Synopsis Ideas

Synopsis Ideas

As a group we got together and discussed ideas for a synopsis of our film and the opening sequence. We each took it in turns to bring an idea to a table and then we all evaluated it to see if it could be a possible contender. We had many ideas as a group and brainstormed them by creating a mind-map.  Our ideas were disorganized and it took a lot of refining to narrow down the most realistic ones. You can see those below:

We decided to pick the blue synopsis. We thought that this idea would be the most realistic to film as we only need to cast for 3 characters, whereas with the other ideas, they needed a lot more. We also thought this followed on from the themes we had researched when we were looking at existing psychological thrillers. I have previously mentioned that I would like to incorporate the theme of rivalry as this seemed popular in films such as the Black Swan and Saw. In this synopsis the husband is the main victim but he is battling the dilemma of a moral decision, his wife or his girlfriend. There is rivalry between the two women in his life now but also between his reality and desires. Another theme that I thought I might include in my own film was this idea of being trapped or stuck. The films The shining and, once again, Saw both seemed to have this as a running plot to the story line and I think it is a good way of enhancing tension and suspense. The husband is stuck with what to do with his life and is in a situation that seems hard to escape; he is surrounded by his own paranoia and trapped in his own mind. 

The Opening Sequence

The opening sequence begins with a montage. There is a close up of a gravestone with a name on it and the husband can be seen laying down flowers next to it. The husband then walks back through the graveyard with his dog, on his way home. The scene fades to when he arrives home and hangs up his wet coat as it was raining outside; his wife is standing there with crossed arms not looking happy. This then fades into the evening meal they both eat together at the dining table. Throughout all of this some classical music is playing which connects the scenes and increases the effect of time passing and the evening progressing. There is no dialogue throughout the montage either. The scene then fades to the wife and husband in bed reading their books; they then turn off the lights and go to sleep, there is no kiss goodnight. 

The music fades away and so does the picture, it fades to black, this emphasises the fact that it is night time. It is very quiet and the audience can’t see anything, they can only hear a low breathing noise. There is a Point of view shot next of the wife standing over the husband whilst he has been asleep and she is holding a weapon ready to strike. The Audience witness the wife murdering the husband and this immediately hikes up the already tense atmosphere, especially with the now dramatic music. It also creates an enigma for the audience. Soon the audience hear a loud, sharp knocking sound and the husband then wakes with a start. The murder scene was a nightmare he was having; he is very tense and shocked when he wakes up and all you see is the wife entering the bedroom with breakfast in bed. She says “morning honey, did you sleep well” in a pleasant but slightly creepy voice and the audience can see that the husband is on edge as the camera then focuses on the sharp knife that is present on the tray.

The wife leaves having said she has forgotten the coffee and the husband gives a sigh of relief. He then leans over to his bedside table, opens the draw and picks up a piece of paper with a number on and a kiss next to it. A graphic match shot then takes place and a new scene begins. A female’s hand can be seen writing the number on the card and the camera follows the card until it is passed into the husband’s hand; he takes it and looks up, the camera tilts up at this point to reveal an attractive young woman. She winks at him and says “give me a call” whilst turning around and leaving the husband’s office, the husband is now seen looking at the number is disbelief and confusion from a distance.