BLK Homework: P is for Psycho Storyboard

A) What is happening in the opening sequence?

• In the opening sequence we see a toilet door along a corridoor. The shot then mixes into a low angle of a man in his 30's stood at a row of sinks leaning over slightly. We then see a tilt up his body and see he is wearing quite plain clothes and we then see his face (but he's still bent over the sink). This then cuts to a high angle pan from left to right across some objects including a photograph, watch, notebook and wallet. We then see blood flowing down the plughole in a close up hinting at trouble/murder. It then cuts to hands wrapping a bandage round some hand wounds  in another close-up. The man then clenches his fist in a mirror image and then the shot tilts up and the man turns his head to the side, and the shot blurs. We then cut to a boy entering the toilets (in a mid-shot) and it then cuts back to the man in the toilet putting a gun into his belt. We then dramatically cut to an ECU of the mans eyes with lots of shadows. The shot then fades to black and a gun sounds.

B) How is the narrative flow established?

• The shots in P is for Psycho keep cutting in quick movements from one to another and the distance type varies greatly between each following shot. This means the audience keep getting jolted and has to focus a lot of attention on the scene. The shots don't directly flow from each other either as you jump from a shot of the door, straight to the man inside. We don't see the jounrey from the door into the toilets meaning the audience doesn't get a very good idea of whats going on. The shots only show minimal surroundings/objects to keep the viewer guessing. 

C) If I was directing this sequence, how would I change it?

• If I were directing this film I would perhaps give the audience a wider shot of the corridor or maybe take the camera down part of it so there would be more of a sense of mystery of what's behind it as the camera creeps towards it. I would also make the shot of the blood running down the sink wider and perhaps put his hands wrists in the shot too so that some cuts/scars could be seen and make the shot more interesting. I would also have the man looking around suspiciously to make it seem as if he has actually done something wrong earlier on in the scene, rather than at the end when he shoots the boy so that the audience immediately knows there is something to fear. I might add a side on shot of the boys profile at one side and the gun with the mans hand a the other just before the boy gets shot so that we can see the fear on the boys face and then it would cut to black rather than fade as the gun sounds.