CITIES AT DAWN

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CITIES AT DAWN
SCRIPT OUTLINE

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 CITIES AT DAWN
SCRIPT OUTLINE

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SCENE DESCRIPTION SYNC

1 Intro Scene TONY

Alarm going off My names Anthony Epes and I’m a
Getting up, making coffee, packing kit, getting photographer. I only do a very specific type of
coat on and leaving office. photography, dawn.

Intercut with night time shots of London at

night. Street shots, high angles from buildings...

Photography Montage TONY

Music sequence with 10-20 of Tony’s best I got the idea from...
London photographs It first occurred to me that...

Family Scene with Tony biography TONY

Intro Di & the kids. I moved here 15 years ago from Los Angeles
Family life. after falling in love with a women and then I fell
Playing with Theo in the garden. in love with her city.
Feeding Tessie. DI
We met in LA and I convinced him to come live
in London. Away from friends and family. He
ended up loving it and staying. Big uprooting.

Relationship biog scene Di

Possibly extend the use of the family actuality We were at a party and I convinced Tony that
or use some of the office shots of them working there was a separate party back at my place
together. when actually there wasn’t.
TONY
Yeah, Di lied to me and got me back to her
house and the rest is history! We’ve now been
married for over a decade and we’ve got two
beautiful kids.

Daytime sequence of London. Busy streets, TONY

crowds, tourists, mayhem. London is fast. Like any city in the daytime
London is just crazy with people rushing
everywhere. It has a life of it’s own. It’s
aggressive, it’s stressful. Even at night there is a
really busy energy.

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Day to night timeline transition shots. TONY

Perfect light scene. But theres a few hours when everyone’s asleep
Montage of beautiful light shots out filming. and the city just changes completely. It’s then
Tony explaining the spiritual side of his work you can experience it in a totally different way.
and how it makes him feel. It is the most amazing thing when it all goes
well. It’s so emotional for me.

Tony back at his office looking through his film TONY

negs. We want to show this artist at work, being Shooting on film is really dying out. Everyone’s
very precise and meticulous. moved over to digital. But you don’t get the
same image.

He explains the difference between the two

and where the industry is right now on this
suybject.

Tony being interviewed at the BBC. Talking BBC RADIO DJ

about photography. Would be nice to use a bit Tell me about photographing at dawn.
of this in vision and then cut the nice sync TONY
from the end of the interview into the incoming Tony explains his photography…
shots of the next scene.

Action scene of Tony photographing a London TONY

location at dawn. In this scene we want to Shooting at dawn can be very difficult. You
learn a bit more about the technical side of don’t know whether it’s going to work or not.
photographing at dawn. Possibly the Tower
Bridge rushes or the Parliament rushes.

Actuality of Diana and Tony at the office. Diana DI

is trying to go through the schedule of what Tony is very difficult to work with. He’s an artist
they have to achieve over the next few months. so he’s quite temperamental!
Light-hearted scene about their working TONY
relationship intercutting the actuality of them Working with Di really tests my patience. We
in the office with their master interviews. annoy each other but it works. We love each
other dearly.

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Tony walking through various London streets TONY

and setting up his camera. The window of opportunity is so small. You can
have such a short space of time to get a good
shot. Sometimes that magic moment only lasts
a few seconds. It’s often very frustrating.

Battersea Power Station scene TONY

This is a typical morning. Sometimes it just
doesn’t work, all the elements look good but
when the break in the light actually happens, it’s
just not good. Time to pack up, it’s freezing and
a grey sky.

Tony in his office going through his Paris negs. TONY

I love shooting London but I’ve really done it
now. Paris is the next step and the next book
subject.

Tony packing up his gear and leaving the TONY

house. An emotional goodbye with the family. Paris is a beautiful city. It was the natural one
Cut to dawn overlooking Paris at Sacre Coeur. to photograph after London because it’s so
near. My second book is all about Paris. I love
it. It’s so different than London. London is a
city of utility, Paris is a city of beauty, it’s been
designed that way from the start. Everywhere
you look is stunning.

On location on the steps of Sacre Coeur. He TONY

describes how Paris has the most amazing I’ve just seen a pigeon eating vomit!
street cleaners. The city gets full of rubbish
every night and then an army of street cleaners
comes every morning at dawn and makes it all
spotless again.

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Paris day two. Tony at Notre Dame. TONY

Tony photographing and then the street lights This is such a beautiful spot here down by the
go out, changing the light completely. river looking up at Notre Dame. The streetlights
are going to go out very soon so we’ve got to get
shooting quickly before they’re turned off.

The Key Bridge, Paris. TONY

Tony meets and photographs a young couple Thats the amazing thing about this time of day.
who are watching the sunrise together as well You only meet a certain type of person, and
as a couple of young friends who’ve just come they’re always so friendly. Partygoers, lovers
out of a party. etc..

Paris Day three. Eiffel Tower. Emotional scene TONY

with Tony staring and then photographing the Mother nature gives you this beautiful private
Eiffel Tower. light show, it’s so amazing.

The tourists arrive TONY

Here’s the funny thing though, this is why
you’ve got to get up really early as at really
famous locations like this it’s not long before
bus loads of tourists arrive and start taking
photographs.

Actuality scene. Tony arrives home. The whole

family are there to great him. Emotional return.

Crowd funding explanation. Diana explains DI

that they need to raise ten grand to get the book We’ve decided to do a crowd funding campaign
published. If they don’t hit their target for our publishing company. We need to raise
ten grand otherwise all our plans for the year
are going to end in disaster. We need to pay for
the book to be printed and the two exhibitions.

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Actuality scene of Tony and Diana’s crowd

funding campaign in their local coffee shop.
Diana is really excited but Tony is obviously
very nervous.

Actuality scene of them back at the office. Diana TONY

is really excited as they get their first donation. Being a creative, Tony is not used to this kind of
They talk through their social media campaign. stress and pressure. I am as I’ve worked in these
Interview with Diana on the stairs afterwards environments before but I’m worried about
saying how Tony is really not handling the him.
pressure well.

Tony goes off to Venice, Italy to start shooting

the next book in the series. Not sure how we’re
going to cut this yet. It’s three shooting days
and there’s some beautiful footage in each one.
We need to break down the rushes and find a
story. It might not sustain three separate days
and instead be more of a montage of Venice.

Various daytime shots of Tony walking around TONY

Venice, scouting for locations. One of the most enjoyable parts of my job
is that I get to discover new cities. I love the
exploration. Each new city is so unique.

Diana and her friend Cara are at home talking DI

through some ideas around the crowd funding My friend Cara has come over from the States to
campaign and social media for it. We’ll keep help me with the crowd funding campaign and
this pretty short. Just choose the best actuality social media. She’s got a lot of experience with
sync from Cara and intercut it with Diana’s this type of thing.
master interview telling us that her friend has
come over from the US to help.
Not absolutely sure about the positioning of this
scene within the film - it might be better earlier
on before they launch the campaign, dependant
on the best sync within it.

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Montage of Tony photographing in various TONY

Venice locations. Venice is such an amazing and ancient city
unlike anything I’ve photographed before. It’s a
water based city so you go everywhere in water
buses.
It really does change the photographic
possibilities as the reflective properties of all
this water has a huge effect on the surrounding
architecture.

Diana working at home and giving us a DI

progress report on how the crowd funding We’re in the middle of the campaign and it’s
campaign is going. going quite well. If got £X raised but if we don’t
get the whole ten grand we’re really in trouble.

St Mark’s Square scene. This was one of the Need to create a really beautiful scene here with
most beautiful locations, it was a shame that Tony really excited about this perfect sunrise.
at the time the Basilica was covered up with Not sure how we’ll deal with the mass of
scaffolding. But later in the rushes we filmed carnival photographers yet. Might be able to cut
around the corner next to the Doge’s Palace and them out.
got the most beautiful sunrise in the whole film.

Diana interview in the garden telling us the DI

crowd funding campaign was a success. I can’t believe it but we actually did it. Crowd
Not sure what B Roll we’re going to use over this funding is such an amazing thing for small
yet. artistic companies like ours. There are so
many wonderful people out there who love to
support projects like ours. It renews your faith
in humanity!

Tony is back in London. The emotional family There’s an underlying feeling of pressure as the
scene when Tony returns might be better deadline is one hours away. Include any sync in
positioned here. Not sure, will see how it flows this actuality scene that illustrates this.
when we’ve rough cut most of the scenes.

Actuality scene with Tony and Paul the book

designer in the office.

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Finances scene. Diana and Tony tell us the TONY

financial implications of living this kind of We’re constantly broke, there’s been a lot of
lifestyle. money worries with us because we went for it
and decided to change our lifestyle and try out
this new company.
DI
It’s been worth it. Tony teaches as well to get
income.

Actuality scene. DI
Dawn workshop. Tony loves teaching his workshops. Helps pay
Tony teaching people, having fun, interviews for the book and our rent. He can impart his
with students about what they’ve learnt and knowledge.
how amazing this time of day is.

Actuality scene of Diana and Tony opening the

proofs. It’s a disaster. They’re both really not
happy.

Post opening interviews in the garden. Need to DI

make this full of jeopardy and tension. That was harrowing. We’re in trouble. Tony’s
confidence has been severely knocked.
TONY
I really screwed up. (Tony gets up and walks off)

Tony in his office laying out the structure of the TONY

St Pancras exhibition. I’m working through the design of how the
panels are going to be laid out at the exhibition.
Diana comes in and brings with her the first big I haven’t completely decided yet.
test print from the exhibition. Definitely a light
hearted comedy actuality scene. There are some Moves into actuality scene with Diana as they
lovely and funny moments between the two. look at one of the huge prints for the first time.

Possible description here of the St Pancras

exhibition in detail?

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Diana in the office. The book printers have sent DI

over a small amount of books so that they can Oh my god they look amazing. It’s all worked.
start using them to do some press. Big moment, So exciting.
bit of tension as Diana opens the package.
We were really worried after we saw the proofs
We need to use this scene as a way to repair but we actually looked at them again and they
how bad they felt about seeing the book proofs weren’t as bad as we thought. Tony was being
for the first time. too fussy. Also, as we’ve never done this whole
process before we didn’t know what to expect
Definitely check for other sync from both or how to do it. I defy anyone to do a creative
Anthony and Diana in their master interviews project for the first time and be 100% happy with
when talking about this subject. every single detail.

Actuality scene with Tony at St Pancras station TONY

at dawn intercut with his interview at the end This place is amazing. I really can’t believe that
of the rushes for this scene. He meets Sam, the I’m going to have my exhibition here. It’s so
station’s official photographer. Sam gives him perfect, the Eurostar links London to Paris by
a guided tour of the best places to shoot in the train and my two books are each about those
station. They talk about photography and Tony’s two different cities. It couldn’t be more perfect.
book and upcoming exhibition. Sam takes Tony This is the most iconic and beautiful station in
to the actual spot where his exhibition will be the UK and my exhibition will be awesome here.
in a few weeks time. Fast paced actuality scene Tens of thousands of people are going to see my
with exciting music. work every day. It’s so exciting.

Actuality scene with Tony, Oz and Oren as TONY

the books arrive in a lorry. Tony sits down and Today the books are arriving. I’ve got two
doesn’t do any work as his friends carry all of friends coming down to help me out. I created
the books downstairs to his office. We can try a the book so I’m not doing any of the lifting!
short actuality intro when Tony gives the guys
pizza and beer before hand. Maybe intercut that
with his intro interview on the chair at the start
of the rushes. Definite light hearted comedy
scene. Music montage of the guys carrying all
the boxes.

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Sit down interview scene with Tony at home TONY

in his front room looking at his book for the This is amazing. I love this. The amount of work
first time. Lots of B Roll of him leafing through it took, I walked a thousand miles… It’s all very
the book and studying it. Slower and more emotional seeing this actually in print for the
emotional scene here. Would want to try some first time.
end of journey/inspirational music underneath.
Might not work but see how it goes.

The Printers scene. Actuality scene with TONY

Anthony seeing how Enigma create his massive We’re here at Enigma Printers…
printouts for the St Pancras exhibition. He
meets the team who take him through the TONY
whole process. Tony is very impressed. Lots These guys are amazing, serious professionals.
of really nice actuality and illustrative shots of If my plans go wrong maybe they’ll give me a
printing machinery to cut with. job at the end!

Last night before the exhibition interview. Tony TONY

is exhausted and lying on his couch at work. He I’m not nervous about tomorrow…
tells us about the journey he’s been on and how I’m nervous!
he’s feeling. Try and craft this so that he looks
nervous.

High angle shots of London at night. Tony Could possibly take some of the previous night
waking up in the morning at the office. He gets sync from Tony and put it underneath these
ready, makes coffee and gets in a taxi. shots.
Driving shots of Tony in taxi as he’s thinking. Or look for some sync from his master
Cinematic/tense music montage. interview talking about the exhibition.

Actuality scene intercut with Tony’s interview TONY

on location. He arrives at St Pancras and meets I’m so happy. It looks amazing. I can’t believe
Sam. They walk in together and Tony gets a first it’s all actually happened.
look at the exhibition. He’s really happy. Lots of
shots of the exhibition cut together with excited He phones Diana and tells her about it.
music. People passing and looking. Tony sees
his book in the window of Foyles bookshop.
Big crescendo.

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Also possible use here of the second BBC DI

interview talking about the actual exhibition. The St Pancras exhibition was amazing…
We could feed the audio underneath TONY
somewhere around here. I loved seeing so many people see my work…

Tony wrapping up the prints at the office. Nice TONY

B roll of him carefully selecting his images and The exhibition at Foyles is going to be
bubble wrapping them. awesome, these are the prints and this is the
theory behind the exhibition. This is high end
photography, fine art photography. That’s why
my prints cost so much money, because of the
level of perfectionism I put into them.
Foyles bookshop have been amazing partners
with us. They really champion the independent
publishers and support artistic projects like
ours.

Hanging the prints at Foyles. Lots of B Roll Faster paced music montage scene in between
taking the big and small prints by van to the the more reflective wrapping prints scene
famous bookshop. before and the more excited and actuality
Tony then spends a large amount of time exhibition scene after. Could be a nice pace
meticulously hanging the prints on the wall. changer between the two.
Probably going to have to use the footage as a Could possibly look for usable sync from the
high speed montage as there was an problem wrapping prints scene about Foyles and lay the
with Tony’s mic that day and it didn’t record. audio underneath this scene.

Foyles exhibition night TONY

Diana and her friends preparing everything. I’m nervous, the purpose of this evening, who’s
Actuality of the final moments of prep. Theo coming etc…
playing around. People start of arrive, the room DI
filling up. Lots of shots of Tony and Di meeting Very nervous, we want to sell some prints and
and greeting people. All leading up to the some books and launch the whole publishing
speeches. company. I’ve hurt my back so I’m struggling
through the pain a little bit. But it’s all very
exciting.

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Actuality of the final emotional speech from TONY

Tomy at the Foyles exhibition. Big emotional I love this life, we’re not in it for the money or
crescendo as he sheds a tear and so does Diana. the fame…. I just love what I do and if other
people love it to I’ll consider it a success.
DI
We’ve got so many plans with the new business,
travelling to different cities around the world,
photographing them and making a new book
each time.
This to me is the ultimate life. We’re creating,
we’re free from the constraints of an office job
and we’re seeing our kids grow up. And I’m
doing it all with the man I love.

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