For this topic me and Jodie started off with writing the definition of short films, we also wrote the codes and conventions.
Tzvetan Todorov
Tzentan Todorov was a Bulgarian – French historian. He wrote many books which had the influence in anthropology, sociology, semiotics, literary theory, intellectual history and culture theory. Todorov came up with the Narrative Theory. The Narrative Theory is where a narrative follows a three part structure.
The Narrative Theory:
Stage 1 – Equilibrium: Begins with a state of normality/everyday life.
Stage 2 – Disequilibrium: An event that happens to disrupt the normality.
Stage 3 – Recognition: The disequilibrium stage is identified by the characters.
Stage 4 – Attempted Restoration: The characters attempt to resolve the problem caused by the step 2.
Stage 5 – Restoration: The characters return to their everyday life.
Todorov theory with my own 3 movies:
Escape Room
This movie is an adventure, action and horror. This film is set in a building with different rooms relating to all the characters. This film is a multi stranded movie with 6 main characters giving us a back story of there past. The equilibrium starts off with each characters every day life where it shows them receiving a mysterious box inviting them to try their escape room. The disequilibrium of the begins when they get out of the first room. The game carries on with one character dying in each room. The attempted restoration is when the last 3 characters are in a room filled with their medical reports and when the timer runs out it fills the room with carbon monoxide, the girl tries to brake the windows to escape but fails. The restoration happens when 2 characters finish the game and end up killing the person who created this game.
Avengers Endgame
This movie is a closed movie carrying on from Avengers Infinity War which is a Open movie. the genre of the movie is a Fantasy / Sc-Fi. The equilibrium of the movie starts of with every character going to kill another place to kill the antagonist. The disequilibrium is when they lose all hope. The recognition is when Ant-man comes back from the quantum realm and he shows everyone the thing that brought him back with the idea of time travel. The attempted restoration is when all the avengers time travel back to get every infinity stone and create a gauntlet themselves and get everyone back but they end up travelling to the year 2023. The restoration happens when the antagonist comes to earth to destroy the avengers and retrieve the gauntlet but fails when Iron man snaps his fingers and turns back time which ends up killing the antagonist and he also ends up killing himself because the gauntlet released a burst of energy which was too strong for him.
Lion
This movie has a closed ending with a single stranded character, the genre of this movie is a Drama. The equilibrium of this movie starts of when he is 5 years old in India when he gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of miles across India away from his home and family. The disequilibrium is when he gets adopted by an Australian couple. The recognition happens 25 years later he is filled with memories of his family back India. The attempted restoration happens when he uses Google Earth to find his family. The restoration happens when he goes to India and goes to the area he finds on Google Earth and is finally reunited with his family.
DIFFERENT CLOSE-UP SHOTS:
We did this so we know all the different camera angles and we will be able to choose which ones we want to use for our short film.
Extreme Close-up (ECU)
The extreme close-up shot is used in film to allow the viewer to enter the character’s intimate space, revealing certain characteristics and emotions.
Here is an example of an ECU:
This is our version of the shot.
Big Close-up (BCU)
A BCU of a person would show their face from forehead to chin. Where the shot is of a face the shot appears interrogatory and the viewer’s attention is focused on the feelings or reactions of the person depicted.
Here is an example of a BCU:
This is our version of the shot.
Close-up shot (CU)
A CU shot is a type of shot that tightly frames a person or object. Close-ups display the most detail, but they do not include the broader scene.
Here is an example of a CU shot:
This is our version of this shot.
Medium Close-Up (MCU)
A medium close-up shot is when a filmmaker places their camera so that an actor is framed from right above their head down to about midway on their torso.
Here is an example of a MCU shot:
Our version of the medium close up shot.
SPECIAL TYPES OF SHOTS:
Two shot (CU/MCU/MS)
A two shot is a shot in which the frames a view of the subjects. The subjects do not have to be next to each other.
Here is an example of a Two Shot:
Our version of a two shot.
Over the shoulder
Over the shoulder is a shot of someone or something taken from the perspective or camera angle from the shoulder of another person. The back of the shoulder and head of this person is used to frame the image of whatever the camera is pointing toward.
Here is an example of the shot:
Our over the shoulder shot.
Interviewee looks / talks into space in the frame (and towards the interviewer)
Our interviewee looks shot.
Moving subject walks into space
Walk into the frame shot.
DIFFERENT MEDIUM & LONG SHOTS:
Medium shot
A medium shot is used to emphasize both the actor and their surroundings by giving them an equal presence on screen.
Our medium shot.
Medium long shot
Medium long shots include a character or characters from approximately the knees up in the frame; they are wider than medium shots.
Medium long shot.
Long shot
Long shot In film is a shot from a considerable distance, so that people appear as indistinct shapes.
Long shot
Very long shot
An extreme long shot is a view from an even greater distance, in which people appear as small dots in the landscape if at all.
Our Very long shot / wide angle shot
Special shots:
Tilted frame
A tilted frame can be used for dramatic effect and helps portray unease, disorientation, frantic or desperate action, intoxication, madness, etc.
Our tilted frame.
Low angle shot
is a shot from a camera angle positioned low on the vertical axis, anywhere below the eye line, looking up. Sometimes, it is even directly below the subject’s feet. The effect of the low-angle shot is that it makes the subject look strong and powerful.
Our low angle shot
High angle shot
A high-angle shot is a cinematic technique where the camera looks down on the subject from a high angle. High-angle shots can make the subject seem vulnerable or powerless when applied with the correct mood, setting, and effects.
Our high angle shot.
EDITING TECHNIQUES
We did this so we can link shots together and make it seem fluent and not out of place, correcting any mistakes and adding effects.
CUT : Cut is a transition used in the post production process of film editing and video editing. A ‘cut’ is an abrupt but it is a film transition from one sequence to another.
CONTINUITY EDITING : Continuity editing is combining more or less related shots or different components cut from a single shot.
CONTINUITY ERROR : A continuity error is an error were consistency is not maintained between cuts in a film. If there is any change or placement of the actors or props, the audience is quick to see the continuity error.
CROSS CUTTING : Cross-cutting is an editing technique most often used in films to establish action occurring at the same time. The camera will cut away from one action to another action
CUTAWAY : A cutaway shot is the interruption of a continuously filmed action by inserting a view of something else.
DISSOLVE : It is a pre production process of film editing and video editing. A dissolve is a gradual transition from one image to another.
EDITING : Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. It is the process of working with film which increasingly involves the use of digital technology.
ESTABLISHING SHOTS : The context for a scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects.
EYE LINE MATCH : film editing technique associated with the continuity editing system. The audience will want to see what the character on-screen is seeing.
FADE : A video fade is when a shot gradually fades to (or from) a single colour, usually black or white. A fade is different to a crossfade, which is a transition directly between two shots rather than one shot to a colour.
JUMP CUT : A jump cut is two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly if at all.
MONTAGE : a series of short shots are sequenced to condense space, time, and information.
MATCH ON ACTION : The editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot’s action
SHOT REVERSE SHOT : where one character is shown looking at another character, and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character.
SUPERIMPOSITION : Superimposition is the placement of one thing over another and it also adds to the overall image effect, but also sometimes to conceal something.
WIPE : Where one shot replaces another by travelling from one side of the frame to another or with a special shape.
Synopsis:
A synopsis is a brief summary or general survey of something.
This is the synopses for the short film.
Mind map of ideas for the short film:
This is a mind map we created with all of our ideas on it so it could help us decide what type of film we want to make.
Story board for our short film:
Storyboard: A graphic organiser that consists of illustrations or images displayed in a sequence for the purpose of pre-visualising a motion picture.
This is our story board which helps us know which scene is next and also the camera angle we want to shoot it at, it also helps to create the scene of shoot.
These are our 3 initial concept ideas for our short film:
These are the ideas that we came up with that we could be using for our short film.
Research
Forced marriage: Where one or both people do not consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used.
Forced marriage is illegal, it can happen in secret and can also be planned by parents, family or religious leaders.
Signs of forced marriage:
The young person suddenly becomes more withdrawn, spends less time with friends than they used to and then doesn’t answer calls or texts.
Subjected to violence to pressurise them into it, so you may notice bruising, possibly on their upper arms.
Forced marriage offences:
Taking someone overseas to force them to marry.
Marrying someone who lacks the mental capacity to consent to the marriage
You can find this information at https://www.gov.uk/stop-forced-marriage
355 cases (29.7%) involved victims below 18 years of age; and
353 cases (29.5%) involved victims aged 18-25.
The top four
countries with the highest number of cases in 2017 were:
• Pakistan – 439 cases (36.7%).
• Bangladesh – 129 cases (10.8%).
• Somalia – 91 cases (7.6%).
• India – 82 cases (6.9%).
Domestic Abuse: Any type of controlling, bullying, threatening or violent behaviour between people in a relationship.
Domestic abuse can have a serious impact on a child or young person’s mental and physical wellbeing as well as their behaviour.
Where it can happen:
Inside or outside of the home. Over the phone, internet and social networking sites. In any relationship and can also continue when the relation has ended.
Types Of Domestic Abuse:
Kicking, hitting, punching or cutting.
Rape.
Controlling someone’s finances by withholding money or stopping someone earning .
Behaviour, like telling someone where they can go and what they can wear .
Not letting someone leave the house.
Reading emails, text messages or letters.
Threatening to kill someone or harm them.
Threatening to another family member or pet.
Signs Of Domestic Abuse:
aggression
anti-social behaviour, like vandalism
anxiety
depression
suicidal thoughts
attention seeking
nightmares or insomnia
constant or regular sickness, like colds, headaches and mouth ulcers
Drugs
Alcohol
eating disorders
problems in school or trouble learning
tantrums
Between 960,000 and 3,000,000 incidents of domestic violence are reported each year, while many other incidents go unreported.
You can find this information at https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/domestic-abuse/
Recce Pictures of the location we will be filming our short film:
Recce: Refers to a pre-filming visit to a location to determine its suitability for shooting.
We took pictures of the location so we could identify the risks and also how we are going to set up.
Script: A script is meant to be technical instructions of what you are seeing on screen. It includes dialogue, as well as actions for the characters and what the camera sees.
‘My Dear Husband’ Script
This is the script we will be looking at when filming
RISK ASSESSMENT
A risk assessment is combined with identifying and analyzing potential events that may negatively impact individuals, assets, or the environment.
This is the risk assessment that we needed to fill out so we know what we need to get rid off to ensure safety of the crew.
CONTRIBUTOR RELEASE FORM
A contributor release form is a short-form agreement between a TV producer and a person who is making a minor contribution to a programme, designed to be easy to use during the course of production, and to be signed at short notice.
We needed to fill this out so we could have permission from the owner to film in their property. If we don’t have permission by the owner we wont be able to film there.
LOCATION RELEASE FORM
A location release form is an official document which gives permission to specific groups or individuals to gain access to private property for content recording purposes. The location video release form must have the signature of the owner of the property or its legal representative.
This is our location release form that we filled out.
This is the shooting script so we know all the scenes and the camera positions.
Before we went out to film we checked the weather for the days we were going to shoot so we can plan when we should start filming.
After we completed filming for the short film we looked at the footage and noticed some of the scenes we filmed didn’t turn out how we wanted it to so we decided to reshoot the scenes.
We decided to reshoot this scene because it wasn’t long enough and also because you cant see the text messages.
This is another scene we decided to reshoot because the lighting was too dark and there was a lot of grain in the clip.
We also re shot this scene because in this scene it doesn’t show what Jodie is looking at.
We also reshot this scene because we thought it didn’t look good.
We reshot this scene because it didn’t come out as how we wanted it to come out and when I’m walking Jodie is just standing there so it doesn’t look realistic.
This is another shot we decided to reshoot because it wasn’t how we wanted it to be and in this shot the camera angle was tilted which we didn’t realise until editing.
This is our evaluation for My Dear Husband
This is important in order to help us improve our work next time we tasked with producing a short film.
My Dear Husband Short Film
Movie Posters
For marketing we are going to do a poster because posters are one of the most effective forms of advertising on the market. Posters allow us to spread a message to a wide audience. To create the poster we are going to be using Photoshop.
This is the poster we planned.
In this picture you can see a hand which we used to portray control and dominance the strings represents the control the main character has over the second character. The stick figure on the knife we used to represents being powerless and weak. The knife represents death which plays a big part in the short film.
For the poster we decided to make our own billing block. The billing block is used for credits which are legal lines that appear in movie posters and trailers giving credit to the cast and crew that made the film as well as the producers, distributor and finacier behind it.
In this billing block it includes our production name, visual effects supervisors, editors and directors.
My Dear Husband trailer
We decided to do a trailer because it is also a way of marketing. Here is the trailer:
Editing our poster.
While Jodie was cutting out the hand I started on the background and title. I first made the background black by going on edit – fill – Foreground color – Black. I then went on Dafont to find a font for title and we both decided on the font called Moon flower, once I downloaded the font I created tested it out on Photoshop and we both liked it so we used the font and I placed the title towards the top making enough room for the other images.
After that I started working on the billing block. To do this I used the the original font on Photoshop and I looked at Billing block examples to help me create one. From looking at the billing blocks I noticed all the names where in capitals and the rest weren’t in capitals
and then we added or names to the top of poster so people know who is in the short film.
I then decided to add blood to the poster to make it stand out more. I got this idea from looking at youtube videos.
Jodie then added the other pictures onto the poster. Jodie cut out the hand, the knife and the image of me using the polygonal lasso tool to get a clean cut out I then used the quick selection tool to quickly cut out the rope.
We then had to create a DVD poster.
This is the template we used for the poster. I changed the color of background from white to black by clicking on Edit – Fill and the fill box appears. In this box under Contents there is an option to the make the background black.
We then dragged the original poster and deleted the billing block on it so we can have it as our front cover and added the movie title and the age rating which must be used in every movie cover to help costumers decide whether or not to buy a particular product. We added the rating on the side of the cover and also the middle part of the cover.
We then started to create the back of the dvd cover, we decided to add blood at the back so it could match the front of the cover, we added our title at the back and we created our own blurb, we added an image from the short film and we created our own billing block and then screen grabbed the bottom part.
This is our completed DVD cover.
Tania's Media Blog 