Theoretical Research

Narrative theory

The theory of 3 basic narrative types of closed structure, open structure and circular structure.

Closed Structure has a definite ending with a clear conclusion.
Open Structure has an ending which leaves the audience wondering what happens next and they have to make sense of it themselves.
Circular Structure is where the narrative begins at the end of events and audience are taken back to where it all started through a journey.

I think my short film has an open structure because my short film finishes on a cliff-hanger leaving the audience wondering what has happened. There is a gradual build up of suspense which reinforces my open structure leaving the audience wondering and curious.


Todorovs theory is that films follow a structure that goes from The Equilibrium which is life as usual, then to The Disruption which is when a problem happens, then to The Recognition when the problem is identified, then to The Repair when a plan is put in place to solve the problem and finally to the New Equilibrium when the problem is solved and life returns to a new normality.

I also think my short film follows Todorovs theory as I have The Equilibrium when a family member comes to stay with the Lady of the house, then The Disruption as things start to become eery around the house and suspicion rises, then The Recognition as the family member recognises that things aren't quite right, then we have a Repair when she starts to uncover the truth, however I do not think I have a New Equilibrium because
there is no new normality as things are left on edge and unresolved.

Vladimir Propp suggests that there are seven character types:

-The Hero who is the main character and usually good
-The helper who is a companion who assists the hero with help and advice
-The Villain creates a disruption
-The False Hero may mean to help but fail or be with the hero and betray them
-The Donor gives the hero something to help them such as an object
-The Dispatcher sends the hero on a task/mission
-The Princess may be saved by the hero or be a reward for the hero

In my short film, I use a hero who uncovers the sinister truths and tries to turn the situation around for the better, a villain who causes the disruption and horrors of the plot, a donor who plants an object or clue for the hero to find and a princess who the hero tries to save from the villain.


Roland Barthes narrative theory includes three codes. The Enigma Code which has texts that use mystery and suspense, The Semic Code which has texts that use connotations to make sense for the audience and The Cultural Code which has texts that use cultural references that people will know. 

The Enigma Code applies to my short film because my film has a cliffhanger open ending which creates suspense amongst the audience. My film also uses mystery because it is based around a murder mystery genre. My short film does not use The Semic Code. MY short film does not entirely follow The Cultural Code but follows a similar code, it is does not use cultural references, instead uses references from time periods that people may know. 

Evidence Of Manipulation Of Images

Effects I have used

When I first filmed these shots, I did not take into consideration the time period that I was setting my short film in and I had a radiator and phone shown in the shots which is out of the time period. To resolve this issue I decided to use Adobe After Effects and used a masking tool so I no longer had them in the shots.

In this shot below, you can see I have a radiator clearly in the middle of the shot. This is before I used Adobe After Effects.



In this shot below, you can see the radiator is now gone and the wall continues where the radiator previously was. This is after I used Adobe After Effects. This shot is now appropriate to use for my chosen time period.



 In this shot below, you can see the radiator is still in the background of the shot and there is now a mobile phone left on the book shelf. This is before I used Adobe After Effects.

In this shot below, you can see the radiator has been masked and it is just the wall again. I also managed to mask the mobile phone out of the shot. This is after using Adobe After Effects. I can now use these shots for my short film. 

From this task I have learnt to be more conscious of my setting and what is around me when filming. It has also made me realise how it is more difficult choosing a specific time period. However, I also feel that I have benefitted from making this mistake because I now have better knowledge on how to use these different programmes and I now have the skills to use them in the future. 

Mindmap of ideas for my short film

 Mindmap

 

 

Before I started creating my short film, I had to decide what I wanted to actually do for my short film. I decided to make a mind map of ideas. I started with the main ideas I had such as types of settings, different types of characters and as this progressed I could start on bigger ideas such as a plot line. I then decided to add images to my mindmap of what I aspired my short film to look like, for example I found an image of what I would like my main character to look like and images of settings. This helped me to begin to see my film coming together and what I think could work and what maybe couldn't work.

Textual Analysis for your Main Text

Textual analysis

From my research, I found that popular short films often use plot twists. This makes the film more interesting as they're so short. They also quite often are based around everyday situations then the plot twist makes it more intriguing for the audience. Short films usually have minimal characters, around 2 or 3 as there isn't a lot of time for a lot of characters to be on screen.

First, I have chose to analyse a Pixar short film, monsters inc, 'Mikes new car'. I chose this because it is an animation short film and I wanted to consider all types of films. This short film contains a variety of conventions of a short film which I am going to analyse. 



The editing in 'Mikes new car' is quite a slow pace and the shots do not change very regularly. I think this was intended as when there is a plot twist and the car begins to play up and break the shots speed up. This will emphasise the twist to the audience.

The sound in 'Mikes new car' begins at the opening with piano sounding music, this is quite an upbeat start to the film. This continues to play in the background. The next sound the audience hears is dialogue. Mikes voice reflects his size and character he has a higher pitched voice in comparison to Sulleys voice which also reflects his size and character as its very deep sounding. There are many sound effects throughout the film. For example, the sound of the car doors shutting, the adjustable seat, the car engine, etc. Once the car begins to go wrong such as the sound of the bonnet lifting, there are a lot of unrealistic, humorous sound effects.



I have also chosen to analyse the short film 'Doodlebug' by Christopher Nolan. I chose to analyse this film as well because it has a more psychological and sinister tone in comparison to my first chosen short film. This example used very different features of a short film to 'Mikes new car' which I will analyse.

In the short film 'Doodlebug', the editing pace is very fast and the shots change quickly. The use of this fast pace builds up great tension and gives a crazed effect which reflects the character. I think that this is carried out through the short film.

The sound in 'Doodlebug' begins with non-diegetic, minor key music which creates an eerie effect. This tells the audience from the start it's an eerie film. Whilst the music is still playing, we next hear the sound of the 'bug' scurrying around the room, this sound effect matches what is happening in the film. Every so often in the music, there is a high pitched, piano sound which is used to keep the audience hooked. We also hear the clock ticking repetitively. Suddenly, a loud phone begins to ring. This dramatic sound breaks the eerie effect and may cause the audience to jump. The credits come up with just the eerie music playing.


From this task I have learnt that you don't have to use many characters. From these examples, two is the most characters that have been used. I also found that they both use relatable situations or common settings and props you would use and come across in everyday life. However, 'Mikes new car' does not use very fast editing and not a big variety of shorts but 'Doodlebug' does use a wide variety of shots and has a fast editing pace which builds up suspense. I think they have this difference because they're different genres. This shows me that depending on which genre I choose I will have to use editing and shots to create the intended tone and effects.



Textual Anaylsis for your Ancillary Tasks

Audience Targeting

 

From my audience targeting, I intend to come to a conclusion of who I am trying to attract from my short film because I can then include different ideas which will appeal to a certain audience rather than trying to cover a vast selection of audiences. 



This is an example of a female my short film would attract to. I chose her as my target audience because she is an older teenager, who will be able to watch films with less censorship but isn't too old. I think she suits my film because she enjoys watching thrillers as they're one of her favourite genres. 

This is an example of a male my short film would attract to. He is quite similar to my female example, except he enjoys quite violent films. This could include thrillers, horrors or gang films etc. I intend for my short film to have some relative violence, I think he would enjoy.

From deciding who my target audience is I can now choose different features which will appeal to them. For example, language such as swearing, props I can use, what characters will wear, the setting, time period etc.

Audience Research

 I am going to produce a survey online with around 9 or 10 questions which will all relate to thriller films and what people’s likes and dislikes are. This will help me with creating a short thriller film because I can get ideas from what majority of people who complete the survey prefer. Finding out what is most popular amongst people can show me whether I need to change my plans as well. I am also going to film a focus group watching a short thriller film then discussing it afterwards as a group, this will show me what people reactions are to this specific type of film and there first impressions. During the discussion they will be asked some questions about the film they’ll watch and thrillers in general. This will give me an idea of people opinions on thrillers and short films that I can then apply to my own short thriller film.

Link to my SurveyMonkey - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8B2KM79

My results:

 

From results from my first question, I can see that majority of the people who completed my survey were aged 18-24 and the oldest person to complete my survey was between the ages of 35-44. From this I can tell that this is more of a younger generations responce to thriller films.

 Question two of my survey shows that 50% of the people who completed my survey felt 'confident' towards the thriller genre, 30% of people felt in between confident and not confident and 20% felt 'a little confident'. I was happy with these responses as it told me tha no on who completed the survey was 'not confident at all' so will understand to an extent.

My results from question three will help me as I intend to use the most popular expectation of a thriller in my short film - 'Suspence/tension'. I will use this the most prominently in my short film. 

From my results of question four, I found people prefer male villains and heroes. These tend to be the main characters.

From question five, I have found that majority of people dislike having an obvious plot line that they can guess. Therefore I will  try to make my short film as unpredictable as I can.

The most popular setting is a city for a thriller and the second most popular setting is remote, this was quite clear from my results. I will consider both these settings for my short film.

Peoples favourite thriller films could give me ideas for my own short, thriller film.

Horror thrillers were the most popular result for question nine. I will consider this for my short film or use aspects of horror thrillers in my short film.

Audience research focus group:


edit of focus group final from Lucy Trigger on Vimeo.

I chose to use a focus group to find out different peoples opinions on thrillers. I selected a thriller, short film and the focus group watched it together. Then, they sat around a table and answered some questions and had the opportunity to give their opinions and discuss their own thoughts.

From this task I have learnt what my audience like in a thriller film and which aspects are most reoccurring favourites, this will help me know what to include in my own short film to appeal to the right audience. It also meant that if I included things that people do not like, I am now aware that I need to change that and what would be favoured instead. It can also tell me what to include in my film as it’s been chosen by a small minority but not to use too much as it’s not a main favourite.

Regulation Research

From this task I will learn what I can include in my short film and what is not allowed in certain age rated films, this will help me make decisions of how to carry out my short film and how to go about creating a suitable plot because I will have chosen my age rating. It will also show me what I'm definitely not allowed to use in my short film.

 

What is the BBFC and what does it do?

 

 The BBFC stands for the British Board of Film Classification. The BBFC rates films, videos and video games which have been released. The BBFC provide guidelines which shows what can and can’t be included in the different age rated films, for example they decide what is too explicit to be included in different age rated films and games.

 

 

 

Main issues

Strong language is a key issue in selecting which age rating a film should

 be because films

rated 12 or 12A cannot contain more offensive language than terms like 'bitch' or 'twat' frequently but can have infrequent stronger terms. The context of the strong language is important, if the language is used in an aggressive manner it may not be allowed in a 12. Whereas the language used in a 15 will be permitted to be stronger and more frequently used, for example there is no limit on the frequency of language such as 'f***' and they allowed rare, infrequent use of the strongest terms such as 'c***', although if they're used more frequently or in an aggressive/offensive context they will not be passed for a 15. Whereas in an 18 there in no limitation on the amount of strong, offensive language and the most offensive language can be used in an aggressive context and can be frequently used or followed by strong violence. 

Sex is a main issue in choosing which rating a film should be because in
an age 12 or 12A film, sex can briefly be mentioned or subtly portrayed. Verbal references to sex shouldn't be used if it is inappropriate for young teenagers, comedy can be used to diminish the impact of some moderate sex references. They allow nudity but sexual nudity should be brief and discreet. Whereas in a 15, sexual activity can be portrayed if there is no graphic detail, the sex scenes can be quite prolonged and involve nudity and movement but no excessive detail. They allow nudity in a non-sexual/educational context. Whereas an 18 can include strong and detailed portrayals of sex including full nudity. Strong, crude and explicit sex references are allowed. It can also contain depictions of real sex if justified by the context and situation.

Drugs and imitable behaviour are a significant issue in choosing

which age rating a film
should be because in a 12 or 12A dangerous behaviour such as suicide/self-harming can be present but cannot have detail which could be copied or presented as pain or harm free. There can be infrequent images of drug misuse but they should not be glamorised so people can copy or give instructional details. Where as in a 15 drug taking can be presented but not promoted. The misuse of easily accessible substances is very unlikely to be shown, this is to prevent teenagers copying or recreating. Dangerous behaviour may be shown but not in detail which could be copied. Whereas in an 18, drug taking may be shown but not promoted or encouraged. They can also present difficult/offensive subjects and themes and infrequent dangerous or criminal behaviour. 

Horror and violence are a main issue in choosing which age rating a
film should be because in a 12 or 12A moderate violence is allowed
but cannot be dwelled on in detail and can have  no emphasis on injury. Occasional moments of gore are allowed if justified by its context. Weapons and violent fight scenes are permitted. Some psychological threat is allowed but not prolonged disturbing sequences frequently. Whereas in a 15, strong violence is allowed. Strong images of gore are unlikely to be allowed. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be accepted by the BBFC. Also easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised. In 15’s there can be strong threat and menace. Where as in an 18 strong violence with strong detail is allowed to be portrayed and they can dwell on the infliction of pain and scenes of sexual violence. They may contain strong horror, gore or sustained threat and menace which exceeds the boundaries of a 15.

Only horror and violence and strong language apply to my short film and I intend to follow the BBFC’s guidelines. I plan my short thriller film to be a 15 because it will portray moderate threat or menace and I don’t intend it to contain any gore. There will be nothing in my film for teenagers to take negative instruction or detail from or be able to copy. As I have chosen to make my film a 15 I will not be able to include frequent strong language, promote drug misuse, no graphic sex scenes or show easily accessible dangerous substances.

This doesn't affect my film much because I did not plan to include these aspects in my short film, the only part of my film it may affect is violence and threatening behaviour in my film. It may also effect the language but I don’t intend to use strong language frequently.  

From this task I have chosen that my film will be rated 15 and I have learnt what I'm allowed and not allowed to include in my film according to the guidelines wrote by the BBFC, it has also shown me what I can include if it is justified by the context. As my short film is a thriller, this has shown me how much strong language, terror and violence I can include and has shown me that I cannot promote negative aspects to my audience such as accessible weapons and drugs.

 

Institutional Research

First Born Films

 

I think in the 'real world' my short film would suit First Born Film Company because they produce and distribute a variety of types of film, including short films. Therefore I think my film would fit this company.

 

Who are they?

 

First Born Films is an independent film production company founded in 2006 and based in London. The company was founded by Carey Born and Darren Heath.

Carey Born is an award winning filmmaker. Her 2002 film 'Shadow man' won many awards. Since 2002, Carey has produced 6 and directed 4 films.

Darren Heath was a media/IP lawyer for a number of years, he also took a job as a writer and presenter of legal films. Following the collaboration on 'Shadow man', him and Carey formed First Born Films.

 

What kinds of texts do they produce?

 

Some examples of films they've produced are;
 

-Love For Sale is a short silent comedy. It is about a young woman descends into a jazz club looking for her blind date organised through a dating agency. She is unnerved to find herself in a weird underworld where the clientele scrutinise her every move.
-Shadow Man is about a little girl who spies two men breaking into a derelict house. Fascinated by them, she brings herself to the men's attention and a friendship blossoms: but the little girl is unaware she may be crossing dangerous boundaries.

-Compartment is about a society driven by targets, a train guard must ensure his train stays on time or risk losing his job. As his troubled home life impinges on his work the pressure builds to a climax where he witnesses, via CCTV screen in the guards' compartment, an incident that spirals violently out of control.

-The Curious Brain In The Museum is about a Neuroscientist Professor Uta Frith exploring how the brain makes sense of art and discusses with her nine-year-old companion the psychology of how museums support learning and inspire creativity.
 

How do they make money?

First Born Films distribute their films onto different websites. A few of their films are put onto a website which you have to subscribe to meaning they'd have to pay for access. Another of their films is put on a website where its a youtube video link, this video has adverts so they may make money from different advertisements. They may also make money from working with youtube. First Born Films also take part in short film festivals and awards, this may earn them more money as their films will be used.

Their texts and mine:

The film Shadow Man has similarities to the short film I'm going to make. Both films have clear aspects of danger. The Shadow Man presents crime as its about people breaking into a house and my short film presents crime when a man is murdered. I think these crimes give the films dark and sinister atmospheres as well as a lot of suspense.

The film Love For Sale has similarities to my short film. Love For Sale has a plot twist and a change in tone, it shifts from upbeat tone at a blind date to a 'weird underworld' which appears more negative. My short film has a shift when at the begining it appears to be a happy family in a manor home but actually turns out to be the scene of a murder and kidnap.

I think my text is appropriate for First Born Films because it is a short film. The films on First Born films also include many short films. My film similarly has a plot twist as their films seem to have. They all have a sinister or negative feel as mine does. The short films for First Born tend to have minimal characters which is the same as my short film. These similarites show me that my film would suit this institution.

I think that my short film would be shown in cinemas, more specifically I think it would be shown at film festivals along with many other short films. An example of a film festival that may show my text would be raindance film festival because they show a variety of short films. The cinema 'Vue' also work with raindance film festival as you can buy tickets through their website. I think this would suit my short film perfectly as it fits the conventions of popular short films.



 

 



 

Preliminary Tasks

Deodrant advert final from Lucy Trigger on Vimeo.
Finished documentary from Lucy Trigger on Vimeo.
Lucy Trigger Preliminary task music video finished from Lucy Trigger on Vimeo.


From my preliminary tasks, I can learn how I have progressed since I filmed and edited my advert, documentary and music video. From having these as evidence of what I was capable of creating before, I can then compare my preliminary tasks to my short film which will be my end product. I can compare things such as my editing skill, how smooth my cuts are, the quality of my footage, etc.