Propositions

Propositions

Propositions are key to every film as they are classed as any article on scene except for costume and scenery and often used to define the possessor of the prop and gives the audience an idea of what that character is like, for example carrying a gun connotes a sense of danger surrounding the character. As I am creating a psychological crime thriller based around a serial killer and his helpless victims, propositions play a massive role in the narrative of the opening.

Weapons are key to establishing whether the character is the antagonist or protagonist of the story. In scene one of my opening, up until the point where the killer's knife is presented in a close up, the audience will be unsure on why this man has burst into this defenseless woman's room. By simply showing a close up of a knife, I have clearly told the audience that this man has the intention to kill the woman in cold blood. No other reason is presented validating the murder and therefore the audience will assume it is nothing more than a lust for blood. Other elements of the film such as costume are often used to indicate the intentions of characters and the reasoning behind their actions within films. For instance, if this character were portrayed to be a police officer - through use of costume - , the audience would assume they are trying to lay down the law and stop a dangerous situation, whereas if he were a regular citizen, the audience would instantly assume that they are going to break the law.

Weapons are not the only prop I plan to use in my thriller opening. I believe that theatrical blood will important so as to add an element of realism to the murder scenes. Although there are ways to present murder without showing blood - i.e. through the use of diegetic sound - I believe that the use of blood will make the audience uncomfortable throughout the two murder scenes, giving them more of an insight into the killer's life whilst also reinforcing the brutalities of the events. This is typical of thrillers of a similar sub-genre to mine such as Se7en which rely on showing the sick nature of the killer whom they are unable to catch. 

Another proposition I plan to make use of are cigarettes. These will be used in the scene with the police detectives as cigarettes can connote that an individual is suffering from a high level of stress, leading them to resort to this maladaptive behaviour as a way to deal with the situation. Therefore, in the context of this scene, the use of cigarettes will show the audience that these detectives have been looking for the killer for a while and are struggling to control the case. However, cigarettes also carry connotations of relaxation therefore showing that these detectives are seasoned in dealing with corpses and killers. This may also act so as to hint to the audience that the detective is in fact the killer due to his relaxed manner whilst dealing with the body.

Propositions will also be used by minor characters such as the members of the press such as notepads and pens. These items do not serve a huge purpose to the story line but indicate their profession to the audience without having to blindly state that they are reporters. The small propositions work alongside the costume and dialogue to add to the audience's understanding that they are press reporters inquiring into why it is taking the police so long to catch the killer. A type-writer will also be used, which reinforces the era in which the film is set, that being the 80s.