Chosen Drama Series

For the 'Directions' unit, we have been given the task to look very closely at a drama series that we admire from a directorial and creative point of view. Whilst studying a few British dramas for the 'Story-telling' unit, I looked at the first series of Broadchurch. It is a fictional crime drama that takes place in the close-nit town of Broadchurch in Dorset. We follow the characters of DS Ellie Miller and DI Alec Hardy who investigate crime in the area. The first series focusses on the murder of a boy in the town. Like many crime and mystery dramas, we are taken on a whirlwind of twists and turns, lead to believe many of the characters may have done the murder before a shocking reveal at the end, keeping the audience in suspense. I have chosen to look at Broadchurch as my drama choice because I loved the storyline but thought that the way the directors - James Strong and Euros Lyn directed it really carried the series, making it feel very gripping but moving at the same time. The topic of the first series is incredibly serious. I thought that the way this was handled was excellent, as the directors managed to convey the emotion and heart ache Danny's family were feeling through good story-telling, camera work and music whilst not taking away from the excitement of the unknown for the audience.
For the brief, we have been asked to choose a scene or sequence of scenes that we particularly admire from a directorial point of view and recreate them, putting our own personal style and signature into it and re-interpreting the scene/s. As I have only watched the first series, I would like to watch the second series too and choose from both so I have a wide knowledge of the drama before interpreting it. One thing, I particularly admired was the use of camera shots and time frame in the series. I thought that this was a great way of showing something on screen and creating emotion without having the characters say anything at all.

Directions

Directions is the second unit for this year. A director is a visual story teller. Every successful director has a distinct style of directing that personalises their work and shows their individuality. For this unit we are expected to explore our role as a director and create two short films. The first short film will be a self portrait. The film should be no longer than 2 minutes and should demonstrate who we are through our own personal directing style. It should represent who we are as people, what we think about and show the world through our own eyes. For the second video we have been given the task to look at a drama series, examine it and choose a scene or sequence of scenes and recreate them putting our own creative spin on the series. However, we are required to keep the general tone of the series the same so it is still recognisable to the audience. We can choose any drama series, excluding sitcoms or soaps. We then have to develop a 5-6 page script, retelling the scenes in our own way. This should be very helpful when directing the scenes and evolving a new scene that differs from the style of the original scene/s.
For both videos, the point is to explore our directorial vision, therefore, we must use crew members including a camera operator and a sound operator, as well as incorporate actors from outside of the class to give the videos a much more professional and dramatic feel and atmosphere. I think that I will enjoy this unit as I am looking forward to exploring my own directorial vision and working with a larger crew than last time. However, this is also quite daunting as the role of a director is very authoritative which I think will be quite challenging.

Project Evaluation

I have now completed each stage of this project including the production and completion of the two minute video and a final draft of my 10 page short story as a script. I found the storytelling project quite challenging, as this was the first time I have attempted to write a script. Although, the camera workshops were very helpful as they allowed me to experiment with some of the tools on the cameras, learn about audio and how to shoot in the most efficient way, I still found it relatively challenging when I had to film for my video and set up the camera myself. When it came to thinking of an idea for the short story, I thought about the advice that Steve Coombes gave us where he said to think about our own experiences as this can help to think of and develop ideas. For the story, I started with location first as I was on a long train journey and decided that this would be a good location for a meeting as it is a confined space and somewhere we often are forced to interact with strangers nearby. I then decided I wanted a protagonist and an antagonist so that the audience will root for the 'hero' of the story. I decided I wanted my character of Natalie to be somewhat talented but not know it yet and to always doubt her ability. In this way, this makes her much more likeable than if she were completely confident and sure of herself. It took me a while to establish my idea and what I wanted the aim of the story to be but was happy when I had decided on the ending. When it came to writing the script itself, I found it very challenging making the transition from telling a story where you write detail about every aspect, describing how the characters are feeling and the events of their past. However, after submitting my first draft and receiving feedback from Steve Coombes, he said that I needed to focus less on any backstory or description because the action in the script should only focus on what the camera can see. I amended my script to remove any unnecessary description. I also decided to change some elements of the story itself including how Natalie loses her novel and the ending where she believes that John Smithers will publish the novel for her but instead publishes it under his own name.
For the video, I had a number of issues. I shot the video twice, the first time being in London which is where the script is set. However, there were a few problems with the final footage which meant that I needed to re-film. The second time, I shot the video in Rochester, which was a much easier and a less stressful location to film at. I also changed my cast to improve the performance so that it was fitting with the mood and atmosphere of the video. I had already filmed the video before making amendments to the script which meant that the events of the film are slightly different. After a second viewing with Simon, he suggested that I film a few glimpses of the man she meets on the train sitting at the platform and have him getting on the train after her. This makes the video fit the brief a bit more as it gives the audience a little hint about later events in the story.
In terms of improvements, I would say that I should have improved my planning of the shoot so that I was certain the cast and location would work and be fitting for the video. In the final video, I would have wanted to include more footage of the man she meets, maybe including him walking to the station as well, however, his pace being much slower to create contrast with the shots of Natalie. I would have also liked to put more emphasis on the natural sounds of her journey. I hadn't originally intended to use a lot of natural audio so in a few of the shots you can hear talking in the background. I would have also liked to have had more time to plan the filming in Rochester, maybe choosing a slightly busier location that would create a sense of a busier environment, so that the vibe of the video seemed more hectic and rushed.
Overall, I would say the project turned out relatively well, despite the changes I had to make within  the time constraints of the last two weeks. However, I enjoyed the element of writing a script as this was very new to me and found it really exciting using the cameras at the studios and learning more about Adobe Premiere for editing. I am looking forward to learning more as the course progresses and hopefully seeing an improvement in my skill level and work.

Re-shooting/Re-editing

I re-filmed the footage for my video with Laura and Jack in Rochester. The general plot and events of the video were incredibly similar to before as my character Natalie is still making her way to the train station. I wanted to do the filming roughly in chronological order so that the clips would be easy to find and edit without having to rummage around the folder looking for the right ones. We started in the morning at the halls for the Uni. Once I had looked through my storyboards, I decided that the very first scene where she is looking through her things in her room didn't add anything to the story and would be unnecessary. Therefore, I decided that the first shot would be Laura opening the front door to the flat and checking her watch before beginning her journey to the station. I wanted the shots to be quite fast paced as she is late and is struggling to get there in time. I covered quite a wide variety of shots that would show her walking there in the most interesting and visually exciting way. I used a few different locations on the way including the a tunnel near the halls and the station itself. However, as I had to shoot within a few days I could not get permission to film in the station and had to compromise by filming with my own camera for the shots of Laura running up the stairs and onto the platform before boarding the train. There is no dialogue in the video which means that the only thing we discover about her as a character is that she late for her train but I think this creates a bit of intrigue and hopefully will evoke some interest from the audience as to who she is and why she is so desperate to make her train in time. I also wanted to capture some natural sounds such as cars driving past and the sound of her shoes on the stairs to create quite a natural rhythm that gives you the impression of ongoing movement and the idea of a journey taking place. When editing, I found that I had covered quite a good variety of shots which was useful because I had quite a lot to work with so that I could choose the best ones. I found that when editing them together in a sequence, it was much easier to make the cuts flow well, whereas most of the shots in the previous footage where the location was changing all the time were much harsher. I also learnt some new things about Adobe Premiere from editing my footage the first time which allowed me to edit much more efficiently and with ease the second time.

I had my second viewing with Simon yesterday and he pointed out that with only footage showing Laura, you do not get any sense of a meeting between two people. This is because in the first two minutes of my script, she does not come into contact with the character John. However, he suggested that I filmed a few short clips of a man waiting at the station already. In contrast with Laura who is rushing, he would be calm and collected with the final shot being of him getting on the train after Laura. I filmed those clips with Josh at Rochester station. The character of John is dark haired and smartly dressed so Josh fitted the criteria for the part. I managed to get a couple of waiting shots of him sitting on a bench waiting and then looking at his phone before getting on the train. When editing this clips in, I think it works quite nicely, contrasting with Laura rushing through the station in comparison to him being completely relaxed, already waiting there. I also think that the final shot of him getting on the train creates suspense, almost leaving it on a cliff hanger as the audience are left thinking about when they will meet and for what reason.

Script Feedback/Development

Click on images to enlarge

After my script feedback session with Steve Coombes, I had quite a few adjustments to make to my script. He said that in a lot of my action, I was describing backstory as well as how Natalie is feeling which is too story like. For a script, the action should only describe what the camera can see so that when you're filming, the camera operators know what to film and how to do it. The characters and dialogue should help to convey what the story is about but the action should show it. When amending my script, I started a new draft and had the first draft open as a separate tab to work from. I noticed I used quite a lot of backstory about the character of Natalie in the first few bits of action. Therefore, I cut this out and focussed on telling the reader a bit more about what she looked like rather than the events of her past. Steve also suggested that I shorten the first section of the script where she is making her way to the train. I wanted the script to start
off with a short montage of her being late and rushing, just making the train in time. However, I used too many unnecessary scenes and dialogue in this first section which I have adapted and shortened. I wanted to keep in some of the opening dialogue including her neighbour wishing her a good weekend as this gives a hint that she's going away somewhere. He also suggested that I make the meeting itself into several short scenes as opposed to one long scene, making small changes to the way the conversation is set up. For example in my first draft for the main section where she describes what happens in her story, I said that this would be a montage. However, Steve suggested that I cut to a scene showing the montage itself so that when she is describing a location, it appears on the screen, therefore changing the setting and allowing the audience to really imagine her novel so that they believe in this world Natalie has created through her novel. I also changed the way that she loses her novel, as during my feedback, it was pointed out that even though the laptop had broken, it is very likely that she would be able to retrieve the data by taking it to a technician, therefore there would be no need for her to repeat it and write it down. To change this, I have altered it so that there is something unusual in the way that she works, in that she carries notepads wherever she goes and makes notes, observing her environment for ideas and therefore only has a hard copy of her novel on paper. For the way she loses it, the loose papers are sitting on a table in the train and due to a strong gust of wind are swept out of the train door and lost under the tracks. I think this is a much more final way of losing the novel because there is no way she can retrieve them, therefore she has to re-write it in that moment of time before she forgets it. I have also changed my ending slightly. I still wanted to leave it on a cliffhanger where John publishes the novel. However, previously he doesn't tell her that he is a publisher and leaves her thinking about he prospect of taking it to be published herself. However, I decided to alter this so that he is enthusiastic and excited about her novel, tells her that he would like to publish it for her, but instead publishes it under his own name, therefore taking the credit for it. I think this is a better ending as the audience will think that something good will finally happen for Natalie now she has been discovered but are left just as bewildered as her to find out that he deceives her.

Locations

When choosing my locations to film, I wanted the footage to look authentic, therefore I decided to film in London which is where the first two minutes of my script take place. The main location in my short story is on a train going to Nottingham from St Pancras. However, I decided to do the opening scenes for the video itself which required some stations in London. I went up to London with my friends, Lauren and Mitchell and we started in Angel which is where the character Natalie is currently living. I chose this area in my story as it is quite a small area that isn't too central therefore would be slightly quieter to film at. I shot some tracking shots of

Lauren walking down the streets, whilst showing some of the surrounding environment so that the audience would recognise it straight away. As she is rushing to the station, I wanted the environment to be busy and hectic to reflect the mood of the video. I then shot the video in chronological order, taking the journey with Lauren to St Pancras station on the tube and filming her along the way to capture quite a natural vibe. The tubes were incredibly busy making it quite a stressful location to film in. St Pancras station was also very chaotic with many people rushing around. Again, this was ideal for the footage itself but made filming for me quite difficult.  

                                                                       
For my re-filming. I chose Rochester as my location as this is a much less busy environment to work in which I thought would give me much more time to carry out each shot several times to achieve some footage of good quality. I also know the area very well, having spent lots of time in Rochester last year therefore, I could choose some locations that I thought would look good in the video. I started from the halls for UCA students as my script required some footage of Laura leaving a flat. I thought a flat would make the shots look most effective as I could capture her running down the stairs in a hurry to catch the train. I also thought that the train station in Rochester would be ideal to film at because it's not too busy, therefore I could take my time and not have to worry so much about getting in the way of people.

Re-planning

After editing some of the my footage from London, I was finding it difficult to cut everything smoothly with each aspect of the journey to the station not really linking and working as a final piece. After a first viewing with Simon, he suggested that I reshoot my footage using someone else as I wanted the mood and vibe of the video to give the impression that the character Natalie is rushing to get the station. In the script, she is struggling to reach St. Pancras in time to make her train but this did not come across in my footage as she looked quite calm and casual with not much facial expression. I have asked Laura to be in the reshoot and have decided to shoot the video in Rochester as this will be much easier to navigate and should allow each clip to cut more seemingly as the locations won't be too different. London was a very busy location to film at because of all the people and the general atmosphere of the city. Therefore, I will have more time in Rochester and a calmer atmosphere to work in to ensure I get a much wider variety of shots that I can edit more easily. The location will not accurately reflect my script but for the video to work as a final piece of work, I am going to aim to get across the idea of someone rushing to the station with very little time to spare in order to create tension and excitement for the audience to really engage them. I will pair this footage with some very fast paced music, eliminating dialogue so that it is quite quick and dramatic.

Shot-list 

Location: Flat 

- Medium shot - bedroom, grabbing items and walking out of the door
- Long shot - walking down the stairs
- Long shot - walking through hallway
- Medium shot - walking towards door, shot from behind
- Extra long shot - Front door from outside, leaving and walking towards the street

Location: Streets

- Tracking shot - over the shoulder walking up street
- Long shot from the side of Laura starting to run up the street
- Medium shot - from the front showing her expression
- Medium tracking shot - road in front, showing point of view
- Extra long shot - Laura crossing the road
- Close up of Laura looking concerned
- Tracking shot over the shoulder
- Extra long shot - Laura walking fast round the corner
- Extra long shot of the station, point of view


Location: Train Station

- Medium shot of Laura rushing through the doors
- Medium shot of the station boards, then again of Laura scanning them for her train
- Long shot of her walking through the barriers and round the corner
- Medium shot walking down the stairs
- Long shot of train coming into the station
- Long shot of Laura getting on the train

Storyboard
For the storyboard, it wasn't too difficult to adapt as I had my original story board and shot list to look at where most of the shots and angles could be used again. The story itself is still the same so I just needed to consider a new location and how I could use that to tell the same story so that it wasn't too altered. Here I have included two pages from my new storyboard.

Filming/Editing - Take 1

For my video, I booked one of the Sony EX cameras out for my filming as I wanted the filming to be of good quality and these are the cameras that were in most demand. To play the character of Natalie, I asked my friend Lauren who fitted the criteria for the part. As a crew member, I asked my friend Mitchell to come up to London with me and Lauren in order to help me carry the equipment and ensure I wasn't getting in the way of the public. For my shoot, I filmed in several different locations in Central London including Angel tube station and St Pancras International station. However, I set the first sequence in Maidstone at Lauren's house which isn't ideal as the script is set in a flat but I needed the interior of the house in order to show her collecting her things before leaving for the train. I intended on editing this into the film so that it appeared that she lived in Angel. The first stage of filming was quite simple and easy to carry out as I could do each shot several times without being pressured for time. I set up the microphone before leaving so I could just attach it straight away when I got to London. Shooting in London was incredibly stressful and busy because of the amount of people and the buzzing atmosphere. However, we kept moving and I did quite a few natural shots of her walking around to get a sense of the environment. In order to get enough shots of each scene, we carried out the same journey that the character would so we walked through Angel to the station and got the tube to St Pancras International. I wanted to incorporate as many of the shots in my storyboard as possible as well as a few extra ones, using a variety of angles so that I would have more footage to choose from in the editing process. Overall, the filming took about 3 hours because each time we left a location, I had to pack the camera away completely to keep it safe when moving through stations. Filming on the tube was particularly difficult because it is a very confined space with lots of people which made travelling with the camera bag quite difficult.
When editing, I found it quite difficult locating all of the clips as I didn't shoot everything in the correct order. This was because I wanted to get a wide amount of coverage to give me more to work with when editing. I tried to use as many shots as possible and think I managed to get a good range. When editing, I found that the clips edited together quite smoothly, however, when the location changed, the cut was much less smooth and continuous. I wanted the vibe of the video to give the impression that she was rushing because she wants to make her train to Nottingham. In the script, there are a few interruptions including a queue at the station which push her for time, creating suspense so that the audience isn't sure whether she will make the train in time. However, looking back at my shots, she doesn't look like she's rushing at all, this was quite difficult to capture which means that it doesn't reflect my script. I decided to use Adobe Premiere to edit the video as we have had our editing workshops with Fergus and I felt confident enough with what I learnt to be able to use this software for my video. I found it relatively easy to use when editing the video as each aspect of the editing process is divided into sections with your sequence at the bottom. This makes it easy to see with the monitor just above, allowing me to view each section I edit straight away. I experimented with different audio but have not chosen anything final.

Today, I had a viewing with Simon so he could see a rough cut of how we were getting on with editing. Looking at it now, the footage I had shot with Lauren in London did not match up with the opening two minutes of my script as Natalie is supposed to be rushing to make her train in time. However, in the video, she looks quite calm and casual, therefore taking away from the theme and mood of the piece entirely. The best thing for me to do is to reshoot the footage, choosing a different actor and location that will allow me to get the idea of my character rushing to make her train across to the audience. I have learnt that London was too daring as my location as there are far too many interruptions as well as a fast paced and busy atmosphere which is difficult to work with.

Storyboard and Shotlist

Before shooting any production, a storyboard and shotlist are very important parts of the process. Storyboards are a series of sketches and a planning tool to allow you to visualise a piece of work before beginning to shoot it. They can be incredibly detailed or diagrammatical. You should focus on the key frames and moments that make up your sequences so you can recreate them in the production process. Action dependant films often use a lot of storyboards as they can be fast paced and incorporate several people and props/equipment which requires extensive planning and thought. Storyboards can be used at all stages of the process including conception as a way of conveying the concept for a piece. However, they are mostly used during preproduction to enable each department to work out what will be required.
There are three main styles for a storyboard. These include a graphic style which is the most detailed version and used in action dependant films to allow the crew to work out exactly how each shot will be carried out. Diagrammatical is the next style and the most widely used. It is less artistic but still gives you an idea about the design of a shot. The last style is plan view which is one drawing for each scene and is viewed from above for camera positions and angles.


To create a shot-list, you must include a variety of shots to create diversity and interest for a piece of work. Some of the most commonly well known shots are as follows:

-Extreme long shot (ELS)
-Long shot (LS)
-Wide shot (WS)
-Medium shot (MS)
-Close up shot (CU)
-Extreme close up (ECU)
-Tilt shot (Panning)
-Crane shot - move without using depth of field
-Pan shot - from fixed position
-Tracking shot - camera follows something
-Dolly shot - using tracking device, not on rails

My Storyboard

I decided to choose more of a diagrammatical approach for my story board because I felt that this would allow me to understand what each shot was showing and the most important aspects of it. I think if story boards are too specific then this doesn't allow you to picture anything different that what you have planned when it comes to actually shooting your film. I divided my page into four shots, as I thought this left a relatively large box for each shot. I wrote the shot number and location at the top and some directions under the sketch. This helped me to assess where I will be filming each shot and what I would be looking at. I found story boarding quite helpful as a way of organising how I want the events of the video to unfold and how I would like my shots to cut in and out from each other. I will take them with me to film to help me remember the shots I would like to include in the video and to ensure I don't leave anything out. Here I have taken photos of the first and last pages of my storyboard which show how I laid out each shot and labelled them so that I could tell what each shot would require in regards to location, shot and the surrounding environment.




Location: Flat 

- Medium shot - bedroom, grabbing items and walking out of the door
- Long shot - walking down the stairs
- Long shot - walking through hallway
- Medium shot - walking towards door, shot from behind
- Extra long shot - Front door from outside, leaving and walking towards the street

Location: London - Streets

- Tracking shot - From behind walking up street
- Long shot from the side starting to run up the street
- Medium tracking shot - road in front, showing point of view
- Extra long shot -  crossing the road
- Tracking shot over the shoulder
- Extra long shot - walking fast round the corner
- Extra long shot of the tube station


Location: Tube Station/St Pancras 

- Medium shot from behind walking up the stairs to the station
- Long shot walking through tube station towards exit
- Close up showing concerned expression
- Medium shot walking towards barriers
- Long shot of her walking through the barriers to the platform
- Long shot of train coming into the station
- Long shot - getting on the train from the inside

Screenwriters

Abi Morgan
Abi Morgan is a British screenwriter and playwright known for her television work including 'The Hour' and 'Sex Traffic'. She gained her first professional television writing credit in 1998 with the ITV drama 'Peak Practice'. I was particularly interested in looking at Abi Morgan as I found out that she was the screenwriter on 'Suffragette'. This is a film I found really moving with an excellent script that made me feel compelled throughout. When talking about her approach she has said that rewriting constantly is a key aspect to achieving the right script as it allows you to peel back the layers of a draft and discard each version, improving it until you reach a final draft of the best possible quality. However, she often takes all of her drafts with her when working with others in order to gain ideas from them and get a variation of opinions. Morgan has stated with 'Suffragette, one of the most important things was that she wanted to incorporate men in the story as well so that men were encouraged to watch the film also as 'it is a two sex war' which won't work unless there is support from both genders. I thought this was a very wise move when writing it because otherwise, it would be a case of only women fighting for their rights without any male voices to support them whilst appealing to both sexes in the audience.
I think that her method of working is very effective, in keeping all copies of her script. This is something I would like to ensure I do when writing scripts so I can look back and refer to previous drafts where some aspects could be used for a final production. This is also a great way of seeing the development and improvement in your work so you can look at what was successful and what wasn't for future reference.

Chris Chibnall
Chris Chibnall is a screenwriter best known for his work on tv series' including Doctor Who, Broadchurch, Torchwood and Law & Order: UK.  His first script produced for television was 'Stormin Norman' starring James Bolam. He worked on Doctor Who from 2007-2012 as one of many writers. Having watched several series of Doctor Who, I would say that the writing is very interesting. Each time there is a new Doctor and side kick they manage to convey a good relationship between them which is incredibly important for the audience because we are supposed to root for them and support them when they get in trouble with any of the many antagonists in the series. There are many aspects which help this including good acting and filming but none the less, without a good script to begin with, this is quite an impossible task. I was particularly interested in looking at his work as I have looked at Broadchurch as my British drama and thought the script was very interesting and thought provoking. I liked the way he created tension and suspense whilst still keeping the dialogue very realistic and natural. The series itself received very positive reviews with critics and was popular with its audience, bringing in 9 million viewers for the final episode of the opening series. I thought the use of characters was very strong in this series as Chibnall managed to make them relatable as real individuals. This was particularly successful with the character of Ellie Miller as she was the 'hero' of the drama who we as an audience rooted for.

Jack Thorne
Jack Thorne is an English screenwriter and playwright. He is most well known for his work in tv on programmes such as Skins, Cast offs and This is England '86. Skins is a British TV series that focusses around a group of teenagers in Bristol. It covers a number of serious issues including mental illness, drug abuse and bullying. Each episode will centre around one character and the problems they face in their own life. Not only does this demonstrate some of the serious but very real problems that people have but has an educational factor as well, bringing these issues to attention. For my short film, I have decided to choose drama as the genre which means that I will need to focus on dramas such as Skins. I want my story to seem quite realistic and natural which is why I think Skins will make good reference material for my project.

Editing Workshops

On Fridays we have been spending the morning at Rochester UCA in the DM rooms, experimenting with Adobe Premiere and learning more about editing. Adobe Premiere is quite an advanced piece of software with lots of features and tools to make a video of good quality. It is the most commonly used  editing software by professionals so learning more about how to use it could be beneficial later on. Using a series of clips showing a short documentary about coffee bean farming, we were instructed on how to import them into the media browser so they could be easily looked at and analysed. You can then choose to have them in list form so it is easy to see which clips you are looking at. Using the hand tool, you can select them all and drag them up to the left hand corner which is called the source monitor. On here you can run the mouse over a clip and it will give you a quick run through of the clip allowing you to watch it quickly without having to open it and watch it on the program monitor. The program monitor shows the clips you have edited so far so you can watch them in a sequence as a final piece. Below this is the timeline which shows the clips individually and this is where you cut them to produce your video. By running the mouse over a clip you can drag either side in or out to reduce or increase the length of the clip, this can be very precise, allowing you to get really sharp cuts that are on time. The timeline is also used for audio which can be placed in different positions depending on how prominent the audio is and where you like it to come in. We were given the task to look at the clips and organise them into different folders to make it easier to select what you're looking for. For example shots showing the coffee beans being picked would come under the category 'Coffee bean farming'. Using this tool was very useful at keeping the media browser very organised and tidy. For this set of clips the audio was separate from the footage. This is much simpler to edit because you can cut the audio separately and insert it anywhere on the timeline. Fergus showed us how to use the timeline and insert a section of a clip. To select a section you have to select an in and out point by clicking 'I' and 'O' which will allow you to cut a clip down the section you want. We were then given some time to experiment with selecting relevant clips and making a short sequence, adding audio to add emphasis and bring the clips to life. In another editing session we were given a series of clips from a tv programme where the audio wasn't matched with the video clips. Using some of the tools, Fergus had shown us, we had to cut the clips into place so that the audio flowed correctly with the visuals. This was quite challenging and tricky to do as each clip had to cut seamlessly into another in order for it to work as a piece but this was made easier by using the Ripple edit tool. This tool enables you to cut down a clip to a fine cut so that you can make the sequence look as smooth as possible. Lastly we used the Edit controls section and learnt about colour correction. There are several different ways of editing the lighting and colour of a clip so that it looks correct and matches any other clips. In particular we looked at the Three way colour corrector which is a collection of colour wheels that you can use to pick out highlights and shadows as well as tints to edit the colour in as much detail as you want.

Script Development

Click on images to enlarge 

Following on from our sessions with Steve Coombes, as part of the first project we have been given the task to write a 10-page script for a short story. The brief is ‘The Meeting’ which means that our script must include a meeting of some kind between 2 or more people. The 10 pages must include a full story and cannot be a section from a longer story, which means that it cannot be too complex. When planning a storyline we were instructed to think about the characters first and develop an extensive character profile to allow us to understand who they were going to be and what their aims are. This then lead me to think more about what the aim of the story would be as this is likely to be the main focus so I could build the problems my characters would face around that. In one of the sessions with Steve Coombes, he talked about different characters including the ‘hero’. The hero is someone who doesn’t know who they are yet but wants to find out.
They know that they can observe but struggle to experience things for themselves. This helped me to establish some of my main characters’ qualities and aims. I chose a young girl who is seemingly plain and ordinary but has an underlining ability to write novels, but doesn’t know this yet. She struggles with self-confidence, which means that she is afraid to expose herself and put herself at risk to judgement. I then thought about the location. I was on a train from St. Pancras and decided to set the meeting on a train, as this is a confined space where we often have to interact and meet people because of the close proximity and similar situation. I decided to make her main goal to be to write and sell her biggest story but the main conflict was that she is unable to overcome her fears and anxieties in order to reach it.
Another thing I learnt from the screenwriting sessions is that you need to break a hero in order to make them which means they need to face problems whether they are obvious physical problems or psychological ones. As an audience we are able to the see the growth and development in the character enabling us to want to root for them and see them succeed. I decided that I wanted the person she would meet to be the antagonist in the story and he would become her biggest conflict but in disguise. I wanted him to be kind, suave and charming so that it would gain both her trust and the audience’ trust to make the ending as surprising as possible. I also wanted the character 'John Smithers' to be older than her so that he can easily influence her and make an impression on her. When deciding on my ending, I had a few different ideas including having her release the novel herself and gaining confidence or him telling her he was a book publisher and offering to publish the story. However, I decided I wanted the story to end on a cliff-hanger and to not be happy so that the audience would be shocked and feel slightly puzzled about it. As it was only a short story, I felt that this ending was the most appropriate as the audience have the opportunity to like the hero and root for her but won't be so invested in the story that they would be disappointed with it.

In terms of my script, I wanted to have the meeting as the majority of the story and the train journey would be where most of the story would take place as this is where we see the character Natalie discovers that she may be onto something with her story and that it could be worthwhile. I also wanted the opening scene to be important as she is making her way to the train station, worrying that she may miss the train, therefore this creates a certain amount of drama and suspense for the audience. For this set of scenes, I wanted to give the audience little hints about her as a person so that we discover little things about her without having to describe her character directly to the audience. She is quite anxious when travelling to the train station, worrying that she is going to miss her train therefore I put in very short sections of dialogue where she has is speaking to other people on her way to the station to create a little more suspense and a sense of urgency so the audience is aware that she is running out of time. When she discovers a few queues along the way she speaks to a man in front of her, who reassures her that she will have enough time to catch the train. I wanted this conversation to also signify how vulnerable and sensitive she is because she needed that little bit of reassurance. With the meeting itself, I wanted her to be very polite and shy at first, which would be expected, even when John knocks the coffee over her laptop breaking it, she doesn't get angry and argue with him, she tries to deal with the situation and reassures him that everything is ok by saying things like 'No really, don't worry about it' whereas many people would be outraged and blame the other person straight away. I wanted John to respond in an equally polite way, apologising profusely and offering to pay for it, in order to give the impression that he is very kind and sympathetic but also trustworthy. With his character, I carried out the polite tone but I wanted to give away subtle hints through some of his dialog about who he is and what his job is such as 'Never written a novel, no' in reply to Natalie when she is talking about her writing.
In terms of the action, I included description of both of the characters, talking about what they look like so that the audience is able to picture the main characters. In order to set the scenes, I described some of the locations, particularly the first location where Natalie is walking through London on her way to the station, in order to set the scene and put emphasis on the busy environment. This will also help me when filming as I will know what kind of scene I'm looking for in order to replicate it. In some of the screenwriting sessions we were instructed on how to use Final Draft which is professional software for writing scripts. It was very simple and easy to use as it remembers headings and character names you have previously used so you don't have to type them each time. We also used size 12 courier which is the most widely used font for scripts as it is easy to read and looks very formal. For my script, I decided to use Celtx which has a very similar set up to Final Draft. I found the process of writing a script quite daunting but once I knew how to use the tools and how to start scenes and introduce characters, I found it relatively easy to tell the story through the script. 

Camera Workshops - Continued

The Chair
For the second camera workshop, we were able to go into studio 5 which is being used currently for the Jools Holland set. It is the largest studio space in the studios for filming. We were given a simple task to experiment with the cameras a bit more and focus on looking at different shots and angles. The brief was to shoot a person walking towards a chair and sitting down. We were told to be as creative as possible and use a variety of shots. I decided to do some shots standing still with the camera catching the movement as well as tracking the movement and following Saskia with the camera. I also experimented with height by holding the camera at different angles in order to cover a wider amount of shots and make each cut look different. I wanted it to be a series of very quick shots to make it seem quite dramatic even though the concept is very simple and straight forward. I used iMovie to edit the video as this is the editing software I am most used to. It is very straightforward and you can edit the clips on the timeline quite simply with smooth cuts. I then paired some simple background music to create a bit of drama as well as a short sound right at the end of the video to finalise the journey she took to get to the chair.

Audio

In the next workshop, we looked at audio which is an incredibly important aspect when making a film as bad volume or wind disruption can make a video seem of poor quality and make it less enjoyable to watch. When shooting on a large scale such as outside, film makers will usually use a boom which is a huge microphone on a pole. Accompanying the end of the microphone is what is called a 'dead wombat' or 'dead cat' depending on the size. This is a furry cover for the microphone which helps to cancel out any background noise which could interfere with the audio in the video.  We were given a small task to go outside to the car park and grounds of the studios to experiment with the boom and the audio, using some of the tools on the camera as well as trying out different angles and stances for the boom. Saskia and I took it in turn to film each other and hold the boom at different angles. We also filmed a short conversation with Troy and Saskia to see how the audio would turn out for each of the voices. I learnt quite a bit about the sound controls on the camera and how to use the 'dead cat' as a way of keeping wind sound to a minimum. However, depending on how everything is set up, there can still be issues with sound which are tricky to work around. 

180 Degree Arc

For the last workshop we looked at the idea of the 180 Degree Arc. This is a general rule in filming which suggests that you should not cross the invisible line and enter the other side of the shot. If you switch to the other side of the arc then the positions of the people in the shot will switch sides, which will confuse the audience as everything will look distorted and disorientated. For the task we were given a script to read and take it in turns to film each other saying the lines whilst keeping the rule in mind. It had to be done in 4-5 shots to get a variety of angles and distances and experiment more with the camera. As well as this rule, Fergus told us about how characters should enter and leave a scene. For example if they enter from the right then they should exit to the left in order to get the impression that they are getting somewhere and progressing. I found these workshops all very beneficial for learning about the cameras and the rules of filming. I feel much more confident about shooting with the cameras in future, using some of the tools and methods I have experimented with.

Screenwriting

Screenwriting entails writing for the use in mass media such as films, television programmes or even video games. All scripts begin with an idea and basis for a story, upon which a screenwriter will devise a way of showing and telling the audience that story through directions and dialogue. For this project we will be writing a ten page script for a short story, which for me is quite a daunting prospect  as I have never written a full script before. We have had some sessions with the screenwriter Steve Coombes who has worked on television programmes including 'New Tricks', 'Outlaws' and 'Hustle'. An important statement he made was that screenplays are all about moments. A defining moment in any piece is what makes it memorable and is what the audience will take away with them. Anything that can be shown and demonstrated with the camera should not be said with dialogue as this can often be a much more dramatic and emotive way of telling the story and expressing how a character is feeling without them telling the audience directly.

There are several stages when pitching a script before the final copy is chosen for a production. The first stage is called the 'Elevator Pitch' which is around half a page and is a brief summary which should be exciting and interesting for the reader. The next stage is a treatment which is 5-10 pages long and should be a rough outline, explaining how the script will unfold. The 'Bible' comes next which is 10 pages and includes treatments for every episode of the series, going into detail and elaborating the characters and events. The final stage is the 'Green Light' where the series comes together, the crew begins to shoot and a new draft is written every 2-3 weeks.
Timescale is also important when writing a script as a screenwriter needs to think about the elements they could include such as time lapses or flashbacks. It could also be one main story or a series of short stories depending on the events or purpose of the piece.

Characters are an incredibly important part of any script as good characters are what is going to make the audience feel invested in a story, particularly if the characters are likeable, as this makes you want to root for them. To make a character interesting, you often have to put them in crisis where they must make life changing choices that have a great significance to the story. Transitions in life can also be very interesting for any character because this allows the audience to sympathise with them whilst creating exciting moments and conflicts which are gripping to watch. Characters are usually failures and must have flaws. This is important because your character should never be at the top, as this often makes them more likeable. We as an audience, also then get to see them grow as a person which makes us feel like they have achieved something and bettered themselves.
Steve Coombes also talked about the different types of characters that are often used. The most common include the hero/heroine who doesn't know who they are but goes on a huge journey of discovery to find out. Monsters are another type of character. An example is Jordan Belfort from 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. As a character he is full of flaws which make them very interesting to watch onscreen and can be either hated or loved depending on how the character is played. The last stereotypical character is the 'woman' who is usually very picky and has to make a huge decision. A character should be a cluster of moments in order to maintain the attention and interest of the audience.
Dialogue is also incredibly important as many scripts are often let down due to bad dialogue. Good dialogue should serve a purpose for the story and show what is significant. However, it shouldn't be too direct in showing how someone is feeling as this should be told through moments. Dialogue must also not be too formal as this will not come across as natural and realistic. People often speak in different dialects and use slang or abreviated words which is important to include in order to make a script seem unforced. You must also consider your characters when writing dialogue as many aspects including age, occupation and background can have contributing effects to how a character will speak.

Visual Research

As I have been developing my ideas for my short film, I wanted to find some visual research that would get me thinking about some of the important aspects when filming. The main location of my story sets place on a train which is where Natalie will meet John. I want to film in London at Pancras International which will give the impression of a busy and hectic environment, as my character is rushing to make her train. I have decided to shoot the first two minutes of my film which means that I won't be using trains too much but they will be featured during the video. 

Another aspect to think about is where in London I would like to film. London is an incredibly busy city which will make it quite challenging for me to film in, however, I was planning on finding a location that isn't too central to give me a little more time to get the right shots. This is the kind of street I would like to film in. 

'Soft' Trailer

We were given the task to create a trailer for the short film 'Soft' (2007) by Simon Ellis. A trailer is a collection of some of the best and most interesting moments from a film and the aim is to attract the audience and make them want to see the film. I wanted to include some of the most exciting events in the film including some clips from the fight sequence but without giving away too much about the ending. I decided to use a few short clips right at the end to create drama and suspense in order to get the audience' attention. For the first part of the video I used clips that showed the build up to the fight as well as some of the moments where the Dad was alone and trying to compose himself as this is something that only the viewer gets to see as he tries to hide this from his son. As a viewer during this scene we know that he has just escaped the bullies but I wanted to conceal this from the audience making them wonder what had happened to him. I started the video with the opening title before going straight into a clip of the son hiding from his Dad when he comes home. I wanted to tell the audience something about their relationship straight away so we would know that there was a distance between. I also used some music, starting off with quite a calm and slow tempo as he walks to the shops and then changed it to some faster music in order to create suspense as he is returning. However, I decided to cut the music from the final clip where the son says "Are you scared?" to put emphasis on the line and focus the audience' attention on him. I finished the trailer with a simple black screen and the words 'Soft' in a simple white font in keeping with the opening title. 

'Soft' Trailer 

Camera Workshop 1

Last week we had a couple of days using the cameras in the studios in order to introduce us to the equipment at Maidstone before we begin to use it for any of our own projects. For the first session we watched a few videos explaining several different camera shots and angles. We were then asked to get into groups of three to experiment with shots and use of focus. We used Sony XD-cameras for the workshop which seemed very complex at first because of all of the buttons and features it has. When shooting, I soon noticed that it was very difficult to keep the camera in focus as you zoom out as you have to multitask and manage each element of the shot. We experimented using a rack focus by having two people stand with one person in the foreground and one in the background. It is very easy for your subject to go out of focus therefore every new shot you set up must be put into focus properly. Using the manual focus you have to switch between each person, bringing them into focus. For the second half of the first workshop we were given a very simple brief where we had to incorporate a bag and exchange it between two people in some way. Using some of the shots we had experimented with, we decided to create a short film where a bag was stolen. We decided to not include faces to create a bit more mystery and suspense. Using a range of shots including closeups on the bag from different angles this made it the focus of the video so that the audience was aware that it was important. However, we only had a short time frame in which to complete the shots for the video so we kept it relatively simple whilst experimenting and learning about the cameras. After completing filming, we imported the clips to Adobe premiere to edit them together. We also included some appropriate music and made it grey scale to give the video a slightly more edgy and modern feel. I found this task quite exciting, particularly using the cameras for the first time, I also feel like I have learnt quite a lot and feel confident in setting the cameras up and using them in future. It was also quite satisfying seeing the project finished and edited. 

The Bag

Moments

'What can be shown should never be said, good writing should allow you to show how people are feeling rather than having to say it.' 

Memorable moments are very important when filmmaking as they are what the audience will take away with them and use to define a film. When you ask someone about a film that they have enjoyed, they will usually describe a moment that they remember as being exciting or significant to the story. Moments can be anything from fast paced action to a sentimental conversation, as long as they show the audience something important and it is key to the storyline then it can be referred to as a moment. When I think about moments from films and television, ones that have significance are usually events that make me feel something because I then associate the moment with an emotion. This helps to engage you as a viewer, also allowing you to feel empathy and understand what the characters themselves may be feeling in the situation. Good moments in film/television have to have all of the correct elements in order to work and be successful. The characters and what they're saying must be believable so that it seems sincere and what is happening in the situation should also have an aspect of realism to an extent. Other aspects such as a fitting location and accompanying music can add to the situation to make it as memorable as possible. 

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - Gas-chamber scene

A particular moment from a film that I remember is the gas chamber scene at the end of 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.' This is a very well known ending scene from a powerful and shocking film which is why it is so prominent and memorable for me and many others. The film is set in World War 2 Germany in a concentration camp. Bruno is son to the SS Commander at the camp. The main storyline focusses on the friendship between Bruno and one of the Jewish boys at the camp - Shmuel. Bruno is a naive boy, sheltered by his family from the cruel reality of goings on in the camp. The scene I have chosen as being the most memorable moment shows Bruno and Shmuel being ushered into one of the gas chambers for a 'shower' where they are actually gassed and killed along with hundreds of other Jewish people.

Prior to this, Bruno has dressed himself in the garments that the inmates are given as a way of getting him into the camp to be with his friend. This disguises him from the SS members so they cannot recognise him and they think that he is just one of the Jews. This is an immediate tell for the audience that it is likely something will go wrong for the main character Bruno. Suspension is built up through this scene as his family discover that he is missing, his mother starts asking people if they have seen him and discovers his clothes outside the gates to the camp. As she realises where Bruno is and what might happen to him, she begins to panic. This is turn creates a sense of urgency and tension for the audience. As we find out that Bruno and Shmuel are being taken into the gas chamber, it becomes a bit of a chase as we want to know if they will be saved or not. The scene finalises with an SS member pouring the toxic gas into the chamber covering the inmates. There is confusion and commotion among them before the shot switches to a wide shot of the gas chamber door, allowing the audience to understand and imagine what is happening inside. This shows the harsh reality of what happened in the gas chambers without having to show it visually.
I think this scene is particularly powerful because of the way it is shot. I think it creates a good sense of realism without being too overbearing and allows the audience to take in what is happening. Drama and suspension is created from the moment where we see his family realise that their son is missing, right through until we see their reaction to the incident whilst they are running around in an attempt to save him and after realising that it is too late to do anything. This is most prominent when we see his mother loudly crying in the rain outside the gates holding his soaked clothes in her hands.

As an audience when we see a character is in such obvious pain and despair, it in turn makes us imagine what it would be like to be in that situation allowing us to feel empathy for them. There is also a very memorable shot of Bruno's father when he suddenly realises that the killing of the innocent Jews - something he never gave much thought to, has so much meaning when it happens to his family thus making him understand why it was so wrong in the first place. As an ending, I think this scene is the ideal shocking moment making it memorable as it highlights the reality of concentration camps during the war and the devastation it caused for so many people.

Broadchurch

Broadchurch is a British TV drama written by Chris Chibnall. As part of my research, I have been looking at a few well known dramas and have chosen to watch and analyse Broadchurch. It is a crime drama and based at the seaside town of Broadchurch in Dorset. I watched the first series which focusses on the murder of Danny Latimer, a local in the town. We are introduced to the two main characters, detectives - Alec Hardy played by David Tennant and Ellie Miller played by Olivia Colman. They are called in at the beginning of the first episode to investigate the body of the murdered boy on the beach. As an audience we follow from Miller's point of view as she discovers the body which sets the tone for the series as we now know that a serious crime has taken place.  Miller and Hardy meet when she discovers that he was given the job role she wanted which instantly creates tension between them so we know as an audience that there is likely to be some conflict between them. As the series unfolds we are given clues as to possible suspects including Danny's father Mark when his fingerprints are found near the scene of the crime and blood is found on his coat, he is then accused of killing Danny when we find out he is in-fact trying to hide his infidelity. We also then suspect a shop owner Jack who finds Danny's phone and desperately tries to convince his family of his innocence. Several other details are revealed about some of the locals which leads the audience to believe that any of them could be the killer,  also continued tension mainly between Miller and other characters creates drama and suspension. As a series, I thought it was incredibly eventful with a number of twists and turns, keeping the audience on their feet to keep them guessing. I think this is a really important aspect of any crime drama as they don't want the killer being found out and easily guessed before it is revealed. I also began to root for Miller as she is continually disagreeing with some of the characters including Hardy and her husband Joe about who the killer is. I think in this sense, she is the 'hero' of the series as we learn to trust her and see her as a good person as she refuses to bow to pressure from Hardy about who she should put her trust into. We also see her grow as a person and see her become stronger as she soon discovers that the people of the town are not as good as they initially seem to be. By the end of the series, we see her discover something very serious about her husband Joe which makes us feel sorry for her as she struggles to digest the news. In terms of the character Alec Hardy, I got the impression that he took his job very seriously and was very determined to find out who the killer was, which allows the audience to put their trust into him and think of him as quite a strong minded and driven character who we look up to. However, he doesn't have the same level of goodness and empathy as Miller which is why she was much easier to warm to. The first series as a whole was very fast paced and exciting throughout with characters that made me feel quite tense and even scared, particularly as we find out some disturbing events from their pasts. I also thought it was very successful in choosing a killer who was under the radar that we wouldn't expect, giving the series a final twist and leaving the main character very scarred and affected by the revelation so that we long to find out more about her and what she will do in the next series.
In terms of how it has influenced any of my future projects, I would say that as a crime drama, I think the fast paced feel and constant unveiling of characters and the events of their pasts is a very good way of showing the audience subtle things about each character without giving away too much. This is also a great way of diverting the audience and making them believe that someone is the killer and then proving that person is innocent to show that it could be anyone. I think this is because of good writing and story line which is crucial for making a successful crime drama and something that I would like to explore in my own work.

The Meeting - Pitch

24 words: An aspiring writer meets a seemingly friendly stranger on the train, unbknownst to her, he plans to sell her biggest story as his own.

Natalie Carson is a shy and ordinary girl from Nottingham who is currently working in London as an assistant to a Journalist but aspires to be a successful novelist herself. A recent University graduate, she is still trying to find her feet and work her way up to where she aims to be. She has been working on her biggest story yet with dreams of having it published so she can have the career she has always wanted. Whilst on the train home one weekend, a stranger knocks her and spills coffee all over her laptop, breaking it. With a calm and friendly disposition, he begins talking to her. Distressed that the details of her story have been lost, he convinces her to recite the story to him, word for word. Unknowingly to her, he is a book publisher himself who intends on selling her story as his own. 

Genre:
Drama 

Characters: 

Protagonist - Natalie Carson - Brown eyes/mousy brown hair, aged 22, plain-looking, recent Uni graduate, naive, shy, gullible, intelligent, kind, underestimates her writing ability.

Antagonist - John Smithers - Blue eyes and dark hair, aged 37, smartly dressed, well mannered, friendly, nonchalant,  smooth, secretive. 

Main location: 

Train from London st. Pancras to Nottingham - Day - Natalie is currently working in London doing office work but aims to be a writer, she is going to Nottingham to visit her family for the weekend.

Memento

As part of our research and understanding of storytelling, we watched the film Memento as a group. A feature film, directed by Christopher Nolan (2000) and starring Guy Pearce who plays the main character Leonard. The film is a sequence of events in reverse order so that we see the ending right at the beginning and work our way back to see how the events leading up to it resulted in the final outcome. The film begins by showing us that Leonard's wife has been murdered by someone unknown to him,  he then attempts to track them down in order to avenge her. However, he faces a huge problem as he has severe short term memory loss due to a previous accident which means that he has to undertake vigorous and ongoing rituals including tattooing reminders onto his skin to enable him to remember each daily task. The film goes on, back in time, revealing each clue at a time so he can find the person who killed his wife. Throughout, there are short scenes where Leonard talks on the phone to someone called Sammy Jankis, who seemingly also suffers from short term memory loss. There is a twist at the end where we, as an audience are unsure as to who Sammy Jankis really is and even suspect that Leonard is in fact him, however, this is never announced which creates a real sense of mystery and suspense.

I found the film rather confusing because of the switches in time frame and the order which made it feel quite perplexing and difficult to follow, however, it kept me guessing all the way through as I longed to find out who Sammy Jankis was and what connection he had to Leonard. Even though the storyline seems incredibly complex because of the switches in time and use of telling the story in reverse order, if you reverted this, turning the film to chronological order, it seems much simpler. The use of flashbacks and phone calls to the mysterious Sammy Jankis are what complicate it and generate confusion which I think is clever and creative but also quite disorientating making it seem much harder to follow than it should while still  creating an enormous sense of suspension and longing to understand what is happening.

In terms of how the film influenced me, I would say that I thought the way Nolan has used a relatively straightforward storyline and made it seem very complex with plenty of twists was very interesting and well done. I thought the character of Leonard was quite likeable which allowed me to root for him as the hero even though what he was setting out to do was quite vengeful. Nolan also made the supporting characters seem like they were helping him throughout the film, however, every now and again, they would do something to make you doubt their intention. I thought this was a very good use of character, making me as an audience member support Leonard even more. I also thought that the reverse order of events was very interesting because it gave the audience something to solve and be puzzled about, therefore engaging me as a viewer and making me want to find out what lead Leonard to do certain actions. The reverse order is something I would like to consider for future work particularly as a creative tool to create tension aswell as to make a storyline seem much more entangled and full of hints and twists. 

Short Films

'The Fly' - Olly Williams - Dark Comedy - 6 mins 

"A gateway driver waiting outside a bank robbery has 3 nerve shedding minutes to get through before his crew returns. All he has to do is focus" 

This short drama focuses around a gateway driver sitting in a car. He is waiting in anticipation outside a bank for his fellow crew members to return. The conflict then arises when a fly makes an appearance in the car. At first he tries to ignore the fly but very soon he begins to get annoyed. He starts swatting the fly and talks in irritable outbursts. Getting angrier and angrier, he then takes out a toothpick and attempts to stab the fly resulting in him stabbing his own mouth with it. Before long he has completely lost all patience and gets out the car, taking a gun and begins shooting through the windows in an attempt to finally kill the fly. The ending shot shows the car completely destroyed from gun shots, when his masked crew members come out of the bank with guns in their hands and look at their partner in bewilderment.

The element of comedy is apparent as soon as the fly is introduced and offers a much lighter tone to the situation which is otherwise quite dark and serious. This is then carried out throughout the piece as the fly becomes the most significant aspect of this short film. I would say this film shows a meeting between the gateway driver and the fly and the focus is on the interaction between them. The fly itself, we hardly get to see so the main focus is on the actions of the driver. As the film progresses, we begin to learn more about him as a character. We learn quite quickly that he has a very short temper and finds it very challenging to not react to the fly. This is where the comedic element is most prominent as it gets progressively funnier watching him get angrier. It also becomes quite tense waiting to see what he will do next as his actions get more and more dramatic and over the top, ending with him completely losing his temper. As a viewer, I began to root for the fly as it became more satisfying seeing it avoid all of the drivers' attempts to kill it. However, I thought that the ending was quite unsatisfying as there was no resolution. In terms of dialogue there is hardly any at all as there is only one person shown throughout the majority of the film. As the driver gets angrier with the fly he lets out a few shrieks of annoyance which adds to the comedy aspect. I thought that the structure of the film was done very well with an obvious beginning, middle and end. There is also a good build up of tension throughout the middle section of the film culminating in an exciting and gripping ending making the audience feel satisfied with where the film ends up. The ending offers a slightly lighter tone as the crew members emerge from the bank and look at the driver in disappointment after what he has done, also making the ending quite satisfying. In terms of how this film has inspired me, I would say that I thought the genre of 'Dark comedy' was very interesting and I imagine quite difficult to get the right balance and achieve. However, if I decided to go down a comedic route in my own work, I would want to choose a darker subject matter so that the comedic element wasn't overly obvious and overbearing as this can feel quite forced and cheesy. I also enjoyed the element of action, shown when the driver got out of the car and began shooting at the windows which added excitement. However, it would be difficult for me to achieve the same level of action in my own work. I liked the way the film was shot with lots of short cuts which began to speed up as the action took place. This gave the film a very fast paced feel and added excitement and drama. There was also a good variety of shots with plenty of close ups. I noticed this particularly when the driver stabbed himself in the lip with the toothpick. This made it feel very real, giving it a darker feel which I thought was quite powerful. In my project, I think I would like to choose a more serious genre such as drama as comedy can be very difficult to achieve. I also find watching drama more satisfying and moving as a viewer myself.

'BEAT' - Aneil Karia - Experimental - 12 mins 

'Ben Wilshaw stars as a man walking a paper thin line between profound joy and complete hopelessness in this powerful and challenging award winning film'. 

My first impression was that there was quite an alternative and personal feel to the film with lots of extreme close ups, particularly at the beginning. The film starts with the main character who is a man about the age of 20 waking up and getting ready to leave his house. This is accompanied with some slow tempo music with a sad tone. At this point, I also thought it had quite a quirky feel to it with the impression of an indie atmosphere and tone. He then leaves his house and begins to move in a dancelike way as the music changes and the tempo is faster. Instead of walking, he moves from place to place in this dancelike fashion, instantly making him stand out from everyone else. He then enters a cafe and a shop and is thrown out when customers and staff mistake his dancing for disruptive behaviour thinking that he is creating havoc and interfering. It cuts to some more upbeat music as a brighter, sunny environment is shown. This is followed by a change in attitudes of the people around him. People begin to enjoy watching his dancing and even join in. There is a final change in atmosphere after the main character touches a member of the public causing more annoyance and outrage. In the last clip, he is punched to the ground by a stranger and left there whilst the camera zooms in on his face as he gives a slight smile and the music fades out. 

Before watching this film, I was unaware that there was no dialogue throughout. However, the more I watched it, I began to realise that this was very carefully replaced with the music. Each new piece represented a change in setting and mood, allowing it to tell the story and evoke emotion for the audience. I thought that this gave the film a really individual and contemporary feel to it and I particularly like the way the director incorporated dance to accompany this and emphasise the switches in mood and tone as the film progressed. This element also highlighted the changes of events for the main character and demonstrated how he was feeling. There was a series of problems and obstacles that the main character had to try and overcome which created drama and excitement, keeping the audience invested in the story and showing how each one had an effect on him as a person. I would say that the goal for the man was to spread his emotions in an unusual way without without causing the uproar that he did which unfortunately failed as the final shot showed him beaten to the ground. In this way I would say that the ending is quite unsatisfying because as a viewer, I wanted to know what was going to happen to him next. As the main character as well, you naturally root for him and want him to succeed, therefore seeing him being overpowered brought the story to a halt. On the positive side, it did bring drama to the film and ended it on quite a shocking note which is very effective and keeps the audience engaged. In some ways, it was a good ending as it was very compelling, however there was no resolve leaving the audience wanting to see more.  In terms of script there was absolutely no dialogue as this was replaced with music. As our brief focuses on the script, I cannot take on this method in my own project, however, the use of music to convey mood and emotion is something I will explore in every project, including this one as it is a key element to good storytelling and can be even more powerful than dialogue in some cases. In comparison to the first short film I watched, 'The Fly', I would say that they both managed to achieve drama and interest but in very different ways. ,kuy 

'Soft' - Simon Ellis - Drama - 14 mins

'A contemporary drama in an urban setting, focussing on the relationship between a father and son when faced with challenges such as gang culture' - 24 word pitch. 

This short drama focusses on two main characters - a father and his teenage son. The father is a typical everyday working man whose main goal in life is to stick to his organised routine and be a good role model to his son, in particular as there is an absent parent. He also wants to bond with his son and be close to him and vice versa. When he gets home from work one evening he discovers there is no more milk left in the fridge. He then has to deviate away from his normal routine and leave the house to buy some more. This leads him into the arising conflict. After leaving the store, he encounters a teenage gang waiting outside who openly attempt to beat him up before he narrowly escapes. Upon arriving home after running away from the gang, he attempts to hide any signs of conflict such as checking his back for sweat patches and wiping his brow. In the meantime, his son enters the room bearing a few cuts and bruises on his face obtained from the same gang that attacked his dad. His dad tells him that he needs to be braver and stand up to the bullies so that they leave him alone. Before long, there is a knock on the door and it is made clear to the audience that the gang are outside the house. The son asks his dad to do something but is told to stay quiet and ignore them. After a great deal of disagreement between the pair, the dad makes the decision to leave the house to confront the gang and attempt to protect his son, however, he is filled with fear and cannot bring himself to fight back. The ending scene shows the son burst outside with a cricket bat in hand and fights off the gang. He hits the leader of the gang and they all run off. The son is then left there where he turns and looks at his dad in disappointment. 

I thought that this short film represented a common relationship between many fathers and sons and the idea of teaching masculinity whilst struggling to be a good example. In this case, the dad wants to be the perfect example to his son and show him what to do in moments like this one but his own fears and cowardliness hold him back. This was particularly powerful in the scene where the gang were outside and the dad kept holding his son back and telling him to ignore them. There are subtle hints throughout that there will be some kind of fighting back and earlier, there are quick shots of a cricket bat in the corner and cricket photos on the fridge. This foreshadows that it will be used later on in the film. I think it had a very well organised structured with an obvious beginning, middle and end. The main conflict comes in when we see the dad attacked by the gang and we know at that point that they are likely to be significant. The drama then builds up from there resulting in a very explosive ending. The ending shot is powerful also as the dad stands outside and some of the neighbours begin coming out of their houses, highlighting that not only is cowardliness a main theme in the film but also that it is very common and something that people find very challenging to overcome.

‘Stew and Punch’ - Simon Ellis - 15 mins

'A dinner party with beef stew and much punch spirals out of control when the host couple are sucked into a bout of lighthearted arm wrestling'

This short story focusses around a couple who are hosting a dinner party. They are serving a beef stew and some punch. It begins with the couple discussing the food and drink as if they are convincing each other that they are excellent hosts. As the night goes on, it gets more eventful, ending in a disastrous way. The main characters are the hosts, they are a young couple who invite a few of their friends round for dinner and cocktails hence the name ‘Stew and Punch.’ Their goal is to have a good evening with their friends and show off their hosting skills. I have noticed there are similar themes to the short film ‘Soft’, in particular masculinity felt mainly by the guy as his girlfriend shows him up during an arm wrestle. The conflict begins when the guy loses an arm wrestle to his girlfriend whilst drunk. As his friends laugh at him this causes him to feel angry and begin losing him temper resulting in him breaking things and punching his friend. I think this theme is very interesting because masculinity and violence go pretty much hand in hand as a man feels like he needs to show violence when his masculinity is lacking in order to make up for it. Further conflict arises when a neighbour comes round and begins threatening them resulting in a bigger argument. The change is in the mood as everything becomes darker and more dramatic as the events of the night unfold. One pattern I have noticed throughout each short film I have seen so far is that the action has to build up throughout the middle of the film, culminating in an explosive event before ending. This allows suspense for the audience and allows the film to get progressively more tense therefore engaging the audience and keeping their attention. The way the film was shot, varied between being an overlook of the guests at the party and as if you were the main guy and looking at the scene from his perspective. This makes the audience feel like they are at the party and involved in the events, creating a more real atmosphere so you feel like you are experiencing what the guests are experiencing. I thought that this way of shooting was very effective as a way of really engaging the audience and is something I would like to replicate in my own work.  

Tag - Katherine Chandler, Aneil Karia - Drama - 12 mins 

'In a world where tag is played to the bitter end, can science teacher Sarah tag Lee before the final bell rings and school is out forever? Only one can be victorious'.

This BBC short film is set in a school and focusses around two teachers who are in competition, playing tag. As the events of the film unfold, it soon takes a much more serious turn as the once playful game becomes quite violent and aggressive. The film begins when Sarah is pushed to the ground by Lee in the middle of the hallway in front of the other students who mock her and one stands on her hand, causing her a lot of pain. During a P.E session with the other teacher, Sarah begins to feel incredibly angry and charges towards Lee whilst being restrained by some of the students, therefore failing to tag him. She later has a conversation with one of the students who gives her advice and tells her that she should believe in herself. The next scene shows Sarah chasing Lee through the gym hall, now determined to tag him. She follows him up some of the apparatus but is stopped by one of the students and pushed back. She tries again but falls back and hits her head on the floor. The last scene shows her about to be put in an ambulance. Lee says to her that their game has gone too far and has had terrible outcomes, she grabs his hand and says 'tag' winning the game.
I thought this short film was quite unusual and different some of the ones I have watched previously. I thought the theme and characters were quite an odd choice because teachers are usually there to set a good example to their pupils and prevent any violence or aggression. I think this aspect created a sense of drama and excitement as we see the characters become more and more aggravated with each other. This is particularly apparent in the character of Sarah as the film focuses on her. I found that as a viewer, I rooted for her the most out of the two as she seemed so determined. I also warmed to her slightly during the conversation with the student where she told him how she was feeling. I think this is quite an important element of any story because good characters can alter the way the audience feel
about the story. I also thought that the film was quite fast paced which helped to create suspense and tension. This is something I will take away from the film and think about in my work.