Treatment
A more detailed overview of my film.
My film is going to be between 2 and 2.5 minutes long from the middle of a typical horror film. The basic and summarised plot is about a vulnerable girl who gets followed home by an unknown, masked figure.
Characters
The short extract will not explore the characters much however, the plot will help the audience to distinguish between the good and the bad. The main character in this part of the film, the victim, will fulfil the stereotypical role of the princess. This will be shown by her being scared and being caught by the villain. The villain will portrayed as mysterious but powerful. No matter how much the victim tries to escape, they will always be hiding behind her. The only other characters in this extract will be background characters who will appear very briefly and will be used as either a plot device or as a way to create a safe and peaceful environment at the beginning of the film.
A more detailed plot
The scene will open with a shot of a group of friends sat together. They will all be talking and laughing in order to create a sense of safety. One of the characters will stand up and the camera will turn towards her. She will not have been in the centre of the group to show that this could happen to anyone. The camera will follow her out, establishing she is the focus.
As she begins her walk home, there will be minimal cuts to make it feel more realistic. The girl will now almost always be centrally framed in her shots to direct all attention to her, this will make the audience connect to her more throughout the short sequence. She will also have a constant look of fear on her face to set the audience on edge. As she walks home, there will be accentuated background noises of twigs snapping - a common sound in scenes where a character is being followed. This will also help to create suspense and scare the audience because they know something is going to happen but they cannot see anything and prove their fears. The tension will exacerbate with the ominous sounds of footsteps which are clearly out of synch with the girl, her reaction and facial expressions will also help to demonstrate that they belong to someone else. At this point in time, the audience will not have seen the man following, this is to help build suspense even further. The girl’s breathing will become shorter and she will turn her head at each sound. The camera may also swiftly cut to behind a tree, looking out at the girl and quickly return to her but she shall remain in the centre of the shot each time, this is to show that she is the target. These rapid shots may continue in order to create a chaotic and distressed atmosphere.
However once the suspense has reached its peak, all will stop and the camera will cut to a shot of her waist and the bag she is holding. This bag will most likely be old, maybe plastic and red to show she is a random person. The red will also represent the danger she faces. The girl will suddenly drop the bag and immediately start running. The small cuts will increase in frequency to make the chase scene more effective and chaotic. Her breathing will turn to pants to show her need to escape.
As the girl begins to reach her house, her speed will increase even more, showing that her house is the safety. When she gets to the door, her shaking hands will fumble in her pocket as she pulls the keys out. She will try to unlock the door but will drop the keys out of fear. All these shots will be relatively close to her face to immerse the audience at this tense moment. A loud, sudden crash will happen beside her and she will immediately turn. However, the camera will cut to a neighbour or animal accidentally dropping or knocking something. The girl will sigh with relief and the tension will fade. This creates a false sense of security for the audience. The girl will bend down to collect her keys and the camera will follow her. When she stands back up, the masked man will be stood behind her, watching her. This will show that she is never safe, even in her own home.