I confirm that the work on this website is all my own and does not include any work completed by anyone other than myself, except where clearly stated otherwise, and that sources have been appropriately referenced.
What do I want to create?
My main goals with this project is to create a story driven, short film; I'm currently leaning towards an action/crime-drama focused around a tense scene with a satisfying, semi open-ended, ending.
with the time limit of five minutes I will have to leave certain aspects of the story up to interpretation, however I can include subtle hints to the before and after in my mise en scene and other visual details.
My main goals with this project is to create a story driven, short film; I'm currently leaning towards an action/crime-drama focused around a tense scene with a satisfying, semi open-ended, ending.
with the time limit of five minutes I will have to leave certain aspects of the story up to interpretation, however I can include subtle hints to the before and after in my mise en scene and other visual details.
Rationale:
Looking back on the past year I can generally identify the aspects I struggled with and what I feel I did well on, I personally feel, when it came to developing an idea, I fell behind on areas such as my research and planning, often I would have little to no research on my project and projects would often deviate mid production as plans changed and I came up with new ideas I hadn’t thought of prior; on the other hand I think I did well with my filming and editing, however despite this I do wish to explore both of these aspects further going into unit 8 but I will be focusing more on my research and having a well thought out plan before I go into production.
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SWOT Analysis
- Editing/Filming knowledge
- Coming up with a narrative concept
- Willingness to learn new techniques
- Access to multiple adobe services from both within the campus and from my own home.
- College film equipment (Camera's, tripods, audio equipment, etc)
- Accessible locations
- Planning and Research
- Documentation of my creative process
- Tendency to be pessimistic
- Uncertainty in my work and ideas
- Audio editing
- Limited in-depth knowledge of directors and their techniques
- More time for the entire project, gives me room to breathe and improve on my research, planning and documentation
- Room to learn new techniques
- A chance to develop my own idea from the ground up
- Inconsistent weather
- Environmental changes
- Time constraints, clashing schedules
- Restrictive amount of college equipment
Concepts and ideas
Short, narrative focused, film based on the word “Change” from a semi-literal sense of something changing over time. Change will take its embodiment through a character's mental state, their life, and surroundings, as well as the people around them. - Idea 1
Something to do with music? Taking lyrics and forming a narrative?
Something to do with music? Taking lyrics and forming a narrative?
Our main character begins to witness their parent’s financial state rapidly deteriorating which takes effect on their mental health; wanting to help they are driven to committing a crime in a vain attempt to help their family which lands them either dead, outcast or in prison
The change here would be in the negative decline in everything about the main character from his mental stability and health, their home life, and their morality.
Narrative References: Joker, characters in shows such as the walking dead or breaking bad
Cinematography References: End of the fucking world, breaking bad, peaky blinders.
New techniques I could learn with this idea: developing a narrative into a visual media, using aftereffects to add VFX such as muzzle flashes.
How could I show the decline of someone's mental health?
The change here would be in the negative decline in everything about the main character from his mental stability and health, their home life, and their morality.
Narrative References: Joker, characters in shows such as the walking dead or breaking bad
Cinematography References: End of the fucking world, breaking bad, peaky blinders.
New techniques I could learn with this idea: developing a narrative into a visual media, using aftereffects to add VFX such as muzzle flashes.
How could I show the decline of someone's mental health?
- small montage showing multiple days as they get sadder/angrier
- show them clearly faking being happy with quick cuts showing them being very angry in private , breaking something, yelling, etc.
- sudden bursts of aggression
- feeling of hopelessness?
- too much pressure from their situation?
- Armed robbery
- Heist?
- Someone's home?
- A shop?
Someone on the run? moving places? travelling.
What would the end be? Would they find somewhere they could stay? or do they get sick of it? are they trying to get somewhere specific?
- Train station near college could be used
- multiple towns, different places reached through different means
- From a person or thing?
- left to interpretation? Hinted at but never mentioned?
- the police? someone they wronged?
What would the end be? Would they find somewhere they could stay? or do they get sick of it? are they trying to get somewhere specific?
"Change" could be a focus on money, someone committing crime to bring in money out of desperation or greed, or maybe one that becomes the other.
could learn how to make a small fight scene, add muzzle flashes from gunshots and also create a short story.
story could focus on their attempt to stop committing crime or they begin to like it and it becomes their downfall.
Main scene could be the robbery/heist, could end with them getting caught or escaping with the money.
how many characters? 2 criminals?
Could open with a normal store, off camera we hear the door open and some people walk in, the cashier looks up and before they can say anything a gun barrel appears on screen, pointed at their head.
Could use close ups to create a tense, claustrophobic, atmosphere.
could learn how to make a small fight scene, add muzzle flashes from gunshots and also create a short story.
story could focus on their attempt to stop committing crime or they begin to like it and it becomes their downfall.
Main scene could be the robbery/heist, could end with them getting caught or escaping with the money.
how many characters? 2 criminals?
Could open with a normal store, off camera we hear the door open and some people walk in, the cashier looks up and before they can say anything a gun barrel appears on screen, pointed at their head.
Could use close ups to create a tense, claustrophobic, atmosphere.
A five minute long short film depicting a duo committing a small scale heist, after the heist goes in an unorthodox direction, the duo escape with the money/valuables, our protagonist soon finds out that they were set up from the beginning and are quickly betrayed by their partner, before being shot by their former partner and thrown in the trunk of a car, driven somewhere remote and left for dead.
Heist could either be done in a store or in someone's home, they could steal money or a valuable item(s), or they could interrupt an ongoing deal.
something will go wrong, an alarm could get triggered or one of the two committing the heist could break something or mess up in some way.
The film will end with the protagonist being dumped by a river after being double crossed by his partner.
I would like part of this end sequence to be in first person if I can make that happen.
Different scenarios:
Heist could either be done in a store or in someone's home, they could steal money or a valuable item(s), or they could interrupt an ongoing deal.
something will go wrong, an alarm could get triggered or one of the two committing the heist could break something or mess up in some way.
The film will end with the protagonist being dumped by a river after being double crossed by his partner.
I would like part of this end sequence to be in first person if I can make that happen.
Different scenarios:
Scenario 1:
Duo break into a secure building to download files from a computer, they sneak in and take out any guards they encounter and successfully download the files onto a hard drive, the alarm is tripped which forces them to run away.
once they reach safety the betrayal happens and our protagonist is shot and left for dead with their now former partner escapes with the hard drive.
Amount of actors: 4 or 5
Location's: My dad's store, nature reserve
Props: Heist masks, two prop guns, armoured gloves, USB stick, Car, Laptop, Handcuffs or rope?
Duo break into a secure building to download files from a computer, they sneak in and take out any guards they encounter and successfully download the files onto a hard drive, the alarm is tripped which forces them to run away.
once they reach safety the betrayal happens and our protagonist is shot and left for dead with their now former partner escapes with the hard drive.
Amount of actors: 4 or 5
Location's: My dad's store, nature reserve
Props: Heist masks, two prop guns, armoured gloves, USB stick, Car, Laptop, Handcuffs or rope?
Someone bursts into a store with a gun ready to rob the place but quickly finds out there's no one there, confused they look around to try find something to steal before hearing muffled talking and movement behind a big metal door, after some effort he get's the door open only to be greeted to by a gun being pointed at his head by another thief who is already robbing the place.
Guns drawn, they begin to argue about who get's to rob the place, the argument escalates until they both have enough and shoot each other. Soon after the owner of the store walks in with a cup of tea, unusually un-phased he walks over the bodies and sits at the front counter. Shortly after two more people burst in, they both hold each other at gun point and argue about how their partners killing each other before repeating the cycle and shooting, just like the first two did, the store owner is still un-phased.
Guns drawn, they begin to argue about who get's to rob the place, the argument escalates until they both have enough and shoot each other. Soon after the owner of the store walks in with a cup of tea, unusually un-phased he walks over the bodies and sits at the front counter. Shortly after two more people burst in, they both hold each other at gun point and argue about how their partners killing each other before repeating the cycle and shooting, just like the first two did, the store owner is still un-phased.
The film opens with a typical robbery setting, they break in , hold someone at gunpoint and begin to steal a ton of money before escaping, as they're escaping however the main protagonist is shot and as he hits the floor he suddenly shoots up from his bed, dazed and confused he looks around before receiving a text offering him a chance to make some easy money, after a build up he throws the phone across the room and goes back to sleep.
Inspiration
Carter, F., 2022. Youtube. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: <https://youtu.be/vxQgsW-ewHM> [Accessed 15 March 2022].
When I had the idea to create a crime centred short film one music video quickly came to mind, I used this as both a soundtrack and as a visual inspiration in one of my level two projects.
The video shows a duo planning, prepping and then executing a diamond heist and then betraying each other in the end; in particular, I took an interest in the idea of betrayal, while it's a fairly common trope to have someone betray someone in a crime setting I do think It could fit well with my ideas.
I also looked closely at certain filming techniques used in the video such as having a shot almost on the barrel of a gun which I believe, at the time of writing this, is done using a gopro camera mounted to the weapon, this could be something I use in my production if possible.
The video shows a duo planning, prepping and then executing a diamond heist and then betraying each other in the end; in particular, I took an interest in the idea of betrayal, while it's a fairly common trope to have someone betray someone in a crime setting I do think It could fit well with my ideas.
I also looked closely at certain filming techniques used in the video such as having a shot almost on the barrel of a gun which I believe, at the time of writing this, is done using a gopro camera mounted to the weapon, this could be something I use in my production if possible.
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Hancock, S., 2022. Youtube. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: <https://youtu.be/EOxarwd3eTs> [Accessed 15 March 2022].
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The Weeknd, 2022. Youtube. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: <https://youtu.be/CW5oGRx9CLM> [Accessed 15 March 2022].
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Of all the video's I looked at for my research "SCP: OVERLORD" Is the quintessential "Black sheep" as it's genre, setting and overall theme reflect in no way on my ideas and desired look of my project, however what peaks my interest with this short film is that it is a fully indie production which was funded through the community and therefore uses indie techniques I could learn from camera angles to having a limited selection of locations.
The film almost entirely takes place in this small house in the woods, yet despite this Stephen Hancock manages to keep the audience engaged throughout the entire thirty-five minute run time; now while there are certain aspects of this production that I would most certainly struggle with such as the quality and quantity of props used and the clean CGI they utilise, I am still going to look to this video simply for inspiration in regards to my camera angles and how I create the best product I can on a limited, indie budget. |
"False alarm" by the weeknd is another heist music video similar to "Beach of diamonds" which I looked into earlier, but what makes this video unique is how the entire video is shot which is entirely from a person's perspective, while this is a unique concept I have no intention of making my entire film from this perspective, however I may try to use some first person shots in my film if possible.
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Ritchie, G. and Vaughn, M., 2022. Youtube. [online] Youtu.be. Available at: <https://youtu.be/qHuK1UGbkA8> [Accessed 9 May 2022].
While looking for inspiration on robberies my teacher showed me this scene from Guy Ritchie's "Snatch" from the early 2000's. I like the use of comedy in this scene as the robbery goes completely wrong, the editing is also well done using quick cuts to compliment the physical comedy performed by the actors.
Guy Richie also uses music over this scene in a sparing way, having it begin as the robbery starts, dying down for the main dialogue and then having it resurface towards the end of the scene, this keeps the scene from sounding dull while also not overruling the dialogue.
I'll be using this scene as heavy inspiration for my film, incorporating a similar use of music and storyline to create a short robbery scene with an underlying tone of humour while also not turning it into a complete comedy.
Guy Richie also uses music over this scene in a sparing way, having it begin as the robbery starts, dying down for the main dialogue and then having it resurface towards the end of the scene, this keeps the scene from sounding dull while also not overruling the dialogue.
I'll be using this scene as heavy inspiration for my film, incorporating a similar use of music and storyline to create a short robbery scene with an underlying tone of humour while also not turning it into a complete comedy.
Final Idea:
Inspired by the concept of the "Final destination" Films, my project will be a short film focused on a robbery gone wrong with our protagonist ending up shot and supposedly dead, this however is soon revealed to be a dream as they quickly wake up on a tattoo bed in the very store they were robbing in the dream. As they lie back down, however, they will again wake up but this time in their bed, creating a dream within a dream situation.
I want to allude to this through subtle audio cues, for example, during the robbery the protagonist's robbery partner will begin to drill a big metal door which in the real world will turn out to be the sound of a tattoo gun, or how the alarm that will trigger during the robbery will be a phone ringing in the real world. And then again when they wake up for the second time the tattoo gun noise will become the noise of a desk fan and the phone ringtone will become an alarm.
I want to allude to this through subtle audio cues, for example, during the robbery the protagonist's robbery partner will begin to drill a big metal door which in the real world will turn out to be the sound of a tattoo gun, or how the alarm that will trigger during the robbery will be a phone ringing in the real world. And then again when they wake up for the second time the tattoo gun noise will become the noise of a desk fan and the phone ringtone will become an alarm.
The robbery setting plays well into resource's I already have at my disposal, just down the hill from my college campus is my dad's tattoo and piercing store which conveniently has a large, sliding metal door which fits the common trope of a robbery/heist situation as well as a security camera system which I can use for some camera shots to keep the visual story telling interesting. On top of this the store is owned by my dad which gives me access to film using the entire location, it being a self owned business means my dad can choose his day's off meaning my filming can be flexible and fit my schedule, and lastly I can have my dad as the cashier in the film which saves me the headache of having to find an actor.
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Camera and editing techniques
Match & Smash cuts
Commonly used by directors such as Edgar Wright, Smash and Match cuts are a uniquely convenient way of transitioning between two locations while avoiding the awkwardness of having to show to the audience that the scene is moving on, while traditionally a smash cut is moving from one location to another with the emphasis being on a sudden increase or decrease in audio from the prior scene to the latter, and a match cut is the focus on using an object, person or movement to bring the audience through one location to another; I want to blend these two concepts and implement them into my film.
For example, while envisioning a section of my scene I wanted to have one of the robbers hit the cashier over the head with their gun to knock them out, two issues sprung from this idea, firstly the actor is going to be positioned behind a desk in a corner which gives them limited space, making it difficult to act out the motion of falling; secondly, they suffer from spinal issues and having to exert themselves to "fall" for a scene could raise a potential health and safety hazard. Both of these issues can be overcome by using these transition techniques, I can have the robber act out the motion of hitting the cashier but instead of showing action play out I can cut the scene on the supposed impact of the gun hitting the cashier but then move to the other robber who at this point will be drilling through the metal door at the back of the store, this will utilise the audio to move from one place to another and at the same time avoid those issues with the previous scene. |
Servold, M., 2022. Scott Pilgrim Match Cuts. [image] Available at: <https://youtu.be/o7PprKOaEkA> [Accessed 22 March 2022].
college, a., 2022. Smash cuts. [image] Available at: <https://youtu.be/1RkWUo0zg88> [Accessed 22 March 2022].
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Extreme Close-ups
Extreme close-ups are a reliable way of creating tension, fear, mystery or panic in a scene, focusing here on close-ups of the eyes this technique has been use countless times within film as they can be used to make a scene reach its peak before a reveal; in my case I want to use this camera angle for one scene in my film.
Towards the end of my robbery sequence the main character and his accomplice will be making their escape, as they're running away however, the cashier from the opening will appear and shoot our protagonist. Typically in a big budget production a scene like this would use VFX or practical effects to show the impact of the bullet with a big blood splatter to show the gory details, however, with my limited time and budget I won't be able to recreate this effect, I can however show the characters shock through their eye movements through an extreme close-up. |
2022. Eyes Of Cinema. [image] Available at: <https://youtu.be/K3RC3BIsNjw> [Accessed 22 March 2022].
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Target Audience
Where can I advertise?:
This is where my film will be uploaded, however, there are millions of videos on youtube so I need to drive traction to it through other apps.
While YouTube is accessible globally, recent 2022 statistics show that males between 25 to 34 are the largest percentage of viewers on the site, this places them in a millennial demographic. |
McLachlan, S., 2022. 23 YouTube Stats That Matter to Marketers in 2022. [online] Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard. Available at: <https://blog.hootsuite.com/youtube-stats-marketers/#:~:text=21.,biggest%20demographic%2C%20at%2011.6%25.> [Accessed 22 March 2022].
With about 6.7 million active servers, hosting around 150 million users. Discord is a popular, modern, and easy to use social media with a varied demographic ranging from as young as 3 (which is as young as the app allows a user to be) to upwards of 50 years old. The highest age rate of users lands at around 30-33 with the service also being very popular with a younger audience of about 16-20.
I personally use discord which means I can post links to my film in group chats or servers I'm in; the risk however, is that discord is accessible globally which means certain information will have to be hidden for personal safety. |
Instagram is a social media platform centralised around photo and video sharing through traditional posting or it's "Stories" feature. Statistics specified within the UK show that around 30.6 million people within the UK own an instagram account, this equates to 46% of the country with the average user time per day being around 32 minutes.
Through instagram I can share my film to family and friends, as well as making a post with a small snippet of the film on a public account, using hashtags I can boost viewer attraction as the app will push my post into more peoples discover pages. |
Social Films. 2022. Instagram UK Statistics (2022) | Latest Facts and Figures | Social Films. [online] Available at: <https://www.socialfilms.co.uk/blog/instagram-uk-statistics#:~:text=Key%20Instagram%20Statistics%20for%20the%20United%20Kingdom,-There%20are%20an&text=The%20USA%20has%20the%20highest,which%20has%2030.6m%20users.> [Accessed 22 March 2022].
According to the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) my film would land an age 15 rating due to the reasons below, with the research above, test audiences and those in my year and the year above who will see my film in the end if year screening I'd place my target audience at around ages 15 to 30+ with no specific gender audience in part to it being a comedy.
BBFC. 2022. BBFC age classifications. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-classification/classification-guidelines> [Accessed 27 May 2022].
Pitching my idea
Audience Feedback
Due to technical difficulties outside of my control, the screening of my film didn't go as smoothly as I would have hoped, certain parts of audio specifically pertaining to dialogue were missing which I expected to kill my film as being a comedy the dialogue was a key part to the film succeeding, yet despite this people still seemed to really enjoy it, they still laughed at moments I wanted them to despite there being missing audio and I was told by a few after the screening that what parts did play properly were great, I sent out links to friends and family online and they all found it very funny which was one of my main goals with this project.
I wasn't able to get much more in detail feedback from my audience due to the nature of the screening, however I haven't received any negative feedback as of yet. |