The mask I am going to use for the kidnap scene

I plan on using this mask for the murderer to wear during the murdering scene. I have chosen a mask that is not based on any other films, for example the pig mask from Saw as I felt that this would make the film look less original; therefore found this mask that had a scary feel to it; however it also has the comical look about it as the mask has piercings and almost 'punk' appearance, almost like the murderer wasn't taking the mask too seriously when picking it; like a normal person. Giving the impression to the audience that the murderer does have feelings; therefore can still feel guilt and fear.

Inspirations

From the film Taken (The Kidnap Scene)

I will hope to use camera shots like these to re-create the effect and tension Pierre Morel generates to manipulate the audience feel in this particular film. The POV shots from under the bed creates a claustrophobic emotion to make the audience feel like you are her position, therefore fear is created.

 

This is a close-up shot of her under the bed; to create the sense of being trapped and no escape. By having her head touching the top of the bed, it enhances the idea of claustrophobia.

Morel uses a POV shot from the daugter and the fact she is under the bed at the point they make the POV shot, with the low angle, we only see the kidnappers feet and therefore do not see their faces, creating a sense of loose imagination of what they may look like from the audience.

POV shot of her looking at the guy who is looking right in her direction. Making the idea

Low shot of her feet; cannot see his face; therefore imagination is allowed to take over of the audience of what he could look like.

Todorov Narrative Structure

Script.

Scene 1

[Bethany sitting watching television; watching a horror movie with a bowl of popcorn. [shots switch between mid-shot, over the shoulder shot and close up]
Phone rings [close up of her] picks up the phone and starts talking to her mum, it's dark outside and see silhouette of a man outside. No-one else is in the house]

Bethany: Hello? Oh hi mum. [2 seconds pause] Nothing, I'm just watching the end of The Haunted House.[2 seconds pause] Yes mum I've done my homework! When are you and dad getting home?[ 2 seconds pause], Okay, hurry up. Bye!

[Watches 4 seconds of film, fidgeting] [Looks at rain, goes to the window,[low angled pan of her moving to turn off the t.v]  turns off the television, looks outside and closes the blinds] [Can just see the guy in the middle of the street] [POV long shot of her from the outside through the window]

 
[Long shot of her when she turns off the light and heads upstairs, switches to looking at her from the middle of the stairs, and switches again from the top of the stairs]
Sits in her room and does some homework [POV shot of her on the laptop];hears a smash and footsteps going up the stairs;  [Camera jumps to a close up of her looking towards the camera facing towards where the noise came from] she jumps and runs under the bed .
(POV shot under the bed)
See feet walking around and up the stairs (same shots as Bethany when she went upstairs)

She turns off the lights as she goes upstairs.

(POV shot of his feet from under the bed)
Murder in mask bobs down. When we see his mask, black out and screams and scuffling.

Scene 2

[Don't Worry, be Happy - Bob Marley]

Cleaning the blood casually, with music on (takes a ring off her finger). Has all the tools in a bag; (Cloth, bleach, gloves etc).
[Mid-shot from above, and under the bed where she was]
Gets up and walks out /and down the street; looking at the picture of her solemnly. We see Bethany stood behind him (he doesn't), makes him jump and pause for a moment, before carrying on walking.[Camera follows him to outside the street]
Meets up the his boss in the dark down a street.
[POV shot of the him walking to the guy]
Damien hands him her ring, the other guys hands him  money.
[Medium zoom of the swap, slow motion on the pictures being handed]
Sees Bethany stood behind the guy; looking dead.

Title sequence (typed - "2 months ago")

Aims and Context

Aims

The target audience I want to aim my film for are the mainstream viewers; but more specifically I think my film would be more appealing and attractive to 16 - 25 year olds of both gender.
I want to create a psychological thriller that will make emotions towards characters shift; for example, we feel sorry for Bethany at the beginning of the film, however with the use of camera angles and editing, when Damien starts getting haunted; I hopefully will make the audience feel symapthy for him.

I particularly took a look at the film Taken (Pierre Morel, 2008) for ideas on how to shoot the murder, using the sequence when the actor Liam Neeson's daughter is first kidnapped. This is because the POV shot Pierre uses is a great technique as to help create the tension and fear amongst the audience as it gives the impression that they are in that position also.

The roles I am going to undertake for the production of my independent film is: Script writer, director, cameraman and editor.

Context

During my last film project; I had trouble finding a time when the actors were all free and available and able to get to the area where the filming was taking place; but a plus within the film was that we had little to no script, therefore was easier to film as they didn't have to try and remember the words. I have learnt from this to try and include as little words as I can. Another problem we had was getting the camera angle in the right position as making the pan of the camera smooth and not jagged. I therefore have a prior knowledge of the best positions for particular scenes and where to put the camera as to get the best effect.

Synopsis

Damien Taylor, a middle aged man of Ravens Creek, has had the occupation of being a hit man for close to 15 years; has become so used to killing targets and has become a professional at his job; one of the best he is always told. But after one certain target of killing a rats daughter; his conscience, for the first time, is getting the best of him.

Whilst trying to carry on his life as normal, stalking another victim during the day and spending time with his wife at home on the night he sees the girl everywhere he goes and gets constant flashbacks of the killing and her life of which he had been stalking for some time.
He goes to see a medium to see whether he can apologise to the little girl on a spiritual level; to which he finds out that he can only repent for what he did and be rid of the little girls ghost by giving her a friend to play with. But bethany has chosen who she wants her new friend to be; Damien's little 8 year old daughter Jenny. He is puzzled between the choices of peace within his life; or peace but a life without his little girl. He tries to find another way and ends up becoming crazy and kills himself out of insanity.

Genre Conventions

The genre of my film is horror; more specifically psychological horror. I have chosen this because I have had a lot of ideas towards this genre that I think I could get a lot out of.

Looking at http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_Codes_and_conventions_of_the_horror_genre, I saw that general horror films seem to share the same narrative non linear structure as well as the same ideas to promote the genre in a way making it apparent to  the viewers; these kinds of ideas include things like; "Dark/shadowy lighting",  I will definitely try and create the sinister atmosphere by using dark lighting techniques in the shots. This is followed by the idea of "Isolated locations" as to create the tension/ atmosphere of loneliness and vulnerability against the main character involved in the situation.
However, I plan on making the main character a male as a twist and by making him seem scared and vulnerable, I will make the viewer’s feel like the situation for the full grown murderer is a lot worse and terrifying. Therefore the usual sympathising for the women as they are thought of as being weaker and more defenceless will be transferred onto the man.
I want also to create a "Disruption of normality" (when the girl he kills comes back to haunt him) in the narrative; as this is the theme of the general narrative structure of horrors; this idea will help me decide on what to base my film on and in creating the synopsis.

Looking at psychological horror films; the film is created to manipulate the audience’s sense of safety and understanding as psychological films tend to have twists in them or put in a strange order to confuse the audiences as to keep tension and maintain their interest and concentration. The main thing in psychological films that make them of this genre is the stylistics used like the characters guilt, fears, and beliefs that often are increased because of a certain turning point in the film; this is used to manipulate the audience to relate to the protagonist therefore creating a more realistic reaction from those watching the film. A good example of this technique is in the film “The Others” (2001), where the audience is led to believe what Grace (Main character, mum) also believes, yet throughout the film different clues are suggested to the audience as a way to make them see that all isn’t what it seems; this leads to the end of the film where we find out that her family have actually been dead throughout the whole film. This film also follows the main aspects of psychological horrors as they live in an “isolated location” both where the family is living, and Grace herself; the whole film is shot in “Dark lighting” as this is the main aspect of the film due to the children’s illnesses. And the “disruption of normality” occurs when the nannies come to help the very catholic mother (follows her beliefs strongly).

Another film that incorporates the aspects of a psychological horror is ”The Orphan”; throughout the film after they have brought Ester back to the home there is a strong use of dark lighting and also the aspect of the weather changes as well, when Ester arrives, the weather changes to snow and this is to represent the cold, dark atmosphere she has brought in to the family. The twist at the end of the film is a stereotypical ending to a psychological horror, Ester is not what the audience expects she is seen to be a little girl however in reality we find out that she is actually a 33 year old woman who is actually called Leena Klammer.

Compared to the traditional horror film, psychological horrors tend to have an art of subtly to them. The main aspect of the psychological horror is to tap into the mentality of the audience instead of a regular horror where violence is the main feature. Good examples of the original horror films include: “A Nightmare on Elms Street” (1984), “Friday the 13^th” (1980) and “Scream” (1996). These films are seen as ‘Slasher horrors’, where graphic violence is again the main feature, and this is what is used to scare the audience. However in comparison to psychological horrors, the means of scaring the audience is more a mental fear rather than visual shock, this is a way of creating discomfort in the viewers of the film by uncovering a fear that is now common with the entire audience.

The threat that is presented in the psychological horror genre is that the fear comes from within the main protagonist which in turn is conveyed to the audience. The aspect of the psychological horror is to reveal the evil that lies behind the normality of the world the film is set in. Psychological horrors often crossover with the psychological thriller, both genres can use each other’s conventions but the ending of the film is what differs the two genres because the psychological thriller will try and leave a different impact on the audience than  that of a psychological horror.