Chapter III: Sorting A Story
In order to progress an idea with film, story boarding is key. It is an important process which helps to both store ideas, generate new ones, and tweak what you already have.
I have taken some of my ideas and formed story boards from them, as can be seen below. Please click on the images to enlarge them.
I have taken some of my ideas and formed story boards from them, as can be seen below. Please click on the images to enlarge them.
Below is the first possibility for the story. It focuses on using CCTV cameras as the primary way of telling the narrative. The idea is that the viewers would watch pre-filmed 'CCTV' of where they are, but that the ghost/ zombie would make its way closer and closer to them. At the very end a shadow would show as if it was behind the viewer.
The second option is perhaps my favourite. It tells the story through 'found footage', hand recorded videos pieced together and put into a form of document. It starts with a brief piece of history about the events that occurred and proceeds to tell the story of a student who went missing in the basement as the result of the haunting.
The final option is a lot simpler than the others. It is also a lot shorter but does have a lot of potential to it. The idea for this one is that a still, but hand held, camera would remain focused on the door. During the duration of the video, various things would happen through abrupt cuts, such as the door becoming open. It would be reminiscent of old films in which the cuts happen suddenly with no transitions. The film would play out with the room being apparently inhabited by a mysterious shadow. We would observe the shadow, which then launches out of the room to attack the viewer.
I believe that the second option has the most depth and scope to it. It provides the best potential to explore the architecture and atmosphere of the space that the film is set in, giving more freedom to move around. It will allow the most reactions to the to the room and its surroundings. This is the idea that I will be taking forwards.