From Script To Screen - Mockumentary Premise, Logline, Synopsis & Treatment

Premise

Two fundraisers set to explore the inner workings of Maybel community centre in the midst of possible council funding cuts.

Logline

'Inside Our Community Centre Cut Crisis' is a satirical peek into the world of Patrick, an activity Coordinator working at a Community Centre in the middle of the sleepy village Maybel. This short comedy reveals the unusual methods of our protagonist, an angler fanatic who unintentionally inflicts more bad than good, as he seeks to keep the centre open in the face of possible council funding cuts.

Synopsis

Two cameramen initiate the audiences introduction to Patrick, the activity coordinator of Maybel Community Centre. We learn about Patrick through interview questions, along with his concerns over possible funding cuts. Yet, Patrick stays chirpy as he is convinced his impeccable organisational skills can keep the centre alive. The foreshadowing of an issue is suggested through overlapping dates on event posters in Patrick's office.

An issue in reception pulls Patrick away from the interview. A stubborn group of older ladies are making a scene in the reception area. Patrick yells at the lazy receptionists before approaching the group of women, who are persistent to do their aerobic class in the gymnasium despite the ongoing science fair. The gymnasium is packed, and (ironically) extremely unorganised. A pupil's van der Graaff generator starts a fire during a demonstration, violently spreading amongst the highly flammable cardboard project boards. Patrick breaks his cool in front of the camera.

An unusually ambient transition into the peaceful outdoors outside of the community centre. It is revealed that the centre burnt down. Patrick spends his time entertaining the townspeople with outdoor activities such as hiking and fishing. The aim of the 'documentary' has now changed, and Patrick emphasises his goal to gain funding for a new community centre, convinced his capabilities are enough to get the go-ahead... 

The Treatment

Patrick is an activity coordinator at the Maybel Community Centre being interviewed for his response to the town news of possible council funding cuts to the facility. Cameraman Sive and Soundman Dave are community fundraisers creating a documentary on the issue, hoping to spread awareness over worries amongst the centre's employees. 

Before the interview begins, the two film crew members use drone shots and footage from exploring the premises to establish the environment. Their findings are suspicious...one shot reveals poor planning of club activities as a book-reading group must deal with the distracting loud music rumbling through the building from the upstairs dancercise club. A shot from reception shows the lack of effort to pick up the noisy phone. 

Patrick's role as activity coordinator is revealed through his lanyard details, decorated with fish pins. The focus is now on Patrick and his responses to the questions Sive initiates. Despite such a worrisome time for the centre, Patrick seems confident and enthusiastic, responding to questions 

using blatant and conventional manager-talk...despite having no superiority or management control. Patrick is convinced that his organisational skills and attitude can pull everyone together and prevent any funding cuts, convinced that Maybel's citizens are all regulars to the community centre. Sive films the posters that decorate Patrick's office, many out-of-date by months. Two are revealed to have overlapping dates, a foreshadowing. Further footage from Sive and Dave's earlier exploration of the centre reveals Patrick doing origami instead of work. Another reveals Patrick and an unknown lady  

arguing violently about overbooked art exhibition spaces. Patrick's attitude during the interview is conflicting, persistently rambling about initiative, teamwork, organisation, attitude e.t.c. 

Sive begins an interview question regarding the fishing club, and his confusion over its presence despite there being no members in six years. Patrick enthusiastically brushes off the question, and reveals a fishing toolbox from his office instead. Patrick proudly reveals the neatly organised contents of his equipment box, referring to the maintenance of the box as a metaphor for the organisation required to run the Maybel community centre. Patrick becomes frustrated and critical over Sive's cinematography, Patrick demands Sive to show his toolbox at closer angles, yelling to move the camera to his face when he starts talking.  

A problem in reception travels through the community centre by word-of-mouth, being picked up by Patrick. Sive and Dave jog down the hallway as they follow Patrick to reception, the cause of the gossip. Sive makes an effort to film Patricks unusual footwear, a squeaky pair of wellingtons. The doors at the end of the hallway open to reveal the drama in reception. Patrick begins by yelling at the lazy pair of receptionists who won't answer the noisy phone. He then approaches a group of old ladies to assess the issue. Patrick's dialogue with the ladies is out of earshot from Sive, Dave and the camera equipment, but the discussion is clearly heated. Out of curiosity, Sive initiates a filmed conversation with one of the older ladies. It is revealed that their aerobic club has been overbooked for three weeks in a row. Today's issue is the science fair that is currently taking place in the gymnasium, where she is supposed to be having her aerobics class. The old lady being interviewed, Paula, expresses annoyance over poor community centre organisation. Patrick confirms the overbooking issue with a flustered update for Sive and Dave. In an effort to avoid embarrassing footage of himself, Patrick suggests that Sive and Dave film the science fair whilst he tries to find another space for the aerobic ladies to have their class. 

The gymnasium is loud, filled with screeching primary school children and terrible science projects. The small amount of teachers looking after the large volume of kids are clearly panicked and stressed. Sive shows interest in a project labelled 'Things I Poked With A Stick', and starts a conversation. This first pupil introduces herself as Shanice. Her creepily sleepy personality and

animated grin is poorly received by Sive, Shanice lists off the numerous objects she poked in a monotone voice, Sive walks away, yet Shanice continues listing...

Sive attempts another interview with a pupil named Katy, a spindly red-haired girl eager to share the 'Bowl Cut Aerodynamics' experiment she conducted by pushing her brother around in various situations. The interview is violently interrupted by the gymnasium doors swinging open, revealing the group of old ladies from reception, armed with a boom box and yoga mats. The aerobic ladies and their sour faces set up their class in the corner of the gymnasium, forcing standees to move elsewhere. The ladies unravel their mats and turn on ambient music at a deliberately high volume, beginning their class despite the room of staring children. Patrick can be seen amongst the confused kids, clearly outraged. 

Sive begins to find it difficult to brush off the unusual circumstances this community centre visit has brought him. He tries to distract himself by interviewing a third pupil, a boy named Oliver, who is eager to show off his 'Electricity vs Flies' project. Oliver reveals a jar of stunned houseflies and powers-up his van der Graaff generator. Oliver's braces get too close to the machine, creating a static spark. Sive spins the camera around and focuses on the small flame that has appeared, quickly feeding off  Oliver's cardboard project board. Oliver wails as his work goes up in flames, the room of kids soon catches the spread of  panic and the crowd begins to scream. The fire grows from table to table, kids begin to nock over stalls as they run around the room. Oliver drops his jar of flies as he sobs and wails, they buzz around the hall as little balls of buzzing fire, adding to the chaos. Sive rushes the camera around the room, trying to capture as much panic as possible. The camera lands on Patrick, who is struggling to put a high-visibility vest on. Patrick pointlessly blows a whistle from the emergency fire pack mounted to the gymnasium wall. Kids begin to climb over Patrick in a state of frenzy as he tries to work the fire extinguisher, which releases foam over the children around him, knocking kids over like bowling pins. Patrick notices the camera on him, he throws his hands around and demands to have the camera turned off. 

It has now been a month since the fire, Sive and Dave are re-visiting the area for an update. Sive captures some footage of Patrick and the group of ladies previously seen doing aerobics as they grumpily hike around the area. Sive is also able to film Patrick eagerly fishing, the members he has brought along are clearly not amused. Patrick reveals that his eyebrows still haven't grown back from the fire, but he has been keeping himself and the community busy through outdoor activities. Patrick updates Sive and Dave with the same attitude he had in the previous interview, optimistic and energetic, despite the disastrous fire. Patrick segues into his future ambitions of building a new and improved community centre. Despite the looming risk of funding cuts that plagued the employees a month ago, Patrick is overly confident that funding will be received for the new plans.

Sive and Dave say their goodbyes to Patrick and the eventful village of Maybel. The camera is kept on, as anything seems possible. Sive tries to capture an effective final shot of Patrick driving into the distance. With Sive prepared in the centre of the road, Patrick leaves his parking space and accelerates away. The neatly organised fishing equipment box that was accidentally left on the roof of Patricks car is harshly thrown off as Patrick speeds away. The box lands perfectly in front of Sive's camera, crashing to the floor as its contents scatter across the two lanes of the road...