More Iconography

The use of blemished tones and unfocused, dirty techniques on this image could be re-created in our main project. The physical denotation of the demonic face being the females reflection is a good expression of her inhuman lack of emotion, or could be interpreted as her biased pessimistic, gothic view.

Imagery

I found an image on the internet which is related to our premise. It is an optical illusion which can be interpreted as a skull or, a woman in a mirror. The iconography of death (the skull) and the periodic feel of the woman create a foreboding which we will want to re-create in our opening sequence.

Then I edited the image to create a more contrasting and sombering image with the connotation of blood in the use of red and the shadow created in the black

Initial Quote

'An orphan's curse would drag to hell, a spirit from on high; but oh! more horrible than that, is a curse in a dead man's eye!'

We have decided to create a opening frame which depicts this famous quote from Samuel Taylor Coleridge as it establishes our premise and is refelctive on the device used by films of the past.

For example:-



This example shows the match between the premise (of a woman seeking revenge) and the tension created by the lack of detail.

Analysis of 'The Innocents'

'The Innocents' provided inspiration for our opening titles:



The opening titles are filmed in black and white, the technology was avaliable to produce the film in colour but the director 'John Clayton' chose to use the juxtaposition of black and white and light and dark, to suggest a contrasting and deluded premise throughout the film. The other reasoning is that to produce the film in black and white would be a cheaper form of production and lower the value increassing the overall profit, but I choose to believe the former that the actual cinematic experience in enriched by the visual tone of the film.

The composition of the opening shot divides the opening sequence evenly disttributing a proportion of the screen for the 'prayer' shapped hands and for the title layer. When the hands are introduced there is a myriad of interpretations of their purpose. The could be connoted as 'praying' but the alternation in movement could suggest begging, form the performance there is a nervous attitude and the lights movement off the skin is irratic, forceful and piercing the subjective view is that the expression of a female's pain and struggling. Furthering the plot pitch, there is a link between the iconography virginal begging and male domination (also dictating a religious preference).

The title itself has a direct denotation of a state of innocence. The birdsong which is played is 'innocent' in its playfulness and indirect contradiction to the fearful nature of the image. The cliche music is a periodic piece, the minilmalitic ideas combined with an orchestral element in the string department are tensious and atonal deriving a suspect composition.

STORYBOARD LAST SHOT

SHOT ELEVEN OF ELEVEN

VISUAL:

Over the shoulder of female as she stands and leaves shot towards camera. Fade to black

AUDIO:

DIEGETIC: None

NON-DIEGETIC: Trumpets toot as woman stands. Fades out.

Storyboard PT 4

SHOT NINE OF ELEVEN

VISUAL:

Continuation of action. Reverse Shot, Close up, Movement of hand and package female goes to take it.

AUDIO:

DIEGETIC: NONE

NON-DIEGETIC: Music introduces trumpet

SHOT TEN OF ELEVEN

VISUAL:

Reverse to female taking package and placing on lap. Action is matched.

AUDIO:

DIEGETIC: None.

NON-DIEGETIC: Music swells.

Storyboard PT 3

SHOT SEVEN OF ELEVEN

VISUAL:

Reverse shot over the shoulder of female. This sequence creates a shot reverse shot pattern. Man reaches for package (initial shot in match on action)

AUDIO:

DIEGETIC: General chatter.

NON-DIEGETIC: Bolero volume increases.

SHOT EIGHT OF ELEVEN

VISUAL:

Close up of man placing package on table. Match on action. He moves it to the far side of the shot.

AUDIO:

DIEGETIC: NONE

NON-DIEGETIC: Music takes providence. A guitar trills a motif.

Storyboard PT 2

SHOT FOUR OF ELEVEN

VISUAL:

Over the shoulder shot. Interior again. Door closes and woman sits down. The space in the frame creates tension due to the space between characters in an otherwise intimate space.

AUDIO:DIEGETIC: Door Slamming, Woman asks 'Have you got the package?' (soundb

ridged onto next shot)

NON-DIEGETIC: Music decreases gain to allow speech.

SHOT FIVE OF ELEVEN

VISUAL:

Reverse over the shoulder shot establishes male character for first time.

AUDIO:

DIEGETIC: The man says 'Yeah, it's in my pocket, do you want it now?'

NON-DIEGETIC: Music continues.

SHOT SIX OF ELEVEN

VISUAL:

Reverse shot over the shoulder of male. Woman is speaking

AUDIO:

DIEGETIC: Woman says 'Yeah, I'll have your package anyday.' General Chatter of other people.

NON-DIEGETIC: Music still continues

Storyboard PT 1

This is our preliminary storyboard, we staged it and produced photographic images as our drawing skills were unable to illustrate what we wished to show.

SHOT ONE OF ELEVEN

VISUAL:

Establishing medium shot of interior cafeteria. Hi-key lighting, daytime, title overlay of text 'Package Lovers' Cool blue font. Figure at table, framed left.

AUDIO:

DIEGETIC: None

NON-DIEGETIC: Spanish Bolero starts for comedic value.

SHOT TWO OF ELEVEN

VISUAL:

Exterior of the previous scene, medium shot of female opening door. Hi-key lighting. Door opens, and female proceeds tot he interior.

AUDIO:

DIEGETIC: NONE

NON-DIEGETIC: Music continues.

SHOT THREE OF ELEVEN:

VISUAL:

Reverse medium shot of female entering, establishing figure due to facial presence. The door opening is a continuation of the previous action. She moves toward frame left.

SOUND:

DIEGETIC: NONE

NON-DIEGETIC: Music continues.

More on our Premise

We have contemplated our intial sequence in gretaer depth and considered:

• Menacing tones(music)
• Dramatic Pauses (create tension)
• A Blue Saturation (creating mystery)

'Our idea for the main task is: A woman is looking in the mirror and putting on make up. She is in half light so only half of her face is visible. She will be framed to the left so the credits can be shown on the right side of the screen in the dark area.
During this sequence graphic and disturbing images like dead flowers and creepy dark places will flash up subliminally which should create an uncomfortable feeling in the viewer. When all the credits have been shown the camera will move to the right side of the mirror, which was previously in darkness, to show a noose hanging from the ceiling. The camera will linger here for a few seconds before a quick cut to a chair falling over. Thrn there will be a sound of a baby crying.
Throughout the clip there will be incessant menacing tones which will rise and fall in volume, which should create a feeling of suspense in the viewer. When the camera lingers on the noose the volume should fade to silence. This will be followed by the loud bang of the chair falling over which should shock the viewer and make them jump.'

Main Task

Main task:

The titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.

The group has now decided on producing a horror film opening sequence for our main project.

Our inital idea was absed around a stalker-horror in which a man is stalking a woman around a bush.

We changed our idea due to lack of originality, and have decided to produce a retrospective stylistic film in which a demon posses a specific chil'd carer so they commit suicide.

The intial sequence will be a woman putting make-up on in a mirror, framed to the left and therefore allowing us to layer images and the titles over the right of the frame, the light shifts and the female writes a note, posting it on the mirror she moves to the background to a noose and she hangs herself, a baby cries.