Author: Isabella Garcia

Actors

I will be the primary and only actor for our film opening because the opening scene centralizes around one individual running away from a gruesome outtake. In our scene we only focus on one individual running around, trying to escape from the evil that is upon her. She is the primary focus because it’ll introduce what is coming next into the movie. In horror movies, females usually are the first to die off in an opening and they have an impact in the beginning of the film or later on.

Schedule

For our schedule, the considerations we need to make is when my partner and I are available, our ride situation, and the time. We plan to shoot in the evening where the sun sets to a grey, dark looking sky because the lighting is crucial to the opening scene to create that eerie and suspenseful mood. My partner and I are likely available all week except Sunday, but due to our ability in not owning a car or driving, we have to rely on our parents to take us to our film location and that could prove to be difficult. It depends on what days our parents are free from work and if they are available to take us to the park to shoot. They may also be weary on the two of us shooting close to dark where we can easily get lost in the massive park.

Our film will be shot in Withlacoochee River Park due to the scenery the land beholds. It has this massive tower that will be the end point for our film opening and it has a massive area filled with eerie looking trees, overgrown grass, and a river where our main character will be running around trying to escape. The nature surrounding the park will be filled with sounds my partner and I can use for our film such as leaves crunching, the river flowing, and twigs breaking, and so on. The park holds an ideal setting perfect for our horror movie. 

Production companies that specialize in films similar to my own are A24 and Blumhouse productions. A24 is a production company that specializes in a range of films, but similar to my own as they produce quality psychological films such as Midsommar, The Lighthouse, Hereditary, and The Witch along with many other films. Blumhouse productions produce a range of horror films and produced Get Out which is a film similar to my own. They have quality films that scare you to death, for example, Insidious saga, Paranormal Activity saga, Sinister, and many more.  

 I plan to produce with this independent and small production company, A24. A24 would be the ideal production company because they produced high quality psychological films that I and many others enjoy greatly. My film is based on that area of genre and thus needs a company that is able to advertise and produce many hits. They were formed about 7 years ago, but they have risen into an ideal company as their movies have shown wonders such as Midsommar, Hereditary, and The Witch which drawn in the audience. Hereditary has 44 wins and has been nominated 103 times meanwhile Midsommar won 18 times and received 42 nominations and this means A24 holds amazing psychological films that have been successful in the film industry.

Based on the success of A24 films, the audience will know the movie would be something out of the ordinary. Hereditary was a film that may have disturbed the audience in some scenes like a young girl whose head tore apart from her body. The film had the viewers inspecting the puzzle and analyzing it trying to find the meaning behind it all as the whole movie led up to the end which revealed the plot. During the entire duration of Hereditary, a family was terrorized by unexplainable circumstances that ultimately lead to the demise of every family member and resurrected a crucial figure for the cult. The same thing with Midsommar as it was very graphic in some scenes that can make the viewers a bit uneasy, but that is what I am aiming for. Midsommar was based on outsiders visiting an unusual community that had unsettling practices. This led almost every outsider to a tragic death if they disobeyed the people or offended them in anyway. For example, there was an intense scene where an elderly couple jumped off a cliff in order to move on to the next passage of life which is reincarnation, but the scene is very graphic and the some of the outsiders were appalled by this practice which led them to curse at the people and demanding to leave, but later on in the film the audience sees their death in a very gruesome way.

Films that are similar to my own would be It Follows, The Witch, and Hereditary. All three horror films are based on psychological horror which is what I am striving for in my piece. Their audiences are aimed at horror fans especially those who enjoy the puzzle regarding psychological films that root into a deeper meaning underneath the surface. These brilliant and highly reviewed films all have a low budget except Hereditary which is similar to my own of 2 million USD. It Follows has a low budget of 2 million USD, The Witch has 4 millions USD, and Hereditary has 10 million USD. They bewilder the audience into trying to figure out what the synopsis of the film is and analyze the surface of what the director shows you. It really has an impact on the audience because of the disturbing images of deaths and the unsettling feeling it leaves you when you finish the film. It Follows opening scene has the cinematography my partner and I really want to use to incorporate into our own film. The camera solely focuses on the female trying to escape from her attacker, but the audience never knows what it is until later on in the film. The Witch relatively has the same setting our film will be shot in which is the woods and the feel in which the film portrays the woods is what we will try to achieve. The feeling was a brooding and unsettling feel as if the woods were holding evil within. Hereditary holds a plot that involves demons and a cult that my partner and I have in our own film.

Driving Insanity is about a family terrorized by a cult and a supernatural being due to their failed ritual portrayed in the opening scene. A follower in the cult offers her family to summon their “God” to come and rule them, spreading evil all throughout. This is caused by a chain of event followed by the opening scene of the failed ritual in which their sacrifice has escaped, but is driven mad by the horrid scene before her and she ultimately ends her life. Though, the audience will have no sense of what the plot is going to be in the opening scene. It will leave them in utter suspense and curiosity as the camera work will solely focus on female trying to escape and not show the beings following her. This is for the sole purpose of trying to strive for a psychological horror film that will leave the audience in horror and distraught from the intense images that the opening scene will show.

This film deserves the chance to be recognized for A24 production company due to the intense feel I will strive for just how Midsommar, The Witch, and Hereditary were. With their help, I will use the money to create a modern psychological film that will draw in the audience with the disturbing scenes and the depth of meaning behind the project. It is called Driving Insanity for a purpose which is to mess with the mind of the viewers. 

The film would be exhibited by showcasing in film festivals to draw in producers and companies to help out with the project into broadcasting it worldwide. The film would cast off in all theaters and hopefully critics along with the audience would enjoy the film, making back the money. It is a bold move, but with the help of A24 and other companies, the film would regain recognition and viewers would be interested. The trailers would be eerie and not give too much away like the Hereditary trailer and Midsommar. Hereditary had the eerie music, intense scenes, and the unsettling popping noises along with the basis of the film. Midsommar also had suspenseful music and cynical scenes along with the unusual plot of the film. Both trailers are perfect examples of how I wanna portray my film. 

https://youtu.be/5qqLG-AjOTo

The opening scene creates a sense of mystery as to where is this movie gonna lead into. It’s a modern a black and white movie and a 4:3 ratio screen which is a bold move for a film director. This is portrayed through the use of mise-en-scène, editing, cinematography, and sound. Mise-en-scène is shown by costuming as it shows two sailor men heading on shore to the lighthouse. One is an older man with a smoke pipe and a full beard and the other one has a thick mustache and sideburns. Cinematography is shown through long shots, medium shot, over-the-shoulder shot, and a low angle shot. The long shots show the two sailors sitting very stiff like and very close to one another looking off into the ocean which creates a sense of mystery as to what they are looking at or the relation the duo have. It also happens once again with the sailor men walking towards the lighthouse without ever acknowledging one another and a flock of birds overheads them. The medium shots showed the pair together with non emotive faces and the way the shot is set up makes it look like they’re staring right at you. The over-the-shoulder shot shows the pair staring off at the lighthouse that beams upon as they start to arrive on shore which makes it seem like the lighthouse is staring them down. The low angle shot was used to show the duo walking on steep steps which creates the feel of the setting which is an island. The blocking between the two sailor men is a sense of mystery because there is no dialogue in the opening scene only the sound of the harsh waves, the terrifying loud blow horn, and the flock of birds as if foreseeing an event. The editing is interesting as the scene opens up with a foggy, unclear grey screen and gradually turns into a a view of the ocean then cuts to waves crashing. The editing has cuts every now and then to pick up the pace and establish no blocking between any characters.

The opening scene portrayed a sense of mystery and suspense due to the interaction of the antagonist and a victim. This is portrayed through the use of mise-en-scène, cinematography, and sound. Mise-en-scène is used through costuming, makeup, hairstyle, and props/decor. The costuming of the man was casual workplace clothing and the makeup is set to a minimum along with the hair being natural and gelled back. The antagonist is all black which can be a costume along with deep shadows and messy hair with long claw like fingernails. The decor props include blood and the decor is set to be in a mannequin warehouse where the man is all alone dealing with the antagonist. The cinematography is shown through close up shots, over-the-shoulder shot, insert shot, tilt shot, tracking shot, and long shot. The close up shots are used to display the sheer terror the man has when he faces the antagonist and fear of the unknown as he doesn’t know what the antagonist looks like nor what does it want. The over-the-shoulder shot shows what the man sees in his perspective which is the antagonist is a crouched position then slowly standing up. Then again where the man looks back only to find the antagonist disappeared which creates the feeling of suspense. The insert shot was used to show the wound the antagonist inflicted on the man as he looked down after he was attacked which senses mystery to what the antagonist is up to play. The tilt shot was used to create a sense of mystery as the man looks down to see the antagonist not interfere with the dark and stay in the deep shadows of the dark. The tracking shot follows the man as he runs away from the antagonist into a room. Then the long shot showed the man in the room from a distance and showed the lights flickering inside along with the man looking out for the creature of the dark. Then again once the man is beaten and bloodied to death as blood pours from his darkened, black eyes. Sound is evident by the mauling of the body and once it’s dumped in the middle of the walkway and the creatures weird noises along with the man’sounds of pain which adds to the feeling of suspense.

The opening scene gives off a shock feeling for the audience and indicates that any individual can die, no matter the age. It also sets off the plot to the film by staying quiet so the creatures don’t hear you then attack. This is portrayed through the use of mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing and sound. Mise-en-scène is shown through costuming, makeup, haistyle, props/decor, and along with setting. The characters are shown to be in casual winter clothing with thick sweaters, beanies, vest jackets, and scarves along with the use of backpacks that look like for scavenging items and hoarding them. The makeup is set to minimum, but the characters look rugged and dirty with unkept, messy hairstyles which indicates the individuals must’ve been on survivor mode. The props include the airplane toy, batteries, and the decor includes a supermarket and a deserted town. The setting seems to be unclear as the opening scene only shows the characters leaving the deserted supermarket and abandoned town. The cinematography shows group shots, over-the-shoulder shot, close up shots, a two shot, and a birds eye view shot. The group shots establishes a blocking relation between the family as they all travel together in a unified line from the parents to the children and how the parents teach their children to be safe. The close up shots establish an emotive capture of the horror the parents have if there children get into a dangerous situation. For example, the youngest child had a toy rocket with batteries inside and the horror on the father and mother’s face was evident as the father pries away the toy in a caution manner while telling him the purpose he did so was to remain in silence because it’s important. Then again once the child plays the loud toy rocket resulting in the father racing to the child as the close up shot captures the fear in his eyes along with hope to reach the boy in time and the mother who holds a hand to her mouth showing visible realization that her child is gonna die. The two shot between big sister and the little brother show that the sister is sympathetic to her sibling and gives the toy back because she felt he needed joy in the horrid place which foreshadows future events. The birds eye view shot shows the family traveling back to base which indicates that they are survivors in a world where they adapted to being silent and hold each other close. The editing is slow paced from the beginning then increases as the father and the creature race to get to the child and then slows down again once the child is snatched up by the beast which resulted in the father slowing down to the spot where his son once was. The sound is practically deafening silent because the a loud sound can cause a horrific interaction with the creature who attacks wherever there is sound. For example, once the youngest child plays the loud rocket sound the creature races right towards and eventually snatches him up for the purpose of food.

The opening scene gives off a disturbing feeling and a site of the antagonist at play due to mise-en-scène, editing, cinematography, and sound. Mise-en-scène is portrayed through costume, makeup, hairstyle, props, and setting. The setting is heavy pelting of rain as Georgie runs through the suburban neighborhood playing. He is dressed in a bright yellow raincoat with minimal makeup because of his youthfulness and runs with a paper boat prop that provides significance. The paper boat falls into a sewer in which he meets the antagonist. The antagonist is dressed as a clown with all white makeup, red lips that go across his face, mouth-filled saliva, and huge yellow teeth which indicates a suspicious feel due to the stigma surrounding clowns because many individuals fear them or find them creepy. The props includes blood and a paper boat. The cinematography includes birds eye shot, point of view shot, close up shot, low angle shot, cutaway shot, and over-the-shoulder shot. The birds eye shot is the shown in the opening scene looking at Georgie chase his paper boat in which sets off a happy tone and then again at the end where it shows Geogie’s arm ripped off, spewing blood along with a hand reaching out towards him which is unsettling to the audience. The point of view shot can be decided on Georgie interacting with the antagonist in the sewer and looking down at him which gives off a suspicious feel of the deep shadows covering the antagonist. The close up shot is used to show the antagonist opening his massive jaw and big gnarly teeth to clamp down on Georgie’s arm, ripping it off. The cutaway shot is used to show another individual and their cat looking at Georgie during the storm when he is talking to the antagonist and then again once Georgie disappears which indicates a suspenseful feel as an individual who is a witness doesn’t know what happened to the youthful child. The over-the-shoulder shot showed the elderly lady being oblivious to where the child went as she looks out to the spot where he once was, but in reality he was dragged away by the antagonist. The editing was used by the use of slow cuts in the beginning, but once Georgie was reaching for his paper boat from the clown, the pace started to get a lot faster until the clown bites Georgie. Sound is protrayed through the screams of Georgie which is chilling and the dialogue between the antagonist and Georgie. The dialogue includes the naive boy who decides to trust the clown as the clown talks to the boy in a friendly manner and establishes trust. In the end, the antagonist bites Georgie’s arm off when he reaches for his paper boat, portraying the unsettling feeling seeing a child spew blood out his stump, screaming for the help of his brother, and dies off. It foreshadows events involving children and their importance to the antagonist.

The opening title sequence shows the dynamic between a set of chain reactions that is about to occur and the blocking between the family. This is portrayed through the use of mise-en-scène, cinematography, sound, and editing. Mise-en-scène includes costuming, props/decor, setting, makeup, and hairstyle. The costuming shows everyone in formal attire as they head and attend a funeral of the deceased grandmother. The family all have natural looks and simplistic hairstyle and the setting first takes place in their home then to the funeral home. The props include a chocolate bar and sketchbook the daughter takes on which shows her child like behavior indicating youth. The decor shows the tree house being a sanctuary for the daughter as she sleeps there displeasing her father and the typical boy room the son has with the blue walls and masculine decor. The first shots show an art like studio which holds display models which indicates curiosity as to who holds that room. The cinematography includes pan shots, long shots, a dolly in, tilt shot, medium shot, a cutaway, over-the-shoulder shot, close up shots, and an insert shot. The opening scene shows a pan shot to where it showcases an artistic room and dollying in to a room whee the father tells his son to get ready for the funeral. There is a long shot then a tily showing the father walk out of the house towards the tree house and then moving down to the mother who is already dressed and irritated her daughter is up in the tree house or how she is tired of waiting. Once at the funeral home, there is an over-the-shoulder shot on the mother addressing a crowd unknown to her and then a close up showing her facial reaction to her speech which seems grim. There is a cutaway to the daughter staring strangely at her grandmother’s necklace and the blurry background comes to focus as she turns around looking at a man smiling at her. There is close up shots to show the family’s reactions to the speech and then shows the father looking down at his daughter being distracted and closes her sketchbook. The insert shot shows the sketchbook she is drawing in and then a last family shot showing the parents worried about the daughter’s peanut allergy. Sounds are portrayed through the daughter’s popping sounds and her eating chocolate. The daughter seems to be a strange one who is in her own little world by being in the tree house her parents don’t want her in and being observant to her surroundings. The son has barely any screen time as the focus is on the girl.