LOOKING BACK AT THE PITCH...

LOOKING BACK AT OUR PITCH PRESENTATION, IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE PLANNED TO INCLUDE, AND HOWEVER ALONG THE FILMING PROCESS, DECIDED NOT TOO. 

THIS IS THE PADLET FROM OUR PITCH INCLUDING THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE MISE EN SCENE. ONE PROP WHICH WAS MEANT TO BE THE 'MAIN' FEATURE OF THE OPENING SEQUENCE, INCLUDES THE MONKEY MASK. IN THE PLANNING PROCESS, WE WERE AIMING TO INCLUDE THIS MASK IN ORDER TO CONVEY THE SENSE OF ILLUSION. WE TOOK INSPIRATION FROM A FILM OF OUR CHOSEN GENRE (PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER), DONNIE DARKO. THE MAIN IDEA OF DONNIE DARKO IS THE PROTAGONIST IS BEING FOLLOWED BY A BIG BUNNY, WHO MAKES HIM DO THINGS HE MIGHT NOT NORMALLY DO. WE LIKED THE IDEA OF PORTRAYING THE MAN AS MYSTERIOUS THROUGHOUT OUR OPENING SEQUENCE BY NEVER GIVING AWAY HIS FACIAL FEATURES, AND IN THE VERY LAST BATHROOM SCENE, HIS IDENTITY IS REVEALED TO THE AUDIENCE. HOWEVER, WHILST RECEIVING FEEDBACK FROM OUR PITCH - WE HAD CONCERNS THAT IT MAY TURN INTO SOMEWHAT OF A COMEDY WHEN THE MASK IS PRESENT. WE DID REALISE THAT THIS MAY BE AN ISSUE, BUT WERE NOT POSITIVE THAT WE WANTED TO GIVE UP FULLY ON THE IDEA. SO WE LEFT THIS SCENE UNTIL THE END TO FILM AS WE WANTED TO HAVE A CHRONOLOGICAL SEQUENCE ROUGHLY EDITED BEFORE WE MADE THE DECISION. WHILST RECEIVING EVEN MORE AUDIENCE FEEDBACK ON THE IDEA, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE NOT TO INCLUDE A MASK - AND TO KEEP THE IDENTITY A SECRET. WE THOUGHT THIS WOULD ENTICE THE AUDIENCE TO KEEP ON WATCHING THE FILM AS THEY WOULD WANT TO KNOW THE INTENTIONS OF THE ANTAGONIST; THIS IS A COMMON FEATURE OF FILMS OF OUR CHOSEN GENRE. 

ANOTHER ANOMALY LOOKING BACK AT OUR PITCH INCLUDES A LOCATIONAL DIFFERENCE. WE PLANNED TO FILM IN A DOCTORS WAITING ROOM AS IT WOULD BRING TOGETHER THE SENSE OF THE ILLNESS IN WHICH THE PROTAGONIST OBTAINS. HOWEVER, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT GAINING PERMISSION TO FILM IN A DOCTORS WAITING ROOM DUE TO UNDERSTANDABLE CONFIDENTIAL CIRCUMSTANCES. WE ASKED TWO DIFFERENT DOCTORS SURGERY AND EXPLAINED OUR SITUATION HOWEVER WE WERE STILL NOT GRANTED ACCESS. WE WERE THEN THINKING OF WHETHER WE COULD JUST RECREATE THE SURGERY USING A WHITE ROOM WITH OFFICE-LIKE CHAIRS TO GIVE THE SAME EFFECT. WE WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL WE HAD A CHRONOLOGICAL ROUGH CUT IN PLACE BEFORE WE MADE A DECISION TO SEE IF IT WAS A NECESSARY LOCATION. WITH THE USE OF PROPS INCLUDING THE PILLS, AND THE OVERLAYS SUGGESTING PROBLEMATIC SLEEP - WE THOUGHT THE LOCATION WAS NOT NEEDED AND WE COULD WORK AROUND THE SITUATION USING A CROSS DISSOLVE TO SHOW A CHANGE IN TIME.