Ruby Wilson

Portfolio
Masked – Initial Thoughts Suppression of Feelings – Female Killers
Some of these women
appeared completely
normal. I looked at the
mask that female killers
have to wear in order to
kill.

Female killers from real life:

Tamara Samsonova
- Killed up to 11 people
- She was suspected of nothing until she was 68 and was caught dumping human
remains into a rubbish skip
Sheila Eddy and Rachel Shoaf
- In 2012 they killed their best friend because "they didn't like her"
Erin Caffey
- Murdered her family because she wasn’t allowed to go out with her friends
- Enlisted her best friend and boyfriend to help her
Valarie Parashumti and Jessica Stasinowski
- They killed Katie Mitchell a young girl who had run away from home and was
staying with them
- Mitchell's body was found in a bin whilst they were out buying a chainsaw and
shovels
Story Ideas

I thought of three different ideas for stories, which I

could possibly develop further. I evaluated all three and I
decided that the third idea had the most potential.
Script A long hallway with a door at the end of it can be seen. A woman on the phone can be heard off screen.

Madeline’s Mum (off screen): I just feel like the lights are on but nobody’s home. There's this weird air surrounding her.

Evaluation: The door swings open and in walks Madeline a young girl walks in. She has a blank facial expression and walks with a straight back. She turns around to close
• I really like this script the door stiffly and she walks quickly with purpose to the end of the hall. Where she stops and peaks through the door, listening to her mum on the phone.

and I'm happy with how Madeline’s Mum: I don’t know what to do anymore because we’ve tried everything, therapy, medication, we’ve spoken to specialists and nothing changes.
She's just so distant and artificial. I just don't understand her.
it turned out.
We cut away to an unusually clean and tidy bedroom as Madeline’s mum keeps talking offscreen. The room is noticeably void of all personality and lacks the
• I think it establishes the usual decorations usually associated with teenage girls. Madeline removes her jacket and shoes and carefully places the shoes down, adjusting them to make
creepy and clinical sure they are in the right place and hangs her jacket up carefully in the cupboard.

nature of Madeline Madeline’s Mum (V.O): She’s so clinical, oh my gosh, you should see her room. Everything has a place and god forbid I go in there and do something as
terrible as putting her laundry away for her. No. It has to be perfect. And she’s always been like that.
• Ties in with the masked Madeline takes a mask out of her bag. She then takes some peanut oil out of her pocket and places them both on the floor.
theme Madeline’s Mum (V.O): I still remember walking in on her pulling faces in the mirror when she was five. It’s like she’s never really feeling or reacting, she’s -
• The mum comes across she’s pretending. Pretending to be human. It's scary. I have this gut feeling that any moment she’s going to crack.
Madeline sits cross-legged on the floor and opens the seam of the mask.
as a sympathetic
character Madeline’s Mum (V.O): I know it’s awful but I can't connect with her. She just gives me the creeps. And I know as their mother I shouldn’t really pick
favourites but I mean there's no competition.

She drops a few drops of the peanut oil in between the layers of the mask

Madeline’s Mum (V.O): Claire is just head and shoulders above her. I mean She gets wonderful grades and does all these extra curriculars and she's polite
Using my chosen idea, I and funny, what more can I ask for? And then there's Madeline.
wrote this script. I wrote She slides a sewing basket out from underneath her bed. And begins stitching the mask back up along the hem.

multiple versions of this Madeline’s Mum (V.O): No personality at all. And do you know what’s the weirdest part? I’m the only one who notices. Take her parents' evening, for
example. All her teachers were saying these lovely things about her. I couldn’t believe it.
script, constantly reviewing Cuts to Madeline’s mum’s room, Madeline puts the mask in her mum’s bag
and evaluating, until I had Madeline’s Mum (V.O): And she sat next to me laughing and smiling, like it was nothing. I don’t know, maybe I’m going crazy.
a final product, I was happy
Cuts back to the kitchen, where Madeline’s mum is sitting on the sofa still on the phone. Madeline Can be seen behind the door backing away
with.
Madeline’s Mum: Listen, I’ll call you later I need to go to the chemist (pause for reply) No, no, I’ve just lost my epipen, you know what I’m like (pause for
reply) Yep ok, talk to you later. Bye. Bye.
Madeline’s mum hangs up the phone, picks up her bag and takes out the mask, before standing up and leaving.
Characters: Costume and Set Cooler lighting in Madeline's
bedroom, reflecting the cold and
clinical nature of Madeline.

Madeline Madeline's Mum Set:

• Psychopathic • Sympathetic character The Living Room
Warmer lighting in the kitchen • Warm
• Cold • Doesn't know how to reflecting the warm nature of the
• Lacks empathy and emotion deal with her daughter mum. • Comforting
• Can't connect with Madeline
• Warm (motherly)

Costume:
Madeline's Mum Madeline
• Motherly clothing • Neat, pulled back hair
• Knitted Jumper • Button up shirt
• Jeans • Black jumper and trousers
Lots of cushions, and warm lighting. Feet up
on sofa, more relaxed/ warm.

Removed all of the

home comforts.
Added white
sheets, more
Madeline's Room clinical and plain.
Lacking personality
• Lacks personality
• Plain / empty
• Clinical
Storyboard

I made a photographed
storyboard based on
my final script,
incorporating the lighting
decisions I made.
Final Piece and Evaluation

Strengths: Opportunities for Improvement:

• I really like the story and I think • If it wasn't for COVID Link to final piece –
it flows nicely restrictions I would be able to bring [Link]
• I also really like the subtlety of in someone else to act and I
the film, it's not too bold but is would be able to get some more
still effective interesting shots and experiment
• Originally, asked my mum to keep more with framing
to the script, but it wasn’t really • Again, because I both had to be in
working. So, I asked her to just think the video and film it I had to simplify
about the points she had to hit the beginning.
instead. This helped to make it • Would like to look at sound and
sound more natural music more to help build tension
and reinforce the atmosphere.
Film – Masked

This piece was created independent of my school studies since filmmaking is not offered as an option for study. All aspects relating
to production, creation, direction, setting and post-production of this short film are entirely my own work. My initial idea went
through an evolution following critical self-evaluation and taking into consideration the environmental limitations placed on me by
COVID-19 restrictions, such as no access to more advanced equipment, assistance with set or costumes, access to actors etc. From
my evolved idea I created characters and thought about costumes and the environments that they would live in, creating a
script around those characters. The script went through several re-writes before arriving at a point I was close to being
happy with. At this point I started to think about cinematography and the logistics of filming: I looked at lighting and framing and
created a photographed storyboard that acted as a guidance. I removed furniture and home comforts from a bedroom to create
the stark clinical look I wanted, in sharp contrast to the comfortable and cosy living room feel for the scene with the mother. I
selected clothing and a ‘look’ for the 2 characters. I experimented with lighting, bringing in extra light to the bedroom and
softening the light in the living room. Filming took place in my own home and I recruited my Mum as the actor seen in the film. It
took several tries to get a good take. I directed my Mum to improvise around the script since the first few takes looked and
sounded like she was reading, this improvisation gave a more natural sound and feel to the dialogue. Once I had
filmed all the components, I began editing and put all the clips together in order and blended the sound together. Working almost
entirely on my own was very challenging, especially with the fact that I also had to act in the film too, which presented many issues
and led me to altering the beginning of the film so that I could logistically film it. However, working alone also pushed me to
think individually and take pride in my own ideas, something I would typically struggle with. This process also helped me to learn a
lot about self-evaluation, as I experimented and evaluated every step of the way in order to make sure I had something that I was
proud of.
 Through doing A-Level Textiles I learned about framing and compositions. I also learned
A-Level Textiles – Time and Tide Development more about the presenting and evolving ideas
Final Piece
Time and Tide Development
Time and Tide Development

Final Piece
Urban Environment Photography

Through doing Higher Photography I learned about framing and

compositions. I also learned about time management and
planning photoshoots to meet deadlines.

Pedro Correa is a photographer who takes his images looking through windows. His work is
heavily influenced by his work as a surrealist painter.
Final Images
 By choosing the theme of Decay for my project I was able to look at decomposition and
A-Level Textiles – Decay development dereliction.
Final Piece
Decay development
Final Piece
Photography – Nightmares (drowning)

For my final project, I chose the theme 'nightmares', which allowed me to explore fear and narrative
using still images.

I looked at the work of the photographer Alban Grosdidier, whose work is

inspired by "the feeling of submersion felt by those living in big cities". After
surveying people in my year about their nightmares, I found that many people
had nightmares about drowning.
Final Images
Academic Writing – My Favourite Director

Jordan Peele changed the horror genre in 2017 with the release of his directorial debut ‘Get Out’. The trend of mainstream horror
before this saw reliance on jump scares and supernatural beings to insight fear into audiences. However, within ‘Get Out’ and his
second film ‘Us’, Peele uses the characters and plot to comment on wider societal issues. Commenting on the horrors of real life,
creating even more frightening films.
Peele had his start in the film and television industry through comedy and was probably best known at this time for his sketch
show ‘Key and Peele’. Even within his comedy work Peele used common horror tropes within American horror to explore the very
real horror of American racism. For example, in the sketch featured on the show ‘White Zombies’ Key and Peele used the filming
style of classic zombie films, however in the Key and Peele version all the zombies' steer away from black people, in one instance a
white zombie can be seen locking her door as the two black men walk past. The show then subtly comments on the idea that
people are not born racist, its taught, as a zombie child tries to eat the duo but is pulled away by its parents.

Peele then moved away from comedy in 2017 with ‘Get Out’, however, within this film he still managed to find tonal balance,
weaving comedic irony throughout the satirical horror. He combined genuine fear with poignant comments on political issues. He
looked closely at the false sense of security that came with President Obama that America had reached racial harmony. He
presents the white family within the film like that of white liberals, but slowly their evil intentions are revealed throughout
the plot. This film was a game changer for multiple reasons, one of which being it told the story from Chris’, a black man’s,
perspective. The audience watches as he fights his way out of the house alone in the climax of the film, breaking the usual white
saviour trope often seen in films exploring race, which usually includes a white character rescuing a non-white character from
unfortunate circumstances. Time and time again films exploring racism have been framed around the white perspective, however
‘Get Out’ pushes away from this completely, villainising the white characters in the film and pointing out the very real horror of the
more subtle racism in modern America.
Academic Writing – My Favourite Director

‘Get Out’ then went on to receive great critical acclaim, but not without a considerable about of backlash. Despite being
nominated in four different Oscar categories reports emerged that several members of the academy out right refused to even
watch the film claiming that ‘it's not an Oscar winning movie’, pointing out the exact societal issues that Peele aimed to examine
within ‘Get Out’. Nevertheless, Peele deservedly won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

In 2019, Peele then released his second film, ‘Us’. He explores the relationship between those living happy lives on the
surface and those struggling beneath them. Whilst he moved away from racial thematic concerns, he continued to break
boundaries surrounding race in Hollywood. He intentionally presented a black family as the all-American family, which is something
rarely seen in film. ‘Us’ truly demonstrates Peele’s writing abilities. His use of symbolism and foreshadowing amplifies the
effectiveness of the film, leading the viewer learning something more about the plot with every re-watch. It has been argued that
‘Us’ is less established than its predecessor, but I beg to differ. ‘Us’ simply takes a more stylistic approach in telling the story. Whilst
also commenting on the relationship between rich and poor in America Peele also comments on America’s fear of outsiders. Peele
said in an interview, “This movie is about this country, we’re in a time where we fear the other, whether it’s the mysterious invader
that we think is going to come and kill us and take our jobs, or the faction we don’t live near, who voted a different way than
us. We’re all about pointing the finger. And I wanted to suggest that maybe the monster we really need to look at has our face.
Maybe the evil, it’s us.”

Jordan Peele is my favourite director for his blending of the real-life horrors within modern society and truly terrifying narrative, to
create both simultaneously thrilling and thought-provoking films. Despite having only directed 2 feature length films, Peele has
effectively shaped modern horror and I believe will continue to shock and point out wider societal issues to audiences.