Pre-Production Planning - Jack

Pre-Production Planning

Sypnosis for Beginning

I think that our opening scene should contain shots from two different locations (and characters). I think Scene 1 should be a female in some sort of dress, walking around the mysterious woods barefoot while gently and repetitively singing a nursery rhyme. She is an almost ghost like figure, very unworldly yet very innocent. She would be walking through the mud, swinging side to side on a rope swing, and maybe hiding in the crater or tunnel. The speed of these shots will fairly slow, both in tempo and in movement. There may also be some blurring and lightening added in in the editing studio to connote a past event, and emphasize a dream like, unearthly feeling. This effect will make the scene very atmospheric, pertaining to a psychological thriller genre. Her singing voice will then act as a soundbridge onto the next part of the scene, which sees a male, in smart trousers and a white bloodstained shirt (there is blood right in the middle of his chest), running very quickly away from an anonymous chaser. This scene will be shot in the dark, maybe in a dark alley way, where we can really make use of effective and emotive lighting. The man keeps running, with great fear and purpose in his eyes, yet after running for several shots he stops, very suddenly, the singing stops, the man's eyes are wide open, staring past the camera, yet we do not know, and will never know, what the man was looking at.

Alternatively...

If we do not have the time, the permission, or the resources to film the man's scene, then I think we should try and emphasis a false sense of security with the girl. She is in a forest, seemingly content, yet, just like with the man, we see a close up of her face, her singing stops, and she stares past the camera. The camera then cuts the black as two shots are heard fired. The camera zooms out of her body as it lies in the crater. The camera then switches to a shot of the entire forest from the outside, with birds (possibly blackbirds) flying away. This would be an easier ending, and would maybe have more of a dramatic, unworldy effect.

Female

The female is an innocent character. She is young, She is in a dream like state with no real connection to the outside world. The woods are her home, it is not even made clear to the audience whether she is real or simply a figure of imagination. Her innocence is connoted in her choice of clothing, her singing of children's nursery rhymes, and her general, care free, unworldly free spirit. She should not wear too much make up and her hair should not be styled. There will be a gentle rustling of the trees, maybe the sound of her gentle footsteps, but no sound will be harsh or sound emphasized to take away the feeling of false security.

Male

The male has an Alpha male appearance. He is wearing a suit and is running away from some unknown presence. We will have to find out lots of homemade remedies for fake blood, fake injuries, as he will have a very bloodstained t-shirt just where his heart would be. Torches can be seen in the background. The lighting will be used to clearly show his injuries, and if it is over his head, may signify a supernatural force (Heaven?)

Themes

Blood - on either the girl or the man, fear of blood

Water - there is a small, murky pond in the woods, the girl could walk through this while the camera tracks her movement from the water's edge

Heights - the girl would be high up in the trees at some shots

Isolation - the girl is completely alone

Darkness - maybe scenes would be filmed in the dark (maybe some sort of 'blink' shot)

Security - the girl is seemingly happy and content with life, then suddenly gunshots are fired

Evil Presence - split framing and POV shots would denote to the audience that someone is watching the girl

 Obsession- the repitition of the nursery rhyme, could gradually get louder

Innocence - the girl's innocent, child like nature would make it even more of a surprise when she gets shot

I think the better idea is the Alternative opening shot - it seems easier to film and makes far more sense. We will have a storyboard, animatic and complete pre-production planning finished by the 11th.