Ancillary Task- Poster: All designs + audience research;

Changes to storyboard- Phone Call + Music;

Our Short Film Needs A Title;

In search of our Short Film title

Joe and I discussed titles for our short film today and found that we enjoyed using the method we used last year. After drawing a spider diagram of words that emphasise a car crash or bad luck we found that using the thesaurus method worked well once again. Our main words we used to search for our final line up were: Destination, Fate and Luck.

The words in BOLD are our final five.

Terminal

Destination

Calamity

Breaking Point

Lady Luck

Inescapable

Moirai

Providence

Nemesis

Wheel of Death

Havoc

Collapse

Ancillary Task- Poster Idea: Four;

Idea four has balance by giving out some elements of the plot and keeping some hidden for added suspension. By the main characters wallet being scatter across the poster it becomes obvious that it is naturalistic. Yet here we go against film conventions by not including our main character in the film poster. By doing this we create the enigma that the character could be anyone including a member of the audience. Emotions are run high in the poster itself as the audience comes to their own conclusion about what could of happen. This causes a disruption in their normal life similar to the main characters role in our short film. By doing this we attracting our audience to the short film

Ancillary Task- Poster Idea: Three;

Idea three was the least liked poster when we did audience research and I personally think that is because it is TOO simple. Usually in film poster theres a lot going off or there is a brilliant tagline that relates to all members of the audience. Even though it only shows a tyre wrapped in police tape we want our audience to feel the need to seek out the answer via watching the short film. By putting much effort and props into the poster will give away the plots final outcome. Once again the film name takes centre stage to get the highest promotion in public relation possible.

Ancillary Task- Poster Idea: Two;

Idea Two still creates the sense of mystery surrounding the final films outcome therefore we have covered part of our main characters face to hide his identity. It is arguable that we also did this so the character could be anyone therefore taking on a universal role as we aim to make our piece more personal. The layout however is rather fixed which is a disadvantage because as a group we want the short film to look natural and very realistic. As the audience will notice more or less straight away the film does encounter some danger hence the police tape. This will also make it clearer when we decide on a film certification to the violence involved. The name of the film will be very bold at the top of the poster suggesting it is important we get as much promotion possible.

Ancillary Task- Poster Idea: One;

Idea One opens the door of mysterious to our audience and creates an enigma full of possibilities. Questions raised would consist of "Why is there a man on the floor?" or "Is he dead", and even "Who is he?." Simplicity is the key here to attract our target audience to join our journey through our short film. Using photographs similar to the shots in our final piece will bring the two separate tasks together making the link. The wide road beyond our main character suggests the film involves ups and downs taking the audience with us. Contrasting his costume against conventional stereotypes, the white suggests his purity whilst his black jacket implies his rebellious characteristics. It has been made clear we want our audience to become enthralled by the poster therefore resulting in the need to watch our final film

Characters Costumes;

Music Inspiration- Remember Me; Trailer Song

Breath Me - Sia from Vanessa Paxton on Vimeo.

Breathe Me composed and written by Sia is performed using a musical combination of vocals and piano. The piece as a whole acts as extra emotion to the scene's paralleled with in Remember Me, and also Six Feet Under (US American Drama). Yet the song itself is about someone falling into a deep depression and as a result making the punishment extreme on themselves. I feel the add of a drum beat brings this piece together and emphasises its modernity. Theres something about the composion that drives the emotion in Sia's music and makes her audience feel the emotion she has written about. Whether its perfecting timing with the peak or the addition of further instruments of drums and other cymbals, one fact for sure I want to compose the ambient music in our short film so the audience feel what the actors feel.

DAY 3 FILMING: 5/12/2010;

Music Inspiration- Shutter Island Closing Credits;

"On the nature of Daylight" from Ivan on Vimeo.

Used throughout Shutter Island including the closing credits, Max Richter's musical creation of "On the nature of daylight" connotes the film generously using acoustic such as pianos and violins to create the atmosphere of sorrow and sympathy to the main character Teddy Daniels/Andrew Laeddis who suffers from manic depression and schizophrenia. Similarly in our piece the outcome of the plot isn't clear until the final shot therefore we can use this in reference in the final evaluation.

The music we would like to create using sounds from freesounds.org and garage band will use a similar composition. The basic idea is have a slow piece of music which includes instruments such as violins, pianos and other acoustics. I have an idea of what the music is going to feel like to our target audience and I would like them to feel deep emotion for the piece including feelings such as remorse, rebirth and relief.

Camera Experiments- Car Montage Shots;

Film Legislation- Violence and Weapons

Filming Update- FILMING CANCELLED!

Preparation for day 3 filming:

Weather Forecast

Team members and their roles;

Health and Safety Video;

Video Update- Day 2 Filming, Weather Conditions & Ancillary Tasks;

Camera Experimentations: Cloud Effect;

Camera Experimentations: Toy Car, Tyres, Clouds & Blink Effect;

Storyboard;

Filming Schedule-Time Schedule;

10am-

• Health and Safety Video
• Prop/Costume Video
• Setting the scene up.

11am-

• Filming commences
• Beginning and End shot (if weather permits)
• Film shots 1-5

12pm-

• Collect other actors (Michael Summers, Callum Herbert)
• Shots 7-8 (if actors avaliable)
• Shots 9-11 as normal

1pm-

• TEA BREAK
• Reflection on filming so far

1.30pm-

• Shots 12-14

2.30pm-

• Wrap up/Reflection on days filming

3.00pm-

• End of filming

Filming Schedule- Weather & Equipment;

Filming Will Commence On: Sunday 14th November
Equipment: 2x cameras, 2x tripods, 2x camera tapes
Weather:Good weather conditions, temperature is perfect for filming. However the wind is a little slower than what we orginally wanted therefore we will have to film the beginning and last shot over a longer length of time.

Hunt for filming locations, props and conducting experiments;

The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker;

All films can fit into certain genres but Christopher Booker has gone one step further and developed seven basic plots which films follow. Including my own examples these seven plots are:

Overcoming the monster- This simply describes the act of a hero destroying/killing/capture of a mass villain but the film includes many twists to the plot. The plot here can be used across many genres of film such as sci-fi, action and horror. Examples of this are James Bond and Jaws.

Rags to Riches- Usually entwined with rom-coms and love stories this plot involves character whom are from poor backgrounds to rise to fame by meeting the perfect man/woman or opportunity. Even though we assume people in the 21st century are above the breadline we can still use this plot across many eras in time such as Cinderella originating from Ancient Greece up to today with films such as Maid in Manhattan.

The Quest- Most common in recent years "The Quest" is a popular basic plot with blockbusters such as Avatar and re-make of Clash of the Titans. Involving many different formats such as CGI and real life situations it puts the audience into a new world and gives them the escape they thrive on when visiting the cinema. The Quest is usually based around an outsider who is sent to become a hero by putting themselves in great danger that could result in life or death. Sometimes it also involves the rescue of a female interest.

Voyage and Return- Alice in Wonderland is the perfect illustration of Voyage and Return for the reasons its involves the main character entering another world bring the audience with them. They experience new life and complications such as the scene in Alice in Wonderland where she has to find a way to shrink to fit through the door to enter Wonderland. The theme of escapism is widely used in films that require this plot.

Comedy- Engages the audience with comic acts with ranges of genres such as sci-fi-comedy and romantic comedy. Popular comics such as Will Ferrel and Vince Vaughan have a reputation for their stomach crunching lines which thrill each individual of the viewing audience. Films such as The Proposal, Anchorman and The Hangover have be world wide box office successes.

Tradegy- Often targeting audiences of the female sex, tragedy is popular for its heartbreaking stories such as Romeo and Juilet. Most frequently they involve two people falling in love but then broken by death, family issues or putting an ocean between them. The strain of this is a universal theme which most people experience in their lifetime after all we all fall in love and have our hearts broken one way or another. Love being the main theme among tragedy is just one of many, but their is also loss in particular The Bucket List and Seven Pounds show the effects the aftermass of a tragedy can change someones life.

Rebirth- Common in Christmas films such as Scrooge, Rebirth is the process of one character changing who they were in the past after being faced with situations such as death, crime or realization. Tylers Dad in Remember Me has ignored his children since the divorce of his wife. After his daughter experiences bullying and his son, Tyler dies from an act of terrorism during 9/11 his view changes. This chapter of his life has taught him that life is short and you shouldn't waste what time you have left.

Intial Idea Extra Research~

Dangerous Driving- Speed; By Think Organisation:

This is one of the most famous dangerous driving adverts released by the THINK organisation and its one that has stuck in my mind since its release. In our piece we plan to not reveal the identity of our main character likes the video above but we have located a filming location alike the one in the advert. We needed to find a location which was quiet but could mimic a main road simply to give the effect we want to anticipate on our audience.

Intial Idea Extra Research+;

Dangerous Driving- Phones & Alcohol; Made as part of someones first uni piece:

Similar to ideas in our initial idea were we match a toy car with the "actual car" we will mimic in our piece as we cant use a real life car crash. This is more of a comical piece of work including factors such as upbeat music and use of a games console. However, ending the piece on "GAME OVER" and stating that life cannot be restarted like computer games put across the image of how serious it is to drive safely. It is obvious that this groups target audience was 16-25 years due to the influence of musical style, use of young actors functioning games console and camera shots.

Intial Idea Extra Research;

The decision to go with Intial Idea One came after we discussed the interest of the audience to the experiments we want to do with camera work. As a group we laid out ideas of the event in which happens in the twist of the plot and together we discovered that the impact of a car accident would fit easily into the script but also shock the audience via morals.

Below I have researched current dangerous driving adverts released by various groups in order to gather more ideas. Through these videos I have found the outcome of these stories and their consequences. There also may be ethic we would need to discuss as group before filming such as how this may affect the audience and what we can/cannot show visually.



Dont Drink & Drive Advert From Germany.
Germany has one of the fastest roads in the world therefore its no surprising the Government release videos that have a big impact on this issue.
Visually this advertisement is very upsetting for the audience to watch and if shown in the UK I think it would be shown after the watershed.
However, I quite like the impact of the car parts flying all over the scene such as the car alloy. But, even still we couldn't possibly be as explict as this piece.

Audience Research Questionnaire;

Drafting this questionnaire will give ideally help us create and improve our intial ideas. We plan to ask around 30 participants to answer the questions below from a range of ages.

1) Name:

2) Age Group: [ ] 16-25 [ ] 26-35 [ ] 36+

3) Do you know what a short film is?: [ ] Yes [ ] Slightly [ ] No

4) Have you seen any short films?: [ ] Yes [ ] No

5) If yes, Name the short film you have seen: ........................................

6) Are you influenced by reviews, posters or tv spots to watch films: [ ] Yes [ ] Sometimes [ ] No

7) How long would you like the short film to be?: [ ] 0-3 minutes [ ] 4-6 minutes [ ] 7-10 minutes

8) Out of these seven storylines which would you prefer to watch:
[ ] Overcoming the monster (James Bond, Jaws)
[ ] Rags to Riches (Cinderella, Maid in Manhattan)
[ ] The Quest (Avatar, Clash of the Titans)
[ ] Voyage and Return (Alice in Wonderland, Fight Club)
[ ] Comedy (The Proposal)
[ ] Tradegy (Romeo and Juilet, Dorian Gray)
[ ] Rebirth (Scrooge, Remember Me)

9) How many characters do you think should be included in a short film (max. 10 minutes)? [ ] 0-2 [ ] 3-5 [ ] 6+

10) In a short film , what sound layout do you think works best?
[ ] Scripted with background music [ ] No music with script [ ] No script, just music

Intial Ideas Audience Research;

Intial Ideas;

Media Production Gantt Chart

Since we have almost finished our target audience research we have now decided a broad timeline in which we have to complete our brief within.

September- Research

October- Research

November- Planning & Ancillary Task: Film Review

December- Planning

January- Filming & Ancillary Task: Film Poster

February- Filming

March- Editing

April- Editing

May- Evaluation

This rough time scale is subject to change. However, once we have come to a decision which short film idea we are going to produce, we will then post a more detailed schedule

Museum Visit- London Film Museum;

Exsisting Media- How to tell when a relationship is over in 90 seconds;

LIKED:

• Parody on typical relationships
• Use of How To Do books in other media

DISLIKED:

• Single medium shot, could of had more of a variety

Detailed Analysis of Exsisting Media;

HOW TO TELL WHEN A RELATIONSHIP IS OVER IN 90 SECONDS

SUMMARY (FROM BBC FILM NETWORK):
The story of a couple who split up in fifteen different ways.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p004p9wb/Film_Network_Comedy_How_To_Tell_When_A_Relationship_Is_Over_In_90_Seconds/

Exsisting Media- I Stood Up;

LIKED:

1. Main focus on one character.
2. Flashbacks between accident, present day and past.
3. Pace of shots - slow and fast.

DISLIKED:

1. More focus on girl so we could develop her character.
2. Better musical selection to represent the explosion.
   

Detailed Analysis of Exsisting Media;

I STOOD UP

SUMMARY (FROM BBC FILM NETWORK) :
Stood Up was the winner of the 2008 Smoke and Mirrors 48 Hour Film Competition.

The film was based around the word "luck" and it alludes to the 7/7 London tube bombings. It shows a man as he deals with survivor's guilt after giving up his seat to a fellow passenger on that tragic day in July.

Giving up your seat on your daily commute to somebody who is less able is seen as common courtesy. But what if this simple act becomes a matter of life or death?

Exsisting Media- Contraction;

LIKED:

1. quick cuts between shots- helped enticened the storyline.
   
2. lack of script- let the audience make their own plot.
3. use of music

DISLIKED:

1. The location- was confusing and didn't really have an impact on the story.
   

Detailed Analysis of Exsisting Media;

SHORT FILM 1- CONTRACTION

Film Information: Directed by Christopher Hewitt, this short film represents the concept of rebirth. This piece of work made especially for F5 Film and Animation conference in New York. Contraction shows the effects of someone being brought back to life and the how it effects the immediate surroundings.

Analysis-

• The title appears slowly using white text against a black background to stand out. Connoting the fade of the title to represent a heartbeat the audience can note that the short film is about a serious matter.


• Along with the non-ambient music which sets the audience up to be confused due to its static vibe.


• CUT close up of man, birds eye view shot as the camera slowly zooms into man's face where his eyes are wide open and his appearance is stunned.


• During this shot the volume of the music rises as the zoom continues to emphasize what that character was hearing at that very point in the scene.


• His eyes then blinked which lead to a CUT back to a black screen, these cuts helped breakdown the story itself to have a big impact on the receiving audience by building the tension.


• CUT again to a point of view shot where the female character is introduced. The female character appears looking over something/one which aids the audience to continue searching for meaning of the story.


• CUT to black screen then another point of view shot that tracks around the back of the woman to reveal the male character lying on the floor.


• The first impression leads the audience to believe he is dead. However another CUT to an overhead shot then medium shot shows the female is about to commit to something.


• She first appears to be kissing the male, however it then becomes apparent she is giving him the kiss of life.


• The CUTS become more rapid as the story hits it peak and the range of different shots at this point helps establish the location.


• The characters appear to be situated in an urban surrounding on top of a rooftop suggesting he was committed to ending his life via suicide or other.


• The music becomes more static connoting the confusion as the audience doesn't fully understand the situation between the two characters. The change in music suggests their is a barrier between these two characters in which the audience cannot fully understand.
• Once again the black screen could be a point of view shot from the male character unconscious and his undecided fate.
• As the woman begins resuscitation the floor beneath him moves in synchronization to emphasize the importance of the short film.
• The pounding on his heart is shown via the music as it grows louder as the piece hits it's peak.
• Both characters shown by a medium overview shot.
• Repeated twice.
• CUT to a landscape shot where the woman's hands finally leave his chest as a sign that all could be over.
• Music becomes pessimistic as the audience begins to see his life is finally ending.
• Tracking shot follows her hands that run through his hair which could suggest they know each other on a personal level. Also, her facial expression follows the lines of worried/sad and almost emotionally distort.
• She begins to shake her head in dismay.
• CUT to a long shot continuing to establish the location.
• CUT back to the scene as she once again begins to revive his life.
• The floor again is mimicking his heartbeat.
• In between pushes you hear the woman's lack of breath as her life struggles with his.
• The static music returns as do the variety of shots (medium, overview) to build up the atmosphere.
• CUT to black screen but returns as he jumps back to life but not without a struggle (as the music suggests)
  
• Shots taken from his shoes and side track his movements back to life as he is reborn.
• Both characters remain at the same level for the rest of the piece.
• The music dies down at this point as the characters begin to speak with over the shoulder shots.
• Limited script allows the audience to make their own minds up about how the story works out. 1 line - "Where did you go?" by the female character.
• CUT to a medium long shot of the pair however you cannot see woman's face as the main focus shifts to male character. Suggests her part was not as important.
• Male character appears in shock as he turns to the female but doesn't say a word.
• His struggle shown with an over shoulder shot.
• CUT black screen as music heightens
  
• CUT over woman's shoulders as we see the male character reflect.
• Music takes control of the piece.
• The sun reflecting on to the shot hides the pair as a sign to the audience the short film is almost over.
• The audience can still make out what is happening in the shot however.
• The vocals are muted but hand gestures from the female character finds us understanding she is explaining what has happened over the duration of the piece.

Definition of 'Short Film', Conventions and History.

A short film has a duration of 40 minutes maximum therefore cannot be categorised as a feature film. Yet the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) draws the line at 45 minutes.

During the 1920s short films were mainly comedies, small cartoon and newsreels. The cartoons were never longer than 10 minutes and these films were part of varied programmes at local cinemas.

Charlie Chaplin was very famous for his 'Little Tramp' short films which kick started his career and many other comedians such as Laurel and Hardy also took this path to stardom.

Throughout the 1930s, a time of the Great Depression the film industry changed. Instead of a cinema manager choosing particular programmes to suit their local audience, the studios sold packages which features a main film and many supporting features around it.

Two reel shorts went into a decline with the uprise of these packages and they struggled to reach an audience once these double features came about. Changes were being made and celebrities of short films such as Laurel and Hardy moved into feature films full time after 1935 to continue in a job they love. Hal Roach in charge of both Laurel and Hardy and Our Gang moved out of short films altogether by the 1940s.

By the 1950s short films were practically dead especially with the rise of television which was an exciting experience as it was the beginning of new technology at home.

However, as we reach the 21st century the availability of websites such as vimeo, google and youtube make it possible to easily upload short videos to do with any genre at a low cost. Film makers such as Shane Meadows began with an "amateur" status using handheld camera to produce work until they become successful on the big screen. Once they make this jump the audience has high expectations of their next production.

The Chosen Brief;

While I was away on holiday my group continued to discuss which brief they feel most creative and confident to explore. After much discussion when I returned we were drawn between three options:
- a short film
- a documentary
- a music video

While I did a pros and cons list for a documentary and music video, my partners reviewed the briefs and found another they particularly liked.
When I returned we made the decision to go for the short film because we wanted a challenge something no one has looked into. Our group has developed skills in camera movement, storywriting and music with this knowledge we feel confident that we can continue to improve into A2.

THE BRIEF

A short film in its entirety, lasting approximately five minutes, which may be live action or animated or a combination of both, together with two of the following three options:

• a poster for the film;
• a radio trailer for the film;
• a film magazine review page featuring the film

EVALUATION of 1minute music piece:

Kirsty Maccoll Music Video:

Kirsty McColl Poster;

The poster above is to help promote Kirsty McColl's new album "Tropical Brainstorm". Our idea for this poster reflected the song we were given to create a music video from called "These Shoes"

• The vignette style photograph was edited this way so the poster focuses on the artist and shoes. The vignette border almost acts as a fisheye lense which are really popular among photographers the time this poster was produced.
• The shoes used in the poster range from pumps to trainers, from trainers to brogues. Potentially this suggest the music she produces is a reflection of who is her target audience.
• The girl featured in the poster is styling a very casual look of leggings, converse and a coat. In reality we would have to ask permission to use branded products such as converse due to their copyright.
• The girl is also looking away from the camera to give the poster a natural feel. She is also smile giving a positive attitude and endearing smile which suggests what her music is about.
• The difference between the shoes distances makes the poster look realistic and gives the poster the almost 3D effect.
• The typography used in the poster is simple, yet effective with the style being well rounded and feminine- parallel to the female artist and the direction of the music.
• The selection of shoes support many stereotypical figure from the song such as "I once met a man with a sense of adventure" supports the mens shoes used in the poster (white trainers)
• The women gazing away from the poster is the foundation created from the lyrics, "In walks a guy with a faraway look in his eyes"
• "Lets make love on a mountain top" is supported by the trainers which could be used to climb.
• Using opposite colour in typography such as black writing against a white background etc helps the titles more eye catching towards the audience.
• Simplistic typography means everyone can understand the writing.

Mini Music Video- Analyzing the song;

After I analyzing Kirsty MacColl's "These Shoes" I found that the song is about a women singing about an adventure she has experienced with a man she's met on holiday. In basics, its explains that you can tell a lot about a person from the shoes they wear.

Kirsty MacColl- "These Shoes" Lyrics

I once met a man with a sense of adventure
He was dressed to thrill wherever he went
He said "Let's make love on a mountain top
Under the stars on a big hard rock"
I said "In these shoes?
I don't think so"
I said "Honey, let's do it here."

So I'm sitting at a bar in Guadalajara
In walks a guy with a faraway look in his eyes
He said "I've got as powerful horse outside
Climb on the back, I'll take you for a ride
I know a little place, we can get there for the break of day."
I said "In these shoes?
No way, Jose"
I said "Honey, let's stay right here."

From this our group decided to exploit the representation of different stereotypes and the unique styles they encounter focusing on their shoes.

Mini Music Video & Music Selection;

In order to maintain and improve key skills in media production within the five weeks left of the school year we have been instructed to create a mini music video that could influence into our final piece in A2 media studies.

Out of five music selections, we pitched and was granted our first choice:

Kirsty MacColl- These Shoes

Mini Biography of Kirsty MacColl

Born: 10/10/1959

Died: 18/12/2000 (Boating Accident)

Released five albums between 1981 and 2000

Her song "These Shoes" was covered by Betty Midler for the well-known Sex and The City Series

After her death, the tune would also become apart of The Catherine Tate Show and feature on the original film soundtrack for Kinky Boots

The Beginning of A2 Media;

After the exciting year of AS Media Studies more is to come. In A2 Media Studies it is required to pick a brief from the 13 given from the examboard. I am grouped with Gina Eales and Joseph Ryan (who I have previously worked with for AS) and we decided we like two briefs:

-Documentary

-Music Video