Influential film clips

The opening scene from The Ring.

This opening scene is influential, because it builds suspense and introduces the disruption of the equillibrium. Whilst my sequence is not an opening clip, it will utilize the same techniques as this sequence does. The music heard during the sequence is errie and haunting, and varies in volume which accompanies what we see. My film's protaginst will also be exploring a home environment as he searches for clues. The ending of the sequence will be similar in that the protagonist is attacked by the thing that is causing the noises we hear in the house. This will lead into my protagonist's first contact with the antagonist creature.

Shooting schedule (Including notices and cancellations)

Intended first day of shooting: 25/11/12 I was not able to film on this day because my main actress was feeling to ill to attend.
Test shots: 26/11/12 Due to my concern with not having anything filmed yet, I decided I should at least get some test shots together to practice my camerawork before I am next able to film. I got together mostly extreme close ups and medium shots.
12/01/13 Finally shot some footage for the sequence, including the outside shots, and the living room and kitchen shots.
26/01/13 Shot some more footage, including upstairs shots
03/03/13 Finished filming sequence

Casting considerations

The person I have ultimately chosen to play the role of Demetria is Alx. I have known her since I started college. She is a Media/Film student who has also been making a horror film sequence for her coursework. Therefore, she will be able to give constructive criticism during the production of my sequence, especially in regards to camerawork. She is pictured wearing the costume that she will wear in my sequence.

Casting consideration: 

I considered casting Beth as Demetria at one stage, as she too is a Media/Film student who could give constructive criticism. However, she regularly failed to show up on the dates that I intended to Film and therefore decided it would be best that I find somebody else.

Shot list

#1: 0:00 - LONG SHOT - establishing shot of house - camera zooms out more 3 seconds in, we see Demetria walking towards the house
#2: 0:05 - EXTREME LONG SHOT - Demetria walks closer to the house
#3: 0:09 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP - She stops to think, and says "Well, this is my last hope" before entering
#4: 0:18 - LONG SHOT, PANNING - camera moves around messy dark living room of the house. Demetria enters as the camera moves up to the door.
#5: 0:26 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP - Demetria gets out a torch from her pocket to brighten the area up, and begins to explore.
#6: 0:34 - LONG SHOT - Demetria stops to ask "Hello? Is anyone there?
#7: 0:38 - CLOSE UP - Demetria looks around her, before walking off
#8: 0:44.5 - EXTREME CLOSE UP - The camera pans from Demetria walking off to a close up of the door. Thunder is heard
#9: 0:47.5 - LONG SHOT - Demetria walks into the kitchen and notices that the tap is still running, provoking a slight zoom in
#10 - 0:56.5 - EXTREME CLOSE UP - Demetria turns the tap off
#11 - 0:58 - EXTREME CLOSE UP - the camera pans to two used glasses
#12 - 0:59.5 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP  - Demetria thinks about her observances. the camera follows her as she walks away.
#13 - 1:08 - EXTREME CLOSE UP - the camera pans to the kitchen window. We see/hear more loud thunder/lightning
#14 - 1:13.5 - CLOSE UP - Cuts back to Demetria looking around for someone or something again, provoked by the loud lightning
#15 - 1:15.5 - EXTREME CLOSE UP - Another focus on the window, eyeline match so we know what she is looking at
#16 - 1:18.5 - CLOSE UP - Demetria walks off towards the stairs
#17 - 1:22 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP - camera follows Demetria, tracking, she stops to look at the stairs
#18 - 1:28 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP - Camera pans up the stairs
#19 - 1:32 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP, Demetria scratches her head
#20 - 1:35.5 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP - Demetria walks up the stairs, camera follows her
#21 - 1:40 - LONG SHOT - Demetria walks into a bedroom
#22 - 1:43 - LONG SHOT - Demetria enters the bedroom
#23 - 1:44.5 - EXTREME CLOSE UP - quick zoom in as the room begins to shake
#24 - 1:46 - EXTREME CLOSE UP - drawers shaking
#25 - 1:47.5 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP - Demetria gets knocked down due to the turbulence, then she gets up and runs off
#26 - 1:51.5 - LONG SHOT - Demetria waits by the bed as the rumbling dies down
#27 - 1:57.5 - LONG SHOT - Demetria walks away from the bed slightly to check it is clear
#28 - 1:58.5 - LONG SHOT - Demetria walks towards the top of the bed
#29 - 2:01.5 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP - Demetria finds a note on the bed
#30 - 2:04.5 - EXTREME CLOSE UP - we see the note on the pillow, containing an incomplete written plea for help, slow zoom in
#31 - 2:10.5 - EXTREME CLOSE UP - the fear in Demetria's expression, reaction to note
#32 - 2:16.5 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP - Demetria scratches her head in hopelessness
#33 - 2:19.5 - LONG SHOT - Demetria begins to walk away, but is then scared off by a distant roaring noise, running back towards the bed
#34 - 2:26.5 - CANTED ANGLE SHOT/CLOSE UP - the drawers shake slightly
#35 - 2:30 - LONG SHOT - Demetria runs further away from the noise
#36 - 2:34 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP - shows Demetria from a different angle, the front of her as opposed to sideways, slight zoom
#37 - 2:38.5 - LONG SHOT - Demetria standing near the bed
#38 - 2:39.5 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP - the light suddenly vanishes on Demetria's torch, she is shocked
#39 - 2:41 - CLOSE UP - Demetria is frightened, more zooming makes shot an extreme close-up
#40 - 2:43.5 - EXTREME CLOSE UP - The view of the bedroom window, the thunder is reddened
#41 - 2:44.5 - LONG SHOT - Demetria runs out quickly
#42 - 2:45.5 - LONG SHOT - Camera follows Demetria as she runs towards the door to leave the room
#43 - 2:47 - LONG SHOT - Demetria runs, then stops to check both ways for danger before continuing to run
#44 - 2:50.5 - LONG SHOT - Camera follows Demetria towards the stairs
#45 - 2:53 - LONG SHOT - she walks down the stairs
#46 - 2:55.5 - LONG SHOT - Demetria runs through the kitchen
#47 - 2:57.5 - LONG SHOT - Demetria runs through the living room, camera follows her running to the door
#48 - 2:59 - LONG SHOT - Demetria runs through living room, runs further to the door
#49 - 3:01 - MEDIUM CLOSE UP - Demetria sighs in relief and relaxes near the door
#50 - 3:04 - EXTREME CLOSE UP - Canted angle of living room window, thunder is exceptionally loud and frightened here
#51 - 3:04.5 - EXTREME CLOSE UP - Very quick zooming in to her eyes, seeing her horrified facial expression as it zooms very quickly and even closer, she is covered in a red tint
#52 - 3:05 - CUT TO BLACK, ALL SOUND FADES OUT/

Characters

Demetria "Demi" Grey (protagonist):
Likes horror films
Is determined to reach any goals she sets herself
Has a small group of friends who she spends most of her time with (including the investigation in the film)
Is discouraged by those outside her friend group for wanting to investigate the cause of the disappearances in part due to influence from horror films
Her surname is Grey as the colour grey can connote dullness and boredom, and it will therefore reflect her boredom with living in this village

The others in Demetria's friend group are male, with Demetria herself, the main protagonist (the leader of a group) the only female. I have decided to do this to reinforce the idea that her home village, Deville, is very small and has a low population, and therefore has little diversity, with no other girls interested in the likes of horror films or investigations. Therefore, Demetria and her friend group all stick together as it isn't always easy to get into contact / meet up with those living outside the village. Part of her motivation for starting the investigation is that it will give her something to do, and that she believes she will be spending time constructively and doing the village some good. I feel that my chosen sequence within the film is a key moment as Demetria's friends all disappear too in the midst of investigation. Things are looking uncertain and Demetria and her group suggest they all split apart, feeling it would be beneficial to each person building up independence. However, things don't turn out the way she hoped and soon enough, she loses all of her friends. This scene shows him clinging on to the little hope she has left, searching in the houses where she believes her friends haven't come back from. Having seen her suffer throughout the film as his investigation goes downhill, the audience will feel sympathy for Demetria as she hopes to end her village's suffering,

Although no other characters appear in my imagined sequence, she will start the investigation off with a small group of friends (3 others) who will begin to gradually disappear too as the investigation carries on. They will fit into particular stereotypes.
The first to vanish will be the more dim-witted member of the group (Angus Larkin) who often makes mistakes that threaten to put the group in bigger danger, although not intending to. He is usually "switched off" and never pays his full attention to helping carry out the investigation properly.
The second will be the more vain, narcissistic character (Jack Valentine) who priorities impressing girls (including Demetria, who has previously rejected his advances) over the investigation, that he may not realise the full importance of. He is also selfish, and doesn't care too much for the disappearances as long as they don't interfere with his plans.
The third will fit into the "unlikely hero" stereotype (Vincent "Hawk" Hawkins) who, whilst part of the group, will insist on using more hostile methods to find clues in the investigation, such as threatening to sacrifice one member of the group (possibly the dim-witted member) in order to save everybody else in the village.
Demetria, on the other hand, has a more neutral personality, in that she sometimes makes mistakes without thinking, but is also extremely determined with pursuing her ideas, and is restrictive with the input she lets others have, which could result in the audience seeing her as quite a bossy character. However, she is very caring and does not wish to harm anyone to save others, instead preferring to pursue humane methods when possible.
Despite their differing personalities, this group have been Demetria's friends for a long time, and they all have relatively serious sides to their personalities that allow them to make joint decisions such as this investigation.

Other characters seen in the film:
Demi's, Angus' Jack's and Hawk's parents, other family members (brothers, sisters)
"gone before credits" citizen, who before the opening credits would be seen walking past a house, hearing strange, eerie noises, before being seen to be vanishing into thin air. This quickly sets the equilibrium of a small village with a low population, and very soon a disruption with the eerie noises and the disappearance.

Script

EXT. HAUNTED HOUSE. EVENING

There is a storm and a flash of lightning appears. DEMETRIA enters with a fearful expression on her face. She walks towards the house and stops to think for a few seconds.

DEMETRIA

(Reluctantly)

Well, this is my last hope.

She proceeds to walk further towards the house. He walks through the door, which is slightly ajar.

INT. ABANDONED HOUSE LIVING ROOM. EVENING

DEMETRIA enters to find several misplaced household items across the floor, such as photographs and lamps and sofas. The room is also very dark, which prompts her to find a light switch and turn it on. She walks further to explore the area, before stopping.

DEMETRIA

(Turns around to face the door)

Hello? Is anyone there?

She waits for an answer, but after hearing no sign of activity, continues to walk on. A roaring sound comes from the door, but DEMETRIA has already left the room

INT. ABANDONED HOUSE KITCHEN. EVENING

DEMETRIA finds herself in the kitchen, which, much like the living room, is something of a mess. The first thing she notices is the running tap water. She is startled by this and turns it off. She walks further on to find two used glasses.

DEMETRIA

(In thought)

Ah-ha…

She proceeds to walk away to explore further. The sound of lightning once again appears, this time heard by DEMETRIA.

DEMETRIA

(turns around to face kitchen, is startled)

Hello!?

She doesn’t get an answer, and therefore continues to walk away.

INT. ABANDONED HOUSE STAIRWAY. EVENING

DEMETRIA faces the stairs in front of her, and walks up after a few seconds of observation and thought. She fears for her life and what awaits her at the upper floor.

INT. ABANDONED HOUSE BEDROOM. EVENING.

She finds the bedroom, which is a mess, with items once again scattered across the floor. She begins exploring until the room shakes violently.

DEMETRIA

(Frightened)

What the hell is going on?

The turbulence knocks her to the ground. She gets back up after a short while and runs towards the bed. She stands beside it as the shaking dies down.

DEMETRIA

(relieved) *sighs*

She discovers a note placed on top of the pillow, which reads “HELP ME / I CAN HEAR SOMETHING COMING / I’M NOT GOING TO BE HERE MUCH L”… DEMETRIA is horrified upon this discovery.

DEMETRIA

*Gasps*

After another brief moment of thought, she begins to walk away, until another roaring sound scares her off. She notices the drawers rumbling from the noise, and runs further back as the roaring continues. This is followed by the light switch seemingly turning itself off, Further frightening him.

DEMETRIA

What the…!?

There is a much louder roar, and she begins to run swiftly through the BEDROOM, until she stops briefly to look both ways to ensure the area is clear, and continues to run down the stairs in the STAIRWAY, then into the KITCHEN until he is back inside the LIVING ROOM, near the door. She takes her time to relax.

DEMETRIA

Phew.

After a few seconds, there is another much louder roar, and DEMETRIA can now see where the roaring is coming from.

DEMETRIA

*gasps*

The mysterious entity charges quickly towards her, too fast for her to try and make an escape. We hear a zap, and the screen turns to black.

Storyboard