The film begins with an eye line match showing the sun in the sky as clouds move in front of it. The camera then cuts to show a close up of a girl named Lucinda’s face, looking up at the sky. While that is happening there is diegetic sound of muffled voices whispering that only Lucinda seems to be able to hear. The camera then moves back until her shoulders are in the shot, then cutting to an establishing shot revealing where the girl is, which is in a playground with children playing. The camera is positioned on top of the steps looking down on the children, all of whom are playing in groups apart from Lucinda who is on her own, furthest away from the camera with her back to it looking up at the sky. The position of the camera signifies the youth of the children.
The characters are all dressed in late 50's style clothing as the film is set in Lexington, Massachusetts 1959, which is written on the bottom of the screen in white in this shot. All the children are dressed in brightly coloured clothing where as Lucinda is wearing dark, dull colours showing a contrast between her and everyone else.
The next shot is again an establishing shot which shows Lucinda positioned to the left of the screen, still looking up as her fellow class mates run past her without even noticing her. In the background you can see the school and other children playing.
The next shot the camera is at a low angle looking at the school entrance, when her teacher comes down the steps telling the children it’s time to go inside. The shot then moves to an over shoulder shot, now showing both Lucinda and her teacher with their backs to the camera. The teacher keeps calling Lucinda telling her it’s time to come in but Lucinda doesn’t seem to be able to hear her. Again the camera shows a close up of Lucinda face as she is looking up at the sun. During this there is diegetic sound of children’s voices and the teacher shouting that it’s time to come in as well as non diegetic sound, which is eerie music playing indicating that there is something not right. There is another eye line match from Lucinda’s face to the sun which keeps getting brighter until the screen is white, which cuts to the next scene where they are all in the classroom. The children are all sat at their desks as the teacher is telling them who has won a competition they entered, which turns out to be Lucinda. The children are all whispering and the camera shows a reaction shot of Lucinda’s face after she hears she wins. The task the children were then all given was to draw a picture of what they thought the future would look like in fifty years which they were then going to place into a time capsule. The teacher takes the time capsule and places it onto the desk, there is then a crane shot showing the bottom of the time capsule to the top. When the teacher reveals that it is a time capsule there is a reaction shot showing the children’s faces. The children are told to start drawing. As they are working the teacher is moving round the room looking at their work, the camera does a pan shot, showing this. There is slow music, non diegetic sound, in the background as they work, giving a sense of calm.
The next shot is an over shoulder shot showing Lucinda working on the left hand side and the rest of the class towards the right. The teacher tells them that their time is up and must stop, but Lucinda carries on. The next shot is a medium shot showing Lucinda bent other her desk writing frantically on her piece of paper. The shot then goes back to the over shoulder shot as the teacher comes to Lucinda’s desk telling her that she has to stop. When she notices that Lucinda hasn’t drawn a picture like she was asked, the camera goes back to a close up of Lucinda’s face, revealing that she isn’t paying attention and is completely focused on her work. There is then an eye line match which reveals to the audience what it is at Lucinda has written. She has done a page full of numbers. At this point the muffled whispering from the beginning of the film starts again. The teacher then takes the paper away from Lucinda so she can put it into the time capsule. There is another reaction shot showing Lucinda’s face revealing that she has only just realised what has happened as if she wasn’t even in the room. The camera then shows the teacher walking away with her work in her hands. The next shot is again a reaction shot this time showing worry on Lucinda’s face. The next scene is the day when the time capsule is going to be buried. The shot starts off looking down the hole that the time capsule is going into to go in, there is a crane shot from the hole to the podium that the head teacher is stood on making a speech. When he is finished speaking the school band start to play their instruments, two men prepare to bury the time capsule. The next shot shows Lucinda’s teacher again as she is looking round, there is an eye line match revealing Lucinda in the back of the crowd. She is wearing a white dress, the white symbolises her youth and innocence. She is holding a yellow balloon in her hand which adds to the effect the dress is giving. There is a close up on Lucinda’s face showing that she looks worried, the camera cuts to show the time capsule being buried, at this point the sound becomes quieter and doesn’t sound right. There is another eye line match from the teacher revealing that Lucinda is gone and that the balloon she was holding is flying away. The balloon flying away could symbolise Lucinda beginning to lose her innocence and sanity.
The lighting through the film up to this point has been very bright and sunny but changes in the next shot to night time when it is very dark. There is very little light and most of it is coming from the torches of the police and others who are looking for Lucinda, there is and establishing shot to show this. The camera then follows Lucinda’s teacher as she is looking for her. She goes down some stairs the shot is a low angle one looking up at the teacher. Once she gets to the bottom she hears some noises, there is close up to show her reaction. She notices that the noise is coming from a room next to the stairs and goes to open it. She finds Lucinda there with blood on her hands which is shown in a close up. As soon as she opens the door the muffled whispering stars again. There is a reaction shot to show the teachers shock to find Lucinda in this way, shaking with blood on her hands. There is then an eye line match to show how Lucinda’s hands got the way they were. This reveals to the audience that she carved numbers into the wall with her nails. The next shot is a medium shot; Lucinda is shaking begging her teacher to make them stop. The shot goes back to the teacher, the light for her torch becomes the sun as there is a graphic match and it is fifty years later.
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