Post #45 Charlotte's Alternate Stealing Her Necklace

 At the end of my opening sequence, Charlotte's doppleganger walks up to the tree that Charlotte hit her head on and bends down to pick up a necklace. As the director, I am encoding that it is Charlotte's' necklace. My viewers will decode this because of the previous shot including the same tree. 

The reason I say "encode" and "decode" is because it refers to Stuart Hall's Reception Theory. This theory argues that audiences make sense of media through what they know, altering the intended meaning of a media piece by a creator. I am aiming for active media consumption, which is where my audience is engaged with my film.

The real reason that the doppleganger is taking Charlotte's necklace is because it wants to take her identity. My viewers will not understand this yet. However, it is essential to know if my film were to be continued. 

Moreover, the necklace that her alternate takes has more meaning behind it. The gold necklace represents innocence and loyalty. As the doppleganger takes it, this shows that it is not loyal and is indeed dangerous.

To show this detail, I have put together shots that build up to it. First, Charlotte hits her head while running from the doppleganger. This tells my viewers that Charlotte may be unconscious, as her body will not be shown. This means that the alternate is still in the forest. Next, the "alternate" walks up to the same tree, grabbing the necklace. This shot will not show the face of who is grabbing it. This creates suspense where my audience can piece together the puzzle.