I Really like this short film, because of the camera work and the professionalism that it displays and how it incorporates a twist at the end.

The use of narration

examples of some good short films with narration:
http://34st.com/2012/03/short-and-sweet-the-best-narrative-short-films-from-sxsw/

Voice-Over Narration as an Active Agent in Film
The use of voice-over narration can and has been used in film to help convey greater depth and meaning to the audience. Whereas on the one hand, there are some who see it as a crutch when the director or writer is unable to move along the storyline effectively within a given scene; yet on the other however, when it is used effectively, voice-over narration can be inserted as an active agent to help provide greater impact and understanding to the audience in a way that a complex actor’s performance or scenery cannot convey. It is within this context that this essay will explore individual examples of voice-over narration from select films in which both sides of the issue will be explored; by not simply analyzing each voice-over narration example as either good or bad, but looking deeper at how the context and overall delivery affect the films, scenes and actors within.
To begin with, a proper definition of voice-over narration in film must be established, “Narration, or voice-over, is used in both documentary and fiction. It may be used to deliver information, provide the point of view of an unseen character, or allow an onscreen character to comment on the action.”(Ascher and Pincus 493) Put more simply, “A narrative text is a text in which an agent relates (‘tells’) a story in a particular medium, such as language, imagery, sound, buildings, or a combination thereof.” (Bal 5) By using this standard, multiple methods of providing voice-over narration in film can be utilized to help tell their respective stories, “In documentary filmmaking some of the key stylistic questions relate to how much the filmmaker attempts to control or interact with the subjects, and to the way information is conveyed in the movie.” (Ascher and Pincus 332)
The style adopted by U.K. documentarians such as John Grierson in the 1930s and 1940s is a kind of hybrid that can involve staged events and real people (non-actors)…Many of these films use a ‘voice of God’ narration-the authoritative male voice that provides factual information and often spells out the message intended for the viewer to take from the film. (Ascher and Pincus 333)

Cartoon short film with narration by Tim Burton 

9 tips how to make a documentry:

1) Watch documentary movies. Go see them on the big screen if you can. If not, then hit your local video store or join Netflix or Greencine to get movies mailed to your door. You can even watch them online at sites like FourDocs and the Documentary Film Network. Learn what makes or breaks a documentary film. Think about what kinds of documentary films you like. Learn the various genres and filmmaking styles. For example, Michael Moore's filmmaking style is very different than Ken Burns' filmmaking style.

2) Before you begin your project, think of the END first: Where is this documentary going to be shown (or where do you envision it being shown)? Who is your targeted/primary audience? Answering these questions helps you determine the content, tone, style and length of your film.

3) Choose a subject that you find fascinating and is accessible to you. Choosing a subject that is compelling & timely will result in a strong and relevant film. It is often better to focus on a local personality or local event so that you will have access to loads of resources for your film. Besides, it's much simpler & cheaper to shoot at home than abroad.

4) Become an expert on your chosen subject through research. Research your subject as thoroughly as possible. Gain knowledge through the internet, books, and word of mouth. Attend events pertaining to your chosen subject.

5) Use your own music – Unless there is a very specific reason to use a specific piece of music, it can be a huge hassle and expense to obtain music rights. I had to negotiate a deal with each publisher and record company of each piece of music used in my documentary. I was grateful that at least that two thirds of the music of my documentary was originally composed.

6) Create a structure/outline for your film through visualization. Close your eyes and imagine how you would like the final product to look. Think about how you want to structure your film. What do you want to start with? How are you going to build your film? Write down your ideas. This will give you a blueprint for shooting. But remember that in documentary filmmaking, unlike fictional filmmaking, the footage informs the final structure of the film. Your initial written outline exists to serve as a guideline for shooting.

7) Analyze your wants/needs for making the film. Make a wishlist of any people, locations, items, equipment you WISH you could have for your film. Cross-reference this list with any people, locations, items and equipment that you do have access to. Ask people. Check with local art centers, film departments at universities and colleges. Talk to the local film office. If you still can't find it then go to Myspace or Craigslist and see if you know someone who knows someone who can help fulfill some of the items on your wishlist. If you are looking for footage, check with stock libraries for material that is in the public domain and free to use.

8) Shoot! Don't talk about doing it - get out there and shoot your film. This is the step that differentiates the aspiring filmmakers from the actual filmmakers.

9)Post-production. Fast forward through all of your footage, and take printable screenshots of key scenes. This way you simplify the editing process by creating a visual map of your footage. Once this is done you should watch ALL of your footage and create an action log listing timestamps. This will help you to save time in the editing room.

Outlining plan for documentry

Need to Inlcude:

1. Janet Kane - interview on sexism in the work place in the 60's and 70's.
2. Shot of teenage girls in the bathroom fixing hair and makeup.
3. Narration - Me talking about the issues feminists faced and still face.
4. Teenage girl - Interview about what they know on feminism and whether they it's still relevant today.
5. Paul and Zoe (Parents of three girls) - Interview on how sexism has played on their minds whilst raising only girls.
6. Shots of me talking about facts and dates and raising questions.
7. Interview with teacher about experiencing sexism in the workplace.
8. Caroline - interview about ageing and how that impacts place in workplace.

Certain questions to be raised throughout and leave audience thinking about:

1. Does the word feminism have any meaning in 2012?
2. What do feminists want, don't women have it all?
3. What's the true meaning of feminism? What do most people associate it with?

What I want my documentry to include or be about:
I want this documentry, firstly to make younger girls of today more aware of what feminism is, what it's all about and how it still exists today. I want to this to really impact girls of today and give them the message of they how they may be exploited in todays society in places they don't even know and how simple things that they do as part of their everyday routine is actually helping sexism exist even today.

Facts and dates from history

The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (c. 65) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which protected men and women from discrimination on the grounds of sex or marriage. The Act concerned employment, training, education, harassment, the provision of goods and services, and the disposal of premises.

The Equal Pay Act 1970 is an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament which prohibits any less favourable treatment between men and women in terms of pay and conditions of employment. It was passed by Parliament in the aftermath of the 1968 Ford sewing machinists strike and came into force on 29 December 1975.

1903 - The National Women's Trade Union League (WTUL) is established to advocate for improved wages and working conditions for women.


Germaine Greer (born 29 January 1939) is an Australian academic and journalist, and was a major feminist voice of the mid-20th century. The Female Eunuch became an international best-seller in 1970.



Gloria Marie Steinem (born March 25, 1934) is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women's liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s. A prominent writer and political figure, Steinem has founded many organizations and projects and has been the recipient of many awards and honors.





1960(May 9) The Food and Drug Administration approved the first oral contraceptive, commonly known as "the Pill," for sale as birth control in the United States.



1964U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including the Title VII prohibition of discrimination based on sex.




1963The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan was published.






1968 (September 7) The "Miss America Protest" by New York Radical Women at the Miss America pageant brought widespread media attention to women's liberation.

1969 (March 21) Redstockings staged an abortion speakout, insisting that women's voices be heard on the issue instead of only male legislators and nuns.





1913 On 4 June 1913, she ran out in front of the king's horse as it was taking part in the Epsom Derby, she died on 8 June from her injuries.

Research

Documentries on feminism:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p006ycpt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbw8q3mrmXs

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqsQ4oGfq1A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pdbnzFUsXI 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnJ9GHZ1dl0 

The F Word: Who Wants to be a Feminist?

Feminism. Does the word have any meaning in 2011? Or, at least a meaning all women can agree on? Has it become the “F Word”? Tainted and stained with connotations that alienate some women and men. Or is it simply irrelevant in the 21st Century?

To mark the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day (March 8, 2011), Doc Zone dares to utter the “F Word”.
Today, more than half of all North American University students are women, make up half the work force and have more choices than ever. So, why are women still marching? What more do feminists want? Don’t women have it all?

Stay at home mom Nicole Abraham with her two daughters in Hamilton.
Credit: Markham Street FilmsNot if you look at the stats. According to the UN, women make up 53% of the world’s population, but they own only 1% of the world’s wealth. Women hold up half the sky, but in Canada they are only holding 11% of the seats on corporate boards and 21% of the seats in Parliament. In the workplace, women hold half the jobs, but are taking home 20% less pay then men. So what happened? Wasn’t Feminism supposed to fix this?
The F Word attempts to answer these questions by examining the trajectory of the First, Second and Third Waves of Feminism and their effects in the 20th century, and then investigating what Feminism – the word and the movement - means today and might mean tomorrow.
In The F Word, the story of Feminism is told through Feminist icons and experts including:

Feminist Icon Germaine Greer.
Credit: Markham Street Films “…if we’re going to liberate women we have to preserve their difference, otherwise we’ll liberate them the way we liberated Vietnamese villages -- by destroying them.”
- Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer – famous feminist provocateur. Author of The Female Eunuch, the groundbreaking 1970 clarion call to women of all ages to examine their lives and demand more. Greer has remained active in feminist issues and the recent 40th anniversary of the publication of her book has occasioned a flurry of both support and contention.

Author Susan Faludi.
Credit: Markham Street Films “It's fun and it's playful, but it doesn't have anything to do with claiming your rights to be a full citizen in the world. If it did, men would be wearing Manolo Blahniks tomorrow.”
– Susan Faludi on High Heels and Empowerment
Susan Faludi – author of Backlash: the Undeclared War Against American Women. Faludi is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist whose recent piece in Harper’s about matricide in the feminist movement has caused a stir. She feels that each wave of feminism has been met with an equal wave of resistance attempting to get women back in the home.

Author Naomi Wolf.
Credit: Markham Street Films “…the world is getting smaller and we know what women in the developing world are facing -- and they’re still organizing…We have NO excuse for not taking care of our own business.”
-Naomi Wolf
Naomi Wolf – author of The Beauty Myth and media commentator on women’s issues. Naomi Wolf insists that, even though women have been seduced by the media and consumerism, they have enough tools today to complete the task of claiming equality.

Third Wave founder, Amy Richards.
Credit: Markham Street Films “There wasn’t sort of a symbolic meeting that took place in, you know, 1961 where we said, “Okay, here’s our 10 list of demands and we’re going to spend the next 40 years conquering them one through 10.”
- Amy Richards
Amy Richards – author of FeministA: Young Women, Feminism and the Future, founder of Third Wave Foundation and Feminist.com. Amy says she was a feminist ‘in utero’ – the daughter of a single mother and life long feminist. For Amy, there is much work to be done and what will make change is not numbers, but changing the actual space in which we all work and live.

Queen's Law Professor, Kathleen Lahey.
Credit: Markham Street Films“I think that there is a strong emotional attachment on the part of power-holders in the government for a sort of “Dad’s running everything. Mom is in the home and the kids are very happy, thank you,” kind of country.”
-Kathleen Lahey
Professor Kathleen Lahey – Professor of Law and Gender Studies, Queen’s University. Professor Lahey provided research and was a spokesperson for the recent report, Reality Check: Women in Canada and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action Fifteen Years On. Lahey believes that Canada’s current government has systematically undermined the foundations that support continued work on women’s issues.

Conservative Feminist, Christina Hoff Sommers.
Credit: Markham Street Films “…they want to spend time with their babies and they want to advance a career. Well, my answer to that is that you can’t have everything. You’re not going to be able to win a Nobel Prize on flex time, it’s just not going to happen.”
- Christina Hoff Sommers
Christina Hoff Sommers – Sommers is a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy and Research. Sommers is best known for her critique of late-twentieth-century feminism: Who Stole Feminism: How Women Have Betrayed Women and The War Against Boys. Sommers is an ardent opponent of those she calls “professional feminists’. She recently spoke out against the Paycheck Fairness Act in the US, claiming that there is no such thing as a wage gap between men and women.

Native Youth Leader, Jessica Yee.
Credit: Markham Street Films “…if I hear one more person say that they think that young women today don’t care about feminism, I’m gonna scream.”
-Jessica Yee
Jessica Yee – is the founder and Executive Director of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network and works with native youth across North America. She doesn’t believe in the waves but she sure believes that there is unfinished business.
Article from cbc.

Research on feminism

http://www.universitytimes.ie/2011/12/06/feminism-to-the-modern-teenage-girl/

At the opposite end of this male cultural coding, you have the burqa, and I no longer feel strongly about that. I used to think that it was a tragedy that a woman's dress and, by extension, her public identity, should have to be mediated through male paranoia

There are plenty of conversations in the name of feminism that I would happily stamp out like fags in a dry forest. If I read one more article in which someone confuses sisterliness with feminism and wonders why women aren't nicer to one another in the workplace, or on Twitter, or in parliament, or at Asda, I don't think my spirit can take it.

Most people when they hear the word feminist automatically envision a bra burning, hairy legged, man-hating lesbian on a singular mission to bash any idea that she should be remotely "girly" simply because she is a woman.

 Modern feminism is more about a set of ideals than someone's appearance.

The outward appearance of a feminist is truly not any different than that of anyone else, and to be a feminist a woman does not have to be a radical making demands to every passerby who will remotely listen.

IMAGE: The first inaccurate view of feminism is based solely on how a true feminist should appear to the outside world. The misconception is that a true feminist will cast away society's views of beauty and set their own standards. While it is true that a most feminists will attest to the fact that they set their own standards of physical beauty and do not rely on media images or men's opinions to do it for them, that does not necessarily mean that the standard's they set will be outside of what society considers the norm. In fact, most women, feminist or not, shave their legs and their underarms, wear bras and makeup, and probably even get manicures and pedicures should the opportunity present itself. The true idea behind feminism is not to set yourself apart from societal norms to let people know on site the beliefs that you espouse, but rather to use your own judgment in determining what is right for you as a woman and an individual. If you awake to find that you want to wear a beautiful dress and stilettos simply because it makes you fell sexy or better, then by all means wear them. But, don't let society dictate that this is how you should dress.

MEN: Another misconception that many people have about feminism or feminists as a group is that they are all man-haters. The truth in the matter is the fact that a woman supports other women in having their own ideas and lives has nothing at all to do with their ability to love a man. Just because a woman does not feel that she should be forced to have her actions dictated by her male counterparts does not in any way suggest that she cannot have a completely satisfying relationship with mutual trust and friendship with some lucky man. It simply means that the men in her life will have to learn to accept the idea that she does not feel as if she is less than they are simply based on the fact that she is a woman, and while she will respect and value their opinion she will also believe that she was given the gift of a sound mind for a reason, and will not simply accept their beliefs as her own.

Another misconception about feminism and women that has always truly bothered me is that if a woman supports a feminist view point she does not appreciate or respect courtesies given to her by men simply because she is a woman. I am sure that there are some women who would be offended by a man opening a door for her or curbing the language they used when she came into the room. However, for the majority of us, the common courtesies of opening a door for us or curbing foul language in our presence are not at all offensive, merely a sign of good breeding. Because face it, no they would not do this for other men, but just because we have feminist view points does not make us less of a woman. When a man shows these respects to a woman, it should be appreciated for the respectful gesture to her womanhood that it is.

TRADITIONAL ROLES: The final misconception that I have faced that really annoyed me is that a woman could not possibly be a feminist and supportive of traditional gender roles. I love to cook supper for my husband and child, and I take pride in the fact that no one can care for my child the way that I can. I also love the fact that I work outside my home, and am damn good at what I do. The ideals of feminism are not based on who cooks the supper or cleans the kitchen, but rather on the fact that it is not automatically assumed to be a woman's role to do these things, but that she may actually
want to.

Caitlin Moran: My position is that every woman in the 21st century is feminist by default. This is a feminist world. We go to school with boys, we expect to be treated equally to boys, it's illegal to rape us, you can't own us, our paychecks go into our bank accounts, we are feminists, and unless you have actually handed in your vote at the White House and said "I have no need for this anymore," then you are a feminist. So then it becomes a semantic argument, why have we lost that word? I think young women, they just haven't heard the word feminism in the last 15 years or so anywhere in popular culture. I think one of the reason people got scared of it is that you don't have people going out there and saying, "I'm a feminist!" That's why I was interested in writing a sort of fun, colorful, common sense book, to get women to the point where they can support feminism publicly.

Final decision for short film!

My final idea for my short film will be a documentry on modern-day feminisim, what people think it is, boys and girls, and how it fits in within modern-day society. A lot of ideas have come from reading the book 'How to be a woman' by Caitlin Moran:

 

She makes some really good points about how feminisim still exists and how girls and woman today can carry on fighting against it. I've also done a bit of research and found many other points I want to bring up. I want to make a documentry that's aimed at younger girls, to try and open young girls minds to the ways they are still being exploited by men. I'm also doing feminism in sociology so there's a lot of stuff I've learnt there that I want to bring in to this aswell. I know pretty much what content my video will be made up of, but i'm still looking for ideas of how to present it, with images, interviews, narration etc.

 

Short story ideas..

Story 1:
A man is sitting at a desk, rubbing a silver spoon with his thumb as he stares blankly at the wall before him. He let's out a lengthy sigh and ceases all movement. A while passes before he abruptly stands, enthusiasm enveloping every contour of his face as if an incredible idea had struck his mind. The strange man dashes from the front door of his house clad in only nightwear, he rushes into the car and -after a skipped scene of driving- hastily arrives at a large park. He blasts open the door with his foot and runs in a wild frenzy to the centre of the field, leaving the vehicle exposed to robbery.
The man stops... he is where he should be, he has made it! He whips out the spoon and gazes at it with awe struck eyes before plummeting it into the earth and digging. A loud clunk is heard and he discovers a peculiar container. Upon opening the artifact, he finds a silver knife and fork sitting within. Tears fall from the now shaking man's face as he puts the spoon inside the box and shuts it once more. He puts the set into its former abode beneath the ground and places the dirt back ontop. As he pats the final pieces of mud down, he places his two hands onto the ground and stares in silence...

Story 2:
A man kept finding food and things missing from his flat whenever he came back from work. He kept checking the locks and they all seemed fine. He thought it could be mice or rats but couldn't see any other signs of animals and the food items missing seemed to be too big. He eventually installed webcam/CCTV in the flat and saw an old woman on the film moving around his house and going through the kitchen. It transpired that she had been living in one of his cupboards for 5 years and coming out everyday to eat his food and use the toilet!

Story 3:
Shots of a quiet town. Everyone is going about their boring, mudane daily schedules.
Shot of a man dressed in all black sneaking around an alley. He approaches a lever and pulls it down.
The entire town goes black and white. People are shocked, confused, and panicked. The town floods out of their homes, offices, etc. and fonto the streets in search of the cause of the B&W color change.
One man finally wanders down the alley and finds the lever. He turns it back on and everything goes back to normal. Everyone celebrates. The man raises his arms in triumph and walks away.
The "man in black" sneaks out into the alley again, turns the lever off, rips it off the wall, and takes it with him. The scene changes to black and white. Celebrating people look confused, look to the sky, fade out.

Story 4:
so you start out with a guy waking up, and its obvious this guy has sever OCD. everything in his house is squeaky clean, and he has a routine that he follows every morning. The key is, you never see this guy talk, he just goes about his normal routine that he does every morning.
The narration sets in and start talking about " I am samuel johnson, and I am the best assassin in the world. I study my targets meticulously (show him reading the paper), and take the best care of myself ( show him brushing his teeth or somethin) and I am always thinkin one step ahead.
Then this OCD guy walks out the front door of his house, on his way to his car for work, and gets his head blown off. Then the camera shifts to somewhere else in the bushes, and shows a guy all in black with a sniper riffle, and he says "and that is why I am the best"
I think it would be cool cause if you did it right, the whole time you would be thinking that the guy getting ready is the sniper, getting ready to go and and get his target, but then in the last scene, you realize he is the target. ex. http://www.youtube.com/watchv=VRtI_99oXhY

I also am thinking about doing something with bullying and i've found this video which has given me really good ideas of my own for a change! I like how the mother is used in this one and the effects suicide has on family members and I came up with a really nice speech a mother could say to a bullied child. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XLcfdkkHQE. This one is similar, but I like how they use facts and figures at the end to bring it back to real life and how they flick from colour to black and white and I like the idea of the narration, I wanted to write a poem and use that as my narration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=Ntq4IV38FRs&NR=1
I'm putting a link to this next video on here, because it's a true story off youtube and it highlights the feelings kids feel when they're bullied, which I want to explore and pull together, for both boys and girls. I thought maybe I could do it in two parts and flick from boy bullying and girl bullying. I want to explore what people mean by bullying. A lot of names come up with bullying like 'fat', 'ugly', 'geek' etc and I want to explore what people mean by those names and how people that are bullied can change the meaning of those names. I really want to make a video about bullying AWARENESS the best that I can, a video to help the bullied. Rather than the typical bullied story of child bullied that then kills themselves. I want to do something different, something more complex.

Recreation of 'My Beast Friend'

My beast friend: Plot synopsis & script

Film Synopsis;
Ed is clearing his apartment out and getting rid of his foul-mouthed cat. The cat is trying to read the label strapped around his neck it says; 'Please look after this cat, Free to good home!' The cat demands to know whats going on and threatens to be sick. Ed tells the cat he's just clearing out and it's got nothing to do with his new girlfriend Amelia. Ed tells fluff he's sending him to 'pleasure land' which pleases the cat. Then Amelia turns up early and reads the label hanging off the cat, thinking Ed rescued the cat, she says she will be his new mummy now and the cat realises what's going on, and calls Ed 'a lying c***' however the twist is the cat is a human dressed in a cat outfit when it's just Ed, but when Amelia comes in it's a real cat and changes from the two, making the short film comical.

Script -

FLUFF

   ple-plea-please.

Ed tell me what's going on

right now or i'm going to

sick up all of yesterdays tuna.

 (makes sick noises)

Oh no it's that girl

isn't it. Ameba.

You're mad, she's weird.

 

ED

This is nothing to do

with Amelia! I just.

 I just wanted to sort my

life out you know get rid

 of some of the dead wood.

 Soo I thought i'd take

you to this great fun place,

 just for cats, yeah just

 until I finish tidying up.

 It's called.. pleasureland.

 

FLUFF

Pleasureland? Sweet, but not before time.

(Door bell rings)

 

AMELIA

I'm so sorry Ed, I know i'm super early!

 Oh my god! Is this?

 

ED

 Er this is fluff

 

AMELIA

Free to good home. Some monster actually abandoned

this sweet, little creature. Well fluff I

guess this makes me your new mummy now.

 

FLUFF

You lying cun-

Recreate: My beast friend

We were put into groups and were told we had to remake a short film. I was in a group with Lily Vosper, Evie Calaby and Lizzie Starling. We had an option to choose between; 'My beast friend' and 'Get off my land' it was a hard decision as at first we desperately wanted to do the latter, however we thought it would be more difficult to film and would give us less time to edit, so we agreed on the former, we just needed to find a cat costume which would be our biggest problem. We all agreed to film on the following sunday, but unfortunately I was ill and was unable to come along, but I believe they all got on fine and we have some great footage thanks to my team! I know Lily has been editing that and I have seen a fair bit of the footage, so hopefully we will be all ready to present the remake this friday!

Character list:
- Amelia
- Ed
- Fluff (cat)

It is shot in a house/apartment in the original, but we're shooting at Evie's house and that's the only location we will use for the whole film.

Research for short film;

In this post I will be looking at 3 short films and analysing how they are similar and how they are different, these are the 3 short films I will be looking at;

Short film 1 - Silent Things - http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p00kmy38

Short film 2 - Echoes - http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p004pw7r

Short film 3 - Flushed - http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p004qk6j

All three of these films use real people, rather than cartoons or models. They are, however unusual, all based on real life situations and problems. The first two are drama's and have a very serious theme throughout and highlight some serious problems in society, the third, is a comedy and mocking a situation that some people may find themselves in. The first uses very little speech, which could be the director's way of helping us understand the two main characters, who are autistic and see the world in a different way and by cutting out general speech it allows the audience to get inside the two autistic characters' head creating a very different feel to other films. It also gives the film a much more serious tone to it, which is where it is similar to my second short film, which does have digetic speech, but uses long silences, with little non-digetic sounds as well, to add tension and also make the film have a serious tone. The third film however, uses continual digetic sounds which gives it a much more upbeat, cheerful atmoshpere to suit the genre of the film. The first film has gentle, natural lighting, as most of the film is set on the beach. I think the setting of this film is perfect, as the beach is a very calm and serene place and the natural lighting reflects the very childlike characteristics of autistic people. In the second film the lighting is very dim and shadowy, which instantly gives the film the dark and gloomy feel that best suits the topic of the film. In the third film the lighting is very bright and artificial, perhaps reflecting how over the top the situation is. In all three films, there are many close-up shots of the faces of the main characters, in the first two to show the thoughts and feelings of these characters through their facial expressions, that they many not be able to express in any other way. In the third film, to over exaggerate how the boy is feeling which creates the comedy factor. The first two films are 12-13 minutes long, but the third is only 5 minutes long, this could be because dramas where the director is essentially trying to get a point across to the audience, and need the audience to be able to relate and empathis with the main character, need much longer to be able to develop that relationship between character and audience. Whereas in the comedy, the main emphasis is on the comical situation, not the character necessarily.

Link to practice task

My Beast friend;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p007xb6t

Characters profiles

These are some bullet point facts about my characters for my short film;

Character 1; Hayley 
- Woman 
- 30
- 9 stone, 5ft.5, curvy womanly build,but slim and small, Ginger hair, brown eyes, pale skin, freckles, left handed, left sleepy eye, skips as she walks and if she's being carried by dancing fairies, she's smokes, but she refuses to admit she's a smoker, she tends to adopt the accents of anyone she's around, she has a high pitched lyrical voice, she talks using quotes and famous sayings a lot of the time, but other times she is well spoken and well educated. She tries not to swear, but again if she is around people who swear she finds it hard not to pick it up around them. She lives alone with her two children, a boy and a girl; the boy, Toby is 6 and the girl, Marilyn is 3. Marilyn is bubbly, talkative and always asking questions, blonde with blue eyes and a magical smile. Toby is protective of Marilyn and always enjoys teaching her all he knows. He's finding his feet and settling into school, however he's a shy boy who has been taught to respect and be kind to all. 
Hayley is no longer married, she has been hurt badly before by her first lover and father of her children, but she is healing and finds comfort in the close relationship she has with her friend; Nick. They have slept together a few times, but she's too scared of getting hurt and hurting her children to embark on anything more, however he's loved her for a long time and just being part of her life is enough for him. Hayley's mother is deceased and her father in a care home. Hayley lives near the sea, as she's always wished, she keeps herself to herself and rarely socializes with anyone. She owns the little terraced house and is very proud of that fact, it cost her £215,000, but most of this was paid with a mortgage. It is lightly furnished, she doesn't like clutter, but it's got a lot of rugs and old sofas which give it a homely feel. She is a tidy woman, not obsessively although she is with hygiene, but she always like a little of the children's mess around her. She works as a nurse at the local hospital, which is enough for her and the kids to live comfortably on. She spends more money than she has on material things for herself than she should. She enjoys her job and has never desired to do anything else, she writes novels and poetry in her free time, but never does anything with it. She feels she is mistreated in work by her boss, so she avoids him as much as possible, however she is at breaking point and is desperate for the promotion she deserves. Hayley's mum, Claire, died when she was 21 of cancer, she was a frail, delicate lady all her life and Hayley was very close to her. Her father was much older than her mother and is now living in a care home an hour away from Hayley, she tries to see him as often as she has time, but she just doesn't have that much time these days. Her mother was very blonde and her father had dark red hair. 

These following questions must be answered in the evaluation:

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
How does what you have produced fit in with normal 'short films' and how doesn't it? What makes it different and stand out and what makes it 'fit in'.

2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
What colours, texts, sounds and images did you use to create the theme and atmosphere of your piece.

3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?
In this question, you need to make as many references to any audience feedback you have recieved. Go over things you weren't sure about or were worried about and make note of whether your audience picked up on those points or whether they noticed any mistakes. Points that are mentioned frequently in the feedback and that if you done it again would you change them. The good and bad points, what you'd keep the same and what you'd change etc. Do I except comments from my audience or would I want to challenge them?

4. How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Very simply, explain what props and quitment you used to create your product, how you used them and how useful they were for you. Did you have any faults with any of them.

Short Films links

Here are some links to some short films I have found and liked and why I liked them;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p00pf28k
The Last Man on Earth - BBC;
I liked this because it only had one character, but he was a good actor so it worked. The scene was also very simple, but because it had a punchline at the end, it didn't matter. Simple is what i'm looking for as being  an a-level student we don't have much to work with. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p00mr8n9
NightWalking - BBC;
This was unusual in that the punchline, was the other person's point of view. Its shows the world from the other side, which I liked

http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p006fbrh
The Conservatory - BBC;
I liked this one, because it was really unusual, it seemed to have no point or punchline and it was very short. It was also a cartoon, done in a very homemade way.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p0058zrw
The zebras of Jack Tizard - BBC;
I've put this link on here, as it was a good example of a documentry, which is another option that I could take.

These two videos we have been studying in class and will soon do a remake of one of them;
Get off my land - http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p00gs4yj
and
My beast friend - http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p007xb6t

What is a short film and what makes a good short film;

A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits".The term featurette originally applied to a film longer than a short subject, but shorter than a standard feature film.

The difficulties of a telling a story in a short time is that it's hard to build on your characters and give an adequate portrayal of them in any short space of time. It's also hard to tell the whole plot of your story in a short space of time, which is why short films should get straight to the point or benefit from jumping into a story right in the middle and just capturing the punchline. The benefits of a short film are obvious however, they're cheaper and take much less time to construct and edit, which is good for directors and producers who are just starting out making films.

I have been researching what makes a good short film and what doesn't and found some good points to go by, however there is no rule book.

Here's a list I've found for what makes a good short film;
- An exciting & original Idea
- A strong script
- Good acting
- High production values
- Make it short
- Strong beginning
- Avoid repetition & punchline twists
- Exciting new techniques & style

An Exciting & Original Idea

Original ideas are not easy to come-by but a good way of avoiding clichéd ideas is to watch lots of other short films, look out for any trends and stay clear of them. Even if your idea isn't completely original try to look at the subject matter from a different angle or using a different style/technique. If you're struggling for ideas, you could try to find inspiration in your experiences or those of the people that you meet or through the stories that you read in newspapers, magazines and online.

A Strong Script

A good script is key to narrative-based short films and in many ways it's harder to write a short than a feature because you need to condense your story and develop your characters in a very short space of time. All too often films are let down by weak, overwritten or underdeveloped scripts. Before investing money, time and effort into shooting your film, it's a good idea to test your script out on friends and strangers (as friends might fear offending you) and get as much feedback as you can. If you write and direct your own films, it's a good idea to consider where your strengths lie. It's great if you can do both but if you think you're stronger at direction/animation then why not consider collaborating with a talented scriptwriter and see what results come of it?

Good Acting

Unless your friends are actors or demonstrate acting talent, it's a good idea to avoid casting them in your film. Even one bad actor in a film can really let it down and destroy the viewer's belief in the reality that your film is seeking to create. There are lots of great actors out there who are willing to work for reduced fees to learn their trade and make a name for themselves. You can find actors through advertising on the message boards of filmmaking communities.

High Production Values

Whilst digital filmmaking has had the positive impact of making the process more accessible and affordable, it's important to ensure that you still apply the same production values that you would if you were shooting on film with a crew. Many low-budget shorts are let down by poor sound, lighting, camera work and editing and/or by directors who are trying to do it all by themselves without anyone else's input. Filmmaking is predominantly a collaborative process and it's much better to find crew who are specialising in these areas who can offer different skills. You can use the message boards of filmmaking communities If you're new to filmmaking, one of the best ways to learn the skills required is to assist on other people's films. Also check the message boards for call outs for volunteers from filmmakers.

Make It Short

As a general rule, the longer your short film is, the harder it is to keep the viewer's attention. This is especially true of online viewing – for instance on Film Network the average time that a viewer spends watching a film is 4 minutes. Note – exceptions to this rule is documentary, which viewers will often watch for longer. Many festivals don't accept short films that are over 30 minutes long; a long film will really have to impress the programmers for them to include it in their screening, as it means they will not be able to show so many films in their short film programme. One filmmaker told us about a film he made that was 26 minutes long. He applied for festivals all over the world and was rejected by them all. A year later he re-cut the film to 10 minutes and resubmitted it. His 10-minute cut was shown at numerous festivals worldwide and was broadcast on a digital channel. Very short films, especially romance and comedies, can be popular with distributors and buyers as they are easier to programme and can be sold to multi-platforms e.g. online, mobile, VOD etc.

Strong Beginning

Most programmers/distributors will be inundated with submissions and so your film has to grab their attention from the very first shot. The harsh reality is that if your film doesn't pique their interest within the first two minutes, in all likelihood they may not sit through it till the end. Don't waste time on lengthy introductions and credits – spark their interest in the story as quickly as you can. Credits at the start can distract the viewer (especially if the direction, production and editing are all by the same person!) so leave them out unless you have it written in an agreement with one of your cast. Similarly if your film starts with a long establishing shot where nothing really happens, viewers may switch off before you get to show them your great plot and idea. If the pace of your film is naturally slow and ambling, make the shots as rich and enticing as possible to draw the viewer in. Note – a good editor can really transform a film. If you're directing and editing your own film you might be too attached to certain shots to know which bits to chop out to make your film a stronger, more coherent piece. In big blockbusters, scenes that have cost thousands or even millions can be chopped if the studio/filmmaker feels that they are not integral to the final edit of the piece.

Avoid Repetition & Punchline Twists

Whilst sometimes a repetitive scene can be used for comedy/dramatic effect (Groundhog Day being a classic example of where this can work), if you are not careful it can end up being repetitive and predictable. Comedy is notoriously difficult to pull off in short films – if you're looking to make humorous shorts then it's a good idea to test your idea on an audience (why not post a short clip on a site like YouTube or MySpace and see what feedback you get?) or to cast your film carefully and get a funny actor. Be careful of one-line gag/punchline films. Some shorts can do this to great successbut many often fall flat. If you've got a great punchline twist then consider making it short and snappy as viewers might be disappointed if they sit through 7 minutes for one joke at the end, especially if they've already seen it coming.

Exciting New Techniques & Style

Even an average plot can be made intriguing by an exciting new technique or style - whether it be a new kind of animation, camera work or art direction. Try experimenting and developing your own style. Note – having said that, beware of style over substance.