In this blog I will be documenting the process for developing a pitch for my short film, "The Picky Eater." This concept is one I used in a storyboarding project for class in my sophomore year--almost two years ago. I've always liked the idea, and now in my senior year I'm going to revisit it.
Enjoy some sketches I had done for this idea a looooong time ago.
Logline:
A well-known chef’s increasingly successful restaurant is tested when the pickiest of eaters wants to order dinner.
Themes/conflicts:
Human vs Human (primary) - Fish out of Water
The restaurant in the story is an established world of its own. It has a loyal customer base, maintained by the creations that the chef continues to produce. The zombie picky eater is the "odd one out" entering this world. He throw a wrench in the smooth and unproblematic operation of the restaurant. Now, the chef must adapt to the nature of the zombie.
Human vs Self (secondary) - Overcoming the Monster
Related Theme: Perfectionism
A secondary conflict is the idea of one battling internal demons. The chef has become accustomed to the success of his restaurant, and when that success is tested he loses his mind. The pursuit of excellence is often accompanied by an extreme aversion to failure. It is this "failure" that causes the chef to become crazy and lose the finesse in his cooking. He loses a part of himself, literally, in trying to please the one unhappy customer amongst the thousands of happy customers. This theme runs through the entire story, and is one that I feel many students can relate to. Although this story is meant as a comedy, the idea of fixating on failure to the point that it can destroy our success, is one that I wanted to embed within the narrative.
Characters:
The Zombie (picky eater)
The Human Chef - this is a new character from the original concept
The Waiter