Preliminary Task 2 - Treatment w/ Mise En Scene

 Done by Marne Bredenkamp

Preliminary Task 2 - Treatment

Marne Bredenkamp

24/03/2025

Media Studies 

Preliminary task 2 - Treatment 


                                                        A TREATMENT FOR 

                                                          DEAD END

MISA Media - Marne Bredenkamp’s Treatment

24/03/2025

It is proposed that the film will be roughly 1-1.5 minutes in duration, and that it will be  filmed in the suburbs of Long Bay because this location  provides the elements of an uncanny and repetitive suburb that are required for the film. The suburbs are a very normal, everyday location where people live, however the continuous repetition and similarity in the houses will spark discomfort and worry  within the viewers.


This film will include the following conventions of thriller films: 

Isolation & Entrapment:

-Thriller films often use claustrophobic settings to build tension, and Dead End leans into this by trapping its protagonist, Margot Brown, in her own car within a seemingly inescapable world.

-The seemingly endless rows of identical houses create a sense of disorientation and helplessness, reinforcing the horror of being unable to escape.

-This plays on the fear of confinement, a common theme in thrillers, especially psychological thrillers. 

Psychological Deterioration

-As time passes, Margot starts to mentally unravel as she questions reality as she gets stuck in a loop and starts to see the uncanny character(s)

 -The film questions perception and control, leaving both Margot and the audience unsure of what is real.

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Symbolism & Allegory

-The film critiques suburban life, societal expectations, and the repetitive nature of adulthood through its repeated setting, and seemingly perfect uncanny character(s)

Ambiguous & Disturbing Ending

- Like many psychological thrillers, Dead End  does not offer a clear resolution. The film leaves unanswered questions, forcing the audience to interpret its meaning. In the final scenes, Margot swerves, and the screen goes black reinforcing an unsettling conclusion.

Lighting

-While using mostly natural lighting, we want to create a typical and normal scene while showing that time progresses with the sun setting in real time. The progression of time emphasises the infinite feeling of the suburbs.

Narrative

-The narrative itself builds concern and suspense as the viewer follows Margot along her journey through the suburbs, initially, the  viewer is actually unaware of any anomalies in the environment 

- The camera’s perspective will jump between subjective and objective which also increases suspense and evokes tension, as said by Spielberg


After watching the following thriller films/thriller opening  sequences [Vivarium, Midsommar], I have been influenced by: 

In Vivarium:

-The film opens with an eerie scene of a cuckoo pushing baby birds out of the nest, foreshadowing an invasion or displacement later on. Extreme close-ups, slow editing, and unsettling music create discomfort. This quickly shifts to a kindergarten setting, where a child’s innocent remark, “I don’t like the way things are,” hints at something unnatural. While this scene doesn’t directly help us, I’m inspired by how it starts with unease before transitioning to a seemingly normal, friendly tone.



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In Midsommar

-The film opens with a medieval-style theater screen that foreshadows the plot, followed by a woman's prayer-like singing over icy forest shots. This is abruptly interrupted by a ringing phone, changing the setting and leading into an emotional scene. I appreciate how the audio enhances the establishing shots, from the eerie untuned strings during the sister’s discovery to the strong foreshadowing in the opening. The sound and visuals effectively set up the two parts of the story.



 Problems encountered include: 

-Firstly, a safety issue may arise with regards to driving the car around the neighbourhood – we must ensure that the driver of the car concentrates on driving properly as she drives, and must not forget about road safety by concentrating on her acting role at that moment. Road safety is most important. 

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- Another possible problem is the suburban location not being quiet/desolate. We would like it to be as desolate as possible for two reasons. 


- Firstly, because it will create an eerie and lonely atmosphere, emphasising the  strangeness of the situation and Margot’s vulnerability

- Secondly, and more practically, because if there are a lot of people in the location, it may interfere with the audio and background sound of our film.


To solve this problem we plan to film on a day/time when streets are hopefully more quiet, providing a scene with the eerie feel we’re going for


- Thirdly, finding a practical time where all of our talent can make it can also be an issue. To solve this problem, we will plan as far in  advance as possible and form an Instagram chat group where we can organise the  most suitable date for filming. 

 

-Finally, filming in a neighbourhood means that there won’t be anywhere for us to plug in our lights. To combat this inconvenience, we have decided to film during the day, and make as much use of natural lighting as possible.

The film will include the following: 

Characters: 

- Margot Brown, the protagonist who will be driving the car

-She will be wearing white and light colours, or grey and muted tones. Light colors contrast with dark environments, making the character stand out as an easy target, and emphasises innocence, purity, fragility, helplessness



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This is the vibe we are going for, but the skirt might need to be a more greyish tone.

In contrast, 

- Our Antagonist is a masked man who wears very dark and black colours

-The black clothing emphasises the danger and threat of the character, as well as helping to conceal his body, while the mask is white, making his face/head stand out, adding mystery to his character.

-The mask adds to the uncanny ‘world’ by dehumanizing the character, in turn making them scarier. It also emphasises the control & power the character has in the situation.


-Our uncanny man is a filler to emphasise the strangeness of the situation, by creating a feeling of fear, discomfort and unease in the audience, since his presence may create an image of helplessness in the protagonist, as well as emphasising the disconnection from reality



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Mood and tone: 

The mood and tone of the film will seem normal as it spirals into the otherworldly/ uncanny vibe. We plan to challenge classic thriller themes with our film starting in the bright daylight, allowing for a well lit space, and brighter colours. As the viewers watch the clip, they will grow to feel uncomfortable and slightly worried as we see the time passing and the mental effects on the protagonist. The uncanny atmosphere will be built with the introduction of the uncanny character, as well as the absence of music OR an eerie, hollow sounding track which, paired with the ever-decreasing amount of light will evoke emotion in the viewer; causing them to feel worried for the protagonist. I still haven’t confirmed whether I will include  music into my opening sequence or not – this will be decided in post-production. 


Camera and Lighting: 

The camera’s perspective will jump between subjective and objective which increases  suspense and evokes tension, as said by Spielberg. Canted, disorientated angles which show Margot’s perspective when she sees the uncanny man or loses control of the car highlight the uncertainty of the situation, causing the audience to question the outcome.

The opening shot will be an establishing shot, revealing the monotonous neighbourhood, and the car driving through it. The seemingly normal scene will amplify the fear and uncertainty that is felt by the audience later on in the film. Within the following shots, there will be an over-the-shoulder shot, showing Margot as she drives.

We will be using many of the closeups, medium closeups and mid shots to capture  our film.

These types of shots are quite upfront and in the face of the characters - revealing  their contrasting emotions and feelings. For example Margot may be distressed as she realises her situation, while the uncanny man continues to either smile OR just stare.



We will be using natural lighting to emphasise the passing of time, and keep the lighting in the car as realistic as possible. This will create shadows in the car, allowing for the masked man to appear, and still be concealed.

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Lighting between the 'cool white' and the 'daylight'. 


Below are a few lighting issues we plan to keep in mind and avoid.

Themes and motifs: 


Evident in my clip will be the themes of vulnerability – Margot is a female who is alone in a neighbourhood at night. Entrapment - there is seemingly no way out of the neighborhood, and it’s best for her to stay in the car, confining her to a small space Repetition & Monotony - The identical houses  emphasize the feeling of being stuck in an endless cycle.  

Narrative: 

 The narrative itself builds excitement and suspense as the viewer follows Margot in her journey through endless suburbia, in homes of escaping and avoiding becoming part of it.


Mise-en-scene/setting: 

Our film’s setting will be suburbs in Long Bay because this location provides the elements of repetitive housing and a maze of streets that are required for the film. The suburbs are a very normal, everyday location where people live, but the uncanny and suspenseful events in our film will spark discomfort and worry within the viewers. 

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Sound and music:

For this product, my plan and goal is to have the background music (which I'll add in  post-production) very quiet and subtle, perhaps even non-existent. I plan to pair this  music with sound effects of the car and even natural sounds of the neighbourhood in the background.  Basically, I’d like the sound to be relatively quiet in an effort to build up suspense and worry  within the viewers. An absence of music with just the sounds of Margot and the car may do just that. I am open to changing my mind on this in post production, but at the moment, this is what I envision for my edit.


Credits and logos: 

The logo will appear at the very beginning of the opening sequence. If I decide on  adding music, the music will accompany the logo and then carry on with the rest of  the scene. This will create a sense of it flowing well. The logo of our production  company, MISA Media, will appear first, followed by the beginning of the clip.  The opening credits will either appear on the screen as the scene rolls OR at the end of the clip, before the name of the movie is revealed.


Editing: 

Fades will be used between certain shots to mimic the eerie atmosphere of the film. Otherwise, simple, methodical transitions will be used to enhance the cold, scary feel of the film. I will use some after effects using Adobe After Effects to create professional transitions that’ll improve professionalism. 

I have decided that I’ll use a mixture of long shots and quick shots to build tension, without making it feel rushed and too quick.


A summary of the opening to my film:

Margot Brown is driving through an unfamiliar neighbourhood, when her GPS glitches out and she starts to notice repeating house numbers. She realises she is stuck in a loop when she sees the same man wave at her after every turn. At some point she notices a masked stranger sitting in the back of her car through her mirror, but when she looks back, he’s gone. The uncanny man then stands in the middle of the road, and Margot is unable to brake. She swerves and… (Black screen)










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