Treatment

 A treatment for Addicted

Prepared by Jeremiah Fowler 

This film will be between the time of 1:30-2:00 minute duration. This will be filmed at a local bay called Browns Bay, this location has street shops that are a perfect match for the background we wanted to use. We wanted to use a location that surely won't have a lot of people around, this plays with the convention of isolation. The use of street shops also creates a sense of eeriness as this isn't an area that serves a lot of protection, especially at night time. The area is also not rich area so it does not give off the idea of security and comfort. The other location will have a very brief time being filmed as the main shots will be at the Browns Bay location and also in the car. 

We did not want to use a busy environment as we want to use the convention of isolation. Isolation is a technique used in a thriller that builds suspense as viewers can put themselves in the character's shoes and feel a sense of danger as no one is around to help them if something bad were to happen. We will also be using the convention of the unknown, we will try to keep a mysterious aspect to this film. The interactions between characters will be brief and will carry dialogue but very it will be very direct and limited. The characters will talk at a slow pace and with no excitement, this will emphasize the aspect of mystery. The dark and shadows will be used in this film to portray a feeling of thrill and enigma.

Characters 

There will be two characters in this film, one character can be seen as buying drugs from the second character. This relationship between the two will be dull and have no affection or remorse for each other, so with the interaction that will be taking place between the two there will be no excitement in the tone of their voices and the conversation will be cold and brief. The character buying drugs will be called Aaron, and the second character selling will be called Von. We will be conforming to the stereotype of black and ethnic cultures engaging in criminal activities such as drug selling. In this case, though Aaron will end up becoming the victim in this film even though he is the person engaging also in criminal activities. 

Aaron: He will be dressed in all-black clothing with the layering of jackets which can subtly hint at the idea that he is uncomfortable, this can also help us with the idea that this film idea is based on UK drama/crime. In these Uk dramas characters are usually wearing coats and puffer jackets which display meaning of being "ready" for anything. If the characters were wearing just t-shirts this would displace a feeling of comfort which we don't want to be portrayed in this film. Aaron is a character who has had a rough upbringing and uses these drugs to cope with the trauma from his past. 

Von: Von will be dressed in all black as well, in a puffer jacket which can bring a sense of danger as he will look broader with the puffer jacket this will inflict feelings of an unfair fight if anything were to happen with the two characters. We will keep the background of Von hidden as he will have no emotions and have no attachment to the watchers.

Ideology

Usually in the exchange of drug dealing both parties would be seen as immoral, but in this case Aaron will be seen in a good light as he is the victim in this film. This can be seen as irony as usually the person doing immoral things is seen as being the villain of the story but in this case the person doing immoral things is favored by watchers and has sympathy from viewers. 

Mood and tone 

We will embed a dull, cold and mysterious feeling throughout this film. Aaron will show little emotion but when he does show emotion it will be of panic, tension and unsettledness. The tone is dark as the main character will reflect a troubled upbringing and he looks for freedom through the use of drugs and not healthier alternatives. This also places sympathy on this character as watchers will want him to look for peace and healing in the right places. This also adds to the suspense as he will be paying for his actions for being caught up in this lifestyle. 

Camera and Lighting 

We will be using close up shots of Aarons body language, which will hint toward the feelings he is under. 

We also will be using a wide angle shot which will portray how the character adapt to their environment and each other . A shot like this would be perfect:

The shots we will use will be mostly medium close up, close up, and wide shots. Close up shot will be very useful in this film as this drags viewers attention to the details and these little details can express a lot of emotion in a tight shot. Eg Close up of the speedometer will tell watchers straight away that Aaron is being to stress and he knows he is being followed so he is trying to speed up to lose his chaser, and also that he has lost his calm. We will not need to be using anything lighting techniques as we want to use the natural lighting from the street lamps which can match realism. 

Themes 

The themes we will be portraying is the idea of your actions catching up to you over time, and making the right decisions in life will lead to the right outcomes that you want. For Aaron he has chosen the wrong but will be pay for the consequences or not.... There is also a sense of enigma as you don't know too much about these people at this point and you question whether or not Von will have mercy on him or not 

Narrative

Our narrative creates suspense through the use of silence and the lack of excitement and joy express from both parties. Von will have cold replies which show he is not a person to show forgiveness and pit for others. This will add suspense as watchers get the image around Aaron being in the fate of a man that shows little to no empathy for others. And as we have empathy for Aaron it makes it so much more suspenseful as we are hoping for the best over Aarons well being. 

Mis-en-scene/setting

The film is set on the side of the street at night which creates a feeling of the lack of safety, because there is less people around and most evil things happens in the dark. The use of the warm street lamps also portrays a creepy and unsettling feeling as shadows are created around the setting. The characters will be wearing black coats and puffer jacket to portray a cold and uncomfortable feeling through the cold weather.

Symbolism

The darkness and shadows used in this film will be reflecting the troubled mind and world that Aaron lives in. We will use a close-up of Aaron looking at his screensaver on his phone he will have a picture of his father who has passed away. 

Sound and music: 

In one of the opening shots we will get a shot of Aaron walking with his headphones on and to set the mood for this character, we will be able to hear music leaking from his headphones and this type of music will be some type of "UK drill rap beat". This is a cool small detail that can add a sense of realism to this film as watchers will be watching this all unfold from a second person's perspective and this is not straight from Aarons's perspective. 

Mood and tone: 

The mood of this film will be mysterious, dark, and gloomy. The interaction between characters is dull so this will create a sense of mystery in our film as there will be no sense of warmth or kindness from the character. The main focus of this film is to create a sense of suspense. So the characters, setting, and Drugs will all add to this feeling of suspense as these elements hint towards danger. 

Use of credits and logos: 

Edits: 

This film will not rely heavily on edits as the main focus will be trying to use the camera in a way that looks as if it was from a second person's perspective. The cuts between shots will be simple cuts and will use a smooth fade to black which will not disturb the realism of this film. If there are very complicated and long transitions between the shots will disturb the flow of the film and will cut the suspense and the viewer's attention will be taken away. 

Summary of "Addicted": 

At the start of this film, it will start off with Aaron walking along the street at night with his headphones on. We will cut to a shot of Aaron looking at his phone which will have wallpaper on the phone. Then we will get shots of Von walking as well and then a wide shot of the two meetings. Once the two have met and exchanged the money for the drugs. Aaron will show signs of distress and then will swiftly make his way to his car. When driving home he will notice someone is following him through his rear view mirror and then he will lose the car. When he finally arrives home and makes his way to the door he will discover that the door is open so someone is inside his house.