Rafi Prieto AICE Media Studies Blog: Key Moments

For today, I really want to reflect on what I've been doing throughout. Mainly because I'm still indecisive on which opening I want to film.

The Initial Idea

Well, looking at my original idea, there was a lot missing, mainly the motive. I have this young girl who is being prayed on by a masked figure via text message. The young girl, Lilly, is home alone, at night, awaiting her boyfriend's arrival, and ultimately gets stabbed by the masked figure in the end.

I liked this idea to a certain extent, but there is a lot missing. I don't have a real character name for the masked figure, nor do I even have a motive. Sure, I could just say that the masked figure attacks Lilly because they'e a psychopath, but that doesn't feel right to me, there has to be a real reason for their actions.

Another thing that took me time to realize was that the idea is way too similar to SCREAM. I would say a modern take on it, but that's the fifth movie. I just think that in some sense, there is no originality to what I initially came up with. I think the only part that was original was the ending of the opening where she wakes up and there was nothing wrong, however, that made me think of Happy Death Day, a movie in which the protagonist has to solve her murder so she can live the next day, if not, she will re-live and get killed on the same day.

Looking at it overall, I don't want my film opening to make people think of others. I mean, sure that can work for the marketing maybe, but I want it to be individual, so I think that I will not do this opening.

The New Idea

The way this came about was while being in the process of writing the first script. Essentially, I was writing and though of a completely different way to tell the story of this character, and I really liked where it was at, but I still liked my first opening.

I think one of the biggest things that was hard about this version was that the script is very difficult to write. The majority of it is a VoiceOver, and when I look through the different shots, I have to estimate which lines will match up with the different shots that I intend to use. I also have to figure out different camera movements that I want to use. I have thought of them, and I know someone who could help me, with that, but it's just a matter of figuring out our schedules for filming.

What I really like about this idea is that it is more original, at least I've never seen anything like it before, but then again, it is more complicated to explain.

Essentially, Lilly, has a gift to feel what other people feel and read their minds, however, there is such a big buildup of emotion that it begins to drive her crazy. With all of that weight on her she decides that she needs to relieve some of it, in doing so she starts to kill people.

What I like about it is that it's essentially a slasher horror from the slasher's perspective. We know the motive and who it is, now it's just a matter of trying to get Lilly caught (by her townspeople), but at the same time, ensuring that Lilly doesn't get found, but overall, finding a way for Lilly to lose her abilities. I feel like it's a very weird thing to explain and write, but it makes sense to me, and I think the opening that I have in mind will really allow it to make sense.