Planning: Opening scene narration- Miss Begum

 

Opening scene narration

 

Introduction:

After the idea was finalised the narration was put together creating a clear structure of the opening and ensuring the idea was clearly presented. Without a clear structure the audience are unable to understand what is going on in the scene and instead to building emotion and suspense they try to understand the storyline. Therefore, it was important to put the narrative into a clear structure with the most important events towards the end creating suspense and anticipation for the audience. Overall, as a group we discussed the idea and formed a clear narrative including all the events in order making it conventional to a thriller opening.

 

 

Scene narration:

 

• The scene starts with a formally dressed professor who is the protagonist of the thriller wearing a suit and glasses demonstrating that he has good intensions and is knowledgeable therefore the audience have faith in him and confidently trust that he will solve the initial problem. He is sitting by a computer screen observing the anti hero's behaviour and taking notes. During this scene a panning shot will be used in order for the audience to capture the setting as we'll as the protagonists actions and intensions immediately allowing them to develop an understanding about what is going on in the scene. Then an over the shoulder shot will be used so the audience can see what the professor is looking at, the camera will zoom into the computer screen so the audience are able to see a woman in a room acting demented creating confusion  for  the audience as they are unclear of what is going on but it also creates curioisity as they want to find out more about the woman and the reasons for her behaviour.

• As the scene develops the woman who is the anti hero is perceived to be a demented pregnant woman who is suffering from deteriorating mental health and is therefore in a mental institution, she will be wearing a grey top symbolising her split personality as she is mentally unstable but also clarifying that she previously was an antagonist and is now a victim of her own mind allowing the audience to empathise with her. She is seen to run around the room, and act abnormal by peforming star jumps, and laughing, crying and screaming which highlights her psychological state. This will make the audience respond with shock and fear as they will be unable to come to terms with how the anti hero got into her current state and what influenced her, but they will also fear for the victims future and fear for her unborn baby who is in potential danger of being harmed by the anti hero. The tension begins to build for the audience as they wait in anticipation to find out more.

• Towards the end of the opening the anti hero begins to see flashbacks of her past. During these flashbacks close ups and medium close ups will be used to capture the anti hero's facial expressions clearly. The lighting during the flashbacks will be black and white to enable the audience to immediately understand that she is looking back on her life and the most important experiences that have caused her to be in her current state. The first flashback is of her and a man who is supposedly her lover behaving intimately and getting caught by the man's wife. After this flashback the anti hero is seen to immediately get angry, this allows the audience to have a clearer understanding about the anti hero's past. The second flashback she sees is receiving the news of her pregnancy when she sees a positive pregnancy test result. After seeing this flashback the anti hero holds her stomach and smiles suggesting that the baby is comforting for the woman and that she is looking forward to having a her own baby. The final flashback consists of the pregnant woman killing the mans wife to prevent her from destroying their happiness. After seeing this flashback the victim begins to cry and then begins to act demented again. The will result in the audience responding with suspense as they have a clearer understanding of the anti hero and her life however are unsure of what to expect next therefore wait in anticipation. 

• At the end the door of her room opens and a dead woman dressed in white who the anti hero killed enters the room and slowly approaches the anti hero. The antagonist will wear a white dress which connotes innocence in order to suggest that she was innocent and was killed for no reason, the dress will have rips and dirt however which will symbolise that she is no longer innocent and wants revenge from her killer.The audience are left in suspense as the tension builds while the antagonist approaches the anti hero. The professor is unable to seethe antagonist suggesting that the situation is occurring in the anti hero's mind, this leaves the protagonist concerned and confused as the anti hero responds by moving into a corner unable to move from shock as she cries in terror. During this scene a long shot will be used and a point of view allowing the audience to see both the anti hero and the antagonists action and responses and allowing them to see the situation from the anti hero's situation. As the antagonist   approaches the anti hero, the anti hero panics and breaths hard to show her fear, the antagonist reaches out her hand and places her hand on the anti hero's  stomach where the baby kicks and responds to the dead woman. Here a medium shot will be used in order for the audience to see the baby bump and the antagonists hand properly and see what is happening clearly. The audience are left with a cliff-hanger creating anticipation and excitement for them as they want to watch more and see the outcome of the antagonists revenge. They are also left in shock as they do not expect the baby to respond to the antagonist.

 Audience Reactions
 

Overall, throughout the thriller the audience will feel on edge with tensions and suspense created at the end of the scene leaving the audience wondering about the further events that could occur. The audiences responses will gradually change throughout the scenes as they will start off confused during the first scene and then they will begin to have a clearer understanding with feelings of sympathy towards the anti hero and then fear and envy towards her after learning that she has committed adultery and committed murder. Finally, they will be filled with suspense and adrenaline as they await for the antagonist to get revenge from the anti hero. These various responses from the audience are conventional to the thriller genre as it is expected for the audience to feel shocked and fear particular characters.