Final Film Treatment - SHADOW

Film Title: Shadow
Duration: 5 minutes
Audience: 15 – 30+. This film is not targeted at a niche audience as it could be reviewed by all types of people. However it may be targeted more towards a female audience, as it portrays a dominant female character.
Certificate: 12A
Synopsis: The film opens with an unidentified female character running along a public footpath surrounded by trees; she is clutching something in her hand and appears to be fearful and nervous. Further down the path she stops and throws the object she is clutching into the trees. Two weeks later, a teenage girl is walking down the same path, on her way to college; she has an over shoulder school bag, is listening to her iPod, and texting. A glistening object which is caught in the trees catches her eye. Intrigued, she walks towards the object, which at this point can be identified as a necklace. Entranced by the necklace, she removes it from the tree and takes it with her. The girl arrives at college and it is easy to see that she is an outcast; she walks past a group of girls who snigger and begin to whisper. Sighing the girl heads to the toilet for privacy. Here she removes the necklace from her bag and inspects it. The girl admires the necklace and seems to be mesmerised by it. She goes into the toilets and tries the necklace on in front of the mirror. As she is looking at her reflection she remembers the time and rushes to her lesson.The girl is late to her lesson, but as she enters the classroom the tutor doesn’t seem to notice her, she walks to the desk and tries to explain but the tutor just ignores her, so the girl takes her seat. No-one even glances at her as she walks to the back of the classroom. Throughout the lesson the tutor continues to ignore the girl – when she raises to answer questions and when the worksheets are handed out. At this point in the lesson the tutor asks the class if they have seen the girl- frustrated by this, the girl waves her hand in front of the tutors face and realises that he can’t actually see her; thrilled the girl leaves the classroom unnoticed. As she wanders around the college she realises that no-one can see her- so she goes home.When she arrives home she can hear worried voices in the kitchen- as she enters she sees her parents frantic and contemplating calling the police as she seemingly has not arrived at college today. Panicked the girl tries to get her parents attention- but like the others they cannot see her either and leave to search for her.
Distraught she runs to her bedroom and collapses on her bed. Here she cries herself to sleep, as the audience watches the girl disappear from a photo next to her bed. Next morning the girl, rough from the previous night, realises that she is still invisible- her parents have not returned and the house is empty. Alarmed the girl notices the photo beside her bed- and her absence from it; she grabs the photo and runs to college.At college, she tries to catch people’s attention by frantically waving in their faces; once again this does not work so she rushes back to the toilets.Here she watches her reflection in the mirror disappear- with a sudden stab of realisation she touches the necklace around her neck- and as she removes it her reflection re-appears.The girl wipes the tears from her face and looks at the necklace with determination.Later that day we see the girl stood on a bridge, she is holding the necklace out above the water. Slowly she lets the necklace drop into the water and walks away. As she does she removes the photo from, her pocket and sees that she has returned to it.
Suggested Elements:
1. Mirror shot- a character’s reflection dissolves out, leaving the person looking into the mirror.
2. Photo Shot – a person dissolves out from a photograph.
3. Voice over – the audience is able to hear the characters thoughts.
4. Dramatic Music – this helps to set the scene and adds tension.
5. Glistening Effect – added to objects in the film to make them stand out.