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Auteur Theory

A motion picture. Arising in France in the late 1940s, the auteur theory—as it was dubbed by the American film critic Andrew Sarris—was an outgrowth of the cinematic theories of André Bazin and Alexandre Astruc. A foundation stone of the French cinematic movement known as the nouvelle vague, or New Wave, the theory of director-as-author was principally advanced in Bazin’s periodical Cahiers du cinéma (founded in 1951). Two of its theoreticians—François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard—later became major directors of the French New Wave.

The auteur theory, which was derived largely from Astruc’s elucidation of the concept of caméra-stylo (“camera-pen”), holds that the director, who oversees all audio and visual elements of the motion picture, is more to be considered the “author” of the movie than is the writer of the screenplay. In other words, such fundamental visual elements as camera placement, blocking, lighting, and scene length, rather than plot line, convey the message of the film. Supporters of the auteur theory further contend that the most cinematically successful films will bear the unmistakable personal stamp of the director.

Montage

Feature Film - Treatment - Freytag's Structure

Act One – Exposition

We begin with a voiceover explanation from the protagonist with establishing shots. The voiceover explains about the four nations of the world, the Earth Colony, Fire Kingdom, Water Nation and Air Tribe. This voiceover also explains the magic system within the world of the film where around 60% of people are born with the power to control one of four elements. Fire, Air, Water, Earth and how the re-incarnation of the Power Spirit is the only person who can control all four elements and keep the world at peace.

Our story begins in the Earth Colony. The protagonist (Shu) is in school. The bell has just rung for lunch and all the children are leaving the classroom to go and eat. The headteacher stops Shu when he's about to leave the class and important looking people enter the room. These people turn out to be government officials who inform him that he's the new reincarnation of the Spirit of Power and the only person who has the power to stop the Water Nation from creating a war.

Since Shu has already got the power to control the element of earth, he sets out on a journey across the world to find masters of each element to help him fulfil his destiny.

Act 2 – Rising Action

Shu travels to the Fire Kingdom to begin learning the second element, fire. Shu is told that the master of fire is waiting for him in a town, but he must be the one to find them. Shu runs around the town searching for the master and ends up in the marketplace. He asks an old man who’s running a fruit stall if he’s the master Shu is looking for, but he shakes his head informing Shu that he’s never seen a fire master anywhere in this town. A young and very attractive girl, who looks to be a native to the land of fire, about a year older than Shu, approaches him and claims to know the master of fire personally. The girl introduces herself as Lio and begins to explain how she is the fire master Shu has been searching for. Shu stares in disbelief since he never expected his teacher to be someone around his age.

Lio begins to teach Shu how to control fire. Although it’s not going very well since he isn’t able to create a burst of fire larger than his index finger. Shu’s confidence is then deflated. Lio explains to Shu that his inability to create fire is due to his confidence and emotion. Since fire is the element of power and a mainly offensive element and since Shu is a timid person, he isn’t particularly inept with this element.

Act 3 – Climax

There’s screaming coming from the town. Shu and Lio rush to find out what’s creating this commotion, only to find Water Nation soldiers destroying the town. Shu and Lio begin to fight off the soldiers. Only to be captured and put onto a Water Nation ship after a second battalion of troops flanks them from either side.

Act 4 - Falling Action
 In chains, Lio and Shu struggle in an attempt to get free. Shu gradually grows more angry to the point where he screams at the top of his lungs. Due to his heightened emotions and anger, at the moment he screamed he began to breathe fire. With his newfound connection to controlling fire, Shu melts the chains away and runs to the door of the room they're being held in. Being on a ship, there is no Earth for him to control so his only hope in making it out is to use fire. Shu and Lio run in an attempt to find an escape route. They turn a corner and are greeted by 2 Water Nation soldiers. Shu explains how he now has a chance against them since he's able to control fire. He throws a fireball at one of the soldiers only for it to be rendered completely useless by their manipulation of water. Lio instructs Shu to get behind her since she's a fire master. She makes an attempt to fight off the soldiers but is injured badly.

After seeing his new friend hurt so badly, it sends Shu into a state of shock. His eyes turn white, and his body is taken over by the Spirit of Power which uses its knowledge of past its lives to control fire to perfection, his senses and strength are also heightened and he is able to single-handedly fight off the soldiers on the ship. Due to the sheer power used, Shu blacks out and is left laying on the ship. At this point, survivors from the town come aboard searching for Lio and Shu. The survivors bring them both back to the hospital.

Act 5 - Denouement

Shu wakes up the next day and is made aware of why he's in hospital. Shu asks to see Lio and is told that she is in critical condition and may not make it. He asks the nurse if he's allowed to see her. The nurse then agrees. Shu enters the Lio's hospital room and kneels down on the side of the bed and begins to cry and explain how he never wanted any of this to happen and if he wasn't the reincarnation of the Power Spirit, none of this would have happened. He also explains how he has to leave to learn the next element in the cycle, air, and how he hopes Lio will be able to join him on his journey after she recovers.

Feature Film - Logline

A timid teenager is told he is the only one with the power to stop a war which is blooming between the nations, can he master his powers and stop the blossoming war before it's too late?