Representation

In this post I will discuss how mentally unwell individuals are represented in my teaser trailer.

During the finale of my teaser trailer, Shelly laughs and takes pleasure in Constance’s “pain”, which presents mentally ill persons as having a slightly sadistic temperament, even though the majority of psychological ailments do not entail an aggressive disposition. Another representation that can be drawn from this teaser trailer is that mentally ill people have stark and vivid hallucinations that are beyond their control, which gives a very limited view on psychological disorders, as not all of them involve wild visions or otherworldly experiences. Finally, due to Shelly’s bearing of a modest hairstyle and typical teenage clothes, mentally unwell persons are displayed as having a small obsession with being socially acceptable.

Storyboard

I went through a lot of creative glitches when creating this storyboard, therefore some of it has been blocked out. There may still be some problems or inconsistences however, but as this is for my own personal use I don't suppose it really matters (it still gets across the gist of my idea).

Filming

Today I filmed my production with the help of my friend, Philip Newsham. I directed all of it, but he was there to help me with any impossible shots (when working alone).

I feel the process went very well, as I made certain I was totally prepared before beginning. I had a bit of trouble getting my head level for the high angle shot, which wasted some time, and it was difficult to create the doll’s hanging scene (I had to make sure that I included the rail above the doll, and that the string was visible), but apart from these minor setbacks, I feel my filming day went very well, due to careful planning and an easy setting (it is simple to control the environment inside a house).

Props and Clothing

In my teaser trailer, I will wear this dress when portraying Shelly. It is a dress typical of a teenage girl, showing that Shelly wishes to be accepted as normal, and that she is always striving to be the same as everyone else (in a desperate attempt to reject her insanity). 

My trailer does not require any props (apart from the doll), seeing as eye contact between Shelly and Constance is the main focus. I do need to find some string or rope for the hanging scene though.

Pitch PowerPoint

Note: On this slide it says “a single scene that is intercut with dialogue, music and intertitles” when in fact it should say “two scenes intercut with dialogue, music and intertitles”.

Dutch Tilts and Security Camera Shots

In my teaser trailer, I am going to use Dutch tilts to create a feeling of disorder.

Dutch tilts are often used to depict the psychological discomfort in the subject being filmed. This shot is achieved by tilting the camera to the side, and the majority of Dutch angles are static shots (I have challenged this by including a Dutch tilt that zooms in). Dutch tilts can also add a feeling of creativity to a piece and make the whole aesthetic of a shot more eye-catching. 

I am also going to apply security camera shots to my work.

Security camera shots are a speciality form of high-angle shots, taken from the corner of a room. In my teaser trailer, I am going to use security camera shots to show that an all-powerful force is watching Shelly and Constance. The unknown and dominant being is Shelly’s insanity, as this is the real villain/problem in my storyline, not the doll. These shots will also help to establish where my main characters are sitting (180 degree rule).

ROUGH Storyboard

Here is a rough “storyboard”. This is for my own personal use, so that I can get a good impression of how my idea works with music and get a clear outline of the timing.

Tagline

“She’ll break you”

I feel this is a good tagline, as it is both a reference to Shelly's brutal demise (at the hands of Constance) and also a play on the easily breakable nature of dolls. As well as this, the direct threat - “She will break you” - presents a challenge to the audience, which would hopefully, in the real world, result in lots of box office sales from people interested in testing their nerve.

Note: Constance is the name of the doll.

Binary Oppositions

Today we talked about dominant and oppositional ideologies, and created a chart of binary oppositions.

Shelly is a mentally ill girl left in a bad situation by the end of my film, and therefore she fits in with the dominant way of thinking, which states that mentally challenged/disabled people are unworthy of a happy life/acceptance. However, as Shelly is the main character, my movie also crosses over into oppositional territory, as it’s not like I’m ignoring the issue all together, or pretending that it doesn’t exist.

Dominant: Men, white, thin, healthy, able, sane, working

Oppositional: Women, black, fat, sick, disabled, insane, not working