Evaluation

I have noticed some dialogue on the voiceover that wasn't noticable during the editing or the final production. I did take the sound down in some parts when white noise was too conspicious, but other than that, the voiceover seemed fine. I will have to consider whether to rectify this, as it has only shown up on some computers. I will include it in my evaluation however, as I can include it in improvements to the film.

Film Finished

On Wednesday I finished my film completely. Though there are some imperfections and small flaws, I am very happy with it. It adheres to the brief and was said to have a 'good narrative'. I have compressed it for the blog, though I have found the film to be slightly distorted, as the voiceover has now become out of sync. I am not sure why this has happened but I will add the film anyway. I will begin work on my evaluation, and have already outlined the strengths and weaknesses of my film.

Overall, I am happy with the film as it conveys the intended message and meets the brief's requirements.

Film

On Friday, I practically finished my film. I was able to amalgamate them into one window and add the voiceover according to the clips. It flows well and I added credits as well. I am very happy with the film and only need to review it once more to finalise it before I think I'll be done. I will try to add the film to the blog and maybe some stills too.

Film

Today I added the voiceover on my film, so it's almost finished. I only need to check it over, get rid of unused clips and put them into one window. The film looks good now as the voiceover means it makes more sense. I've added transitions, like fading out and overlapping to symbolise the passing of time, and the narrative adds to the idea that the film is conveying an important message. The majority of the film is told in retrospect, and voiceover means that the recollection of events is more believable. Overall, I am very happy with the film, it is around 5 minutes long, with a variety of shots included in it to give the viewer a better view of events, and I only need to sort out a few minor things before it's completely finished and I can start evaluating it.

Film

I have nearly finished the film apart from a few transitions and the voiceover which I will add in the next few days. The film is in two documents because I had a problem uploading the footage onto the computer but I hope to add the rest of the footage onto the main document soon. I also need to add transitions as the film is told in retrospect by the woman, and effects like fading out and overlapping will make the memory aspect of the film more effective. Credits need to be added as well, but the main concern is the voiceover as it provides the information for the viewer, adds to the retrospective viewpoint, and is what the film relies on for the message to be conveyed.

Film

I am now in the process of editing my film and have made good progress with it. Unfortunately part of it has been letter-boxed but I have continued and plan to find a way of rectifying the situation later. I am now editing the later part of the film and plan to add in credits, and maybe darken a few of the images. The scenes run well with each other, and I have been able to film a lot of angles, so I can show different points of view.
My film review is finished as well, and so is my poster, so I have only to finish my film and the editing, which I am on course with.

Film Review

This is a final print screen of what my film review will look like. I can't upload files, and the printer is only black and white, but it gives a clear view of the layout and structure I have used for my review.
I have added a picture, the same as my poster, to give the review some continuity and a sense of recognition as the film is only a short one. I did contemplate giving my characters names, so I could include them in the plot section of the review, but decided against it, as their names are not important within the film, and many other short films I watched took the same approach, with the credits saying simply woman and man. Mine will most probably say woman and vagrant, as the word tramp seemed too extreme and ambiguous.

My actual review contains colour, as before it looked quite boring only in black, so I did the underline and star ratings in purple. The picture itself will include some colour, and makes the review more eye-catching and easy to read. Overall, I would say my review is complete and I am happy with the result.

Filming

I filmed the final part of my footage today, and managed to get a large variety of different shots, which I'm happy with. The cold temperature was a bit of a hindrance as I couldn't stay outside for long periods of time but the sunny weather did mean lighting conditions were good. All in all, I spent around 4 hours filming, and though I didn't have a tripod, and the batteries ran out, I managed to get all the footage I needed. I'll edit the footage during my next lessons and add a voiceover, which will provide a narrative and structure for the film.  I still have to finish my review by adding an image and some more text, but all in all, I'm on track with my work and happy with my progress.

Film Review

The post before was a draft and I have decided it will be more colourful and eye-catching in its final stage. I may use colour for the stars and will change the words of the ratings. I may also divulge more of the plot, so the reader has a clear idea of the events that occur during the course of the film.

Film Review

I have almost finished my film review. I was unable to attach a picture because I did most of it at school, and because I am unsure of which image I'll use. I used star ratings to provide an idea of the film's quality to the reader. I then gave a brief summary of the plot, a review and a final verdict. I think it's been done quite well as it includes detail, but is concise. I've attached an image of the review so far.
Though I have worked backwards, in part to my film (I have some footage, but have yet to complete filming), I believe it has been beneficial as it has kept my film's objective in clear sight, and has set some guidelines that I am able to adhere to in order to make my film true to the poster and review.

Film Review

Whilst researching the different types of reviews written about films, I found a number of conventions in common. The fact that they are often given star ratings or numerical ratings, usually out of 5. This means that the reader can see immediately if a film has a good review eg. 4 out of 5, or a poor review eg. 1 out of 5. Also, I found that a review can be shortened or simplified or extended and detailed. Some websites for magazines offer long and short versions. Mine will be in the middle, as it's a short film, it won't be very long anyway. But it will offer critical views, information about the film and a verdict, whilst catering to a magazine's specifications of a good film review.

Ideas for a film review

My film review will be written in my own personal style, and from a critical point of view. I will view the film as a critic and give my honest opinion. I hope my film will get a good rating. So far, I have some footage, and plenty of ideas, so the prospects are looking good. I want my film to have a proper message, which will, in turn, be successfully conveyed to the viewer. I want the film to be thought-provoking and impactive, even though it is 5 minutes long. Although I have limits because of equipment, logistics and software and I haven't got all my footage yet, I still believe my film will have an impact as I am focused on it's message of needless materialism and greed, and am determined to provide the message for the viewer, as I believe it is one of meaning and relevance, especially in the modern world.

Poster

I have finished my poster, and though it has the same features, I did make some slight alterations. I made the title larger so as to draw attention to it straight away. I then made the credits correspond with the size increase of the title by making them slightly bigger too. The overall effect is that it is easier to read and therefore more appealing to viewers or readers. I am happy with the poster as it what I wanted for the film and accurately reflects what my film is about and the message it is conveying.

I have adapted my poster again, to include a small subtitle with the words 'A Short Film'. This will be underneath the title on the poster. This gives the poster a short-film look and implies meaning and a message. This will be one of the last drafts of my poster as I am happy with the results.
I also think I will keep the title as it suits the film and goes nicely with the message the film conveys. It has an enigmatic and ironic character which is perfectly suited to the film.

Poster

The symbolism in the poster is all part of the implicit nature of the poster and film. The characters' stance and attitude is hugely important - the apparent apathy of the tramp staring into the distance and the harsh black, block colours of the snobby woman looking at the camera is one of the most significant features of this poster. It demonstrates the huge gulf between the two characters, not only in appearance, but in lives, which is implied by the poster. The contrast between the houses and the hedge signifies the artificial vs natural argument which ties in with the materalism vs spiritualism issue. Also, the enigmatic sense of the poster - the wondering why- draws the viewer in, even with small features- like the credits. The fact that it is unclear which actor plays which character, where they are, why they are there, all contributes to catching and holding the attention of the audience, which is something, I think, my poster does well. Everything about the film is entertwined, including the characters lives, which is shown more in the actual film. I have tried to make this poster as reflective of the film as possible, which is what posters are for, without giving too much away.

Planning - Poster

I editing the poster to include the title, and though it isn't finished yet, I sure that this is the photo I will use for my poster. I added the working title, that I directed the film, and the two stars' names. I like the unconventional nature of the poster and the way the eye is drawn to different parts at once. The working title goes well, and I went through a number of different fonts. I wanted a simple, yet interesting font, and chose Centaur. I made the title big and noticeable against the sky - to dominate the characters, my credit and then the credits of the actors on the hedge in white, which against the green, shows up well. I spaced them out to allow for the redness and the sharpness in colour of the foliage, which worked as the credits look smart and different. I am pleased with this draft, and it won't take many more changes to this draft to complete my poster as this is the type of poster I'd like to produce.

Poster

Another image I'm seriously considering is this one.

I'm considering this image because it is very similar to what I envisaged when thinking about my poster. The contrast of the two charactes, the sharpness of their surroundings, the apparent unawareness of each other and the stances of the two characters are representative of not only their characters and plot, but the whole message of the film : highlighting the differences between two people - one a leading a greedy hedonistic lifestyle, the other seemingly unfortunate. The common assumption is that the tramp will be the unhappy one. Though through the film, it will become apparent that this isn't always the case. The materialism vs spiritualism debate comes in here, and overall this image encapsulates the film I'm making, and more importantly, the message it's trying to convey, which is what a movie poster is all about.

Planning to Production - poster

On Sunday gone, I took the photos for my media poster. Despite the rain, the photo's did come out ok, with the weather even adding to the pathetic fallacy side of the plotline. I took over 50 photos in various process and have begun narrowing down the choices and editing some of them. I still haven't decided on a name for my film, but the working title is 'Beautiful People', some lyrics taken from a song which served as inspiration for the film. All the photo's feature the tramp and the snobby lady, and I tried to incorporate implicit poses which will reflect the plotline of the film.

I have added some of the photos I have taken. I am unsure of where the titles should go yet, and of course, what the title will be, but this is something I will continue to consider when editing the photos.

Planning - Poster

We have to have one of the ancillary tasks completed by the 18th of October. I chose this task to be the poster, as the film review can only really be done when the film is completed or thereabouts.
My poster will reflect the film - it will be implicit, adding to appeal as many good posters draw the attention of the viewer without revealing too much about the film.
My idea so far is to have the tramp and the woman depicted on the poster, next to each other, clearly showing, not only the parallel, but the divide between the two.

The woman will be smartly dressed, like she is in the film, and the tramp in her usual attire - to show to divide. Another good thing is that the facial features of the two actors are completely different - one is blonde and blue eyed, the other brunette and green eyed. This again, symbolises the array of contrasts between the two characters. However the positioning of them close together will hint at a connection between the two.

The poster will have the title of the film written, most probably overhead, and a tagline may be inserted between the two people. Because the character 'breaks the fourth wall' at the end, they will be looking at the camera, and therefore at the viewer, which again will reach to audiences.
The poster is there to spark appeal and interest, which is why it will be implicit and enigmatic. I looked at posters for Channel 4 short films, the Sliding Doors poster and google searched short film posters. Most of them had poster ideas similar to mine.

Another idea I had was to have the characters facing backwards, so their faces wouldn't be revealed, adding to the enigmatic air. I decided against this idea however, as I thought that having their faces staring directly at the camera was a better one for a poster, and would reflect the film in a more accurate way.
I have added some poster examples to show how short films are presented, the various features they have eg. title, tagline, credits, image, and to help me decide what sort of poster I will produce for my short film.

Planning

After reviewing a lot of the footage, I have decided to have another filming day where I will gather a larger variety of shots to use in the final film. I have been developing the storyline as well, as we are limited with what we can do, resource-wise. I explored the idea that the woman, instead of being hostile towards the tramp at the end, could be accepting of her new situation, which would illustrate the materialism vs spiritualism theme better than the idea before. Also, the meaning of the film, though implicit, may have to be a little more conspicious as some viewers may not understand.
So far the story is that the woman will miss the bus, setting of a chain of events, which would lead to her financial demise and subsequent homelessness - raising the issue of naivety and lack of understanding of the world. It also draws attention to the line between poverty and wealth and the meaning of real happiness - represented by the tramp - who is seemingly more unfortunate in life, but is more worldly and happy than the woman.
I think this storyline would illustrate my point better than the one before. The chain of events would probably start with her losing her promotion and job, breaking up with her boyfriend, and losing her home. It seems trivial that this is all because she missed the bus but that is the point. The bus is the turning point of the story and is designed to make people think. Also her treatment of the tramp ties in with the bus as it can be perceived as karma. The demise would be gradual and the voiceover will definitely help. Music can't be used, which doesn't affect my film at all really, because I have changed the storyline. The length of the film is important, and I still have to decide how to start the film as this sets the scene and mood. It could start with a phonecall from her boyfriend - giving the audience the oppurtunity to see that the woman is horrible to her boyfriend too, showing her ambitions in life are money-driven. In a way, it does tie in with the seven deadly sins, but I will have to develop the start so the film conveys her flaws in an effective manner to the audience.

Planning

This was one of the films that gave me ideas for my short film. The cover is similar to my idea, as I wanted the tramp and the snobbish woman side by side to illustrate the parallel between them. I have yet to decide on a tagline or a name for the film, but I will take into account the short films I have already watched when I make that decision.

Planning

For my short film, I decided to brainstorm and explore the different avenues my film could take, taking into account, all the conventions of short films that I had noted. I decided to take the thought provoking approach as I wanted to make a film with a message, which was a common convention in short films. I decided on a theme of turning points - similar, in ways, to a 'Sliding Doors' sort of moment. Taking logistics and realism into account, I decided that the subject of my film would miss a bus, and the film would explore the consequences that come out of his/her missed oppurtunity, and the possibilities that would never come about. I considered shooting a parallel storyline whereby the subject is filmed catching and missing the bus, only revealing, or hinting, at which event was reality and which was fantasy. After some consideration, I decided to only film the missing the bus scene, as it would be complicated, and would take up much-needed screen time (my film is only supposed to be around 5 minutes). I decided to explore the possibility of catching the bus, only in the person's mind, and to compensate for cutting the scene, I decided to include a voiceover, which would be really helpful and that the subject of the film would be a snobbish woman, who gets her comeuppance as missing the bus, one unfortunate day, would be the catalyst in a chain of events that would change her life forever. I filmed some scenes yesterday involving a tramp, to highlight the problems and growing gap between poverty and wealth, mentally and physically, and to provide an oppurtunity for the audience to see the real character of the subject of the film.
Overall, the filming went well, and I will review the scenes we already have in due course and work out what will happen from here on in. I still have to make a poster and do a review for the film, one of which needs to be finished by the 18th of October.

Mud Boy

This was one of the best short films I watched. It combined reality with fantasy which is an idea similar to one I will incorporate in my short film. It's also thought-provoking which is another element I would like my short film to contain.

Research 2

Fantastic  -  a foreign short film about a man who committed a crime, whilst under surveillance by an undercover organization. It was set in Denmark, which could be seen from the aerial view of the world, shown whilst the man is being pursued by the spies. It was clearly made with access to higher budget, as the
quality of the picture and the camera was much better than that of a normal camcorder. The camera work - following the subject and the pursuers during the chase was impressive as it was quick without being blurry.

Sound Waves - this was in the style of a documentary and followed the lives of two families with deaf sons.  It is clearly meant to highlight deafness, but develops this by actually showing a simulation recording of what noise sounds like to a deaf person. This, again, includes the audience effectively, and the different style of the film captures the viewers' attention and gives them a proper insight into deafness and the daily life of someone who has to endure it.

Mud Boy - this involved a young girl in the middle of an abusive relationship between her parents. She escapes to the garden one day, and recovers a body. At first, it appears the person is still alive, though the audience later realises that the person is either an apparition or a figment of the girls' imagination fuelled by her isolation and traumatic experiences. At the end, we discover the child is her brother and is in fact dead, though she can't see it. This film was uncomfortable to watch as well because of the issues it concerns but the way the audience is involved, and the twist at the end demonstrates two of the key conventions of short films. This identifies with the type of film I want to make: a thought-provoking drama with a twist or realisation at the end, to keep the audience thinking. Close ups and awkward shots like low angle are used  - to highlight the girls' insignificance as well as point of view shots and long shots to show the garden and the body in it.


The Rules of the Game - This concerned a man who talks about what he would do if he found out his fiancee was cheating on him. This is interesting as he speaks directly to the camera, and therefore to the audience (fourth wall) and even contains humour. It uses shots to follow him and his movements and create a feeling of informality. The close ups show his reactions, and they use imaginary shots to show the images in his mind. This is important as, if you film it correctly (ie. by distinguishing fact and fiction), you can show the viewer the subjects' thoughts which is also useful. It is implicit and even funny in it's black humour - with the man deciding to kill his best man with a crossbow at the end. The man's informal nature and interaction with the audience create the humour and easiness which is sharply contrasted at the end by his drastic decision. This again contains a twist, interaction with the audience and a lot of close-ups which are widely used conventions in short films, and ones I will probably use in my own.

Research

To get some ideas for my short film, I decided to watch a variety of short films from websites to see what conventions are used in short films, for example, storylines, shots, dialogue.
I watched films from the BBC Film Network website, Film 4's short films website and ShortFilms.com.
The films I watched were :

Dogs Mercury - a film about a variety of people living in the same town who are trying to understand the world and its complexities, whilst trying to come to terms with the evil in the world.
It included a lot of implicit actions, without speech, to make the viewer think, and the narrator was a young girl, who communicated directly with the audience (fourth wall). by looking straight into the camera  The film was designed to make an impression on the viewer by unnerving them and making them think, which was a common occurence in many of the short films I watched.

Honeymoon - About a woman who realises she doesn't know her husband that well whilst on their way to leave for their honeymoon. This demonstrated the importance of setting to me. The fact that she had already married her husband, and was bound for their honeymoon, implied a trapped sense, and again, the film made the viewer uncomfortable which, in turn, added to its appeal, as the sinister and ominous nature of it, kept the viewer watching.

Five Miles Out - This was about a girl who's mother is ill, and is sent away to the coast. It deals with abandonment issues, isolation, growing up, and the resent the girl feels for each of the issues. It became apparent that a lot of short films tend not to have an awful lot of speech, choosing to be more implicit, to get the audience thinking and to make them feel more involved.

Red - We watched this in class, and it detailed a man's murder and the realisation and feelings he experiences when he finds out he has been murdered in a forest. There is no speech in the film, which works well with the silence in the forest. The implications and lack of speech is effective as the film relies on expression, movement and viewer interaction. It is a tricky balance, as the film has to remain interesting despite the lack of speech, but this film manages it. Also, it uses a lot of close ups, so the subjects expression and movement is clearer for the viewer.

Short Film

As part of my media coursework, I have chosen to make a short film. The brief requires it to be, in its entirety, around 5 minutes in length and states that 2 out of 3 ancillary tasks need to be completed alongside it. The options for the ancillary task are:

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

I've decided to do the poster and the magazine review pages for my ancillary tasks.