Plot Overview

Recently, I conducted some research on coming-of-age film standards as well as certain techniques used in stories that revolve around conversion therapy.  I found that coming-of-age productions tend to be characterized by an overtly emotional plot-line.  Unlike other teen flicks, these movies prioritize seeking an emotional response from the audience.  While they may still be light-hearted or comedic, producers wish to activate that sense of wonder about the world, and allow audiences to follow the characters' as they make their way around the world.

My film aims to establish many of these same conventions.  Because the story follows a religious teen boy as he comes to terms with his sexuality and is sent to anti-gay therapy, it is imperative that the script adheres to these genre guidelines.  However, subject matter alone is not enough to guide an emotional response in viewers.  Thus, dialogue and cinematography will be very important.  I will begin to write the script sometime soon, and start work on my storyboard once the former is complete.  As of now, I have a pretty comprehensive rough draft of what I want my final piece to look like:

• Begins with a production company logo.  This will be relatively simple white text on black background, but I wish to incorporate some simple animation to engage audience.
• After logo, we see a black screen.  J-cut of a preacher giving a sermon.
• We never see the preacher.  Instead, we cut directly to the boy as he stands and sits again during the mass.  There is a lot of movement, and he looks tense.  I want to use a handheld camera for these clips, as it furthers the feeling of stress and restlessness.  As the tensions grow, the sermon begins to get increasingly drowned out as it is replaced by a ringing noise.
• The scene is cut dramatically, and we now change settings to the church's bathroom.  We see the boy fling open the bathroom door, where he begins to have a panic attack.  I want to use jump-cuts to establish the panicked feeling.
• Previously, I was going to have another boy walk in to the bathroom, encounter the protagonist freaking out, and place a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder.  This was going to trigger a memory in the protag, and further establish his disgust at homosexuality and his own feelings.  However, I think that I'll be changing this to a shot of the boy's mother finding him bent over the sink and remarking to him that its time to go.
• The final shots will be filmed in the counselor's office at the conversion center. Here, the boy will explain that he has sinned, and the counselor will state that they are here to cure him.  I want the office to be covered in crosses and religious symbols, so it is likely that I will have to set up this location myself.  Additionally, I want there to be a sense of symmetry in the shots.
• This last scene will be entirely led by dialogue, and will surely be a pain to write.  Yet, it's the most important scene of all.  I want to create a slow build-up that leads to a pin-drop moment, which is when I intend to cut away to the film title.

The film seems easy enough to write, but my major setbacks are that I have no experience with conversion therapy (that much is evident), and that I have no religious background whatsoever.  This seems to directly contradict my teacher's "write what you know" advice, but I'm pretty confident that I can pull something together.  I plan to overcome this by researching conversion therapy practices and reading articles written by people who have experienced it, as well as discussing first-hand religious trauma with people who grew up with the church.