Second draft of script
- 1. Blackscreen, voiceover of a radio announcement of another british soldier dying in Afghanistan/war.Military boots stepping up a hill, low level camera to the ground. The camera tilts up, the sun is shining a lens flare and then the camera is tilted down to see the band playing – all in one take. At this point we’ll have the front man’s face filling the screen. as he sings we’ll slowly zoom out and show the rest of the bandShot of water, the river with the waves lapping and then the screen gets a bit darker and there is a white flash and cut to aged footage of a ship leaving the harbor with the soldiers being waved goodbye by the people left behind on land. Three young men with their backs to the camera being filmed sitting and laughing together, with one sitting to the side looking down mournfully at a small photo of his sweetheart.Cut to the sweetheart in the photo, in a bedroom marking down the days of December to Christmas; either that or her putting up a red bauble on a Christmas tree and you see her reflection I the bauble, and the camera zooms in an extreme close up into the bauble then zooms out of the British flag, a union jack flying patriotically.CHORUS: A group of soldiers being sworn in on screen or saluting their commanding officer, marching.A wasteland, an empty green area, a ghost town, emptiness.Summer bloom a flower pushing up from the crack in the concrete, growing where it’s not supposed to. Autumn leaves falling from a tree, being swept away by the wind.For the chorus we’ll have the band singing cut with images of the trenches and no mans land/fighting. The images of the band will frequently change angle with a variety of close ups and medium shots, and cut off shots of the band/instruments.Images of a marching bandBand playingImages of soldiers going over the topSCRIPT – 1st draft<br />i think upon those friends of mine and memories they say<br />how brave our step behind the band upon a summer's day<br />oh i did not go alone my friends i did not go alone<br />my friends and i wave goodbye as our ship left england home<br />oh we joked and laughed upon the words, what would our mothers say<br />unwed again in sweethearts arms by christmas we were (indistinct)<br />they say i fight, for king and country<br />they say it's my, duty to which i must uphold<br />when she's in need, when she's in danger<br />your country calls out to you, you are a saviour<br />oh<br />laughter/lovexxxxx the whisper song <br />there was no cheering crowds, no giggling eyes<br />no marching band<br />cackling guns against boys so fine<br />no summer bloom marked friends of mine<br />over the top the seargant cries<br />and into no man's land<br />Children playing in playground.A soldier standing over another man his friend on the floor looking very pale and sick and dying, possibly coughing blood into a handkercheief.He looks at his watch in a matched cut to see the time slowly tick to 11 am – remembrance Day.Cut to current footage of the world war II poppies memorial in stockwell.Band playing, close ups of front man back up vocals singingBand become more energetic and the cutting pace increases showing the band from several different angles with a range of shotsThe camera stays in the same spot, not moving from the band as the cutting pace increases and images of war quickly flash up while the band sing.oh my dear friends amidst the trench i see you all<br />my pale schoolyard chums away lost countys call<br />and in this brief moment of silence thoughts of hope make me cower <br />as i set foot on england's .... <br />did we fight, for king and country<br />no, said i, we fought for thoughts of returning home<br />and men who need me, for all our loved ones<br />welcome home a hero, for all i have done<br />they say x 6, oh they say x2<br />did they die, for king and country?<br />was it right, that they should die so far from home<br />they'll never greet you, in adoration or shake your hand<br />down familiar streets, in glory green and pleasant land<br />how wrong we were to think it fun<br />great war enthused against the heart<br />pray for us all<br />xxx dig my grave<br />xxx<br />i close my eyes, i see my friends<br />along the line many fine young men<br />lying still in ...grace<br />they're like....their lifeless....gaze<br />As the song slows the images stop and the camera focuses on the band slowly singing the last few lines and putting down their instruments.i feel alone at the wars end<br />i wish i died among my friends<br />