Treatment for Playback new film

Title:
Playback


Genre:
Short film/ Sci-fi Thriller


Duration:
5 Minutes


Audience:
Our typical audience will be within the age range of 18-30 as this is the largest group of cinema goers, and they will most likely male as they tend to seek out thrill and action, where as, stereotypically, women prefer genres like romance and comedy as these are lighter types of entertainment. This would be the most appropriate age as our film will include graphic violence and other content typical of a 18 age rating. We believe Sci-fi appeals to younger ages as they are more open minded and with the development of video games, Sci-fi is more popular with the younger ages. However a more mature audience would be attracted to our film because of the mature themes and the thriller aspect, which is usually preferred by the older audiences. As already mentioned our audience is likely to be male,  nonetheless our film will also appeal to some females as our main character portrays a strong independent woman who goes against the stereotypes of the woman being the weaker gender. Therefore more woman would go see our film than in previous years. The audience that is likely to watch the film lead a digital, creative and free spirited lifestyle. This type of lifestyle will appeal to my film because young people are open-minded. As our Target audience will be more open minded, I believe it will be easier for them to understand the film as it will be complicated and dystopian. Also, the film will be current as we will be using new filming and editing techniques.

Synopsis:
The film will begin with a conversation in Vera's office. This will explain to the audience how the ECG tabs will be used and what Playbacks are. This scene will include an exchange of money for the tapes, and will include a phone call at the end of the scene. This phone call will explain that there are such things as underground tapes which are illegal, and they contain violent and inappropriate content. Following the phone call, Vera will leave the office, and using elliptical editing, we will portray her getting from her office, through town and to her home, during this scene some upbeat music will play and we will use rhythmic editing. When Vera arrives home the doorbell rings and a tape is left outside her door. She picks the tape up and puts the ECG tabs on. On the tape there is a continuous handheld shot of a gruesome murder taking place in a car park. There are cuts between the tape material and Vera's reaction to what she is seeing on the tape. She rips the ECG tabs off after she witnesses the victims liver being removed. As soon as she removes the tabs the doorbell rings again and there is a second tape left outside the door. Vera enters her house once again, and proceeds to watch the second tape. The second tape reveals a rape, once again filmed using a handheld shot. Vera once again rips her tabs off, for the doorbell to ring again, and for her to again find another tape outside her door. On this tape we see a jogger being stalked and hit with a wrench. This she once again rips her tabs off, picks up her briefcase and leaves the house. In a new scene Vera enters a car, and begins asking if the person in the car (we never actually see the person in the car) if they have been sending her these illegal tapes. A hand passes Vera a new tape and it shows a chase scene in a car park, an individual is being stalked, and the stalker is pushed off the roof of the car park at the end. Vera removes the tabs and storms out of the car, leaving the tape behind. She walks away to the underpass. In the underpass Vera places her hand on the wall, and has a flashback off a murder. Scared, Vera runs away and returns home where she finds a final tape. She picks up the tape and enters the house, where she proceeds to watch the tape. The tape is of the same murder she just had a flashback from in the underpass. This then cuts to a handheld shot of someone's bloody hands. This then cuts to a point of view shot of someone being pulled up the stairs. This then cuts to a shot of Vera looking in the mirror, and her alter ego flashes in and out of the mirror. This scene shows Vera confused and scared, frantically trying to understand who the alter ego is. This then cuts to the car scene, showing Vera talking to herself and the alter ego flashes in and out of the drivers seat. It cuts to the underpass murder once more, this time showing the victims point of view, revealing Vera is the murderer and it is her who has been committing these crimes. It ends with a shot of Vera and her Alter ego looking smug in the mirror, this will be slowed down to portray the mental instability of Vera.