Half-Hearted Final Cut

Treatment

A TREATMENT FOR
HALF-HEARTED

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Prepared by Blindside Studios - Brooke van de Water and Alexis Phillips-Ogle

24 May 2016

It is proposed that the film will be of 2 to 3 minutes duration, and will be filmed at the following locations: Albany, Auckland. We chose this location as it was easily accessible because it was my (Brooke van de Water) house.


Our main reason for choosing this location was because of the large paddock next door to the house. For the walk scene at night, we originally wanted it to be inside the abandoned barn on the paddock, however, it turned out to be unusable.

So, we reworked our plan and managed to film in the paddock alone. Inside the house for the kitchen scene, we really liked the aesthetics of the kitchen and the size of it. Although, in the process of filming we discovered that the kitchen echoed and it was very difficult to record a pure sound in the titled kitchen. So, we relocated. Our new location was the kitchen at our school.

We liked this location because, again, it was easily accessible. More over, the schoolhouse didn’t echo, so our audio was of much better quality.

This film will include the following conventions of thriller films:

• Weapon. Thriller films will always have a weapon as they create a sense of danger and ambiguity in the audience. Our weapon of choice was is a knife. Knives represent danger and uncertainty and in our case, it is used to represent a ‘cut’ between sane and insanity of our main character, Kieran, who we eventually see growing tired of his girlfriend’s anger and mistreatment of him.

• Close up shots: These are essential in any thriller film as it is confrontational and will cause them to be pulled into the scene. An example of a close up shot is this one of Madelene. It is used to create anxiety and dismay as she is confronted by her boyfriend who is now standing over her. The close up shots are going to be used for showing detail and emphasising certain aspects of the film. E.g reactions, emotions  

• Gender Roles - In many thriller films, we have a dominant male lead. Michelle Rodriguez a Hollywood actress has explained that the ‘masculine’ alpha male is becoming extinct and we tend to agree. This is why we chose to create a male lead who was a little on the geeky side. Kieran wears glasses and in the beginning of the film, acts a little off. His nerd like persona means audience members who aren’t exactly the most athletic or popular can align with him. The way he is controlled and bossed around by his girlfriend will be relatable to some. Many believe that the male has the dominant role in a relationship. They’re the one with authority and Kieran begins as the weakest link. After all the emotional abuse, his feelings seem to change and instead of removing himself he flips the tables and the emotional abuse he heads becomes physically and he throws it back at her.
• Night Setting with low key lighting: Most thriller films are filmed at night or are for the most part. The darkness is a representative of lurking fair and uncertainty which was key for our film. In one way, it refers to the encompassing darkness that surrounds the doomed relationship. Another reason the darkness will be relative in our film is because it is an external representative of the darkness that is inside Kieran.
• Open setting: The open setting in the middle sequence will subvert from the typical opening sequences of thriller films. Most thriller openings will show confinement and lack of space which shows a character having a direct fate. They will often be in cities, dense forests and/or places where action can take place. However, we will use an open area - a flat field. This is to leave the characters with nowhere to run or hide but also to show that though their relationship is very open, there is hardly anywhere for them to go without each other. This leaves the audience in a state of ambiguity as they will never see what is beyond the open field.
• Jump Cuts: In a majority of thriller films, the antagonist of the film is often only seen for a few seconds. Each shot is quick with no significant transition. We will use these cuts to hide their identities for later on in the film. In the eyes of the audience, there is conflict between who the antagonist and protagonist is in our film. The switching of roles will be significant to the plot and wanting to play with the theme of identity. There will be a number of jump cuts in our film but both characters are almost always in plain view.
• High and low angle shots: High angle shots are used to make objects seem small. In the beginning of the sequence, Kieran will be seen in a series of high angle shots. The best example of this is when he is actually on the ground to grab the knife he dropped. Low angle shots are used to show power and this will be seen as Kieran and Madalene switch roles and Kieran ends up towering over Madalene as she lays helpless on the ground.

After watching a variety of thriller films, there were many different techniques Brooke and I have been inspired by. These include things such as high angled, titled shots to make the viewer feel disorientated, and knives. I particularly enjoyed the opening sequence of the film ‘Gone Girl.' There was an effect overlay that covered the entire movie. It was faded and pale, it created a very cold atmosphere. The flashback sequence will have an overlay that is similar. In many films, there is an altering of colour in post-production that changes the atmosphere of the film. After watching clips of the Psychological Thriller ‘The Machinist’, I noticed that the characters were often dressed very plainly. This is why our characters are to have  plain costumes. No prints or patterns. Instead, they will wear plain grey and black. But never white. This is because in many thriller films, white was symbolic of purity which neither character are.

Another thriller film we’ve been influenced by is ‘Vertigo’. Something Brooke and I liked from this film, was the open setting. There is at one point an open field that Scottie and Madeline meet in before she runs into the church. The female character had direction and the male followed her. The reason Scottie seems to be going insane is because of the way he has been treated by Madeline. We intend to bring this into our film. The woman’s actions taking a toll on our male character.

Problems encountered during this film is that of film and audio quality. As mentioned in Question 1, at location 1, the audio quality wasn’t good because it was very hard to obtain a clear sound in an echo-prone space. Also, because we were filming at night, it was very hard to get good lighting. Some shots became very pixelated and grainy because (me being camera op.) would ignorantly use gain to let in more light.
Another issue was the weather, it was hard to schedule an outdoor film shoot because it was constantly raining and stormy. So, Alexis and I decided to try filming during the day, and lowering shutter speed and F stop to make the scene seem like a night scene. Also, on the time we did have to film in the rain, we used an umbrella and a bag to cover the camera (and yes, it survived).

Characters of the Film:

Madalene: Madalene is the girlfriend of Kieran. She represents bitterness (as that what her name means) and the “villain” of the film. She is symbolic of the convection-challenging female abuser. She “wears the pants” in the relationship. She is obviously rude and crude and has no shame in showing it.


Kieran: Kieran is the opposite of Madalene. He represents darkness. And darkness is only seen where there is a lack of light. Kieran’s turning point in the film is when the night scene occurs. As soon as he is “in his element”, he becomes who he truly is- darkness.


Ideology: The main message of our film is that abusive relationships are not necessarily men taking charge. Today, when the idea of an abusive relationship is presented many will immediately jump to the conclusion it is the male figure at fault. In our film, we want to show audiences that this is not always the case and though it may result in the male becoming physically violent, emotional abuse is just as bad as physical. Our audiences are put into a conflicting position. Who is really at fault? Though Madalene seems to pay no attention to Kieran unless he is doing something that causes her to be put out of place, Madalene ends up being the one in grave danger. Her emotional abuse toward her boyfriend may well be the reason he snapped and became someone new. At first, the audience will want to align with Kieran because he is the one being looked down on. However, they may change who they side with when Kieran’s abusive side is shown. Seeing as this is only the first 2 minutes of the film, the audience cannot strongly align with either character as their true colours are revealed - Kieran’s just comes a little after Madelene’s.

Mood and Tone: Throughout our film we want our audience to feel uncertain about the results. It is slow in the beginning, to set an atmosphere of homeliness. We want there to be a certain sense of domesticated life. Madalene and Kieran are obviously living together however the tension in the kitchen area will be obvious. Tension is necessary to produce a film that leaves an audience on edge and at times, make them cringe. I believe by having no music in the beginning will create a few awkward silences that show how closed off from each other the couple is. The only time the silence will be broken is when Madalene either yells at Kieran or when Kieran seems to mess up. This changes toward the end of this scene as Kieran raises his voice at Madelene. This is where there will be a shift in atmosphere, Kieran’s dominant side is about to be seen and music begins showing what could be a 180 degree change in Kieran’s character.

Camera Work: I (Brooke van de Water) being the camera operator used deliberate angles, lighting, and movements to create the shots I wanted. I used tracking shots to make the viewer feel as though they are following on behind the characters, as if they are a part of the scene.
I used high and low angle shots to make the viewer feel unbalanced and slightly uncomfortable, to prepare them for what is to come in the rest of the film. For example, in the kitchen when Kieran drops his knife, I used a high angled shot on a tilt to make the viewer feel as though they are intruding into the scene and feel unbalanced.
I used white lighting was used to make the scene have a more natural lighting feel to it, rather than an edited feel that is created with yellow light.



One of the most significant shots in "Half-Hearted" is the 'shadow shot.'

This shot is representative of the hidden identity of Kieran in the film and the mask that he covers himself with- his glasses.

The two shadow shots are used subtlety, and are cut between multiple times. This is effective because it shows how his identity is revealed minimally through the film and only for a spilt second does the viewer see the real Kieran, and then its gone. Yet the raging questions are left in the viewers mind as the sequence progresses.

Themes and Motifs: One of the major themes we are going for is identity. Madalene’s identity stays consistent however, her dominance is tested with the identity switching of Kieran. Our male lead, Kieran is your typical anti-masculine alpha male. As Hollywood actress Michelle Rodriguez puts it, the masculine alpha male is a dying trend. Kieran is an example of this. “Hello geek.” Says Rodriguez. His identity in some way lies in the glasses he wears. Glasses often represent intelligence and geeks. We will have him remove his glasses and this will be a tipping point for Kieran. His expression and demeanor will change and rather than run to help his girlfriend, he will lurch forward to hurt her.

Another theme we want to portray is relationships. Far from a romance movie, incorporating the romance aspect of film into our project, we want to show how abusive relationships can be. Madalene being emotionally abusive toward her boyfriend isn’t very common. It is often seen that the male is highly dominated over his partner but Madalene’s hoarding of insults toward Kieran shows differently. This broken convention seems to fall slowly back into place as the film progresses, the emotional abuse that Kieran receives is then taken and turned into physical abuse by him toward her.

One motif that we want to use is the colour red. Only subtly though. To us, the colour red represents love, seductiveness and danger. The theorist Laura Mulvey speaks about the male gaze and how women are always presented in a sexual manner. We do not want to do this with Madalene because we don’t believe it will add anything to the film but we do want to take the male gaze into consideration by having having the gaze always aligning to the female character. The colour red is a perfect way to ensure she is noticed. Her red scarf and red nail polish will be used to subtly show that Madalene is seductive and dangerous. There will also be irony as the only danger involving Madalene is the danger she creates for herself by pushing her boyfriend to the edge.


Narrative: Michael is making dinner in the kitchen while Madalene is painting her nails. Michael cuts his finger and drops knife onto the floor, sparking a reaction from Madalene. In her fury, Madalene spills her nail polish on the table and blames Michael for it, and continues her rave at Michael. In his frustration, Michael interrupts her and calmly invites her for a walk. The pair walk through the paddock outside their house, barely saying anything, but screaming in their thoughts. Michael, convincing himself he has had enough of Madalene’s abuse, pushes her onto the ground; now him turning into a villain, and staring down at her with evil intent. The scene then flashes back to multiple fast clips of the couple's recent interaction in the house, revealing to the viewer that Michael is upset about what just happened. The shots quickly flash until the final shot of Michael slamming a knife down onto a chopping board, revealing his frustration and symbolically his “dark side.” The scene then ends on Michael reaching down Madalene, leaving the viewer with a flood of questions, including “is Michael going to harm Madalene?.”
The rest of the film then goes on to see the end of Kieran and Madalene’s argument, and how he didn’t kill her, he just hurt her, but he just walked away- back to the house. Kieran and Madalene resolve their argument, but not all loose ends are tied up- like the knife. It has disappeared. The rest of the movie tracks Michael and Madalene’s daily relationship and how they learn to live together on a daily basis, until at the end we see Kieran with the "lost" knife, discovering he had it all along, and ending with a repeated shot from before- the knife slamming on the board. This dramatic closing scene leaves the reader with the question, and self answer- is Kieran still the same psychotic man we see in the beginning? Well, yes. Yes he is.

Mise-en-scene/setting: In the kitchen shots, Alexis and I focused on every small detail of the scene. As we were filming in our second location (our school house) we had to take out things to make it look more homely. For example, school certificated and a child's medical report were not apart of the background we wanted for our shots. We analysed each shot to make sure it was exactly how we wanted it -within reason- and made sure each object in the shot suited the shot and helped build it. Outside, we again made sure the setting and the objects and positioning inside the frame made sense to the scene and each object has a specific place. For example, the large rubbish bin and children's playground were excluded from the shot, as these aren't seen in your everyday couple's home.

Symbolism: One of the most important symbols in our film will be the knife. Recognised in thriller films as a weapon and sign of danger, the knife will show how Kieran will eventually become someone the audience and Madalene should be scared of. Though he begins using it because he is doing something domestic like chopping vegetables, the role reversal of the male cooking is important and Madalene’s assertive control that is shown by her voice will prove to be no match for Kieran. The fact that he is in control of the knife foreshadows its importance in the future of the film.

Another symbol that is going to hold a great significance are the glasses that Kieran wears. Through the early part of the sequence, Kieran is wearing glasses. This will be to tie in with the idea of him being the weakest link. He can’t see without his glasses but the world would be an entirely new place if he has no glasses on. Eventually, Kieran will pull his glasses off and what looks like his true self is revealed. His expression changes and he becomes much darker. Then the sequence shows what looks like him pushing Madalene over but.. The audience won’t be entirely sure yet.

Sound and Music: In the early part of the sequence, there will be a lot of diegetic sound. The most significant will be the sound of Kieran cutting. The cutting noise is going to be what upsets Madalene and leads to her going off at him. This will create a chain of events that flip Madalene and Kieran’s lives upside down. The main source of sound in the early part of the film is going to be dialogue between the two characters, a majority of which will belong Madalene. Again, showing that she is the voice of the relationship. Any lines belonging to Kieran will be short and apologetic which changes in the next scene. The middle section of our sequence is to be dominated by non-diegetic voice over belonging to Kieran. This is contrasts with the dialogue he had in the first scene. The reason he has dialogue here will be to show the audience that though he is quiet on the outside, on the inside his thoughts are constantly racing as he thinks about all the ways his girlfriend seems to despise. The music we will use is suspense building and will help to create the desired atmosphere of danger and uncertainty. In many thriller films, soundtracks will often start off somber and grow into something much more intense. This is what we plan to do with the music tracks chosen for our film.

Credits/Logo: For the design of the logo, I decided to do something that represents “Blindside Studios” as a whole, rather than just the movie, yet still including parts of “Half-Hearted.”

Each facial expression in the logo represents a different genre of film that Blindside Studios produces- Mystery, Comedy, Tragedy, Sci-Fi, Drama, Horror, Romance, and Thriller.  The special effects make up was done by me on my father, who is the face of "Blindside Studios." I chose to use my dad's face because he had the grunge look I was going for, and his face could be made to look quite intimidating quite easily because of his structure (not just because he was an easy person to grab, although that too).The mask at the end of the sequence is symbolic of the mask theme in “Half-Hearted”, identities being hidden and covered by a mask (Kieran's glasses).  The gash on the my father's face is also symbolic of the violent thread in the film and how it is a key convention of Thriller films.

The font for the credits was originally going to be a different font that I found more suitable, but the way in which it blended into the background didn’t work as it wasn’t obvious. It didn't give the same feel as the new font, and make it difficult for the viewer to read.

So, the new font I found bold enough, but also slightly manipulated enough to be subtly “more than what meets the eye.” The text now symbolizes what is to come in the movie, where characters are not just who they are made out to be, and objects such as the knife are not just used for what they should (recognized by a shot of Kieran slamming it on a chopping board near the closure of this film).

Editing: In the post-production phase the shots will be arranged to include a number of jump cuts. The jump cuts are important as they set the pace for the film. There are no major transitions in the first part of the film, the fast paced jump cuts come in the latter third of the sequence. This is the daydream sequence in which we will repeat events that as just happened to get an idea of what really went on. We intend to create a clip where there is a shadow on the wall and while Kieran continues to cut. In the editing phase, we will have to crop and overlay one clip while the other continues to play. The two shots will show a separation of two sides of Kieran, the domestic ‘housewife’ side and his dark side that comes from within. During the dream sequence, I also intend to add a colour overlay to ensure the audience knows the shots are a repeat/flashback of the past. The overlay will more than likely take some colour and clarity away from the film which goes along with Kieran removing his glasses, taking away his clarity and reason.

Summary:

Beginning:

During the opening sequence, characters are introduced and credits of who they are and the roles done by Alexis and I are acknowledged. The scene is set by the establishing/wide shots and the placid mood is set.

Middle: 

Madalene and Kieran argue in the kitchen as Kieran makes a mess dropping his knife, causing Madalene to spill her nail polish over the table. They then proceed to walk outside to go for a walk in the paddock, as Kieran requested, and the scene closes with Kieran looking uncomfortably back into the camera and walking into the darkness. 

Conflict/Tension:

First point of tension: Madalene and Kieran argue in the kitchen. Kieran drops his knife and Madeleine spills her nail polish, blaming Kieran, and storming off to walk outside (as Kieran asked). 

Second point of tension: when Kieran walks after Madalene and looks back at the camera with a mysterious and frightening look on his face.

Conflict: When Kieran pushes Madalene over in the paddock and the scene flashes back the to kitchen scene. Each clips plays along (muted) to uncomfortable non-diegetic music, followed by a shot of Kieran slamming a knife onto the chopping board, and then flashing back to the final scene as Kieran reaches to attack her at the closing of the film.  Viewers re forced to respond in a negative way and question immediately what Kieran's intentions are.

End:
Kieran and Madalene walk through the paddock, Madalene constantly in front of Kieran, his mental dialogue carries across the scene; accompanied by suspenseful music. Kieran then angrily pushes Madalene over, causing her to react frightendly. The scene flashes back to multiple replays of the previous scene until a shot of Kieran slamming a knife onto a chopping board is shown. The scene then cuts back to real time and Kieran reaches down the grab Madalene, ending with his final line of mental dialogue: "So, she can't live around me."

> Some photos from the Treatment had to be extracted to fit the appropriate boundaries, but are still featured on each students individual blog.

Logo by Brooke van de Water

Blindside Studios Logo by Brooke van de Water

For this logo sequence, I want it to represent not just "Half-Hearted", but "Blindside Studios" as a company. Each face represents a different genre of film that Blindside Studios creates and produces- Mystery, Comedy, Tragedy, Sci-Fi, Drama, Horror, Romance, and Thriller. I chose to use facial expressions to do this as they all represent a different mask, the idea enforced at the end of the sequence, the subject is wearing a mask. This use of masks is closely linked to "Half-Hearted" as the film is situated around masks and identity. Each facial expression will flash quickly, only one half of the face visible as it is more effective, until at the end it ends on the subjects face, fully exposed, with a violent gash. This is effective because it prepares the viewer to expect violence and mystery in the upcoming film. The shot of the mask is then shown, to again reiterate to the viewer the use of figurative masks to be in the film.

LOGO FILM SCHEDULE 

Friday 1st July 2016

Time	Description	Location
1:40pm	Transport gear to salvation room and set up	Salvation room
2:00pm	Talent arrives	Salvation room
2:05pm	Finish set up and go through script with talent	Salvation room
2:15pm	Start filming Blank face -half light half dark lighting	Salvation room
2:30pm	Mystery face -same lighting	Salvation room
2:35pm	Crime face -same lighting	Salvation room
2:40pm	Tragedy face -same lighting
2:45pm	Action face	Salvation room
2:50pm	Drama face	Salvation room
3:00pm	-M.U.A. arrives -go through what is needed and set up
3:10pm	Thriller face -same lighting -MAKE UP on talent AND mask   -film putting mask on   -blank face in mask   -eyes open in mask	Salvation room
3:20pm	Film talent with mask on -eyes shut the eyes open	Salvation room
3:30pm	Finish filming and pack up	Media Room

My plan was to have a make up artist (M.U.A.) come in and do the make up for this shoot but in the end, she couldn't make it. So, I bought fake blood and scar effects from a dollar store, and used that combined whatmy own make up to create the effect on my talent's face. This was a challenge for me as I didn't know how to apply the makeup. However, I practiced the make up at home (as the talent was my father) and managed to create the look I was going for. The following photos are examples of my work:

Because I practiced the makeup before the shoot, when it came time to do it for real I felt a lot more prepared. The following photos are of the actual shoot:

FP Storyboard by Brooke van de Water

Storyboard

 1. This page of the story board establishes the setting. Shots 1&2 are long shots of Kieran and Madalene and make the audience aware of their surrounds and where the characters are in    proportion to one another.

2. Shot 7 and shot 12a we have noticed during the process of filming are quite difficult to shoot, because of the reflection of the glass windows and doors. We have had to mess a lot with the positioning of the lights and camera.

 3. For the outdoor shots, we wanted Madalene to walk through the paddock in the dark, but when we did reccie shots we found this very difficult as it was hard to see the characters and was very pixilated. and have Kieran push her into a muddy puddle. This will create a dramatic sense of the male gender being superior to female.

4. Shot 23 is one of my favourite shots in Half-Hearted as it is very dramatic and creates a very strong sense o tension in ht audience. Because it is shown straight after Kieran pushes Madalene over, the audience automatically assumes that danger is about to follow, and that Madalene is in trouble.

5. Shot 28 of Half-Hearted is one of the hardest shots in this film to shoot. Being the camera operator,  I had to find a way to film the shot with a high, titled angle. I chose to do this shot because of the way the viewer felt while watching it- off balance and uncomfortable. I felt like this would prepare them for the next scene to come. 

Timeline by Alexis Phillips-Ogle

Shooting Schedule by Alexis Phillips-Ogle

This is the first version of our shooting schedule. When going over film, we realised there were certain shots that had to be redone. However, it was hard to find time suitable for all crew and talent.
With the amount of shots that had to be redone, we decided to re-film all inside shots and a few of the outdoor ones.





This is the schedule for our re-shoot. After the decision to change locations, I had to recreate a suitable schedule that would work for all crew and talent. All inside shots were filmed on a Wednesday evening with the outdoor pick-up shots filmed the following Saturday.

Script by Alexis Phillips-Ogle

This is the first version of the script. It was an example of the first idea we had. The script didn't seem believable at all and the language was too novel like. We decided to think of a new storyline. We still wanted to follow our themes and decided to write a new script. 


The following is the later version of the script. The story line changed as did the names of our characters. We wanted to simplify the language and story line. The amount of dialogue was decreased in the second script as we wanted to focus on creating awkwardness and tension between the couple.