Treatment!
Ideas on genre/style/the look:
Elements in the story that inspire my vision:
Sound:
For the soundscape, I feel like Stephen would be the type to listen to classical/operatic/instrumental music, that doesn't distract him from doing other things. I feel like he would be the type that would have an interest in playing music. Thus, having this type of style music in the background, it would set the mood well and bring us into his personal environment on another level.
As for the supernatural and unusual sounds that occur during the film, it will involve scratching, wailing, faint screams, banging and crashing, and maybe even a faded sound of wind.
The Edit:
My way of approaching this will be through paying closer attention to detail when we are actually filming, to gain a deep understanding of how the film can be cut together in the most unique and truthful way. I will also be analysing how I want the film to finish in the final frame in particular because, after my last film, I now know the importance of what the audience is left with in the very end.
I will also engage in thorough conversations with my editor/s about what I'm aiming for and how we can achieve it. The pace I currently have in my head however is quite slow to begin with, then it picks up and up until the climax, before spiraling back into a weird new normality. It will be interesting to see what my editor/s have to bring!
- Ideally we are heading towards the horror/thriller genre, with magic realism elements, if we are taking the film at face value. HOWEVER, considering the fact that the film explores Stephen as a person and how he has become the man he is (paranoid, scared of his own feelings, and unable to deal with things outside his own control), we could say there are elements of 'the paranoid' genre, and 'the speculative' genre.
Elements in the story that inspire my vision:
- I had to read the script two or three times to find the elements that rang true to me the most. Having had spiritual experiences in my own life, I decided it would be the most credible if I looked back on these experiences to bring them into Stephen in particular's life.
- The concept of reading for the purpose of self-education: I don't read too much personally for the fun of it, more so on a want or need to know basis. I see Stephen as this way inclined as well. In turn this means that his house will reflect his habits and personal interests. (Bookshelf, books, a laptop, a printer, loose papers etc.)
- Fear or the unknown and having to come to terms with the fact that we don't know everything... Humans innately don't like feeling alone. Stephen and the Salesman feel this inwardly and the way they behave with each other mirrors this. They are in their own way introverted, however neither of them are particularly aware of the fact that their personal histories are to blame for their own self-isolationism. They equally despise not having control over things, and it is this mutual trait that brings them into each other's lives.
Sound:
For the soundscape, I feel like Stephen would be the type to listen to classical/operatic/instrumental music, that doesn't distract him from doing other things. I feel like he would be the type that would have an interest in playing music. Thus, having this type of style music in the background, it would set the mood well and bring us into his personal environment on another level.
As for the supernatural and unusual sounds that occur during the film, it will involve scratching, wailing, faint screams, banging and crashing, and maybe even a faded sound of wind.
The Edit:
My way of approaching this will be through paying closer attention to detail when we are actually filming, to gain a deep understanding of how the film can be cut together in the most unique and truthful way. I will also be analysing how I want the film to finish in the final frame in particular because, after my last film, I now know the importance of what the audience is left with in the very end.
I will also engage in thorough conversations with my editor/s about what I'm aiming for and how we can achieve it. The pace I currently have in my head however is quite slow to begin with, then it picks up and up until the climax, before spiraling back into a weird new normality. It will be interesting to see what my editor/s have to bring!
Click on the buttons below to see information relating to the camera, art and wardrobe departments...
The story itself:
It is early afternoon and Stephen, 37, a tall, slim and well-presented man is sitting in his lounge, alone, reading a Richard Dawkins style book. There is a sandwich on a plate on the coffee table next to him, untouched, as well as a cup of coffee. This is an almost ritualistic thing for Stephen to be doing at this time of day. He is quite content to be where he is. Stephen has lived alone for a long time, and doesn't particularly want to be with anyone because he enjoys his own company and his educational habits. His lounge is a picture of organised chaos, with lots of books, old ornaments and a fruit bowl. There are also indications that he does lots of writing and work, with loose paper and a laptop on another table. The atmosphere is quite warm, and he has worked hard to make it this way. Stephen is a man of few words, and keeps to himself.
Just as Stephen decides to take a bite from his immaculately made sandwich, there is an unexpected loud knock on his door. It's very unusual for this to occur during the afternoon for Stephen, as he only ever has visitors that have arranged with him previously to come round to his home. Stephen is baffled, and a little bit frustrated. Putting down his sandwich, but book still in hand, he gets up and makes his way down the staircase to his front door. From the top of the stairs he sees the shadowy outline of a person. Stephen opens the door to see a strange, extravagant and spiritual/cult-leader looking man with a bold scalp, vibrant shiny clothing, necklaces representing all sorts of spiritual icons, and a bizarre monocle. He is carrying a briefcase and swiftly brings it up to his stomach level, opening it to reveal his wares to Stephen.
Stephen is intrigued but reserved. It's not something he has ever been encouraged to discover or acknowledge- despite having encountered unusual similar things in his past. Stephen opens up one of the 'spiritual insurance' leaflets from the briefcase, flicking through information telling him how to save himself from a doomed afterlife. It baffles him. He brushes it off almost as if it's a joke, gesturing impolitely for the Salesman to leave. Just as Stephen goes to shut the door, the Salesman lurches forward, swiftly, and beams his head through the gap in between the door and the door frame. Stephen is somewhat taken aback, startled at the fact that someone would be so forward.
The Salesman insists "Please reconsider, for your own safety", but his efforts are unrequited and he is forced to leave. Stephen closes his front door. As he walks back towards the lounge he notices his coffee and sandwich on the table, but his appetite has gone. He veers out the doorway and we fade to black.
The evening brews. Stephen has resumed reading, but is slightly on edge after his mysterious visitor. His sandwich remains on the table, untouched - it seems he has forgotten about it.
The room is dimly lit. All we can hear is the classical music in the background. As the pages of the book turn, an unnerving and inhuman scratching sound breaks the calm. It sends a shiver down Stephen's staunch spine, but before long he brushes it off and continues reading.
Then again, scratching, but louder than before, and more sporadic!! It urges Stephen to lunge forward in his seat and observe the objects and walls in the room.
Nothing can be seen. Nothing has moved, and nothing has changed. Dismissively but equally anxiously, Stephen leans back in his chair before he is again uplifted by the sound of a loud crashing at the bottom of the stairs.
Step by step, fighting against his own fears and ability to feel the fear, Stephen makes his way to the wooden staircase. He sees the wreckage of smashed photo frames on the ground. As he reaches the downstairs landing, he meddles through the photos, stricken with terror.
Almost immediately the house is filled with the scratching again, assisted by the sound of wailing. It echoes and bounces through Stephen's body as if he were an empty shell. Stephen now feels a wave of anger among the fear, and stalks back upstairs to investigate.
"Where are you? Come out!" He cries, not sure where to look. Out of nowhere, demonic names appear in blood on the mirror, and an increasing amount of scary sounds fill the air. Stephens electronics start going berserk and paper flies around the room. With nowhere else to go, Stephen frantically runs back down the stairs.
Just like in anyone's worst nightmare, as he tries to escape through the front door, he finds that it is locked! His heart is racing. Stephen gazes back up the stairs and then opens a door downstairs to his left.
Upon opening it, he is confronted with a sight of such mind-destroying horror that he goes into a frenzy and ends up curled in a ball on the ground.
Stephen remains asleep on the ground until dawn, and not long after the sun rises, the Salesman turns up yet again at the house. The front door is now unlocked, and the Salesman opens it up to see Stephen lying there. Stephen looks up at him in a blurry gaze, before the Salesman steps over him and makes his way up the stairs.
We see him enter the lounge and go and sit down with the sandwich that had been left untouched from the previous day. He pulls out a knife from his pocket and cuts it in half. A mysterious invisible force pulls a wooden chair up to the Salesman, who expresses the fact that scaring Stephen to death in one night is no way to make money out of him.
Subsequently the two of them tuck into the sandwich.
Just as Stephen decides to take a bite from his immaculately made sandwich, there is an unexpected loud knock on his door. It's very unusual for this to occur during the afternoon for Stephen, as he only ever has visitors that have arranged with him previously to come round to his home. Stephen is baffled, and a little bit frustrated. Putting down his sandwich, but book still in hand, he gets up and makes his way down the staircase to his front door. From the top of the stairs he sees the shadowy outline of a person. Stephen opens the door to see a strange, extravagant and spiritual/cult-leader looking man with a bold scalp, vibrant shiny clothing, necklaces representing all sorts of spiritual icons, and a bizarre monocle. He is carrying a briefcase and swiftly brings it up to his stomach level, opening it to reveal his wares to Stephen.
Stephen is intrigued but reserved. It's not something he has ever been encouraged to discover or acknowledge- despite having encountered unusual similar things in his past. Stephen opens up one of the 'spiritual insurance' leaflets from the briefcase, flicking through information telling him how to save himself from a doomed afterlife. It baffles him. He brushes it off almost as if it's a joke, gesturing impolitely for the Salesman to leave. Just as Stephen goes to shut the door, the Salesman lurches forward, swiftly, and beams his head through the gap in between the door and the door frame. Stephen is somewhat taken aback, startled at the fact that someone would be so forward.
The Salesman insists "Please reconsider, for your own safety", but his efforts are unrequited and he is forced to leave. Stephen closes his front door. As he walks back towards the lounge he notices his coffee and sandwich on the table, but his appetite has gone. He veers out the doorway and we fade to black.
The evening brews. Stephen has resumed reading, but is slightly on edge after his mysterious visitor. His sandwich remains on the table, untouched - it seems he has forgotten about it.
The room is dimly lit. All we can hear is the classical music in the background. As the pages of the book turn, an unnerving and inhuman scratching sound breaks the calm. It sends a shiver down Stephen's staunch spine, but before long he brushes it off and continues reading.
Then again, scratching, but louder than before, and more sporadic!! It urges Stephen to lunge forward in his seat and observe the objects and walls in the room.
Nothing can be seen. Nothing has moved, and nothing has changed. Dismissively but equally anxiously, Stephen leans back in his chair before he is again uplifted by the sound of a loud crashing at the bottom of the stairs.
Step by step, fighting against his own fears and ability to feel the fear, Stephen makes his way to the wooden staircase. He sees the wreckage of smashed photo frames on the ground. As he reaches the downstairs landing, he meddles through the photos, stricken with terror.
Almost immediately the house is filled with the scratching again, assisted by the sound of wailing. It echoes and bounces through Stephen's body as if he were an empty shell. Stephen now feels a wave of anger among the fear, and stalks back upstairs to investigate.
"Where are you? Come out!" He cries, not sure where to look. Out of nowhere, demonic names appear in blood on the mirror, and an increasing amount of scary sounds fill the air. Stephens electronics start going berserk and paper flies around the room. With nowhere else to go, Stephen frantically runs back down the stairs.
Just like in anyone's worst nightmare, as he tries to escape through the front door, he finds that it is locked! His heart is racing. Stephen gazes back up the stairs and then opens a door downstairs to his left.
Upon opening it, he is confronted with a sight of such mind-destroying horror that he goes into a frenzy and ends up curled in a ball on the ground.
Stephen remains asleep on the ground until dawn, and not long after the sun rises, the Salesman turns up yet again at the house. The front door is now unlocked, and the Salesman opens it up to see Stephen lying there. Stephen looks up at him in a blurry gaze, before the Salesman steps over him and makes his way up the stairs.
We see him enter the lounge and go and sit down with the sandwich that had been left untouched from the previous day. He pulls out a knife from his pocket and cuts it in half. A mysterious invisible force pulls a wooden chair up to the Salesman, who expresses the fact that scaring Stephen to death in one night is no way to make money out of him.
Subsequently the two of them tuck into the sandwich.