Props;

I have had to create two props for my opening scene:

• A letter from 'Southgate Sixthform'.

• A birthday card from Emma's old "best friend" George, which will later be revealed to have been written by Emma's mother. The card is ripped up to intrigue the audience, they can question why it has been torn and ripped in two.

The Settings.

My opening scene will take place in:

• Emma's bedroom
• Her bathroom
• Hallway of her house
• Dining room
• The roads she walk on the way to Sixth Form
• The Heath she walks through

Here are some pictures of the Settings:

I placed some of my old things in the room that I used to have as a child. Again, I did this to emphasize her naïvety and child like life. For example, I placed the toy horse next to the mirror, as seen in the picture above. Also, I placed this poster (picture below) as it is child-like and fits in with Emma's social problems and also contains significance in that she cannot get rid of Jane, she seems to want to prove that "A Friend is Forever". Also, I have a couple of mirrors in my bedroom and I am going to experiment with possibly inserting a few subtle reflections of Jane in the background of a few shots to enhance the sense of a supernatural force hidden behind the ordinary exterior.

My Storyboard:

Overview of my opening sequence;

I want the following sequence of events to happen in the opening of my film:

• Emma, nervously, getting ready for her first day at her new Sixth Form.
• Emma's mother giving her her medication- Emma believing they are for her "weak immune system" when in fact they are to stop her hallucinations.
• Emma looking at a birthday card sent to her by her old (imaginary) best friend George. It will be later revealed in the plot that she unknowingly wrote it herself.
• Emma seeing Jane for the first time.

My plan is for these events to intrigue the audience and build a foundation so that throughout the plot secrets of her medication, her old best-friend and new best-friend can be revealed to the audience.

Meeting the Audience's Expectations.

A few months ago I conducted a survey to find out what the target audience expects from a thriller.
To see the results please click here.

My protagonist is female, as suggested by the audience.
Also, I learnt from my survey that the audience expect an unhappy, cliff-hanger ending and the ending to my plot is a cliff hanger (as it is unclear whether Emma has truly let go of Jane) and it is unhappy in the fact that Emma has lost two of the closest, and only, friends she's ever had.
The plot includes many Red Herrings, which are the clues to George's and Jane's real existence that prove to be false.
Death plays a part in the film in that Emma takes an overdose after she believes she has murdered Jane- this affects the protagonists mental state greatly.

Character Functions;

In my opening two minutes I want the audience to feel a connection with the main character Emma and I want to make some of her personality traits very apparent:-

• Outcast- Has been treated badly by people in the past.
• Shy- as a result of being bullied previously.
• Does not have any strong relationships, not even with her mother.

Character Functions

Heroine- Emma

Donor/Helper- Psychiatrists (give Emma advice to be rid of Jane)

Object of the Quest- The boy Emma likes but is rejected by, and to be wholly accepted by people.

Blocker- Jane

The Narrative Structure of my chosen idea;

As in most thriller films, my plot revolves around the single protagonist Emma and her own personal battle she has to fight on her own. The battle is a psychological one against Jane, a seemingly unbeatable opponent who plays with Emma's thoughts and mind. Also, Emma has a 'back-story' which is revealed in parts throughout the text to deepen the psychological aspect of the story and the reader shall be able to understand Emma more specifically and see how her previous experiences have shaped her perceptions on life. The solution of the problem never becomes fully clear, as we have a cliff-hanger ending in that we never discover if Emma is ever truly rid of Jane.

To also fit in with the thriller genre, I want this text to be a first person narrative. Therefore, the audience can develop a relationship with Emma and fully understand the workings of her mind. I could achieve this with using voice-overs, like in 'Fight Club' so the audience are always aware of the protagonists thoughts, feelings and perspective on the situation she faces.