Premièring our film - Production Meeting

Today we all got together as a group and discussed our next task; over the next couple of weeks we must organise a viewing of our film to a small audience. This should be quite easy to put together as a lot of our friends and fellow students are interested in film making and media studies. We need to premier our film to get honest audience feedback on our final production. To make sure we get a fair result we will have to have a lot of diversity in our audience group to make sure we get a wide variety of opinions. Our audience members will have to range in age as well as sex and any other variables we can think of. I think the best time to do this would be during school hours as we would have access to hundreds of people including students, teachers, caretakers etc. This would give us our best opportunity to get a large group of people together for a viewing and also means we would have enough people available to do a random selection. This would help us to get truly honest feedback on our film as the audience would not be full of our piers whose opinions may be swayed by friendship. The date of our premier is still up for debate as we could not decide on the best date to gather our audience together at one time. However we are sure that we will have gathered all our audience feedback within a couple of weeks time.

My Review - 'Sedition'

SEDITION

“Copsey has somehow turned a film into a work of art”

Length: 4:30

Certificate: 12a

Distribution: www.youtube.com or www.fireflyfilms.com

Starring: Jazelle Johnson, Jessica Whight, Natasha Arculeo, Joshua Wade

See this if you loved: Fatal Attraction or The Sixth Sense.

Sophie Copsey’s 2011 film ‘Sedition’ is a creative and inspiring film based on a young girl’s psychological turmoil and the difficult decision she has to make. The film taps into the workings of a mentally ill mind and will help any audience member sympathise with the disease on a whole new level.

The story follows mentally ill Megan (Jazelle Johnson) as she discovers her long-term boyfriend is cheating and takes matters into her own hands. In a blind panic Megan locks her love-rat in the boot of her car, aided by her two friends Catherine (Natasha Arculeo) and Charlie (Jessica Whight) who are later revealed to be figments of Megan’s imagination. This film follows the theme of the less known saying ‘hell hath no fury… like a woman with a small car.” ‘Sedition’ is set mostly in Felixstowe, a coastal town in the East of England, and features beautiful and moving scenes by the sea. The controversial main character is one you wouldn’t expect to relate to, but Johnson somehow manages to pull the heart string of all watching when dealing with the issue of mental instabilities.

The film is structured as a double cycle replaying the same scenario twice in two completely opposing ways. The clever layout of the film keeps you guessing until the very end with an unexpected twist hidden in the plot. It is also surprisingly empowering to watch, due to the female dominated cast and the castration of males in the process. The one male character (played by Joshua Wade, a new upcoming actor) is only shown in the film for two shots both lasting, at most, half a second each. Throughout the rest of the film the audience will spend their time cheering the girls on to give the cheat his just desserts. Nail biting plot aside, the film contains some pretty touching scenes beautifully shot in such an artistic way it would bring tears to even the most sceptical females eye. The heartbreaking soundtrack teamed with Copsey’s renowned filming talents has given us a work of art Picasso himself would envy.

This film is clearly geared towards females and would be perfect for a girl’s night in. Most girls would find it easy to open up and sympathise with the topic of mental illness as well as relating to matter of cheating. Men however, would probably want to steer clear of this film to save them from paranoia every time their girlfriend opens the boot. Here’s a tip to any male that is dragged along to this film on a date; have a strong drink first.

One point, however, that cannot be ignored within this film is the low budget Copsey used to produce this film. It is clear to all that watch this film that no-one broke the bank to create it, but somehow it just works. The simplistic style of the film gives it an authentic indie feel as well as making the plot so much more realistic and close to home.

Do not make the acting talents the only reason you go and see this film because you will be disappointed by how raw the actors are. However, do make the effort to watch it for the sheer beauty and stylistic methods of Copsey. If you see just one film this year, make it ‘Sedition.’

Researching Film Reviews

After researching many different reviews including James Christopher's review of 'The Kite Runner,' I have come to the conclusion that film reviews follow a particular format. A format which covers these 10 specific sections;

1. Information about the film including director and length of film
2. A plot summary
3. A brief outline of the film's structure
4. The cast (usually focuses on 'big stars' names as well as new upcoming actors names)
5. Positive and negative comments about the film (usually with witty observations)
6. Underlying themes discussed in the film
7. Technical aspects e.g. sound and camera work
8. Target audience and who would enjoy the film
9. “Similar to” (comparing the film to other well known films or literature. Usually in a “see this if you loved...” kind of way)
10. An overall verdict of the film from the reviewers point of view 

Here is a link to James Christopher's review of 'The Kite Runner.' This particular review was featured in 'The Times' newspaper and helped me to understand the codes and conventions of a typical film review:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/film_reviews/article3097126.ece 

FINAL FILM POSTER - SEDITION

Below is the final draft of the poster I designed for our film 'Sedition.' I have tried to stick to the normal codes and conventions of a film poster whilst adding my own personal touches. This particular film poster would be used to advertise the film being shown at a Film Festival. This is why I have chosen to create the poster in an artistic way as I think it would be most appreciated by people who attend film festivals.

Researching Film Posters - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

• The colour scheme for this poster is red and black. The connotations linked with red are anger, lust and danger as well as blood and hate. The connotations linked with the colour black are death, mystery and evil.
• The poster is made up of a montage of images of the four main characters. This montage makes the characters look like a team and sets the audience up for what the film is going to be about.
• Johnny Depps use of weapons in this poster represents the violence and danger linked with pirates and the narrative that follows the title.
• The four main stars names are written in red at the top of the poster in a text that resembles that of a script, scroll or an old map. The same text is used for the title as well as being printed on a scroll that should automatically make the audience think of a treasure map.
• There is a running theme of skulls on this poster suggesting there will be a lot of death and perhaps murder in this film. This, teamed with the sword and gun Depp holds, should imply to the audience that this film will be part of the 'action' genre.
• The director's name is not mentioned on this film poster suggesting that he may not be as well known as the actors involved in the film.
• The films information is set out in a block of very small text at the bottom of the poster further insinuating that the priority of this film are the a-list actors starring in it.
• The cinema release date is written in a bright red font at the bottom of the page. Although it is almost hidden at the bottom of the page the red writing still stands out amongst the other white text. Once again the font resembles that of a pirates script on a treasure map and ties in with the films theme.

Researching Film Posters - SCREAM

• The central image of this poster is the close up of the biggest star involved; Drew Barrymore. The image of this celebrity is clearly seen as the best way to sell the film. Drew Barrymore's picture is bigger than the name of the film title itself suggesting that her presence in the film is more than enough regardless of what it is about.
• Barrymore's frightened expression and the mysterious hand that appears to be grabbing her face from behind links the poster to its genre of 'horror.'
• Drew Barrymore's look is that of a typical 'girl next door.' With her blonde hair and blue eyes she looks perfectly innocent, but this is contrasted by her ruby red lips and dark mascara. Horror films are often littered with sexual references and beautiful victims and are most often targeted towards males. Drew Barrymore has been used as a way of selling the film to young males due to her popularity in films at the time and her good looks.
• The tag line involves the words 'scary,' mystery' and 'murder' which anchor the film to it's genre and set the audience up for what to expect in the narrative.
• The final letter 'M' in the title resembles the shape of a dagger which ties in with the horror genre.
• The stars names are spread out evenly along the bottom of the poster suggesting that the film will be a cameo of big names, with Drew Barrymore's being the most recognisable suggested by the use of 'and Drew Barrymore.'
• The film's information doesn't follow the format of the other posters I have researched. It does not follow the usual diamond formation but instead the information is set out in a box shape.
• The final part of the poster credits the director calling the film 'the highly acclaimed thriller.' The font in which this is written in is fairly big in comparison to the actors names and suggests that the director 'Wes Craven' is well known enough to help sell the film and appeal to audiences.

Researching Film Posters - JAWS

• The simplistic look of this poster makes it very eye-catching. It sticks to a colour scheme of primary colours including red and blue on a plain black background.

• The primary image of this poster is Jaws in the water stalking a young girl swimming. This gives the audience a terrifying insight into what the film is going to be about.

• The biggest text on the poster is the title, written in red to symbolise the blood shed in the film. The second biggest text is the tag line anchoring the film; within this tag line the word 'terrifying' is used twice to re-enforce the genre of horror.

• The use of stars names in this poster are very minimal choosing just three of the biggest names in the film and locating them at the bottom of the page.

• Intertextuality – the poster looks a lot like a book cover further linking it to the 'number one best seller' the film has been adapted from. This way anyone who will have read the book can feel comfortable that the film will be close to the novel version. This use of graphology appeals to a particular target audience just like the red text and use of the word 'terrifying' appeals to horror lovers.

• The films information is all situated at the bottom of the poster in a diamond formation. This contains the co-stars, screenplay, music, novelist, director, producer and the film studio associated with the picture.

• The certificate is listed at the bottom of the poster quite bold and noticable. The certificate has also been cleverly used to further sell the film to the reader. The phrase 'may be too intense for children' will appeal to die-hard horror fans who want to want something disturbing and memorable.

Researching Film Posters - WANTED

• Colour scheme throughout of gold, burnt oranges, and browns. Looks like a fire or explosion has occurred. Linked the poster to the 'action' genre.
•  Purpose of this film poster is for ‘coming soon to cinemas’
•  3 best known actor’s names who are going to sell the film best and gain a bigger audience.
  

  Their names are almost as big as the title suggesting that mentioning their names is the best way to sell the film to the audience.
• Obviously an action poster film due to the guns and aggressive look/feel of the poster.
• The title is written in bold, gold lettering. It has been given a shine as though it is made from gold or metal suggesting a link to things such as money or most likely bullets.
•  Using a montage of images as opposed to one from the film. The two images together highlights what the film is about.
• The date of the film’s release is written digitally suggesting the film may have something to do with time or limits. This could also be linked to data and other anchors linked to the film itself.
• Film information such as producer and director are put into a diamond formation in very small writing at the bottom of the poster. The director is clearly not very well known or feels his name doesn’t need to be mentioned due to the A-list cast.
• There is a common theme of guns in this poster. This represents danger and power as well as rebellion and criminal activity. The size and style of the gun suggests she is a professional. It is not the type of gun a policeman would carry; she is most likely a gangster or assassin.
• Angelina Jolie is clearly the biggest star of this film and also one of the main characters. She is in the foreground and takes up the majority of the poster, attracting a male audience.
• She is also crouching down suggesting she is in hiding, waiting for something/someone. This further raises the assumption that the two characters are assassins.
• The numerous tattoos on Jolie’s arms suggest rebellion and outcast. She is clearly an extrovert and looks tough. She is not being portrayed as a feminine damsel in distress, but as more masculine, violent and dangerous.
• James McAvoy is in the background pointing his guns directly into the camera showing this film will have attitude and a very dangerous plot. It also implies his presence on the poster is not as useful as Jolie's in order to sell the film.

Researching Film Posters - PULP FICTION

 

• Intertextuality – following the form of a comic book. 
  

  General comic book theme, suggesting the film itself will follow that format of good vs. evil etc
• Colour scheme of black and red, very sexual and adult.
•  Parts of the image such as the gun and book have been edited to make it look as though it had been drawn, following the comic book theme
• The title of the film is the biggest text on the page a la comic book
• Targeting.By highlighting that it was the winner of the best picture at the Cannes film festive draws in a certain type of audience member.
• Quentin Tarantino’s name is highly visible, directly beneath the title to catch the reader’s eye.
• Long list of cast names in a bold, bright font. Biggest names at the beginning and end, starting with ‘John Travolta’ and ending with ‘and Bruce Willis.
• Very sexual image of a well known star lying on a bed. She wears a tight black dress, black heels and red lipstick she looks like a typical femme fatale. Her red nails are slapped across a book of the same title ‘Pulp Fiction.’ This suggests she is intelligent but also highlights what the target audience might be for this film. Since she reads it, other women will watch it and men will be attracted to her.
• Clear certificate rating in bottom left hand corner- Rated R (Restricted)
• Distribution Company’s logo clearly presented in the bottom right hand corner
• Image of the gun represents danger and rebellion. You can already tell the character is a bad person who shouldn’t be crossed. It also links the poster to the genre of crime or gang/gangster related film.

Chosen Certification

Since our film falls into the category of ‘psychological thriller’ it would not be suitable for any young children to view. Our film covers some serious topics which some young children may find disturbing or confusing to understand.

Based on the British Board of Film Classification the film would classify for a 12. It doesn’t contain any drugs, nudity or sex and no harsh language. However, it does contain one use of moderate language which is acceptable. The film also contains dangerous behaviour in the form of Megan locking her boyfriend in the car, but this scene is kept brief and is not shown for a long period of time. This could also come under the heading of violence as well since Megan’s boyfriend had his mouth covered with duct tape. However, the process of Megan capturing her boyfriend is not shown in the film and no physical violence is ever portrayed. There is some discrimination amongst males but this is behaviour is not glamorised. The theme is also quite mature, too mature to be a PG, but it is enough for a teenage to handle which is why I have settled with the certificate of a 12.

Since our film is not too disturbing or offensive, a 12/12a certificate would allow anyone under the age of 12 to be accompanied by an adult to view it, making it the adult’s responsibility to judge whether the child is mature enough to handle the topics of the film. However, the British Board of Film Classification suggests that a 12a certificate is only applicable to a cinema screening so this could be up for debate whether this could be put into practise at a Film Festival as well.

Researching the British Board of Film Classification

 

Whilst trying to come up with an appropriate certificate for our film, I did some research into the British Board of Film Classification to see what qualifies a film for a certain certificate. Here are the guidelines for each certification;

= Suitable for all

It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.

If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.

= Parental Guidance

General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.

Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.

 

= Suitable for 12 years and over

Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.

The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.

The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.

= Suitable only for 15 years or over

No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.

= Suitable only for adults

No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video work.

= To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years.

The ‘R18’ category is a special and legally restricted classification primarily for explicit works of consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. Films may only be shown to adults in specially licensed cinemas, and video works may be supplied to adults only in licensed sex shops. ‘R18’ videos may not be supplied by mail order.

I had a hunch by the content of our film that a 12 would probably be appropriate as it contained mild swearing and quite a dark implication throughout as it was possible Megan would kill her boyfriend at any time. I looked on the British Board of Film Classification’s website (www.bbfc.co.uk) to check that our films content fitted in with the guidelines of a certificate ‘12’ film.

12A/12- Suitable for 12 years and over

Discrimination

Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.

Drugs

Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail.

Horror

Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.

Imitable behaviour

Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free.  Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Language

Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.

Nudity

Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.

Sex

Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme

Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.

Violence

Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.

Editing Sound

For the second half of our film we edited two of the characters voices to make them sound disturbing and possessed. Since our main character Megan was portraying someone suffering with a mental illness we thought it would be a good idea to overlap all the voices that had been used during our short film. We added echo to the voices and overlap them multiple times to portray the mental confusion that Megan is experiencing. We also played around with the pitch of the voices to make them sound more evil and sinister. We decided to make Katherine/the angel’s voice higher and childlike and Charlie/the devil lower and demonic.

Titles

Our opening titles are a mixture of two images; one being the tide washing in and out on the beach and the other being Megan scrubbing at the kitchen floor. We overlapped the two images and slowed them both down to a pace that best matched the motion of the tide. We chose these two shots because of how well they tied in with each other. The motion of the waves reflects the repetitive scrubbing of Megan (an affect of her OCD) when she has found out she has been cheated on and anchors the rest of the film.

For our film we stuck with the traditional white text on a black background. We felt this was appropriate because it looked more formal and serious to fit in with the message of the film; mental health is a serious issue. The black and white also looks very elegant and artistic which would be appreciated by the audience if it was to be distributed at a film festival like we have planned.

Special Effects

We used a few special effects within our film to highlight Megan’s descend into insanity. By super imposing a few of the images onto one another we managed to create a dizzy effect in which it appears you are seeing double. Not only does this work well with the idea of becoming dizzy due to sheer panic, it also highlights Megan’s split personalities caused by her disease. Slow motion was also used during the first half of the film when the three girls are overlooking the sea. This gives the scene a very touching quality and makes you sympathise with the girls and their situation. We also made use of artificial zoom during our short film to give the scene the claustrophobic feel it needed. We used this method twice throughout our film; once during the shot of Megan’s boyfriend in the boot to make it look smaller and more enclosed in the confined space and another when focusing on Megan when the girl’s are bombarding her with suggestions, making her feel trapped.

Edits

I played the role of editor for our film this year. I was very pleased with our final film as it just shows how much more we experimented with the different tools available on the editing software, as opposed to last year. For the first part of our film I kept the edits extremely frequent to reflect the panic the character was experiencing. The quick edits not only show how fast Megan is moving trying to think of the right thing to do, but it also makes it hard for the audience to see what is happening. This creates confusion and panic for the audience members as well and helps them to feel what the character is feeling.

The second part of our film shows the three girls slowing down to re-evaluate the situation and come up with a decision. This half completely contrasts the first half of the film and contains some moving scene and slow motion shots as opposed to the short, sharp shots used in the first half. To make this half more thoughtful and moving to reflect the pace and narrative of these scenes, we dissolved the edits to give them a softer more blended transition.

Music

We chose our music to anchor our audience to a certain emotion or conclusion and it follows the narrative perfectly. The first half of our double cycle contained the song ‘Fuera del Mundo;’ a piano piece which was very moving but more suited for a romance. This led our audience to believe that our short film was a romance or drama. The slow song also added emotional colouring to the scenes which make you feel sorry for the characters in the film, unknowing that they are criminals. The second half of the film is played through with typical thriller music and leads the audience to believe that something sinister is about to happen. Our clever use of music fools the audience into believing one thing making our twist in the tale more significant.

Music - Initial Ideas

When discussing our music options for our film we were very aware of how certain types of music would anchor the audience to a particular feeling. We wanted our audience to feel sorry for our main character throughout the first half of the film so the twist in the tale came as more of a shock when it is revealed. To do this we wanted a moving piece of music that would make the audience feel emotionally connected to our character Megan. We spoke about our options and decided that soft piano pieces worked best in this situation, as seen in films such as Love Actually and Twilight. Here is a video of our original ideas when it came to piano pieces. We had a few piano pieces in mind and had to pick one from the following;

• Claude Debussy - Claire de lune - http://youtu.be/LlvUepMa31o
• Yiruma - A river flows in you - http://youtu.be/rhN7SG-H-3k
• Craig Armstrong - Glasgow love theme – http://youtu.be/c9CgEsq2MPU 
• Ludovico Einaudi - Fuori Dal Mondo http://youtu.be/2Z2BGWp1caM

After deliberating within the group and testing out each piano piece with our film we decided that Einaudi's piece 'Fuori Dal Mundo' was the best match for our film. Even watching our own film and knowing what was going to happen next we still felt some sympathy for the character Megan. The music gave us the right emotional touch that we needed for the film and helps get the message across that mental illness is a very serious and life-changing condition.

Locations

We chose our locations wisely, looking at the connotations linked with each place, as we felt they had strong themes to represent.

When we first discussed this film we suggested that the scene involving Megan packing a duffle bag would be set in the bedroom as it would further stipulate that Megan is leaving her cheating boyfriend. However, we then adapted this idea to better tie in with the connotations linked with mental illness. We shifted this scene from the bedroom to the kitchen die to the cleanliness and sterile feel of this room of the house. We filmed multiple shots of Megan (me) harshly scrubbing the kitchen floor implying a direct link to OCD. The audience members can slowly see her mental illness seeping through and that is triggered off by the repetitive scrubbing.

The second part of our film we set in Felixstowe by the coast, stereotypically a calm and peaceful place. We first considered filming our short film down by Bramford River, which would also be a relaxing place, but eventually we figured setting it in a coastal location would feel more realistic. People often go to masses of water when they need to think and clear their mind as these places are seen as relaxing and soothing. There is also, however, a hint of irony within this location, as the connotations linked with Felixstowe are usually happiness and fun days out. The fact that Megan, Catherine and Charlie have a very sinister scenario on their hands really contrasts the setting. We also filmed on a day that was overcast and dull which helped to create an ominous atmosphere. The clouds overhead acted almost as a metaphor for the dark thoughts swirling around in Megan’s head and the mental illness that was clouding her judgement.

Lighting

We used both natural and ambient lighting in our film as we spent our time both indoors and out. We made use of the harsh natural lighting at the seaside and whilst we shot the kitchen scene, we drew the blinds which gave the room an orange tint making it look strange and dark. When shooting Joshua in the boot of my car, it was difficult to cut out all the natural light that was seeping in. I parked my car in the shade to try and rid the shot of some excess light but it still looked much too airy and open for a confined space. We wanted the shot of Joshua in the boot to look dark and scary with a claustrophobic feel so we darkened the scene artificially during editing.

Shots

During our film we have used a range of shot sizes from extreme close ups to extreme long shots. The emotions shown in the facial expressions of the characters were highlighted by the use of close-ups regularly throughout. For example, the close up used whilst I was driving the car was a good way of showing the anguish and awful thoughts going through the characters head at the time. We used an extreme long shot of the beach scene to show the location of the characters as well as the motions of the waves. We saved the extreme close up until the end of the short film in which we kept the camera tight on my eyes as the final thought crossed my mind. The film ended on my eyes shutting after looking out onto the sea contemplating. This created a cliff hanger for the audience as they never knew what I had decided to do after that point. As our film was a thriller we tried very hard to create tension throughout. We used a backward tracking shot when the girls were walking down the beach which leaves the audience wondering where they are heading. Tracking shots always add a sense of mystery to a scene and this is crucial in a thriller such as ours.

Costume Decisions

Our costume choice was directly linked to the characters personas. My character, Megan, suffers from mental illnesses (which are often associated with split personalities). To represent this I wore mix-matched clothing and clashing colours at the beginning of the film, and a black coat towards the end to represent a sinister presence. The Devil/Charlie (played by Jess Whight) wore a red top throughout, to represent evil and hatred as well as a black cardigan which carries the connotations of death and mystery. Jess Whight also used make-up in order to make her look like the typical femme fatale. With her blonde hair, black cat-like eye make up and bright red lips, she looks the epitome of bad news. Our Angel/Catherine wore a white top to imply an angelic quality teamed with a purple cardigan which is often associated with regality and honour. Below is a key clearly showcasing our costume decisions;

Role: Megan
Played by: Jazelle Johnson (me)
Costume: Traditional teenage clothing. Neutral colours.

Role: Katherine/Angel
Played by: Natasha Arculeo
Costume: White top to represent purity and a purple cardigan to convey regality.

Role: Charlie/Devil
Played by: Jess Whight
Costume: Red top to represent evil and the devil. Black top to convey mystery and death.

Creativity

Whilst making our short films we come across some things that limit our creativity. Below is a list of the possibilities that could limit our creativity;

Cast - Since this is an A-Level production, the level of acting ability available to us will be limited because we only have amateur actors that are willing to work for us.

Genre - In our case our genre is a psychological thriller. In order to fit into this category we have to follow certain codes and conventions to make it a believable thriller. This however, limits our creativity because we have to follow certain rules in order to make it work.

Time – We have only had six weeks to work on this project so we do have a time constraint on what we can do. We cannot involve scenes in our project that would take too long to achieve or waste any time on difficult complex ideas.

Our Group – This is not an individual project so we cannot have all our ideas put into one film. Since we are working in a group of three it is important to listen to the others and take in their ideas as well as your own because it is a joint effort. Since you have other people to work with, when discussing ideas, it may come down to casting a vote to see which idea the majority rules in favour of. This way it is fairer, but it does limit your own personal creativity because other members of your group may have a different opinion on it.

Money – This is an indie film funded solely by the members of the group so our ideas are limited to what we can afford to do. For example, the day we had to travel to our location (Felixstowe) my car was low on petrol so we had to all chip in to get there and back. If money was not an issue we could have driven to a further beach location such as Lowestoft for a better change of scenery.

Digital Technology – The camera’s we were given to film with were very small, compact ‘Flip cameras. Although this is very handy to take places due to its size, it was also very difficult to see what we had shot due to the size of the screen. If we had a bigger camera used for shooting movies for example, the quality of our shots would have been a lot better. This includes the zoom quality and sound quality.

Filming Diary

10:00 – (In the school car park) Film Joshua in the boot of my car. This includes a shot of me shutting the boot with Joshua inside and also a shot of Joshua inside the boot (which required me to lower the seats of my car to get the shot) This took several attempts and changes in location as the sun was shining into the boot and making the scene look less horrific/claustrophobic.

10:25 - Meet at Jess's house in order to film the kitchen scenes. Just Jess and I have arrived at this point.

10:30– Jess and I gather together all props and any additional costumes in order to film the scenes. Props included a duffel bag and kitchen supplies.

10:45 – Run through all the kitchen shots/scenes starring just 'Megan' (me) as our 'Angel' had yet to arrive. This included filming all shots 2 or 3 times from different angles each time.

11:15 – Shoot all the 'devils' (Jess) scenes that occur in the kitchen. Only scenes containing Jess only could be shot at this point as the 'Angel' had yet to arrive.

11:45 – Jess and I shot the scenes which involved using the car. This included; me shutting the boot of my car, getting into the car and shutting the door, some brief dialogue of me in the drivers seat, putting on my seatbelt, turning the key in the ignition, putting the car into reverse and filming the car backing out of the drive. These scenes were very time consuming as we were in a restricted space.

12:00 – Sophie and Natasha arrive at Jess' house ready to finish filming the kitchen scenes.

12:05 – Film all shots/scenes with both the Angel and Devil within the kitchen setting

12:30 – Get ready to drive to our next location of Felixstowe. We filmed a couple more scenes along the way including the Angel and Devil's dialogue in the back of the car and a short shot of me driving to the location.

12:50- Arrive at Felixstowe and set up camera and get props together etc.

1:00 – Start filming all the scenes with me (Megan) on my own including; me walking down by the seaside, eating alone on a bench and looking out to the sea.

1:20 – Film all the scenes involving all three characters; Megan, Katherine/Angel and Charlie/Devil. This also included the dialogue in all three scenes. This took some time as Felixstowe was very busy that day so we had to stop recording whenever someone passed by. We also had a lot of trouble with wind affecting the sound quality of all the scenes

2:00 – Finish filming and return back to school to upload the scenes onto the computer ready for editing.

Film Sources

Our film has a strong female cast who dominate the film and lead the narrative throughout. We also have a lack of male character within our film with the only male being shown for a brief second in one shot. From an audience’s perspective the main character Megan is an unlikely heroine for a film due to the narrative and context she is seen is. She may come across as an antagonist due to her criminal activities and will most likely be seen as a villain than as a good hearted character. It is unusual for films to have a singular female villain who is also the main character.

This has only been seen in a few blockbusters such as Adrian Lyne’s 1987 classic ‘Fatal Attraction’ starring Glenn Close and Robert Reiner’s 1990 thriller ‘Misery’ starring Kathy Bates.
We also kept to the generic codes and conventions of a psychological thriller by keeping the identity of our main character Megan somewhat of a secret until 2 minutes into the film. At the beginning of the film we often had shots that cut off some of Megan's head or only showed her in a profile position. This mystery kept the audience in suspense, as did the use of extreme close ups when Megan was packing the duffel bag. This left the audience wondering why she was packing the certain items and what she was planning on doing with them. This suspense was kept throughout the entire film in the hopes of the ending being a surprise to the audience.

Distribution

Our film would most likely be distributed at a Film Festival due to the artistic style of filming. This would be the best place to showcase our filming talents to an audience. However, since the aim of our film is to raise awareness on the topic of mental health, it could also be a good idea to distribute it over the internet on websites such as ‘Youtube’ to reach a wider audience.

Casting Decisions

 

Our cast for our short film are as follows;

Role: Megan

Played by: Jazelle Johnson (me)

Reason for choosing this Actor: Ability to drive

Role: Katherine/Angel

Played by: Natasha Arculeo

Reason for choosing this Actor: Very innocent looking. Believable as a ‘good’ and ‘honest’ character.

Role: Charlie/Devil

Played by: Jess Whight

Reason for choosing this Actor: Typical looks of a ‘Femme Fatale.’ Blonde hair, blue eyes teamed with red lipstick.

Target Audience

Our intended audience for this film would be females due to the female cast and lack of male characters throughout. The women of the cast drive the film and I feel it will be very empowering for any woman to watch. The film tackles very sensitive issues which females would find easier to sympathise with, such as being cheated on by a boyfriend. Overall I think woman would understand the message of the film to a greater extend than men would.

Institutional Context of Film

We have created our short film to raises awareness of mental illnesses and the lack of control the victims have over their own minds. The film will have a very serious register and will most likely be more appealing to females due to the predominantly female cast and narrative. We will aim to raise awareness for females about the issues linked with mental health. Below are some websites of organisations helping to support people who suffer from mental illnesses;

www.mentalhealth.org.uk

www.rethink.org

www.mind.org.uk

Outline of final decision

 We have decided to base our short film on the topic of mental health. It will follow the genre codes and conventions of a psychological thriller and will be structured as a double-cycle replaying the same scenario twice with one major change. Our film follows a young girl named Megan who suffers from a mental illness as she is cheated on her by her boyfriend and locks him in the boot of her car in revenge. Having already gone too far, she is swayed to a decision by her two best friends Katherine and Charlie, who are later revealed to be figments of Megan’s imagination. The film will tap into the minds of mental illness sufferers and will raise awareness on the various diseases.