Treatment
Working
Title of Film: Jack
Tagline
of the film: Are you sure you want to wake him up?
Production
Name: SKASA Productions
Medium: Audio – Visual
Duration: 5 minutes
Certification: 15
Target Audience:
- Aged 15 – 18
- Male and Female
- British/
live locally
- Any
religion/ ethnicity/nationality
- In
school/college and potentially university
- Subject interests: all types including sociology
and history etc.
- Variety
of skills e.g. social skills and organisation skills.
- Occupations:
unemployed, employed (part time job/full
time/apprenticeship/internship)
- Aim
to go to university or to go straight into a job
- Social classes D and E
- Hobbies include: socialising, social
networking, going shopping (g), hanging
out with friends, partying, playing sports (b), reading, watching films,
watching YouTube videos, vines etc.
Aspirers - become more satisfied with their image
Succeeders – work hard in their time in education however like to enjoy
themselves with the break that they deserve, aspire to achieve a top job in
their career goals and therefore want to succeed.
Explorers – Like
trying new things and gaining new experiences. Enjoy going out of their comfort
zone.
Synopsis:
·
Start – The film starts off
with two people throwing a jack in the box off a bridge saying to never go near
it again. It lands, and the next days a group of teenage boys goes near it and
play with it not knowing the consequences.
·
Middle - The boy who turned the
handle to make the jack in the box appear is on his way home when weird things
starts to happen to him for example he sees a black figure flash past him and
feels as if somebody is following him. In fear, he calls his sister to walk
home with him but even whilst with her bad things happen to him. He sees
something being carved into his skin which falls off however it is just him
imagining in his head. His sister is unable to see everything that he is
imagining that is happening to him. The ghost haunting him tries to kill him
and then he realizes the box is still with him
·
End - He then throws the box as
far as he can to stop all this happening to him. After he realizes it was the
jack in the box that did this all to him, he throws the box as far away from
him as possible. He find relief in that all haunted things stop happening and
goes home with his sister. As he gets home, his sister converses with his
mother and he goes straight up stairs to his room. He starts getting changed
and then goes to open his wardrobe door. However when he opens it, the ghost
pops up and the film ends.
Main
characters –
·
Girl running = Farzana/Unknown (17/unknown)
Her use of common colours associated with a female
connotes her sexuality and adds to the representation of being a girl as she is
wearing reds and pinks as opposed to green which could be suggested is a ‘man’s
colour’. Her costume add to the depiction of winter time which the scene is set
in.
·
Main Characters = Hasan/Hasan (aged 17/ aged 18)
Dark haired, his stereotypical clothing of wearing
blue jeans, trainers and a big parka coat adds to the representation of him
being a young teenage boy who cares about his appearance.
·
Main character’s friend = Shahin/Shahin (aged 18/ aged 18)
Also dark haired, smaller suggesting he is more
vulnerable compared to Hasan. His clothing contrasts to Hasan who cares about
his appearance however Shahin has a more youthful look in which connotes he is
younger than Hasan. His scruffiness and messiness represents him as a
stereotypical boyish boy.
·
Main character’s friend no.2 = Simi/Simi (aged 17/ aged 18)
Brunette. The character of his friend is represented
to be the more feminine out of the two. She adds to the construct of a typical
teenage girl who enjoys devouring her materialistic image. This is shown
through her use of costume for example her bag and clothing.
·
Main character’s sister = Sharmila/ Sharmila (aged 17/Aged 14)
Despite the other characters,
this character is the youngest however wears a headscarf to illustrate her
religion, even though it is not mentioned throughout the short film. She is
dressed in school uniform connoting that she is a school girl and her messiness
portrays the imagery of her messing around as children do.
·
Sharmila’s friends = Names unknown (Aged 17-18/aged
13-15)
The friendship between the girls
is visible to the audience through their use of language and costume. The have
similar fashion sense, which is one reason as to why they are friends and also
they wear headscarf suggesting that their religion brings them closer together.
However unlike Sharmila, her friends are ‘out of uniform’ as they decided to go
shopping instead thus adding peer pressure on Sharmila to stay with her friends
or to go out with the. The colours they wear are normally dark colours such as
blacks, navy, burgundy etc. however have a smart, sophisticated twist to it.
·
Ghost: ________/_________ (aged __ /aged __)
Through the use of lighting, the
ghost will be presented as a dark, sinister character. The high angles used
will present the dripping of blood from his face yet the dark clothing will
hide almost all of the body/skin of the actor therefore all that will be
visible to the audience is a blackish figure with a disorientated face.
Key
scenes (explain through technical codes)
·
The scene fades into action of
a point of view shot of someone running. A deep orchestral sound is heard which
adds an eerie and creepy element to the beginning of the scene. A girl’s non
diegetic heavy breaths can be heard as it seems as if she is running.
·
(Scene 1) It then opens up to a handheld
camera tracking shot of a girl running towards a dead end in a forest. As she
is running, the camera falls as the girl trips and lands on the ground. Her
non-diegetic panting can be heard whilst the sinister background music
intensifies with a sound mirroring a beat. The camera stays stationary as she lies
on the ground but she quickly gets up, and she begins to run, whilst the camera
follows quickly after her. A hand held camera will be used to represent a
distorted visual effect added onto the scene implying that something that is
chasing after her. The shots used will be fast paced establishing shots to
create a sense of unawareness within the audience and that they do not know
what to expect. However as the ghost flashes by, a specific sound motif will be
used for the audience to recognize that he is the villain in the film and that
every time he gets closer, the scene becomes more intense. As the girl realizes
the cause of this fanatic horror, she brings out a box presented through a
birds eye view close up shot, which quickly shifts to a mid shot of her
throwing the box away from her. The camera follows the box down to the floor
however in slow motion which lands and bounces on the floor in a close up shot.
The editing effects will demonstrate the dust frolicking around in the air
between the grass shears in an extreme close up shot. The intensified suspenseful music stops and
the bounces and clattering of the box can be heard instead. However the frame
moves back to a mid shot of the girl in which her facial expressions show a
sign of relief. As all the chaos stops, she looks around and the diegetic
sounds of her running as well as the visual of her running is seen.
·
(Scene 2) The next scene starts off a
year later, with diegetic dialogue occurring amongst a group of friends in a
mid shot. The two boys are standing whilst kicking a football whilst towards
the back, there is a young girl sitting on a bench, occupied by her phone. Ambient
sounds of birds can be heard in the background. The diegetic dialogue becomes
clear and the frame moves to a mid shot of Hasan with an angered expression
saying, “Give me the ball, man!” His mode of address connotes that he is
talking to his friend or in fact presents his dialect as informal a whole. The
mid shot moves to a wide panning shot that stops until the second boy, Shahin,
is in the middle of the frame. As he kicks the ball about by himself, he
replies and says, “Come and get it then, what the heck!” Both boys’ use of
costume connotes that they are stereotypical teenagers who enjoy playing sports
yet care less about their appearance.
The frame cuts to a wide
shot from within the bush, almost as if something is spying on them. However
the next diegetic dialogue comes from the girl sitting in the back in a close
up shot of her face. Throughout the whole dialogue, music can be heard however
as it is non diegetic, it is not clear as to where it is coming from, yet the
muted sound suggests that it is coming from a phone of some sort. The camera
reverse shots used to present the interaction are fairly long, however when
Hasan kicks the ball at Simi, which then bounces into the bush, the shots are
short and fast paced to keep up with the commotion. The shot cuts back to a
neutral close up shot of Simi and then back to a mid-shot from inside the bush
showing Hasan’s legs walking towards the bush. The dialogue continues but a
panning shot is used to show both boys trying to reach into the bush. An
extreme close up shot is used to show their faces but with a low angle within
the bush to connote the boys’ dominance.
When he pulls out a dirty
box instead of the ball, Shahin’s excitement is portrayed though his tone of
voice which zooms onto the box within his hands. When nobody replies to him,
his use of dialogue capture’s Simi’s attention whereas Hasan replies with an
irritated tone. As Simi walks over to Shahin, a wide shot is also used to incorporate
the setting; the bush, as well as all three characters in the scene. Simi bends
down next to Shahin which is shown through a two shot of them analyzing the box
which through a vertical panning shot, shows them standing up. Shot reverse
shot is then used again between Shahin and Simi to present their diegetic
dialogue.
Irritably, Hasan gets up
and an arc shot is used to enter him into the frame. As he starts to wind the
box, the dialogue of Simi and Shahin fades out and instead, intensified music
come on. The tinkering of him twisting the handle can be heard but is seen
through a slow motion. The frame cuts to a shot back in the bush which zooms
into the box in Hasan’s hands, and then on to Hasan. The incidental sound
intensifies which then stops as the jack in the box pops open. As the camera
reverse shots flicker between Simi and Shahin whilst they talk, Hasan is
fixated on the box. A point of view shot is used on the box in his hands which
tilts in different angles to give the disorientated effect. Simi nudges Hasan
and jolting at the action, the editing techniques stops and presents a normal
close up point of view shot as opposed to what he was previously seeing. The point of view shots continue as he looks
between Shahin and Simi which then moves to a low angle ‘insinuating’ his
dominance whereas in fact he is slightly scared. A long shot is then used to
show the two walking off whereas Hasan stays behind looking at the box. He
picks up the box in a tracking shot, which then turns into an over the shoulder
shot where Simi and Shahin are in defocus. The main focus stays on Hasan
looking down. He then starts to walk after them however he also becomes
defocused as a black figure moves into the frame. The over the shoulder shot
used insinuates that something is now after him, and a slight sting can be
heard, which will be used whenever the ghost comes near.
·
(Scene 3) A long shot is used when Hasan
is walking the streets. There are ambient sounds of cars zooming past in the
background whilst the music blaring from his headphones can be heard. However
soon after, he can start hearing eerie breaths in his headphones for long
durations instead of his music. In the close up shot, he takes off his head
phones which he then wipes in an extreme close up shot of his hands thinking
that there’s something wrong with them. He then puts it back into his ears and
continues walking. His music cuts off and the sinister sound effects in his
ears can be heard again. The camera angles start tilting, giving a
disorientated effect which he begins to panic at. In the mid shot, he looks
around when a black figure flashes past him from the other side. He then begins
to walk faced paced in the opposite direction and brings his phone to his ear.
A split screen appears of
him on the left and Sharmila on the right. The dialogue resembles a typical
sibling relationship yet his tone and mode of address is almost as if he is
scared. Whilst in the close up split screen and her friends in the background,
Sharmila is the main focus of the second screen and the diegetic voices of her
friends can also be heard as they laugh with each other. Before she can finish
speaking, Hasan cuts her off, and looks around one last time in the mid shot. The
split screen disappears as soon as he puts his phone down before the sinister music
arises again yet very faint.
·
(Scene 4) The ambient sounds of children
screaming and playing can be heard whilst Hasan and Sharmila are in an establishing
long shot walking together into a tunnel, yet with an arm-length distance between
them. A long shot is used to show the dirty setting, with the lights
flickering, adding to the discomfort of the audience. His facial expressions
and body language view him to be very uncomfortable in a two shot and his voice
is a little shaky as he starts off his diegetic dialogue. When Sharmila
replies, she looks ‘weirdly’ at him in a close up shot which then moves onto
focusing on the box’s shape in his bag. Her dialogue connotes that she thinks it
for her, but the frame then moves back to a mid shot as he shifts his bag
towards the back and changes the subject. He starts talking which drifts off as
a point of view shot, showing a black bloodied, hooded figure standing right in
front of him. He starts to panic in a mid shot whilst his sister looks ahead to
see what is causing him to react like this in addition to the sting and suspenseful
music arising. He looks again and the disembodied figure gets closer and he
jumps back panting heavily. His sister’s worried tone becomes muted whilst the
intense music amplifies as well as the camera becoming disorientated. The use
of editing will add to the effect of his mind playing games on him. Blurred
lines waver across the screen, as a zoom is used in and out on Hasan. Hasan
then falls to the ground and a close up point of view shot is used of him trying
to get up yet when he looks at his hand, he sees blood and something carved
into it. In an extreme close up shot, he tries wiping it as he cannot believe
it is real; however at his touch, the skin flops off revealing the flesh and
blood underneath. A close up shot then shows his facial expression, but when he
looks back at his hand, there is nothing there. The camera zooms back out into
a long shot of him running whilst his sister is calling after him. The point of
view shot just shows him running, but only him and in silence. He voice echoes
but it’s too late.
An establishing shot is
used of him running into a park with a maze like plantation however his heavy
breathes and panting is the only thing the audience can hear. His footsteps
swishing can slightly be heard however the intense music becomes louder again
causing him to panic with fear. As the black figure becomes visible in the background
of the shot, a sting can be heard. A point of view shot is then used to show
Hasan running in the dim lighting. It then moves back to Hasan who bangs his
hand on metal box in his bag due to his bag moving around whilst he runs. The
sound effect of a clang can be heard thus the pain causes him to stop and the
sinister music becomes loudest at this point. He brings the box out in a close
up shot, but with a slow motion effect as he brings it to his face. The close
up shot’s focus is on the box as his face becomes defocused yet the visibility
of him breathing heavily can still evidently be seen in the shot.
The montage starts off grey
and black effect, with a slice sound effect to introduce it into the short
film. With a point of view shot, the audience can see Hasan picking up the box
and holding it in his hands which then wavers slowly in a tilting motion onto
Shahin and Simi in slow motion. It then fades to the next point of view shot of
him putting it into his bag. It fades again into the point of view shot where he
was alone and the ghost flashes past which knocks his hand side-ways hitting
his bag. The slice sound effect can be heard and the visual effect added goes
back to normal.
As the music grows louder
coming out of the montage into the current scene, he realizes he needs to get
rid of the box however as the ghost becomes exceedingly close, in a wide shot,
he throws the box away from him. A close up shot shows the box in the air
whilst the music silences and the black disembodied figure’s point of view shot
shows his hands reaching for Hasan’s face which then fades into nothing. The
box clangs onto the floor and then there is silence. Hasan sits with his head in his hands
breathing heavily. In the distance of a long shot, he sees his sister running
towards him, blurring into focus whilst her dialogue presented through yelling
becomes clearer. A close up shot is then used of her finishing off her dialogue
through shot reverse shots, it then shifts to a high angle shot of Hasan on the
floor. As he gets up, a two long shot is used of them walking off whilst he
looks around one last time with a sigh of relief.
·
(Scene 5) A point of view shot is used from Hasan of his sister walking into
their home where their mother walks towards them. A mid shot is then used of
Sharmila and her Mother conversing through camera reverse shots whilst a camera
angle from the top of the stairs is used to show Sharmila and her mum towards
the left of the frame, whilst Hasan is coming closer to the top of the
staircase. A mid shot is then used of them conversing whilst the scene shows an
arc shot towards the stairs.
Their voices go from clear
to muffled as Hasan shuts his bedroom door in a mid shot. He lays on his bed
for a second in a wide shot which then becomes a close up shot of his face as
he breathes heavily with his head on his pillow. He then wipes his face with
his hands and moves out of the shot as he gets up. In a close up shot, he puts
his phone on charge and it makes a noise as he plugs it in but the camera angle
will be neutral. He mutters to himself under his breath about not being able to
find his pyjamas as he takes his jumper off and throws it onto the bed which is
seen in another extreme close up shot. As he goes to open his wardrobe, a point
of view shot is used as he quickly looks towards his feet. The sinister music
slowly arises again however a mid shot shows him with the cupboard doors open,
but picking something up off the floor. As he throws it in the bin and turns back
around to the cupboard, it turns into a point of view shot again however this time;
the ghost appears instead with a loud sudden short scream sound effect which
can be heard with a loud crash and a bang. The ghost’s white face with white
eyes however the rest of him black can be seen which is the only time in the
whole short film that his face is visible. His eyes are bleeding and he holds
the jack in the box in his hands however when Hasan looks to the side, the
camera focuses on the bloodied writing on the inner side of his cupboard door
saying “Are you sure you wanted to wake me up?” and then back into a close up
shot of the ghost zooming into the camera as if it is coming into Hasan. The
scene then goes black and the music stops.
·
As the credits start, the
screen stays black however the text comes up in white on the right hand corner
of the frame. A slow yet eerie sound comes up as the characters are enlisted. The
film finishes, which all eventually silences and the screen goes blank.
