Group Film Idea

Title of Film:

Genre of the Film: Crime/Thriller.

Age rating of the film: 15+

Characters:

There will be two main characters throughout the film, and one of these being Jane. She is a white 17-year-old girl who is from a standard working class background. She is currently studying her a-levels at school, with a part time job being a waitress in a neighbouring restaurant. She has a strong personality, but also a very reserved person when put in a situation she is not familiar with. Her role within our opening sequence is restricted but effective. She is merely going to be tied up to a chair, with tape around her mouth. She will be struggling, and we will see tears roll down her cheek. This is the point in which the opening sequence will bring to a close.

The other key character will be an old man. His identity is kept quiet, and as his name isn’t revealed. He is also white, and around 45 but from a middle class background. He doesn’t socialise and lives by himself in his house; the audience has no real perceptive about his background, or of his family. However it is evident that he enjoys playing chess and frequently reads. During the opening sequence he will be sitting at the dinner table, smartly dressed and acting like he is enjoying himself. He will be having a conversation with someone, and the camera will be focusing on only him and the table up until the remaining 15 seconds of the sequence. We are kept in the dark about his profession, but as he is always dressed in branded suits we assume he has a well-paid job.

I will be acting out Jane, as there is no talking involved it will be a reasonably simple role to play, this will also work better as I have a set understanding of how I want the scene to look which might be complicated to explain to another actor.
A close family friend, who is enthusiastic to act will play the old man, however we have considered a second actor in case he fails to do so.

Location/Setting:

Our opening sequence will consist of two different locations. The first scene will be in a spacious dining room, where a small circular table will be centred. There will be picture frames in the background, and the romantic atmosphere will be set. However, the second setting will be either in a forest or a deserted building, this is where the whole mood of the opening sequence will transform for the audience.

Storyline:

Beginning – the opening sequence will start with Jane and the man having a ‘loving’ meal, the audience will presume that the genre of this film is associated around romance. However, when he pours the wine into a glass, there is a black out and the location changes. The man is still having dinner with someone, although with the music playing the mood of the scene changes. The camera pans around to see that actually the person he is sharing dinner with is a young girl tied up. From the beginning a chain of narrative enigma is created, the audience doesn’t understand why the man is smartly dressed, set out a table full of roses, is having a conversation and acting so natural in a situation which is visibly disturbing.

Middle – the main part of the storyline will be revolved around the girl and her escaping. As she doesn’t remember how or why she has been held captive she starts to get flashbacks of where she was when it happened. She meets another one of the man’s victims, and together they secretly plot how they are going to free themselves. The old man starts to get angry that he does not threaten the two young girls anymore, and he starts to plot something, which will make them regret this.

End – One of the girls pretend to have a fit, and the other screams at the old man to get water. As his intention wasn’t to kill them, just make ‘friends’ he gets anxious and bothered at this situation. He then goes onto have a panic attack as he realises what he has actually done. The girl persuades him to untie her so she can get water for her friend, and as he genuinely believes she is in danger he unwisely agrees to this. She obviously gets away, but when she returns with the police and her family, the old man has hung himself from the tree and the other girl isn’t there anymore..