Preliminary Task #2 Treatment:
Delirious Dissonance Treatment: Prepared By Adin Otto of Prairie Productions
Our film, Delirious Dissonance, will be around 2 minutes long, and will be filmed at my house. The reason we chose to set our film in a house is to play off of the fear of a home invasion, having the antagonist breach what would typically be considered a safe space.
This film will contain the following thriller conventions of suspenseful music, fast cuts, being set at night, lots of tight, close-up shots, as well as moments of low-key lighting, and a vulnerable character falling prey to a villain with sinister intentions.
Influences:
There were two films/clips which we drew inspiration from for our film Delirious Dissonance. The first one was a film created by a group of students from our school a few years ago, also focusing on a home invasion.
Characters:
Our film follows our main character, Isabella, who is returning home after a long day at work, and prepares herself a small snack to eat. We chose to portray our main character as a female, adhering to the stereotype that women are weak, and are more likely to fall prey to a villain and become a victim. On the other hand, our antagonist is portrayed as a male, adhering to the conventions of the villain generally being a man, asserting their dominance over a weaker character, which ends up being a female in most cases. However, the way in which the protagonist is portrayed can be misleading, as there will be moments which will leave the audience questioning whether the whole situation is in her head or not. If the whole situation happens to not be real, there would be a reversal in the roles, making Isabella the true antagonist, subjecting herself, even if unconsciously, to this terrifying experience.
Practicalities:
Hopefully there should be no problems encountered during the filming process. There will be no health and safety issues as we will be filming inside, where there is little risk of getting hurt. However, it may be difficult to translate our ideas the way we envisioned them into the film. It is also important to note that our idea is somewhat unrealistic, as it is unlikely that someone will be drugged in their own house. In addition to this, the antagonist’s motives are unclear, as there is no apparent reason for him to drug the main character. However, this detail is rather insignificant, as it could be the main character who has done this to herself, appealing to our target audience, as well as hooking them into the narrative, making them want to watch the rest of the movie (if it were made), to see what really happened. Either scenario is possible, but the final outcome will depend on the way the sequence is pieced together, leaving it open to interpretation.
Ideology:
There are several ideologies which are present in our film, mainly that a home, which is generally regarded as a safe space, is not as safe as it seems, and is open to an invasion at any moment. Another ideology present is that looks are deceiving, and that information can be manipulated to distort the reality of a situation. In addition to this, by blurring out the face of the antagonist at the end of the film, it represents that anyone, regardless of race and gender, has the potential to be a villain.
Mood and Tone:
At first, the mood of the opening sequence will be rather neutral, following our main character as she comes home. However, there will be a shift to a more sinister tone when she is drugged and starts hallucinating, interacting with the man who is supposedly in her house. This darker mood will appeal to the audience, the mystery of it enticing them to further watch how the sequence will progress.
Camera Work:
The camera work in this film will mainly consist of close-up shots, creating a restricted, claustrophobic feel, highlighting the fact that she has been trapped in an enclosed space with a hostile character. In addition to this, the close-up shots will focus the audience in on key moments, drawing their attention to certain significant actions/items, highlighting their importance in the narrative.
In certain moments the camera work will be shaky and almost drunken, mimicking how Isabella feels, allowing the audience to also experience what she does.
Lighting:
The lighting in the film will be rather dim, contributing to the suspense, as the film is set at night, and alludes to concealment, hinting that there is someone out there with her.
In addition to this, low-key lighting will be employed, adding a dramatic element to the film, complementing the darker event which will take place later in the narrative.
Motifs:
One of the motifs in the film is the glass of water, switching between containing clear and coloured liquid, denoting the fact that something is amiss, and that the storytelling is not as reliable as it seems.
Through the glass of water, the antagonist’s presence is confirmed, after having a build up to his appearance through the four technical elements.
Narrative:
Our film follows the main character, Isabella who comes home after a long day of work, and prepares herself a little snack. However, as she goes about doing so, we see that someone is in her house, and slips something into her drink, which causes her to feel drunk and woozy, ultimately leading to her collapsing on the kitchen floor with the villain approaching her.
However, there will be certain elements in the film, such as the glass of the water, which challenges the reliability of the narrative, causing the audience to question whether they can trust what is being portrayed in the film.
Setting:
As previously mentioned, our film will be set in a house, challenging the convention that home is supposed to be a safe place, offering shelter from harm. However, in this case, the protagonist will fall victim to an attack, a strange man entering her house to drug her.
In order to make the setting more believable, the kitchen will slightly be rearranged, making it seem as if Isabella lives alone, rather than the house belonging to a family.
Symbolism:
The symbolism in this film lies in the costumes of the characters.
Isabella’s second costume, the one consisting of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, conveys the fact that she feels safe and comfortable in her house, and highlights her vulnerability in this situation, as her safe space is breached by an unwelcome guest.
On the other hand, the ordinary clothes that the antagonist wears supports the fact that anyone, regardless of race or social status can be the villain.
Sound and Music:
Sound will be a key tool throughout the film in order to build suspense and contribute to the tense atmosphere. As the sequence opens, there will be a quiet score as the main character enters into her house, picking up as the film progresses, growing increasingly louder and intense particularly when the antagonist is revealed.
In addition to this, there will be moments of heightened diegetic sound, elevating the tension of the situation, as well adding an unsettling element to the atmosphere of the piece.
Credits:
Since our film is supposed to be an opening sequence of a thriller, it will contain credits, detailing the roles of those involved in the production of it. Certain credits will be embedded throughout the beginning of the sequence, such as the actors and director, while those and the rest will also be added in at the end of the sequence.
Editing:
Editing will play an important role in the film, creating tension, as well as further portraying the drunken and woozy feelings that the main character experiences after being drugged.
Our film will contain several after effects, most notably the blurring of the antagonist’s face at the end of the sequence, which could either reveal that the protagonist is hallucinating the entire situation, or that she is so drugged that her senses are no longer functioning properly, adding to the mystery of the situation.
In addition to this, the sequence will play around with shot and transition duration, having fast cuts in some areas, while dragging out other moments, all working to create suspense.