Initial Animatic and feedback

After creating my initial storyboard, I need to create an animatic from that storyboard to ensure I know how long my short film is going to be, but also how it flows and fits together. Below is my animatic:

 

After creating my animatic I presented it to my teacher who told me the he likes it. He thought the script and plot where good just needed a little work to improve. However, he told me that I need to add a shot before we see the protagonist on the bus to set the scene; so the audience is aware that we have moved from outside to inside the bus. He also feels that I should intercut some stock footage of the film "1984" and feet marching, when the protagonist is walking down the road and at the same point at which he is speaking about the government.

We decided that I should take my short film into a very postmodern and dystopian area. I was unsure of how to end the film but as I have decided to take it into a postmodern and dystopian realm I think that I should finish the film with a nocking at the door and then the screen goes black and then the audience hear the door being broken down and loud voice enter, screams of pain and punches can be heard by the audience. Therefore this leaves it up to the audience to decide what happens to the protagonist.

From here I also to create a shooting schedule so I know what I need to do and when. 

Initial Storyboard

After deciding on my idea for my short film, where a man is released from prison and enters a world that is controlled by the government. I decided that I needed to create a storyboard that develops and demonstrates the story, plot and idea for the film.  To do this I have taken the "Initial Plot" summary and drawn how I envision the framing and scene to play out.

Here is my first initial storyboard that I will develop and change:

I presented this storyboard to my target audience and explained what was happening, the response was a positive one with some saying, "I really like the plot." Another saying "I like how you are taking a different approach on what could be a dark film." This has assured me that I am producing a film that my target audience is interested in.

After presenting this to my target audience, from here I think that I need to create an animatic so that I can understand how long my storyboard is and also to have a concept of how it flows; whether or not I need to add or remove some frames.

Finish Poster

Here is my final poster for the short film that I have designed and created based upon my research into the codes and conventions and also some inspiration from other films of the same genre as my own.

The poster was inspired heavily by this image on the right from the film "Clockwork Orange", another dystopian film adaptation from the novel. I used the exact same orange that was used in the background of this image as in my own poster and I also like the use of the white against the orange however decided not to use the same font. I felt that a more regimented and structure fonts would be more ideal to go with the narrative of my film. I liked that within the "Clockwork Orange" poster they used an icon that resemble the film itself, however wanted to do a similar thing but with text that revealed an idea of my short film however made the audience intrigued.

Therefore I knew that a flyer would be coming through my protagonists letterbox with a message on the front cover. "The revolution will be complete when the language is pure." Therefore I used this sentence, which was taken from the book 1984 and therefore my poster would also be self referential as well as my fill and therefore there was a further level of continuity between both texts. However to engage the audience and intrigued them about my short film I decided to remove "the language is pure." to only leave "The revolution will be complete when…" I felt that this would increase my audience are also reveal all at a sense of the Pops as the whole film is structured around an idea of a revolution taking place.

I feel that this poster is the most professional poster that I produced and also was the richest in terms of its content and inspiration as well as reflecting my short film successfully. This poster was also the one that my target audience felt was the most suitable for the idea of my short film.

Chosen Title - Left Unread

After finishing writing the script for the short film I've decided that one of the titles that I came up with when brainstorming a title for the short film was appropriate and also made the film engaging in interesting. The title for the short film I have decided upon was the title "Left Unread". I believe that this title is suitable because, on a basic level what the protagonists does to rebel is to leave the flyer that is posted through the letterbox unread. But also because of the nature of the short film, taken elements and inspiration from other dystopian texts the film itself may be left unread and not fully understood by the audience. Therefore the title tries to provoke the audience to delve deeper into the text to understand it further.

Initial Script

Here is the initial script that I have written for the voice over that will accompany the bus scene where the protagonists is sitting on the bus looking out the window and the audience sees the world through his eyes going by.

Look at it…another bright cold April day. It has always been another bright cold April day for as long as I can remember. That's not saying much, as after all… there’s no such thing as memory, well…no such thing anymore. 

The year is twenty twenty two…or  twenty twenty three…or  twenty twenty four? No one really knows. The years just…… life when on. 

There all getting ready for hate week now. You can’t see it, there is no banners… or poster …or advertisement but we all know. Those things… the banners and what not, where all removed during the “Great Freedom”. There’s stories, wonderful stories about people being happy. Large groups of people would together, just for the enjoyment of being with each other not for mid chant or appraisal. Those things that came after the “Great Freedom” and the government imposed on us.

The government has control of everything now, we all bow to them, we have no choice. There are four Ministries between which the government is divided. The Ministry of Truth, which concerns itself with news, entertainment, education, and the fine arts. The Ministry of Peace, which concerns itself with war. The Ministry of Love, which maintains law and order. And the Ministry of Plenty, which is responsible for economic affairs. Have I heard that before?

But we can’t talk or think about these matters, we are not allowed to, they know they always know. I should not have, I did not have, nothing was said. Forget what was said and then forget that you forgot what was said. 

That is how you stay alive here, that is how you remain sane.

I have used elements from the book "1984" but also built upon some of the ideas of my own to create this dystopian text that I believe has a greater sense of reality as it's not so far fetched as Orwell's text. It is a bit more grounded in the world we live in now but has some ominous tones.

After writing the initial script I have decided that I will take my coursework and combine it with the knowledge that I'm gaining within my examination unit studying post-modernism to create a short film that delves into some of the ideas of  a post-modern text using intertextuality, bricolage and pastiche.

Ideas for the title of the film.

A quick brainstorm of some ideas for the title of the short film.

• Untitled
• 5 minutes
• Completed
• Revolt
• Grand Stand
• Watching
• Left Unread
• The Great Freedom

I'm unsure if I would choose any of these titles or whether I would choose from different. However this is not a main priority as I can change a later date.

Chosen Locations

Before filming it is important to decide on the locations that I'll use to ensure that I have a clear vision of how all the locations will impact on the narrative but also the space that I have available to me to film. For this reason I went to the locations that I thought would be suitable for my short film and took photographs as references see below

Prison cell

Within school there is a small office and if I remove all of the items that are within the room, to create an empty shell I believe that this will fulfil the appearance of a prison cell. If I light it in the correct manner it should create a ominous enclosed feeling that I want the short film to begin with.

Bus

The bus that I will be using will appear something like this as I cannot insure the same bus will appear when I start filming. For that reason I can also not ensure that the interior of the bus will be the same if I need to reshoot anything. For this reason I need to carefully consider what shots I require with in the bus, therefore ensuring that the shots that I do take can easily be reshot if necessary to continue the continuity.

Street

After the protagonists has got off the bus he will walk down a street, this is the street that I will use. I have chosen the street because it is near the location for the interior of the home shots which means it is easily accessible and I can shoot both the exterior shots and interior shots within the same day making my production time effective. Also this street is relatively traffic free therefore I can use a tracking Dolly on the road to create a steady tracking shot. The road being traffic free also means that the filming will be more seamless as we will not have to stop n' start for cars etc.

Home

This is the interior location for where the protagonist will spend most of his time. I have chosen this location because it's neutral colours as this will focus the audience's attention onto the protagonist. The lack of items within the room will create a tense and unnatural atmosphere that is vital for the narrative. However there are slight allusions to wealth as the fireplace is positioned next to the chair but serves no other purpose but and aesthetic feature which further supports the unnatural atmosphere. Also can allude to the ideas presented in 1984 which the short film has been inspired by.

Now I have found my locations I can begin to start storyboarding as I have a firm foundation of references to include within the visualisation of the short film. Also now I have a full range of references including actors, props, costumes and now locations I can include these in my storyboard creating clear understanding and vision for how I want to create my short film.

Chosen Costume & Props

Costume

My short film was heavily inspired by the dystopian novel 1984 by George Orwell. The novel was adapted for film and therefore I felt that to carry this feeling of pastiche and intertextuality; the costume should mirror to some extent the costume worn by John Hurt's character Winston Smith. Within the film Winston Smith only wears a white a T-shirt and a blue overall. This simplistic costume I believe was chosen as its presents the idea that the people in society have no choice and they are without character and life and they all wear the same monotonous clothing, they have no identity. 

Therefore, for this reason of continuing the elements of pastiche and intertextuality I have chosen to slightly adapts the costume from 1984, to incorporate elements that I feel reflect the similar tone of individuals without an identity. Therefore I have chosen to retain the white T-shirt as I feel it can notes a sense of loss of character. However I do not want to use the blue overalls I still wanted to retain the sense of people with out life and character, therefore I chose a very bland greys, blacks for the rest of the costume. For the trousers I chose black sweatpants as I felt they gave a sense of the mundane, people not dressing for work but almost as if they casually standing around. Also I feel that they have no character they have, no substance they just an item of clothing.

However for the jacket that the protagonists will be wearing I chose a black waterproof jacket as again I feel due to this simple neutral colour it lacks any character. For the shoes again I chose a simple great grey pair of plimsolls that weren't smart but they also were not casual there in the middle not quite being either or. 

                                 Black Sweatpants                                            Black Jacket

                                    White t-shirt                                                Grey Plimsolls

I feel that the costume effectively represents the lifeless character that I am trying to portray within society, having references and acknowledgements to 1984 and a state what I have taken of my inspiration from. I also believe this costume is very easy to film with as it won't change and there can be a consistency and continuity across different shots as the clothing will remain the same.

Props

Green Bag

For the short film I've decided that they'll be only one main prop that will be used this is a green bag that is used by the protagonist. The bag is seen during the exiting from the building, the bus scene and the walking down the road. I chosen the bag to be green as it is contrast on the rest of the costume and therefore is a noticeable difference in the protagonists appearance. However, the bag is never explained, the audience never know what is in the bag or why he is carrying it, it leaves the audience asking the question and build the anticipation for the audience. However when the bag is in shot it draws the audiences attention however as soon as it's not seen it is forgotten as it is not a dramatic contrast and it can very easily be forgotten. Also the bag will never be full, it will be slightly empty and this further develop the intrigues and questioning behind what is inside the bag. The bag is actually the red herring for the audience making them asked questions and consider what is inside it actually never focusing on the true issue. This is a key theme an idea that I explore throughout my film.

After I've got my props and costumes sorted I now need to consider locations and start taking photos of where I wants my short film to be set.

Initial Mock up Posters

I have designed three posters that I hope to develop and refine so that one will become the final poster for my short film. Here are the three mockup posters that I have designed:

From this I will present them to my target audience and asked them for feedback. From this feedback I will develop my final poster.

From my target audience feedback I have found that the two favourite posters where The first (on the left) and the seconded (in the middle). I asked my target audience why did they not like the third poster, many said they found the contrast between the red and white to many and that made the poster unappealing. However they also said that they did not understand the significance and importance of the four pillars, even after I explain the storyline to them. For this reason and because the poster seems more ambiguous and unappealing to my target audience I ruled this one out.

Furthermore I asked my target audience why they preferred the first and second choices. Many said that they preferred the first one because of its simplistic and minimalistic nature. They also said that though it was similar to the third one, the contrast was less strong made it more appealing and interesting to look at. People who preferred the second choice of poster said it because it was ambiguous and it left them wanting to watch the short film and find out more because of the character in the background.

From this target audience feedback I have decided that I will develop both posters and then choose which one I want to lead with to create my final finished poster.

Chosen Actor

For my short film I have created a storyline that only uses one actor as the main character. I feel that this both helps and supports the narrative and meaning of the short film and in practical terms it makes it much easier to organise and ensure that the actor is available for filming. I have chosen two actors to choose from:

                                     Connor Barbor                                        Jack O'Connor

I have chosen Connor Barbor as my actor for my short film. I have made this choice because, I don't feel that he looks like the stereotypical individual who has been to prison, however there is a dark and moody look about him that matches the idea and style of the character that I have tried to give the protagonist within my short film. I feel that this is a positive that he does not look stereotypical like a person that has been to prison because the character within the film is distant from the rest of society and removed from the norm.

Within a short film I have found that it is a convention to use a small cast as due to the nature of a short film's storyline has to be established in a quick fashion and therefore the audience needs to become accustomed to the characters background. Therefore having only one character in my film means at the audience can become sympathetic and knowledgeable about this individuals background but I can also elaborate and create a more dynamic and interesting short film because there is less establishing to do of characters and locations.

From here I now need to start deciding and collecting props, costumes and locations that I will like to use within my short film. Also I need to start creating a storyboard as for my short film there is a lot of separate sequences that get piece together. Therefore storyboard process will take a long time and the sooner I start on this the more time effective it will be.

Initial Plot

After deciding on the story for my short film I have begun to consider the plot and events that will occur in chronological order for my short film. I have stated earlier that I would ideally intend to experiment with different narrative forms, however I feel that this process should be carefully considered and experimented with during the postproduction phase and the traditional chronological narrative should be considered during the preproduction phase.

Initial Plot Outline:

• Set within a prison cell, the male protagonist is sitting down on a chair with a duffle bag, next to him. He is facing forward and has no expression on his face.
• A jump in time, the protagonist is walking behind a prison guarded down the corridor.
• The protagonist is signing him self out of the prison and walks out and away from the prison. 
• He is sitting and waiting for a bus at the bus stop. When the bus arrives he gets on. (This is all shot at a distance and does not follow him on to the bus.)
• In side the bus, facing him over the chair, the protagonist is staring out the window watching the world go past.
• Cut to a long shot of the view out of the bus. Voice over by protagonist. 
• The protagonist gets off the bus and walk home down the street, the camera tracks him.
• He looks around constantly, this sequence is intercut with shots of people, place and CCTV cameras.
• The protagonist enters his house.
• There is a change in time.
• He is sitting down in a chair in a room that looks like it should be a living room but there is only the chair in the room. A ticking clock can be heard. (Long Duration Shot)
• Change in frame and he gets up out of the chair is walks out of the room.
• The next the audience see is him in the kitchen. He is standing aimlessly in the middle of the room.
• He puts the kettle on, a montage of him making coffee begins.
• There's only two things in the cupboard a coffee and a cup, the entire cupboard is empty apart from these items.
• After the coffee is made he leaves the kitchen, and enters the living room and sits down. 
• Many continuous shots are then shown from different angles and framings of the protagonists sitting in a chair drinking is coffee, time passes and nothing happens.
• The sound of the letterbox opening and closing can be heard, the protagonists turned his head to face the direction.
• He gets up and proceeds towards the front door and the letterbox.
• On the carpet there is a flyer that has the heading stating "The revolution will be complete when the language is perfect."
• He got a flyer and turned around and walks back into the living room.
• Night falls and he remained in the living room in a chair.
• The morning comes he gets out of his chair leave the house, (making care to step over the flyer) and walks down the street.
• He enters the newsagents and go straight to the newspapers.
• All the papers have headlines that mirror that of the flyer from the previous day.
• He buys one of each newspaper returns home.
• When he gets home he immediately burns them in the fire.

After this I now feel that I need to begin to consider how I would like my short film to end and as I am having a split ending with the audience decides how they want the short film to conclude I need to script and decide upon the plot for both endings.

Initial Story

After careful deliberation and consideration of my ideas from my brainstorm. on my chosen genre of social commentary, I have decided that no idea by itself is strong enough to carry my short film. Therefore I have decided that I would piece together and we've a story from all of the initial ideas that I had. My idea for the story of my short film is:

The beginning of the short film follows a male protagonist after his release from prison and the audience follows his re-integration into society. When he is released he finds enjoyment in the mundane. However within the society there is an omnipotent presents that overshadows everything. However the male protagonists rebels and rejects the status quo that is forced upon him and rebels against the mundane shaking up his routine. All of the inner thoughts and true feelings are represented through the non-diegetic internal monologue of the male protagonists. The objective of the omnipotent presence is to, control all aspects of society and eliminate all those aspects that they see to not fit into their idea of a perfect fraternity. One of their missions and goals is to perfect the language and this marks the end of the revolution but the start of the dictatorship. 

In regards to the ending I decided to adopt an idea that I had earlier on, to creates two one-minute endings and then the audience would have to decide which ending they wanted for the short film. However as the story revolves around a dystopia the audience would have to decide between lesser of the two greater evil endings.

Feel that I now need to take my initial story to my teacher for his input and ideas on whether it would work and if there's anything that I need to consider.

Genre Ideas

After deliberating on my chose of genre - Social Commentary. I have re-brainstorm some ideas that i will be considering.

• Rejection of the mundane.
• Routine is shaken up.
• A world where we are all watched, but no one knows, apart from one person.
• The audience follows a person but hear there internal monologue.
• "2+2=5."
• "The revolution will be complete when the language is perfect."
• "There is no life in this town, just pixels and pretence."
• "Unfortunately, feeling is a capital offence."
• An omnipotence presents, over shadows society.
• A man is released from prison and the audience follow his re-integration into society.

Chosen Genre

After considering some ideas I feel that I am drawn to the genre of "Drama" with the specific sub-genre of  "Social commentary". However, I still need to create a focus for what the commentary will be on. I am currently thinking of an omnipotence narrative, however I am unsure if the omnipotence characteristic should be a part of a character or a method in which the short film is shot.

Another idea I had was to do a social commentary on a dystopia. However, I would create a narrative that is based on a dystopian world but create two, one minute endings and the audience would have to decide which ending they would prefer for the short film however they would have to choose between the lesser of two greater evils.

I feel that now I have decided on my genre and sub-genre I need to create some new ideas and select some from my original brainstorm. After this I can then begin to decide upon and concentrate on my chosen idea.

Initial Ideas for Short Film

These are some of my initial ideas for the plot or speech that will begin the development of creating my short film.

• A man chases after many girls and keeps making the same mistakes. - Comedy
• "We create lies because we are shamed of the truth, then they grow and fester, than the lie becomes the reality." - Drama
• One main character with a split personality disorder, the audience follows both personals that juxtapose each other. - Drama
• "They would never see each other again, but at that moment she smiled." - Comedy / Drama
• A man is just released from prison: we follow his story (before and after) - Action / Adventure
• "A new secret was born." - Crime / Gangster
• "I have been chased all my life and finally they have court me" - Action / Adventure
• A man that is obsessed with destruction and downfall - Drama
• "My Life was planed out for me." - Crime / Gangster / Drama
• The audience follows a standard dull life, however a voice over presents controversial thoughts. - Drama
• A world that appears to be a utopia however it is a dystopia. - Drama

Initial Area of Focus

After evaluating my audience research and investigating into the codes & conventions of short films I have decided that the two initial focuses that I want to explore and possibly experiment with within my short film are the idea of narrative and the colour quality of the film.

I want to experiment with the narrative, maybe creating a postmodern or subversive narrative that forces the audience to question and consider what just happened after they've watched the film. This idea of experimenting with narrative has come from my analysing of the short films "Back to Solitude", "Plot Device" and "Loop". I think these three along with feature films such as "Pulp Fiction" will really inspire and be used as a reference point for my own short film.

I have recently watched Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo" which is been remastered and found a fascination  for the method in which the colour was presented. I feel that the modern way of filming has become so realistic that it actually has become fake and superficial. Whereas the traditional and old-fashioned way of filming where the colours were more vibrances and the contrast was higher has a lower level of verisimilitude yet creates a real sense of life. However I think it goes deeper than that I think that audiences go to the cinema and what short films for escapism and the more accurate and the higher level of verisimilitude the film has, it actually has the reverse effect and it becomes shallow and unrealistic.

These are just a few areas that I would like to experiment with within my short film I need to focus and decide upon key areas that I would like to use such as the genre, plots, narration and characters for a go any further.

Regulations and Restrictions

After my research I have decided that I need to conclude this section of planning by summarising the regulations, restrictions and acknowledging the key aspects that I need to adhere to.

The brief:

• Create a short film in its entirety, 
• Approximately five minutes in length,
• Live action and/or animation,
• A poster for the film,
• A film magazine review page.

Main task:

Codes and Conventions:

  

    Miss-en-scence:

• Decor, setting, costume, space and acting - all depend on the plot,
• The majority of short films use high-key lighting.

    Cinematography:

• Shallow focus is used rather than deep focus,
• I have noticed more high angle framing in short films them low angle,
• The whole range of scales were used - medium shots was the most used throughout all of the short films,
• All movement of the camera was used - Tracking shot was used most often.

     Editing:

• Kept to the simplest and central elements,
• 180 degree rule was used to not disorientate,
• Continuous editing was used to create a seamless narrative,
• Cheat cuts to keep the pace quick,
• Shot reverse shots to show action and dialogue.

     Sound:

• Kept simple,
• Often using parallel sounds with the action of the scene.

Survey:

• Audiences watch shot films most often in the comfort of own home and therefore may be passive to the media,
• Audiences normally consume short films using YouTube on their laptops - can easily be distracted by the Internet,
• Genres to choose from, Action / Adventure, Comedy, Crime & Gangster and Drama,
• Audiences prefer a close narrative,
• Between a linear and cyclical structure audiences are split 50-50,
• Audiences prefer diegetic spoken dialogue rather than voice-over,
• Protagonist and antagonist audience prefer male for both,
• The plot and story sales short film.

Ancillary tasks:

Poster

      Codes and Conventions:

• Film Names
• Actor(s) Names
• Main Images
• Tagline/Slogan
• Cast & Crew

Magazine Review 

      Codes and Conventions:

• Images
• Title
• Text Body
• Rating
• Other (background) information
• Author's name
• Verdict

Survey

• The plot and story sales a short film and therefore needs to be clearly portrayed within both ancillary tasks.

Now after I have concluded all of the regulations and restrictions that I need to adhere to, I can start planning and creating some ideas for my short film and what the plot and story should revolved around.

Audience Survey Response and Analysis

I have completed my survey and have gathered together 50 responses from my target audience of people who watch short films. I believe that it is now critically important to analyse the survey responses to gather together the data that I needs to create an effective short film that appeals to my target audience.

The first four questions where used to identify the range of subjects that took part in my survey, but also to recognize who is most likely to watch short films. Therefore from my first question, specifying the gender of the subject I can extrapolate two things; the first being that I asked a higher majority of females to respond to my survey than males. Also this could signify that more females watch short films than males, as before the applicant filled in my survey I asked them if they watched short films in the first place, and if they did I then proceeded to ask them to fill out the survey.

My second question was specifically looking to identify the age range of all the subjects that took part in the survey. My responses have indicated that a higher proportion of 11 to 20 year olds watch short films, however this is most likely unreliable as the largest group of people that I asked were individuals that went to my school environment and therefore their age range is limited. For this reason I believe that this data is untrustworthy and should be regarded as an outlier, not included in my judgement for my target audience.

My third question was meant to identify the ethnicity of the subject group that I surveyed, however similarly to the second question I do not believe that this data is reliable. I did not take into consideration that I would not extend broader than my local environment of Buckinghamshire and as Buckinghamshire is a majority white county with 91.7% of citizens being white, that this would effect my results. Again I believe this data is untrustworthy.

My fourth and final question to identify the range of subjects that took part in my survey, asked the applicants to enter in their occupation. By analysing the data I can infer that due to the limited scope of my survey the majority of subjects would have entered students as I ask the majority of candidates to fill in my survey from my school environment.  However due to the range of occupations that I received, excluding the tally of each occupation I can infer I have a broad range of professions and therefore a broad range of individuals that watch short films. This is something to be aware of when creating my final product as it needs to appeal to a wide range of individuals.

The following questions identify the specific ways of consumption, genre, narrative, plot, and marketing. The first three questions identify the methods of consumption by my target audience. This question asks what location the target audience watch short films have identified that the highest majority of individuals watch short films in the comfort of their own home. This is significant as because they are home they become considerably more passive to the media they are consuming, than if they are in the cinema with a large group of people sharing the same emotions and engagement. This signifies that I need to pay close attention to creating an engaging and interesting short film that Will captivate their attention.

This question asks what device do the target audience used to consume the media. The highest proportion of individuals have selected laptop as a device that they watch their chosen media on, closely followed by the television. This is significant as usually due to the nature of a laptop the audience can get easily disengaged with their chosen media and, for example start browsing the web. It could also be interpreted that due to the nature of the laptop screen being closer to the audience and therefore may signify that they are more engaged with their chosen media as it is appeared closer to them physically.

The next question asks the audience what source they use to watch a short film. YouTube was the greatest selected source (69%) followed by catch up television such as BBC's iPlayer (47%). This signifies that the target audience and don't pay to watch short films as both top sources are free for viewing. This could also signify that the target audience once a broad range of material that they can choose to watch therefore YouTube is obviously going to be the most popular option. However due to YouTube wanting to promote other content with being the best sites videos have two constantly battle with keeping the audience engaged therefore this can indicate that to create a successful short film that the target audience will most likely view on YouTube I need to create and engaging and stimulating narrative.

This question is specifically asking a subject to indicate a preferred range of genres that they watch. This is a critical question within my survey as this will infer which genre and therefore what style of short film I will begin to create. All genres have been chosen however the top four the genres are, Action / Adventure (66%), Comedy (68%), Crime & Gangster (38%) and Drama (50%) (subjects could select more than one genre, therefore the percentages do not add up to 100.) As these are the top for genres that were selected by the target audience I feel that it is now down to my personal choice of which of these four genres I would prefer to create a short film for. I will begin to create plot ideas in the following month and then choose which one I prefer and then begin to create a narrative around the genre of the idea.

These two questions specifically ask the subjects what type of narrative style do they prefer. The first question asks does the individual prefer a closed or open narrative. A higher percentage of individuals, 62% have the selected they prefer a closed narrative. To create a short film that is engaging I need to keep some of the traditional conventions at the target audience expects but also transform others therefore I believe that I should conform to this traditional convention of having a closed narrative.

However the second question asks the audience do they prefer a linear or cyclical structure, within reason this response (linear 54% and circular 44%) can be considered as being equal and as I would like to transform some conventions I would prefer to try and experiment with a cyclical structure.

This specific question asks the audience which style of a narrative do they prefer spoken dialogue or a voice over, non-diegetic dialogue. Spoken dialogue received the highest majority of 76% preferring to have diegetic dialogue. Originally when considering a short film I wanted to attempt a voice over for my short film. However after receiving my responses my target audience prefers a traditional spoken narrative therefore I might consider experimenting with different types of spoken narrative such as breaking the fourth wall.

These questions combined are investigating the characterisation of the protagonists and antagonist with in the short film. It is interesting that both questions the audience have preferred a male as both the protagonists and antagonist. This is a huge factor to consider when creating the narrative of the short film and I will need to observe how my audience relates to the protagonist. But moreover if I will have an antagonist personified as a character and therefore if I would want appropriate the conventions or transform them.

This question directly blinks to how all I will market my short film within my ancillary tasks and what the target audience feels is the most successful and appealing aspect to a film. 82% of my target audience has said that the story and plot is what sells the short film for them therefore my axillary tasks must portray the story and plot from my short film. Also the plot a story that iTunes must be engaging and interesting for my target audience.

After evaluating all of my responses I now have a better understanding of what my target audience desires from short film and what I am required to do to satisfy their needs for an engaging and interesting product. I will develop and consider what aspects of their responses I will appropriate, transform and subvert within my short film. Now I feel that I need to conclude the research by acknowledging any regulations and restrictions that I need to adhere to.

Evaluation of Previous Students Ancillary Tasks

In a similar way to my evaluation of previous students short films the only feasible way to judge the ancillary tasks fairly and consistently is to use the marking criteria for print. Again this will enable me to have a critical prospective on my own work as well as pass students as I'll be able to understand what is needed from me to gain the higher levels. Furthermore this will again help me to understand and evaluate previous years but also support and aid my development of my own skills in creating my ancillary media.

I am evaluating these short films on the following criteria:

The candidate's use of technical skills:

• awareness of conventions of layout and page design
• awareness of the need for variety in fonts and text size
• accurate use of language and register
• the appropriate use of ICT for the task set
• appropriate integration of illustration and text
• framing a shot, using a variety of shot distances as appropriate
• shooting material appropriate to the task set; selecting mise-en-scène including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting
• manipulating photographs as appropriate, including cropping and resizing.

The levelling for these technical skills are as follows:

Level 1 (0-3 Marks) - Work is likely to be unfinished. There is evidence of minimal ability in the creative use of any of the technical skills.

Level 2 (4-6 Marks) - There is evidence of basic ability in the creative use of some of the technical skills.

Level 3 (7-8 Marks) - The candidate is expected to demonstrate proficiency in the creative use of most of the technical skills.

Level 4 (9-10 Marks) - The candidate is expected to demonstrate excellence in the creative use of most of the technical skills.

Lewis Underwood's Ancillary Tasks

Poster

Review

In evaluating both of these ancillary tasks compared to the criteria, I would mark the poster 9/10 which is a Level 4 and the review 8/10 putting it at Level 3. Breaking down the poster I would evaluated the design and layout as being excellent, font and text size proficient and the use of language and integration of illustration and text as also being proficient, I consider the poster as missing some key elements such as names of actors and a tagline to draw the audience in. However the use of ICT, the range of shots, mise en scène and the manipulation of the photo show excellent technical skills.

In regard to the review I really consider the layout, range of font sizes, language, ICT, integration of illustrations and text, and manipulating of photos shows a proficient use of technical skills and the range of shots I believe only shows a basic level of creativity, compare to the poster it doesn't have the same house style or synergy. Though it contains all the codes & conventions for a film review it doesn't have a similar professional quality that the posted as compared to it's counterparts.

Graham Forward's Ancillary Tasks

Poster

Review

After considering both the poster and review I consider both of them to be in a level 2 however the poster to be 5/10 and the review to be 4/10. Both of them in all aspects of the criteria; layout, font size, language, ICT, integration illustrations and text, range of shot types, mise en scène and the manipulation photography is all a basic level of proficiency. The poster is missing a large array of additional codes & conventions such as the actor names, casting crew but most of all a professional and coherent design - to me this poster looks like a DVD cover.

I have a similar problem with the layout and design of the review it doesn't look professional or contains the traditional code & convention that I have associated with a film review. The background is one solid colour, there is not a large image that contains most of the page, the text is interspersed and erratic - the design is not professional and the layout or structure does not abide by the traditional conventions of a review.

Daniel Parslow's Ancillary Tasks

Poster

Review

After I evaluated these ancillary tasks I have come to the conclusion of that poster is Level 3, 8/10 and the review is level 2, 6/10. I decided that the poster is a top of level 3 as the layout, integration of illustrations and text and manipulation of photographs show a higher level of proficiency in creativity where as the use of font sizes, ICT, shots and mise en scène shows an excellent use of creativity and abide by the cost & conventions of a traditional film poster. On the other hand I would have giving this poster a level 4 if the use of language would've been better, I gave a level 2 for the use of language as there was some elements such as a tagline, actors names etc. that were missing from the final poster.

I believe that the review is a level 2 as the design and layout does not abide by the traditional for that is used in film review magazines and shows a basic level of creativity which is the same for the use of ICT, integration of images and text, shot types, mise en scène and manipulation of photographs. however I did awards a proficient understanding for the use of different font sizes and the language that has been used to write a review, for immediate the writing reflected a similar yet unrefined style of review that is not traditional of a magazine's writing style.

Steven Jones' Ancillary Tasks

Poster

Review

After evaluating these ancillary tasks I have decided that the poster deserves a level 4, 9/10 and the review deserves a level 3, 8/10. In regards to the poster the layout and design has a very professional and coherent design and in my opinion definitely shows excellent creative technical skills as well does the font size, ICT skills, integration illustrations and text, choice of shots and manipulation photographs. However the use of language for me and only shows proficiency and there are some elements such as actors and cast & crews names that are missing from the poster and the mise en scène though dramatic does not allude to the genre of the short film.

When evaluating the film review I consider the layout to be showing a proficient use and understanding of the codes & conventions that are traditional for magazine review. A proficient uses also been shown to the use of the language, ICT, integration of illustrations and text, mise en scène, and the manipulation of photographs. However the use of font shows an excellent understanding of the differences in Sideys relativity the importance of the information, on the other hand the choice of s shows a basic level of creativity.

Laura Budden's Ancillary Tasks

Poster

Review

After evaluating the poster and review and comparing them to the other eight ancillary tasks I have decided that the poster deserves level 2, 5/10 and the review deserves level 1, 3/10. I have given the poster a level 2 as I see the layout, font and shot types shows a basic level of creativity, however the editing of photos I believe shows proficiency as the background around the individual has been taken out which is a high level skill. Where as the use of language, ICT, integration of illustrations and text and mise en scène is a minimal level of creativity and is the reason why I believe it did not deserve higher.

When evaluating the review however I believe it only shows a minimal level of creativity, the use font, ICT, shop types and mise en scène all, I believe show a minimal capability and creativity in regards to creating a magazine style. However the layout, language, ICT, range of shot types, and the manipulation of photo, I believe show basic level of creativity and therefore I considered this review to be at the top of a level 1. from me this review is the professional quality to rip there is traditional for magazine review at the amount of content is limited which indicates that it is of a minimal unfinished quality, that is associated with the level one.

After my evaluation of the ancillary tasks from the short film brief, I have come to the conclusion that the areas that are the strongest in terms of the creation of the poster are the layout, ICT, shot types, and manipulation of photos. However the areas that I believe I need to focus on as much as the others are the use of language and the integration of illustration and text. When I was evaluating the posters these are the areas that I consider need more work to create a professional feel, need as much consideration as the layout, ICT, shot types and manipulation of photos have.

In regards to the review of the areas that I consider to be the strongest are the use of font, language, ICT, and the integration of illustrations and text. However the areas that I believe I need to consider when creating my review, as much as the other areas are the inclusion of different shot types and the mise en scène of the shots, to create a professional and coherent review that buys by the traditional codes & conventions of a magazine review.

Evaluation of Previous Students Short Films

The only way I can appropriately evaluate previous student's short films, that I can see, is to judge them against the marking criteria for film/television/video. This will enable me to have a critical prospective on my own work as well as pass students as I'll be able to understand what is needed from me to gain the higher levels. From evaluating past students work I can see and understand what worked well and what didn't work as well to improve and develop my own skills in creating a short film.

I am evaluating these short films on the following criteria:


The candidate's use of technical skills:

• shooting material appropriate to the task set; including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot sizes and close attention to mise en scene
• editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions, captions and other effects
• recording and editing sound with images appropriately.

The levelling for these technical skills are as follows:

Level 1 (0-14 Marks) - Work is likely to be unfinished. There is evidence of a minimal level of ability in the creative use of any of the technical skills.

Level 2 (15-23 Marks) - There is evidence of a basic level of ability in the creative use of some of the technical skills.

Level 3 (24-31 Marks) - The candidate is expected to demonstrate proficiency in the creative use of most of the technical skills.

Level 4 (32-40 Marks) - The candidate is expected to demonstrate excellence in the creative use of most of the technical skills.

Lewis Underwood's Short Film

For this past student's work I would evaluate it as being a Level 3 product with 30/40. I feel that the use of editing to create meaning was excellent, the use of cross dissolves and fades to create the appearance of the protagonists death was creative, definitely in level 4. However, though the candidate used a variety of shot types and framings, there was moments when the camera wasn't controlled, and especially with the tracking shot the protagonist went out of frame, which indicates to me that the candidate did not have controlled use of the camera, therefore I would give a Top Level 3 for the use of camera. As well is this I did not feel that the mise en scène or the recording and editing of sounds was carefully considered in the production and post-production stages. Especially in regard to the editing of sound I could identify the non-diegetic sounds even though it was being presented as coming from with in the scene, as the levelling did not have a consistency. For both sound and, mise en scène I would give a mid level 3.

Graham Forward's Short Film

For this candidate's work I don't think it is as strong as the previous candidates and therefore I believe it's a Level 3 with 25/40. I have based my judgement on the fact that I do not feel that both the editing and the recording and editing of sounds are sufficient or even proficient. I consider both as a basic level, the editing did not create any sufficient amount of meaning with basic transitions (fades) and traditional cheat cuts, and the sound, again that was supposed to be presented in the scene, yet was non-diegetic jetty the levelling for these elements such as the mobile phone ring tone was distinctively post-dubbed. However I consider the camera and the mise en scène to be a medium use of proficiency within the work as through out the product the candidate had controlled use to the camera with varying shot movements and angle but not a variation of framing that is needed in my opinion to reach a level 4. The mise en scène shows a proficient creativity through the use of location and costume yet the use of lighting and decor is not suffice for a Level 4.

Daniel Parslow's Short Film

For this short film I consider it to be a Level 4 product with 36/40. I believe that it shows excellent use of camera, through the varying shot types and framing and through the excellent control that is given, creating the appearance of a point of view style on filming. I also consider the sound and mise en scène to be an excellent use of creativity, through the recording and editing of sound to create the appearance of a ghostly nature and the use of the voice-over creates the mystery's thrilling atmosphere that I believe the short film house. In regards to the mise en scène, the choice of decor, lighting, space, costume and location all creates a similar atmosphere which adds to the eerie and spooky nature of the short film and intensifies it, and demonstrate an excellence use of technical skill. However I believe the editing to be proficient as there could of been an alternative way, that this short film could be put together to create more of an intense meaning to emphasise the supernatural and foreboding atmosphere.

Steven Jones' Short Film

Comparing this short film to the other three that I've watched previously I consider this to be a Level 2 with 18/40. For me the recording and editing of sound showed a minimal level of creativity, as only the diegetic sounds while filming was used and non-diegetic music was use to reinforce the mood of the product. As only parallel sound was used, the music was not as significant where as if contrapuntal music was used it would've made it unusual and possibly may have even reinforced deeper the meaning of the product. In regards to the camera, editing and mise en scène I consider it to be a basic level of proficiency, though there was a controlled use of the camera there wasn't a wide variety of framings or shot movements, angles and types that I believe are needed for the proficiency or excellence. As well is this the mise en scène send lacked some vibrancy and range, to end level three, it felt a little bit static/ reserved lots expands the full range of decor, lighting, space, costume and location. The editing lacked a certain sophisticated meaning and the transitions were insignificance to the narrative, I feel that this plot could be explored through an alternative routed and then the split screen approach that was used.

Laura Budden's Short Film

I consider this candidate's product to be a Level 2 with 23/40. I believe that the camera shows a efficient use of creativity, as there is a clear control that is used and a variation of framings and shot movements tight and angles, but without the flair that an excellent piece would have shown. The mise en scène is on the borders, I consider, between proficient and basic creativity as there are moments when the concepts of mise en scène are exploited to its full but there are moments where it is lacking and doesn't feel as considered or planned. In regard to the editing and sound both I believe are a basic level of proficiency as the editing doesn't explore advance means of creating meaning or advanced transitions. The sound is also a low level of creativity switching between diegetic and having no diegetic sound within the peace and there being a constant non-diegetic music signifies to me that there is a lower level of creativity that has been considered in regards to the recording and editing of sound.

By analysing these five short films, created by pass students I have identified that the key concepts of camera and mise en scène are what the students have excelled that and it is the concept of editing and sound, what have let them down in achieving the higher levels. I now know that the key areas that I need to focus on is to ensure that my editing & sound is as carefully considered and planned as the camera and mise en scène with in my product.

I now need to evaluate the past students ancillary tasks to ensure a similar idea, of what stopped them from achieving the higher levels, based on the mark scheme for print.

Short Film - Codes & Conventions the Effect

"Back to Solitude"

Mise-en-scene
The use of the setting, costume and decor with in the short film supports the narrative and story of  “Back to Solitude” . They act as an aid to illustrate and informed the audience of the somewhat complicated narrative structure. However lighting has been used in an unusual way within the short film, at the beginning where the narrative was presenting the end of the relationship depicted it would be conventional to use low-key lighting to reflect the sombre mood. However within the short film the beginning depicting the end of the relationship was presented with high-key lighting where as the end depicting the beginning of their relationship was depicted with low key lighting. This supports the reverse narrative structure and also the non-diegetic voice-over, and therefore the lighting is in juxtaposition with what’s happening within this scene but supports the narrative voice over as well. This adds another layer of semantic elements to the film, that assists the audience understanding of this complicated narrative.


Cinematography
The framing within the short film, over the shoulder and point of view shots act as a means in which to create a superficial relationship between the characters within the film and the audience. They also act to illustrate the character is tumultuous relationship and help the audience to identify with it. The scale of shots also supports this superficial relationship however through the distance that is depicted between the camera and the actors. However the scale goes further than that and whereas the narrative is presenting the reverse of what actually happening, the shot scale refers to what actually is being depicted within the sea. So for example the beginning displayed the end and the scale of framing refers to this as the shot is displayed to the audience is a long shot of both characters. Whereas, at the end, portrays the beginning,  the scale is a close up to the characters faces so the audience are forced to create a superficial bonds with the characters. The use of motion also supports this connection between characters and the audience with the use of racking focus, as very often when both characters are presented within a frame, instead of changing the position, the focus is changed from one character to the other which depicts the relationship between both.

Editing
The Dip to Black has been used within the editing to refer to the change in either location or time within the film. This supports the reverse narrative as the audience is always slightly unsure at what moments in the relationship are they being presented with. Furthermore the dip to black also supports the jump in time from the beginning to the end of the film and acts as bridging the difference moods within the scenes. The slow rhythm of the film can support the narrator’s slow pace to the voice-over but also can reinforce the prolonged and endured relationship between both characters. It is all the editing has been used to create a reverse style of story whereas the narrative presents the linear structure beginning to end, the editing has been used to reverse the narrative and create a cyclical narrative where the beginning is the end in the end is the beginning.

Sound
Within the short film parallel sound is used, however at the moment is sound effect is as which sounds very similar to the sound of audio being reversed. This supports the idea of the reversed narrative within the films, and appears at significant moments where, what the narrator is saying and what is actually happening is in juxtaposition to each other. There is no diegetic dialogue within the film but only non-diegetic voice over and music. This supports the idea of there being an outsider observing this relationship but also how the reverse narrative is created.


Mr. Foley

Mise-en-scene
All of the encompassing mise en scène within the short film supports the ironic nature of the film however the use of the high-key light reinforces and signifies the superficial nature of this dream like scenario. The use of the setting and costume signifying the hospital and how it is featured at the beginning and also the end of the film can signify this is an ongoing and repetitive treatment, this just exaggerates the humour and comical aspects of the narrative.

Cinematography
The use of the cold colour to the film reinforces the superficial quality and emphasises the comical aspects in a similar way to the high-key light. The use of the high angle combined with the long shots reinforces the humour within the scene as it creates distance between the character and the audience and the viewer doesn’t become as connected to the character therefore what happens towards him is seemed to be more satirical. The use of tracking and steadycam add some motion toward the scene and also adds the idea of the audience following what is happening to the character almost as if their are a person with in this scene rather than an objective viewer.

Editing
A dip to black transition has been used to infer the passing of time between one moment and another bridging the gap between two scenes. This affects the audience as the continuity editing has been used to move the story on without giving the appearance of the passing of time. This combined with the use of the cheat cuts in quick succession adds to the quick pace of the short film which adds to the drama and the excitement that is required to keep the story engaging and comical.

Sound
Interesting aspect of this short film is the source of the sound as though the foley artists are presented within the film and of the sound effects are applied Post production therefore they are post synchronised to the film. Whereas, though in fact the artists and the sounds they are creating are presented with in the diegesis the  sounds become diegetic rather than non-diegetic, even though they are non-diegetic. By the fact that the sounds are matching the action presented on screen they automatically fall into the category of being parallel audio which is important for the short film as it is the audio that drives the story and ads that comical aspects.

Plot Device

Mise-en-scene
Within the short film there is an array of different genres which are presented. This creates a challenge for the mise en scène and defining each element within it. Therefore because the genres are so varied and extensive the mise en scène hast to comform with a genre that is trying to be presented there for the setting, lighting, space, costume and decor all has to match the codes and conventions to each genre as by the very nature mise en scène is one of the first and most obvious aspects for the audience that identifies what genre they are watching. The mise en scène matches the genre that is being presented, within the short film.

Cinematography
In a very similar way to the Mise-en-scene the cinematography the scale and framing think has to match the genre and its codes and conventions. Therefore the whole range of scales from extreme longshot to extreme close-up has been used to identify and suggests the genre that is being presented. The movement has also been used to add emphasis on certain elements to the use of tracking, zooming and tilting throughout all genres no matter what they are. Disengages and emphasises certain elements within the film to draw the audiences attention to the significance undramatic quality of each of them.

Editing
Throughout the short film a lot of re-establishing shots we used, this is significant as because there is a variety of genres, when they change the audience hast to refamiliarise themselves and associate themselves with what is being presented. Therefore re-establishing shots and we used to aid this process of readjusting the audience to the new genre that is being portrait. Through the use of cheat cuts and continuity editing a quick pace has been achieved to add excitement and intrigue to the film combined with the large array of different scales and framing that I pieced together to acts the excitement for the audience.

Sound
Again the sound has been used to identify and exaggerate the codes and conventions for each genre, four example when the film noir was portrayed of voice over was used rather than diegetic dialogue as this is the norm for a film noir. To keep the coherency and familiarity for the audience parallel sound was used so they can quickly and easily identified for what the genre is being portrayed.


Loop

Mise-en-scene
The mise-en-scene of this short film adds to the supernatural and alternative reality aspect as due to the high-key lighting and the modern clean lined kitchen the realism of this piece is almost true real but it looks fake and therefore adds to the alternative and macabre aspect that this film in braces. This is a one minute short film the location only being a kitchen quickens and cuts the time that is needed to explain the new location and therefore the story is explain quicker.


Cinematography
This short film has a limited range of scales and an even smaller range of movements however both of these add to the speed in which the film has to be delivered as the more complicated movements and shot types are the longer it takes the audience to familiarise themselves with what’s happening within the scene. Whether there is an array of different framing styles especially the worm level and birds eye view of missing this adds to the pace of explaining and demonstrating what is happening within the scene I has the birds eye view and worm shot show more of the surrounding elements within a standard framing.

Editing
Through the use of cheat cuts and continiuty editing the pace of the short film is kept quick which is important as the director at least defeats the entire story into a single minutes and therefore through the use of limited shots scales and movements the story can be kept simple and the pace can be kept quick.

Sound
There were only ambient sounds used within the short film this is because dialogue takes up time and stop the story from moving forwards and with this short film moving the story forward is the most important aspect for keeping its consistent within the one minute timeframe.


Love Sick

Mise-en-scene
Once again the use of high key lighting within this short film adds to the, comical elements and humour. Whereas the other elements of mise-en-scene are directly related to the plot of the story and how it plays out. High-key light could signify the humour within short films as comedy is usually considered to be bright and enjoyable and therefore the use of the high key lighting infers and reinforces this ideology.

Cinematography
There is a limited range of different shot scales within this short film which could directly relates to the director wanting to build a relationship between the characters and the audience and therefore using shot that are closer to the main character to build the connection between them both. As well as to signify key elements and important aspects to the film that will be used later to advance the comedy with in the film. As well is this a range of movements have been used to engage and aid the progression of the film as for the majority of it the main character is running and therefore to have a static shots would be dull and an interesting warehouse to have a moving tracking shots there is some sort of extra engagement and excitement that is built for the audience.

Editing
Cross dissolve’s have also been used to link different scenes together with the same meaning and therefore the audience takes those ideas and applied in to the next shot and therefore both scenes have a similar tone and meaning that wants to be created. However this also can jump the story along in the diegesis time streem therefore increasing the rhythm and quickening the pace of the film which also adds another, call element of how quick this whole cyclical structure and narrative has come around.

Sound
A voice-over has been used with in the short film rather than diegetic dialogue as to use dialogue the character has to be shown speaking for the audience to understand and relates to the character where as the voice-over keeps the story moving while given the description and significance to the shops that being shown. Parallel sound has also been used to emphasise and exaggerate comical aspects of this short film.