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Casting

Ciaran Pinnell as Michael Orpheus.

Ciaran has is an extremely well experienced drama student who has played in such a large variety of roles that I feel he would be able to play the main character easily. Ciaran has featured in performances ranging from serious theater to school productions to indie film productions all across the acting spectrum. He also has also studied film studies at As level giving him a firm understanding of the methods of production and importance of deadlines.

Sarah Wright as Aurora

Sarah Wright has featured in my previous two films and over such time has developed significant acting experience. Her confidence has increased as the projects have gone forward and considering she began as a relatively unexperienced actor, her ability has increased dramatically and I am now more than happy to have her play a leading role in this film.

 Jon Loftus as Stephen Kingsly 

Jon has very little experience when it comes to acting however I believe his personality is very similar to the character I wish to portray so I am type casting him and hoping that his lack of e      experience will not effect his ability to convey the character. Jon has always offered his support whenever I am working on a project so I am confident I can work well with him and that he will do his best to help realize the character.

Mind Map

Addition of Alter Ego

Previously I thought that using the flaws in Michael's personality as the demons within his mind would be enough to stimulate character growth and progression however I recently realised that this left a lack of urgency. Why does the character need to defeat the demons quickly? What is the time frame? so I decided to add an alternative more sinister version of Michael that could assume control over his body if he fails to defeat his demons. Not only does this add a sense of urgency but it allows for whoever plays the character to gain a real sense of depth and forces them to explore the character much more than the previous story would allow.

Trailer Script

                                                                              Trailer Script

(Michael is walking home alone in the cold)
Voice over Michael: My name's Michael. Haven't heard of me? I'm not surprised... best british writer 2005, critics choice 3 years running, 3 best selling novels! none of it meant shit.

(Shot quickly cuts to Michael and Aurora inside their house) 
Aurora: Michael I know it's hard but we need this next book to go big or else we're out of a home

(Shot quickly cuts again to Michael and Steven driving in Steven's car)
Steven: Come on man I know it sucks but through me a bone hear.

(Shot quickly cuts to Michael waiting at a bus stop as a stranger walks by)
Fan: Aren't you Michael Orpheus? I remember you I was a massive fan all the way back when you were huge! I mean you used to be really famous! 

(Shot slowly fades to Michael sitting at his computer in the dark)
Voice over Michael: Stephen King once wrote "We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones." Whilst I suppose thats true, what happens when you can no longer tell which one is which?

(Shot of the outside of Michael's house at night)

(various screams and howls are heard from inside)

(Quick cut to Michael waking suddenly in the dark)

(A montage of all the various different horrific demons and creatures Michael faces)

Alter Michael: I'm just better at being you!

(Finally a shot of Michael wearing a suit turning to kiss Aurora)

Audience Research

From these statistics it seems clear that horror and thriller are by far the most preferred genre of film. This is excellent news because my original idea for this film fits both of these genre conventions, however my film does contain hidden meanings and other elements which I am not sure my target audience will appreciate so I may have to review certain creative decisions.

poster first draft

This poster was I think reasonably successful because it outlines the genre and a tone for the entire film. The borders of the images need a lot of work but I think that the actual office and the tendrils work extremely well, creating a dark and mysterious overtone which is exactly what I am trying to portray. I think this poster was extremely successful as a concept as it portrays the exact message I am trying to convey. However if it is to look professional and aesthetically pleasing it still needs a lot of work.

Music

The music for this trailer is extremely important because for a horror movie atmosphere is crucial for creating the right setting and forcing an emotional response from the audience. Many horror movies fall into the trap of playing scary and eerie music in the trailer in order to try and portray their movie as clearly frightening or terrifying. I however wish to use a more epic soundtrack to indicate that as well as  being a horror this movie is about a personal adventure and contains a lot of character development and that the movies main focus is not on shear shock value. The more epic music will also serve to heighten the excitement and anticipation for the film without leaving the audience too confused about the tone of the film. The reason spooky or eerie music is not always the best choice for a horror movie trailer is that spooky and eerie music is meant to build up suspense over a elongated period of time so that the actual shock itself is even more frightening. In a trailer this is not ideal because time is limited and therefore the eerie music either does not have time to sufficiently build suspense or the shock itself does not have time to take effect leaving the audience confused about the actual tone, message or even genre of the film.

The other issue to consider when choosing music for a film or trailer is that of license and copyright because if I have not either created the music myself or gained written permission from the creator of the music to use it within my trailer then I could be in breach of the law. Fortunately there are several music sites that offer no charge license free music for independent developers and content producers to use for their projects. There is such a wide array of free content available to developers online 

plot synopsis

Written Treatment

                                                                               Dr Sleep
                                                                  Written By Callum West
                                                                    Phone: 01689861122
                                                     Email: Callum@brunswickpartnership.com
                                                       

Michael Orphius is a masterful writer with many best selling novels and critically aclaimed works, recently however he has fallen upon hard times. Words don't come to him as they used to, instead of falling into place he has to force them and as a result critics have claimed that he has lost his touch and that he is no longer the genius that he once was. Pressure is mounting on Michael not only with his personal life but also at home.
His wife and muse Aurora is supportive but without Michael's writing they will have no source of income and therefore must pressure him into writing more this has caused a divide in their relationship and neither of them are to blame the only issue that they have in their relationship is wealth.
 Michael is a recluse by nature and as such has very few friends. The one true friend that he does have is Stephen his agent however at this stage in Michael's career he is becoming less and less profitable to Stephen and therefore must make a decision on whether or not to quit working with Michael again Stephen really enjoys Michael's company but unfortunately the issue of wealth is still a powerful factor in their relationship.
With the pressure mounting from both his professional and personal life Michael decides to sit down and write one more novel. However the same problem occurs as before and Michael still can't write like he used to. After working all through the night Michael eventually falls asleep at his typewriter. When he awakes something seems strange. Fog surrounds the floor, the trees outside seem to have died and all of the buildings seem oddly distorted.
 Michael then hears Aurora calling him from upstairs, as he searches the house he notices strange furniture that does not belong and as he breaks through the door to his bedroom he is then presented with a terrifying demon who introduces itself as deceit. Michael is obviously terrified by this apparition and runs out of the house. On his way out other creatures reveal themselves in the form of writers block, deadlines, wealth etcetera. However the worst of these demons is a alter ego of himself who is far more charming and charismatic but is determined to kill Michael so that he can assume control. Terrified Michael flees his house and runs out into a forrest.
 He can then hear the sounds of the demons searching for him and when he believes he will be killed by these satanic apparitions a mysterious light appears that speaks with the voice of Michael's inspiration Stephen King. It informs him that this world is a dream or nightmare world and that the negative aspects of his are determined to destroy him. However just like any world he creates he is in control and when things look dire he has the ability to change the ending. The light then disappears and all that is left behind is a pen which Michael then picks up.
 He then confronts each one of his demons starting with deadlines. Deadlines is a sinister creature covered with clocks and watches however Michael uses the power of his pen to rewrite the demon out of his dream. After Deadlines Michael is faced with Writers Block an axe wielding maniac intent on smashing creativity. However Michael's creativity proves to great to be restrained by Writers Block and Michael ultimately defeats him.
 Finally Michael is faced with his most feared demon, Wealth. Wealth represents all of Michael's problems, it controls weather him and his wife can sleep safely it represents weather he can afford to feed himself and it effects weather or not he needs to write for money or love. This final battle is by far the most difficult for Michael however he is still ultimately victorious. Michael then awakes back in his office and looks to his left and there is a huge pile of paper. The top sheet reads "Dr Sleep by Michael Orphius"

Film logo

This is the logo I have created for the teaser trailer and perhaps some extra posters. The use of the typewriter shows how writing is clearly integral to the plot. The eyes facing the audience are used show the surreal and supernatural undertones throughout the film. The use of only black and white colors make is simple and continues the theme of writing because print itself is only black and white.

Extra costume

 

The feedback I have been given is that it would be extremely difficult to  create the monsters within my  film. However I decided that a good solution to this problem would be to use morph suits. The plain white morph suit will allow me to keep the impression that the monsters in the film are somewhat human. Also the morph suits are easily decorated allowing me to add clocks for the character of deadlines and letters for writers block.

extras

Wealth

Deadlines

Writer's Block

Characters

  Characters

The Actors I have chosen below are who in an ideal world, with a much larger budget, I would chose to play the characters within Dr Sleep.

The character Michael Orphius is named because when abbreviated M.Orphius the name sounds out Morpheus the god of sleep. This is significant because the character of Michael is a dreamer, it is why in years gone by he was a well renowned and accomplished writer with a huge following. However as those years drift further and further into the past Michael is presented with a problem. How does he bring back the magic? With more and more pressure being heaped on him by the media, press he is finding it difficult to cope. Michael is a recluse by nature and his only real friend is his agent Steven. However this relationship is being stressed because whilst Steven does want to remain a loyal friend but Michael is becoming less and less profitable and Steven will have no choice but to back out on him soon. This presents Michael with his only solution. He has to write a new hit novel quickly before he fades into the midst of obscurity. When Michael begins writing he eventually falls asleep at the typewriter and enters into a dream like state where elements of his subconscious attempt to destroy him.
The Reason I have Chosen Ikka Villi for the role is because he played a similar role in Mikael Kasurens video game Alan Wake in which he plays a writer that is being haunted by a demon determined to take his talent and use it to destroy the world.

The character of Steven Kingsly is also important because he provides the motivation that is required to force Michael to continue working on his novel. The name Steven Kingsly is also significant because it is a reference to Stephan King who is not only Michael's inspiration but also the inspiration for this film. Steven is Michael's agent but as Michael is something of a recluse Steven is also Michael's best friend. This puts Steven in an unfortunate position because whilst he wants to remain loyal to his friendship with Michael their partnership is becoming less and less profitable. The reason I would ideally want John Goodman to play this role is because he regularly plays the catalyst for drama like in his role in the Big Labowski and he also has experience of playing the pushy hollywood director from his role in Argo which makes him perfect for the role.

Aurora's character appears very briefly at the beginning and end of the film and has very few lines. This   is to suggest to the audience that Michael is neglecting his home life due to his depression and stressful work ethic. However she does still care for Michael and wants him to succeed. Therefore the character that plays Aurora needs to be able to portray affection and sympathy without using dialogue. This is why I would pick Alicia Silverstone for the role because as you can see from the picture bellow her use of body language can clearly convey love and sympathy. 

John Goodman
as
Steven Kingsly

Alicia Silverstone
as
Aurora Orphius

Ikka Villi
as
Michael Orphius

location

location

The location of Dr Sleep will be set inside of the home of Michael Orphius. The home itself must look relatively modern to indicate the fact that Michael is successful and fashionable, however when the dream sequence begins I would like to add a few vintage motifs to create a erie and strange ambience that is perhaps reminiscent of a more difficult time in Michael's life to make the character feel more ill at ease. The apartment itself does not have to be in any particular area as most of the scenes will be outside, I will probably use a london apartment for the easy travel and this will probably allow me more filming time overall.
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mood board

one sentence pitch

Film Poster

This Film poster is something I created as a replica of Japanese film Akira. I decided to make this film poster a live action poster so as to represent the animated film in a different light. 

Trailer review

The trailer for Pacific Rim begins with a dramatic voice over stating that humanity always expected alien life to come from the stars. This line is accompanied by a crowd of people looking up into the sky expectantly. This highlights the fact that this film is trying to be unconventional by introducing a new spin on the classic Aliens invade earth trailer because in this film Aliens emerge from the pacific. The swoosh noise then indicates that tension is increasing. An underwater portal is then revealed giving the audience some context as to where the Aliens came from. The deep voice over then begins giving the viewer a sense of drama because of the harsh and powerful tone that the narrator is using. Several scenes of destruction and dramatic CGI then follow showing the viewer the scope and budget of the film, convincing them that the production values are significantly higher than other major films available. Then the trailer fades into several characters wearing motion capture suits and moving technological interfaces to signify that the film is a science fiction movie.
The next shot is that of a mech being lifted out of a dark hanger. This could perhaps be considered symbolic of the fact that humanity has been able to lift themselves out of the darkness and that they now have a fighting chance. The next shot is that of a little girl standing alone in the middle of a highway as fighter planes fly past. This shot portrays a number of things. Firstly the girl is alone and in a dangerous area, this makes the audience feel fearful for the little girl as she appears vulnerable and delicate. Secondly the fact that a highway is normally a busy place but now has been completely deserted shows that there has been some form of catastrophe in the area. Finally the image of the fighter pilots juxtaposed with the little girl is shocking to audiences because it highlights that no one is safe from the conflict that is now occurring. As if to confirm this the next shot is that of a giant mech wrestling with an Alien in the middle of the ocean. The stormy background of the fight also adds to the sense of conflict and tension. The shot then quickly cuts to a mech falling out of the sky and into earths atmosphere this angelic image indicates that the robots in this film are humanities protector. Then large bold metallic text appears saying 'or go extinct' the metallic effect on the text is not only synonymous with conflict and action but it is also symbolic of the mechs themselves perhaps indicating that they are all that stands between humanity and extinction. The text is also sans serif indicating that the battle between good and evil is simple and righteous. This is supported by the fact that the text is against a totally black background which is perhaps symbolic of the darkness that humanity is facing. More action sequences of robots punching aliens in the face then follow in quick succession, leaving no doubt in the mind of the viewer that this is very much an action film however these scenes  are interrupted by an emotional speech given by Ildris Elba to signify to the audience that the film does contain certain emotional depth.