MY EVALUATION

MY EVALUATION:

MY SHORT FILM!

MY SHORT FILM:

I hope you have enjoyed watching the process I have taken to plan and create my first ever short film. This is a still from the opening credits and a link to the final piece! Enjoy!

LINK

EDITING

EDITING:

• To edit we used Adobe premier Pro software. I have never used any software like this so I was excited to learn. 
• I firstly put all of my clips into a time line. When I did this I saw that my film was 7 minutes long so I knew I would have to cut some scenes.
• I then worked on linking the clips together to create a smooth timeline. I wanted there to be a distinct cut between each scene.
• I then cut my film down to 5 minutes. I had to be harsh with myself when deciding things which needed to go.
• Then I inserted my voice recordings over the top of the footages audio. I had to adjust the diegetic sound in order for these to be loud enough to hear. I discovered that if I played the voice recording into a second microphone it creates a more metallic and "tinny" sound which fit in with the voice recordings coming out of an old radio.
• I then needed to add a non-diegetic sound track in order to create atmosphere. I used the EMI website to find non-licensed music. I used music also inspired by the film noir period as this would complete the aesthetic. I dowloaded a selection of clips and used trial and error until I was completely happy with it.
• I then added in my title and time stamps onto the footage. I used a font which I felt fit in with my theme

FILMING DAY

FILMING DAY:

Today was the day of filming. Overall it went really well and I got the majority of scenes filmed. I have two scenes still left to film tomorrow as it took longer than anticipated to set up each scene after the other. I also made a few changes to the script during filming as it didn't go as well off the paper. 

The changes I made were:

• I changed the dialogue slightly during the office scene to make it flow more naturally
• I changed the scene where Natalie receives flowers the third time to her only receiving a note as the shop I went to had a limited selection of roses
• When Natalie finds a single rose on her car window, I took out the note that came with it as the plot was starting to feel very repetitive

PROPS NEEDED

PROPS NEEDED:

I wanted to make a list of all the props I would need to ensure I am well prepared for filming day:

• Three bouquets of roses 
• A knife 
• The notes 
• Vase
• Glass of water 
• alarm clock
• Car
• Office props
• Kitchen props

These are the ideas I have for the notes that will be left by the killer:

• My love you are as luscious as these roses
• Roses are red, violets are blue, you are mine, I'm obsessed with you
• One more day until valentines, tomorrow I show you just how much I love you

VOICE RECORDINGS

VOICE RECORDINGS:

I recorded the voice over part of my screen play separately on my phone using a microphone and an app I have. I will add these in during the editing process. I had three parts I needed to record:

• The inner thoughts of the protagonist Natalie = I recorded my own voice for this as I was unable to find a time which would suit both me and my actress to do it.
• The voice of the News Presenter = I had my dad speak these recordings as I felt he had a very serious and distinctive voice
• The voice of the Radio Presenter = I had my mum speak these lines as I wanted a more mature voice. When i had my friend speak them It didn't think it sounded professional enough.

SHOT LIST

SHOT LIST:

I decided to create my shot list on top of my screenplay as this would help me to work most efficiently during filming.

AIMS AND INTENTIONS

AIMS AND INTENTIONS:

So to sum up these are my aims and intentions:

• To show a clear and distinct inspiration from the Film Noir period but to show a more modern angle
• To create a tense and engaging short film
• To use interesting cinematography and editing techniques which are visually stimulating
• To include naturalistic dialogue which flows
• To have fun during the entire process

RISK ASSESSMENT

RISK ASSESSMENT:

SHOOTING SCHEDULE

SHOOTING SCHEDULE:

FURTHER PLANNING

FURTHER PLANNING:

To prepare for the filming process I must complete the following:

• A shot list
• A shooting schedule
• The voice recordings
• Risk assessment
• Any notes needed along side the script for actors 

ALTERNATE ENDINGS

ALTERNATE ENDINGS

I HAVE decided to write and shoot two endings to my short film as I am not sure which ending I prefer. I will decide during the editing process which one I want to use as each ending has a different impact on the film. 

This is the first ending:

This ending plays more into the theme of Film Noir which I was trying to include. It places the character Natalie in the position of the femme fatal who is weak and inevitably ends up dying at the end. I do want to portray a strong female lead, so I don't think I will include an actual death scene. This will also be hard to make look realistic when on such a low budget.

This is the second ending:

This ending is more of a surprise to the viewer so may be more effective and punchy. I am not sure how realistic this ending is but it does produce a comedy element to the film. This adds a moment of relief after tension previously.

NEW SCRIPT

DRAFT OF MY SCRIPT:

This is my first complete draft for my new script. I am feeling really positive and excited about this script and I can't wait to start filming. The only section I want to work on is the ending.I want to play around with Natalies reaction to the killer and maybe have multiple endings I film so I can decide during the editing process.

NEW PLANNING

NEW PLAN:

As you know I have restarted my coursework. I have decided to create a new idea. Firstly I went back to the short films I have previously reviewed on this page, for inspiration. 

ELEMENTS OF THE SHORT FILMS I WILL ADAPT:

• OVER: I like how the narrative is slowly unveiled to the viewer so they have to piece it together. The theme of mystery and investigation has always really interested me. As seen in Over, the use of a surprise ending is extremely effective in having a long term impact on the viewer which is what I aim to achieve.

• THE ARRIVAL: I love the use of voiceover in this short to portray the characters inner emotion. This whole short film is narrated by voiceovers and this is how the narrative is propelled. I don't want to create a film entirely based off of voiceovers like Arrival, but I want to play around with the addition of voiceovers to add integral parts to my plot.

OTHER INSPIRATION:

• One TV series which has always entertained me is CSI: New York. I watched one particular episode about a 'compass killer' who left a compass at the scene of every murder he commits. I am thinking of adapting this idea into having a killer who has a distinctive calling card. I was playing around with the idea of a rose or some sort o object which could be misinterpreted as a gift.

• I love the overall aesthetic look of the film American Beauty directed by Sam Mendes (1999). I read in an interview that he tried to include an element of the colour red in all scenes to pull his entire film together. He uses incredible visuals to portray emotions and the sensuality of the scenes going on. It creates a aesthetic for the film which is carried throughout and therefore you can see Sam Mendes' stamp on it. I want to be able to show a distinct aesthetic style in my film.

• The entire film noir period of film is also an influence for me. I love the use of character types, especially the stereotypical role of the femme fatale. The femme fatale character was developed in the post ww2 era in the 1940's and was based off of the pessimism and suspicious the war had caused in society. It was also said to be based off the male fear of female liberation and power. Despite disagreeing with the nature of the character, I appreciate how many iconic films were made during this era. I love the aesthetics such as the intricate plots, dark atmospheres and dramatic rising of tension to climax. I want to use some of these elements but put a modern twist on them. Such as having my female character appear weak at the start but by the end, she is the strong female lead.

DISASTER!

DISASTER!

I completed the full planing and filming process for my film. Unfortunately during filming, no audio was recorded by the camera so I was unable to use any of that footage. This of course meant I had no coursework to hand in. I was faced with two options, re film my screenplay or start fresh. As I was not feeling very confident about my idea, I decided to write a new and improved screenplay. I want to feel confident in my idea throughout the process so I can do it to the best of my ability. 

Soooooo....

The process starts again :)

PLANNING!

PLANNING MY FILM:

LOG LINE:

From our talk with Ryd Cook, we learnt about how useful log lines are. They are a useful way of coming up with a simple plot before you are bogged down by complicated plots. For my short film this is my log line:

'A young girl suffers from paranoia after a traumatic experience with an ex-boyfriend which leaves her feeling constantly watched'

THE THREE ACT STRUCTURE:

For my film I have decided to take elements from Todorov's three act structure. My film will be in achronological order. I want to include flash backs which throw off the time line. As previously said, I was interested in how The Ellington Kid used a cyclical narrative. I want my film to start and finish in a similar way. As i am creating a short film, the separation between the three acts is not as clear as in a feature length film as the tempo of the narrative is so much faster. 

When applying my film to the three act structure this is how it would fit: 

ACT 1:

• You are introduced to the main character of the film called Natalie
• You see her " equilibrium" in the way she goes about her life feeling constantly watched and paranoid.
• The inciting incident is when you see a figure following her into a cafe
• The figure will be in all black to make the viewer question whether the figure is real or a figment of her imagination.

ACT 2:

• Act 2 contains a flashback in which you see Natalie walking down the street being followed and being bombarded by text messages from an ex boyfriend
• The viewer sees that in the past she has had a stalker and that this is why she suffers in the present day.

ACT 3:

• Act 3 will be where Natalie decides to confront her demons and stand up to this mysterious figure
• At the end of the film Natalie will walk back to the light of her house and away from her demons.

CINEMATIC IDEAS:

Before drafting my script I want to explore different cinematic elements I can include such as specifics about micro elements

• As seen in many Wes Anderson films, the use of a wide angle shot can distort the surroundings of your frame and make your character seem small. I want to look into how to do this as I want to portray the fragility of my character at the start of my film. This will show how she feels isolated.

• Another cinematic element I want to include is the use of extreme close ups to show characters emotions. As my film has the overall theme of being watched, I want to pay close attention to my characters eyes and the emotions they hold.

• As seen in the film Cleo from 5 to 7, the use of jump cuts can create a feeling of monotony and repetition in characters actions. It is also a stylistically interesting form of editing which I would love to try. I would include the jump cuts in the first act to show how this feeling of being watched has been happening for a very long time.

• From the short film The Ellington Kid, I want to include a cyclical narrative structure where there are the same montage of shots at the start and end of the film to pull it all together. This makes the viewer ask questions at the start which are hopefully answered by the end.
  

AIMS AND INTENTIONS:

Over the course of this project, I aim to:

• Learn more practical filming skills as I have never done any filming 
• I want my film to have a lasting impact on the viewer so they are able to feel the anxiety my character feels
• I want to use interesting camerawork such as the wide angle shot Wes Anderson uses to make my film distinguishable from others I have seen
• I want to use interesting music in order to convey emotions to the viewer and create the mood for the scene