Script writting (Abdul rafay somroo)

Task 1: A review of the short film "The Miniaturist of Junagadh"

 Director: Kaushal Oza

The event that set things in motion

The Partition of India is what starts the story in The Miniaturist of Junagadh. This makes Muslims living in Junagadh move to Pakistan. Before this, the old miniaturist had a calm and steady existence at his family's house, where he was entirely devoted to his work. The choice of Partition changes this existence and brings dread, uncertainty, and loss of home. This event puts the main character in a fight by stripping away his sense of safety and making him face the idea of losing everything he has known. The plot doesn't move forward until this historical event makes it difficult for him to stay.

Objectives / desires

The miniaturist's major goal is to stay in Junagadh and not move. He wants to stay at his home because that's where his memories, culture, and identity are. His art and his passion are very connected.

 

He worries that his paintings, which are his life's work and personal history, may lose their meaning if he is not with them. He would rather live out the rest of his life in peace than start over in a new place. His modest resistance and emotional reactions throughout the movie demonstrate that his biggest wish is for stability and belonging, not change or escape.

Challenges / Components of Opposition

The miniaturist has problems that are caused by things that are out of his control. The most powerful cause of opposition is the political reality of Partition, which forces people to move even if they don't want to. Fear of violence and social pressure make it unsafe to stay. Because he is elderly and weak, he can't fight back or adjust to change. His emotional commitment to his house and art makes his suffering worse, making it even harder to leave. These pressures work together to make him want to leave, which makes migration an unavoidable result.

 

 

 

 

Task1

 

 

(b) The Equalizer (2014) Scene Breakdown

Title of the Scene: McCall vs. Slavi's Men (Fight at Home Mart)

 

Location: Home Mart (Hardware Store)

Robert McCall and Slavi's Enforcers are the characters.

 

1. Scene Breakdown

 

Robert McCall gets ready for a fight in this scene, which takes place inside a Home Mart hardware shop after it has closed. He walks into the store calmly and on purpose, turning it into a tactical environment by turning off the lights, picking up tools, and arranging himself in a strategic way. Slavi's soldiers look sure of themselves and ready to fight when they get there. They think they have the upper hand because of their numbers and weapons. As they walk through the dark store, McCall methodically disables them with everyday things he finds around him. The scene ends with McCall standing alone in silence, having restored order through violence that was under control.

 

 

2. Conflict

 

There is conflict in this situation on both the outside and inside. The confrontation is between Robert McCall and the Russian gang enforcers who were sent to deal with him. This is a fight between one person and a bigger, more violent criminal system. Inside himself, McCall is torn between wanting to stay hidden and feeling morally obligated to step in. His history as a trained killer comes back to haunt him, threatening the calm, regular life he has tried to construct. This internal struggle adds emotional dimension to the physical fight and makes it clear that McCall's violence is a moral choice, not an act of wrath.

 

3.Opening Values 

 

The main values at the start of the scene are control, calmness, restraint, and moral tension. McCall is calm and mentally stable, and he doesn't show any signs of hostility right away. Violence is only a possibility, not a guarantee. His calm behavior is very different from the gang members' wild confidence, which makes him feel superior. These beginning values show that McCall doesn't want to start a fight, but he's ready to do so if he needs to.

 

4.Beats

 

The scene moves forward through a sequence of important events that slowly raise the tension. McCall goes into the store by himself, which shows that he is self-sufficient and sure of himself. He turns off the lights, making the area a weapon and confusing his adversaries. The men who work for Slavi come in noisily and arrogantly, not knowing they are in a trap. McCall takes out the first aggressor, bringing order to the mayhem and establishing the tone for the rest of the fight. After this, there comes a series of quick and vicious takedowns, all done with accuracy and no emotion. Every beat shows how smart, disciplined, and good McCall is at controlled aggression.

 

5. The Turning Point

 

When McCall turns out the lights in the store, that's when the scenario changes. This moment makes him sure that he wants to completely participate in the fight. It shows a definite change in power, moving control from the gang to McCall. The hardware store goes from being a neutral business environment to a battlefield that is completely influenced by McCall's plan. Violence is now unavoidable, but McCall's preparation and self-control will determine how it happens.

 

6. Closing Values

 

Chaos reestablished, moral clarity, solitude, and quiet supremacy are the concluding values by the end of the scene. The immediate danger has passed, and silence has taken the place of turmoil. But McCall is still alone, which shows how much his actions have cost him personally. Justice has been done, yet there is no joy or relief. The scene finishes with a feeling of loneliness, which supports the idea that moral violence, while essential, makes McCall even further apart from regular human interaction.

TITLE:

 

BEFORE MIDNIGHT

LOG LINE:

On the night she is set to leave the country, a man walks beside the woman he once betrayed, hoping honesty will arrive in time—only to learn that love does not end when people leave, but when they stop choosing each other.

 

 

SUMMARY:

Before Midnight is about two people who used to be in love who meet again by coincidence on the last night before she leaves. As they travel through the city, unresolved pain comes out in their constrained, emotionally intense conversations. He wants to be forgiven and have a chance to make things right. She wants peace and to protect herself. The clock ticking approaching midnight becomes a silent enemy, showing how time can be like an emotional delay. The story doesn't conclude with an exploding sadness when she finally leaves; instead, it ends quietly, showing that some moments can't be repeated, only remembered.

SYNOPSIS:

Before Midnight is a short, melancholy, romantic urban drama that takes place over the course of one night. A woman meets the man who once broke her trust the night before she leaves the country. As they walk together through the calm streets of the city, their silent talk slowly discloses a history of emotional neglect, delayed commitment, and grief that hasn't been acknowledged. He wants her to forgive him and hopes to keep her from leaving, thinking that being honest may fix things that have gone wrong in the past. She listens, but the scars on her heart remind her of how much it hurt to wait. As midnight gets closer, time becomes an unsaid force that affects every word and pause. In the end, she chooses herself and goes, leaving him behind to deal with the fact that he missed out on chances that would never come again. The story finishes with the understanding that love doesn't always fail because it ends; sometimes it fails because it comes too late.

 

 

 

CHARACTER SKETCHES:

ABBASS

 

Abbass is a man in his late twenties who thinks a lot and keeps his feelings to himself. He has a hard time acting on his sentiments and often puts off making decisions because he is afraid of being weak and losing. He is genuinely in love with Eshma, but he is constantly late, both emotionally and practically, since he thinks there will always be another chance to put things right. His story is more about coming to terms with things than getting better. At the end of the story, Abbass realizes that being ready doesn't mean anything if it happens after the moment has passed.

 

ESHMA

 

Eshma is a woman in her late twenties who has matured emotionally by going through pain and thinking about herself. She is calm, careful, and cautious, not because she doesn't care, but because she has cared too much for too long. She still loves Abbass, but she knows that staying would mean giving up her self-respect. She is on a quest to choose herself, not because she is angry, but because she has to. She is brave for leaving.

STEP OUTLINE:

Scene 1: A City Street at Night—The Beginning

 

Eshma walks ahead of Abbass, who is half a step behind her, under gentle yellow streetlights. The distance between people causes emotional imbalance. A digital clock shows 11:34 PM, which makes time a silent enemy. There isn't much conversation, which gives the movie a sad, quiet tone.

 

Scene 2: Bus Stop—Making People Talk

 

Abbass says he didn't plan the chat and wanted to talk in person as they walk by an empty bus stop. Eshma answers with subtle honesty, suggesting that Abbass had always shown up when she was about to leave. The risks of the hike became obvious.

 

Scene 3: Traffic Light—The fight starts

 

Abbass admits to his betrayal when he stops at a red light. Eshma says that the stillness and lack of emotion hurt more than the deed itself. The talk goes from small talk to deep emotional reality.

 

Scene 4: Moving across the city—emotional buildup

 

They keep walking. A bus that goes by for a short time drowns out sound, which stands for previous misunderstandings. Abbass says that he now understands every time Eshma waited for him to pick her. She talks about how forgiving someone over and over again made her feel empty. Reflections on store windows look out of place.

 

Scene 5: Near the Station—Emotional Peak

 

When it gets close to 11:47 PM, Abbass tells Eshma to stay. She questions the idea of making pledges late and admits that she still loves him, even though she knows it's dangerous. A station announcement lets you know that the deadline is coming up.

 

Scene 6: Midnight—The End

 

Eshma looks at her phone at 11:50 PM. Abbass says he's now ready. Eshma says that she required such preparation before she could learn how to depart. She picks herself and walks to the station. Abbass doesn't follow.

 

Scene 7: After Midnight—What Happens Next

 

The time changes to 12:00 AM. It's past midnight. Abbass stands alone under a streetlight while the city goes on around him. A cold, untouched cup of coffee stands for a squandered chance. Abbass walks away from the station in the opposite direction, knowing that some things can never be changed.

 

SCREENPLAY

 

 TITLE BEFORE MIDNIGHT .

Sad Romance / Urban Drama

TIME: About 3 minutes

Late at night on city streets

TONE: Sad, close, and quiet

Theme: Timing vs. decision, emotional absence, and protecting oneself

 

 

FADE IN:

 

EXT. CITY STREET – NIGHT

 

Soft yellow streetlights shine down on a walkway that is vacant.

The sound of distant traffic is muffled and steady.

 

Eshma  walks rapidly, her coat snug around her.

Abbass is half a step behind and has trouble keeping up.

 

A building has a digital clock that flickers:

 

11:34 PM

 

Their footsteps resonate. Silence goes on and on.

 

 

Abbass

You don’t have to walk this fast.

 

Eshma

If I slow down, I might stop.

 

He absorbs that.

 

They pass a BUS STOP — empty, forgotten.

 

ABBASS

I didn’t plan this conversation.

I just… saw you crossing the street.

 

ESHMA

You always found me when I was already leaving.

 

A beat. Wind moves loose paper along the pavement.

 

ABBASS

I know I don’t deserve this walk.

But I needed to say it out loud.

Not text. Not apologies typed at 2 a.m.

 

She keeps walking.

 

ESHMA

Say what?

 

ABBASS

That I betrayed you.

Not just with what I did—

but with how easily I thought you’d stay.

 

She stops.

 

A TRAFFIC LIGHT switches from green to red.

 

She turns. Finally looks at him.

 

ESHMA

I didn’t leave because of what you did.

I left because you watched me break

and called it patience.

 

He nods. The words land.

 

ABBASS

I was scared.

If I admitted how much you mattered,

I’d have something real to lose.

 

ESHMA

So you lost it anyway.

 

They resume walking.

 

A BUS ROARS PAST, briefly drowning out the world.

Wind rushes between them.

 

ABBASS

I understand now.

Every silence.

Every night you waited for me to choose.

 

ESHMA

Understanding comes very late for you.

 

ABBASS

I know.

But it’s here.

And so am I.

 

She exhales. Tired.

 

ESHMA

Do you know how many times I forgave you

before you ever asked?

 

ABBASS

Too many.

 

ESHMA

Enough to empty me.

 

They pass a SHOP WINDOW.

Their reflections walk beside each other—but slightly misaligned.

 

The clock reflection reads:

 

11:47 PM

 

ABBASS

If I could take it back

 

ESHMA

you can’t.

That’s the problem with trust.

It doesn’t heal at the speed of regret.

 

He stops walking.

 

She takes two more steps… then turns.

 

ABBASS

I’m not asking you to forget.

I’m asking you to stay.

Just… don’t leave tonight.

 

ESHMA

And then what?

You promise change?

You say the right things?

You arrive on time?

 

ABBASS

I show up scared.

But honest.

Every day.

 

She studies his face. Searching.

 

ESHMA

I love you.

That’s what makes this dangerous.

 

ABBASS

Love doesn’t die when people leave.

 

She looks away. Eyes glassy.

 

HIM

Then why does it hurt like it did?

 

A long silence.

 

The CITY BREATHES,sirens distant, footsteps elsewhere.

 

ESHMA

Because love stays.

Even when people don’t.

 

A DISTANT STATION ANNOUNCEMENT drifts through the night:

 

“Final boarding in ten minutes.”

 

She checks her phone:

 

11:50 PM

 

ABBASS

If you walk away now,

this becomes the rest of my life.

 

ESHMA

If I stay,

I risk losing myself again.

 

She steps back creating physical distance.

 

ABBASS

I’m finally ready.

 

ESHMA

I needed you ready

before I learned how to leave.

 

She takes one last look at him.

 

EXT. CITY STREET – NIGHT (CONTINUOUS)

She disappears into the flow of people heading toward the station.

He remains where he is.

The space beside him feels suddenly enormous.

A TRAIN HORN echoes faintly in the distance.

He looks down at his hands—still holding the paper coffee cup.
He hadn’t realized he brought it with him.

He lifts it.

Takes a sip.

The coffee is cold.

He winces—not from the taste, but from the realization.

Across the street, a COUPLE laughs softly, leaning into each other as they wait to cross.
The traffic light turns green.

They walk.

He doesn’t.

 

EXT. TRAIN STATION ENTRANCE – NIGHT (INTERCUT)

She reaches the entrance.

Stops.

For just a second, she turns back—searching the street.

He is too far away now.
Or maybe he was always too late.

She exhales, steadying herself.

Then she walks inside.

 

EXT. CITY STREET – NIGHT

The DIGITAL CLOCK above him clicks forward again.

12:01 AM

Midnight has passed.

A BUS pulls up nearby. Doors open. People get on.

He watches them.

Doesn’t move.

The city continues around him—cars pass, lights change, life insists on going forward.

He lowers himself onto the empty bus stop bench.

The same one they passed earlier.

He stares at the ground.

 

HIM
(softly, to himself)
I was ready.

The words feel useless now.

A breeze pushes a discarded boarding pass across the pavement.
It brushes against his shoe.

He doesn’t pick it up.

 

EXT. CITY STREET – NIGHT (LATER)

The street is quieter now.

The clock in the distance still glows—indifferent.

He finally stands.

Walks in the opposite direction from the station.

Each step heavier than the last.

The camera lingers on the empty sidewalk behind him.

 

FINAL IMAGE

The BUS STOP BENCH sits alone under the streetlight.

On it, the coffee cup he left behind—
cold, untouched, forgotten.

 

FADE OUT.

 

Task 4