Identity Theft - Script/motive help

skenkee

skenkee

Mr. Blue
I'm currently making a short with the theme: Identity theft. (For school)
And while I'm more of a production / post-product guy I struggle a bit with getting the motive of the main character.

What does he want to achieve and how far would he go?
What is his Motive?
Add a bit more tension?

Peter is a hacker who steals personal data of people. When walking on the street he is able to look for nearby wifi spots and see which ones are unprotected. He finds a coffee shop with open wifi. the perfect spot to collect personal data of people. When he enters the coffee shop he looks around to scan the area and sees it isn’t very crouded yet. (Also looks at security camera if there are any and sits outside their line of sight.) He looks on his watch and sits in the back facing the door. From here he has a nice spot to observe the area and see who enters and leave. He places a black device on the table and hides it behind the menu card and then grabs his phone. The device starts connecting to the network and afterwards to the different devices availible in the area. One by one differen’t people fall through the security breachn and Peter is availible to see personal information and track what the people are doing.
He connects to a female who is chatting with a distant friend. A person who is calling and then with a student who apearantly has an encrypted security. While Peter tries to breach the security the wifi connection of the student gets lost. The student tries to reconnect and is a bit annoyed. Peter still behind his device and scanning the room sees a business man walk into the room. He puts down a suit case and grabs some papers and a laptop.
A new connection joins the network and Peter connects into the laptop. The business man is paying company bills and Peter is
- able to download loads of personal and company data.
- able to let the money be transfered to another account,


1) People in the area drinking coffee, talking, looking on their phone or working on their laptop.
2) Peter puts a small device on the table and hides it. He then orders a drink and grabs his laptop.
3) Peter is able to connect to the different devices in the area.
4) Peter spies ondifferent people trough the digital devices.
5) peter is able to collect personal data from someone.

I'm planning on showing the process of hacking through motion tracked graphics. If you have any crazy idea's that might suit in don't be afraid to throw it out here. But I'm mainly trying to find a good and believable reason/motive why he does this or is on that exact spot.

The video can be as short as one minute or max 4 minutes. But I try to meet 3 minutes.
So any idea's and tips are welcome really. I'm just a bit stuck and need some fresh eyes. Or re-write.
 
skenkee said:
...

What does he want to achieve and how far would he go?
What is his Motive?
Add a bit more tension?

...
Click to expand...

Well, I'll see what I can come up with to help. I'm not really a movie maker sort (more of a gamer/vlogger), do these could be hit or miss for you.

Motive/what he wants: He needs money for bills/tuition/to live a comfortable life. He has made quite a lot through hacking so far, but he wants to reach the million dollar mark before he quits.
Tension: A cop in the coffee shop could make him sweat a bit.
 
Games got stories, and maybe even the best plot twists.
Since it's a short film I would love to have everything shown in one location so also shown his motive on that spot. A police officer could heaten up but the thing about Identity theft is that it's almost untraceable and you might never notice it. A normal police officer would probably lack the knowledge of this type of theft. (This device does actually exist and what is described in the story is possible.)
 
He could be trying to get the money for someone else. Maybe him glancing at a photo on his phone of the person?
Or he could get a text from his landlord saying his rent is overdue.

Anyone doing something they know is illegal would get hot under the collar around a cop. Maybe a federal agent? Or someone dressed like one? Or someone who keeps peeping over people's shoulders as they go about their business? Like an overly nosy kid?
 
I've met people who've committed identity theft and credit fraud. Some do it because they're lazy, selfish and don't want to actually work for a comfortable lifestyle.
 
enzerutomoshibi said:
He could be trying to get the money for someone else. Maybe him glancing at a photo on his phone of the person?
Or he could get a text from his landlord saying his rent is overdue.

Anyone doing something they know is illegal would get hot under the collar around a cop. Maybe a federal agent? Or someone dressed like one? Or someone who keeps peeping over people's shoulders as they go about their business? Like an overly nosy kid?
Click to expand...
Thanks for your input. :)

Zac Dyson said:
I've met people who've committed identity theft and credit fraud. Some do it because they're lazy, selfish and don't want to actually work for a comfortable lifestyle.
Click to expand...

I finished the script and chose to have a "lady" who is checking him out and a "client" person that he works for. If interested, the full script can be found here:

skenkeefilm.tumblr(.)com/post/83201919185/for-my-final-major-project-on-the-foundation
 
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