Initial Inspiration for Opening Scene

After looking at different films and fashion films, I have decided that I want the opening of my fashion film to be of close-ups of some of the objects that would have been found lying around in Victorian mental asylums. I think this will be effective because it will give people some initial clues as to what the fashion film will be about; however I don't want to make it too obvious as I want it to unfold throughout the film. I was inspired by the use of close-ups in the opening of Insanitarium (2008) and also the fashion film, Screw by Nick Knight. I liked how these close-ups make the viewer ask themselves questions about where the film is located and also what is being shown in the clip. I liked that the close-ups in Screw were very zoomed in because you weren't always able to work out what each clip was showing, making the viewer have to interpret things on their own. I think this is the perfect way to introduce the viewers to my fashion film because it will slowly unveil my fashion film topic.

(Rennell, T., 2011.)

The image above of Broadmorr Mental Institution inspired me to include a clip of the outside of the building in my fashion film because it is such a well known and iconic mental hospital. I like that people may recognise this image as a famous high security mental asylum; however I don't want it to be too obvious so I will only show small close-ups of the building and the railings around it to give people clues to unfold.

Further Close-ups and Inspiration

As explained previously, I want all the close-ups in the opening of my fashion film to be clues about what my fashion film will be about. I want there to be a mixture of very ambiguous close-ups and more obvious ones to show a variety and to tease the audience.

Below are some examples of the close-ups in the introduction of Insanitarium (2008) where they are showing different equipment the surgeon may use and different medical-related objects, like numbers on a computer screen and an x-ray. I have screen shotted some of the close-ups from the film, as shown below, to give me inspiration for my own close-ups. This film incorporates the title and people included in making and starring in the film, which I think works well because each name can be viewed for a clear amount of time, but the viewers are still interested because there is some interesting footage going on in the background. I definitely want to include my fashion film title in the film to emphasise it to the viewers.

Screenshot from Insanitarium (2008).

Screenshot from Insanitarium (2008).

Screenshot from Insanitarium (2008).

Screenshot from Insanitarium (2008).

Screenshot from Insanitarium (2008).

Screenshot from Insanitarium (2008).

Screenshot from Insanitarium (2008).

Realistic Imagery
I took inspiration from the documentary about Victorian mental asylums to give me ideas of what objects would have actually been used and seen in a mental asylum and the surgery room because I wanted to make this opening to my fashion film as accurate as possible. I screen shotted many interesting clips from the documentary which either shocked me or that thought would be effective clues for my close-ups.

Screenshot from Mental: A History of the Madhouse (2011).

This clip of keys shown hung up on a wall could remind the viewer that all the patients are locked away like caged animals and only security can let them out. 

Screenshot from Mental: A History of the Madhouse (2011).

This image shows that the doctors wore long white coats, that almost look like blazers, so I could show a close-up of a white coat or a folded up white coat to make it less obvious who will be wearing the coat. This clips also shows some drawings of brains, which the doctor is talking about. This inspired me to have a pile of papers with the sketches of the anatomy draw on, for example the brain or x-rays, to show that the doctors are doing constant research into mental health. If I do a close-up of these sketches it would definitely get the viewers' minds racing, trying to figure out why these sketches are present. 

Screenshot from Mental: A History of the Madhouse (2011).

Screenshot from Mental: A History of the Madhouse (2011).

Above are disturbing images of patients being treated with electric shocks. I find it disturbing how the nurses are stood so calming, with straight faces, even though they are clearly putting the patient through serious pain. I found the top image useful because it shows the types of beds that the patients would lie on whilst getting treatment. I found the second image very uncomfortable to watch because the patient starts off lying very calmly and then suddenly starts to jolt about uncontrollably, reaching her hands out for help, whilst the nurses watch on, almost like robots. This inspired me to possibly make the nurses and doctors in my fashion film robot-like to represent how they showed no emotion or sympathy and how they just did what they were told without questioning it.

Screenshot from Mental: A History of the Madhouse (2011).

I found the third image the most disturbing because the man looked in incredible pain, with his whole body shaking uncontrollably. He is shown being kept down on the bed by about five men putting their hands on him with great force. This particularly resonated with me because I had an experience where I refused to be put under aesthetic, causing many random people I had never seen before to forcefully hold me down on the operating bed and shove the mask on me. This experience has stuck with me since it happened about 10 years ago, so I can't even imagine how it felt for these mental patients to be held down without their consent to be put in serious pain. I could show this in the introduction of my fashion film by showing a close-up of hands and arms all over someone's body forcefully pushing them down. 

Screenshot from Mental: A History of the Madhouse (2011).

The clips above showed what the windows in a Victorian mental asylum would have looked like, with the criss-crossed bars through the glass, reminding the patients that they are locked up. I like that this cage look as represents how people didn't except them into society, but instead saw them as locked up animals or monsters. If I include any windows in my fashion film I will make sure they resemble this one with the metal bars making them look like cages. Another thing I noticed is how the nurse was dressed. I am not sure what I'm doing with styling for this fashion film yet; however I think I want it to be more abstract, meaning it reflects what the person is feeling rather than an accurate, realistic uniform. 

Screenshot from Mental: A History of the Madhouse (2011).

The screen shot above, from the documentary, showed many surgical tools laid out in a row. This looks scary because they look like they've been put out on the table because they are about to be used, creating suspense to see what happens next. I think adding some clinical tools would make the opening scene seem more threatening and intimidating as these tools could do a lot of harm if in the wrong hands. 

Screenshot from Mental: A History of the Madhouse (2011).

The image above shows a nurse or doctor picking up some clinical tools wearing plastic white gloves. I also noticed that in the documentary about Broadmoor psychiatric hospital many of the nurses wore plastic gloves when handling patients, possibly for sanitary reasons. I think a close-up of some white gloves lying on a table or someone wearing these gloves would be a clue that my fashion film is set in a clinical environment. 

Screenshot from Mental: A History of the Madhouse (2011).

Screenshot from Mental: A History of the Madhouse (2011).

Screenshot from Mental: A History of the Madhouse (2011).

The images above show what some of the medication looked like in the Victorian mental asylums which gave me the knowledge to be able to include some accurate close-ups of medicine in my introduction. The top image shows shows some liquid being distributed into test tubes with a pipette which I imagine is the doctor testing out new combinations of medicine. The middle image showed lots of hard, white pills which I think would be very effective in my fashion film, possibly in a glass tub, because they are very recognisable as medicine; however they could also be interpreted as illegal drugs. The bottom clip showed a man getting a syringe ready for use; I think this is effective in building tension because you aren't exactly sure who is using the syringe, it would be a doctor medicating someone, or it could be a patient mis-using it. I definitely want to include a syringe in my opening close-ups because they look very viscous with the sharp, intimidating needle which many people have a fear of. This could also foreshadow the use of a syringe, in either a positive or negative way further into the fashion film.


Music

I wanted to add tension to the opening scene to put the audience on edge straight away. I was inspired by the constant heavy breathing throughout the fashion film Screw, by Nick Knight, because it made me feel on edge as everything else was so quiet, making you focus on the breathing. I thought that a dripping sound effect would be effective in building tension because it would be interpreted as being so many different things, for example blood dripping, leaking medicine or a broken water pipe etc. I love that the viewer wouldn't be able to work out exactly what it was because it would add a sense of ambiguity and nervousness to the film.

Sound Effect 1

I like this sound effect because it is quite irregular which could put the viewer on edge as there is not a consistent rhythm they can follow. I like that there are slight echoes when the water drips because it suggests the dripping noise is happening in a big, empty space, which could reflect a patient's cell or surgery room. However I think the dripping noise is too fast because there aren't enough silent gaps which I think would create tension. I also don't think the dripping sounds as realistic as I wanted. Too obviously a dripping tap

(TheMSSoundEffects, 2012.)

Sound Effect 2

This sound effect sounds less like dripping water and more like splattering blood; however it could also be interpreted as an electrical noise, like a fuse, which I like as it is ambiguous. I also like that there is an electrical noise which sounds like someone is having their heart monitored because it suggests the location is in a hospital. However I think this might make the location of the fashion film too obvious right at the beginning, when I want people to have to work it out as the film plays. I also want there to be more silent parts in the music where the viewer almost holds there breath so they don't make a sound.

(Necobit, 2013.)

Sound Effect 3

I like this dripping sound effect because they are so slow with silent gaps in between each drip, creating silences that I think would built tension. The echoes after each drip are effective because it makes it sound like the drips are happening in an open space, like a hospital cell or prison. I like that there is a variety of drips; however I think the difference in drips is too extreme, making it sound unrealistic and cartoon-like.

(Crysknife007, 2014.)

Sound Effect 4

This was one of my favourite sound effect clips because it sounds very realistic. The drips are very irregular, making then sound like they are falling randomly; I think this would put the viewers on edge because they never know when the next drip will come as they are not able to follow a set rhythm. I like that there is a faint background noise that sounds like far away wind because it makes it sound more spooky, but also more realistic as nowhere is ever completely silent. This was a close favourite; however I think the drips are too close together, filling all the silences, which I think lessons the tension as there is always something recognisable to listen to. 

Click Here For Youtube Clip

(TheEsborn, 2016.)

Sound Effect 5 (Chosen)

This is my favourite sound effect because I think it is the most realistic and tension building. I like that the drips are far apart because it creates a silence, causing the viewer to become paranoid that something is possibly going to appear or make a sudden noise. There is a slight echo after each drop which I like because it suggests the dripping is happening in an empty room, like a patient's cell or a doctor's surgery. Each dripping noise is slightly different which I think makes them seem more realistic as they wouldn't all be the same. I also like that they are all different because the drips could be coming from different things, like dripping blood or a leaking bottle of medicine, making the noise ambiguous. There is a faint background noise which almost sounds like the wind outside, I think making it sound more realistic and as if you are actually there as nowhere is ever completely silent. This sense of being there will make the viewers very anxious, as if they are having to keep quiet incase anyone hears them. I am really excited to start drawing up my story board so I can visualise when the opening scene, with this music, is going to look like. 

(8 Hours Of, 2016.)

References:

RENNELL, T., 2011. Revenge of the chocolate cream poisoner: Broadmoor archives go online, revealing the story of its most crazed inmate [viewed 23rd January 2017]. Available from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2071876/Broadmoor-archives-online-revealing-story-crazed-inmate.html

Insanitarium, 2008[film]. Directed by Jeff BUHLER. USA: Stage Six Films

Mental: A History of the Madhouse, 2011[TV]. Channel Four. 14th January. 01:40

THEMSSOUNDEFFECTS, 2012. Water dripping sound effect 1 [viewed 23rd January 2017]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TiAPym7ObA

NECOBIT, 2013. Dripping Blood (Sound Effect) [viewed 23rd January 2017]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYGvpnPwr_w

CRYSKNIFE007, 2014. Underground Cave Water Dripping Calming Sound in Stereo for 12 Hours [viewed 23rd January 2017]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vetFZ9AaJf8

THEESBORN, 2016. 3 Hours of Scary, Ambient & Creepy Horror Sounds - Water dripping - Monsters [viewed 23rd January 2017]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qumKOudXgo

8 HOURS OF, 2016. CAVE SOUNDS effect, WATER DRIPPING sound effect, Ambient cave, Creepy Ambient Echo Sound Effects [viewed 23rd January 2017]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwijmnPJLTU