Film Idea Pitch

Here is a video pitch of my short film idea.

Short Film Recreation

We were given the task to recreate short film 'Get Off My Land' displayed on the BBC film network - which can be watched here.  The four minute sequence presents a young couple who clearly have a difficult relationship on a countryside walk; meeting the farmer who supposedly owns that land - and tension rises as he claims that this is NOT a public footpath.  A shocking ending to the film shows the short-tempered farmer as he shoots the couple; after the young male patronises him after confrontation about who the land actually belongs to.  It is almost comical - we see the young female with half a face of splattered blood; hysterically begin to cry at the end.  We had to recreate this film in groups of five shot for shot - using the same editing, location, character style/ costumes and relevant prop use.

Planning:

• Location

Location use has to be effective and similar to the setting used in the film - which is a countryside/ green field setting.  The area is wooded and trees can be seen in the background, the opening shot shows a wooden fence that the young male character climbs over in the first scene.  We decided to use Aimee's fields, which is very suitable and similar to the location used in the film.   The weather and lighting conditions in the film appear to be bleak and cold - slightly high key lighting and sunshine is also present.  Location wise we chose a very good spot - that mirrors the short films locations well in terms of lighting and surrounding scenery. 

•  Casting

The production uses three actors to present the characters in this short film - casting the characters should also portray these characters with suitable ages to enhance the outcome.  The male character is young, perhaps late twenties/ early thirties.  He has a slight cockney twang, with brown curly hair.  He is of medium build - a healthy figure.  His partner, the young female character has shoulder-length dark brown hair.  She is elegant looking, with a slim build and wears a concerned facial expression.  The farmer is portrayed as being intimidating - perhaps mid-fifties with grey stubble/ facial hair and is well spoken with a British accent.

• Costumes & Props

It is important to consider the use of costume and props to mirror the shots in the film effectively - the most important prop which we can luckily access - due to Aimee owning a farm was the shot gun!  This prop is effective in shocking the audience in an almost comical way as we see the character's fall to the floor.  A green 4x4 can also be seen approach the couple across the field as the farmer steps out.  This prop is also accessible so we can portray the farmer shot effectively.  This is only a short film so there are not many props to be seen.  The couple are on a countryside walk therefore are wearing waterproof jacket - the female's is purple and unzipped revealing a white vest underneath.  She wears dark colored waterproof bottoms and walking boots.  The male character similarly wears a dark colored jacket, with jeans and white muddy trainers, the farmer is seen wearing a green farmer jacket with a knitted jumper underneath and a flat  cap.

We created a storyboard of the shots and scenes in the film showing the angles and shot types so we can be aware of how to successfully shoot our version in the same way.  The location and setting, placement of characters have to be similar and inspired by the original therefore we have to study the film well.

'GET OFF MY LAND' - SCRIPT

Male:  Bit wobbly.

Female:  (Sighs)

Farmer:  I'm afraid this is private land.

Male:  (Sighs)

Female:  Sorry, I thought this was a public footpath.

Farmer:  No.

Female:  I'm sure it said this was a public footpath.

Farmer:  There are two public footpaths across my land, and I'm afraid this isn't one of them.  As I'm sure you know, the law allows you across private land.  But only on a public footpath.

Female:  Come on.

Male:  We're not harming anyone though, are we, hey?  What makes it your land anyway?

Farmer:  It, er, belonged to my father.

Male:  Who'd he get it off?

Farmer:  Been in my family for generations.

Male:  Who'd they get it off?

Farmer:  Well, they probably bought it.

Male:  Who'd they buy it off?

Farmer:  The previous owner I imagine.

Male:  And before that?  And before that?  And before that?

Farmer:  Somebody probably fought for it.

Male:  Alright.  I'll fight you for it.

Female:  What?!

Male:  I'll fight you for it.

The moral hypocracy of the land owning upper classes.  What?  What?!  (Sighs)

Farmer:  Okay!  Let's fight for it.

Female:  We're going... No we're going.

Farmer:  You know what?  I've got a feeling this is a public footpath.

Luis Buñuel

Born in Aragon, Spain, Luis Buñuel is a filmmaker who worked in areas such as Spain, France and Mexico. He was often associated with the Surrealist movement of the 1920s, marrying the concept of film and poetic images - his works spanning a variety of languages and genres.  He created features in genres such as experimental film, documentary, melodrama, musical, erotica, comedy, romance, costume dramas, fantasy, crime film, adventure, and western.

As a student, he developed his skills and became an acomplished hypnotist - even once calming a hysterical prostitute through hypnotic methods.  His passion for film was soon intesified after viewing  Der müde Tod by Fritz Lang; deciding soon to devote his life to cinema.  He was actively involved in cinema as he moved to Paris in 1925; meeting a number of influential people, including the pianist Ricardo Viñes, who was instrumental in securing Buñuel's selection as artistic director of the Dutch premiere of Manuel de Falla's puppet-opera El retablo de maese Pedro in 1926.  He enrolled into a private film school ran by Jean Epstein, soon collaborating on film scripts and after his apprenticship, created Un Chien Andalou - a surrealist feature with Salvador Dali. 

 

Buñuel talks about Un Chien Andalou
Trailers of films by Luis:


'Tristana' (1970)

 

'L'Age d'Or' (1930)

 

'La voie lactée' (1969)

 

'Nazarin' (1959)







Short Film Comparison

I watched three short films and identified their similarities and key differences in the way they have been produced, in terms of elements such as the mise-en-scene, camera shots/ angles and the way it has been edited to depict a certain message.

Drift - Theo Tagholm (here)


Mise-en-scene

A cityscape can be seen, high key lighting as it seems to be day.  The camera pans around the buildings from a high-angle.  The colours are bland, distorted footage follows as a green are can be seen - almost like a park.  Trees and people are distorted, the opening quote ' I drift, half awake, half asleep' suggests that this could perhaps be a dream state.  The way it is filmed suggests that it is a POV - someone moving/ 'drifting' towards these locations, or moving away.  The city-scape can be seen with a lake in the foreground, the next shot shows the POV shot as walking down a street with housing either side.  This again all shows areas that a character could be living in - there is no narrative or dialogue and we are unsure.  There is a room to be seen towards the end, a lampshade shown.  The low key lighting and dark roads depict the idea of the end of the day; which suggest that the character has perhaps finished their journey as the screen fades to black.  It is very dream like.

Editing, Camera shots/ angles

There is a ripple effect in the editing as it seems to be dream like - the image changes; almost forming into the next shot, and location.  They are wide and establishing shots; but it seems as soon as we are being introduced to the shot, a different location is shown, the editing is smooth and it all flows smoothly together.   There aren't a lot of sound effects, yet footsteps can be heard in the background, or the rustle of something/ someone.  This emphasises the fact that it is a POV shot and the character behind is walking along - 'drifting' along as the title suggests.  There is something intriguing about the way the vision is distorted, objects slowly begin to appear but fade again - almost a little delayed.  The shots seem to morph into each other; as objects from other established locations begin to collide and appear into other locations - such as the lamp post appearing in a lake scene.  



Octo-Dancing - Reza Dolatabadi (here)

Mise-en-scene

The opening shots simply show anatomy of what seems to be an octopus; with restricted movement in the water - they are close-up shots.  Debris can be seen floating around in the surrounding water; there is low key lighting which adds a sense of mystery as there are extreme close-up shots of the tentacles on the sea creature.  The images are slightly disjointed in the end, as they seem to 'dance' to the rhythm of the background sound effects - different coloured almost electric lights also appear in between the shots of the octopus  The end titling sequence shows a ray of light pan across the darkness of the water - an electric blue.  Again, there is no clear narrative and the images are slightly surreal - the main focus is the sea creature and it's movements being emphasised by the strong close up shots of it's anatomy.   

Editing, Camera shots/ angles

The editing is disjointed and fast paced - the footage is pieced together in the rhythm of the electronic beat in the background music.  Debris swirls around in the water then the octopus is the focus, being in the centre of the water.  It seems to be 'dancing' in the way that it jumps; different lights appear - almost as if it is being electrocuted.  It speeds up as a full shot of the octopus appears; perhaps a build up in the narrative.  The anatomy of the octopus is viewed from different angles, high and low with extreme close up shots of the tentacles - this depics a sort of intimacy as we seem to be close to the creature.  Music is interesting, it begins with a hollow trance like sound that soon builds up - it seems to be an introduction to the creature.  The disjointed like beat is dominant in the background.  It is almost repetitive and robot like, with synth like sound effects.  This works very well in depicting a surreal like/ electronic image as the octopus moves to the beat which slightly pulses.

No More - Israr Azam (here)

Mise-en-scene

An establishing shot at the beginning shows a pan around a city, grass in the foreground and buildings in the back,  the image of the following shot fuses together almost similarly to 'Drift' - the following city scape can again be seen.  There are fountains  then a medium - again panning shot suggests the flowing water fountain.  There is a shot showing a street - all these show the use of high key lighting, it is a regular day.  People are seen walking along this street shot, coming in the camera's direction.  A close up zooms inwards on a cup and saucer of tea; a spinning one pence coin is seen afterwards.  These objects and location seem to set the scene of a city, of ordinary and everyday life.  So far we are not aware of the narrative and what these objects may mean - however they seem to be anticipating something soon to come.  These fast again distorted shots show smoke rising from a factory, a clock ticking, and a lamp-post   These suggest to me a time factor or perhaps industrialisation - working life.  It is dramatic as they all come to a holt; a dark cross-fade from the lamp-post shows the tea cup tremble, enhances the idea of oncoming danger as the background music rises with tension.  The tea spurtles, a quick cut to waves crashing on a shore.  Again this emphasises danger in the scene yet also seems to reflect the cup of tea as it spills.  A shot of the feet of people - perhaps men suits shows them walking along; they seem to have a location to get to. 

The mise-en-scene is effective and dramatic - showing a rise in tension and almost simple shots after momentum speeds up; we begin to see freeze frames of action/ events i.e. a theft, female with a wedding ring and a quote - 'happiness', a man catching a criminal and an explosion - which then resume to pace as we see people walking along the street.  It seems to simply suggest that these are everyday issues; the dramatic tension portrays this creatively and artistically through the emphasis on bad actions; by prolonging shots through a freeze frame.

Editing, Camera shots/ angles

The editing varies in pace and is effective - as the rise in tension is caused by a slow pace that suddenly starts to increase - followed by abrupt pauses or freeze frames.  Such as the pausing of the coin which was previously spinning quickly and the resuming of previously paused footage of the criminal/ scenes that depict the issues in everyday life.  There is a variety of camera angles and shots varying from establishing and wide shots to suggest the opening location; to close up shots that portray emotion and emphasise the message behind a certain object or use of symbolism.  The shots seem to pan around from one to another, which suggest a time element as well as being establishing shots.  There is focus to detail; which creates a dramatic effect, even though there is actually no clear narrative - just a message.  

SIMILARITIES:

• The three short films are similar in the sense that they do not have a clear plot or narrative.  They seem to depict a certain theme or message through effective mise-en-scene use; such as props or locations that are up to interpretation, creating tension for the audience.  
• There is also effective use of sound; that again enhances the mise-en-scene, such as the quickening pace of the music as the freeze-frame unfolds and we see the thief being chased like in 'No More'.  The electronic beat in the music montage, 'Octo-Dancing' is rhythmically suitable as the movements are edited to move along.  There is no character development in any of the films, which suggests that they are an artists moving image,  that have deep symbolic meanings open to interpretation instead of stating the obvious. 

DIFFERENCES:

• Despite similar layouts and style in editing and mise-en-scene; especially between 'No More' and 'Drift' - they are different in content and the message that they depict.  For example, 'No More' is significantly different in the sense that a message is being portrayed and it isn't surreal like the other two films - 'Drift' is completely different, being repetitive establishing shots that don't suggest any form of narrative, but an ongoing journey like in a dream state.  Mise-en-scene wise the locations are similar being set in a city.  'Octo-Dancing' however completely differs; being a focus on one subject only; in form of a music video which shows no change in location/ character.  Editing wise, the rapid movement of the octopus is different as it fits in with a rhythm, and in 'Drift' it is the only image that is distorted in the editing process using special effects.

Dali, the Genius

Being a passionate art student, I am heavily influenced by famous painters and their ideas - being able to visualize how they depicted certain themes in their paintings - especially in philosophically driven art that is Surreal Art. My favorite painter; Salvador Dali was more than just a painter - I am very inspired by his methods and how he manages to portray his surreal ideas; he was heavily influenced by Freudian theories of the important influence of the unconscious mind. Dali was more than just a painter - to me he was an amazing icon; creating art in ways which enable us as viewers to interpret them using our own psychological instincts and subconscious thoughts. Alongside painting, Dali was a writer and film maker - creating famous Surrealist films such as 'Un Chien Andalou' and 'L'Age d'Or' which he directed alongside Luis Buñuel.

I find everything about Salvador Dali fantastic and simply mystifying - I am heavily absorbed in Surrealism and this brings me to Surrealist cinema; something that I would love to recreate and research further into.

--- THAT MUSTACHE.  That is all.

“Since I don't smoke, I decided to grow a mustache - it is better for the health.

However, I always carried a jewel-studded cigarette case in which, instead of tobacco, were carefully placed several mustaches, Adolphe Menjou style. I offered them politely to my friends: "Mustache? Mustache? Mustache?"

Nobody dared to touch them. This was my test regarding the sacred aspect of mustaches.”

Character Biographies - Part 1

Each character presented in a narrative will have a specific function when portrayed - such as the protagonist main character that is the centre of the story. Secondary characters in a film interact with the protagonist impacting the plot; and minor characters add atmosphere and contribute to the character world.

- Sarah, aged 23 is tall and slim. Thinning, mousy brown locks fall to frame her dark brown eyes and pale complexion, as white as those who have not seen sun, with a blueish hue. Her expression is intense, secrets lie beneath but we cannot read her thoughts. She walks softly, like a small, dark cat, a shadow of what would've been a cigarette is clear in the way she purses her lips and uneven, short breaths. Fists clenched at the side, she is self contained and in control. Her voice is mature and well spoken, at a normal pitch with a slightly husky edge. She occasionally swears, as does everyone at moments of frustration. Sarah lives in Oxford in a fantastic studio apartment, with her boyfriend whom she has a very intense relationship with - being committed since she was 18, whilst he was 21 at the time. "Age is just a number" right?

Sarah and her father have a good relationship; he often visits with Thai takeaway. Her boyfriend is currently engaged in his job as fresh opportunities arise; Sarah is considerate and allows him space and is supportive. There is no space for pets, not physically but as a couple they feel that work and her artwork (She studied fine art) are too time consuming for pets. On Broad street Sarah's apartment shines, characterised by its post-modern decor - where interpretation is everything. The apartment was perhaps a generous gift from Sarah's father, to compensate for her mother and his marital problems, which eventually led to a divorce as Sarah turned 20. Luckily, as a maturing 'adult' the likelihood of any psychological trauma is second to none. The apartment is chic, personalised with sophisticated ornaments and delicate vases. Softly coloured fairy lights highlight the bedroom, creating a suggestive ambiance as a king size, freshly made bed is in the centre.  The rooms are clean and spotless.  Sarah has finished her education; with a degree from UCL majoring in Fine Art - she has recently been preparing in hope that she can commission her paintings and perhaps open a gallery.  Her boyfriend currently works therefore they have a decent income; the parents are very generous too - however they are becoming financially independent refusing any more help 'setting up'. She had a healthy childhood, her father a successful Civil Engineer in project management.  Psychologically she inherited her mother's artistic ability - her mother being an Architect; physically she inherited her father's dark hair and brown eyes.  Her small build comes from her mother.  She was always studious; and her parents held high expectations which of course - she met.  Sarah had a head start in life and her parents were always supportive of her decisions.  

Sarah is very interested in art culture and history - she also loves English literature being a lover of Dickens and Shakespeare, also regularly picking up NME magazine to read in her spare time - she enjoys her own company and a cup of coffee is always her friend.  Sarah enjoy attending artist exhibitions - especially in London and recently attending the Tate modern museum.  Her relationship with her boyfriend is passionate - sometimes she can be vulnerable and lets her emotions dominate -which is a quality that she sometimes dislikes.  She always however had a strong personality and was very liked - still seeing friends from uni on a regular basis.  Sarah is an atheist/ agnostic; unsure of her religious views but strongly influenced by philosophy and astrology being a Pisces.  She wants to be married and a successful painter - being a strong believer in reincarnation and karma; death isn't always on her mind - but enjoying life is.  

Evaluation Questions

I have already starting thinking ahead about efficient ways to answer the evaluation questions, using creative methods in order to present it - such as using video or animation.  Doing this will enhance my evaluation instead of creating regular blogposts to present the questions and their answers.

• In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (Genre, narrative, structure)
This question suggests that I will have to consider the production stages in terms of creating a media product inspired by real media conventions; such as how I have portrayed a certain genre, suggesting how I used or adapted these conventions.  For example if I was to create a Thriller genre product - the conventions would be low-key lighting creating a dark atmosphere to create suspense and tension, alongside horror sound effects in it's structure.  I will have to consider whether the end product's narrtative is also suitable for the desired genre.  Challenging forms of real media products in terms of elements such as genre could suggest that it isn't necessarily a used convention, yet it still works - such as The Cohen Brother's 'Fargo' that we studied last year. 
• How effective is the combination of your media product and ancillary texts? (How does my poster/ film review reflect the media product?)
My ancillary texts such as the film poster will have to effectively reflect the genre and narrative of my media product - being relevant to it's structure.  For example, in term's of mise-en-scene, a photograph taken for the poster should emphasise the plotline by perhaps featuring the main character in the film - or a significant prop/ location.  This will intrigue the audience and foreshadow the narrative, advertising the film itself. 
• What have you learnt from your audience feedback?
  
  This question suggests that I should evaluate the responses from the audience regarding my media product and therefore consider what ways I could develop my outcome further - taking their comments or criticism constructively.  I could for example have edited my footage or portrayed my characters differently - for a better final product.  Audience feedback allows to evaluate my progress as the audience is important in being able to see my intentions for the product - seeing whether I have done so successfully and areas for improvement.  

• How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?
  
  To answer this question I will have to consider how I have developed my use of digital technology in order to creatively enhance my outcome - such as experimentation on different programs like Adobe Photoshop or After Effects.  I will use these programs to create my final product - and importantly experiment to create an effective evaluation; using a variety of technologies for it to be interesting.  Media technologies will allow me to create a variety of products - and my ancillary tasks will heavily be based around them.  

Short Film

WHAT IS A SHORT FILM?

A short film, in it's simplest terms, is one that's length isn't considered to be that long enough to be a feature film, defined by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as being 'an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less'.  They are characterised by being created by independent film-makers, ranging from being amateur to professional productions - usually funded by film grants or sponsors and known to be low budget.  This therefore allows independent film-makers to gain recognition and prove talent for future films.  

Charlie Chaplin in 'The Tramp'

Short films were popular in the early days of film, specifically comedy shorts, 5-10 minute cartoons and newsreels - short comedies specifically came in series such as Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp Character.  In the very early sound and silent film era, the development and production of short films was very popular amongst all major film productions in the early 1920s.  Cartoon shorts had a longer life after the distribution of films were affected in the 1930s due to the Great Depression.  They were distributed by studios such as Walt Disney, being an implementation of lower-cost  and limited animation techniques, Warner Bros also distributing; but they also declined - Woody Woodpecker and The Pink Panther being the last regular theatrical cartoons.  

In the modern era, animated shorts continue to be distributed, such as shorts by Pixar along it's feature films before screenings. Dreamworks also seem to produce short sequels, with Shorts International and Magnolia Pictures organising an annual release of Academy Award nominated short films in theatres across the US, UK, Canada and Mexico.

BENEFITS/ DIFFICULTIES OF SHORT FILM

• Short films allow the experimentation of artistic methods and condensation of narrative/ plot in order to create an effective product; something that will grasp attention of an audience and tell a story in a small amount of time.  Methods are limited as there is only so much that you can do in the space of 40 minutes - yet this is an even more excuse to constantly have an audience on edge - creating something that will either shock or something with high comical value.  
• There are difficulties in telling a story in a few minutes, it is harder to develop a character and allow an audience to get to know them and their relations within the film.  This is due to perhaps limited time to create effective character and plots.  This applies to very short films - it takes a higher skill to be able to unravel a plot and introduce a character before it even ends.  
• They may fail to demonstrate therefore the sustaining of character arcs; a short film also does not demonstrate the makers ability to an audience the understanding of genre or construction of consistency - especially in dramatic tension/ release.