Shooting Script

SHOOTING SCRIPT

Key

LS: Long Shot

MS: Medium Shot

PL: Pan Left

PR: Pan Right

CU: Close up

DA: Dutch Angle

TU: Tilt Up

TD: Tilt Down

ECU: Extreme Close Up

ELS: Extreme Long Shot

LA: Low Angle

HA: High Angle

MCU: Medium Close Up

OA: Opposite Angle

MLS: Medium Long Shot

ZI: Zoom In

ZO: Zoom Out

B+W: Black and White

OTSS: Over The Shoulder Shot
 

Band Stand - Scene One

SHOT ONE: LS, Mary runs to the band stand to greet James

SHOT TWO: MS, PL, Mary enters the band stand and hugs James

SHOT THREE: MCU, LA, DA, Continuity, Mary Hugs James

Pathway - Scene Two

SHOT FOUR: MS, Mary and James walk hand in hand away from the camera

SHOT FIVE: MS, Mary and James walk hand in hand towards the camera

Gardens - Scene Three

SHOT SIX: HA, James looks down on Mary

SHOT SEVEN: LA, DA, Mary kisses James

SHOT EIGHT: MCU, Mary kisses James

SHOT NINE: DA, MCU, OA, James puts his arm around Mary

House, Exterior - Scene Four

SHOT TEN: LS, James and Mary walk into the House

House, Interior - Scene Five

SHOT ELEVEN: PL, MS, Mary is sat at the table, pans towards James

SHOT TWELVE: OA, MS, PR, James is sat at the table, Mary is gone

SHOT THIRTEEN: MCU, LA, James Sighs and strokes Mary’s face in a photograph

Beach - Scene Six

SHOT FOURTEEN: MLS, LA, Mary and James are running down the steps, laughing

SHOT FIFTEEN: MS, Mary and James sit on the wall, facing out to sea

SHOT SIXTEEN: CU, DA, James pulls a necklace from his pocket

SHOT SEVENTEEN: MCU, James puts the necklace on Mary

SHOT EIGHTEEN: MCU, Mary holds the necklace in her hands, PL out to sea.

Graphic Match

House Interior - Scene Seven

SHOT NINETEEN: PL, MS, James is sat alone again

SHOT TWENTY: CU, waiter brings out a silver platter

SHOT TWENTY ONE: CU, PL over the meat, the necklace is draped over it

Beach - Scene Eight

SHOT TWENTY TWO: MCU, Mary is smiling wearing the necklace

House Interior - Scene Nine

SHOT TWENTY THREE: LA, DA, MCU, B+W, James puts a napkin round his neck and does a sinister laugh

SHOT TWENTY FOUR: ECU, James’ mouth chewing, meat spilling out

Beach - Scene Ten

SHOT TWENTY FIVE: Mary is smiling, wearing the necklace, it glistens

House Interior - Scene Eleven

SHOT TWENTY SIX: ECU James’ mouth chewing again.

SHOT TWENTY SEVEN: CU, DA, A tear slides down James’ face

SHOT TWENTY EIGHT: HA, MCU, James is looking in a mirror and he strokes his own reflection.

Beach - Scene Twelve

SHOT TWENTY NINE: CU of Mary as she is smiling

House Interior - Scene Thirteen

SHOT THIRTY: LA, MS, James is pouring blood on a plate of bones

SHOT THIRTY ONE: CU, LA, James is pouring blood on a plate of bones

SHOT THIRTY TWO: OTSS, James picks up a bone from the plate

SHOT THIRTY THREE: MS, James is licking the bone

SHOT THIRTY FOUR: HA, CU, James begins to chew the bone

SHOT THIRTY FIVE: CU, A shot of a dead creature or a dead rose.

The Gardens - Scene Fourteen

SHOT THIRTY SIX: LS, James is with another girl, Belle

SHOT THIRTY SEVEN: CU, Belle kisses James

SHOT THIRTY EIGHT: HA, MS, James smiles and puts his hand around Belles neck sadistically, she smiles.

SHOT THIRTY NINE: CU, DA, James pulls out the necklace and puts it on Belle

SHOT FOURTY: CU, Belle is wearing the necklace and smiling

SHOT FOURTY ONE: James smiles sadistically.

New Ideas

After close analysis of my rough edit, i wondered if the idea that he eats her was clear. I decided that i need some more shots of James looking sinister whilst she isn't looking. I also want to include some shots of him doing weird actions around her [for example smelling her hair] to confirm that he is a psychopath. I am going to include some shot that glide over Mary's anatomy. I want to focus on her shoulder's and her neck as though it is through Jame's eyes and film it to the point of fetishism.

First Draft of A Lover's Picnic

First Draft

Rushes

Rushes One: Unused Shot

The footage didn't look natural enough, because the actors were laughing, so i refilmed the same shot.

 

Rushes One: Used Shot

This footage was better because the actors were more relaxed and it didn't look as forced. However i have chopped the footage down so that you cannot see the laughing at the end.

 

Rushes Two: Unused Shot

 

Rushes Two: Used Shot

 

 

 

Rushes Three: Used Shot

Shooting Schedule

Shoot One -  11th November 2012

Shooting of Shots One-Nine 2-3pm

On the 11th Novemeber i needed the actors who played James Malum and Mary.

We went to Sewerby park so that I could film the Pathway and the Band Stand.

Costumes I needed:
Red Dress
Smart Jumper
Blue Jeans
Scarf

Props I needed:
None

Equipment I needed:
Camera
Tripod


Shoot Two - 1st December 2012

Shooting of Shots 11-13, 19-21,23-24, 26-28,30-35 12pm - 2:30pm

On the 1st December i needed the actor who played James.

I filmed this in my grandma's home.

Costumes I needed:
White Shirt
Black Trousers

Props I needed:
The Meat
The Necklace
"Blood"
Bones
Candles
Plate
Knife and Fork

Equipment I needed:
Camera
Tripod
Shoot Three - 9th December 2012

Shooting of Shots 14-18, 22, 25, 29 2-3:30pm

On the 9th December i needed the actors who played James and Mary

I filmed this on the beach in Sewerby.

Costumes I needed:
Tweed Coat
Black Shirt
Brown Coat
Red Scarf
A Shirt

Props I needed:
The Necklace

Equipment I needed:
Camera
Tripod

Shoot Four - 12th January 2013

Shooting of Shots 10, 36-41

On the 12th January i needed the actors who played James, Mary and Belle. 2-3pm

I filmed this on the cliffs in Sewerby and in my Grandma's house.

Costumes I needed:
Red Jumper male and female
Brown Coat
Flowery Scarf
Smart Coat
Black Jeans

Props I needed:
The Necklace

Equipment I needed:
Camera
Tripod

Feminist Film Theory

Feminist Film Theory

Applying Feminist Film Theory to my film in the planning stages, opened a lot of opportunities for me to include in my filming. I made the female characters an object of desire for my protagonist and for the males in my audience. I was able to do this by using extreme close ups of the female anatomy, and dressing Mary in red, which not only suggests danger but desire. Lust doesn’t just mean in a sexual nature it is like a sexual need, James’ wants to eat his lovers, and by doing so also consumes them emotionally.

In Feminist film Theory, the woman is seen as a helpless creature and the man always holds sovereign power, this applies to my film and men can associate with the main character James because as well as objectifying the women they mirror themselves into James and see themselves as a powerful , dominant figure. This also allows the audience to feel like the male protagonist.

Costume

James Malum

Band Stand & Walkway
James is wearing a maroon jumper and scarf to suggest that he is a wealthy man. To begin with, it appears as though James is a regular man.

James' Home

James is wearing a white shirt, white usually suggests innocence but i used white because i wanted to subvert audience expectations. This also gives the impression that he is a smart, respectable man.

The Beach

James is wearing a tweed jacket to support the idea that he is a wealthy, respectable man. The dark shirt underneath was used to represent that he has a dark interior shrouded by the image of his wealth.

Interior

James is wearing a dark red jumper to suggest that his true intentions towards Mary are becoming clearer. It suggests that he is a dangerous character.

The Cliffs

James is wearing a smart coat to suggest that he is a wealthy man and to make a good impression towards Belle.

Mary

Band Stand & Walkway

Mary is wearing a red dress to suggest that she is in danger. The red is symbolic of her blood that will be spilt later in the film.

The Beach

Mary is wearing a white shirt to represent her innocence and a red scarf to symbolise that she is in danger. The brown coat is to suggest that she has dressed smartly to impress the wealthy James.

Interior

I wanted to suggest that Mary wasn't wearing any clothes here, that all she was wearing was the neckalce. This was to suggest that there was an element of lust in the relationship and that James wasn't what he appeared to be.

Belle

The Cliffs

Belle is wearing a red jumper to suggest that she is in danger and that she is James' next victim.

Music Ideas

Claude Debussy

Claire De Lune

I wanted to use this piece of music because the piano is very delicate and sounds romantic. It is also assosiated with many Romantic films. I didn't use it because i wanted something more up-tempo to match the cinematography in my film.

Muriel Anderson

El Noi de la Mare

I wanted to use this piece of music because it sounds very romantic and peaceful, therefore subverting audience expectations. However, i didn't like the sound of the guitar, i wanted to use a piano. I also wanted something a bit mor eup-tempo.

Yann Tiersen

Comptine d'Un Autre Été
From the film Amelie [Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001]

I decided to use this piece of music for my final cut because as well as being romantic there seems to be an underlying tone of despair. As well as this, the tempo is very upbeat and fits with the style of my editing.

Bj Thomas

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head

Music from the film 'Atonement'

Robbie's Note

Penderecki

The Dream of Jacob

 

 

 

 

Animatic

Camera Setups

Health and Safety

RISK ASSESMENT

 

 

Risk	Damage	How to Avoid
Large Logs	Could fall over them	Be cautious
Wet Leaves	Could slip and injure the participant	Don’t rush, be cautious
Not wearing enough clothes	Could cause an illness as we are filming in late Autumn/Winter	Wear more clothes
The cliffs	You could fall off and be seriously injured	Be cautious and don’t venture too close to the edge



Screenplay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A LOVER’S PICNIC

By

Georgia Corrigan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXT. THE GARDENS – DAY

James, a wealthy, seemingly ageless man, and Mary, a young and beautiful woman, are frolicking in the Gardens of James’ stately home. They appear to be madly in love and content with each other as they laugh and joke around.

EXT. JAMES’ MANSION – DAY TURNS DUSK

James and Mary are sat at a table outside of his stately home. They are smiling and look happy, but as the camera swoops around them, the tone changes and Mary is gone. James appears to look sad. It seems as though James is reminiscing about the time’s he has had with Mary.

EXT. THE GARDENS – DAY

James and Mary are together again in the gardens and the montage continues as they laugh and kiss. James pulls a necklace from his pocket and puts it around her neck. She smiles, happily.

EXT. JAME’S MANSION – DUSK

James is alone at the table again, and he rings the bell to call for his staff. There is also a long shot of James’ land and we see the beauties of nature that flourish there.

EXT. THE BEACH – SUNSET

James and Mary are walking hand in hand down the beach and into the sunset. Mary kisses James and he holds her face, lovingly.

EXT. JAMES’ MANSION – DUSK

James kitchen staff brings out a shiny silver platter and places it in front of him. The lid is removed and the beautiful meat is revealed. We see the necklace draped over the meat.

EXT. THE BEACH – SUNSET

Mary is smiling as the necklace glistens around her neck.

EXT. JAMES’ MANSION

James smiles sadistically and seasons his meal with a mysterious red liquid.

EXT. THE BEACH – SUNSET

Mary is smiling again, from a different angle, as we get a close up of the necklace.

EXT. JAMES’ MANSION – DUSK

Close up of the necklace as James finishes his meal. He puts the necklace in his pocket and rings the bell to pay his kitchen staff.

FADE OUT

EXT. THE GARDENS – DAY

James is with another girl, Belle another beautiful woman, and she kisses him. James gets the necklace out of his pocket and puts it around Belle’s neck. The last shot we see is of James, smiling.

 

FIN

 

Storyboard

Audience

AUDIENCE

Certificate: 12A, this is because of the nature of the theme of cannibalism. Because i do not show any graphic or disturbing images the certificate is able to be lower.

Gender: I do not think that my film is gender specific because in today's society, shocking films containing strong themes are accepted as a form of art.

Age Range: 15-25

Type of Audience: People that are interested in student films.

Storyline: My film doesn't possess the narrative structure of a typical blockbuster movie because there is no resolution.

Genre: A romance film in the style of a horror film. A student film.

Type of Film:Arthouse, Student Film

Narrative

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

 

EQUILIBRIUM

 

The couple appear to be happy together.

 

DISRUPTION

 

Mary seems to have disappeared from James’ life.

 

RECOGNITION OF THE DISRUPTION

 

Mary hasn’t disappeared, however she is being served to James on a plate.

 

AN ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE

 

None.

 

RE-EQUILLIBRIUM

 

James appears to be happy with another woman, Belle.

 

I will create the narrative of my film by using a montage sequence to interlink present and past events so that the audience can be lured into a false sense of security when they see the apparently happy couple.

 

Prop List

PROP LIST

-   COOKED MEAT
I will need some meat for James to eat. I chose pork because it  imitates most efficiently what human meat would most look like. After doing some research into the best meat to use i came across an article. Wesker and Son Butcher's in London had opened their store and dressed up the meat to resemble real human hands and feet. I contacted them to see if i could possibly buy some or get instructions on how to make it. This will make the meat seem more authentic. However, i didn't recieve a reply.

  
 

-   NECKLACE
The necklace is an essential prop to my whole film as it suggests that James Malum has been eating his victim. I used a white neckalce with flowers to symbolise that James has been murdering the innocent and beautiful.

 

-   KNIFE AND FORK
I needed a Knife and Fork so that James could eat the meat

-   PLATE
I needed a plate to put the meat on.

-CANDLES

I used the three candles as a framing device to show that James is trapped. He is trapped by the obsession and is unable to lead a normal life.

 

 

-DEAD FLOWERS

Dead flowers to symbolise the death of beauty and innocence within James' life.

-REFLECTIVE JUG

I used the reflective jug to show that James' is two faced and that there is two sides to him.

 

Film Locations

Burton Agnes Hall and Gardens.

The Band Stand

I will film the romantic montage in this location. Shots 1,2 & 3.
I really like the setting of this shot because it reflects the genre conventions of a romance film. I have made the lighting very warm meaning it mirrors the character's feelings towards each other in a typical romance film. However, here it is ironic because James' intentions are a little more sinister than the audience would expect. I filmed on a relatively sunny day which gives a warm, happy atmosphere about the location. I want to juxtapose the romantic shots to the sinister shots so that when the audience realise that he is eating her it is more shocking. He takes a mouthful and then we see a shot of her smiling happily.

The Pathway

I will film more of the romantic montage here. Shots 4 & 5. This location is also very romantic because it has a fairy-tale type atmopshere that suggests Mary is living her fantasy. The trees and the gargoyles that surround the two shows that she is trapped and cannot escape what is to come.

The Gardens

I will film more of the romantic montage here. Shots 6,7,8, 9, 36,37,38,39,40 &41.
This location is very romantic and interesting. The flowers are a typical convention of a romantic film so therefore fit the criteria for my film. It is very bright and almost magical, it gives a sense of mystery.
 



The House: Exterior

I will film shot 10 here as Mary and James enter the house. This shot suggests that he is very wealthy and therefore gives him power.

The House: Interior

I will film shots 11,12,13,19,20,21,23,24,26,27,28,30,31,32,33,34,35.
The interior of the house is very antique looking and grungy. I wanted this to reflect how you would imagine the house to look from the inside, but also to reflect his character. It is very dark which suggets that James has something to hide. The candles surround him to show that he is trapped by his own obsession that he himself has created, although he doesn't know it.

The Beach

I will film shots 14,15,16,17,18,22,25,29.
I filmed at the beach just as the sun was setting so that the lighting was very romantic. I wanted to have a shot of the two characters walking into the sunlight to suggest that she will soon meet her end and "walk into the light".

 



 

Characters

CHARACTERS

 

James Malum:

Malum is Latin for evil

James is the cannibalistic protagonist, middle aged, incredibly wealthy and handsome. His alluring smile makes it easier for him to attract his victims.

 

Mary:

Mary, suggesting the Virgin Mary – Innocent and pure

Mary is James’ first victim; she is dark haired and beautiful and around 20 years old.

 

Belle:

Belle, meaning beautiful in French.

Belle is James’ second victim; she is blonde and beautiful and around 20 years old. Her character echoes Mary’s character significantly because I want the audience to relate with the victims, making it harder for them to accept the fact that they have been brutally murdered. Not only this, but Belle has an innocence about her which makes the idea more stomach clenching.

 

 

 

Story Type

Story Type

SPIDER AND THE FLY

My film undergoes the story type of ‘Spider and the Fly’ because one character (James) lures another character(s) (Mary and Belle) into a false sense of security. He ensnares them and traps them in his web as he lures them to their deaths.

Synopsis

 

SYNOPSIS

James is a cannibal who eats his lovers. The film shows him walking romantically with one girl and he gives her a necklace. The necklace is significant as it appears on the remains of the girl to suggest that he is eating her. He is then with another girl to whom he gives the same necklace.

Genre Conventions

 

Film Studies - Creative Project

Genre Conventions

My film follows a horror narrative but is filmed in the style of a romance film. I want to include some horror conventions to suggest that things are not what they seem about the protagonist ‘James’. Usually in a romance film, the couple meet and fall in love but there is often an obstacle stopping them living happily ever after. However, in my film, James, who is the main protagonist, is not what he seems. The obstacle is in fact James who is a rich, cannibalistic entrepreneur that lures his victims into a false sense of security by pretending to be their lover.

James resides in his stately home which supports the idea of wealth, but also obeys typical horror film conventions, concerning location, as it is completely isolated and in the right lighting looks daunting.  




Burton Agnes Hall - Horror Conventions

Burton Agnes Hall - Romance Conventions










I wanted to use Burton Agnes Hall because I make the audience believe that it is beautiful location, typical of a romance film. After the audience realise that things are not as they seem I can use lighting, sound, cinematography, mise-en-scene and editing to create a horror film atmosphere. Just by softening the picture on the right and increasing brightness and contrast I have made the Hall look beautiful, inviting and almost like a dream. The image on the left has been desaturated, sharpened and the brightness has been decreased to make the hall look mysterious, fearsome and unnerving. 

Themes: In a typical romance film, the main theme is love. In my film I not only want to portray this theme at first but I also want to show themes of a horror film for example morality over lust/greed. James is an exceedingly wealthy character and his staff are prepared to cook a human at his will for money. This shows how a human’s lust for money is more important than their own morals. I also wanted to make the meat coming out on the platter look incredibly appetising so that when the necklace is noticed the audience are shocked by their own gluttony after eyeing up the food.   
 
Settings: Romantic areas like the beach, the park, a river, a stream, a flower garden with high-key lighting when Mary and James appear to be ‘in love’ but when James is at his mansion the mise-en-scene is pleasant at first (for example high -key lighting)  but after he has eaten Mary the setting starts to turn sinister with low-key lighting (creating shadows and unfamiliar shapes)  and the Dutch angles are more evident which contradicts the romantic music that will slowly turns sour.

Burton Agnes Hall and Gardens

Bridlington Beach









Iconography: Of a typical romance film the iconography consists of beautiful dresses, streams, birds, flowers, relaxing music. In my film I will also incorporate subtle iconography of a villain/killer. For example: snakes (on a ring for example) or a carcass like at the beginning of natural born killers.



Natural Born Killers, Oliver Stone, 1994

Filmography Techniques: I want to use a Vaseline filter on the lense of the camera to create a hazy effect like in Casablanca which gives a romantic appearance to the shot. I will also increase the contrast to make it look warmer and happier along with high-key lighting which belong to the conventions of a romance film.

Casablanca, Michael Curtiz, 1942









 

I want to use close-ups of the James and Mary’s faces to show their happy facial expressions and their intimacy. I also want to use copious amounts of Dutch angles interlinked within the romantic part of the film as they don’t conform to the typical conventions of a romance film and suggest that something isn’t right about James.

When James is seasoning his lunch I want to make the shot black and white but the dressing he is decorating the meal with in red showing that it is blood just to confirm to the audience that he is a cannibal. I want James to have a sinister look on his face while he does this, completely non-naturalistic, so he has this comic book villain persona in the only part of the short film, accompanied by a low-angle. Like in natural born killers when the camera changes to black and white to show the frenzy of the violence. I want to do this in my film to break down all expectations of James’ normality and show that he is a killer. I also want to show the romantic music linking the two conventions. The cinematography and mise-en-scene reflect a horror genre and do not match the romantic music.