying to become the new Bubble King. Devastated by learning Nell's "special" gum isn't special Bert carries on to blow his best bubbles ever with Nell's help.
STOPCOCK
(Based upon 127 HOURS)
Arguing brothers/friends/couple are cleaning up and winterizing a cabin which includes cutting off the water with the stopcock under/behind the house and draining water from pipes. While fixing the kitchen sink the argument seems to be resolving but then goes very bad, the other party leaves in their vehicle quite angry. Mad, angry and frustrated RON grabs after a dropped screw nut into the sink, getting his hand stuck in the garbage disposal.
Fun & games ensue as he fruitlessly pulls, reaches for nearby objects, and debates cutting off his own arm with the large assortment of knives nearby. No food. No water, though.
Finally his cell phone rings! Unfortunately it's just out of reach and unanswerable. But surely the caller/pissed friend/brother/girlfriend will realize he's not returned and will come looking for him in a day or two. Or three.
Ron understands he's been a jerk and wouldn't be surprised if no one has any intention of coming back looking for him. He resolves to cut off his hand. After a gruesome and miserable process he cuts loose and drives to ER.
GOTH DISTRICT
(Based upon DISTRICT 9)
School security guard, VIC, assigned to direct goth students away from the side of the building. Trying to get them to leave he accepts a drink from a cute girl goth but spills the drink on himself. Laughing and cajoling at Vic's predicament it looks like the goths are going to leave until Vic is accidentally sprayed with Mace from the girly goth's key ring. Vic gets sick, vomits, passes out behind the school.
Waking from fainting he finds his nails are painted black and his wet uniform shirt changed for black. His injured head from the fall is bandaged with black scarf. Wondering where he is, Vic's co-worker Kurt goes to find him, find's the girly goth's car keys, sees the goths are still not removed from the side of the school and goes to get help. When they return Kurt and the guards find Vic has become a Goth!
Persecuted by former friends, Vic must get girly goth's car keys from the office to escape before he gets fired!
Vic gets keys, gets to car, gets home to a clean uniform but say's screwwit and doinks the girl goth instead!
HUMILIATION
(Based upon INCEPTION)
Three friends bored watching TV, as a gag SAM suggests ROB try to convince BOB through a shared dreaming experience that Bob is a woman. Rob knows he can do it, but is afraid his small joke might become a permanent problem for Bob. Rob accepts the challenge only if Sam assists.
All three are inducted into a shared dream several levels deep culminating in Bob about to put on a dress.
But Bob refuses because he's embarrassed and confesses he wants to become a transvestite, Rob and Sam laugh until Rob breaks down crying inconsolably for ruining Bob's life.
Sam feels bad about hurting Rob's feelings and tries to make him laugh by putting on the dress and makeup. Rob, Sam and Bob all wake up and Sam is actually wearing make up and women's clothes and confesses to investigating transsexual surgery
INSERTION
(Based upon INCEPTION)
ROB and MARY are hi-tech shared dreaming pimp & prostitute. BOB is a new customer very eager to pay Mary enough to have "D-sex" with her, but balks at Rob attending, which he insists for security purposes. Finally Bob agrees to pay for the D-sex with Mary.
The sexcapades go levels deep as Bob demonstrates that he's really a very nice and wealthy guy. Bob suggests Mary leave Rob and run away with him. Undeterred, Mary knows Rob will always be there for him.
They uncover that Rob is actually a user bastard and Mary falls in love with Bob, will leave Rob, and run away with Bob to get married.
Angry and scared Rob figures a way out, tricks Mary and Rob into an infinite loop, Rob and Mary wake up and drown sleeping Bob in the bathtub.
CONCEPTION
(Based upon INCEPTION)
MARY and Rob are hi-tech dream surrogate and broker. BOB is a new customer very eager to pay Mary enough to have a shared dream-family with her, but balks at Rob attending, which he insists for security purposes. Finally Bob agrees to pay for the D-sex with Mary.
The family life go levels deep as Bob demonstrates that he's really a very nice and wealthy guy. Bob suggests Mary leave Rob and run away with him. Undeterred, Mary knows Rob will always be there for him.
They uncover that Rob is actually a user bastard and Mary falls in love with Bob, will leave Rob, and run away with Bob to get married.
Angry and scared Rob figures a way out, tricks Mary and Rob into an infinite loop, Rob and Mary wake up and drown sleeping Bob in the bathtub.
BATTLE: ANTHONY'S LAWN
(Based on BATTLE: L.A.)
Anthony's girl is gonna b!tch if the grass isn't cut by the time she returns from X. If he can get the lawn cut fast enough he can watch the last quarter of the game! But the lawnmower is out of gas. He can siphon gas from his car, but the gas can in wife's SUV, must find and use an "unapproved container". Siphons gas from his car.
All gassed up, now the garage door won't open. Checks battery, checks circuit breaker, nothing. Pulls manual release lever and pushes up door.
Now the lawnmower won't start! Jump starts lawnmower from car.
Finally, he get's the lawnmower running. Despite all the shit in the yard and in the grass Anthony gets the grass cut, misses the last quarter of the game, but does avoid his wife's bitching!
TOP MOM
(Based on TOP GUN)
Mom's doing a bunch of loads of laundry. Afterwards she'd like to get started on supper. Gotta go pick up dirty clothes around the house. Loads and washes whites before cleaning kitchen. Whites are done! Start towels, dry whites. Whites are done! Dry towels. Fold whites.
Mom finds some socks are missing. Whatever. She gives up looking. There are a bunch of socks missing! Phone starts ringing
Mom in law (MIL) needs help finding not one but four things on the computer. Mom's never going to get dinner started! Finds two things for MIL, can't find a third, finds a fourth. Honey comes home and takes her out for being good to his mom.
GL!
