Detailed Treatment for 'Revenge'

As the production cards fade away, the trailer beings with an establishing shot of the school, the camera is on a Dutch tilt angle; we can hear the diegetic sound of birds singing. The camera then tilts up allowing us the see the top bare branches of the trees surrounding the school. From the mise en scene, we get the impression that this school could be very fear-provoking due to the gray sky and black coloured trees covered in moss. We then cut to black, whilst we are watching the black screen we hear the non-diegetic sound of a car engine being turned off. Just before the engine stops we cut to a close up shot of one the car’s tyres. We then cut to a wide angle shot of the front of the car. As this happens we can hear non-diegetic music being played underneath the action, the tone of the music creates a chilling atmosphere and makes the audience aware that something bad is going to happen. Due to the light on the windscreen, we are unable to see who is sat in the car. Before the audience is given the amount of time to focus on the screen, we quickly cut a long shot taken from behind the car; we then see three of the doors start to open. We quickly cut again to a close up shot, this time of the character's feet as they placed them on the grass. From the types of shoes the characters are wearing the audience is able to tell that these characters are female. We then cut back again to the long shot taken from behind the car, and hear the diegetic sound of the car doors shutting, we are clearly able to see three girls stood next to the car. From their dress codes we get the impression that these must be students who are a part of the “popular” group of students. This feeling is enforced by the next scene, which is a close up of the girl who came out of the driver's side spinning her car keys on her index finger. The spinning of the keys is normally used by smug male drivers who are quite narcissistic when it comes to their vehicle. This is used to make the audience aware of the fact that these girls probably are also smug and narcissistic. Although we have not been formally introduced to the characters yet or been able to see their faces. However, from their actions and dress codes the audience is able to fit them within this high school stereotype. By using lots of cuts of different angles for this scene, gives the audience the impression that these girls are being watched. We then cut back to the long shot and see the girls walk towards each other.
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We then cut to a black screen, which has text fading into it. The text reads ‘it was just an ordinary day,’ which is written in white, block font. From the colour of the text the audience is placed within a false sense of security as the colour white symbolises pure and calmness they get the impression that the trailer is going to be just a normal ordinary day. However, as the words fade out, we cut back to a now mid shot of the three girls stood together. We then hear the diegetic sound of the school bell ringing, as they walk away we see somebody stood behind one of the trees which were in the background of the shot. As this person becomes visible, we have a series of rapid cuts between this shot (which zooms in) and an inverted shot of someone walking towards the camera. The use of this typical horror trailer convention allows us to see that the trailer is incorporating Roland Bathes, Enigma Codes by creating the enigma of who is the person behind the tree? It is also used to keep the audience hooked and want to watch the rest of the trailer, as they now want to find out who this person is. Along with this the non-diegetic music suddenly has a mini crescendo and there is a match on action between the non-diegetic music and images on the screen, causing the audience to jump and feel shocked. We then cut to another black screen and have more text fading in, this time it is written in a whitey pink colour but still in the block font suggesting to the audience that the day is about to turn or that we heading somewhere. The text this time reads ‘It was just an ordinary lesson,’ by only changing the last word again suggests that this is the typical routine to the day. As the text fades out, we cut a wide angle shot of a classroom; we can see furthest from the camera the three girls from the previous scene along with other characters reading books. Closest to the camera we can see sat alone a boy writing behind his bag which is in front of him. The non-diegetic music from the previous scene then bridges throughout this scene making it seem as if the day is flowing nicely. We then cut to a mid/wide shot of a female teacher holding a book we are not able to see what is on the cover of the book or able to see her face. This is used as an indirect mode of address by the character on screen; it is used to make the audience unsure whether or not this character can be trusted, and also makes them suspicious as to why her identity is being hidden. She then tells the class that they will be studying this book. As she says this, the non-diegetic music become quiet, however, as we then quickly cut to another black screen with text, the non-diegetic music becomes loud once again. The text this time on screen reads ‘it was just a story,’ and is written in a darker pink colour again, the audience now get the impression whatever bad is going to happen will very soon. The non-diegetic music, at this point starts to become more intense and dramatic, there is also a quick match on action, as the music has a ‘scratch’ like sound, we see a inverted close up shot of the book. The audience is able to see the title of is ‘The Revenge of a Nobody.’ However, because it is inverted and quickly flashed on the screen, it makes the audience jump once again and makes them unable to read what is written on it. We then quickly cut from this and as we do the non-diegetic music once again becomes quieter.
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The scene that follows is a long shot of the three girls stood outside the classroom, as they talk; we see the character that was sat alone, walk out of the class. We then cut to a black screen and see dark pink/reddy colour text appear on the screen, it reads ‘he was a nobody.’ By using this pronoun, it makes the audience suspect that this person could be about to change this “ordinary” day. Moreover, due to the change of the colour used on the text, the audience gets the impression that we are heading towards the turning point. We then cut back the scene; this character, then introduces one of the girls as Mary-Alice. As he continues to talk to the girls, the male character from the previous scene walks into the corridor. Cutting to an over the shoulder shot of him pushing the boy down, as this takes place, the quiet non-diegetic music has a mini crescendo highlighting that this event is key for the rest of the trailer and movie. We then cut to a high angle shot of this boy on the floor watching the other characters walk away, he then says “my name’s not Kevin.” We quickly cut to black and see more text fading in, this time it is written in red, symbolising blood and telling the audience that we have finally been introduced to the killer. We then cut to a handheld long shot taken from what looks like the killers perspective as he/ she is stood behind a door. At this point, the non-diegetic music fades away, and at this point we see a girl walk past the door and the camera pans to the right. As we hear the diegetic sound of the door slamming shut, we then hear the diegetic sound of a heartbeat, beating loudly and at an irregular pace. The girl screams and runs up the stairs; we then get a tracking shot as the camera follows the girl running up the stairs. We then cut black, and we hear the diegetic sound of the girl screaming, as this happens the diegetic sound of the heartbeat stops, making the audience aware of the fact that the girl is now dead.
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We then cut to a wide angle shot of a radio and we hear the diegetic voice-over of a male radio reporter. As he talks we also hear a new type of non-diegetic music begin, this time it is more atmospheric and eerie. As he continues to talk, we have a small sequence of shots consisting of students dying/ dead. The first in the sequence is the dead body of a girl laid across a table. As we watch the scene flashes to red, cuts to black, flashes normal and again cuts to black. By using the technique of red flash/ flash of the image on screen, symbolises blood/evil, this is a typical convention of the horror genre and can be seen in trailers such as Carrie (1976) and Jennifer’s Body (2009). Moreover, by having the quick cut to black it makes it appear as if the footage has been damaged, suggesting to the audience that maybe someone tampering with the police’s evidence. We then quickly cut to see a girl falling off a high ledge, at this point the non-diegetic music has a breath like sound/effect within it, making it seem to the audience that this is the girl gasping for help. We then cut to a boy falling down; the shot allows us to some black paper covering the windows of the room he is in. The covering up of the windows, gives the impression to the audience that this school is isolated and the students are being blocked from help and the rest of the world. Moreover, as the boy falls the non-diegetic music has a dramatic bang sound, creating a match on action with the sound of his body hitting the floor and music changing. We then cut back to the close up shot of the radio, we then see in slow motion, a man’s hand banging the top of radio. As this hand hits the radio it cuts off the diegetic voice-over of the radio reporter. The male hand is used to mislead the audience into thinking that this could be the killer.

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For the next scene, we hastily cut back to black, the non-diegetic music again, bridges the trailer together and the non-diegetic heartbeat sound effect returns, this time its louder and more agitated. We then have a series of quick invert flashes and after each flash, we cut to the original shot of the dead bodies; this is used because it appears as if someone is taking a picture, making the audiences presume that it is the police from the radio report taking pictures from the murder scenes. We then cut to a long shot of a dark corridor, we then get another tracking shot as we make are way down the corridor. The non-diegetic music now has more of a gothic feel to it by this point. As we almost reach the doors, we see a yellow ‘caution sign’ placed next to the doors. This is used as a foreboding technique, because for the audience it makes them suspicious as to whether it is the killer or a victim running down the corridor. In addition, the sign is there to tell whoever is running down the corridor that nothing positive will happen once they reach the doors. As the camera reaches the doors, we get a polarisation accompanied by a non-diegetic whoosh like sound, giving the impression that someone has hit the doors. From the polarisation, we cut to a long/ high angle shot of a corridor, leading onto some stairs. From the right of the shot, we see a man dressed in all black walk towards the stairs. The non-diegetic music continues, as the man turns to walk down the stairs. The scene then turns into slow motion; at this point, the music bangs giving another match on action, with the music and the man’s feet hitting the steps as he walks down them. The slow motion is used here to show the audience that the killer is getting away with what he is doing. Moreover, it shows them that he can go as slow as he wants because no one will stop him. We then cut to a long shot of a door with light streaming from the other side of it, the side that the camera is on is pitch black. We then jump cut from the long shot, to a mid shot, then a close-up of the door, with two of the main characters walking into the room (Mary –Alice and Robin.)

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At this point, the music from the last scene fades away and we then hear a new piece of non-diegetic music, this time it is a violin piece, which gets louder and higher in pitch as we reach the climax of the trailer. As the trailer progresses towards its end we have a series of rapid cuts between scenes of the main and minor characters trying to escape the killer. Some of the scenes are separated with a quick flash of an inverted eye, others are just cut together. The use of the inverted eye is another convention that is frequently used in trailers of this genre, by having the eye inverted instead of just normal, it shocks the audience. This is because, as this invert is quickly flashed onto the screen the audience does not have the time to register what they have just seen, and this leads to them being anxious about the shot they just saw. The trailer ends with the main character Mary-Alice running towards a dark arena (we are not really able to clearly make out where she is,) a tracking shot is used to capture her reaction as she tries to escape. As she runs into the dark, the music becomes very loud, we hear the diegetic sound of her scream and we suddenly cut to black. The music continues at this pitch and under it we hear the non-diegetic voice-over of the teacher Jean Taylor saying ‘I write the book, I chose the endings!’ Once this is said, the non-diegetic music reaches its climax this is done by a crescendo, as this happens, over the crescendo of the music we can hear the non-diegetic sound of a gunshot. This sound effect is used to show the audience that somebody has died. As we hear this, the main title appears on the screen, the non-diegetic music fades away as the title cards cut to black.