Filming

The most important part of our film production had arrived, the filming weekend. After numerous meetings, we all knew as a production group exactly how our filming weekend had to go. We had our script, shot list, schedule, location images and risk assessments finalised so the only thing left to do was to put it into action. Being that my sister was the lead actress in our film, it made things slightly easier in the pre production and reliability of the cast. However, our main worry for the weekend was not one of time allowance or the casts reliability, but the weather. Throughout the weekend the continual rain did hinder our filming. Nevertheless, with our umbrellas at the ready we continued to shoot avoiding rain exposure to the camera as much as possible. Throughout the shooting we were pleasantly surprised at how we had managed to stick to our schedule and how useful a time guidance it provided. Running into no real problems other than the cameras tripod needing to be replaced, (due to a loose leg) our weekend ran relatively smoothly and I although being extremely physically draining, I found to be a very enjoyable weekend. I now look forward to the editing process and the finalization of the short film.

Camera Demo

Being the camera man in my group, it was necessary that I take the demo on how to use the Sony Z1 camera. Other than handheld cameracorders at A level standard, I have never really had any previous experience with this type of recording equipment. It retains many features that I never knew that I would even need until being shown them and realizing how important they are not only to the recording, but eventually how much time they can save in the editing of a film.

Script Writing + Shot Listing

Time for an update. As it stands my group and I have now reached the stage to which we have accomplished the finial script and the shot listing to go with it. Like everyone on the course, we have used Celtx to write and format our script. Celtx is a powerful all in one media production software which allows us to do things such as script write, storyboard and prepare the basic necessary features to the pre-production process of any film.






The shot listing we found would not prove as useful to be written on Celtx as there is no real application for it on the software. We agreed to meet up and write out the shot list on Microsoft Word. The shot listing itself proved very rewarding in further thinking for our film. By writing out the exact shots we wanted for each individual scene, and the chronological order in which to shoot, we found ourselves coming out with many more creative ideas for the film itself.

Re-Write Process For Short Film

The re-write process of 'What would you do for a pair of shoes' script has taken a set of select stages to get to where I am now. Initially, before putting pen to paper, I wanted to establish the potential themes and meanings behind the script.

I first thought that perhaps the theme was obviously something extremely basic, as a short film never really has enough time to over-complicate its plot. I thought the script may have been trying to convey the idea that, when a person has what they finally want they disband the feelings to want whatever it is they have been seeking anymore. Another idea was that perhaps that the shoes themselves had a connotative meaning and the way in which the main protagonist in the story (Clare) obtained the shoes, made her into the person she did not set out to be. I even considered the idea that that the script actually had very little or no meaning and there was a sense of ambiguity to lead the readers/audience to make their own decisions and conclusions. I did also watch a short film made by a previous student on Youtube to try and extract another persons take on the script. However, none of these meanings really had any influence on my ideas to change the script, even information from the workshop suggesting the strong link with 'The Wizard of Oz' did not provide me with any further insight to the already fixed idea I had.

My own personal idea consisted of some fairly drastic changes to the story and characters involved, yet left the same meanings and ideals as the previous script. I wanted to remain dedicated to the original draft, whilst giving my own take on the story itself. My idea firstly changed the main protagonist's gender to a male. The young male in question sought after a pair of trainers (similarly to the original script) and mugs a businessman in order to obtain the required money to purchase the shoes. After some subplot, and after buying the shoes, in return, the young male finds himself at the wrong end of a mugging which ends causing him to lose the shoes. I felt that changing the script to this would have remained fairly close to what my own take on the original script was, but also added a more heightened sense of redemption. The original script in my opinion never saw the girl punished for stealing and in some ways could be argued that it represented it in a good way, whereas my take allows the audience to be satisfied in knowing the protagonist got what he deserved.

Generally, everyone in the group had their own very different takes on the script, but we established a script that would have the better parts of everyones own individual efforts.
After some discussion with my group and multiple ideas in circulation, we decided to retain the idea that the main character would be seen to be punished for their actions. Overall the script that we have re-written will again remain very close to the original script, however we agreed that the original script was not very well received by any of us and that some specific changes were needed. The idea of a female as the main protagonist, we did keep due to the fact that we felt that a sense of innocence and emotion is displayed better though a female character.

Short Film Analysis - Week 1

'Goodbye To The Normals'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFx755QeJME&feature=channel_page



This short film begins with the arrival of a father to his home. The main protagonist, (Magnus) who is no more than 10 years of age and his father sit down to discuss the fact that 'Magnus' will be running away. The conversation is humourous as the child continually patronises his father, with a sense that he is taking the dominant, more intellectual role. After putting down his mother and father, we see the boy take a firm stand and insists that he will be leaving, by boat, to America, without their help. The very formal farewell from the little boy, as well as the small travel bag he has packed to go, add as a snowball effect to the comincal value of the short. The short film finishes with the boy running back towards his house, leading the parents into a false sense that he has indeed changed his mind about leaving. Unfortunately for the parents, and to much humour for the audience, he exclaims 'forgot my fucking passport'. I personally found this short film extremely amusing. I enjoyed the fact that there is no underlying meaning to the film and that no real thinking has to be done by the audience. There is a real sense of anticipation throughout the film, leading to audience to believe that the child will come to his senses, or the parents with actually take a stand. Some short clips provide the audience with too many factors to analyse in such a short amount of time, whereas this film was straight to the point and again very comical.


'I'm Going Home'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x89MQ-F-iUg



This short film I felt was very emotive. The sequence is shot at a subway station that is supposed to be in New York. The everyday 'goings on' in New York are observed by the audience and everything appears to be no different to what we would expect from a busy station in any major city across the globe. A young woman, clearly in a rush is shown hurrying accross the platform. From a phone call she makes, we can see that she does not have a huge amount of time to visit her dying mother. The phone call she makes turns immediately emotional as the young woman says she will sing her mothers favourite song down the phone to her. She drops the phone and breaks into song for her mother at to which point other members of the public take notice. Initially the other members of the public assume the woman is 'crazy' and that its just another example of 'only in New York', until they hear the lyrics to her song. The clip finishes with the young woman singing a very powerful acapella to which the whole station is brought to a standstill. I enjoyed the clip myself mainly due to the extremely powerful meaning it conveys. The woman expresses her love and pain through the medium of song and it brings everyone in the station together to realise that something important is always happening to every individual in every walk of life. We as a race are often selfish to meet our own needs and we forget that other people are suffering too.




'Lovefield'



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4meeZifCVro




This short film is an example of what a solid narrative, followed by some amazing camera techniques can do to its audience. We begin the plot in an open field where we, the audience, are led to believe that a murder has just been committed. The dirty feet and cries of pain from a young girl are all that can be seen, followed by the hand of a man thrusting a bloodied knife into the ground. With the continual harrowing of the crow, the suspense builds as the perpetrator of the apparent murder is seen to be panicing and rushing around his car. The flustered male returns to the body of the woman with a blanket that we can only assume is to cover the body, yet to our relief as an audience we see the young girl pass him the child that he has obviously delivered. I enjoyed this short for its camera techniques. They enabled the audience to assume and form our own opinions before we had any actual proof of what the main protagonist had actually done. However, I disliked the fact that after watching this film, at the same time as thinking it was cleverly done, I somehow felt cheated as to how it obtained its final result. The music alongside the camera work used, also heavily influenced me to believe that the short was taking a completely different route.


'Offside'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYIxBRA5qjA



A continuing topical issue, this short film is set in the middle east. This short film I felt allows the audience to become involved with both the parties. Initially we have two soldiers on what seems to be a border patrol. As they go about their business, one of the two men appears to be listening to a football match between Brazil and Italy on a portable radio. While some interference with the radio occurs, another two soldiers from the opposing army walk by on the other side of the radio. Clearly turning into a heightened situation for all involved, neither man really seems to want to take a shot at each other, at least not before they have heard the final score. The irony of this short film is that, every football move being made and described by the commentator on the radio, seems to perfectly reflect the intense situation between the two forces eitherside of the fence. Finally a goal is scored and this breaks the stalemate situation between the men, resulting in the death of all four of them. The commentator on the radio after all the men have shot each other dead describes the game as one 'nobody has won, what a travesty of justice'. Clearly the writer of this short film as an opinion that war is a fools game in which there is never a victory, only mass losses. The film reflects this ideology through the eventual death of everyone in question. I feel that this short film despite not being as intense as it could have been, definately gets its point accross to the audience.


'The Black Hole'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5_Msrdg3Hk&feature=channel_page



We start this short film with what looks to be a sleep deprived worker, completing the mundane task of the day's photocopying on his own, at his office. In the middle of all his work a fault with the photocopier leads him to discover a piece of paper, with the ability to be used as a black hole. Clearly stunned by his findings, the man then proceeds to put the hole to the test. After using the hole to steal a chocolate bar from a food machine and to unlock a door to a restricted area, we can observe the mans own downfall, greed. A safe obtaining his offices money proves another easy challenge for the black hole, yet a considerable larger challenge for the man himself. I found this short film amusing for numerous reasons. The main reason being that such an old ideology of 'greed' can still play such a purpose today. The man climbing in the safe after assuming he could steal every wad of cash showed the audience that his greed was indeed his downfall. The simple special effect used to show him disappearing when he placed himself through the paper was very effective throughout.


'Subway Stories - Tales From The Underground' / 'Tube Tales'

A collection of short films, based on the events of real people in New York and London on the subway and underground has always been a personal selection of my favourite short films. I have always viewed these films in a much higher regard to other short films due to their legitimacy and the fact they are based on real life events.