Choice of Task Inspiration

By Scott Dance

Choice of Main Brief & Ancillary's For my preliminary task, I decided to make a short horror

film with an indirect narrative. I have chosen this form, because it will serve as an engaging challenge for my education in my final year at school. It will be especially challenging since the narrative will be a restricted indirect narrative, which most horror films do not have.

My ancillary task will come in the form of a film review, this will be a very beneficial for me, because I will be rehearsing my reflective skills. This will come into useful fruition when I am writing my reflective commentary on my product. Furthermore I will be using Photoshop to turn the screenshots of the stills I have into a professional looking image with superimposed text on it.

Inspirations Session 9: This film is so inspiring, because it is set in the

old Danvers State Hospital, one of the most notorious psychiatric hospitals in the US. It’s known for its frightful atrocities and haunting rumors, Session 9 focuses on that; in the film some workers from an Asbestos removal company came across nine tapes that documented the psychiatric sessions of two patients. Throughout the entire film they were plagued and tormented by supernatural elements and incidents that targeted them one by one.

In my film I want a similar effect on my main protagonist, I want them to be tormented psychologically to near breaking point that they do something very irrational. By manipulating my character into doing such extremities, the audience will be on edge as they have no idea what my now unpredictable character will do next.

Inspirations cont’d. The Shining is another very inspirational film, because it plays with the

audience’s mind so much. This is really exhibited in its finest form whenever the audience look at Jack Torrance, who seems to be constantly altering itself. When his persona is compared from the start of the film to the end of it, we notice just how much he’s changed; the contrast is terrifying. It becomes further frightening, because Jack’s change is very lethargic and happens at certain, but unpredicted intervals.

This is scary for the audience, because they can only guess what he’ll do next and when he’ll do it. I want this method in my film. I want the audience to be uncomfortable by the sheer lack of predictability. I will deliver tension through sticky notes that will reveal some information about the suspicious goings on. The more they appear the more the tension will increase.

Another thing about The Shining, which is truly horrific is the scene when Wendy finds the “book” that Jack’s been writing, which Is just a repetition of “All work an no play makes Jack a dull boy.” This is so scary, because the visibility of human errors from the typewriter is terrifying, because it’s just so real. I have included the murder book for the same reason. Everything inside it will be handwritten, thus making it very unnerving, because it shows signs that Wayne has taken the time to sit down and log all of his murders. Human error is so scary, because there’s no way of denying that it actually happened. The murderer will be very authentic in my film, by including a book as detailed as that.

Genre The genre of my film is a psychological/thriller horror. I chose this genre, because it is a genre that I have never

attempted to make before. As this is new to me, I will be pushing my abilities so I will be able to obey these conventions.

The Psychological part of the genre, gives me the effect to play with the audience’s mind during the viewing experience, to the extent that they will be just as tense as the character, who is bearing the brunt of the supernatural terror. The restricted narrative will make the audience very anxious, because they will have little to no idea as to what surprise is coming next.

The thriller part of the genre gives me the ability to keep the audience on the edge of their seats, through the tension that the supernatural element will be creating.

Synopsis The film will start with a cutaway, of a man washing a large amount of blood off

his hands in his basin. The camera will zoom in into the bloody plug hole and a graphic match will be introduced to cut to a desktop clock.

This desk will be home to two computers and a masked girl who is watching the live security system display as a man runs through all three of them. She will look to the camera and the footage will cut. The very same desk is now occupied by a middle aged man who is working on his documents on one screen and has a security system on the other. As he’s working there will be something on the live security monitor that will attract his attention. He will look to the system and see a girl waving to him on the camera. He goes downstairs into the outside location, where the camera covers. He is seen moving through the other camera angles, implying that he’s being watched.

However when he gets to the location the girl disappears suddenly into thin air. Bewildered by the incident, the man walks back to his house, but as he does he sees a shadow go running to his door. The man runs to catch her, only to find she has disappeared. Only one thing remains, a sticky note reading “Hello again Wayne, it’s Lucy, remember me?” Wayne looks about in a paranoid manner, but nothing happens. He enters the house, but something is watching him.

Synopsis Contd. Wayne goes back upstairs to his computers to switch them off. As they

does this cutaway shots of bloody knives and a screaming woman are seen in a continuous edit of quick cuts. Once the monitor is turned off, he goes downstairs, but sees another one of the sticky notes. This time it says “Do you remember my death you bastard?” Wayne looks around him, this time very tetchy. He calls out, “Where are you? You’ll regret this!”. He can’t hear or see anyone. He goes to his bedroom, he brings out a book of all the names of the victims that he’s killed. He reads over them and how they died. An over the shoulder shot shows that he’s stopped on a list of weapons he used. As he reads on, something touches his shoulder, he turns round suddenly. Nothing is there. He is alone. He quickly turns round to see the book has changed. It has yet another sticky note inside it, reading, “Come get me I dare you!”

At this moment Wayne drops the book and runs into the kitchen. He opens the draw and takes out two huge knives. “Oh but I do dare!” He says to himself as he walks upstairs and is just about to go up the second flight, when he stops. He hears the front door slam. He turns around and runs outside. As he does so, we see him run through the security system. The camera pans back to show the girl we saw earlier watching him with a smile.

Locations Security system = Inside an office at the top of

my house. Alleyway = Down the side of my house. Kitchen = In my house. All other interior scenes of hallways, landings and

staircases will be in my house.

Location: W4, Chiswick

Main location: Wain’s House

Location 2: Wayne’s Office

Computer with live security system.

Location 3: Staircase

Location 4: Wayne’s Bedroom

Inside here, the murder Book will be located.

Location 5: Alleyway.This location is where the first sightings of the girl will be, on the security camera.

The alleyway has its own lighting system, I can use the lighting system to experiment

Actors Wayne the Murderer: Jamie Autorino, a British-

Italian student who is currently studying A-Level drama and in his final year of education. Jamie has appeared Punk Rock; a play and a short indie film, Mendax in the past. The profile of his experience made him a must-have in production.

Lucy the ghost: Biba Burdge, a British student who studied GCSE Media Studies; she has appeared in a theatrical production in a Christmas Pantomime. The profile of her experience made him a must-have in production, especially since the role I had assigned her to would be quite challenging as this character was like nothing she’d ever played.

U.S.P. (Unique Selling Point.) Discomfort: Unique selling point of this film is the idea

that the audience will go through the experience of feeling watched and having the privilege of watching the main protagonist. By including the security system, the audience will be given the benefit of knowing something more than Wayne, especially at the end, as they are exposed to an ending that Wayne is unaware of.

When the audience are with Wayne, however it’s a different story. They’ll feel like they’re being watched, especially when the sticky notes make an appearance, because the audience will be devoid of the information on how they got there.

Equipment/Props needed Equipment

DSLR Camera (Nikon D3300) Tripod (Manfrotto) SD Card (15 GB one currently, will have to empty out a 64

GB one as a back up.) Three lights for 3 point lighting (3 Desktop lamps)

Props Knives (2 large kitchen knives) Murder book (Any ordinary notebook should do)

Use of Location Office w. security system: For characters to spy on one

another. Alleyway: Where Lucy will be seen first and Wayne will be

seen last. Hallways, staircases and landings: Where the sticky notes

will be placed. Bedroom: Where the murder book will be kept. Kitchen: Where the knives will be kept.

Soundtrack I have two options with creating this soundtrack. Option 1: Kevin Macleod is a composer who has

specialised in making music for Incompetech, which is a website with royalty free soundtracks. He has created an abundance of horror themed soundtracks like ‘Come Play with Me’ and ‘An Upsetting Theme’.

There is an excellent young musician in school by the name of Zach Davies. He has been used to compose a soundtrack for a previous A Level media studies production. I would like to use him as he is a locally sourced opportunity that would provide an excellently authentic soundtrack. His method is very appealing to me, because he watches the films and then scores the music to the changes and alterations of the narrative.