treatment for "555"

Aug 16, 2007 13:20

Synopsis - A short abduction piece in which a girl wakes up at 5:55, to find her self in a state of sleep paralysis. Unable to move or speak, she experiences increasingly weird audio/visual stimulus, and is ultimately visited by an otherworldly apparition who looks identical to the girl. A telepathic conversation ensues in which the apparition allays the girl’s fears concerning her state of paralysis, explains the nature of “555”, and makes a deal the girl cannot refuse. The piece ends with an empty room, with the assumption that the girl has been “taken.”

Pre-Production - I wanted to do a sleep paralysis piece, which may appeal to anyone who has had this experience. As abduction cases are often explained by sleep paralysis, I thought it appropriate to incorporate aspects of abduction scenarios ie. Glowing lights, visitation etc. As a genre, it may be considered a sci-fi psychological thriller, and would appeal to fans of the X-files, Whitley Strieber and sci-fi in general.

Production - This piece will be shot in the director’s home with no budget. The director’s bedroom and hallway will be the set for the entire piece. Props include an alarm clock, a bed, and lights to be shined under the bedroom door. Featuring a cast of one, scheduling conflicts should be relatively insignificant. Wardrobe for the visiting apparition will contrast strongly with the sleeping girl’s look ie. Sleek, shiny, glamorous vs. pajamas and tousled hair.

Post-Production - This piece will have a strong emphasis on sound design. The score will be composed by the director specifically for this piece, something “dark and digital.” Additional “dream” sounds will be included to indicate off camera events leaking through from the girl’s dream state. These may include disembodied voices, various animal sounds, sci-fi bleeps and bleeps etc. As the characters’ conversation takes place telepathically, the dialogue will be recorded separately and most likely be sweetened with some kind of unusual effect. Visual effects will include a “glowing” filter for the apparition, and a general ambient blue light effect to indicate it is nighttime.

...shooting starts tonight. i hope the new dv camcorder i had to buy holds up longer than for the 2 projects my last one did. also my dream synth arrived just in time to start working on the soundtrack. finally after 2 years of waiting... a beautiful roland fantom xa. i have named her HECATE (after the coil-time machines sticker of a crescent moon i have "paganized" her with... )
portable darkness is about to experience a rebirth.
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