There is a myth that the eyes of the Mona Lisa continue to stare at you no matter where you are standing in relation to it.  Although this is just an illusion, what if it were true?  What if someone was watching you in your room, when you think you are alone, through a picture?  “Mona Lisa” will be a short horror film that puts a spin on this phenomenon.  I want to illustrate the sense of uneasiness and terror one would feel if they were sitting at their desk and noticed a picture staring at them, and then take it to the next level.

To create tension and terror through deliberate use of the camera such a perspective, panning, and moving objects in and out of frame.  3D models will be made for a room, (possibly windows), door, desk drawer, picture frame, computer monitor, bed, phone, light and possibly a monster.  Lighting will be used and changed throughout this piece.  A first person perspective will be simulated through the camera’s position and movements.  An image, and possibly a 3d model, will be created and used for the person that is staring at the subject through the painting, and will be modeled after the Mona Lisa.  Some models, such as the picture frame, desk drawer, and phone, will be animated.  Sources below will be used to further understand the phenomenon and enhance the project through subtleties.  Audio will also be provided in the form of ambiance music, desk drawer sounds, human gasps, phone sounds, and possible monster sounds.

This is intended for people who enjoy the horror, thriller, or suspense genre.

“Why do the eyes in paintings seem to follow you sometimes?”

“How to make a good horror movie: 9 lessons from the genre’s latest triumphs”

“Building Better Cinematic Suspense”