1. Treatment
Charlotte Page & Jamie Whitbread
This treatment is a proposal of ideas about our media package, which we will
present, to a production company in an attempt to persuade them why they should
fund our production.
Working Title: Ancestors
Genre: Horror
Certificate: 15
Proposed Duration: 93 minutes
Completion Deadline: 28th March 2013
Target Audience
Our film is aimed at both a male and female audience aged between 16 to 25. Audience
members are most likely to be students, either studying at college or university and are likely
to have a part-time job. This means that these consumers will have a small disposable
income meaning that will have some money to spend on our media package. Consumers
are passionate about films of various genres, but show a particular interest in horror, as this
is a genre, is one
which works best when watched as group as emotions can be shared together. This genre is
therefore suitable for this type of audience who are always around other people as a student.
Furthermore, our young target audience are fun; outgoing and adventurous which reflects
how our film would be exciting to this target audience.
Background
We are creating this product because we feel that there is a niche in the market for a product
of this style. A typical convention of horror is to have a female play the role of the victim
however in our film, Ancestors, we plan to portray the female protagonist as strong and
powerful, which although this is becoming more popular within the horror genre, it has never
been fully explored. We feel that our film would appear unique amongst competitors because
the use of a prop, a doll, as the antagonist is unexpected, as usually a male would adopt the
villainous role in horror films.

2. Research
We are planning to have our film set both in the past and present. Firstly, for the past scenes
we will portray this through the furniture as being old and tired/worn looking. The choice of
using flashbacks will be used to portray that the toys has been passed down generations
before switching to the present day.
The location for our film will be set in a modern day house as this is something that our
audience will be able to relate to. As consumers can relate to the setting they will be able to
imagine themselves in the position of the character, as hopefully the location will look
familiar to them. We will ensure that the setting appears familiar through the use of props
such as perhaps through phones and laptops as technology is popular amongst this
audience and part of modern day society. Usually a house connotes an idea of comfort and
safety so this will allow the audience to feel relaxed which will make any shocks or surprises
exaggerated and more frightening because they are unexpected.
The main prop that we will be using in our film will be the doll as this central to the plot of our
film. The doll is another aspect which will be shown in an unexpected way is usually it is
something associated with childhood and memories however we will portray this prop with a
more chilling and sinister feel. Another prop that we are planning to use is old photographs
as part of our film is to be set in the past so this will reflect the part of the film where the toy
has been involved withdifferent generations. With regards to laws, when shooting our film we
will ensure that we have the permission of the owners for any locations that we choose to
use such as the permission of the homeowner or if we chose to film in any public places.
Similarly, we will also have permission from parents, as it is likely that we will include
children as extras during the opening scenes to show previous generations.
Synopsis
Ancestors is a story based around the theme of family and generations. Opening with a
scene set in the past, consumers are introduced to a doll that has been passed down
generations. Shifting to the present day, the main protagonist comes into possession of this
doll and realises the history and secret’s this doll holds. Trying to avoid its curse, the main
character dismisses the doll only to find it keep coming back to her. Is it trying to tell her
something that she should know?
Style
The style of this film is to be serious as this will help to create the tense and eerie
atmosphere that is associated with horror. We will portray this serious style through the use
of lighting and colours, as these will create a moody ambience. For example, low lighting will
help to create a feeling of unknown whereas high key lighting too will We are also planning
on creating this serious style through various camera angles and editing. Camera shots and
angles that will help to create a serious atmosphere include extreme close-ups, as this will
create an intense and uncomfortable atmosphere for the audience. Similarly, canted camera
angles will too, create a feeling of unease and seriousness, which are emotions, associated
with horror. With editing, scenes will be cut in a fast way and include cuts that are quite
sharp to create feeling of shock and surprise.

3. Approximate budget requirements
The total budget for our film is £75,842,80, which will be used to purchase various
equipment and the hiring of cast and crew. The equipment that we have chosen to hire
includes a HD Camera, lighting kit, microphone kit, and a tripod, as these will help us to
make a professional trailer as they are of a high quality.
The majority of our budget is to be spent on the hiring of crew who specialise in certain
areas that are essential to our production, helping to make our trailer more professional as
these crewmembers are best in the business. Some of these roles include a camera
assistant, camera operator, lighting assistant, researcher, sound operator, director and an
editor. Collectively, these members of staff can help to create a trailer that is of a high
standard as they can share their knowledge of the industry.
Some of our budget will be used on props such as the doll, which we have tried to find one
which of good quality as this is central to our plot and therefore it is crucial that we get this
correct. Costume are also important to reflect the culture and time period of the film which as
our film is modern, we have chosen to use a contemporary shop to purchase our costumes
from as this is relevant to and will reflect the target audience.