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MM1 Directors Statement

Assessment Guidelines

Write a Director’s Statement outlining how you would direct a film based on one of your

own original stories. This can be either the same idea you used for your visual sequence or

another original idea you may have. While we assess the story, you are also assessed on your

ability to communicate your vision of a film, encompassing its key elements, from a

director’s point of view. Use what you learned in the lectures about genre, casting,

cinematography (that is camera & lighting style), production design (including costume

design, hair & make-up and locations), editing, sound design (including music), special FX

and Visual FX and more to illuminate a story on the cinema screen. The idea is for the reader

to be able to ‘see’ you vision – be descriptive.

The overall word limit is 1600 words with the usual +/- 10% applying.

The Title and Logline are NOT included in the overall word count.

NOTE: The difference between a log line and a tag line:

A “logline” is a movie’s concept boiled down to one or two sentences: On his deathbed, a

father tells the story of his life the way he remembers it: full of wild, impossible

exaggerations. His grown son tries to separate the truth from the fantasy before it’s too late.

A logline can be thought of as the shortest possible pitch of a movie — what a writer could

use to sell an idea to a buyer in just a sentence or two.

A “tagline” is a short, clever one-off found on a movie’s poster: An adventure as big as life

itself. Taglines are used by marketing departments to sell movies to audiences.

Simplified Rubric

• Story: creativity, thematic sophistication and narrative cohesion:

30%

• Director’s vision: use at least FIVE of genre, casting, cinematography style (that is

camera and lighting style) production design, sound design including music, editing,

special and visual FX: 50%

• Engagement and effort:

10%

• Presentation incl. spelling and grammar:

10%

Assessment Form is on the next page.

“The Steeping”

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NAME: Evanthia Apostolopoulos, STUDENT NUMBER: 1461381 WORD COUNT: 1,758

Story Title (10 words max – may be between 1 and 10 words):

The steeping.

Synopsis – include target audience/demographic (aim for 200 words limit)

Upcoming it girl Ottessa Fields gets invited to the

Thornhill’s tea party, an illustrious annual event of her elite

society. What first appears to be the usual, superficial, and

aristocratic event, quickly takes a dark turn. Tension is built

throughout the first act, where polite conversations and

contrived smiles carry unsettling undertones. Glimpses of

horror elements are shown throughout segments of Ottessa

and her friends getting ready, networking, and arriving at

the tea party set in rural Iowa. I intend to evoke an uncanny

effect where the audience feels unsafe in an environment

that wouldn’t usually inhabit disturbing tones; being a

wealthy tea party, set during the day. Creating a sense that

their money will not be able to buy security as glimpses of

horror gradually pervade the film.

After mingling at the tea party, the toasting sound of

clinking against tea glasses sets Ottessa sinking into a state

of hypnosis as she begins to uncover the truth. As the film

progresses, both Ottessa’s past and the acts of the Thornhill

family are simultaneously revealed; as the family’s corporation owns plantations and is exploiting

female workers to make the businesses tea, host events, and perform in mime costume at events.

Ottessa used to be trapped on a plantation, but escaped as a child and has suppressed these memories.

The use of flashbacks is utilised to guide an uncovering of the truth.

In act three, a violent rampage is ensued, reminiscent of a classic slasher movie. The upper-class

members are slowly killed off, whilst Ottessa is gradually drawn to the brink of insanity, murdering

her best friend, and clique leader Alice Thornhill, after finding out she is accountable for

masterminding the current operations, and covering the dark history of Thornhill’s Tea.

With themes of perfectionism, isolation, and imposter syndrome, “The steeping” is recommended for

mature audiences only (MA 15+) and would do well on streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon,

and Apple. As well as being released to the general public, similar to A24 Films marketing.

Director’s Vision - use at least FIVE of genre, casting, cinematography style (that is camera

and lighting style) production design, sound design including music, editing, special and

visual FX. (Aim for 1400-word limit).

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Genre –

Casting –

I am casting a primarily female cast, similar to Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) and Picnic

at Hanging Rock (1975) as I wish to concentrate on female perspectives, and hone in on the

different struggles each distinct role is faced with. My lead Actress and Heroine is Taylor

Russell, being cast as Ottessa Fields. As she has an innocently beautiful appearance, which is

suited to an up and coming it girl. However, she also has the capacity to play into and reach

disturbing spaces as seen through her work in Bones and All (2022). The duality of Russell’s

acting is perfect for my film as her role requires both in order for the plot twist to be

successful. Throughout her descent into darkness, Russell’s performance will lean into a

more sadistic space. For the role of Alice Thornhill, I will cast Anya Taylor Jordan due to her

ability to portray an elite upper-class role, as seen through Emma (2020) as she suits the

The Steeping is a psychological/slasher horror movie.

I admire the history of horror as a genre in

centralising female heroine roles. In the film

industry, women are often relegated to roles that are

surface level or supporting characters. I chose to go

in the direction of horror as it enabled me to explore

the multifaceted nature of femininity, and the

struggles that accompany it. Not only, for my heroine

Ottessa Fields, as her past traumas and pursuit of

perfectionism is explored. But additionally, Alice

Thornhill as she feels the pressure to uphold the

standards of the elite, akin to many females living

under the patriarchy; yet is ultimately punished for

her actions despite her role being puppeteered by her

family. The Steeping fulfils Horror conventions of

psychological thrillers such as Get Out (2017),

Midsommar (2019), and The Black Swan (2010). For

example, I focus on perfectionism whilst applying

makeup, the use of teacups being stirred and clinked

immersing the audience in a hypnotic state, the

disturbing undertones of a contrived smile, plastered

on whilst ill intentions hide beneath, and the

performance of the workers dancing in mime

makeup and costume display themes of identity and

evoke an uncanny and unsettling state for viewers.

Additionally, my film also takes on slasher horror

movie conventions, similar to X (2022), and The

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) as each of the elite

main characters are preyed upon, and slowly

murdered up until the climax of Alice Thornhills

death. I look to Parasite (2019) as I blend

psychological and slasher horror genres; with the

beginning of my film being slow-paced and

unsettling, taking the turn to becoming a murderous

rampage. Horror music scores will be utilised to

build suspense and accompany jump scares.

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makeup and costume design of decadence and old money.

Additionally, her performance in The Queens Gambit

(2020) stands out to me as I think she has the ability to

build on the psychological thriller style acting and lean

further into horror. Further to this, I would like to cast Mia

Goth and Jenna Ortega as supporting actresses due to their

up-and-coming prominence in the horror genre. They will

bring attract a contemporary audience for my film. Their

work in X (2022) portrays similarities to how I envision

my slasher performances in the third act. Additionally,

Goth’s acting in Pearl (2022) is reminiscent of the type of

hysteria I would like to bring to The Steeping. Her talent

would be utilised on set as she has experience both

assisting with X (2022), and co-writing (Pearl 2022).

Production design –

I will utilise production design to evoke a disturbing

undertone in my film. As production design has the most

influence over the colour of the film, I will select items

intently to create a pastel space; reminiscent of old money and

richly lavish homes as seen in the set design of Emma (2020)

to portray an elite tea house setting. However, these pastel

tones, will also play into a gloomy and unsettling mood when

I have scenes that are heavier in horror and need to portray

dark and foreboding prescience’s. For example, I will use

chairs that are skinny and of Edwardian style for the tea party,

coated in gold and appearing decadent, however not carrying

much support to the characters. I will utilise household items

such as dolls, and teacups to invoke an uncanny sense; placing

objects in most domestic spaces and bringing them into a

horror setting in order to expose their ability to be destructive.

As for costuming, I take inspiration once again from Emma

(2020) and fashion that occurs in period pieces and

contrasting it with mime makeup. This juxtaposition is

utilised to distinctly separate the two worlds of my film; with

the entrapped in mime makeup that will carry disturbing

tones, with the hidden meaning of their identities concealed as

they are one of many to the big corporation of Thornhill Tea

compared to the use of makeup and hair in an overly contrived

dress-up manner displaying the fallacies of the upper class

and their superficial interests. Production design, hair and

makeup design will work together for the audience to

understand this dichotomy and see the differences of class and

socioeconomic status. Through Ottessa’s descent into

madness, she will slowly become less put together and take a

form that is strongly reminiscent of the mime characters. For

example, slowly her hair and makeup will become unkept.

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The setting of my story will be in a rural town in Iowa, with the tea party taking place in a

decadent colonial home. This vast juxtaposition of nature and greenery, compared to an

artificial and upper-class home will appear as an “architectural anachronism in the …bush”

[Lindsay. J, 1967] as described as Joan Lindsay’s novel Picnic at hanging rock. Similar to its

movie counterpart, I intend to evoke an unsettling tone from the forefront of the film. I’m

setting The Steeping in rural Iowa due to the distant location creating a sense of isolation, and

entrapment as the characters must feel as if no one can help them, and there is nowhere to run

to. The forest in winter will create a cold and dissonant feel to the film.

Cinematography style –

I will utilise cinematography: lighting, composition such as shot sizes and angles, movement,

and colour to support the horror conventions of my film. I will utilise the medium of light to

create dark and suspenseful images that invoke fear. Overall, I will need to use Naturalistic

lighting in the film segments that are set during the day, utilising soft light as I intend to

depict the tea party as normal on the surface (akin to many society issues), in order to subvert

horror conventions into ordinary life. Soft light will be more flattering on the elite upper- class, and compatible with the beginning

scenes of getting ready, putting on makeup,

and mingling tea scenes. It will enable the

audience to empathise and connect with the

heroine, final girl Ottessa. Later scenes that

have more horror elements will incorporate

hard lighting to enhance shadows on the

mime girls and Ottessa’s face. This will help

bring about a uneasy sense to the film.

Additionally, I will use low key lighting in

frames where I need to depict the mime girls

living space, in order to present a grim

environment, and lurking shadows.

I can use highlights in these shots with lowkey lighting, making the painted mime faces well

exposed. For shot sizes, I will use Extreme Wide Shots (EWS) when introducing the setting

of the decadent home. Wide Shots (WS) will be used to show the getting ready scenes, tea

party setting, mime dance, etc. Close up (CU) and Extreme Close Ups (ECU) will be used to

depict the fear of the victims, with facial expressions of screams and terrified eyes, enabling

the audience into the characters state of mind, an insight into their trepidation.

Sound –

I intend to use the sound of classical music as a motif throughout The Steeping. As it will be

utilised in the form of decadence and upper class in the first act, accompanying the tea party,

followed by a violent and more intense classical piece, and ended with a light and elegant one

whilst Ottessa murders Alice to represent a form of catharsis. Both diegetic (monologue,

piano player at tea party, tea clinking) and non-diegetic sounds (classical music, horror

scores) will be incorporated to transport the viewer to the setting in order to engross them in a

world of horror and contribute to the suspense of jump scare and the slasher scenes.

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References

Aronofsky, D. (Director). (2010). Black Swan [Film]. Searchlight pictures et al.

Aster, A. (Director). (2019). Midsommar [Film]. A24.

Guadagnino, L. (Director). (2022). Bones and All [Film]. Vision distribution et al.

Hooper, T. (Director). (1974). The Texas Chainsaw Massacre [Film]. Vortex.

Joon-ho, B. (Director). (2019). Parasite [Film]. Barunson E&A.

Lindsay. J, (1967), Picnic at Hanging Rock, F.W Cheshire Penguin.

Peele, J. (Director). (2017). Get out [Film]. Blumhouse production et al.

Sciamma, C. (Director). (2019). Portrait of a Lady on Fire [Film]. Lilies Film et al.

Weir, P. (Director). (1975). Picnic at Hanging Rock [Film]. Hal and Jim McElroy.

West, T. (Director). (2022). Pearl [Film]. A24 et al.

West, T. (Director). (2022). X [Film]. A24 et al.

de Wilde, A. (Director). (2020). Emma [Film]. Working Title Films et al.

Frank, S. (Director). (2020). The Queens Gambit [Television series]. East Connection Music

Recordings Co.

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