Planning

Planning

Working Script

The sequence begins with an establishing shot of the camera panning around a park at a high angle. The movement of the camera is slightly shaky, as it is hand-held, and creates a tone of fear. The park is bleak and empty, and there are trees in the background with no leaves so this tells the audience that the sequence is set either in late autumn or winter. There is a bag on the floor by the swings, as if it has been abandoned, and as the camera continues to pan the area, a large pole comes into the shot, with the name "Liam" scrawled on it. The audience can feel that they too are in the park and that they are trapped, because of the fencing which seperates the park and the rest of the fields.

After about 10 seconds of the camera slowly panning, the screen goes black and 'E&M Productions Presents' appears in white text. It then slowly fades out and the camera goes back to panning round the area. This continues for the next 20-30 seconds with the screen occasionally turning back and showing the audience the name of the director, who is starring, etc. A mid-shot is used of a girl swinging, and then the shot fades to show a yellow gate slowly closing. The camera then changes to a high angle and slowly zooms into a man lying on the floor, asleep. Halfway through zooming in, the shot cuts to a mid-shot of a girl dancing in a field. She seems alone, and we can see what appears to be a large heart carved onto a tree. The shot then changes to the camera slowly zooming into the man's face again, and then cuts back a similiar shot of the girl dancing.

A high angle is used of the girl dancing, and we can't see her very clearly due to the strong sunlight. A newspaper article showing a murdered girl comes into the shot and the audience can still see the girl dancing in the background. The camera zooms into the newspaper girl's face as the shot fades into the original dancing girl walking along the field. A second newspaper article shows a second murder of a young girl and we can still see the girl walking along the field and then dancing again in the background. The same newspaper is used for the next shot as the girl continues to dance in the field.

The camera changes to show a close-up of the man with his eyes closed as a third newspaper comes into the shot, and the camera slowly zooms into a picture of a pair of "traumatised" parents. The same newspaper is used for the next shot of the girl dancing in the background at a high angle with the sun shining down, and then the shot changes to the man slowly walking towards the camera, as the words from the newspaper "Carly Simons 10th Day Missing" come onto the screen.

A long shot is used of the girl dancing more in the field, and the sense of spying is used as we can see trees and twigs coming into the shot and another newspaper showing a missing girl appears. The shot then changes to a close-up of the man asleep still, and the same shot of the girl dancing in the sunlight appears over his head, to symbolise that he is thinking of her. The shot then changes to a close-up of the girl turning around and then cuts to the man opening his eyes. A combination of quick shots is used of the different girls murdered as they stare into the camera and the camera changes to show the girl screaming and then the man rising up. The screen goes black and shows the title "Absent Mind".