The last thing that I did for my coursework was upload the vast majority of footage from the film from my phone, which I recorded it on, to my IPad. I have also put these clips into a half-done rough cut on LumaFusion, and am so far happy with how it looks. There are some audio and exposure issues and some moments where the camera shakes or the 180 degree rule is broken, but these can be fixed.
I plan next to organise a set filming date for the one, small scene that yet hasn’t been filmed. This should only take a short time to film. I also plan on adding some smaller, more abstract shots to the film, but these can be done by me alone and do not require much time either to film. I will then move these between my devices add all of them into the rough cut.
Curfew – One thing that i like about this frame and may try to emulate is the colour palette. The use of red communicates the character’s emotion and the direness of their situation. I will likely use cooler, softer colours to create my own theme and emotions, affecting the audience’s reception to the scene with the colours in frame, making them feel more sympathy for the audience. This shot would be taken in landscape mode, more carefully framed and with the actor more in-tune with the actor in Curfew. I also want to have the camera be higher up, so that the subject’s head does not take up too much of the frame. SkyfallAlthough the inspiration for this shot is not a short film chosen by the exam board, I still got the idea to implement light blocking and colouring from this shot. Meshes of The AfternoonI also like how this shot turned out. Although the focus on the screen could be improved, and the zoom-out could be slower, which will be hard to achieve since this is the slowest zoom out on the app that I was using, I think the final sabot looks how I wanted. I will probably paint the inside of the tube a metallic or dark colour to make the moment more surreal, and hide how I made it. I Amy also use a longer tube to make up for how fast the zoom-out was. Pitch Black HeistI think that I actually pulled this shot off quite well, probably because I was relying on natural lighting and using a steadicam/phone gimbal. I think that if I can make movements this smooth and track the subject this well in the final film, I will have pulled this shot off well.La JetéeThis is what I plan on my flashback sequence looking like, however with pictures of people having a party of family get together, likely with the protagonist in one frame or the images from his perspective, to communicate with the audience that his relationship with his family used to be much closer.Stutterer – for this shot I definitely want to emulate the lighting. The soft lighting combined with he intense focus on the subject’s face keeps the audiences focus on them, and the lighting adds a more somber, silent atmosphere to the shot. However, I may try to use a more natural light to create a more positive atmosphere, as the moment will be more positive in my film. I have practiced lighting this shot in three different ways. For the first practice shot, I used no light. For the second, I used the strongest light that I have, and for the third, the softer light. I also used portrait mode for all photos to keep the focus on the protagonist, like in the close-up from Stutterer. I noticed that the focus is slightly blurred though by the backlights, which may be fixed by using FilmMacPro, as I want to use an ambient backlight to emulate the shot in Stutterer better. I also want this shot to be footage, not a still image. I also plan to use this type of the shot-reverse-shot usage towards the end of my film. That done in Connect will be used at the start of the film where the protagonists are silently looking at each other and trying to avoid eye contact, thereby establishing their relationship, or, rather the potential for it. This usage in Stuterer involves the protagonists finally overcoming their obstacles and acknowledging their love or like for each other, giving the audience closure and emotional satisfaction in the ending. Although these perspectives do not line up, I plan on some of the final shots in my film to play out like this. I have taken the idea for this shot-reverse-shot from Connect, as the two characters will slowly look at each other until the camera has the opportunity to focus on each of their eyes. There is also some similarity between this and the ending scene from Stutterer, but I feel that connect did it better as the eye contact scene was more subtle and took more time leading up to it, as my film will do. I’ve also included a possibility for the creative delicious that I want toa include in this final scene. I want to add a flare that adds emotional depth and audience immersion by lighting or shooting the scene in a particular way, most likely by making one shot look as if it is taking place in a dream. I also plan on the subjects looking into the camera, immersing the audience more into their position, and making them more in tune with the character’s emotions. Connect – The lighting here catches my eye. It adds a neo-noir flare to the scene, which I like a lot, although I do not know if this will fit with my film or not. As this is at the start of the film, I may try to avoid making it romantic via the lighting and cinematography, instead setting up the potential for a romantic relationship. I will probably emulate this or Stutterer’s lighting towards the end, when the protagonists finally look into each other’s eyes, and it is more fitting. I am more likely to emulate Stutterer’s lighting, as it is more natural, romantic, and somber in tone, matching that of the story’s. Although I had to reverse this shot as the actor refused to do a re-take, I plan on the final shot looking like this, if a bit more drawn out.
For my film I will be using the song ‘Glimpse of Us’ by Joji. I decided to use this song as I came up with the idea for the film whilst listening to it. I also find that the name of the song matches the story of the film, as the protagonist is getting a glimpse into his future relationship with a potential co-worker. The song is also very somber, emotional and romantic if played in the right circumstances. Therefore, I feel that it adds some life to this emotionless office space, as does the man’s relationship with the love interest, and matches the tone of the film perfectly. I also expect that this song will make some scenes more beautiful than if they were silent or used diegetic sounds, particularly the scene where the two protagonists look into each others’ eyes at the end of the film. It will add an atmosphere to the film that will immerse the audience and develop an emotional response to what they are seeing.
Above is the storyboard for my short film. I have picked out the most important shots from the script and drawn them with annotations to describe shot camera movements, actor blocking or lighting specific to each shot. I used shots from the first draft of the script, as the final draft is much shorter as it focuses much less on the cinematography and more on the dialogue and actor prompts/directions. The first draft is much longer, but directs me on what shots I am going to include and how I will direct certain scenes in advance, so that I do not have to decide or improvise on set.
Above is the first script for my short film. I realise that it may be too long, so I will aim to shorten it and cut out the unnecessary detail on cinematography. I will likely follow the steps regarding how I will film this (i.e shots, camera movements, etc.), but cut it out in the final draft to create a more concise, effective and clean script.
Second/Final Draft:
This is my second and final script draft. I stripped out all of the unneeded steps on cinematography and some actor prompts. I will not improvise on set, but rather follow the steps in the first draft where I feel it necessary and possibly make changes while filming if I feel that it will create a better end product. The reason that I only did two drafts was because I felt that the first one communicated my vision how I wanted, down to each shot. I also wanted, though, to have a more concise, to-the-point script that did not contain too many specific instructions as to how to make my film. The first draft, therefore, will serve as a sort of handbook on how to shoot my film, whereas the final draft communicates the narrative and flow of the story much better.
Conclusion:
For my script, I wanted to create a likeable protagonist that could get the audience to root for them in only a few minutes. I also wanted to briefly give them a backstory to develop them to the point that they felt like a fleshed out character. I also wanted to create believable chemistry between him and the love interest. I also wanted to get across how strong his like was for the love interest by emphasising how miserable the job was, so his choice to apply for it carried more meaning. I also decided to add a comedic moment in how the protagonist realised that they had time-travelled, to add a more light hearted nature to the film. My overall aim was to incorporate a sci-fi premise, time travel, in a romantic film to act as an interesting plot-device, which I think that I did successfully.
My film will only include 5 characters. The protagonist, love-interest, antagonist, and two side characters.
The protagonist, Danny, will be played by Alistair Grant. I have chosen him as he is happy to take the role, and is also a likeable, relatable person. He is also dating the love-interest in real life, which will help to create chemistry between the two main characters. I also plan on making him look younger by giving him a wig or hat and darkening his beard. using the same actor in both periods will reduce the chance of anyone being confused as to what the match cut was supposed to signify.
Alistair GrantSam Grant, Alistair’s son, will play the younger version of him if he agrees to be in the film. If not, I will use Alistair for both time periods and find a way of making him look younger, perhaps with a wig or by darkening his beard.
The love interest, Emma, will be played by Tracy Cairns. She is a charismatic person, who can get along well with people, which makes her suitable for the role. She is also very sociable with strangers, which is something that her character, Lisa, is also, as seen in the opening scene when she meets the protagonist.
Tracy Cairns
The antagonist, Mark, will be played by Trevor Cairns, who has experience in work environments like this and in this career, so can match these manager characteristics accurately. The antagonist is not an antagonist in the sense that they create a conflict in the film or set events in motion, but rather exists and is written to emphasise the hostile work environment that the protagonist works in. The worse the workplace is, the more meaningful and powerful the protagonists depiction to take it will be as a result. A big aspect of the story is that this person sees their own future and the grim nature of it, assuming they take the job, but the bond that they built with one of their co-workers was so strong that the reality of their potential future was not a factor in their depiction to take the job. They’ve been given the chance to avoid having this awful job, but disregard its negative qualities because of this person.
Trevor Cairns
The two side characters will be played by Donovan Miles and Harry Batkin. These will be two unnamed office workers who serve as extras for most of the film, mostly for the purpose of making the office space feel more real. However, one, Donovan Miles, may have a negative interaction with the protagonist or antagonist at one point to signify the un-kind nature of this workplace and the protagonists isolation in working there.
My short film will take place in an office environment. I was planning on using light, subdued colours that were bland, emulating the sadness and boredom the protagonist feels in there. I was also going to do this for the kitchen at the start and end, as this will get across how quiet and simple this person’s life is, and why their decision to apply for the office job is so important and, therefore, how powerful their bond was with their future co-worker.
I was even planning on the outside of the office to be bland and likely hard-lit to create an empty, liminal, dead atmosphere, while the inside of the office will be soft-lit with dark shadows and an overall empty space to get across how miserable working there is. I also want my film to be peaceful, so an isolated, homogenous in design office building is what I had in mind.
I will be shooting in the Riseholme College Agri – Tech Centre, Health & nutrition building. This location contains areas that I will include in my film, such as an outside break area, desk spaces, an elevator and stairs. It’s paint scheme is also made up of soft, bland hues, with a modern and simple architectural design. It suits the atmosphere and mood of the film perfectly, allowing for me to reflect the characters emotions and the importance of the bond in the film forming here, of all places.
This hallway could be anywhere, which is exactly what I want to portray with this location. The homogeneity and unoriginal it’s of it.I may use a hidden cut as the protagonist walks up these stairs by placing the camera behind one of the bars to allow for an edited in transition to the top of the stairs. A wide shot of someone sat at this circular bench will likely be included in the film to create a more peaceful, though provoking moment. I can also let the wind rise in the mix as the protagonist falls asleep, allowing for a sudden cut back to the kitchen. I think that the amount of paper stacked here gets across in the mise-en-scene the workload that the protagonist faces in taking this job.
One of the most commonly used cameras for shooting movies is the Arrival Alexa Mini. Favoured for its portability, modular form and durability. It uses an Alex III Sensor which shoots in 28.25mm x 18.17mm.
Lenses:
The inside of spherical lenses are made up of many pieces of curved glass, called elements. Spherical lenses are called spherical because their elements are circular. When light passes through the lens elements and hits the digital sensor it produces a regular, uncompressed image. The elements at the back of a anamorphic lens are regular spherical elements, but the the elements at the front of the lens appear oval rather than circular when looked though. This produces a squeezed image when light reaches the sensor, which is then reversed through editing. Anamorphic lenses provide a widescreen aspect ratio as a result, while traditional spherical aspect ratios are more square, most commonly 1.33:1 and 1.85:1. Anamorphic lenses produce a wider aspect ratio such as 2.35: 1 or 2.39:1. Spherical lenses produced spherical bokeh, while anamorphic produce oval shaped bokeh. Spherical lenses use led glass, simpler mechanics and produce sharper images with minimal distortion across the image. Anamorphic lenses have reduced sharpness, increased distortion and falloff, where there is more distortion and softness closer to the edges of the image, and produce more dramatic lens flares.
My Equipment:
For my film I will be using my phone camera for filming. I have an Oppo A54, which contains 4 cameras and shoots in 1080p with 30fps. It is also more portable than the iPad, allowing for me to make faster and more smooth camera movements than if using a tripod that can hold the iPad. I will also be using a Hohem ISteady mobile phone gimbal. This is will serve as a steadicam for my phone, allowing for the footage to be more steady, and movements to be more smooth. It will also allow for more fast movements such as pans, crabs and dolly’s, tracking shots. However, to ensure that I can keep control of focus and exposure, I will be using FilMacPro. This will prevent obvious focus pulls or faulty exposure, making for proper lighting and focus on what is important in frame. Even though I do not plan on including any focus pulls in the film, it will still prevent any moment where the camera struggles to focus on something in frame being in the final film.
Lighting:
There are many ways that lighting can be made to work how the filmmaker wants it via homemade methods. For example, bin bags can double as negative fill. Paper can create light diffusion and mirrors can be used to bounce light. For my film, I plan on using a bedsheet to diffuse the natural light coming into the office and the garden to soften the shadows and the contrast. It will soften the sunlight’s intensity and even out the shadows in frame, to give the office a more cool and dull feeling, like it is devoid of brightness and life, metaphorically, represented through the visuals.
I may use this sheet as a light diffuser if, when they are facing the window, the subject’s face is too sharply exposed or illuminated by the sunlight coming through it. This is the torch that I will be using as a key light, as it is the strongest. It is powerful and encompasses a wide area, allowing for plenty, high quality light in my film.This torch will be my fill light to soften shadows created by the stronger key light and control the level of contrast on the subject’s face. This headlight is the weakest of all the lights that I will be using, so it will be used a back light to separate the subject of a shot from the background. To ensure that my film is not overly bright or exposed I will be using diffusion through this white, transparent fabric, serving as a filter through which the light will be made softer and more eye-pleasing. This black fabric will act as a negative fill, which I will use to increase the shadows of some scenes and create more moody, dark and soft lighting with smoother contrasts. This golden fabric will act as a filter to colour the light in a few shots, creating a more beautiful, eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing image, adding a creative flare to the shots.
Camera:
For my film, I will include both stationary and mobile shots, so will be using different equipment to achieve these movements and angles.
This is the tripod that I will be using. Despite the fact that it can be moved to track a subject, I still plan on using my phone gimbal for any mobile, tracking shots to produce a smoother movement and less disorienting shot. I will use the tripod for stationary shots only, to keep the camera completely still and steady in close ups, mid-shots, zooms, etc. Above are 3 of my favourite examples of my phone camera quality!
Lighting is crucial in film, despite the fact that it often goes unnoticed by the audience. It sets apart amateur and professional filmmaking, and 3 point lighting is the standard of lighting techniques in Hollywood, referring to the placement of the lights on set, around the subject in frame. Any combination of lighting works, such as 1 or 4, but 3 is the most commonly used. 2 cameras are placed in front of the subject and 1 behind them. The two front ones are the key and fill light, the one behind the back light.
The key light is the main one on set, as it is the brightest and covers the subjects face the most. This can be a side, frontal or high angle light. The most common key light comes from a 45 degree angle In front of the subjects face. This forms a triangle shaped light on their face, which is also known as the Rembrandt light.
The key light is on the other side of the key light. It’s purpose is to fill in the shadows given by the key light. It is common to place it opposite the key light while dimming done the brightness to avoid flattening out the subjects face. Sometimes the fill light is just a reflector board utilising the key light, reflecting it back at the subject. Sometimes fill lights aren’t used at all, if the shadows are there for a reason or do not make much difference to the film.
The backlight’s purpose is to separate the subject from the background. It is most commonly placed 45 degrees behind the subject, illuminating their shoulders and the back of their head. There is also a hair light, placed directly behind the subject giving a halo effect and illuminating the shoulders and back of head. The rim light is placed far off to the side of the subject to illuminate the chin and the jaw.
Low-key lighting is characterised by stored shadows with deep blacks with areas of highlights. It is done by using minimal light, such as using a single backlight. High-key lighting evens exposure across the frame with minimal contrast and a more illuminated image overall, often leaving few shadows. Hard/direct light comes from shining a light source directly onto a subject, resulting in defined shadows with clear separation lines between light and dark. Soft/diffused light produces shadows with softer edges and less defined shadows with less sharp separation between light and dark areas in frame. This can be used by bouncing light off a surface or shining it through a diffusion, or both! Textiles, bedsheets, shower curtains and wrapping paper are homemade ways of producing soft-light in films. Many combinations can be used in lighting to create new types, such as when the fill light is taken away to create low key lighting because the overall lighting hitting the subjects face is low. The more light is diffused, the lower the overall illumination in a film is.
Colour temperature can also be used to create contrast, such as a subject being illuminated by a warm, tungsten light against a cooler, more blue background can separate the two more, creating depth between them, even if the result is a more soft separation line. This can be done by shining lights through coloured screen to create lights with different colour tints or a hue covering the entire frame.
As there can be a realist and expressionist approach to filmmaking narrative, naturalistic and expressionist lighting can be used. Naturalistic involves using natural, ambient light to create a more realistic scene. Expressionist lighting involves altering things like light colour, shape and quality of light to create an effect on the audience, even if it is not realistic/natural as a result. Naturalistic techniques can be examining where ambient, real light exists on a set and using artificial lighting to emulate and enhance it accurately, or using black textiles to subtract light and therefore create more shadow while retaining a realistic shape to the light, which is known as negative fill.
For my film, I will need to find different methods of creating proper lighting in scenes. As the film takes place at day in a naturally well lit office, it wont take up much time, if any. However, for my other short film, which has a scene that takes place at night, this will be more important. I can use torches held behind sheets kept out of frame, or car headlights for a natural backlight. For another short film that I plan on making, I will experiment with coloured screens to shine light through to add a hue to the shot with the purpose of having an effect on the audience, reflecting emotion, or creating an atmosphere that adds depth to the shot.
This is similar to one shot from my film. I will bring a bed sheet and head torch to the set and see if the shot looks better with or without a key light implemented. However, for this scene, I will probably just use the naturalistic back light of the car headlights to add a more dramatic tone to the scene by keeping most of it in shadow. I have drawn a diffusion sheet at the right side of this frame to show where I may place it while filming for my coursework. This will soften the shadows and slightly reduce the exposure of the shots in this room, as less sunlight will be hitting the subject’s face. I found that yellow sticky notes doubled as a weak but reliable yellow light filter, although gold would serve this particular shot better, so I may look into filters or screens to shine light through. I shone light through the filter at a leaf to produce shadows on the other side amongst a soft, yellow light made more prominent by the dark background. This leaf is called a ‘dingle’, and may be propped up by a stand on set to keep it in place, although I like the idea of it moving slightly to create a more hypnotic look to the shadows, and therefore the shot. This can even make it look as if it is taking place under a jungle canopy, making the moment feel much more secluded, romantic and fantastical. This is called ‘shaping’, and I plan to shape the light on set for this shot to produce an interesting shadow and light display on the subject’s face. This is a recreation of what I plan on the shot looking like. I think that I will use a stronger light, larger and stronger, more golden filter, darker background and smaller leaves to produce a more defined shadow on the subject’s face. I also want for the shadows to be darker, creating a stronger contrast, and will possibly place a negative fill screen on the right side of the set to increase the a shadows there, thereby increasing the illumination on the other side of the subject’s face. I also plan to improve the focus on the subject’s face and decrease that in the background. This shot is what inspired me to use light shaping in my film to create a standout shot. Here is how it was done. Black screens block light from the top and bottom of the left side of the frame and all of the right side, but light is allowed to reach the subject’s eyes to add a more dramatic tone to the shot. They are separated from the background by the backlight, and the hard lighting here creates a sharp contrast, adding more intensity to the lighting, therefore giving the shot a more dramatic and tense feeling/atmosphere.
A script is the basis for what is said and done in your film. A storyboard is the graphic prompt for how that film is shot and presented. It is typically formatted as 6 rectangular boxes along a page, the shots organised in chronological order of the top to the right side of the page. There are also usually boxes beneath each shot to give information specific to the shot/box above it, such as audio cues, actions by actors, or what number the shot is. Arrows can also be included to direct actor or camera movements, which may be useful for crab or pan shots. Each storyboard shot needs to capture the shot’s subject, background, camera shot and camera movement. It will provide a basis for each specific shot that I will stick to as a manual, of sorts, while filming. It also provides a visual prediction of what your film will look like, and therefore, what sort issues It may have, allowing me to avoid them in advance.
They are made to help the author focus on each individual shot as they film, making the film more cohesive and fleshed out. I have created another storyboard for the other short film that i am preparing to make, as I created another screenplay for it. This will also serve as practice for the storyboard I will create for the coursework short film. After making this, I think that I will draw the portfolio, as it allows for me to be more specific with what shots will look like than taking pictures in advance. I can manipulate the environment more and get across what is most important in that shot, and plan on the exact framing instead of experimenting with different aspect ratios on set, so that I will have an exact template foe what my film will look like.
I have also created another storyboard for the other short film that i am preparing to make, as I created another screenplay for it. This will also serve as practice for the storyboard I will create for the coursework short film. After making this, I think that I will do this
Above is the storyboard that I made in preparation for my other short film and as practice for my coursework film. These shots are not exact, but, as they will do for the coursework, get across the overall visual style of the film.
A screenplay is the script of a film. As part of the preparation process, I’ll need to create one for my coursework. To do this, I’ll familiarise myself with screenplay formatting and conventions.
As my production idea and treatment have been done already, I will need to break my plot into arcs/components. These will be the introduction scene, which will probably last a minute. Then, the second act, which will follow the protagonists story, lasting probably 3 minutes. And, finally, the conclusion, wrapping up the plot and resolving the conflict, which will also likely last a minute.
From looking into screenplay conventions, I know that it is necessary to describe each shot and action in detail. The screenplay is the foundation of the storyboard, which will both be used to create my film precisely as Ive planned. As long as I stick to exactly what the screenplay and storyboard say, I will have each action, shot, camera movement, line, delivery, tone and expression prepared to film. So while writing my screenplay, I need to build as much detail as possible to get my vision across and help me decide on any necessary changes before filming. This is why I have been advised to write a draft screenplay.
One piece of advice I read was that I should write a first draft, read over it and make changes if needed, and then write a final draft or however many necessary until I’ve come to a final draft. I’ve read that I should not bee to critical of my first draft, and to just write what I feel I should. I should not go back and update actions or dialogue until I’ve finished the first draft. Instead I should finish, go back through it, analyse and edit where I feel its necessary. After taking a break, I should come back and make readjustment to improve the script. This may require multiple redrafts before I come to my final draft. As I will need to show evidence of draft screenplays alongside my final draft, I will do this, and take time in realising and perfecting my screenplay to match the story I’m setting out to make.
As part of my preparation for writing the screenplay, I wrote a screenplay for another short, 5 or so minute film. This one I spent a few hours writing after creating a treatment to go off. This will go into my film portfolio once it is made, but in the meantime has made me more familiar with sticking to the screenplay format and using screenplay conventions.
Above is the screenplay that I wrote. This was partly to practice for the coursework script and also to have it ready to include in my film portfolio, as I am also preparing to make another short film in my spare time. What is shown here is the second and likely final draft. I received input that the dialogue was too obvious about character emotion and intention, lacked subtlety or, in other words, was too on the nose. I went back and made it less revealing of the characters’ emotions, etc. I also made it less wooden at points, such as the long monologue in the centre. I wanted it to sound realistic, so thought about how two real people would communicate this conversation in this scenario, depending on the personality’s and backstory’s I’ve given them here, and I feel it works and flows better now.
The reception to my film was mostly positive. My teacher said that the actual plot was fine, but I should focus on trying to convey to the audience that the younger character is the same person as the older man in the office. This is something I can do easily by using the same actor and trying to make them look younger when applying for the job. However, that may be difficult, and using another, younger actor may get across the passage of time better. However, it will be hard to find a similar actor, so using the same person saves me having to include some cue for the audience to understand that it is the same person in the past and future. I will already have to do that to convey the fact that there is a jump between past and present in the film.
The conclusion that I’ve come to for now is that I should use a similar actor, or as similar as I can find, and use a match cut for when they go from past to future. More specifically I could have an extreme close up of their eyes shut, then cut to the new, older actor when they open, and dolly out to reveal that they are older now. This was the sort of visual implication I was planning on to inform the audience that despite the actor having changed, they are still the same person and, therefore, a significant amount of time has passed in that one match cut.
Today I pitched my short film idea to my class. I read an overview of the treatment to get across the whole story and the meanings of it without getting into too much detail like specific shots or lines of dialogue.
To prepare for my film, I need to organise casting, locations, script, storyboard and narrative.
Progress so far:
So far the story, plot and narrative has been organised, and I also have some specific dialogue and shots in mind that I covered in my treatment. However, I still need to find out what locations I’m using and who will be playing what characters.
Casting:
As there will be a passage of time, I was considering using actors who are older than me. However, It will be easier to get actors who are of a similar age to me. Therefore, I think that the people working at the office will be mostly interns/apprentices, including the protagonist and the love-interest. I will ask my mum if she can be the woman, and her boyfriend to be the protagonist. I may have to use a wig to show that there has been a passage of time from when we see him in the past and the future. I can also ask him to shave his beard!
Tracy Cairns
I have organised for my mum, Tracy Cairns, to be the love interest in the film and her boyfriend, Alistair Grant, to be the lead. I feel that their chemistry may play well on screen, putting less pressure on the dialogue and their delivery of it.
Alistair Grant
I also need to ask 2 or 3 other actors to play the co-workers and the office boss/manager. I was considering two friends from school as inters/apprentices, and my dad, Trevor Cairns, to be the unpleasant manager.
Trevor Cairns – The inconsiderate and passive-aggressive office manager.Donovan MilesHarry Batkin
Locations:
I will probably use my home kitchen for where the protagonist is applying for their job at the start and end of the film. I was considering using my dad’s office as a location for the office space, but I will need to check for permission by the people who own it. I will visit the location and see for myself how suitable it is for the script, as in if it is big enough, has a garden, table, etc. I will also need to organise how the actors will get there, and what areas I will be able to shoot in.
This is the sort of office space that I have in mind. This is where I got inspiration for the bench-wide shot. This is what I plan on one of the shots of the man at the start of the film on his laptop to look like.
Production Brief:
I have organised how I’m going to implement my production brief, a non-linear narrative, into the film. I am going to show a scene of two characters at the start, and these two are going to be later revealed towards the end. This will link up the beginning, is set in the future, and the end. It will reveal what happened after the final shot, and add meaning to the beginning.
Short Film Inspiration:
As part of this coursework, I need to take ideas from 90 minutes worth of the short films that we have watched. I have not planned exactly what these will all be, but some include the silent close up of the protagonist looking at the camera from Stutterer (Benjamin Cleary, 2015), the opening and ending shots from Curfew (Shawn Christiensen, 2012), the tracking shot from Pitch Black Heist (John Maclean, 2011), and the shot-reverse-shots from Connect (Samuel Abrahams, 2010).
Working Title: Self Fulfilling Prophet. (I am using this title for now as it matches the theme of the story, but may change it later to something more abstract or meaningful/interpretative)
The opening shot is a wide shot of a woman at a table in an office space. A close up of her phone screen reveals that she is listening to ‘Glimpse of Us’, Joji. She is listening to this and eating lunch when someone sits opposite to her. She takes her earphones out and says hello to him, welcoming him “to hell”, thereby revealing that this is his first day working there. He surprises her by saying that she was listening to the artist’s best single. She is taken aback and laughs awkwardly, but agrees with him. They then share headphones and begin listening to it together.
The film cuts to a man sat in his kitchen is looking at a laptop screen. He is looking at an email that he is drafting and preparing to send to a business to apply for a job there. They take a break from the computer and make themselves a drink and put on some music, which is the same song from earlier. As the song plays they consider sending the email and slowly shut their eyes as they listen to the song. When they next open their eyes there is suddenly no music playing and they are in a new place, an office. They stand and look around. They have a new phone, and look much older now. They look out their office window and see a garden outside.
They leave the building and sit outside in the garden where it is quiet and they can think. They sit for awhile, obviously confused by what is happening. They shut their eyes and suddenly return to their kitchen. They breathe heavily and quickly shut off the song, clearly disturbed by what is happening. After a few seconds of calming down and re-considering, they put the song back on and slowly shut their eyes again, opening them after a few seconds to find themselves back in the garden. They realise that wherever they are, it is in the future and a few years have passed by now. They then re-enter the building and begin walking around to see more of the place. As they walk around they come across a group of men who seem to be his co-workers. They joke about making him redundant, and one of them, who seems to be the man’s boss, takes him aside and genuinely threatens to fire him if he does not work the weekend. They then laugh at him as he walks away.
After walking around for a bit longer they begin to hear a distant song playing, the song that they were listening to in the kitchen. They approach the source of the sound, eventually coming across a woman who is playing it on her phone speaker. After a few seconds they turn around and realise that their headphones aren’t plugged in. She laughs awkwardly and apologises that it was so loud. The man awkwardly says it’s fine and that he would only be mad if she was playing bad music. They then talk a bout the song and the history of the artist. After they talk, she asks him is he’d like to listen to it with her. He does so, sitting next to her and putting a headphone in. They slowly make eye contact and laugh together, before the man suddenly return to his kitchen.
The song ends as the man sits at his kitchen table, looking straight at his laptop screen. After the room falls silent, the man sits in thought for a moment. He then moves the cursor on his screen to the ‘send email’ button. The film ends just as he sends off his application email. The final shot is of the older version of the protagonist preparing to go over and talk to the woman, which is the opening shift from his perspective.
Today we were introduced to the pre-production process for our coursework. The first stage in this process is to come up with a production idea, which I will go over in this blog post.
Production Idea: My production idea is about a man who is considering to apply for a job who, as he goes over the choice in his mind constantly, suddenly sees into his future and what the his life is like after getting the job. The things that they learn would dissuade him if not for the person he meets in his future, who he decides to apply to the job for. The Production Brief non-linear narrative, as my film will swap between time periods. I have not yet organised the locations or cast that I will use, but I am confident in my plot and plan to work around it. If small changes need to be made then that can happen, but the overall narrative and plot I am set on.
This was the first day of our A level film studies coursework project. We were introduced to the project that we will be undertaking, specifically the first of 6 elements of the production process, research. The others are pre-production, production, post-production, evaluative analysis, and submission.
As part of this stage, we will watch 18 short films chosen by the exam board and write a blog post for each one to analyse it. This will contribute to choosing a group of films that add up to at leat 80 minutes, which we will be using certain elements from to inform the production of our own film. We are encouraged to keep notes on narrative, characters, visuals and other key elects of film form and screenplay techniques. This will also help us practise evaluating our film, which will gain us marks in the alongside the actual end product we will have made by the end of the production process. We will analyse the narrative structure, cinematic influences(key elements of film form, genre, contexts of film), and the creation of meaning and effect through aesthetics and representation in short film.
We were also introduced to the production deadlines and the production brief, which outline what options of techniques our film must include one of, a narrative with a distinctive genre, a narrative with parallel stories, a non-linear narrative or a narrator, and by what dates certain tasks must be completed by. The actual production process, element 3 begins in mid-September. Until then we are researching for the pre-prodiction process, element 2, which begins in early July. I will blog the films that we watch in class and outline elements that I may consider taking inspiration from for my own film, and I will be coming up with initial ideas for my film and what option the exam board has provided to include in it also. Research for the coursework is essentially preparing for how to approach the production process and introducing us to some important concepts that will need to be included in our film and ideas to keep in mind when we come to evaluate them. As the coursework requires specific reference to films where we have taken ideas, we will need to take notes of things that stand out and keep them in mind approaching the production process. “Learners will also be exploring examples of key elements of film form and screenplay techniques during their course of study, which they can apply to their production.” We will be prepared to actually start filing our short films by the beginning of the summer holidays, and up to that point we will be exploring the short film form and what elements they may contain, which ones we may wish to include in our own work, and how to plan, prepare, produce and polish the focus of the coursework.
Finley Cairns A-Level Film Studies Blog 
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