Researcher ORCID Identifier
0009-0004-8655-3796
Graduation Year
2023
Date of Submission
4-2023
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Film Studies
Reader 1
Professor James Morrison
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2023 Noah G Battaglia
Abstract
For my senior thesis I planned to write, produce, and direct a short-form, narrative film, entitled Excuse Me, Everybody. The original plot of the film is about a 19-year-old college student named Jacob who feels that his life is turned upside down after taking lewd photos of a fellow female student. While meeting with his psychotherapist, he refuses to reveal to him the true nature of his distress. He ultimately comes to terms with his crime by experiencing a hallucination where an imaginary being named Ego appears to him and forces Jacob to recollect the past events and explain his inner thoughts. As his conversation with Ego proceeds, Jacob wonders if he can ever redeem himself, or if he will continue to fall into a deeper, downward spiral. I was inspired to produce this film by some of television journalist Chris Hansen’s work, namely, To Catch a Predator and Hansen Vs. Predator as well as some other “predator catching” channels on YouTube that I watched for research and inspiration, such as Predator Poachers and Dads Against Predators. What I found interesting about these TV shows and videos was how the predators react at the moment of being caught. They start to change their emotions, begging and crying, and complaining that their lives and reputation are about to be ruined. Obviously, I don’t have much sympathy for these predators; however, from their perspective, it seems like an absolutely terrifying situation to experience. So, with Excuse Me Everybody, I wanted to delve into the psychology of a deviant person at the moment they realize they have been discovered and their entire life is ruined by their unscrupulous actions. For my film, I thought it would be interesting to condense the psychological trauma experienced by the perpetrator into a single, intense moment. I developed the original screenplay based on this concept and a copy of that script is included with this thesis submission. I also created storyboards based on this screenplay. The original intent was to produce a film that blended elements of psychological horror with dark comedy. Unfortunately, towards the end of the project, I ran into some major production issues with the original script, which forced me to significantly alter the premise and plot of the film. The final version of the film as shot ended up being a mockumentary/narrative of the events during the final weeks of production, where a young, aspiring filmmaker struggles with the difficulties in trying to complete his first major project.
Recommended Citation
Battaglia, Noah G., "Excuse Me, Everybody" (2023). CMC Senior Theses. 3311.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/3311
