Planning: Storyboarding

The Concept

When I started working on this slasher concept, I thought about how I could implement it for this movie's opening. The idea came from thinking about how the justice system works and what happens when someone decides to take justice into their own hands. My killer doesn't care if you actually committed murder or not. If you went to trial for it, you're on the list. That includes people who were acquitted, people who were wrongly convicted, and guilty people. The killer disregards any discussion on whether the court case is right, which is where the audience can recognize that he is wrong in the way he acts.

Designing the Killer

For the killer's design, I went with something that ties into the legal theme. The killer wears a black suit like a lawyer would wear to court and a mask that gives off a creepy vibe. I could add the hair, symbolized with judges called a "peruke". The weapons are things you'd find in a courtroom, such as a gavel, a rope from the jury box, and the scales of justice. The killer will also carry a briefcase, which they will write guilty in when they have killed their victim. This will be their signature identifying theme throughout the movie.

Visual Storytelling in the Opening

The garage scene needs to tell the audience a lot without using dialogue. We show the serial killer with his tools, the body bag, maybe news clippings or photos of victims. The audience should understand what he is within those first 30 seconds. When our vigilante killer appears from the shadows, the long shot makes the garage feel bigger and more isolated. The serial killer doesn't stand a chance.

For the main character's scene, we use the radio as an information tool. He's driving or sitting somewhere, and the news report fills in details about what's been happening. We might see his reaction when he hears about the garage killing. Maybe he looks worried or just tired. The ankle monitor or court documents could be visible to show his situation. This sets up that he could be a target even though he's out on bail.

Production Planning for the Opening

The garage scene is one of the most important parts of the opening. The garage needs to feel isolated and dark, with enough shadows for the killer to appear from. The lighting should make it hard to see into the corners until the killer steps out. The practical effects of the kill need to be simple. We will need to utilize props and also implement fake blood to immerse the audience. One movie that makes use of effective fake blood is the Terrifier movies, although they are a little too gory for this movie, so we will tone it down while still modeling techniques and aspects of the movie. Outside of the garage, it should be dark with the only real light coming from inside the garage and the porch light. When we cut to the main character, the lighting changes to show it's a different time or place. For sound, the garage should be quiet except for whatever the serial killer is doing. When our vigilante appears, maybe there's no sound at all until the moment of the kill. We could implement some intense music as the kill is happening to emphasize the effect of the kill. The title card should hit hard right after. 

What Would Come Next (If We Filmed the Full Movie)

If we made the whole film, the story would follow the main character who was wrongfully convicted of murder, and his defense attorney. His defense attorney's father was wrongly convicted of murder and died in prison before anyone proved he was innocent. That's why she became a lawyer. The rest of the movie would show more kills that explore different parts of the justice system. One victim might be in prison, another might be a wealthy person who got away with murder, and another might be someone who was proven innocent. Each kill would make the audience question whether they agree with the killer or not.

What I Learned

This planning process taught me that storyboarding is about making choices. Every scene has to serve a purpose. The opening sequence with the garage kill sets the tone for everything that would follow. Starting with a throwaway character who turns out to be the victim is a classic slasher move, but it works because it surprises the audience. If we can make that scene work and then connect it to the main character, it proves the concept is strong enough to build a full movie around. The goal is to create something that works as a slasher film with scares and tension but also makes the audience think about justice, guilt, and whether any system can ever be truly fair.