Retribution (2015)A TEENAGER FORCED TO KILL SEEKS HIS FINAL VICTIM: HIS ABDUCTOR

Introduction

‘Retribution’ is a psychological thriller designed and written to leave the audience petrified, enthralled and afraid to look out of the window at night. The main idea of the film was to create a horror movie without making the setting supernatural or surreal. This way, the audience can create a real connection with the protagonist in a realistic situation that is both believable and terrifying.

To do this, the story and characters are written to be realistic and believable for the target audience.

PremiseCHARACTER BACKGROUNDS, SETTING, SITUATION ETC.

Character Backgrounds

Felix (18) Unconventional main character

In the beginning of the film Felix could be described as your ‘Average Joe’. Not too weak but definitely no hero, Felix must break out of his day-by-day attitude to face his situation and save himself and his family.

Felix will wear a simple T-Shirt and jeans that will get more worn as the film progresses, indicating his progression as a character.

Backstory: Felix’s father left when he was a young boy, he still lives at home

with his mother and sister. His mother is caring, but has faith in Felix that he can do what is right.

John (19) Secondary character / Supporting role

John is the class clown. He is loud, obnoxious and rarely pays attention to anyone but himself. As a result, he is not the brightest.

Backstory: John is an only child. Though he tries to uphold a ‘Bad boy’ attitude,

he is babied by his mother and ultimately depends heavily on her.

John’s character development is short lived, as the plot does not serve John very well.

Character Backgrounds

Setting

The film is set in classic middle class suburbia as this is by far the most relatable setting for the target audience which is the ultimate goal for the film.

The opening sequence of the film is set in a small village town just next to a forest. This is to allow for thrilling scenes in both familiar and unfamiliar locations.

In reality, the scenes will be shot in 2 places: The streets out he front of my house, and my house itself.

A forest that is in reality not near my village at all.

Nearly all scenes in the film will be shot at night.

Opening sequence situation

Our 2 characters John and Felix are returning from a night with their friends. In order to get back to Felix’s house they must walk through the forest.

John is being his usual self: Distracted, not paying much attention, whilst Felix is also being himself, listening more than anything

Concept

In the opening sequence of the film. The main character Felix finds himself separated from John, he encounters the scene of a gruesome and grisly murder. Felix opted to not tell John or anyone else for that matter. He decides he will call the police when he gets home, but not startle anyone else by what he has seen. Though something doesn’t quite feel right.

Felix is shaken up, traumatised by what he has seen, and jumps when the phone rings before he has the chance to pick it up. Scared but intrigued he answers the phone to a voice on the other end. Somebody saw him. And now he’s part of something bigger than he could possibly have imagined.

This film turns the protagonist / antagonist conventions on their head, as Felix is forced to murder if he and his family is to survive. The plot will leave the audience guessing, who is the true evil here?

Production of Opening scene

The aforementioned scene will happen before the title sequence of the film. Once Felix has answered the phone, the title sequence will begin.

This will be a montage edit of scenes from the film cut into obscure shots so as to not reveal the plot

My plan is to have the titles appear within the shots of the film, for example: A name written on a body bag or typed into a computer. A similar idea was used in the film “Napoleon Dynamite”

Finally, I want the film title to appear as text on screen. With this I hope for the title to pop out and capture the audience as it will be the only non-diegetic piece of text on screen throughout the film.

Target AudienceWHY I THINK MY CONCEPT WILL APPEAL TO THE TARGET AUDIENCE

Inspiration

A lot of the aspects of my film have come from already successful films or the same or similar genre A weak, developing main character – Fury (2014)

An unknown antagonist – Se7en (1995)

Dark atmosphere reflecting dark situation – The Woman Is Black (2012)

Young, relatable characters adding realism – The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Unconventional representation of protagonist/antagonist – The Watchmen (2009) or the Shining (1980)

What is the target audience?

Due to my characters age and location the target audience for my film is young males 15 and upwards.

To appeal to this audience my film will have a moderately high level of thrill factor and gore. This may put the certification over 18+. However the target audience may still see the film even if they’re under the official classification

My film also has a secondary target audience in your women 16 and upwards. This is because Girls can also be big fans of the horror genre.

Creating a connection

Overall, I want to use realism as much as possible to appeal to the audience. I want the audience to feel like the plot could happen to anyone, as this adds significantly to the thrill factor of and thriller film

To do this I’m using realistic settings, situations, characters and motives to create a connection with the audience.

A weaker main character also helps to develop an emotional connection as we watch him evolve.

Treatment SectionTECHNICAL INFORMATION

Footnote: Photos will be added to official blog

Treatment

Title: “Retribution” Short and punchy, the title is strong, memorable and relevant to the

plot of the film

Medium: Film (Cinema Release) To achieve as much exposure as possible the film will be released in

the cinema around the world.

Running Time: 120mins approx. This gives sufficient time for strong character development but does

not run on for too long

Logline: “A teenager forced to kill seeks his final victim: his Abductor”