Inspiration

Rocket (Play Film Here) 

  A particular film that has inspired this film is Rocket by Jennifer Sheridan, which has made it's way into the Virgin Media Shorts shortlist. The tagline: 'A small dog with big dreams', perfectly sums up the style and emotion of the film. I love the element of humour within the piece as well as the fast pace and its individual style. The concept is unique and I think that this is what made me like the film even more - It made me want to watch it again!
  I love the way it was shot by displaying different features of the dog - such as his legs and the way it has been edited with different shots of him forming the rocket.
  An element that I really like and plan to use in my own piece, is the use of pull focus. I like the way in which it draws me in as a viewer and makes me involved in the dogs journey. Point of View is another aspect that we plan to use in our 2 minute piece and the way that this has been done from the dogs perspective is interesting - especially when he scratches himself. I think that this proves that it is not necessarily essential that the camera does not shake during a Point-Of-View shot, as this gives it a more raw and realistic quality.
  Because this piece is also around 2 minutes long, it will help me with coming up with ideas that can fill the time whilst keeping the film's pace. I think the use of interesting angles, such as that in the first shot of 'Rocket', will keep the audiences attention.

Tutorial

22nd October 2012

  Today we met with Annie as a group to discuss the developments for our piece. Some concerns that Annie had included:

• Lola's mental age - We need to ensure that we do not follow in the direction of her just being a 'child'. Maybe the mind of an 8 year-old is too old for her behaviour?
• Why does she want to make this den?
• It needs another emotion other than 'happy'.

  In order to solve these issues we have met as a group and come up with some answers to the previous 'questions':

• Lola now has the mental age of a 6 year-old. This is represented through her mannerisms and the 'inner voice' of a younger girl in her head. She will have a short attention span and be dressed in clothes similar to that of this age group. Another aspect of her disability is that she likes things in order - this will be displayed through the neat and precise way that she will form her den.
• She wants to make it as a form of escapism - It is her space that no-one can touch. It represents her and gives her chance to be herself without being judged.
• Maybe another possible emotion could be loneliness. The way in which we plan to have Lola talking to her teddy bears and stroking their heads demonstrates a sense of isolation from the rest of the world.

Developments

22nd October 2012

Since having a discussion with my group today, we have altered the initial idea of our 2 minute exercise. The main reason for this is because we felt that because this piece is more of a character study, we don't necessarily need as much of a storyline. Therefore, instead of the character going on a journey, we plan to display her character's personality, mannerisms and mental state in this piece.

The main idea for the 2 minute piece is now as follows:

  Lola is making a den in her lounge at home. She lives with her parents whom are very over protective so a possible reason for this could be a form of escapism to shut out the world. She displays very particular attributes, for example, she lays out her teddies in a straight line, carefully unfolds the sheets and is careful about where she places them, as well as neatly placing a pile of colourful cushions on the ground before sitting amongst them.
  I still want to keep the concept of everything she sees (POV) is brightly coloured, highly saturated with great contrast, juxtaposed with an almost greyscale effect from the realistic monotone colours of the room/world that surrounds her.
  We also still plan to not see Lola's face until the last element of the sequence. This way, we can gain some interesting shots of her as she forms a beautiful escape in the form of a den. I would also like to ensure that the 'inner voice' of a child still shines through, be that through humming or little sentences now and then, to accentuate her child-like features.
  Props would include brightly coloured sheets, blankets and cushions that represent Lola's personality - Maybe she has brought these down from her room to lighten up the dull decor of her parent's lounge? Her costume needs to also be bright. A 'onesie' may represent Lola's character perfectly - and because of the growing trend, it can still retain a realistic quality.
  Lola still has a mental disability that is the reasoning behind her child-like actions.
  Towards the end of the sequence, Lola will pick up some paper and crayons and begin to draw a picture of her sat in the park. The beginning of the 5-10 minute film will follow on from the ending, where Lola sees an opportunity to go to the park in her drawing when her mother leaves the back door open. Leaving the possibility for adventure...

1.

Many of the original concept is still incredibly relevant in the altered piece, however I feel like this version gives us more opportunity to explore Lola's character in more depth.

1. http://www.google.com/imgres?q=child%27s+indoor+den&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&rls=en&authuser=0&biw=1280&bih=680&tbm=isch&tbnid=ABB-huPM2M1ElM:&imgrefurl=http://bristolparentingcafe.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html&docid=H9vZchNzLhf6zM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRL5r_iBjnoA8_lNf6H9uL_VWZ8y2mo4kLA_EIPmYFNir9B5uio27TtJabeTSMKfq2o3ma0f47KjzH1xiaNoiNkZqggOY821bEXOglvy5cFJcv3Fmz65Bx3TU36stQ6N2PP9UbM5KkcA8/s1600/Bristol%252BParenting%252BCafe%252B-%252Bden%252Bmaking%252Bindoors.jpg&w=1024&h=683&ei=ebiaUO65JKi30QXy04CQCA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=404&sig=117828630293561111691&page=1&tbnh=126&tbnw=185&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0,i:110&tx=66&ty=58

Mood and Tone

  The mood and tone of the piece is very important to me. I think that in order to engage an audience it is crucial that we provide a mood through the film's style, visual and aural aspects.
  We plan on filming with a Canon 550d DSLR camera as it will deliver greater colouring to the images as well as a heightened effect of depth of field. Following is a list of films that have inspired the choice to use vivid colours and high contrast:

1.

  Danny Boyle's 'The Beach' is a great example of the kind of colours I would like to take inspiration from for my film. I like the rich tones to the colours and the way that in this frame in particular, although blue is present in the sky, sea and the woman's top, they each stand out. As for creating this style in our piece, most of us will have an impact on making it possible from my 'vision' to Jen's choice of costume and Hannah's filters in post.
  Another example of a Danny Boyle film that represents the colours I'd like to recreate is '127 Hours'. It consists predominantly of golden tones, representative of the sands of the desert and the yellows in the sun and the cliffs. By briefly analysing the visual elements in both these films, I have come to the conclusion that the colours are often reminiscent of the weather and location of the piece. Because our film will take place within the city centre as well as a more 'countryside' location, I think that any colours in the surrounding areas of the filming must be picked up on.

2. 

3.

  More audacious examples of colour in film would be in Vincent Ward's 'What Dreams May Come' and Peter Jackson's 'The Lovely Bones'. Both of these features demonstrate an unrealistic sense of colours as the characters aren't in a 'real world': Heaven in the case of What Dreams May Come and 'The In-between' in The Lovely Bones. I would like to extract the element of 'unrealistic' colour and use it in my film as Lola often sees what she wants to see. Those with Autism often don't like change, and I think it will be interesting if in some of the Point-of-View shots we see something different to the images of her. Her head could see a more colourful and fun world against the grim contrast of the unsaturated colours that really represent the city. This may give the film a bit of a dream-like quality, however, the 10 minute film following on from this could be where she has to wake up and face the real world.


1. http://www.google.com/imgres?q=the+beach+movie&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&authuser=0&biw=1280&bih=680&tbm=isch&tbnid=OdEOV7dKWLTZeM:&imgrefurl=http://filmlervebiseyler.blogspot.com/2010/12/beach-2000.html&docid=fUiH02G126tBhM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIT6TuKlVR8R8sgZhyphenhyphenUtybRp9shcaSyghXJZX3xqmtlwbDzzXasznB3gQxd4jPHT381fE7p0NiAaESp9VksD3JGBycQuAkaiMyipI7jxxtPVkMwrIHBkvFeS3F0vmNrhKoBtusl6sG4wS0/s1600/The%2525252520Beach.jpg&w=1024&h=768&ei=096DUOa0N8Km0QXT6YGABA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=499&sig=117828630293561111691&page=3&tbnh=144&tbnw=187&start=42&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:26,s:20,i:279&tx=114&ty=68

2. http://www.google.com/imgres?q=what+dreams+may+come+frame&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&authuser=0&biw=1280&bih=680&tbm=isch&tbnid=SemJoyfFQz-lsM:&imgrefurl=http://www.thelmagazine.com/TheMeasure/archives/2010/01/08/oscarbation-the-fugly-bones&docid=BW3gNKY2ccIzrM&imgurl=http://corporate.skynet.be/zen/images/dreams.jpg&w=433&h=250&ei=-emDUPipD6ie0QW-ioCQBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=318&vpy=166&dur=751&hovh=170&hovw=296&tx=172&ty=70&sig=117828630293561111691&page=1&tbnh=144&tbnw=258&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:74

3. http://www.google.com/imgres?q=the+lovely+bones+the+in+between&num=10&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&authuser=0&biw=1280&bih=680&tbm=isch&tbnid=r2C5LRn7aoNkNM:&imgrefurl=http://www.edgeoftheplank.com/2012/03/lovely-bones-film-review.html&docid=-2fY8ZDYb17dEM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdkOhBY0Lp-9w-pApFG4nP8UE7854FZxEo_huI4zRTMeIqbY-yzgHpx2czh4UBUZHR6B7cio97EY5nu_QN4PKsZ4xSygvhCAL4hncG1mJuYPGEXMrGB7B5xj2eJhKm0Ixv0Cp9Ya6kaLw/s1600/lovely-bones-heaven-660.jpg&w=660&h=340&ei=Q-yDUIWLCbCW0QXrwIGQBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=408&vpy=431&dur=352&hovh=140&hovw=275&tx=162&ty=110&sig=117828630293561111691&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=135&tbnw=267&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0,i:95

Character Development

To get more of an idea, I have created a list of things I think are important to know about our character and her story:

The film will show a journey that our character takes every day to go and feed the ducks. On this journey she will go through two stages. The busy streets of the city, then strongly contracted with the tranquil setting of the lake. I think that if people look at her as she walks past during the point-of-view shot, it will make a point that she is isolated by her disability, even if she doesn't realise it.

Name: Lola
Age: 30ish
Lives With: Her parents (whom are very over protective of her - To be explained in greater detail in 10 minute piece).
Her Goal: For everything to stay the same - She doesn't like change because of her condition.
The Antagonistic Force: Maybe her scarf falls into the lake? -----> This is something that needs to be addressed more as I don't want the story to be 'boring'.

 We think that in order to entice the audience into the 2 minute film, they should not see her face until the last 30 seconds or so. Partially because there will be no sync dialogue - in turn keeping the same tone. I also think that this will be effective as we would like the audience to believe she is a child until the end sequence. For example, possible shots could include her hands as she takes a photo, her shoes as she walks or her scarf blowing in the wind. If her face isn't shown until later on, the reason why people look at her in the street may also puzzle the audience.

  A possible ending sequence could be that Lola falls into the water at the lake? I could show her struggle and her confusion - Also highlighting the severity of her autism through the way she reacts?

 Something that I'd like to be a constant component in the film is Lola's scarf. I can visualise a rainbow-coloured scarf that keeps cropping up throughout the film. A possible working title = 'The Rainbow Scarf', not only physically relates to the costume, but could also be represented as a metaphor for Lola's personality.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=multi+colour+scarf&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&authuser=0&biw=1280&bih=680&tbm=isch&tbnid=uy5UzfqSoEi0OM:&imgrefurl=http://inti-jewellery.co.uk/products-page/fashion-scarves/multi-coloured-scarf-2/&docid=0dpWjodrZ9dm6M&imgurl=http://inti-jewellery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/zPICT0128_1-1.jpg&w=500&h=500&ei=z5aBUObZOqTD0QX5tIC4BA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=334&vpy=180&dur=1068&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=119&ty=117&sig=117828630293561111691&page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=143&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:75

Research: The Shining

1.

  In todays session, we watched a series of clips from Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining' (1980). In groups we would each have a section we needed to write about. Here is a copy of the notes I gathered:

Script:

• Naturalistic.
• Simple/Minimal.
• Contains repetition.
• The young boy is mute - The audience doesn't know what's happened to him.
• First Jack speaks of his "Nightmare", and vastly changes his wording to it being a "Dream".

Edit:

• Hand-held.
• Relatively long take.
• Shot-reverse-shot.

Camera:

• Tracking shot.
• Rich reds - Representation of violence?
• Birds-eye view - Being watched?
• Camera goes under the table with him - as though it's in his mindset.

Sound:

• Slow orchestral soundtrack.
• Echoed dialogue - Shows that they are alone in the hotel.
• Boiler room has diegetic hum - There is the sound of a scream as she flicks the switch.

Art Direction:

• Symbolic elements for danger: e.g. The red in the key, carpet and inside Jack's coat.
• The maze-like elements: e.g. The structure of the house, the design on the carpet, Danny's hand-knitted jumper. - Danny is sat in the centre of the maze-like design on the floor - is he 'trapped'?
• Lighting = Cold.
• The set up of Jack in the chair made him look regal - the cross fade into the next scene also demonstrates a crown-like image on his head due to the chandelier in the next shot.

I have learnt in this session that it is important to think in detail about the structure of a location, and how interesting it can be to create symbolic elements. I also think that it is essential that each element stated above is done to the highest standard, in order to form a film that has depth to engross an audience.

References:

1. http://www.google.com/imgres?q=the+shining&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&tbo=d&rls=en&authuser=0&biw=1280&bih=680&tbm=isch&tbnid=oAOTyahgju4URM:&imgrefurl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jun/22/rereading-stephen-king-the-shining&docid=ZxA47KNFYAudsM&imgurl=http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Books/Pix/pictures/2009/01/07/shining460.gif&w=460&h=276&ei=dnCtUL2ZNcOu0QWD4YHQAw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=337&sig=117828630293561111691&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=233&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:159&tx=111&ty=36

2 Minute Character Study - Initial Ideas

"You should create a two minute character-based study. Your character must be based on one of your 'observed' character studies. Your character must have a clear emotional need and you must convey this as the main focus."

My Group:

Myself - Director

Jen - Art Director

Leon - Camera

Jacob - Sound

Luke - Producer

Hannah - Editor

For this project, I will be taking the role of director. From each of the character observations from the members of my group, the idea I liked best was Leon's, everyone appeared to agree.

The Character

  The character for this study will be a middle-aged woman. She has a disability which means she thinks and acts like a child. The basis of this initial plan was Leon's character observation, in which he noticed a woman in her mid 30's dressed in bright colours. She was talking to herself - almost as if she was stuck in an 8 year old mindset.

  A possible storyline for this character, could be that she has grown up with over-protective parents - maybe because of her disability. The character study could follow a section a journey that may take place in the final, 10 minute film.

Costume Ideas:

• Colourful
• Mis-match of styles
• Child-like
• Hat/Scarf/Wellies/Raincoat?

Sound Ideas:

Inner Voice/Voice over spoken by a young girl = The child within her

Possible Themes:

• Innocence
• Naiveté

Scene Ideas:

A middle aged man tries to flirt with her - She doesn't know what to do and effectively ignores him

  From the ideas that we have come up with so far, it is beginning to look like the film will have elements of comedy. However, I do want to ensure that it still displays a message within this.

Observations

"Observe someone that will become the basis for a fictionalised character"

For this exercise, I needed to watch someone during every-day life. They needed to be an interesting character, possibly demonstrated by what they wore or how they acted in a certain situation.

The person I observed was during a train journey. He was a male, aged around early twenties and wearing dark clothing. I watched him as he sat opposite two girls that were talking to him. Throughout this, he continually and gradually closed his eyes. When they were open, they appeared glazed over as if even then he wasn't listening to them. He was slouched in his chair with his head rested against the window. It was these actions that became the basis for my fictional character's story:

Physical Features:

Age: Early 20s

Clothes: Black top, black jacket

Hair: Dark brown, mid length, sweeps across face

Face: Stubble, light blue (sad) eyes

His Life:

Name: James Myers

Lives With: His mum and younger sister

Job: Works 3 different jobs, constantly commuting between them

Wants: His family to be financially secure

Why he can't have what he wants: His father (the breadwinner) has died, meaning he needs to support his family

Why an audience would empathise with him: Because of his past and hectic day-to-day life

Mannerisms: Often falls asleep because of his demanding lifestyle.

  From my observations, I established a story about a young man who's father had recently died due to an alcohol addiction. He now lives a busy life trying to provide for his mother and sister. His mother, once a happy and outgoing person has become useless since the death of her husband and is powerless to the grief she feels. James has to step up and be the new 'man of the house'.

  I think that an interesting way to start the film would be a scene of the two girls talking to him on the train. Initially to the audience, he may seem like a rude individual, however as the story unfolds, they understand that the exhaustion is the basis of his behaviour.

  What this character needs, (without sounding cheesy) is hope. He needs something to look forward to or maybe work towards. Because the idea is at its early stages, I am yet to think of the underlying theme and messages of the film.

Research: 'Cubs' by Tom Harper

  In todays seminar, we watched a short film named 'Cubs' by Tom Harper. 

1.

  The film was about a young teenage boy that wanted to become part of an inner-city gang, however, in order to join, he must perform an initiation of killing a fox.

We watched the film to form a 3 Act Structure of the piece:

Set up = Urban London, winter. Two teenagers waiting for something.

Inciting Incident = The boy  (Protagonist) is not picked to be a part of the gang.

Plot Point One = The gang member says "Ok, you can bring the boy".

Mid Point = The protagonist almost kills the fox.

Plot Point Two = The protagonist shoots the fox.

Resolution = The protagonist is accepted as part of the gang where they put the fox's tale on him as part of a 'ritual'.

The following questions were then asked for us to answer:

Who is the main character?

The teenage boy shown with the girl at the beginning.

What do they want?

To be a part of the gang.

Why can't they have it?

Because his is classed as 'weak'.

Do they get what they want?

Yes, by killing the fox he becomes part of the gang.

References:

1. http://www.google.com/imgres?q=tom+harper+cubs&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&tbo=d&rls=en&biw=1280&bih=680&authuser=0&tbm=isch&tbnid=T7N0d-euxpkb8M:&imgrefurl=http://www.myspace.com/harpertom/photos/7188231&docid=gEV0KjC8CLvNaM&itg=1&imgurl=http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/15/b5898ec9ac3baebf0e890a24ceb366bf/l.jpg&w=600&h=382&ei=8WytUMnQJfCb1AW634Fw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=359&sig=117828630293561111691&page=1&tbnh=140&tbnw=220&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:93&tx=142&ty=41

First Seminar

In the session, we initially spoke about a film we had watched recently and discussed them with one another. We also learnt about what was essential in a drama film as well as the '3 Act Structure'. Here are my notes: