Story Elements into Step Outline

Story Elements

1. Character: Establishes Jessie, a student who's a little too preoccupied with her academic relationship.
2. Relationship: No real relationship dynamic introduced until the letter from an ex-friend.
3. Mood: Opens as anxious and unnerving, but ends in a somber place, since she has not accepted the loss of her friendship.
4. Setting and Time: Placed in a school film storage room, after school hours. Shots of her watch and school clock establishing time.
5. Goal: Physical goal is to escape room, but internal struggle is with her balance of academics and friendship.
6. Backstory: Letter establishes personal backstory. Until letter, backstory is ambiguous. 
7. Obstacle: Locked room and over-committing to everything.
8. Unknown: Whether or not she will get out of the room.
9. Discovery: Refuses to change. Sequel?

Step Outline

Shot of girl (Jessie) carrying a lot of things and heading into a film storage room.	Introduces main character (Jessie), and portrays her as a person with a lot of things to do--very busy.
Door shutting and locking. Shot of Jessie shaking handle, trying to open door.	Conflict introduced. Jessie is locked in film storage room.
Jessie trying to call her friend to get her out and, in a middle of the call, her phone conk outs on her.	Adds to the conflict. Jessie begins to become more stressed.
Pacing back and forth across the storage area, still carrying all of her things.	Visual interpretation of her stress, and her denial of the situation. (Carrying things)
Cut to short clips of her messing with the door handle, knocking on the door, and then finally her reluctantly dropping all of her items.	Jessie’s giving up on trying to get out. She is exhausted.
Sitting down on the ground, leaning against wall, head hung in despair, time speeds up.	Establishes time spent in room, focuses on desperation.
Shuffles around in bag for binder, and tries to do homework. While trying (and failing) to do homework,  she runs across old note. Voiceover of the note, flashback to memories.	Exposes a nostalgic Jessie, pulls attention to her past personality, in contrast to her now.
Flashback continues to more sour memories; losing friends, ensnared by academics.	Explanation to her anxiety.
Interrupted by door opening and being let out.	Physical goal achieved.
Shot of last few words of the note “What happened to you?” She shrugs it off and continues her regular business.	Leaves an emotional hanger. No dynamic change in Jessie’s personality.