Evaluation blog

Here is the link to my evaluation blog -

http://oliviashearinga2mediaevaluation.blogspot.com/

Film review

For my film review, I decided to do one that would feature on 'Empire' magazine's website. I chose this publication as, upon researching, I found that they featured films of varying success - from highly mainstream pictures to independent productions. I also felt that because 'Empire' is primarily aimed at film buffs, this would be a good place for my film to be publicised to a wider audience.

An example of an 'Empire' review can be seen below - 

Film Poster

For my poster, I took inspiration from the theatrical poster for 'Submarine'.

I really liked its quirky nature and the use of colour. I liked the idea of the block of colour hiding certain aspects of the characters face, and this is something I adopted for my poster. I used the colour red to symbolise blood and danger - two horror conventions that feature in my short film. By using the red colour scheme, I allow the audience some hints as to the genre and content of my film without giving too much away. The cryptic nature of the 'Submarine' poster provided me with the inspiration to do this.

Short film - final version

Here is the final version of my short film titled Hungry. The reasoning behind the title was that it links into the narrative of my film without giving too much away. Its cryptic nature will intrigue the audience, encouraging them to watch the film to find out exactly what happens.

Analysing film posters (Slideshare example)

Horror film poster analysis. from lukey_wilkes

This presentation offers a good and clear analysis of film posters of the horror genre. The layout of the presentation is good and appeals to me as it gives the ability to point out the features they talk about throughout. The language used is of media origin and includes lots of detail about the various characteristics of the posters, however it is slightly repetitive at times. This presentation includes extensive detail about the layout and features of the posters as well as talking about the reasons behind the design. The author offers a further insight into the design, going beyond what can be seen and discussing things such as the characters power from their position in the poster.
Although this is a very detailed and interesting presentation of posters from my film's genre, the examples used are not of the variety that I wish mine to be. My poster design is likely to be of the character focused style, however the ones in this presentation have been manipulated and don't look as natural and realistic as I would perhaps prefer mine to be. I would also like to represent the genre of my short film in a more subtle way than these posters. They use a lot of vibrant colours often associated with the horror genre, whereas I am likely to look at using more natural colours. All three examples in this presentation feature the scary character/s from each respective film. This is something I will be able to (and want to) avoid with my poster as the main threat in my short film could not be considered scary from appearance alone.

Editing process

I completed the first draft for my short film today. Although there are numerous improvements required and some footage that needs to be re-filmed, I am mostly happy with the way it is looking and the overall narrative it follows.
   One of the main problems with the footage is that the blood is not noticable enough in a couple of the shots. Although I have added an effect to make it stand out more, there is no continuity between three shots, and it is likely this footage will have to be filmed again. Colour is a problem affecting a number of other shots also, with the contrast being noticably different between some. This is a problem that can be resolved during the editing process.
   There is a slight continuity error between two consecutive scenes where the camera has been moved between recording. I have tried to solve this by cropping the shot to create a more specific focus, and zooming in to hide the error - though I feel it still stands out as an error.
   I was worried before starting the editing process that I would have too little footage to use as flashback scenes. I have managed to incorporate three seperate shots into my first draft that I feel looked natural and most appropriate. If I end up filming again, I may try to film some more shots that I could use, as I may need to extend the overall running time of the finished film.
   I have added some music over the whole of the footage which I feel fits the atmosphere I want to convey. I may revise this at a later time if I can find any that will be more appropriate to specific scenes e.g. the flashbacks likely require a more 'romantic' style of music. I may need to record some additional sound, specifically voices, that can be dubbed over some of the scenes featuring dialogue. The reason for this is that I am not sure how clear some of the voices are, and I don't want the audience to miss out on any audio.

Revised plot discourse

Original plot discourse post - http://oliviashearinga2media.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/plot-discourse.html

This is a revised plot discourse after filming my footage.

Shot 2 (without the zoom) is now the opening shot. The reason for this change is that I couldn't get the camera to focus on the subject of my original first shot and the zoom wasn't smooth enough.

Shot 3 has now been cut due to it not being relevant. This shot will now be replaced by a shot of the girl's hands (originally shot 11), followed by a fade to black.

Shots 5-8 need to be revised. I wasn't able to film the specific shots I originally wanted, however I did film some footage which could be used in place of the original shots. If the footage is appropriate, it will still be in sepia.

Shot 9 has been cut. Instead I will go straight to shot 10. I may use the shot of the girl's hands again if I feel it is necessary.

Shot 14 has been adapted slightly. The dialogue remains the same however the extreme close up has now been changed to a mid-shot showing the whole of the girl's face instead of focusing on one aspect. This was due to reasons similar to that behind the changing of shot 2.

Shot 15 has been cut.

Shot 17 has been changed slightly. Originally there was going to be muffled dialogue, however due to my changed narrative I will now have the following (characters unseen):

SUSIE - "Mum I'm hungry!"

MUM - "Susie I've only just got in from work alright! Just give me a minute."

SUSIE - "But I'm hungry now!"

MUM - screaming

Shots 18 and 19 have been cut. Instead I will use footage that was improvised on the day. This will include 'Susie' picking up the camera and filming her surroundings and showing the bodies of 'Mark' and her Mum.

Upon reflection, I may intercept the credits throughout this shot. This will ultimately depend on overall timing and the length of the footage.

I am thinking of having some music feature at various points in my film as the majority of it is without dialogue or specific background noise. I plan to ultimately make this decision when I have revised my footage and decided on the atmosphere I want to convey throughout my film as I feel this may have changed quite drastically after the filming of my footage.

Filming - 2/11/12

This post is a report of the filming process for my short film.
I was able to find a suitable location for the interior shots. One problem however was finding an equally appropriate outside setting. Due to the weather, we were unable to film in the latter location so now my film takes place inside throughout.
As mentioned in the post talking about my revised idea, my actors weren't comfortable doing the 'in love' scenes. I managed to collect some natural looking footage (which was my original intention), though whether this footage will be usable in my film remains to be seen.
Overall, the filming went pretty successfully. I followed the majority of my original plot discourse, however we were presented with some practical issues with regards to props and costume which meant I had to film new footage that was not in my original idea. One such problem was finding something which could pass for realistic looking blood. We used strawberry sauce, though this may not be noticable on screen and could leave the audience confused. The ending of my film has now changed completely. My film will now end with 'Susie' picking up the camera and filming herself surveying what she has done. The idea of the actors filming the footage appealed to me before as I wanted to retain as natural a sense as possible within my film.

I plan to review the footage I collected and determine what I plan to use. If my new idea doesn't work out, I will film the footage again and try to work around the problems we were presented with during the original filming.

Revised narrative and plot

Whilst filming, I decided to change the narrative of my short film deciding to add a much more typically scary and supernatural element.
I have decided to cut the scenes with my two characters together as the chosen location turned out not to be suitable, and my actors didn't feel comfortable playing out the scenes. I also decided these scenes would not make sense within my revised narrative.
The ending of my film has also changed quite dramatically. I have now decided to make the character of Susie a vampire to add a much more supernatural element to my film and to give the narrative a clearer conclusion. By tapping into the current trend of vampire films, I will widen my potential audience and give me a greater chance of showcasing my film in a larger cinema.

Plot discourse

In this post I will talk about the plot discourse of my short film.

1. Extreme close-up of girl's eyes with tears in them
SOUND - quick, sharp breaths
2. Camera begins to slowly zoom out until the whole of the girl's face fills the shot
BACKGROUND - dark natural light, no discernible setting
3. When shot 2 is complete, the girl looks down
4. Screen fades to black
5. Fading in, a shot of smiling boy's face fills the shot
BACKGROUND - park, trees dotted around, leaves on the ground (shots 5-8)
SOUND - boy and girl laughing, leaves crunching
COLOUR - sepia (shots 5-8)
6. As camera starts to slowly zoom out, a girl runs towards him from right side of camera and pushes him over
SOUND - laughing, leaves crunching
7. Sequence of shots showing couple together (30-40 seconds)
- no specific camera angles. I want this scene to look natural so will let the actors improvise and follow them and the action
SOUND - laughing, leaves crunching, natural dialogue and sounds
8. Mid-shot of couple kissing
9. Shot switches abruptly to that of girl looking down (should be continuation of shot 3)
10. Camera slowly zooms out until the girl can be seen fully
BACKGROUND - teenagers bedroom, girl should be sitting on bed in the centre of room
LIGHTING - dark, natural light as though from a dim lamp
SOUND - quiet, maybe some background noise
11. Close-up shot of girl's hands with blood on them
SOUND - same as 10
12. Shot switches to close-up of girl's face as she takes a deep breath
SOUND - same as 10, breathing
13. Mid-shot of girl turning head towards bedroom door
SOUND - door opening and closing downstairs (muffled)
- woman's voice shouting, 'Susie, I'm home!'
BACKGROUND / LIGHTING - same as 10
14. Extreme close-up of girl's mouth
SOUND - girl speaking, 'I'll be down in a minute Mum!'
15. Mid-shot of girl sitting on bed, as she turns to look at something on the bed behind her
SOUND - covers moving, things moving downstairs (muffled), natural background noise
BACKGROUND / LIGHTING - same as 10
16. Camera zooms out to fully show girl sitting on bed and the full setting. She stands up and walks towards the bedroom door and leaves the room
BACKGROUND - same as 10
SOUND - footsteps, door opening and closing
17. Shot of empty room (4 seconds)
BACKGROUND / LIGHTING - same as 10
SOUND - quiet in room, girl and mum talking downstairs (muffled and unclear)
18. Shot switches to close-up of boy lying on bed with blood on his face
BACKGROUND / LIGHTING - same as 10
SOUND - laughing (should be sound from shot 6)
19. Shot switches to mid-shot of boy and girl standing together, looking at the camera
BACKGROUND - park, trees in the background, leaves on the floor (similar to / same as shot 5)
COLOUR - sepia
SOUND - girl's voice saying 'I love you.'
20. Shot abruptly turns to black as though the camera has been switched off
21. Credits
SOUND - silence

My target audience profile

The target audience for my short film is teenagers, specifically ones between the ages of 16-18. I understand there may be a broader audience due to the genre of my film having a very dedicated following. With regards to cinema audience types, I would target the impressionable socialites and youth of today.
The age of my target audience means I will aim it at the C2, D and E brackets on the audience demographics scale. To ensure my film reaches these people, I would have it scheduled on a channel aimed predominantly at the teenage market such as E4. For wider distribution, a cinema of the multiplex variety would be most appropriate and likely the most effective due to teenagers preference towards this style of screening as opposed to smaller, arthouse cinemas. This form of distribution may not be fully attainable, in which case a website dedicated to showcasing short films may be the most appropriate and easiest way to achieve a wider viewing audience.
One example of this is the BBC Film Network site - http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/
Blog post on audience demogaphics - http://oliviashearinga2media.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/audience-demographics-for-benefit-of.html

*UPDATE*
After revising my idea, I feel I will now be able to target a wider audience by appealing to fans of films with similar character types such as Twilight, and TV programmes like The Vampire Diaries, as well as fans of the horror genre as a whole. I also believe my film will have more chance of being shown through a wider distribution method due to my potentially increased audience.
The target age demographic and audience type of my short film remains the same however.

How should my audience respond?

As a response to my short film, I want my audience to :

• ask questions
• feel shocked
• feel uneasy

Summary of plot narrative (version 1)

Set in a surburban household, a seemingly happy teenage relationship ends in tragedy. Intercepted with flashbacks showing the more cheerful moments between Susie and Mark, the full horror of their destroyed harmony will gradually become clear. What could drive a young girl to murder? How could an innocent relationship end so tragically?

Feedback

It works. Possibly a little more background information needed about characters and their relationships, and the locations (e.g. fixed point). Also, style of film not made clear enough.

Summary of plot narrative (version 2)

With the action centred around one surburban household, the film explores how a 2 year long teenage relationship can suddenly end in tragedy. Intercepted with flashbacks of 18 year olds Susie and Mark in happier times, the full extent of the horrific conclusion to their once innocent relationship gradually becomes clear, leaving you questioning how a young girl can turn to murder, and what could possibly end a typical teenage relationship so gruesomely?

Audience - Demographics for benefit of industry

Audiences can be categorised in a variety of ways. These are age, gender, religion, ethnicity, class, wealth and education. These are categorised further by the A-E scale which uses wealth, employment and education to determine placements.
According to this scale, the audience of category A earn an average of £100k a year. B earn £50/60k. This and the C1 category tend to be graduates in employment, earning a minimum of £35k. The next two categories (C2 and D) are likely to be in training having obtained a school level education. The final category - category E - are considered to be NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training), students, retired or unemployed.

This scale is used for the benefit of the film industry. It allows them to target their product placement and marketing/promotion at a specific focus group. It also allows them to create a clear target audience.

Audiences can be categorised further by determining what attitude they have towards film. There are three primary categories audiences can fit into - TRADITIONALIST, HEDONIST and POSTMODERNIST.
Traditionalists tend to stick to one specific genre. Familiarity is key and they very rarely steer away from their favourites.
Hedonists can be described as the risk-takers of cinema goers. They have a keen interest in new ideas and technology, regularly seeking out films from new directors or ones that adopt the latest advances in film-making.
Postmodernists like seeing remakes of classic films. They are interested in familiar ideas being refreshed  and introduced to a new audience.
Within these categories there are two more audience types - PASSIVE and ACTIVE. Passive audience members tend to see films others want to see. They don't tend to offer suggestions, preferring to go along with the majority. Active audiences are the opposite of this.

Exploring genre

In this post I will be exploring the genre within which my short film fits - horror.

• There are a variety of sub-genres, including paranormal, gore and psychological.
• Typical characteristics of the genre include darkness, loud noises, blood (particularly in more gory films), death and danger. Horror films thrive on playing with the audience's mind and provoking a reaction from them. As a result of this, many films within the genre feature scenes that will make the audience jump.
• There is a familiar narrative to most horror films. They generally start with a sense of equilibrium - the characters are typically happy with no worries. This is then sent into disarray with a strong sense of peril and danger until the conclusion. The ending to horror films varies. In a large number the villain is defeated, however this isn't always the case. Occasionally, as a final twist, the last survivor is killed (see example Eden Lake). In some instances, the ending is left open or the last scene provides a means of spawning a sequel.

A slideshare talking about the basic conventions of the horror genre can be seen below -

 

Short film - developed idea

I have developed my short film idea further. I now have the full story and an idea of what I want it to look like.

STORY/SCENES
The film starts with a close up of a girl's eyes. As the camera zooms out slowly, flashbacks are shown of the girl with a boy, playing and messing around in a park. The flashbacks continue, ending with the boy pulling a funny face at the camera. When the flashbacks end, the camera is zoomed out to its fullest showing the girl sitting on a bed with blood on her hands. A door is opened downstairs and a woman can be heard saying, 'Dinner's ready love.' The girl turns her head towards the door and shouts, 'Coming Mum'. As she stands, the boy can be seen lying on the bed covered in blood. As the bedroom door closes, a shot of the boy and girl smiling at the camera appears. This fades to black and the credits roll.

REPRESENTATION
In my short film, I want to challenge the representation of women in horror films. They are shown as weak and an easy target for the villain. In some films, they are represented as being dumb and are often killed early on. This representation is being challenged more and more by film-makers, with females being shown as being more independent and able to fight back. From the 1978 film, Halloween where Jamie Lee Curtis defeats Michael Myers on numerous occasions, to Neve Campbell in the Scream films killing the murderer throughout the series.
Another representation I want to challenge from the horror genre is that of the bad guy. They tend to be almost monstrous and generally rooted in fiction. For my short film, I want to take a lead from films such as Eden Lake where the villians were a group of youths and thus were purely human. By having the girlfriend as a killer in my film, I want to make the audience think about threats being much closer to home than the majority of horror films make out. I hope this will enhance the fear factor of my short film.
Here is the trailer for Eden Lake which includes a few clips from the ending of the film -


Eden Lake (2008) Trailer from dave smith on Vimeo.

*UPDATE*
After filming, some of the representations within my film have changed slightly. In the original post, I talked about how having the girlfriend as the killer would bring a more human aspect to the idea of the villain. Whilst the killer is still the same character, she is no longer 'human'. I hope to retain the idea of humanity however by focusing on her reactions.

Short Film

For my media project this year, I am making a short film. A short film is anything shorter than the conventional feature film running time of 1 hour 10 minutes.

I have devised a basic premise for my film. I have decided to adopt a simple approach to the story, location and characters as these have all presented problems with past projects. The idea is as follows: a perfectly normal teenage relationship ends in tragedy. The film will feature three characters - teenage boy, girl and woman (unseen). I will use two locations for the film - a park and bedroom. The film will feature flashbacks which will be clearly represented by having a sepia effect, contrasting with the dark/natural colours of the scenes set in the present.

Below are two examples of short films we looked at in class:




How They Get There (Spike Jonze) from South P on Vimeo.