treatment

Treatment

Characters:

Emma Royds is very sophisticated and strong willed for her age of 19. Although she is sophisticated, she has had a large fear of clowns for just under a year. She is blonde with pretty, yet timid features. To an extent she is happy with her life, she has a loving boyfriend and a group of close friends; however, as the ‘dreams’ occur more frequently, these relationships start to see the strain.

Billy Rubin is Emma Royds attractive, yet sentimental boyfriend. He is a smart, creative artist, specializing in photography. A key component in Billy’s personality is his down to earth, strong non believing mannerisms of anything really ‘outside of the box’.

Annette Curtain is the ‘book worm’ best friend of both Billy and Emma. Emma and Annette’s friendship has been since early childhood; staying close friends due to her trustworthy, and easy to talk to character. Along with being Emma’s boyfriend, Billy gets on with Annette due them both having a strong dislike for anything out of the ordinary.

Ferris is the typical ginger clown, except for the fanged teeth, a large hooded cloak, and the violent intent to kill. Unknown to Emma, he is the figure reoccurring in her dreams, and also the man who murdered her mother. Same time, same place, he is back with a vengeance.

Location:

Woods: A misty set woods, a natural setting with nothing extraordinary except for a china doll, lying on a footpath. The woods should be reasonably dark, giving an eerie feel, where trees are almost shown as silhouettes.

Bedroom: Returning to the bedroom after the opening sequence in the woods, this would be a contrasting, safe ‘haven’. This will show Emma’s personality just through setting, with its pink walls, and stereotypical feminine items, such as make up, perfume and teddy bears. This room will need a window, to have a source of lighting showing some security from the outside.

Synopsis:

Behind Closed Eyes
Emma Royds has had a reoccurring nightmare for many months, waking up at the same point every time. Her mother’s death occurred almost a year previously, due to a tragic accident where the body was never found. The date of her mother’s death nearing, and the nightmares strengthening, Emma pushes it to the back of her mind and carries on with her normal life which includes the majority of her time being spent with her closest friends, although subtle images and frights were beginning to occur in her conscious state. Finally, one night where Emma’s dream was so vivid, (with a small, child-like figure at the other side of a pond), she awoke, wanting to find a resolve to the reoccurring reverie: which started with losing her closest friends to the abnormality of what she was planning, leaving her at a point of no return. With days looming towards the date of her mother’s death, Emma gets closer to her goal: and when the day is reached, Emma is met with her fate. Running through the woods she keeps having flashes in her memory, little does she know that she is reliving, tracing her mother’s steps. Emma reaches the point she recognises in her dreams, at the end of the pond was a cloaked figure, she ran towards it, curiosity leading her towards finding out the truth. Touch the shoulder, Emma finds out the reality, why she was so terrified of clowns. Exactly a year later than her mother, Emma is killed by the same clown like murderer, Ferris. The dreams and flash backs she was having were not her own, but were passed from her mother.

Detailed explanation of the opening sequence:

Opens with a misty morning in a secluded wood side: Emma is running through these woods, looking for the cloaked figure in her dreams. Little does she know that a hooded figure is watching her. As she reaches her destination, the cloaked figure is at the opposite side of a pond, its reflection rippling in the water. She walks round cautiously towards the figure, when reaching touching its shoulder. Turning round her worst fear was there, a clown, baring its rotting teeth. It all fades to black. An alarm goes off, the scene rises from the black, into a pink, feminine bedroom, where Emma is arousing from her slumber.

opening sequences

The Purpose Of An Opening Sequence: To establish the visual style & mood of the film and to introduce the audience to:Characters - Main and minor.

-Introduces characters

-Sets the tone

-Sets the time

-Shows the settings

-narrative/plot

In the opening sequence to a thriller, the director wants to set up the expectations of the audience what ever the genre. In silence of the lambs the camera is constantly jumping back to Anthony Hopkins, which shows that he is the main character. They also cleverly add creepy, slow paced music, usually violins and pianos which add an eerie effect to the situation as well as creating suspense. In all good thrillers the use shadows throughout the film to show the “dark side” of the hero/villain. The camera shots are also vital as without good shots you will lose all signs of suspense and the mood that you are trying to create. Medium close ups and over the shoulder shots are very frequently used to create the feeling that something is going to happen although you wont no when. Quite often the setting says how the story is going to unfold, and from personal experience I could say that most film that start off in a well built up area, lots of people around the place, will turn into a two man chase in the middle of nowhere, and vice versa.

Examples:

The Panic Room. Deep music Credits written in appropriate font to the style and setting of the film - Looks like the writting belongs on the buildings -

Transparent writting. Vertigo. Lengthy title sequence. Swirling - Disorientating, shows disorder of the mind. Dark music - Builds up. Very different from modern thrillers because of the lengthy title sequence. Modern films seem to get into the film faster.

Resevoir Dogs. Voiceover. Non-diagetic, upbeat Music. Almost slow motion. Exposition. Shows the Auter of the director.

Manhatten. Establishing shots. Voice over. Non - Diagetic. Documentary style shots. Quick Cuts. Train Spotting. Montage. Voice over Introduction to the characters - Shown as stills while name comes up. Get a general idea of the type of setting that will be used.

Vertigo. Lengthy title sequence. Swirling - Disorientating, shows disorder of the mind. Dark music - Builds up. Very different from modern thrillers because of the lengthy title sequence. Modern films seem to get into the film faster.

Thrillers - research into genre

Thriller genre -
- Characteristics Thrillers often take place wholly or partly in exotic settings such as foreign cities, deserts, Polar Regions, or high seas. The heroes in most thrillers are frequently "hard men" accustomed to danger: law enforcement officers, spies, soldiers, seamen or aviators. Thrillers often overlap with mystery stories, but are distinguished by the structure of their plots. In a thriller, the hero must thwart the plans of an enemy, rather than uncover a crime that has already happened. Jeopardy and violent confrontations are standard plot elements. While a mystery climaxes when the mystery is solved, a thriller climaxes when the hero finally defeats the villain, saving his own life and often the lives of others. Codes and conventions Quick cuts Camera angle changes Music that creates tension Dark lighting, use of shadow Mirrors, stairs and corridors Thriller Films Psycho - Alfred Hitchcock Hannibal - Ridley Scott Jaws - Steven Spielberg The ring - Gore Verbinski The Boston Strangler - Richard Fleischer The strangers – Bryan Bertino

Codes and Conventions -
Quick cuts- Camera angle changes- Music that gives tension- Dark lighting; use of shadow- Mirrors, stairs and corridors

Sound -
- Thrillers often use a catchy yet creepy, catchy gory theme tune throughout the film.

Camera -
- The camera within thriller films often take on human qualities, handy cams are often used to create a sense that the viewer is there with the characters, it enables the camera crew to interact with the characters without being in the way. Tracking is often used to create a sense of being followed. Panning and tracking used together can also be used to create a sense of disarrangement or mental disturbance. High angle shots are often used for victims to display a sense of vulnerability. They can also be used to show that there is going to be action within the scene. These two purposes can tie together to show the victim in the moment that they become the victim. Low angle shots are most commonly used for the aggressor/villain. They make the character look powerful and/or intimidating. Both high angle and low angle shots were used within Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho”.

Editing -
- Quick cuts are used to create a greater sense of action and suspense. While longer, panning shots are used to show a build up. Fading can be used to enhance the storyline and merge two pictures together. For example; within Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” in the end scene “Bates’” face is merged with the image of a skeletal skull.
Narrative The narrative is a good way of keeping the audience informed of what is happening, making them follow the role of a character as you follow them through their journey.

Narrative -
A good way of keeping the audience following the film is to use a narrative that shows the story from one of the character’s points of view. By following one individual character, the storyline is consistent and the audience is also able to relate to the character, meaning that it is easier to build up the tension within the film because the viewer is able to relate to the character with greater ease. Characters:Main characters within a thriller are usually kept to a minimum. They usually consist of the villain, the victim and the victim’s friends/family. There is usually a ‘hero’ within the thriller to counter balance the villain. The hero is almost always at the forefront of the film and almost always on camera. They are represented by the typical “hard man” while the villain, even if they appear strong end up having great weaknesses. When it comes to characters there are also stereotypes. The main kind of character types that are included in a thriller film are convicts, criminals, stalkers, the psychologically disturbed and assassins. Victims often include babysitters, women, people on the run or normal everyday people.

Thriller Films -
Psycho – Alfred Hitchcock
The Godfather – Francis Ford Coppola
Silence of the Lambs – Jonathan Demme
Se7en – David Fincher
The Shining – Stanley Kubrick
No Country for Old Men – Ethan and Joel Coen
Jaws – Stephen Spielberg
Basic Instinct – Paul Verhoeven

Films Ive Watched -
Creep - bouncy, live, part opening music. Camera shots - Tracking - makes it look like someone is following her. Setting - london underground. Music - strings - typical code and convention. Camera follows her - main character. Contrast between city and under city - the lower parts of town. Young girl in a man's world. Shot reverse shot to gauge someone's reaction. underground - "eery" setting. Vulnerable - young woman bu herself, locked in. Warning of Creep. Stairs and corridors are a typical code and convention. Lighting with the background music build tension.