Planning My Review

To help write my final review, I can begin to draft up some parts. I can begin to write the introduction and a few parts which are not solely based around the film. I can write up background information on the film and its background.

Elements to include:
• Introduce film type - Short Film
• Background information on the writer/director/actors
• Background behind the film itself
• Review of the film - asses camera, editing, sound, mise-en-scene

Finished Poster

This is the final design for my poster. Firstly, I have used textures to make the background of the design. The folded, crumbled look, I personally feel has brought the poster to life. Being a very minimalistic design, The faint lines and monochromatic color scheme add some life to the design, making it eye catching and interesting. The use of the raven silhouette is the most important element on the poster. Being a renowned symbol of death, I have used to the raven to forebode the death that is to come in the film. I am hoping that the audience will pick up on this idea, thus creating synergy between the poster and the film itself. Following the minimalist design, I went for font face 'Helvetica Neue'. This serif font is very thin and very elegant, yet, the sharp lines make it stand out against the background. However, when I had the font just on the page, it looked too prominent on the page. To fix this, I have taken a faint brush and rubbed out parts of the letters at different opacities, making it fit with the dishevelled theme. The hardest part to design on the poster was the credit section at the bottom. Trying to make the names and the titles fit into an even line, proved to be fairly challenging. I decided that by using a pyramid formation, I could evenly fit in the design, thus keeping an even design throughout the design.

Poster Update

After pitching my ancillary task, I needed to take one of my ideas and being to develop it further, resulting in my final poster. I decided that I would take the yellow 'raven of death' poster idea.

I thought that this idea had the most potential when compared to the other posters I created. I felt that the symbolism within the

Rough version of final poster



***talk about it***

Final Animatic With Script

Animatic Update #1

Shooting Schedule

Film Names

As with any film, the name is one of the most important elements. I need a name that fits the style and narrative of the film.

Ideas:
Chapman's Tale
OCD
Obsessive Compulsive
Fatal Surrender
Fatal Choices
Vendetta of Assassination

Moving Forward: Scripting

Narrator:

(00:08) I'm a ghost - I live in the shadows - I could be in the room right now and you'd never know it.

I take my job very seriously - planning each and every detail with acute precision.

But why is this important to me? I am a hit man.

(00:26)I study my targets maliciously; I become them. I get to know them inside and out, leaving no stone unturned.

(Laughs)

Some might say I know them better than themselves.

(00:36:15) Who AM I? Who am I really? Well, that... I guess you'll never know.

(00:41:03)On the surface, I am an average woman. You could pass me on the street, unbeknown to the facts.
***Could cut to street shot - however may not fit in with the rest of the film***

The fact that I could kill you, leaving NO possible spec of evidence.

(00:52:01) I go about my routines just as any other would.

(00:56:01) You could say it's an easy life... If you don't count endless agencies and contractors trying to wipe your non-existent persona off the face of the earth. Other than that, I enjoy the simple pleasures in life - I have my dreams... fancy house, nice car, good pension... yet, with my current job title, i can't see any of those becoming reality.

(01:29:02) Diegetic sound - eating, slurping of drink, 'slow motion' sound effect on the pan

(01:49:02) My life is nothing to be proud of. I receive hits from anonymous contractors. They give no reason. No motive. Just get. The job. Done. I could be killing innocent people for all I know. All I do know, is that I take my job to the next extreme with the detail I go to...

(02:10:13 ) Could be linked to my OCD I guess... Yep, A woman with OCD that is a hit man - how more conventional could you get hey?

(02:21:01) My routines can get quite bad. Sometimes they can interfere with a hit. I've been in situations where I can't fire until I've loaded and unloaded 4 times... time delays on a moving target are tricky to say the least. Sometimes it plays into my hands, if I know I won't be able to.. eliminate a target... before I've counted out a routine in my head, I can time it so on that last count.. BAM. Job done.

(02:34:07) Car starts

(03:15:10) As for this hit, well I can't give too much away on the details of the person. Mainly because I only know their name, their address and the place of the hit. It's not that often that I have to take a hit on a woman - when I do, I sometimes feel like a traitor as such, like I'm breaking a.. a code almost. But then I think to myself, wait Tegan, you're a killer. You thrive off the buzz, the thrill! Who cares who I'm killing... at the end of the day, I'll get my pay check.






 

Pitch Feedback

After presenting my idea in the form if a pitch, I was given a number of pieces of feedback based around what I presented.

The first main area that was evident needed work was the script. In my film, the narrative is entirely based around my script. The voice over is going to reveal the plot twist at the end. Meaning that if the script is not worded perfectly, the film's quality (in its entirety) could be brought down. 

The reason I did not present a script in this pitch is because I did not want to present something that was not finished and did not have any detailed meaning behind it. 

To make my animatic even more detailed and present a more accurate version (which will be closer to the film) adding the voice over will allow me to see if all of the timings work. This will highlight any errors with my script    

Pitch Questions

What is the meaning behind in/behind my film?
- Explore OCD, reflected in the main protagonist - routines/excessiveness
- Look at women in the action/adventure genre - mystery of the main protagonist and the job (assassin as such or hit man) of the antagonist. Controversial as such for a women to be in that business. When looking at Hollywood films, majority are men.

Who is my target audience?
- Based for males and females ages from 15-25
- In my responses from my audience survey I had an even number of responses from both genders
- Aimed at online users - research shows that they are the most common audience for short films
- students/apprenticeships. low level jobs
- reflected in one of the characters

What is the narrative - How have I created meaning?
- Animatic


Ancillary Tasks:
- Poster
- Review

Storyboard

Animatic

Mock Posters

As well as the film, I have to produce a film poster. Here I have 3 very different examples.
The first poster is heavily influenced by the likes of Saul Bass. The bold color for the background really makes the poster stand out, as the page is infused with such a vibrant color that it would distract and draw the attention of anybody that is walking past or viewing online. To make the image stand out, I have used a bold, yet streamlined font (Helvetica Neue - Regular) and have made it white. This color makes the writing stand out, but compliments the main color of the poster. I felt that by using black font would have made the whole dynamics of the poster appear much more aggressive and would contrast with the main background. Further influenced by Bass' work, I have decided to just use one image on the whole poster. The image - although the imagery used is not linked to or appears in the film itself, the use of a raven connotes the death that is to come in the film. Again, I have made this image a silhouette which has been done for a similar reason to the  

Mock Review

This is a mock up of what I imagine my final film review will look. The layout is heavily influenced by my research and that of 'Total Film' Magazine. The use of having a large image positioned in the centre of the page draws the reader in. The image I choose will have to draw the reader in and encapsulate them, making then want to read the review of the film. I also that by using a star rating system would heavily influence wether or not the reader will engage in the text itself, as they aren't going to necessarily want to read a review that a critique has given say one and half or two out of 5.
The use of multiple images will also help to engage the reader and again further make them intrigued by the film. To improve this design, I can warp the text around some images and include key quotes from the text and make them larger and separate, again enhancing the point being made.

Equipment

When it comes to filming my short film, there is a number of pieces of equipment that I will need to use to make the shoot efficient and as effective as possible.

Equipment:
Camera: Canon 600D
External Microphone: Rode NTG-2
Tripod
Laptop
Software: Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects

Inspiration for My Short Film

A number of elements in my film have been heavily influenced by various hollywood and short films. For example I have been looking at how women have become more and more popular within the action/adventure genre. Actress's such as Angelina Jolie have become renowned for playing roles in these kind of films. She has starred in films such as 'Tomb Raider' and 'Salt' which feature the woman being the main protagonist and have the lead fighting role. There have always been superhero characters which are female, however, films like 'Batman', 'Superman' and 'Spiderman' have had previous films made throughout the previous decades. Yet films like 'Catwoman' were not made until fairly recently and films like 'Wonder Woman' have never been made before. This ongoing debate has interested me and  has made me want to incorporate this area into my film. By including two female characters in my narrative, I hope to arouse the debate about females in action/adventures film.

Furthermore, I wish to embody the short, quick , fast paced, harsh style scenes from films like Hot Fuzz and Shaun of The Dead. The scenes near the beginning of the film show someone getting performing their morning routine and making themselves a coffee and toast. The shots feature extreme close ups and they cut very quickly, creating the sense that the person is either in a rush  

Actors

When it comes to the actresses for my film, I would have preferably wanted people around the age of 20/22. However, because I did not receive replies from the people I asked, I had to reconsider my options. I decided to go with Hannah Vincent for the main protagonist as she has had previous experience in drama and is fairly confident in front of the camera. She is capable of dressing smartly which suits the character well as she is a businesswoman.  

For the antagonist/narrator of my film, I have chosen Harriet Newman - her use of spoken English is eloquent to another level, and her pronunciation is perfect. Furthermore, Harriet (when she ties her hair up) does actually look smart and sophisticated - everything needed from a contracted killer. Harriet does not have a drama oriented background, however she is a born singer and performer when it comes to music, and she has starred in a number of music videos - therefore I am hoping this previous experience will rub off on my will.

 

Props

Throughout my film, there are going to be a number of props that will need to be used. As of yet, I am not too sure on all of them. However, the ones that I do know, I need to accumulate.


Car 1:

Car 2: 

Bag: 

Laptop: 

iPhone: 

Locations

For the film, I need to scout my locations in advance. At the moment I have a few locations in mind. I know that I will be needing the main rooms of a house. These rooms don't have to be from the same house as I can cut the shots to make them appear as though they are from the same house - keeping the continuity of the film exact.

Possible locations:

Example Script

Narrator:

"I am Joe Bloggs (Example Name) I am one of the best Hit Men in the world, I have never been caught and I do not plan on being caught any time soon. I plan my hits to the smallest detail, making sure that everything is perfect. I study my targets maliciously, I become them; getting to know them inside and out. I research them extensively, piecing together their past and their present. Almost planning their next move them."

"I am prepared for anything - no situation can take me by surprise. I am prepared for death, death does not scare me.

Chosen Idea

After having 3 initial ideas, I now needed to chose an idea to make into my final short film.
After going over my ideas, I thought about which one would allow me to use the most creative, and different camera shots and which I could play around with the narrative and scripting of the piece. I decided that idea 2 would be the best.

Outline of the idea:

The main character wakes up in their bedroom on a normal day. POV shot of this happening, looking around the room. The camera cuts to the whole bedroom ands the person getting out of bed. What is going to set this person from everyone else in the world? They are going to have severe OCD. The camera will show them performing their routines, making sure everything is in its correct place (close ups/extreme close ups) making the audience assume that everything in this persons house needs to be in order and be perfect - to be exact. From the house and its belongings, assumptions should be made that this is an average person, living off of an average wage. The routine should look monotonous - as if this person is doing the same routine they do everyday and that today is nothing special. As this routine beings to unfold, it is key that we do not hear the person talk (this should remain throughout).
Narration will begin to play over the top of the live footage. "I am Joe Bloggs, I am one of the best hit mans in the world, I have never been caught, and don't plan on it either.."
One of the main elements to this film is that the narration will be parallel to the footage; "I study my targets maliciously". Shot of studying paper, running finger down an article. "I am prepared for anything". Shot of the person getting changed into warm, heavy clothing.
The next part of the film moves the person on from the house. They leave the house, briefcase, satchel, work gear all in arms, heading toward their car. To further highlight the levels of the OCD and perfectness, once in the car they have to perform another set of routines, just to turn the car on. The camera will then show the car pulling away and the person driving off.
This is where the plot twist comes in the story. As the person is driving along, they suddenly die, no guns, no foul play can be seen to be apparent. The camera cuts to a new car, with a different person in it. The new character is on the phone and merely says (in the same voice as the narrator) "Target is down". The film will end abruptly, leaving the audience to ponder what has just happened.
I feel that if this film is done correctly, then for the majority of the sequence people will believe that they are watching the hit man get ready and that the voice of the narrator is the hit man as well. Yet with the plot twist at the end, out becomes apparent that the person you have been watching was in fact the target.

Short Film Initial Ideas

After brainstorming possible scenarios and genres, I have come up with a possible three storylines that I could explore and possibly flesh out and make into my final film.

Idea 1: An average business man monotonously goes about his daily life, doing the same routine day in day out. One day, he realises (or thinks he does) that some food that he bought the other day had gone. He dismisses it, thinking it could be rats or a small animal and carries on with his life. This disappearance of food continues and the man becomes ever-more suspicious. He checks his locks and windows and everything is as it should be. He sets up a CCTV system in his house and the results are shocking - an old woman moving about his flat whilst he was at work, eating his food, using his shower and toilet - in a nutshell living there. It transpired that she had in fact been living in one if his cupboards.

Idea 2: A person wakes up and gets up like the everyday person. Their house is nothing special - just the average, working class house. However, it is clear from their routine and the cleanliness and order of the house that they have OCD. We get a sense as the audience that everything has to be perfect. As we see the routine unfold, we never get to hear this person talk.
Narration starts... "I am Joe Bloggs, I am the best hit man in the world"
This narration is parallel to the live footage. "I study my targets maliciously..." Shot of person reading the paper. "I am prepared for anything..." Shot of person getting dressed into warm clothing.
After the routine is complete, the person walks toward their car and gets in. Another ODC routine is carried out just to start the car (highlighting the level of OCD this person has). We see them drive off and along the road. The driver suddenly dies. The camera shifts to a different car, with a new character talking on the phone, in the same voice as the narration. "Target is down".

Idea 3: An elderly man has been in a vegetative state since suffering a stroke some 10 or so years ago. He has been living with one of his daughters since the incident and has no memory of who he is, or who they are. One of the other siblings moves into the mans old house and they decide that it would be good to move him in too. After a few days of being back to living in his old house, the man wakes up and his memory has been revived. However, he still thinks that it is 10 years ago, he see's his grandkids and is amazed at how tall they have become and is amazed by the change in life (montage showing modern life). That night, adamant his memory would stay, he says goodnight - but nothing else to his family - and goes to bed. The next morning he wakes and has returned to his vegetative state - his family are distraught he couldn't say goodbye.

Possible Scenarios Brainstorm

Initial Ideas Brainstorm

Is My Research Finished?

Now that I have conducted a fair amount of research, I can begin the planning stage, working towards the pitch of my idea. However, does this mean that my research is complete? The simple answer is no. Even though I am in the planning stages now, my research will be continuing throughout.

Planning & Pitch

Now all of my primary and secondary research is complete, I need to start to plan my short film.
Furthermore, I will need to pitch my idea (5-10 minutes) so it can be signed off and I can begin to film and edit my film. To make a successful pitch, in effect, I will need to sell my idea.

In my pitch, I will need to include the following elements in my pitch:
    • Convinced presentation connoting complete research
    • Storyboards and Animatics
    • Mock up of poster and review
    • Shot List
    • Scripting
    • Locations/Actors/Equipment
    • Consider; Genre, Narrative, Representation, Audience
    • Media Language

Although my pitch does not need to follow a certain structure, there are a number of key questions that I need to address..

What is the meaning in/behind your project?


Who is your target audience?

• how are they reflected in my work?
  
• how do I know who they are?
  
• Beyond gender and age, social status, race/ethnicity, lifestyle presented
  

What is your narrative – how have you created meaning?
- Give yourself a voice
- storyboard
- structure – how is it pieced together to add meaning
- camera, editing, sound, mise-en-scene

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Empire Review Analysis - Column

Runner Runner, Empire Review Analysis - Half Page

Filth, Empire Review Analysis - Single Page

Machete Kills, Empire Review Analysis - Double Page

Like Father, Like Son Total Film Review Analysis - Column Review

Runner Runner, Total FIlm Magazine Review Analysis - Half Page

Behind The Candelabra, Total Film Review Analysis - Single Page

World War Z, Total Film Review Analysis - Double Page

'Pulp Fiction' Poster Review

'Ghost Busters' Poster Review

'Vertigo' Poster Review

'Clockwork Orange' Poster Review

'The Dark Knight' Poster Review

'Train Spotting' Poster Review

'Jaws' Poster Review

'American Beauty' Poster Review

'Jurassic Park' Poster Review

'Only God Forgives' Poster Review

'Unbovine Yourself' Analysis

Camera: extreme close ups, macro shots,

Editing: montage, extremely quick, slow motion effect

Sound: shouting, voice over, eerie background,

Mise-en-Scene: low key lighting throughout,  hoodies

'Unbovine Yourself' is a disturbing short film based around one mans voiced over narrative. The voice over is very muffled and tinny, making it sound as though it has been recorded on a very low end microphone. The camera work for the film is very much the same throughout. A majority of the shots are medium, close up or extreme close ups. This gives the feel that the films topic is very narrow and has a very clear message. The film itself has very quick cuts, giving it a montage-esque feel, and as though it is being rushed, trying to cram a lot of information into a very short time window. The entire film is shot in low key lighting which connotes that there is a high level of danger and panic in the message. Also by not revealing much with the dark lighting, it adds a foreboding sense that everything will go wrong - which it does in the film. The film deploys the slow motion effect on a number of occasions during the film. This clever effect draws attention to the slower scenes and allows the audience to connect and engage more with those scenes. This connotes that the director feels these scenes are of high importance to the film and they need to be shown for a longer period of time amongst the rest of the films quick, violent cuts.
At the end of the film, the voice over beings to play again, relaying the main message of the film, that humans are exposed to too much repetition.

'One Man's Loss' Analysis

Camera: low angle tracking shot, shot reverse shot, close up of face expressions

Editing: steady cuts throughout, jump cut, titles placed over live footage

Sound: non-diegetic music, car radio, glass shattering, flowers rustling, dialogue argument, accents

Mise-en-scene: dirty, bare feet - homeless.  tailored suit, sports car - rich, upper class.  white dress - innocent pure, high key lighting

'One Man's Loss' opens with a tracking medium shot, positioned very low to the ground, at foot level. As the camera tracks, a mans bare, dirty feet follow the camera. The fact his feet are presented like this immediately makes the audience stereotype and believe that he must be homeless. There is non-diegetic music which is very hollow and tinny. Once the car has been introduced, it is clear that the sound is coming from the cars radio. Presented in the car is a man who contrasts the homeless man. He is driving a convertible sports car and is dressed in a well tailored suit. The last character to be introduced is a lady who appears in a white dress, connoting her innocence and purity, which becomes apparent in the story as her partner has cheated on her. Through her dialogue and her accent, it is clear that she is not American like the others in the film, which connotes her fragility and vulnerability to the story as she may not be too familiar with the area she is in, let alone the country. This is further backed up when she she says 'I do not drive' which could denote that she is new to America and has not had time to get her license.
When the music stops, the silence is broken by the homeless man's scream, connoting that he has injured his foot. As the shoe is thrown out of the window, there is a very clever jump cut, which allows for it to appear as though the show has landed sole down (something which is highly unlikely when being thrown out of a window that high)
The entire film is in high key lighting, which contrast with the storyline. the lighting can be foreseeing the ending and how the lady escapes from her cheating partner.

'Sebastian's Voodoo' Analysis

Camera: low angle shots, varied focus, soft focus

Editing: quick straight cuts

Sound: Parallel, non-diegetic music, diegetic chains

Mise-en-scene: Tribal/war paint make up, low key lighting, at the end high key (resolved)

'Sebastian's Voodoo' is an animated short, focusing on the sacrifice made for your friends. The film starts with the titles in a weathered orange/brown font, fading in over a plain black screen. The music is very tribal and very African, yet it still manages to have a macabre vibe.
The majority of the film is shot in low key lighting, connoting the eerie, dangerous feel that the room has. The room in question is very dark and dirty and creepy. The fact that the only human in the film is in a deep, dark shadow casts a doubt over him having any positive traits. Only exposing his hand and arm emphasises the ghoulish trait to the man. The fast paced cutting adds drama to the piece as it connotes the quick decisions that the doll has to make on the spot, making the audience feel sympathy for the small animated doll as he must choose between his own life or all the other voodoo dolls
At the end of the film, when the villain has been killed, the lighting changes. It switches to high key lighting which connotes that the evil has been removed from the room and everyone is now free. Along with this, the music becomes a lot slower and eloquent.

'LOOP' Analysis

Camera: extreme close ups, varied focus', low angles

Editing: quick straight cuts throughout 

Sound: constant beeping, extreme thud and mug dropping, over emphasised slipping 

Mise-en-scene: casual pyjamas, set in an upmarket house 

This very simple short film starts to play around with the whole 'looping' or 'inception-esque' idea. The opens with an extreme close up of blood trickling down a table. The focus of the shot has a very interesting depth of field, with the foreground in focus, and the background in soft focus. Dubbed over the footage is is a constant loop of a phone beeping. It then cuts to another extreme close up of a mans face lying down in the blood, with the camera shaking as the man comes around and begins to get up, connoting that the man is dazed and confused. The setting of the film is then established through a long shot, revealing that the man (dressed in his pyjamas), is in a house or apartment. The phone noise continues until a close up shot, this time with the foreground in soft focus and the background in focus, of the phone being placed back into its holdall, cuts off the noise. A low angle shot looking up at the man reveals his confusion through his facial expressions. By making him appear really large on the screen, it asserts the fact that he is the main character. The film is silent for until the harsh sound of a mug breaking initiates the most important part of the film. The edge of the coffee table has been in focus for a few shots, connoting its importance, and the extremely fast cut between the man slipping and banging his head, accompanied by the deep thud, emulate his painful death, thus starting the loop over again. 

'Still Life' Analysis

Camera: establishing shot, extreme close up, medium shots 

Editing: straight cuts, short cross fade, extended cross fade

Sound: few sound effects, much non-diegetic

Mise-en-scene: sparse, winter town. large bags under his eyes, (drugs?) casual clothing

'Still Life' starts with plain, bold white titles fading from black, to reveal a long establishing shot of a snowy background, over which the title of the film fades in very slowly. A mixture of close ups and extreme close ups inside of a car depict a man with large bags around his bloodshot eyes, taking pills and drinking what appears to be coffee. The film has no score, but uses the cars radio to provide a small amount of music and talking. A number of cross fades are used to show and extreme close up of the mans eyes, and the moving road ahead. To set the scene and almost see the film from the mans perspective, a number of tracking and panning shots are used to depict the environment. A key element to this film, is the fact that for the mannequins to move, there need to be shot reverse shots back to the man allowing the film to look as though the mannequins are real, allowing the film to have a perfect flow. The huge plot twist of this film comes at the end as the camera very cleverly cuts and shows the man looking at his reflection in the mirror, only to find that he is covered in blood and the mannequins were in fact real people. The absence of sound in this film adds to the eeriness and makes the town that he enters feel even more sparse than it actually is, overall effecting the mood of the film. 

'Blinky' Analysis

Camera: gradual zoom out from TV, incorporates the TV and the montage sequence

Editing: Titles fade in over black screen, various places, montage scene making up advertisement

Sound: Soft music contrasts the arguing,

Mise-en-scene: large TV, well furnished house, well off family



'Blinky' starts with a plain black screen and has a very soft, delicate music playing in the background. This sound is then contrasted by the sound of a man and a woman having a heated argument. Over the plain black screen, white titles fade in, placed in random places over the screen. A montage about robots is then shown with a stern female voice selling a product. A very clever shot is then used to introduce the new setting. The camera zooms out and reveals a large TV which has been playing the advertisement. The large TV and the house furnished with white leather chairs, connotes that the family are from a well off background. The heavy use of CGI is introduced through the robot Blinky. An extreme close up of the robots eye zooms out as he comes alive, revealing its small, rounded, unconventional robotic frame. The main title of the film appears, firstly small down the bottom right corner, simultaneously as a noise of a camera taking photos is played, the title moves to a diagonal angle and it also increases in size. The following montage scene depicts the child and Blinky connecting throughout daily life. The joyful music played over the film, further connotes the happiness that the Robot and the child, similarly, the filter used makes the footage very pure and innocent. The hand held camera also makes the scene appear very personal and helps the audience connect more with the protagonist.

'Form 17' Analysis

Camera: Shaking camera implies fast running, movement, POV 

Editing: Tock clicking down for titles (really good effect), 

Sound: Edgy, dramatic music, police sirens, non diegetic, footsteps, dialogue

Mise-en-scene: dressed in black, professional, 

Form17 is a short film which follows a comedic narrative between a father and daughter on a 'take your child to work day'. The titles for the film are beautifully thought through and made. Aa the film is based upon a bomb disposer, the titles are in the font type face of a digital clock, and the last letter of each word is a counting down number. The film starts with a POV shot, shaking violently implying that the person is running. It then quickly cuts between the POV shot and a medium shot of two figures running. Over the non diegetic footsteps and police sirens, is very edgy, dramatic music. The bomb has been made using a combination of live footage and special effects. This allows for the film to have a much more realistic feel to it, without spending money on a load of props. The film's score remains to be very edgy throughout, keeping the audience on wanting to find out what the outcome of the film will be. The entire film has a very blue, chilling filter placed over the top. This makes the film have a very sensitive approach, connoting that the issue in the film is also sensitive (which defusing a bomb is a rather sensitive issue)   

 Nearing the end of the film, the camera switches to a POV shot, with a camera mounted to the girl, this shows her running extremely fast, and then the explosion which is also made entirely from visual effects. The end titles are in the same font as the beginning and the extremely dark lighting continues the edgy feel that the film portrayed. 

'Plurality' Analysis

Camera: Medium shot, extreme close up.

Editing: Starts with a fade from black, special effects are key

Sound: Voice over

Mise-en-scene: man dressed smartly, smoking on cigarette, looks shady


'Plurality' starts with a very smooth fade from black to a medium shot of a man dressed in dark, smart clothes, smoking a cigarette. From what you can see of not only his clothing, but also his body position, he appears as though he is on edge and ready and waiting for something to happen. It cuts to a close up of his face blowing out the smoke, whilst over the top of the footage is a mans voice over explaining the current situation. A cut to a black screen is used extremely effectively as the shot then pans left to reveal a city scape. The special effects are then introduced to the film (special effects are the most key element of this film). Adverts are shown up projected up on buildings, with futuristic cars being shown. These effects would most likely have been produced on Adobe After Effects and Cinema 4D. The beauty of this film is that the visual effects have been incorporated into the original footage so eloquently. The film also has a sequence made entirely of special effects. This allows for the director to push the limits of the film due to the technology that was made available. The narrative continues as atmospheric music is quietly played underneath. As a fast medium tracking shot of a man running from the police is show, the music kicks in and speeds up denoting a state of panic and danger. Reaction shots make up the rest of the scene, cutting quickly between the chase involving police and the criminal. The beginning of the film then comes to an end as a briefcase is slammed shut. This shot is parallel to the sound as there is a booming thud as the case closes. As a new location is introduced, a high angled, extreme long shot of New York, with the date and location typed over the top in thin white font. A new character is introduced, a female reporter dressed in her work clothes.
The voiceover is re-introduced as shot reverse shots of the interviewer and interviewee are shown. It becomes apparent to the audience that the reporter is not all she seems as an extreme close up of her removing a ring, alongside side with a close up of her touching a rail accompanied with a reaction shot of her, appearing panicked and nervous. As the film goes on, there is a significant jump cut (03:50-03:52) (which I'm not sure if it is meant to be seen) but the shot cuts between the reporter and the agent running through a group of people. Another beautiful shot (05:05-05:19) incorporates live footage with special effects. The agent smashes through an 'iHollow' screen and the way the glass smashes whilst he is covered by a thin layer of material from the screen is beautifully thought out and adds to the overall aesthetics of the film.

'When Outrageous Was Possible' Analysis

Notes: 
--------

Camera: Wide angle establishing shot panning, tracking shots of the car moving, mounted camera on car multiple angles, extreme long shots with varied focus, shot reverse shot - back and forth to interviewee

Editing: starts with a company ident, italic font but OUTRAGEOUS in bold.

Sound: Narrative voice over, soft, classical music - connoting fragility and rarity of car, sound of the car dominates the mix,

Mise-en-scene: Car presented in high key lighting, soft lighting, warm, very causal setting, in garage, on the road contrasts the extremity of the car.

'When Outrageous was Possible' is another documentary style short film. The film itself starts with a company ident. Yet the main film starts with an establishing shot at a low angle. The shot is tracking the car which is set in a very warm, high key light. Being able to see the car in this showroom condition connotes back to the history of the car and how it would have been presented to customers back when they bought it. Dubbed over the top of this shot, is a mix of voice over and light classical music. The soft music is very much contrapuntal to the shot. Being presented with a car that looks as ferocious as this and then having classical music dubbed over the top can connote to the fragility and rarity of the car. The next few shots relate to the voice over, with shots of the car's door going up mirror what is being said by the narrator. There are a number of medium and long shots which present the car and track and pan round it extremely smoothly. The titles are then introduced with a mixture of fonts. The words 'when' and 'was possible' are in italics (almost a handwritten font) and then 'OUTRAGEOUS' is placed in an overly large, bold font. As the car starts, and it is heard for a second time, the noise dominates the mix, as a number of still long shots present the car driving.
The climate continues to carry on the soft, warm light, as the yellow/orange filter blends with the bright sunlight. the music then changes to slow guitar, connoting that the car is at home on the American roads. The camera is placed inside the cockpit of the car, however, the camera is not still and looks as though it is being hand-held. This shot shows the realism of being inside the car, and just how uncomfortable it is to sit inside a Lamborghini.The film is cut together at a very smooth, constant speed which shows that there is a level of tranquility in the film, and nothing is being rushed.
Throughout the film, there are shot reverse shots going back and forth from the car to the interviewee, which shows his true emotion an passion for his car.
As the narrator goes through a list of what is wrong with the car (a very long list) the music turns sad almost, with some tremolo picking guitar which connotes that the car is almost sorry for having so many flaws.  
One criticism for this film, is the fact that some of the tracking/planning shots are not steady. Although it may not be too noticeable, it contrast to those pans that are extremely smooth. Overall, letting down the rest of the film considering how well it has been produced.

'The Real Thing' Analysis

Notes
-------

Camera: front mounted camera on car, slow tracking shots, large compilation, shots last 2-3 seconds, tell story, run alongside the plot, macro shots, variety of long shots, medium shots, close ups, interview shots

Editing: quick, short cuts, fluent throughout. Speed changes for panning/tracking shots. Text over film, titles at the end, plain text over footage.

Sound: Voice over throughout. Old western style music faint in background, gets faster as the car goes out into road, noise of car is extremely loud in the mix.

Mise-en-scene: Based in a garage, busy looking, work fuelled place, main protagonist wearing plain clothing, neutral colors.


'The Real Thing' is a documentary style short film, focusing on the history and rebuild/creation of a Ford Mustang. The film starts with a really interesting shot, where the camera is attached to the front of the car. This POV shot, combined with the raw sound of the car, allows for the audience to feel as though they are one with the car. As the sound gets fiercer, the shots begin to change much faster. This adds to the drama of the piece and makes the acceleration and the speed of the car appear much greater than it probably is. As the film progresses, and the story evolves, quick cuts (acting as a montage) of different pictures stuck up, with extremely slow, yet effectives pans help with the voiced-over narrative.    Guitar cuts in and simultaneously with this, the titles appear placed in the left and right of the screen. The thick, bold white font stands out against the varied focus shots. There is not much change in the shots, as they are still a compilation of long, medium and close up shots. A key element in this film is the shot-reverse-shots going back and forth to the narrator of the piece. Being enabled to see his facial expressions, connotes the pure emotion that this man feels towards the project and topic that he is working on. There is a constant background music with a western feel which links back to the origin of the Mustang itself. All of the shots mirror the story and have a relevance towards what is being said.
The location change is introduced with an establishing shot of the new venue, and the location, typed in the same font as the start, in the top right corner. In the show there are a number of reaction shots which show the emotion and pure love for the car.
As the car is pulling out of the garage, the music not only gets louder, but also increases in pace. This adds severe tension to the film as the viewer readies themselves for the Mustang to be unleashed onto the road. The use of an interior shot allows an insight into what is happening inside the car, relating the edgy feel that the driver himself portrays. the sound of the revving engine is then increased drastically, mixed with extremely short, extreme closeup shots of the engine itself, expressing the pure power that the car itself has. As the car speeds away, tracking shots of the car on the road express the speed and ferocity that the car has. The main films end with the car driving away into the distance, with a very wide angle shot, spanning both sides of the road, connoting the project has come to an end, as with the film. the end titles then come over some artistic, extreme close up shots of the workshop and the car, showing off the work in all of its glory.

Origins of Short Films

Since the beginning, all films were short. For early audiences, the novelty and thrill of witnessing man's latest technological triumph was paramount. But as the 20th century dawned, films began to get longer. The first films were presented to the public in 1894 through Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope, a peepshow-like device for individual viewing. The best known film from this time is perhaps the Lumière brothers' Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (1895) which apparently had audiences fleeing in terror as a celluloid locomotive hurtled towards them.

Genre

Genre is a key part in the classification of film. By definition, genre (which originates from a French word meaning 'type') is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or entertainment. Genres are formed by conventions, that change and evolve over time, as new genres are invented and the old ones discontinued. Genre began as a classification system for Greek Literature. Poetry, prose and performance had a specific, calculated style that related to the theme of the story. Speech patterns for comedy would not be appropriate for tragedy, and even actors were restricted to their genre under the assumption that a type of person could tell one type of story best. 

Codes and Conventions (based on audience survey results)

Camera Tricks

When I am making my short film, I will need to ensure that my film is produced to a professional standard. To make this happen, there a number of different sources where I will be able to find out little camera tips and tricks.
Firstly, I looked on Youtube and found this video about how to get a smooth pan. From my AS project, I discovered that panning and making sure it is smooth is an extremely hard job. This easy rubber band trick should help me get some smooth pans.

  

I also found some very good websites ( La Video Film Maker & Steve's Digicam) which have some very good tips for beginner film makers. In summary, they both state that being able to control the amount of light in a shot is vital. Being able to play with the light allows you to easily create the correct mood and meaning. Also, it seems obvious, but making sure that the shot is steady and the focus is pulled into the right place - as changing the focus of a scene can completely change the dynamics of it. Zooming is another issue in which they say it should not used in excess otherwise it will look superficial. As in Ridely Scott's 'Hannibal', a tilt and zoom technique is applied. From a low angle it magnifies a character to make them appear striking.

As the budget for my film is going to be extremely low, if I want to effectively change the focus of my shot, then this video offers a cheap alternative to professional pulling gear.

This video is aimed more at editing, however the tips in it are extremely interesting and clever

Distribution

In the international film business, the rights to screen a film are sold in respect of distinct 'territories'. Most Hollywood films are distributed directly by the studio which financed the film. In the Uk this means that the cinema box office is dominated by a handful of major distributers. In 2000 figures show the dominance of five Hollywood majors and three 'independents'.

' UIP £160.15m (43 films)                                                  ' 

  BVI (Disney) £123.58m (31) 

  Columbia Tristar £76.5m (30)

  20th Century Fox £62.28m (16)

  Pathé £45.1m (22)

  Warner £36.4m (23)

  Entertainment £28m (21)

  Icon £17.87m (8)

' All other independents (45 companies) £27m (188 films) '
(Source: British Film institute Handbook 2002)

When it comes to short films however, they are distributed in completely different ways. With short films being more 'modern', they are not considered to be a mainstream film, therefor they are distributed in different ways. The most common example is for a short film to be distributed is through the internet. With social media sites such as Youtube and Vimeo being the home of film, a majority of the most famous short films would be uploaded onto the sites. Not only is this free, it is also an extremely easy way to make a product go viral, therefore allowing for easy recognition and a constant stream of people talking about it. 

Sources: 

Book: The Media Student's Book, Third Edition, Gill Branston & Roy Stafford. 

As part of my research, I also need to complete primary research - giving me an idea into what the audience really think about short films and what they would like to see in a short film.
I am hoping to get a varied set of results, as this will enable me to add to my own research and have a much greater ensemble of opinions and views.


A copy of my survey:



I would appreciate it if you took the time to complete my survey.

Revised Action Plan: Interim Dates

Added on from my previous Action Plan post, I have now added some interim dates for my research. 

The final deadline for my research is the 26th September, therefore I need to manage my time wisely, allowing me to conduct valid, concise research. 

     • 9th-14th September: Make, distribute, collect results from Audience Survey; summarise. 

     • 13th September: Complete all audience theory research (To be done whilst audience survey is out being completed). 

     • 15th September: Research into different camera tricks and how the camera is used.  

     • 16th September: Finish codes and conventions research - based on audience research. 

     • 17th-21st September: Finish analysis tasks (both main and ancillary). 

     • 24th September: Complete all research tasks based on ancillary work.

Action Plan 07.09.13

Audience

When making any piece of media, the audience of the piece will always need to be considered and addressed. In my case, I will need to consider the target audience of my short film, and tailor the content toward them. To broaden my understanding and awareness of this, I will need to further understand some theories and ideologies behind how the audience receive my final product.

The audience for a media piece could be anyone from a mass group of people to a person sat on their own.

The Effects Model
----------------------
The effects model is associated with quantitive research methods - collating results (e.g examples in answers to questionnaires) and drawing conclusion.

• In 1923 The Frankfurt School theorised (instead of quantity-surveyed) the possible effects of social media. In their case, the response to German fascism's use of radio and film for propaganda purposes. They explored the power of US media, including advertising and entertainment forms. The members developed a variant of Marxism (a method of socio-economic inquiry based upon a materialistic interpretation of historical development, a dialectical view of social change.)  known as Critical Theory. Emphasising the power of corporate capitalism, owning and controlling new media, to restrict and control cultural life in unprecedented ways, creating what they called a 'mass culture' of stupefying conformity, allowing no room for innovation or originality. 

• An altered approach was developed into the theory by researchers into what was then the new phenomenon of television in the 50's & 60's. Alarmed by a perceived in violent acts and their possible relation to the violence represented on the television. Again, they focused on the power of television and the effect it can have on people. Contemporary self-styled 'moral majority' movements tried to have television and other media closely censored, on the assumption that they are the most important cause of a society perceived as increasingly violent. 

• Other researchers from the 40's onwards were interested in issues such as whether or not television affected peoples political attitudes.

Within the effects model the influence of the media, especially television, is often looked upon in a negative way - never positive.  e.g. looking at the kinds of writing (tabloid editorials) that urge censorship, often fall into one or two apparently contradictory positions, further contributing to moral panics:
      • The media produce inactivity, making us look like 'couch potatoes', 'box-watchers' who make no effort to get a job.
      • When the media do produce activity, it is of a bad kind, such as 'copycat' behaviour, or mindless shopping in response to advertising.
      • With these views, in 1976, Gerbner and Gross produced work which suggested that the more television you watch, the more likely you are to have a fearful attitude and perception to the world outside the home.
    

Uses & Gratification Theory
----------------------------------
The uses and gratification model was first introduced in the US in the 40's and is commonly associated with television and socio-pshycological approaches to media. Researchers(often well funded and sometimes associated with advertisers) began to question why people watched television, and later concluded that 'personality types' in the audience gave rise to 'certain needs, some of which are directed to the mass media for satisfaction' (Morley 1991). These needs were grouped into categories: cognitive (learning); affective (emotional satisfaction); tension release (relaxation); personal integrative (help with  issues of personal identity); social integrative (help with issues of social identity).
Unlike the Frankfurt School's theory, this model is clearly not interested in critiquing capitalist mass culture.
Author, Arthur Asa Berger, gave a list of what the media offer to do, and what the audience take from media products:
1. To be amused
2. To see authority figures exalted or deflated
3. To experience the beautiful
4. To have shared experiences with others
5. To satisfy curiosity and be informed
6. To identify with the deity and the divine plan
7. To find distraction and diversion
8. To experience empathy (sharing in the joys and sorrows of others)
9. To experience, in a guilt-free and controlled situation, extreme emotions such as love and hate, the horrible and the terrible, and similar phenomena
10. To find models to imitate
11. To gain an identity
12. To gain information about the world
13. To reinforce our belief in justice
14. To believe in romantic love
15. To believe in magic, the marvelous and the miraculous
16. To see others make mistakes
17. To see order imposed upon the world
18. To participate in history (vicariously)
19. To be purged of unpleasant emotions
20. To obtain outlets for our sexual drives in a guilt-free context
21. To explore taboo subjects with impunity and without risk
22. To experience the ugly
23. To affirm moral, spiritual and cultural values
24. To see villains in action.

Semiotics and Audiences
----------------------------
Semiotic and structuralist approaches to meaning were explored in Britain from the 60's onwards. They promised to understand the making of meaning as a much more mediated, active and social process than a simple counting of elements within media texts. However, the theories, along with speculation from psychoanalytic approaches, were often applied in text-isolated ways. One example was the emphasis of the assumed powers of the Hollywood editing system to stitch or position 'the spectator' in certain ways, making only one reading possible, however unconscious readers were of that position.

One of the most influential arguments was Laura Mulvey's in 1975. Heavily couched in psychoanalytic terms (fetishism, voyeurism, scopophilia), that audiences were masculine, and therefore inevitably voyeuristic positions by Hollywood films, through the ways in which women on screen are portrayed (through lighting, editing, positioning as well as narrative placement) while it is usually the male characters who are doing the looking and have the control over it, therefore allowing them to have control over the narrative. This aroused key questions such as:
• How do female audiences respond to such moments?
• Do lesbian viewers feel reluctant to go along with such attacks on taking pleasure in the female image?
• What happens in genres which try to address a female audience directly?
• Can this theory be applied to television?

The Encoding/Decoding Model
-----------------------------------
In the 70's media theorist Stuart Hall worked with a combination of of semiotic, structuralist and more sociological approaches. Hall's position paper 'the television discourse - encoding and decoding' opposed several previous media approaches. It was written in opposition to 'content analysis' and other approaches assuming an easily measurable, if not transparent, relation between text and audience.
Hall's position went beyond then current uses and gratifications approaches, insisting instead that, far from being  utterly individualised, audience members share certain frameworks of interpretation. That they worked at decoding media texts, rather than being 'affected' in a passive way. The theory tried to focus on:
     • power structures outside the text which shape audience members: class, gender, ethnicity, age etc.
     • power structures within the text and media institutions. These mean that such programmes are often under pressure, or try to promote a preferred reading.

Hall had three types of audience within his theory:
• Dominant, where the reader recognises what a programme's preferred or offered meaning is and broadly agrees with it.
• Oppositional, where the dominant meaning is recognised but rejected for cultural, political or ideological reasons.
• Negotiated: where the reader accepts, rejects or refines elements of the programme in light of perviously held views.
   

Sources:
     Book - The Media Student's Book Third Edition by Gill Branston & Roy Stafford

Saul Bass Film Posters

Along with my Short Film, I am also going to have to create a film poster to go with the final film. In my initial research, I have found that Saul Bass is probably one of the most famous film poster designer.
Bass' work has already revealed one important element of the film poster to me - they need to be minimalistic. Simplistic.

 Color is sparse but used boldly in application.

The text and imagery itself was often treated similarly to a logo or a symbol: strong, simple, memorable, metaphorical, and easily applied to any number of other graphic applications. 















All of the images on the poster are centralised and there is a common trend that the images are silhouette. Against the bold colors the blacked out figures stand out. This draws attention to what the figure is doing - giving the viewer subtle hints as to what the film may be out.

Sources: 

http://www.film.com/photos/every-saul-bass-movie-poster-gallery

Prezi on Short Film

I stumbled across this prezi and some of the information was useful for my research.

Codes and Conventions

As with any media, especially in the film area, there are going to be codes and conventions that define what makes a piece of film eligible to be branded as a certain genre or type of film. This is the same with short film. Although over time the codes and conventions have been argued over, and different people claim that certain elements should be set to different values, there are still a number of codes and conventions that are universal for the short film:

Length

An average short film will most commonly last from 5-10 minutes. However the length can range from anything between from 90 seconds to 40 minutes.

Storyline

Generally kept simple and easy to follow, and are based over a short time period (unlike feature lengths which can span years) The narrative is normally condensed with limited dialogue. Characters will be developed through actions.

Character

Due to the length and simplicity of the narrative, normally only 1-3 main characters will be introduced - due to the fact that backstories and developing characters is again limited. Using a limited number of characters is also used to keep the audience engaged and easily able to follow the storyline without being overwhelmed by information about multiple characters

Twist 

Although not a general rule. It is apparent that a common convention of short films is to include a twist in the story. A twist allows the film maker to tell an interesting story in a small amount of time.

Creativity 

Overall, a short film allows for much more creativity and abstraction. The director is able to use more creative flair, placing their own signature look on the piece as there is less pressure to make a profitable film for a larger audience.

Budget

Budgets for short films are generally quite low. A majority of short films are not made for profit, therefore this effects how much a director is willing to spend on a film. In effect, this gives the films a home made or arty look and feel to them.

Niche Audience 

Short films tend to have a much smaller audience than mainstream films due to the creative nature, length and simple storyline. With the popularity of short films decreasing in the 30's, many people are not aware of the short film and how to access them.

Online Distribution

Unlike mainstream films, short films are largely accessible through the internet. Many sites distribute short films online, with companies like BBC showing them. Also Vimeo has one of the largest collections of short films available to anyone.

Todorov's Theory of Equilibrium 

A theory commonly applied to short films:
Equilibrium - Everything is normal.
Disequilibrium - A problem occurs.
New Equilibrium - Problem is solved. Everything is back to normal; however a change is noticeable.

Non-Fictional Narrative

Narrative is not just applied to fictional texts. It can also be applied to non-fictional texts.

An identifiable structure can be found in almost any television form. In a TV quiz show, such as 'The Weakest Link' has a narrative structure, with the stakes being raised as the contestants gradually get voted off. Also, there is a narrative climax in the final minutes of the quiz, with the possibility of sudden death, closing the narrative on a suitable conclusion. 

Even the weather forecast is arranged in an order by the producer so that the information is best received by the audience.
A good example is to investigate the evening news broadcasts from the five terrestrial channels. Each involves an organised structure led by the main stories of the day, usually involving lighter hearted and sport at the end of the programme. In this respect they mirror newspapers, where sports coverage is placed at the end of the publication. This structure is flexible, in that major news events such as the invasion of Iraq of the 11 September 2001 attacks can dominate an entire broadcast. News is often organised on a macro level across the week. Example, there is often more emphasis placed on domestic policy and inter-party debate on Wednesday, when the Prime Minister's weekly Question Time occurs in Parliament.    

Source:

Book - Film and Television Textual Analysis, A Teacher's Guide, Keith McDonald.