Storyboard/Planning Process of 'Fool Me Twice'

Extended Character Persona

The previous picture of the antagonist Solomon shows the famous Stanley Kubrick 'Glare' shot. With the mouth slightly ajar, head tilted forward while the eyes press against the eyebrows giving a deranged look. This shot is to imply the character is not mentally stable or some supernatural force has taken over him.

Full Metal Jacket

Clockwork Orange

Here are a few films Kubrick has included the famous 'Glare' shot in.

Character Persona

Being exiled and isolated for a long period of time we tried to give the antagonist Solomon a relic'd look. A khaki trench coat and a white bob hat was to imply the clothes didn't match and were stolen. The inspiration that led us to deciding on Solomon's persona was a mix between the eccentric ukulele performer 'Tiny Tim' and also the american sing/song writer 'Tom Wait's' whom Heath Ledger analysed before starring as The Joker.

Tiny Tim

Tom Waits

Antagonist
Solomon

Film Opening Analysis

Editorial Decisions... During filming 'Fool Me Twice' we included a sepia mask effect on the camera. The purpose of this was to highlight the deranged follower's (antagonist) perspective. I thought this worked well because although exaggerating the sepia effect helped the audience truly empathize with the antagonist's damaged past and also the sepia is generally red which symbolizes blood and connotes violence. The handheld camerawork and the tracking editing through the tree's also augmented this affect.

Sepia Edit

Location Hunting

The Setting

While in the process of location hunting we came across a secluded woodland area that seemed fit for the film opening. Over flowing with withered tree bark and derelict buildings  this location stood out and appeared more relevant than the rest. The opening of 'Silence of the Lambs' is also shot in an empty park/wood. Any isolated or desolate ground is perfect for the opening of a thriller.

Hameldon Wood
(Our Location)

'Misty Wood'
Clay County, West Virginia.
(Silence of the Lambs)

Plot

Fool Me Twice

The Plot

The Film opens with two, young, Caucasian males walking through a woodland area. As the film progresses and the type of shots differ, it suggests they are being followed. The deranged tracker is eventually made visible wielding a combination spanner to reinforce the sense of realism in the clip, also teamed with a shot-reverse-shot sepia screen to highlight his point of view. Nevertheless the follower tracks one of the protagonists and an extreme close up shot show's the antagonist striking him. The story follows that of a generic thriller film opening with the tracker in pursuit of the only surviving protagonist. This scene is then interrupted with the end credits of the short film clip. Given a big budget and a longer time period, the film would have followed on as so... Anaphora would be a predominant theme throughout the film 'Fool Me Twice'. After the short two minute opening, the movie would flash back three years earlier where both the antagonist and protagonists where childhood friends. As the story unfolds it becomes clear that Gordon (the smaller protagonist with the black leather jacket) had taken a turn for the worse. With his father suddenly coming into a large sum of money  a vicious greed over took his once innocent mind. Unknowingly to Gordon his father was a wanted drug lord. Gordon began stealing small amounts of his fathers money day by day assuming he wouldn't notice. Nine months swiftly passed and the stolen blood money soon accumulated. It came to Gordon's father's attention of the missing money and he was outraged. Threatening him with his own life Gordon panicked and threw the blame onto the innocent orphan Solomon (the antagonist). Jamie by-standing this evil was as much to blame as Gordon. His father and his clan tracked down Solomon and took the law in to their own hands banishing him to a deserted prison in Mozambique where he was given scarce food and water and also tortured. After two years of this punishment Solomon became immune to the pain and was able to survive off the little supplements that he was given. One of night guards fell asleep and Solomon saw this as an opportunity to gain vengeance. Stripping him of his uniform and weapons, Solomon's disguise was sufficient enough for him to pass off as a guard and aboard ship back to the United Kingdom. Arriving back in his hometown Burnley, he gains background knowledge on his once best freinds and pursues them through their daily routine making them live in fear. The story then reverts back to the original two minute clip and follows on from there.

Film Opening Draft

The Lesser Key of Solomon

 This was our initial idea for the film opening. The film was based in the 1950's hence the attire and haircuts. We tried to include connotations of this era such as the vinyl player, a tobacco pipe and the old fashioned banister and stairway. Due to the time period of the opening we added an old film grain effect to the camera to solidify the vintage look. In reflection we understood there would be a few anomalies and errors in the full filming process so decided to progress with the present idea 'Fool Me Twice'.

Me with a camera filming actors Jamie Glasgow and Samuel Hartley
in the 'Lesser Key of Solomon'.

Film Opening Analysis Continued

This is where the old house first comes into shot. It's important because as one of the protagonist opens the door there is an establishing shot showing a full view of the door opened. The only light present is the natural light which is dispersing into the house. Regardless of the natural light the decrepit house remains dark as the the shadow dominates the light. The point of view of the camera is opposite adjacent the protagonist as if to suggest it is the view point who we know is 'Leatherface'.

Film Opening Analysis Continued

Two of the girls leave the van and go to buy a can of Coca Cola from the vending machine outside the dreary, isolated gas station. A two shot is then teamed with a panning technique with the camera. Again at eye level the panning insinuates there are being watched and the normal order of things is starting to look aberrant.

Before the above shot, a low-angle two shot is conformed to highlight the girls' vulnerability and also suggests a libidinous element which would make the audience slightly uncomfortable nevertheless adding to the chilling apprehension.

Film Opening Analysis Continued

In this scene the characters naively pick up a stranded hitchhiker. He is overly confident taking in to consideration he has just met the cousins. The physically impaired character converses with the stranger and asks him of the slaughter house. He shows the disabled man a photo montage of diced animals and follows this peculiar act with the reply:  'I used to be the killer'. The hitchhiker then snatches a survival knife out of his hand and stares at it menacingly. The red paint/blood on the hitchhikers face is also a connotation of violence as well as the knife. Already the audience aren't feeling at ease with the unwelcome hitchhiker climbing aboard, but this feeling of suspense is reinforced with an eye-level close up of the mysterious man. Natural lighting also illuminates the van from the outside because it's in the day however
this also augments the element of realism.

Film Opening Analysis Continued

Film Analysis Continued

After the opening credits the film begins with a group of white, Caucasian male and females approaching what looks to be a desolate field in a green camper van. En route to the destination there are numerous unnerving connotations of death such as strange models of decayed flesh and an armadillo lies dead in the middle of the road when the van passes. The music at the start of the opening credits has the diegetic sound of a series of gongs and percussion instruments suggesting violence. There is also a male speaking into an old police radio over the top of the instruments. Accordingly Tobe Hooper wanted the narration to sound like Orson Welles for an aspect of realism as the events are based on true ones. Immediately the audience know something bad is going to happen. When the van finally comes to a halt, a disabled man in a wheel chair is the first out however underestimates the terrain and when a lorry passes the van the wind coincidentally  forces the the man and his wheelchair taking a tumble through the reeds.The unfortunate happening to this disabled man suggests vulnerability will be a sustained theme in this film, also the harming of a disabled person in natural light also implies that the greater evil that is yet to appear has no moral boundaries and will stop at nothing. 

Film Opening Analysis

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Theme: Horror

Sub Genre: Slasher

 The film opens and already anxiety is struck upon the audience. Suspense is formed before even seeing the character. This is due to the scrolling text in black and yellow which explains that the horror you are about to watch is based on real life events and therefore gives a sense of a realism element to the film which makes it ever the more terrifying.