Beginning a Rough (Looking) Storyboard

We were finally able to put some our ideas into action as we started work on our storyboard today. Although this is definitely a rough (and not the most artistic) representation of our plans, it will help us have a general idea of how we should compose shots. The portion of the storyboard we have created is meant to represent the first portion of our film opening. This part of the opening will establish the main character (a social media-obsessed, popular, vain teenage girl). The name we decided on for this character is Tiffany; although the basis for this name is mostly based on what we felt would constitute as a "popular girl name", we also conferred with other students around our age and concluded that many would typically associate this name with the characteristics we had in mind.

The beginning of our storyboard

We wanted to start our film opening with a visually-interesting shot which would immediately give viewers insight into the main character's overuse of social media and its importance to her. In order to accomplish this in the first shot, we thought an over-the-shoulder shot of with Tiffany (in the lower third) staring at various devices (each with a different social media website showing) would serve to purposely overwhelm viewers. The next shot would display Tiffany from a low angle with the blue light of computer screens reflecting off of her face; this close-up, high angle shot would introduce Tiffany in an imposing and (hopefully) creepy or interesting manner. We may change the shot following this, but an important feature we would like to maintain is the introduction of her distinct bracelet. This accessory will be important by hinting to the audience that she is the killer later in the film opening.

An extreme close-up on Tiffany's eyes, with the screens she is staring at reflecting off of her glasses, would accompany the beginning of Tiffany's non-dietetic narration; she is judgmentally reviewing the social media profiles of other popular people she knows in order to place them in her popularity hierarchy. A close-up shot of Tiffany repeatedly refreshing the social media "feed" on a phone my swiping down with her finger would then be shown. A shot from the side of Tiffany putting on makeup only to post a picture online is meant to to emphasize her obsession with social media image. From the "point-of-view" of Tiffany's front-facing cell phone camera, Tiffany would be shown taking many "selfies" with exaggerated and clearly faked emotion. A medium shot of Tiffany showing both her and her phone would display a notification that she has been "unfollowed" by another popular girl. Prior to this, Tiffany would narrate that this popular girl only "unfollows" "losers". Tiffany would react in shock, scream, and a fast zoom (as typically seen in many horror movies) would emphasize her (unwarranted) dread upon seeing this notification.

We are first establishing the main character, then hinting at her motivation for murder (the fact that her superficial friend "unfollowed" her social media account); this is intentionally ridiculous as a critique of the weight teenagers and young adults put on social media attention in the New Media Age. Following this portion of the film opening, we intend to shift the atmosphere of the film opening from a one of satire into one more reminiscent of horror and thriller films.