- I have to use fonts for the text which in a sense cross over different genres, for example I've created a title text which will be seen after the first scene (the first time the title of the film is shown) in the film which includes both a font which uses handwriting formatting and an impact font for the word 'revolt'. Normally handwriting fonts suggest romance or historical aspects, however I am using them to show a juxtaposition of personality vs. conformity.
- The 'Film Noir' aspect of my short film is possibly the one I've played around with most. Somehow I need to create the feel of a 1950's gangster household whilst making sure the audience know they are still in 2030. To do this I'm going to have to be eccentric. The most obvious technique I will use will be the use of Black and White imagery. The entire first scene will be in monotone symbolic of 1950's gangster films. Secondly I have purchased props and costumes which reflect this as well, however when wearing these suits I will modernise the characters ever so slightly in subtle ways. Be it by undoing a button or two or just by removing A jacket. To accompany the outfits I've bought props such as a Cigar for the mobster to be using during the scene. Finally I will try and make sure I get hint of the modern day in the shots such as an electric fireplace or a widescreen TV just to make sure the audience are clear on where they are. These contrasts of tropes and memes should work effectively.
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Ideology
The ideology of the genre I wish to create affects it's visual representation in the following ways:
My Short Film Philosophy
Below I have posted 3 point which I feel are very important when creating a short film. Personally, I feel that they should always be followed, however I am not naive in thinking that every film maker thinks or feels the same. Therefore any philosophy that I apply is a personal preference.
1. Popular Culture Doesn't Always Have To Be Avoided.
There is a real tendency, especially with indie products such as short films, to really shy away from that which is very popular. This is often due to filmmakers or sometimes even fans thinking that because a certain thing is popular means it isn't clever or challenging to the audience. With short films this was often the case with Rom-coms. They were never attempted in short films because they were really popular as feature length pictures, and a lot of writers and film makers believed that they didn't have enough depth to them. Face it, we've all got annoyed because we liked a band before they were 'popular'. However, I feel that if something is popular, it is so for a reason. Therefore the techniques or elements that make a cliched/popular film are not something to avoid. They should be enhanced and manipulated. This can be seen more recently in short films such as 'Post It Note Love' and 'Signs' which are both Rom-coms. This innovation is - in my opinion - something that needs to be carried on and furthered.
2. The Storyline Has To Be Solid Before Even Considering Making The Film.
I definitely feel that in the 21st century a titanic influence has been put on special effects like 3D and CGI instead of the storyline. I personally think this is an awful thing to happen to the film industry. Take 'Avatar' for example, an entire film with what is essentially the story of 'Pocahontas' in space. This film broke records. Why? Not because of the amazing story behind it, but because it's as if the gigantic blue people on the screen are 'real'. But they're not though are they, as an audience we are very aware of the fact there is not a planet called Pandora out there, where everything in nature connects via an evolved USB cable. So once you get over the fact the CGI is quite cool, you stop enjoying the film because the idea is tiresome. We've now even got to the point where films are being re-released just so they can be seen in 3D, this is ridiculous in my opinion. If you didn't like it the first time, you're not going to enjoy it when it's coming straight at your face. Anyway, rant over. The point is behind any film you must have a good storyline to warrant the film being made, otherwise the audience isn't going to enjoy it. End of story
3. Don't Make Things Over Complicated.
My final point of my philosophy is more of a guide. Every now and then I feel a writer/director/editor should check back through their production and ask themselves "Is the audience going to understand what's happened here?" If the answer is 'maybe not' then that part should be re-worked. There are thousands of hours worth of footage in existence from deleted scenes; and it is guaranteed that a lot of these scenes were deleted because they were just not necessary. When things get too complex you're going to lose your audience. To see an example of this just compare the success of the first and second 'Matrix' films to that of the third; at which point the stunning trilogy manages to disappear inside itself.
1. Popular Culture Doesn't Always Have To Be Avoided.
There is a real tendency, especially with indie products such as short films, to really shy away from that which is very popular. This is often due to filmmakers or sometimes even fans thinking that because a certain thing is popular means it isn't clever or challenging to the audience. With short films this was often the case with Rom-coms. They were never attempted in short films because they were really popular as feature length pictures, and a lot of writers and film makers believed that they didn't have enough depth to them. Face it, we've all got annoyed because we liked a band before they were 'popular'. However, I feel that if something is popular, it is so for a reason. Therefore the techniques or elements that make a cliched/popular film are not something to avoid. They should be enhanced and manipulated. This can be seen more recently in short films such as 'Post It Note Love' and 'Signs' which are both Rom-coms. This innovation is - in my opinion - something that needs to be carried on and furthered.
2. The Storyline Has To Be Solid Before Even Considering Making The Film.
I definitely feel that in the 21st century a titanic influence has been put on special effects like 3D and CGI instead of the storyline. I personally think this is an awful thing to happen to the film industry. Take 'Avatar' for example, an entire film with what is essentially the story of 'Pocahontas' in space. This film broke records. Why? Not because of the amazing story behind it, but because it's as if the gigantic blue people on the screen are 'real'. But they're not though are they, as an audience we are very aware of the fact there is not a planet called Pandora out there, where everything in nature connects via an evolved USB cable. So once you get over the fact the CGI is quite cool, you stop enjoying the film because the idea is tiresome. We've now even got to the point where films are being re-released just so they can be seen in 3D, this is ridiculous in my opinion. If you didn't like it the first time, you're not going to enjoy it when it's coming straight at your face. Anyway, rant over. The point is behind any film you must have a good storyline to warrant the film being made, otherwise the audience isn't going to enjoy it. End of story3. Don't Make Things Over Complicated.
My final point of my philosophy is more of a guide. Every now and then I feel a writer/director/editor should check back through their production and ask themselves "Is the audience going to understand what's happened here?" If the answer is 'maybe not' then that part should be re-worked. There are thousands of hours worth of footage in existence from deleted scenes; and it is guaranteed that a lot of these scenes were deleted because they were just not necessary. When things get too complex you're going to lose your audience. To see an example of this just compare the success of the first and second 'Matrix' films to that of the third; at which point the stunning trilogy manages to disappear inside itself.
Technology
In a time of great digital technology advancements and amazing cinematographic leaps forward I am determined NOT to over complicate my film. I personally feel that in recent cinema sometimes the idea of a special effect often overtakes the importance of a good story line. For this reason I am going to limit the technology I use. For the film I will be using a JVC digital camcorder and the editing software iMovie 8.0. Along with this I may use Pro Tools LE8 to edit the sound of my production. For the ancillary tasks I will use Adobe Photoshop CS5 to design and create the film review and poster.
My Film Idea
So I've finally come up with a concept for my short film:
The storyline follows the protagonist 'Alex Harris' as he fights against a future government. The film is set in the year 2030 where music has been made illegal by the British government due to it's over-whelming influence on youth culture. Alex tries to fight this control by buying 'tracks' to put on illegal raves and parties. He has to make a deal with a mobster called 'Marcell Wallis' - who deals music as if it were drugs - but Alex soon finds he's in over his head. There will be a moral theme to the production, making it slightly didactic.
AUDIENCE
age: roughly 16-50
gender: mainly male target audience but not solely reliant.
lifestyle: I expect to achieve an audience that have an interest in indie/art films as the narrative is quite complex and to understand the intertextual references the audience will have to have quite a broad knowledge of film.
Socio-economic group: Lower to Middle class as they tend to favour social realist films.
GENRE
Crime/Drama/Social Realist
I have chosen to use the film 'Jackie Brown' as the genre influence of my film, as I want it to have a similar feel and include elements of each of these genres.
NARRATIVE
Originally I wanted to create a film which was non-linear in terms of narrative but I soon found during planning that this was impractical with a low budget and a short amount of time. My respondents brought up the concern that over a short film the narrative may become far too confusing if the time line jumps around too much. Taking this into concern I have decided to keep the storyline linear however using intertextual referencing like 'Film Noir' to time jump. For example; the scene where the deal is made will be shot in monotone with cliched props and outfits.
The storyline follows the protagonist 'Alex Harris' as he fights against a future government. The film is set in the year 2030 where music has been made illegal by the British government due to it's over-whelming influence on youth culture. Alex tries to fight this control by buying 'tracks' to put on illegal raves and parties. He has to make a deal with a mobster called 'Marcell Wallis' - who deals music as if it were drugs - but Alex soon finds he's in over his head. There will be a moral theme to the production, making it slightly didactic.
AUDIENCE
age: roughly 16-50gender: mainly male target audience but not solely reliant.
lifestyle: I expect to achieve an audience that have an interest in indie/art films as the narrative is quite complex and to understand the intertextual references the audience will have to have quite a broad knowledge of film.
Socio-economic group: Lower to Middle class as they tend to favour social realist films.
GENRE
Crime/Drama/Social Realist
I have chosen to use the film 'Jackie Brown' as the genre influence of my film, as I want it to have a similar feel and include elements of each of these genres.
NARRATIVE
Originally I wanted to create a film which was non-linear in terms of narrative but I soon found during planning that this was impractical with a low budget and a short amount of time. My respondents brought up the concern that over a short film the narrative may become far too confusing if the time line jumps around too much. Taking this into concern I have decided to keep the storyline linear however using intertextual referencing like 'Film Noir' to time jump. For example; the scene where the deal is made will be shot in monotone with cliched props and outfits.
Research Methods
There are 4 types of researching, these methods are:
Primary - Secondary - Quantitative - Qualitative
Primary:
This method is carried out personally, usually via Interview or questionnaire. This is - in theory - the most reliable as it's from a direct and trusting source. This is the main form of research that I carried out. To analyse the target audience of my film I created questionnaires to put into online forums, surveying people on what they though of the genre, technical aspects and short films in general. The responses I got were no doubt accurate as they were anonymous and using the internet creates a buffer between the respondent and the gatherer, meaning that people tend to be more open with their answers.
Secondary:
Secondary research uses secondary sources such as the Internet and books to find information and research that has already been carried out. In the past two decades the advancement of the internet has opened a gateway to shared information. I mainly used IMDB, Youtube and Wikipedia to gain the necessary information I needed to start planning and drafting my short film.
Quantitative:
Quantitative research includes anything with numbers, patterns and trends which can be found when people take out questionnaires. If alot of questionnaires are distributed about the same or similar subjects, they can be analysed to find patterns or trends.
Qualitative:
This type of research is the most difficult to use/analyse as people responses have to be carefully depicted and filtered to find relevant information. I didn't use any qualitative data as I felt it would be an unnecessary use of my time.
Primary - Secondary - Quantitative - Qualitative
Primary:
This method is carried out personally, usually via Interview or questionnaire. This is - in theory - the most reliable as it's from a direct and trusting source. This is the main form of research that I carried out. To analyse the target audience of my film I created questionnaires to put into online forums, surveying people on what they though of the genre, technical aspects and short films in general. The responses I got were no doubt accurate as they were anonymous and using the internet creates a buffer between the respondent and the gatherer, meaning that people tend to be more open with their answers.
Secondary:
Secondary research uses secondary sources such as the Internet and books to find information and research that has already been carried out. In the past two decades the advancement of the internet has opened a gateway to shared information. I mainly used IMDB, Youtube and Wikipedia to gain the necessary information I needed to start planning and drafting my short film.
Quantitative:
Quantitative research includes anything with numbers, patterns and trends which can be found when people take out questionnaires. If alot of questionnaires are distributed about the same or similar subjects, they can be analysed to find patterns or trends.
Qualitative:
This type of research is the most difficult to use/analyse as people responses have to be carefully depicted and filtered to find relevant information. I didn't use any qualitative data as I felt it would be an unnecessary use of my time.
Inspirational Director: Quentin Tarantino
I have a very strong knowledge of Tarantino's films as he has been my favourite Director and Writer for years. This is why I am using his works to influence my own production. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence. Today his well known films include Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill (2003, 2004), Death Proof (2007), and Inglourious Basterds (2009). He has earned an Academy Award, aGolden Globe Award, a BAFTA and the Palme d'Or, as well as Emmy and Grammy nominations. His movies are generally characterized by stylistic influences from grindhouse, kung fu, and spaghetti western films. Tarantino also frequently collaborates with his friend and fellow filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.
Tarantino is a celebrity of the film world however not a lot of people know that he created film shorts during his teenage years. Two examples of these are: 'Love Birds In Bondage' which is a black comedy about a girl who suffered from brain damage after a car accident and had to be institutionalized due to her erratic behavior. Her devoted and heartbroken boyfriend makes the decision to get himself admitted, so he can be close to her. And 'My Best Friend's Birthday' which is the story of Clarence, a guy who goes all out to ensure his best friend has a birthday that he'll never forget. Both of these films show the same characteristics as his later, more well known films, proving that he always had this kind of twisted imagination that he is so well known for now.
I haven't seen either of these short films in full, however seeing selected scenes from them and given my prior knowledge of Tarantino I have mentally envisioned an idea of what my short will look like when inspired by him. Some techniques I wish to use of Tarantino's are listed below:
- Intertextual referencing
- Non-linear story lines
- Influences drawn on from classic films
- De-sensitisation of violence
- Well known stereo-typical elements/techniques
My Task Choice and Deconstruction
I have decided to create a short film for my coursework production after viewing some examples found online. I weighed up the pros and cons between doing a music video against those of a short film and came to the conclusion that a music video would either look really cliche'd or just like a montage. So I've settled on a short film. I've viewed several short films on the internet my favourite of which is entitled 'Gridlock' which can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpPtIxpA30A. Below I've done a de-construction of this production and said why I find it so enjoyable to watch.
GRIDLOCK
Written by Johan Verschueren and directed by Dirk Belien, the drama 'Gridlock' comes across as a flawless short film. It didn't win the oscar for which it was nominated in 2003, but It became extremely popular on the internet. It tells the story of a businessman stuck in traffic, who calls home only to be told by his little girl that mummy is in the bedroom with 'Uncle Wim'. His little girl carries out his instructions with amusing and tragic consequences. I personally love this short film because of it's dark yet strangely witty storyline. The concept is clever and the cinematography is beautiful. I hope to transfer the sense of anxiousness this simple film creates into my own production.
De-construction:
(Opening Sequence)
The film opens with a credit sequence showing both English and German text. The camera slowly pans out from a black car's headlight, revealing a young-adult male stuck in a traffic ridden car. It is snowing and the car is covered from bumper to bonnet, showing the audience immediately that it has been static for quite some time. We then enter the car, viewing the protagonist tapping about impatiently and shouting at the radio - which is used to set the context of the film - with great angst.
The use of swearing in this film is very subtle but very effective. Take note that during the opening sequence the main character uses a vast array of swear words in a very forceful tone, I'll come back to this later. This scene continues showing the character getting worked up due to passing sirens and other commuters. We eventually see the protagonist swallow what we assume to be some kind of medical relaxant to ease his anxiety. After a minute and a half the man extracts a mobile phone from a box, showing that it was a new purchase, to ring home - whilst still clearly being in a state of distress.
(1:41 to 3:37) This is the build-up section of the production. We immediately find ourselves in what appears to be quite an expensive home, stating to the audience yet again that this is quite a well off man. After a few second a young girl appears to answer the ringing home telephone. This section incites quite a comedic part of the story. The young girl's naivety lets slip that her mother is seemingly having an affair. The acting in this part is perfect in my opinion. The man becomes shocked to find out the news and instantly drops the obscene language and creates an amazing facial expression which you cannot help but find humorous. This change in tone and speech style really creates the feeling that this character really is stunned. At the same time the little girl manages to maintain complete serenity, which is very crucial to the story line. The director also finds this look of innocence critical as the camera focuses a huge deal on the close up shots of her and the mid-shots of her and the toys placed to the left of the screen. The girl clumsily pulls the base of the phone off the counter-top, creating a slight moment of panic, possibly resembling what is to come. After this (at 2:24) the character pulls that oh so brilliant expression which I mentioned earlier. Upon realising the situation the miss-en-scene becomes very important. The editing of the film creates several seconds of silence this is incredibly effective as it creates a very tense mood allowing the audience to ponder on what's happening. The camera then cuts to a close-up of the mans lips as he sets up for a command, showing it is the main focus of the story. Next, a very common film making technique is used. To leave the audience out of the know the scene cuts to the end of the phone that is not talking, this builds tension and creates a sense of mystery. This mysterious mood is then amplified by the little girls actions. She simply replies "yes, daddy." and then walks off, without the audience having any clue as to what exactly is happening. During this time we witness an empty room and the man popping more relaxant pills; once again accompanied by silence.
(3:38 to 5:50) This is the climax of this text. The editing of this section creates a very affective time lapse. The little girl begins to describe the events she has witnessed down the phone, at which point the images begin to re-create the prior goings-on. Here is where the dark-side of this story begins to reveal itself. One of the most crucial tools used during this sequence is the girl's voice. No matter what she is saying, the general tone of her speech tends to stay the same, giving an erie feel to the images. It is immediately revealed to the audience what the man's previous commands for his daughter were; giving them a slight sense of equilibrium. But, only for a matter of seconds. After this point the dramatic pace of this film begins to quicken even though accompanied by very sustained string music. We here the sound of a crash and scream in the bathroom, and even though the audience hasn't seen it, what has occurred can be assumed. Shortly after the camera uses an eye-line match to show the girl peering down onto her Mother's static corpse. This instantly forces a solemn mood onto the film which in all honesty was not expected. If this is not upsetting enough the story continues to show the death of a second character, again without the audience actually seeing anything. An over-the-shoulder from the little girl shows 'Uncle Wim' running in panic from the scene, a second crash is then heard. Following this there is a very effective low shot of the girls feet crossing the bedroom floor, passing flowers, broken glass and blood puddles. Next, follows one of the creepiest sentences of the film: "Uncle Wim wasn't there anymore." This simple sentence instantly gives the impression he too has perished. This is once again confirmed by another eye-line match, showing the outline of his body falling through the thick snow.
Over 7 minutes this film manages to force the audience to feel a whole spectrum of emotions which is why I think it is such a perfect example of the creativity and talent which goes into modern short films. I hope to create a production which has the same sort of effective, even if it is a little less grim.
GRIDLOCK
Written by Johan Verschueren and directed by Dirk Belien, the drama 'Gridlock' comes across as a flawless short film. It didn't win the oscar for which it was nominated in 2003, but It became extremely popular on the internet. It tells the story of a businessman stuck in traffic, who calls home only to be told by his little girl that mummy is in the bedroom with 'Uncle Wim'. His little girl carries out his instructions with amusing and tragic consequences. I personally love this short film because of it's dark yet strangely witty storyline. The concept is clever and the cinematography is beautiful. I hope to transfer the sense of anxiousness this simple film creates into my own production.
De-construction:
(Opening Sequence)
The film opens with a credit sequence showing both English and German text. The camera slowly pans out from a black car's headlight, revealing a young-adult male stuck in a traffic ridden car. It is snowing and the car is covered from bumper to bonnet, showing the audience immediately that it has been static for quite some time. We then enter the car, viewing the protagonist tapping about impatiently and shouting at the radio - which is used to set the context of the film - with great angst. The use of swearing in this film is very subtle but very effective. Take note that during the opening sequence the main character uses a vast array of swear words in a very forceful tone, I'll come back to this later. This scene continues showing the character getting worked up due to passing sirens and other commuters. We eventually see the protagonist swallow what we assume to be some kind of medical relaxant to ease his anxiety. After a minute and a half the man extracts a mobile phone from a box, showing that it was a new purchase, to ring home - whilst still clearly being in a state of distress.
(1:41 to 3:37) This is the build-up section of the production. We immediately find ourselves in what appears to be quite an expensive home, stating to the audience yet again that this is quite a well off man. After a few second a young girl appears to answer the ringing home telephone. This section incites quite a comedic part of the story. The young girl's naivety lets slip that her mother is seemingly having an affair. The acting in this part is perfect in my opinion. The man becomes shocked to find out the news and instantly drops the obscene language and creates an amazing facial expression which you cannot help but find humorous. This change in tone and speech style really creates the feeling that this character really is stunned. At the same time the little girl manages to maintain complete serenity, which is very crucial to the story line. The director also finds this look of innocence critical as the camera focuses a huge deal on the close up shots of her and the mid-shots of her and the toys placed to the left of the screen. The girl clumsily pulls the base of the phone off the counter-top, creating a slight moment of panic, possibly resembling what is to come. After this (at 2:24) the character pulls that oh so brilliant expression which I mentioned earlier. Upon realising the situation the miss-en-scene becomes very important. The editing of the film creates several seconds of silence this is incredibly effective as it creates a very tense mood allowing the audience to ponder on what's happening. The camera then cuts to a close-up of the mans lips as he sets up for a command, showing it is the main focus of the story. Next, a very common film making technique is used. To leave the audience out of the know the scene cuts to the end of the phone that is not talking, this builds tension and creates a sense of mystery. This mysterious mood is then amplified by the little girls actions. She simply replies "yes, daddy." and then walks off, without the audience having any clue as to what exactly is happening. During this time we witness an empty room and the man popping more relaxant pills; once again accompanied by silence.
(3:38 to 5:50) This is the climax of this text. The editing of this section creates a very affective time lapse. The little girl begins to describe the events she has witnessed down the phone, at which point the images begin to re-create the prior goings-on. Here is where the dark-side of this story begins to reveal itself. One of the most crucial tools used during this sequence is the girl's voice. No matter what she is saying, the general tone of her speech tends to stay the same, giving an erie feel to the images. It is immediately revealed to the audience what the man's previous commands for his daughter were; giving them a slight sense of equilibrium. But, only for a matter of seconds. After this point the dramatic pace of this film begins to quicken even though accompanied by very sustained string music. We here the sound of a crash and scream in the bathroom, and even though the audience hasn't seen it, what has occurred can be assumed. Shortly after the camera uses an eye-line match to show the girl peering down onto her Mother's static corpse. This instantly forces a solemn mood onto the film which in all honesty was not expected. If this is not upsetting enough the story continues to show the death of a second character, again without the audience actually seeing anything. An over-the-shoulder from the little girl shows 'Uncle Wim' running in panic from the scene, a second crash is then heard. Following this there is a very effective low shot of the girls feet crossing the bedroom floor, passing flowers, broken glass and blood puddles. Next, follows one of the creepiest sentences of the film: "Uncle Wim wasn't there anymore." This simple sentence instantly gives the impression he too has perished. This is once again confirmed by another eye-line match, showing the outline of his body falling through the thick snow.Over 7 minutes this film manages to force the audience to feel a whole spectrum of emotions which is why I think it is such a perfect example of the creativity and talent which goes into modern short films. I hope to create a production which has the same sort of effective, even if it is a little less grim.
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