"Wired To Connect"

Proposal
by Sophie Bobal - 661-857-5671 PHQ #22092049601 March
16, 2023
 FILM SYNOPSIS

“Wired to Connect” will highlight the impact of human connection

and the ways our phones/media are programmed to pull us
away from that. The film will observe the facade that the internet
connects us- but does it really? The title “Wired To Connect” is
meant to serve as an ironic idea that our phones may not really
be uniting us, but instead programming us to rely on the comfort
of our devices through personalized algorithms and over
accessibility to each other's lives. Social media has become a
hub for all things both good and bad such as competition,
political movements, online marketplaces: all being disguised as
“Human Connection.” Our phones are all we need! Or are they?

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 TREATMENT

"Wired To Connect" will be told with the intention of questioning the narrative
of our own phone usage, and providing a call to action about what we have
so commonly normalized.

ACT ONE: The film will be opening with a sweet-sounding and peaceful VO
that romanticizes human connection. It will include people sharing glances, a
mother holding a child, a couple being in love, etc. This compilation will be
placed under the scripted VO: "Human Connection. Our first moment, The
backbone of life, it's what connects us, links us." Here' I am showing the power
that physical relationships bring to us paired with wholesome shots of people
in the moment. This will abruptly be interrupted with the pinging iPhone
alarm we all dread to hear- as a "reality check" moment- followed by the
Dodge College logo. The first act will begin with a nostalgic tone- a time
before phones. I will be inserting footage of archival social interactions that
have been documented from the past such as music festivals, people
dancing, archival school footage, etc). My purpose here is to demonstrate
how much of a simpler environment we used to live in before technology
(smartphones) wove their way into our needs. From here, I will transition into
the modern day era where phone usage is known all too well. This part will
include news clips as chosen. To highlight how over- normalized phone
usage has become, I plan to create a snappy segment to develop the issue
of how much we use our phones. Ideally I will be guerrilla shooting (in theory;
legally) people candidly using their devices to demonstrate how we rely too
heavily on our them. For example, my ideal shot would be seeing a family at
a restaurant, where the child is giving all of their attention to an iPad or
phone. (Because it's more CONVENIENT than entertaining a young child.) I
want to show this in order to highlight the desperation that we have resorted
to with devices so easily accessible. At this point of the film, the problem will
be established. What are we to do about this? This will allow the viewer to
question if we are relying too heavily on our devices- not just in parenting,
but in other aspects such as navigation, alarms, reminders, etc.

ACT TWO: Act two will be interview heavy, with the purpose of informing the
audience of a professional standpoint, and how phone usage impacts our
generation personally. My goal here is have both a mature perspective, while
also a completely normal civilian's perspective. MyThe
firstinterview
interview will be
is with Kim Cavallo,
the primary
Adam subject.
Atler, With her
an author background
who and knowledge
has written running
a book called the global day
"Irresistible," of unplugging,
describing
the impact that our phones have
she offers become.
a unique In addition, I will be interviewing a
perspective.

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 Kim
Gen discusses
Z aged girl,her childhood
Kate traditions
Worsham of family
on her dinners,asand
experience anwholesome in-person
avid social media
experiences
user. Because she has a youthful perspective, this will benefit the story by
that technology hinders today. Her testimony transitions into the next segment. and sets
highlighting how much it impacts young up lives, and also future lives to come.
Behind the interviews, I will
the tone of why include
there B-roll
is a need shots of phone
to disconnect from ourimpact
phones.in common
settings-
Here, I willsuch
showas children on ipads, friend groups sitting on their phones, etc.
Between the interviews, I will have statistics showing, and visuals to support
whatever is trying to be proven. For example: "95% of Americans have a
smartphone." (On-screen would be a group of people where 4/5 of them are
on their devices).

ACT THREE: The last act of the film will be the "call to action" knot tie that our
generation needs
generation needs to to
hear. In order
hear. The to do will
end this,summarize
I ventured to the
Joshua Tree with my
magnitude dad in
of our
phone addiction by displaying how much our phones have changed our lives
order to increase our bond, while putting ourselves to the test in terms of being away from
in the short span that they've been around for. I will show this visually by
our phones.
creating We do things from
a juxtaposition such as reflect
the introonclips
old memories, explore
previously shown.theWhere
park, and
I our
mentioned "Our first moments," in the beginning (mentioning that human
favorite, share some laughs.
connection is shared at our first moments between mother + child), I will be
.
replacing
I want to show this by adding a juxtapositionthe
it with "Our last moments" at end of
moment- asthe filmout
I close (visually
the piece.showing
I will show
someone about to pass away with family surrounding them-human
connection) I want to use the beginning and end as a contrasting message
for effect. Following this, I will also emulate the beginning of the film once
more. In the beginning, I say, "A quick glance, the touch of skin, sharing a
laugh" over b-roll over all of these things. Sticking to the tone of contrast, I
will repeat these same lines at the end with the same clips, but flashes of
metaphorically equivalent actions. For example, "A quick glance" will show
two people making eye contact, then flash to one person staring at a screen.
(Alluding that our phones replace relationship). Another example would be
"The touch of skin," where I'll show someone grazing their finger among
someone, then flash to sliding their finger across a screen) Finally, "Sharing a
laugh," where a group of friends are laughing in unison together, contrasted
with someone laughing at a video alone in their room.

With this, my final goal is for the audience to QUESTION what we are
supposed to do about this- IS there anything we can do? I want it to be very
visually impactful; physically showing an "expectation vs reality" type
moment. My goal is to display the fact that the more trust we put into these
inanimate devices, the less we connect to mankind. We've needed each
other long before phones! In the end, I want to highlight that though we can
recognize this issue, we are so enthralled with our smartphones that we will
go immediately back to these devices. At this point, phone usage has been
woven into our society as second nature- is it possible to live a
"disconnected" life?

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 TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience for disconnected is mankind as a whole. This film
applies to anybody that owns a smartphone- especially the younger
generation that has grown up accustomed to maturing and adapting
alongsgide a screen. More specifically, my goal is for the audience to be
people who are average civilians guilty of phone conformity. I'm looking to
impact the phone-addicted teenager, but also your average phone user just
as much. My overall message is for the audience to just be aware of how
much usage we put into our phones, but better yet; what we could've done
instead.

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 CHARACTERS + CREW
KimAdam Atler-
Cavallo- Kim isthe
theauthor
founder of a book
of the Globaltitled "Irresistible:
Day of Unplugging,The
she rise
has aof
lottechnology
of insight
on and
the impact of technology on our brains, and our own society. She’s
the business of keeping us hooked." He also has another novel passionate about the
titled
subject matter, and often wants to promote the idea of disconnection.
"Irresistible: Why we Can't Stop Checking Scrolling, Clicking, and Watching."
His professional insight will not only allow for opinions to be shared
about the subject matter, but proven facts from a psychologist. I
connected with him via email in hopes of getting to ask him a couple
Nehl Bobal- The
questions- subject
and Nehl is also
he agreed. known ashis
I believe my intellect
dad. He often
willlikes to share
benefit thehiscourse
comedic
self with others, as seen in the film as he is often joking around (Specifically at the table we had
of the film by providing a professional point of view.
set up in the desert when he pulls out a cloth and pretends to dress himself up like a bib to eat.
I wanted to include him in the film because I realized how it would be more impactful to
Kate Worsham- Kate is a 21 year old Chapman student who has fallen guilty
experience disconnection with a family member like we used to before phones took over.
to the levels of conformity our phones bring us. She enjoys posting on
Instagram, Snap chatting, and making Tiktoks, just like many Gen Z phone
users. While my interview with Adam is focused on statistic information
about phone addiciton, Kate's testimony will highlight the way it make us
FEEL. I want to capture the emotional taxes that come with phone usage.

In terms of crew, I am completing everything by myself. I will not be

including any aspects such as animation to be completed by somebody
else- aside from the fact that I've hired a music composer to create a
score for the film, and Michael Cullen to balance my sound mixing.

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TIMELINE + TIMELINE:

SHOOTING SCHEDULE Rough Cut #1: Screen interviews,

B-roll: March 11

Rough Cut #2: March 31

Fine Cut: April 21

Picture Lock: April 21

Color Correction: April 21

Test Screening: April 28

* SCREENING DATE: MAY 4 *

SHOOTS:

March 22- Adam

Kim Atler's
Cavallo’s Office
House

April 8-9
March 24, - Kate
JoshuaWorsham's
Tree, California

House
.

March 26- My
. house

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 BUDGET
+ FRESH FUNDING!

Since I am primarily handling aspects of post-production myself other than

audio arrangements, Wired To Connect will primarily be completed by me.
(Shooting, Editing, Color Correction, etc) With that being said, the only
budget I will be anticipating in will be the charges given to those who audio
mix or compose music for the film. (However much they may cost). In order
to do this budgeting, I have set aside a couple hundred dollars to be able to
fund these opportunities. Other than sound crew, I will be doing the film
myself so budgeting isn't as relevant for me.

Estimated Pricing-

Sound Mixing: $300-800

I will increase the rate of my sound mix, in order to receive a more professional and seamless sound mix. ( EST $1000 +)
Music Composition: $300
Music composition was accurate to scale

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 SUMMARY

Wired To Connect will allow the viewers to question the strength of their
physical relationships in comparison to the ones in our pockets. It will
hopefully allow viewers to open their minds to a sense of awareness; but
even more an understanding of an issue in which we have control over. What
are we to do given this knowledge? Through interviews and exploring how
common phone usage is, "Wired To Connect" will question which form of
"connection" we find most important. Ideally, I want the viewer to consider
this even after watching- after they move on with their day and pick up their
phone once more... and again, and again. I want the inquisitive tone to stick
with the viewer long after watching. Overall, I am excited to bring this film to
life, and. to highlight the ways in which I feel that our modern society is
disconnected.

THANK YOU

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