Coursework Idea Two

Second Developed Coursework Idea 
Looking at my mindmap, I opted to select three of my favourite ideas and expand on them. Out of these four (including my idea developed from a picture), I intend to select the best one with the most potential to use as my idea for my final coursework.

My Idea So Far 
The idea I have chosen to develop on's main purpose is to invoke shock in the audience. I will do this by playing on the theme of seeming and being; I want to create false emotion in the audience by tricking them into believing one thing when in fact it is the other way round. The genre of this film will likely be a Black Comedy Horror, as it's got conventions of horror in except with a sinister but comedic twist.

Basic Plot Idea

A stock image I found to depict the mood
and create inspiration

A man is seen struggling wounded; he is looking around anxiously, suggesting that he is being chased. He looks terrified as something apparently approaches him. Suddenly, the screen cuts to black and the man is now tied up, on his knees, begging for his life. A figure is seen next to him, but you can't see his face. He is wielding a weapon which he uses to kill the man tied up. As the man is killed, you finally see the bloodied face of his killer - he looks dazed. Suddenly, while on a close-up of the killer's face it seamlessly fades to a different setting, yet with the same man. Only this time he is clean. While this transition takes place, a voice can be heard nagging and yelling away, yet it is sort of distorted and therefore inaudible. The nagging soon becomes clear as it is revealed that the new setting is in the office and that the two characters from the previous scene are in conversation (the second character introduced is being yelled at) - but the man who was depicted as a killer is clearly not listening. The killer then turns to face the camera (the other man continues talking to him, unaware that he is breaking the fourth wall) and describes to the audience his psychotic fantasies. It will likely begin with him saying casually: 'you know that feeling you get when you just want to bash your boss' brains in?...'

I have a fairly thorough idea as to how this opening sequence will look - it's just a matter of precise details - particularly, elements of mise-en-scene. The following titles explain three significant elements of this plot idea.

Setting

Wayland Wood, a local woods to me with a
haunted history - a potential location. 

The idea consists of a conventional horror setting, one that connotes danger, insecurity and suffocation. This would likely be a woodland as the enclosed trees create a sense of suffocation and woods are often associated with being lost and afraid. It will likely be at dusk when it is getting dark, as this will create low-key lighting that has scary and dangerous connotations. It will be set in a modern time period as the office will create a sense of normality, contrasting the scariness, as it's a setting a contemporary audience will know fairly well.

As for the office, this will be set during the daytime, as the neutral and natural daytime lighting will contrast well with the scary low-key lighting used in the forest. Moreover, the office must be in very neutral lighting as it's such an ordinary location and must be portrayed in an ordinary way to reinforce the sense of normality - it's realistic.


Characters
There will only be two characters in this opening sequence - this helps maintain simplicity and not confuse the audience.

• Character A - the Boss: This character is the first to be introduced to the audience and, in the first scene, he's portrayed in a vulnerable light. Emphasising his role as the victim will be effective when the situation is suddenly changed and the audience realises that it's part of the other character's imagination because the roles are immediately reversed. The original victim is transformed into the oppressor (the boss) and the audience no longer feels fear for him. 

• Character B - the Killer: This character is the second introduced to the audience and is, in fact, the protagonist/anti-hero for the film. They are first seen as the oppressor in the opening but the roles are soon reversed and he's seen as the victim being yelled at by his boss. The audience is no longer scared of him but in fact pity him, despite his psychopathic thoughts. 

Breaking the Fourth Wall

In this film opening, I think I would use fourth wall breaks to make it clear to the audience that the first scene was in fact just part of their imagination as opposed to just a flashforward or something similar. Furthermore, it will help the audience ally themselves with the protagonist, despite his negative attributes. This is effective because then your audience can support the main character in spite of all his wrong doings.

What Camera Shots and Angles Would You Use?
For the first scene, in the forest, I would use long shots to show the first character in their setting. Moreover, it creates a sense of isolation as they're enmeshed in their background - this links to helplessness as being alone means nobody is there to help. It would also make them see like they are being viewed from afar - simulating it from the predator's point of view and therefore emphasising their role as the victim. When the character is tied up, I would use more intimate shots to capture their emotion well so the audience can see their fear. I would use a high angle to create a sense of vulnerability and make them look submissive, particularly when they are begging for their life.

During the office scene, I would definitely use two shots to help establish the relationship and also get two characters in the scene quickly without having to cut too much. I would use over the shoulder shots to establish the fact that they're in 'conversation'. I would use eye-level angles when the character is addressing the audience as this conveys openness and allows the audience to level with the character - helping them ally themselves with them because he doesn't come across in a particular way i..e dominant or submissive.

What are the Pros and Cons of this Coursework Idea? 

Pros: 

• It's a unique idea that I think will be quite engaging as it's not too uneventful and therefore not boring. 

• Using fourth wall breaks is original and can carry many positive effects if utilised properly.

• It carries the ability to shock the audience due to the sudden change in mood etc. Invoking emotion in the audience is good because it makes the opening more memorable 

Cons:

• Involving fourth wall breaks can be risky because if not done properly it may look bad and can't be taken seriously. I would have to follow the guidelines gathered in my research closely to ensure it is utilised effectively. 

• It involves more than one character, meaning I will need to involve more coordination and organisation as well as risk compromising days of filming based on multiple people's schedule.

• It involves dialogue which carries many risks eg. the sound quality may be bad. You can read the other risks stated in my research post. 

• Because there are multiple segments to it, it may be overly complicated and hard to follow.

• The audience might not understand that it's one character's imagination and instead think that its a flashforward or something similar. 

• It involves two location and therefore would require at least two filming days or risk not having enough time to film both sequences in one day. 

Overall, I like this idea. It's unique and has the potential to be quite engaging. I just have to make sure I make it clear and coherant so the audience understands what is going on, as well as thoroughly apply my research into development and production process.