Script Changes

When it came to actually filming, we decided to make a few small changes to our script. Here is the original, written by James Moss:

Psychiatrist: So let’s progress. Within this world, within the confines of your own existence, explain your troubles. What bothers you?

Patient: Hmm… I dunno’. Every morning, I get up, and I think what am I doing here? What am I feeling? What am I giving?

Psychiatrist: You see (name), it doesn’t matter what path you’ve gone down, or where you plan to go. You just need to find some hope in this world.

Patient: Hopes just a word, and you can’t just find it at work, or with the family, or in some dream. And sometimes you just think, damn, have I really got to live like that?

Psychiatrist: Well now, that’s why I’m here, together we can beat this.

Patient: Are we done?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Patient: Now listen, I may be wrong, but this hope you speak of. It lies in the air we breathe, the sounds we hear, and the water we lay in…

Although this script was a good base, when we heard it being spoken aloud we decided to change some elements as they did not sound completely natural.

Here is the revised script:

Psychiatrist: So let’s progress. Within this world, within the confines of your own existence, explain your troubles. What bothers you?

Patient: Every morning, I get up, and I think what am I doing here? What am I feeling? What am I giving?

Psychiatrist: You see Christian, it doesn’t matter what path you’ve gone down, or where you plan to go. You just need to find some hope in this world.

Patient: Hope is just a word, and you can’t just find it at work, or with the family, or in some dream. And sometimes you just think, damn, have I really got to live like that?

Psychiatrist: Well now, that’s why I’m here, together we can beat this.

Patient: Are we done?

Patient: I’m going to try something new today. I want you to close your eyes, take a deep breath and relax.

The decision to get rid of the “Hmm I dunno” was taken in the editing stage, as I felt that it didn’t fit very well with his character. It sounded a little false and didn’t seem right, but it was easy to omit during editing.

The final line, “Now listen, I may be wrong, but this hope you speak of. It lies in the air we breathe, the sounds we hear, and the water we lay in…” simply did not sound like something somebody would say, so we filmed an alternate line the next day. The new line was inspired somewhat by the opening of the Dream Theater album which I did a post on earlier. It also fitted better with the plot, as he is told to close his eyes and it is implied that this is when the psychiatrist kills him.