Short Film - Treatment

 

Act One :

 

The film opens with an overhead shot of our protagonist (Lena – female, roughly 25 years old), lying in bed at the beginning of her day. At this moment, We hear an optimistic, calming score (self - composed), emphasizing the calm of the morning, as the camera slowly zooms in towards her face. We then hear a sharp interruption to score by an alarm clock noise, already setting the audience on edge slightly. We then have a series of fast-pace close-ups, with quick editing, showing our protagonist preparing themselves for the day (teeth-brushing, biting into toast, slurping cup of tea, finishing with our protagonist putting on bright lipstick in an extreme-close up)

During this sequence, the cuts between shots will be accompanied by a ‘whoosh’ sound effect, to make the spectator feel at ease – giving the film a ‘sit-com’ feel to start off with. This section will also be accompanied by score (original)

The first act ends with our protagonist leaving their home with a long shot of them walking out of their flat into a corridor, having walked past a mirror and a side table next to their front door. In this first section, I want to introduce our audience to the protagonist, Lena, a seemingly harmless, ‘every-woman’ character, and the setting, and urban area, which will be London.

·       (Roughly 1 minute) 

Act Two : 

I want to open the ‘second Act’ of my film with one reasonably long establishing shot of the protagonist on the tube, reading a paper with a headline focusing on an unsolved, loose mass- killer – a ‘Sun’ headline – something undignified and unempathetic (here I want no score – slightly eerie) – This will set up the focus of my film well. I will then Cut to protagonist outside Parliament, filming as a journalist/news reporter, further establishing their character as charming and likeable as well as trustworthy. The Protagonist will report on this mass killer, reading a statement from the prime minister on the criminal. 

I then want to use a series of shots during a ‘news report’ sequence, showing a camera man of the news report and using diegetic sound of a news-room asking questions to reporter about her report. 

I want this ‘Report sequence’ to end with a ‘thank you Lena’, said by the  main news reader in an unseen studio. The Protagonist then will greet her camera and sound people goodbye, and will begin to cross over waterloo bridge, further establishing London as the setting. 

For this section, I would like to use an establishing/ wide shot of the protagonist from other the side of the  bridge, showing her on her phone. I want to use some interesting editing next, with the camera cutting and zooming in on Lena each time a car passes – this will happen two or three times, building tension and further focusing in on the character of Lena. 

I would then like to have a shot of her phone, showing a text from her boss, explaining that their channel have been given new leads into the unknown killer.

The leads will include a CCTV camera footage photograph, showing the suspect wearing brightly coloured gloves, boots and a hat. 

The Boss then calls now a seemingly panicked Lena – he excitedly relates to her the leads in dialogue, which the spectator hears brief sections of – Lena (protagonist) then suddenly hangs up the phone, looking more visually stressed, building anticipation for the viewer. 

·      

 (Roughly 3 mins)

Act Three :

 

I then want to use a repeated shot of Lena on tube, this time looking panicked and nervous – this will provide an interesting contrast from the shot in the previous act. I would also like to use a tense-sounding score (original), building further audience anticipation. 

I will then create a shot of Lena from a window, running up the stairs of her block of flats, running towards her flat –  this will be the highest point of tension of the film, with the score reaching a climax. The shot of the corridor will also be repeated, with Lena running into her flat this time, again, panicked and stressed. The music will cut out when Lena re-enters her flat, shutting her door suddenly. I then want to use a long, tracking shot of Lena, picking up something up from her side table. I then want to cut to her bedroom again, with Lena sitting on the end of her bed, suddenly far calmer. Lena then picks up the items she received from her side table earlier, from next to her, and puts on the items of clothing as seen in the CCTV footage of the criminal, revealing Lena herself to be said killer. I want to use some form of expressive lighting at this point, as well as editing, before cutting to black as the film concludes. 

·       

(Roughly 1 minute)