The Use of Flashbacks 'Before I Go To Sleep'

'Before I Go To Sleep' is about a woman who was found 'left to die', 10 years ago. When she wakes up in the morning, she forgets everything. Everyday, her husband repeats the same routine of reminding her what has happened to her and she is secretly getting help from a doctor, who tells her to keep a video diary and record new things that she has learnt about herself each day.

As the film progresses, we learn more about her past through the use of flashbacks and who left her for dead. The woman also begins to remember more about her past as new characters are introduced.

Throughout the film, more and more flashbacks are used. This is effective because at the start of the film, the audience doesn't really know the plot so flashbacks revealing new plots and ideas for the audience. This leaves them intrigued and excited to find out the whole plot and hat actually happens.

Another effect of the use of flashbacks is that the audience comes up with different ideas and plots for the film. This leaves room for the producers to include major plot twists that the audience may or may not have assumed. This makes the film exciting and creates tension because the audience are excited to find out if they have solved the mystery.

I believe that the use of flashbacks for our opening scene/credits would be beneficial because it creates mystery and suspense for the audience. It also leaves them trying to figure out their own conclusions and it also means that they want to watch the rest of the film and it also means that they have to pay attention to the film as they will need to pay attention to the 'clues' to help figure out the plot.
 

AS Media Source of Inspiration

AS Media Source of Inspiration

Source:

My source of inspiration was the picture above of a grandfather walking down a dimly lit corridor. This to me inspires the idea of loneliness and reflection. This could link to the genre of horror as you could include an antagonist that is protective over a certain place or idea that is sentimental to him. His also brings forward the idea of chronic loneliness as it shows the idea of dwelling on something or holding a grudge. This makes me want to utilise this method of presenting loneliness within a project;

-        Using the theme as a stimulus for a story line

-        Utilising the same black and white filter as a form of transition or blurred vision

-        Using a desolate warn down location

-        Using a longshot of a corridor to establish the setting

-        Using a long shot trolley shot to follow a character’s life

-        Using the same shot for a different effect:

As a jump scare

Panning shot to killer

POV shot for a victim

Reflection/flashback to something

Alternatively, this can be interpreted as a sentimental person haunting a place or person in an attempt to communicate or insinuate a message. This could link to the sub-genre of supernatural which would include the use of all the listed points above. Also it shows that whilst the subject is old the world he or she lives in is modern (cables and plug sockets) showing that there is still a sentiment embedded within the subject and showing their inability to let go and move on. This could be employed as the nature of a character in a film. This would typically be seen in a teen drama as stereotypically teens hold grudges and dwell on things that happened in the past and keeping that perception of people.

Overall the ideas of dwelling and loneliness intrigue me significantly as they are almost relatable subjects that can lie subliminally within a piece of media text without the necessary conformity to reality being present.

Source of Inspiration

I have chosen American horror story's season 2 asylum opening credits as my source of inspiration. This inspires me because I like the sound effects that are used in the opening which build up tension and make the opening creepy and sinister. The sound effects that are used are mechanical and glitchy which are really effective throughout the opening credits as it portrays the genre horror making the opening credits eerie. They use the sound effects to make it more dramatic by increasing the volume and making the glitchy sounds louder, then switching to the mechanical noises to make the opening credits more scary and dramatic.

This clip is also an inspiration to me because the of the way the scenes are edited together, with the sound and effects flashing in and out from scenes. This looks like lightning bolts striking down on the text as it presents a different name. This creates a tense and dramatic opening as the credits come up. As you can see in the screen shot above it shows the strikes of lightning coming across the screen.

I also like the way that the text pages have been formatted to look like they have been filmed on an old video recorder which could only be played on tapes. I know this from the flickering white dots shown on some of the text pages and the sound of the camera that is played at the beginning of the opening credits. This is a really clever idea as it tells the audience roughly what era the series is set in and it makes the text look creepier. The camera also appears more jolty.

The typography of the text is really well chosen as the colour of it fits in well with the idea that the text title pages were filmed on an old camera because the text is the same colouring as the tape would be. It is also a boring and creepy colour so it conforms to our exceptions of its genre. The font that has been chosen is also really well selected as some of the letters have been altered to look different and slightly odd which fits the genre of the series.
I have chosen this for my source of inspiration as I think that I would like to do something in a asylum for my coursework which is where the opening credits have been filmed in this video. I would like to do horror as my genre for my coursework as I find it the most interesting and would love to be able to create my own opening credits in an asylum setting.

Source of inspiration: Boughton Mount Centre 



Maidstone Social Education Centre, later named to (Social Services Directorate) Boughton Mount Centre. It was closed down in 2009 due to major roofing problems. The whole centre is built on around 10 acres of land and is being reserved for historic interest.

http://www.oblivionstate.com/forum/topic/8740-abandoned-social-education-centre-maidstone-kent-2015/

I really like the fact that it is abandoned and seems like a very spooky place to explore and I like the idea of a horror film set or based on an abandoned school. Maybe a group of teenagers could hear about an abandoned school (with some mysterious goings-on...?) and decide to explore it and strange things start happening/they find some strange things.

Source of Inspiration- Location in 'The Tourist'

The Tourist is an action drama film. I have been inspired not by the plot but by the contrast between the locations used and the genre. The film begins in Paris, where the main actress Angelina Jolie, walks through the streets of Paris to a small and picturesque coffee shop. 

     




























This scene is contrasting to the actual events that are occurring, the character is being followed by French and British Intelligence, who are tracking her every move. This has inspired me because I like the contrast, as Paris is known to be the 'City of Love' and the contrast subverts the common conventions of action films.

The majority of the rest of the film is set in Venice, which is another romantic city. Again in this location, there is also contrast between the location and the plot. One specific scene is when the two characters, (Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp) go to a Ball. This scene is set in a old, grand ballroom in Venice, yet trouble follows them here. The images below, show the contrast between what would be a romantic film and what is an action film.

During the whole film, the location starts off picturesque and the audience believes the film is a typical romantic film, set in the 'perfect' location, yet the producers and directors have deceived the audience by adding in action to subvert the common conventions of an action film, where the location would normally be in a large city, for example New York, or if it is in Paris, it would be filmed by the big tourist attractions, such as the Eiffel Tour or the Louvre yet instead the directors and producers chose to film in the backstreets in Paris where some viewers would have never been and may not even recognise the city.

This film has inspired me to use contrast in my locations to add interest to the film and make it seem more glamorous and exciting for the viewer.