1. Hannah Holden and Sian Williams, Short Film Treatment
Section 1?
As directors of a media piece called ‘The Set up’, we aim to create a five minute short film in the
genre of horror. Within this horror genre we are going to explore the psychological aspect and play
on key conventions of this specific theme to lead the audience into a false sense of knowledge. The
intended audience will be those who enjoy the ‘edge of your seat’ type horror that has the viewer in
constant suspense of what is about to happen. The main concept of the film is the build up to the
climax whereby the audience will be shocked by the twist to the plot. Key horror conventions will
take place to signify the supposed genre and only until the very end will it become clear that the
stereotyping of society has allowed the viewer to become caught up in the theme and make the
wrong assumptions as to the ending of the piece.
Section 2
It is evening signified by the dark setting, a man returns to his house from work signified by the
briefcase he is carrying. A low angle shot follows his feet up to the isolated house and he comes into
full view as he stands at his front door, using a key to open the door. The only accompaniment used
in this short scene is footsteps, the sound of keys as the door opens and a creaking of the front door.
As the door slams shut behind him, a loud orchestral sound such as a ‘boom’ will sound.
He entering the house in darkness the light is now on signifying a small time change from when he
enters the house to going about homely routine. After turning on the lights he sets about relaxing
after the long day following through with usual actions such as taking off his coat and hanging it up,
going upstairs to the bedroom and taking off his shoes. Possible slow and quiet instrumental sound
is playing to signify a building of tension. He walks into the bathroom over to the mirrored cabinet
on the wall and splashes water on his face from the basin below. The camera uses a close up on the
mirror at this point and we see the protagonist standing in the bathroom. He then reaches forward
to the cabinet, slides the mirror across and reaches in for a pot of pills and shuts the cabinet. He
then leaves the bathroom and a cut transition takes the audience to a view of him walking down the
stairs. Up until the point of closing the cabinet the music will have built up to a climax allowing
tension to build and the viewer to expect a usual horror convention when the cabinet is shut. The
accompaniment suddenly cuts out.
A short scene of him running down the stairs will indicate a change of rooms and levels in the house
and only diegetic sound will be used as the footsteps on the stairs.
He then enters a side room, possibly the dining room and sees a knife on the table, he walks towards
it looking suspicious and reaches out towards it when suddenly he hears a bell from behind him. He
sharply turns round and sees the cat who he then walks over to and bends down to stroke. He
stands back up as he hears a knock at the door. He stands and walks back through the dining room
door towards the front corridor leading to the front door. Instrumental music starts to build starting
loud at the very point the knock on the door has just occurred.
As the man walks out of the room, the camera is in a medium shot but it is noticeable that the knife
from the table has now disappeared. A medium shot is used to show part of the hallway with him
standing facing the door. The knock at the door repeats and he slowly walks towards the door asking

2. ‘who’s there?’.The accompaniment is currently only using diegetic sound. As he walks closer to the
front door the camera pans past the wall of the corridor to then face the door. We see the man from
behind as he edges closer and closer to the door before reaching to the handle and slowly turning
the latch. He then quickly opens the door and is presented with an empty door step. The build up to
the opening of the door will use the same technique as the mirror cabinet when it comes to
accompaniment. This will create a link between the two points and allow the viewer to be tricked
once again even after the first convention turned out to be nothing of significance to the plot. He
walks outside and checks both ways before returning to his house and closing the door. At this point
we see a long shot of the front of the house and after he has returned inside we see a shadow to the
right of the house. A loud orchestral sound plays as the shadow is seen.
He walks into the kitchen and takes a glass from the cabinet before running it under the tap and
removing the pills from his pocket. He then takes one out of the packet and swallows it with aid of
the water. All of this is shot as close ups firstly on the glass being filled, then the pills pot being
opened and lastly on him while he drinks the water. Diegetic sound is present through these points.
We then hear the phone ringing and the man looks up and heads towards the phone. Instantly an
instrumental starts to crescendo. He hesitantly approaches the phone as it rings and picks it up and
has the following conversation with the person on the other end of the line. All is shot as a close up
on the man’s face and the instrumental stops for the conversation:
Man- Hello, who is this?
Other- Are you there already?
Man- What do you want?
Other- I need to know how to get there, is everything set?
Man- Look I don’t know who this is, or what you want with me, just stay away or else.
Other- Don’t worry, I found it…. (line cuts to dead tone)
A scene takes place where the man quickly turns to the back door noticing it is slightly open; he can
hear muffled voices and noises coming from the back room. As he slowly walks towards the back
door close ups take place of his feet walking on a wooden floor and a creaking is heard. Then, a close
up of his face looking confused as to what is happening in his house happens shortly followed by a
high angle shot from behind, possible a medium shot to capture him and the door as it is opened. A
cut is used to show him from the front now in a close up with the lights off in the room he has
entered. A face is seen on the screen with the only light being a flame from a lighter. The man turns
the lights on in the room however we can still see the close up of the face. This close up slowly pans
upwards and we notice a party hat on the persons head and an out zoom reveals a cake with candles
on. A party is evident in this part yet the shock of the people suggests it has not been entirely set up
yet. Cuts to a birthday sign and one to balloons signify a party is being set up before the camera
zooms out to a long shot revealing the extras standing around the decorated room. They are all
silent for a moment. Then the shot cuts to a further long shot with the protagonist standing in the
middle yet further back from the others and the guests shout ‘surprise’. As up tempo party music
begins to play the shot zooms out further as greeting takes place and the party begins, a fade is then
used to end the film.

3. Section 3
The specific storyline we are portraying is our own invention using horror conventions to create fear
and suspicion of a bad conclusion in the mind of the viewer when really signs were there to indicate
the ‘surprise’ at the end. Our approach to the filming and sound will be the main focus of the film as
these will be what create the most tension whereas props and the isolated setting are things which
the viewer associates with the genre ‘horror’ and are therefore there to support the predominant
aspects e.g. eerie accompaniment, cantid angles to break the equilibrium. The links in the film to the
‘surprise’ ending will be cleverly placed to seem like conventions of a horror film. E.g. the knife that
disappears from the table, we assume that someone is in the house and has taken it therefore we
fear for the protagonist. However we know that the knife in the end has been used to cut the cake at
the party and someone has come into the room to take it.
Section 4
The directors of this short film will be Hannah Holden and Sian Williams, and we will have full control
of the lighting and shooting as well as the soundtrack. We will have one person playing the main
character, a male whom has not been specified at this stage, and we will also need many extras,
maximum of ten.
Through the planning stages both members of the group have worked collaboratively suggesting
concepts for plots of a short film. Although Sian had the initial idea for the ‘Surprise’ psychological
ending, I came up with many of the signs and codes used throughout to make the audience let down
their guard as to what is actually going on e.g. the phone call with dialogue relevant to both the
horror theme and the surprise party theme. Sian and I shall split the practical work equally to have
joint input into the piece. However as a photographer and with more skill and knowledge of camera
usage, she will more than likely be the camera operator for the short film we are creating. We will
both have input into the direction and editing of the film to play off of each other’s ideas and aims
for the piece.
Section 5
The project will be funded entirely by the directors being Hannah Holden and Sian Williams with
camera facilities donated by Ravenswood School’s media department. The film must be filmed over
a period of time however to stop any continuity error, each scene at least will be filmed all in one
day. The more filming possible in one day, the better as it is important to keep the same lighting
therefore natural lighting may be from natural light which may be different on different and or
different times of the day. We hope to film the whole piece in the maximum of a week to have time
before for appropriate and detailed planning with time after filming to edit and put together as an
effective short film.
Basic Schedule for Planning, Filming and Editing
October- Planning- in depth to address any issues.

4. November- filming will take place in the middle of this month for the duration of one week. The rest
of the month is available for any extra filming needed and for planning the editing stages.
December- Editing our film which will have started at the end of the previous month.
January-
February-