Hunting for location choices= August 2009
Images of location choices= September 2009
1st to the 15th (October)= Shots within the gym and the house
15th to 20th (October)= Editing
20th to 9th (October to November)= Street shots, shop shots, high school shots and all other remaining editing stages.
Re-shoots= 9th November 2009
Wednesday 30 September 2009
Character Profile
As the teenage girl is isolating herself from the rest of her surroundings, it is important to reinforce this through using minimal characters. Therefore characters within the text will include:
Female Protagonist= Emily
This is the girl suffering from anorexia and bulimia who is arguing with her mother and sister in order to defend herself from the truth. She has a fear of food and an ambition to be "stick- thin" like the idols on her bedroom wall. The help of her loved ones brings about a happy ending for Emily as she overcomes her battle over a significant period of time.
Mother= Kate
Kate is the mother of the female protagonist -Emily- who is oblivious to her daughter's habits, but when the symptoms and signs begin to occur her concerns grow for her daughter. This results in a large argument with Emily.
Friend= Chloe
Chloe is the best friend of Emily who shows concern for Emily at the very early stages of the narrative. Again, this concern results in Emily falling out with another person. Nevertheless, Chloe and Emily's mother fight to get Emily back to her original state of mind.
Sister= Lauren
Lauren is the sister of Emily and again falls out with Emily. However, she is predominately there to show the reactions and facial expressions of her family's disagreements.
Other characters involve school children, leisure staff, gym members and people on the road or in the shop. Thus, helping to reinforce the realistic nature of the short story which is something from my primary research that most audience members wanted from the text.
Female Protagonist= Emily
This is the girl suffering from anorexia and bulimia who is arguing with her mother and sister in order to defend herself from the truth. She has a fear of food and an ambition to be "stick- thin" like the idols on her bedroom wall. The help of her loved ones brings about a happy ending for Emily as she overcomes her battle over a significant period of time.
Mother= Kate
Kate is the mother of the female protagonist -Emily- who is oblivious to her daughter's habits, but when the symptoms and signs begin to occur her concerns grow for her daughter. This results in a large argument with Emily.
Friend= Chloe
Chloe is the best friend of Emily who shows concern for Emily at the very early stages of the narrative. Again, this concern results in Emily falling out with another person. Nevertheless, Chloe and Emily's mother fight to get Emily back to her original state of mind.
Sister= Lauren
Lauren is the sister of Emily and again falls out with Emily. However, she is predominately there to show the reactions and facial expressions of her family's disagreements.
Other characters involve school children, leisure staff, gym members and people on the road or in the shop. Thus, helping to reinforce the realistic nature of the short story which is something from my primary research that most audience members wanted from the text.
Plot
The opening scenes of the narrative involve the introduction to the subject matter of the text, that being the 'need to be thin' and the importance of having the 'look'. Therefore, I will use a piece of existing material from the internet that involves a petite-sized model going down a catwalk. Once doing this the titles will begin to creep into the shots.
The main base of the plot will involve a 17 year old teenage girl fighting her battle against an eating disorder and bulimia. The audience will see her at her lowest points in the narrative, this involves fighting with her loved ones. All of whom are oblivious of the girls fear of food at the beginning of the narrative apart from her best friend who shows concern throughout. After the fights and arguments, the teenage girl begins to rely on her friend for support but begins to lie to her when she realises that the friend doesn't want to help her become 'stick-thin'.
This lie means that the protagonist's mother arrives at her high school to pick her up but discovers that she didn't turn up. The mother and best friend return home from school and find the protagonist throwing up her 'food'.
To show the transition in time, I will use a laptop to show how time has moved forward. Not only this but I found from my primary research that a short story would typically appeal to younger audiences therefore I want to represent a modern- technological era that has helped shaped the narrative of the story as most 'model' or 'fashion' stories are found on the internet.
The main base of the plot will involve a 17 year old teenage girl fighting her battle against an eating disorder and bulimia. The audience will see her at her lowest points in the narrative, this involves fighting with her loved ones. All of whom are oblivious of the girls fear of food at the beginning of the narrative apart from her best friend who shows concern throughout. After the fights and arguments, the teenage girl begins to rely on her friend for support but begins to lie to her when she realises that the friend doesn't want to help her become 'stick-thin'.
This lie means that the protagonist's mother arrives at her high school to pick her up but discovers that she didn't turn up. The mother and best friend return home from school and find the protagonist throwing up her 'food'.
To show the transition in time, I will use a laptop to show how time has moved forward. Not only this but I found from my primary research that a short story would typically appeal to younger audiences therefore I want to represent a modern- technological era that has helped shaped the narrative of the story as most 'model' or 'fashion' stories are found on the internet.
Location
I have decided that I will vary the location as much as possible so that I can keep my audience members engaged throughout the very early stages of the text.
From looking at my storyboard I have made various location choices that would suit the action in which I am trying to portray on screen.
I will use some of the shots within a typical average-sized house so that I can create verilisimilitude as effectively as possible for the representation of a teenage girl. Within the house, I will film in a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom to link all the ideas of the narrative together, i.e. bathroom= vomiting, kitchen= fear of food and bedroom= teenage surroundings.
Within the beginning shots of text I will also use a gym so that I can reinforce the 'need to be thin'. Through doing this, it means that the whole scene will be realistic as gym equipment surrounds it. Furthermore, it will create continuity in the text and keep audience engaged with diverse location choices.
In the middle of the text, I will use shots outside walking to a supermarket, this helps to allow the audience members to experience the 'life' of the teenage girl outside the house as well as in. Therefore, in order to continue the continuity of the text I will have the teenager arriving with her friend at the supermarket looking at magazines and food on sale. Thus, creating inferior or questionning from friend and nourishment of the magazines but fear of food for the protagonist.
I will also use a brief long shot of a high school that would be attended by the teenage protagonist. This helps to keep the momentum of the narrative flowing.
In the very end scene, I will have a shot in a pizza restaurant with the teenage protagonist and her friends/ family showing the main protagonists recovery after a significant amount of time from the last scene.
From looking at my storyboard I have made various location choices that would suit the action in which I am trying to portray on screen.
I will use some of the shots within a typical average-sized house so that I can create verilisimilitude as effectively as possible for the representation of a teenage girl. Within the house, I will film in a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom to link all the ideas of the narrative together, i.e. bathroom= vomiting, kitchen= fear of food and bedroom= teenage surroundings.
Within the beginning shots of text I will also use a gym so that I can reinforce the 'need to be thin'. Through doing this, it means that the whole scene will be realistic as gym equipment surrounds it. Furthermore, it will create continuity in the text and keep audience engaged with diverse location choices.
In the middle of the text, I will use shots outside walking to a supermarket, this helps to allow the audience members to experience the 'life' of the teenage girl outside the house as well as in. Therefore, in order to continue the continuity of the text I will have the teenager arriving with her friend at the supermarket looking at magazines and food on sale. Thus, creating inferior or questionning from friend and nourishment of the magazines but fear of food for the protagonist.
I will also use a brief long shot of a high school that would be attended by the teenage protagonist. This helps to keep the momentum of the narrative flowing.
In the very end scene, I will have a shot in a pizza restaurant with the teenage protagonist and her friends/ family showing the main protagonists recovery after a significant amount of time from the last scene.
Friday 25 September 2009
Results from my questionnaire
In order to have a variation of feedback for my short story project, it was important to not only view existing material but also to gain resourceful information from the general public.
In order to find out information about my chosen genre (short films), I asked 9 questions so that I could gain an overall understanding as to what people thought about watching short films and how they were presented in modern-day society.
1. How old are you?
It was important for my understanding that I targeted the questionnaire at a wide range of people. Therefore I asked people from the ages of 10- 60+, through doing this it meant that I could gain a wider knowledge on who I should be targeting.
2. Do you like watching short films?
Out of the thirty people in which I asked, 17 of them said that they liked watching short films and 13 of them said that they did not like watching them. From looking at the previous question, it became apparent that younger audiences in the range of 10- 29 watched and had a preferance of short films. This maybe the result of the younger generation being more intuned with the internet. Thus, showing that they are able to find things on the internet- i.e. short films- that older audiences would not be able to find as easy. Not only this, but the social networks like Facebook, Bebo and Myspace tend to be used by those of a younger generation. Thus, meaning that information is passed on quicker and short film companies can advertise through this particular medium.
3. If answer to question 2 is no, then why do you choose not to watch short films?
With the people that said "no" to not watching short films, it was vital to gain an understanding as to why they don't. Most people said that they preferred watching longer films, thus showing that people are more intuned with a film when they can connect with the characters from beginning to end. Therefore, showing that within my short story I will need to focus my main protagonist more so that it is evident-
to people that watch short films- who has good intentions and who doesn't. Furthermore, people also said that they preferred giong to the cinema. Thus, showing that people like the idea of actually going outside of their homes to watch a film. Furthermore, a selection of people said that they got easily bored of watching short films, the reason behind this maybe the fact that the audience members know that they are not to become to interested in the text as it will end after a short amount of time.
4. If answer to question 2 is yes, then what would you expect from a short film extract?
People that said "yes" to watching short films gave some form of response as to why they watch them. Half of the people that said yes said that they would like to see lots of characters, nevertheless the other half of people that said yes said that they would want to see fewer characters. Therefore, in order to try and satisfy the needs of more than one market segment I will include one main protagonist with minor characters to help build and develop the narrative to make it as realistic as possible.
Not only this, but most people said that they would expect a voice-over and a relatable narrative with lots of music instead of spoken dialouge. Thus, showing that people want the typical features that they would expect from a large cinema film. Therefore I will include techniques like voiceover to create a larger effect on the audience but also allow them to become more intuned with the protagonist and their thoughts and feelings. Therefore, helping to satisfy the needs and wants people wanting to watch the short story.
5. Which type of short film genre do you prefer?
After asking people what they would expect from a short film extract, it was important to gain information about the type of genre that would be a preferance. Most people said that they would like to see a fictional piece or documentation, thus meaning that people are wanting a realistic approach to film instead of the usual "hollywood" texts that are generically scene in cinemas or on the television. As there is quite a niche want for this type of film -i.e. short films are less attractive to most consumers than a large box office film- I will closely identify with all of the aspects of my feedback so that I can continually insure that I meet with the demands and suggestions that are being made. Nevertheless, as well as the genres of fiction and documentations, people also said that they liked non-fiction, romantic and comedy. As most people ticked more than one box for this question, it shows that they don't neccessarily want the generic codes and conventions that would be expected from one particular genre. Instead, they wish to see a variety of conventions that resemble diverse aspects of the chosen narrative.
6. Do you feel more engaged whilst sound is used throughout the short film, if yes then why?
After asking people this question, 22 people said that they felt more engaged upon sound being used. This is good for the development of my short story because it means that I can focus on sound as one of the key elements of the narrative presentation. Therefore, I can use sound throughout the whole of the text to create different effects not just on the characters, but on the audience members watching it. Therefore, through parts of the text I can try and reinforce feelings of sadness, sympathy, happiness and joy through the use of sound within the text.
7. Where do you tend to watch short films?
As mentioned in question 1 and 2, it became apparent that there was a relationship between the younger audience and the likeness upon watching a short film. This again is reinforced in the following question as many people tended to say that they watched short story's on the internet on websites like the BBC and Youtube. Consequently, showing that I should reinforce the advance in technology within my short story and try and link this within the narrative. Through, showing this modern era it will again encourage a younger audience to view the text as it is evident that short stories are not that appealing to an older generation.
8. How could Short films be most effectively promoted?
Most people said that as Short stories are already dominating the internet, it would be effective to promote on other alternative medias.Most people said that magazines and billboards would be the most effective as they target a large variety of people and are big enough promotional techniques to be recognised by a wider selection of market segments. Nevertheless, using television to promote short stories would not be effective as it aquires a large investment without the promise of a large response from audiences.
9. Do you find short films?
- Realistic
- Entertaining
- Informative
- Fictional
The large majority of people said they thought that short films were realistic, entertaining and informative. Thus, showing that they are wishing for a collaboration of ideas and conventions. This is good to know from the early stages of production because it means that alterations can be specifically made in order to meet with these demands made by the majority of people that responded in this way. Most people said that they didn't think short films were fictional, thus showing that as the film is over a short period of time it is important to choose a topic or area that is most effective from the very early stages of the film. Therefore a relatable subject works best for this to be correctly achieved.
In order to find out information about my chosen genre (short films), I asked 9 questions so that I could gain an overall understanding as to what people thought about watching short films and how they were presented in modern-day society.
1. How old are you?
It was important for my understanding that I targeted the questionnaire at a wide range of people. Therefore I asked people from the ages of 10- 60+, through doing this it meant that I could gain a wider knowledge on who I should be targeting.
2. Do you like watching short films?
Out of the thirty people in which I asked, 17 of them said that they liked watching short films and 13 of them said that they did not like watching them. From looking at the previous question, it became apparent that younger audiences in the range of 10- 29 watched and had a preferance of short films. This maybe the result of the younger generation being more intuned with the internet. Thus, showing that they are able to find things on the internet- i.e. short films- that older audiences would not be able to find as easy. Not only this, but the social networks like Facebook, Bebo and Myspace tend to be used by those of a younger generation. Thus, meaning that information is passed on quicker and short film companies can advertise through this particular medium.
3. If answer to question 2 is no, then why do you choose not to watch short films?
With the people that said "no" to not watching short films, it was vital to gain an understanding as to why they don't. Most people said that they preferred watching longer films, thus showing that people are more intuned with a film when they can connect with the characters from beginning to end. Therefore, showing that within my short story I will need to focus my main protagonist more so that it is evident-
to people that watch short films- who has good intentions and who doesn't. Furthermore, people also said that they preferred giong to the cinema. Thus, showing that people like the idea of actually going outside of their homes to watch a film. Furthermore, a selection of people said that they got easily bored of watching short films, the reason behind this maybe the fact that the audience members know that they are not to become to interested in the text as it will end after a short amount of time.
4. If answer to question 2 is yes, then what would you expect from a short film extract?
People that said "yes" to watching short films gave some form of response as to why they watch them. Half of the people that said yes said that they would like to see lots of characters, nevertheless the other half of people that said yes said that they would want to see fewer characters. Therefore, in order to try and satisfy the needs of more than one market segment I will include one main protagonist with minor characters to help build and develop the narrative to make it as realistic as possible.
Not only this, but most people said that they would expect a voice-over and a relatable narrative with lots of music instead of spoken dialouge. Thus, showing that people want the typical features that they would expect from a large cinema film. Therefore I will include techniques like voiceover to create a larger effect on the audience but also allow them to become more intuned with the protagonist and their thoughts and feelings. Therefore, helping to satisfy the needs and wants people wanting to watch the short story.
5. Which type of short film genre do you prefer?
After asking people what they would expect from a short film extract, it was important to gain information about the type of genre that would be a preferance. Most people said that they would like to see a fictional piece or documentation, thus meaning that people are wanting a realistic approach to film instead of the usual "hollywood" texts that are generically scene in cinemas or on the television. As there is quite a niche want for this type of film -i.e. short films are less attractive to most consumers than a large box office film- I will closely identify with all of the aspects of my feedback so that I can continually insure that I meet with the demands and suggestions that are being made. Nevertheless, as well as the genres of fiction and documentations, people also said that they liked non-fiction, romantic and comedy. As most people ticked more than one box for this question, it shows that they don't neccessarily want the generic codes and conventions that would be expected from one particular genre. Instead, they wish to see a variety of conventions that resemble diverse aspects of the chosen narrative.
6. Do you feel more engaged whilst sound is used throughout the short film, if yes then why?
After asking people this question, 22 people said that they felt more engaged upon sound being used. This is good for the development of my short story because it means that I can focus on sound as one of the key elements of the narrative presentation. Therefore, I can use sound throughout the whole of the text to create different effects not just on the characters, but on the audience members watching it. Therefore, through parts of the text I can try and reinforce feelings of sadness, sympathy, happiness and joy through the use of sound within the text.
7. Where do you tend to watch short films?
As mentioned in question 1 and 2, it became apparent that there was a relationship between the younger audience and the likeness upon watching a short film. This again is reinforced in the following question as many people tended to say that they watched short story's on the internet on websites like the BBC and Youtube. Consequently, showing that I should reinforce the advance in technology within my short story and try and link this within the narrative. Through, showing this modern era it will again encourage a younger audience to view the text as it is evident that short stories are not that appealing to an older generation.
8. How could Short films be most effectively promoted?
Most people said that as Short stories are already dominating the internet, it would be effective to promote on other alternative medias.Most people said that magazines and billboards would be the most effective as they target a large variety of people and are big enough promotional techniques to be recognised by a wider selection of market segments. Nevertheless, using television to promote short stories would not be effective as it aquires a large investment without the promise of a large response from audiences.
9. Do you find short films?
- Realistic
- Entertaining
- Informative
- Fictional
The large majority of people said they thought that short films were realistic, entertaining and informative. Thus, showing that they are wishing for a collaboration of ideas and conventions. This is good to know from the early stages of production because it means that alterations can be specifically made in order to meet with these demands made by the majority of people that responded in this way. Most people said that they didn't think short films were fictional, thus showing that as the film is over a short period of time it is important to choose a topic or area that is most effective from the very early stages of the film. Therefore a relatable subject works best for this to be correctly achieved.
Monday 14 September 2009
Ofcom
Ofcom is the regulatory body that decides the content to which is viewed by the British public. They have a responsibility to consumers to provide a professional service whilst following the rules set out by the UK communications act of 2003.
Monday 7 September 2009
Types of genre: Film Noir
In order to establish the ways in which my medium will be structured it is important to look at various media types. One media type that I looked at, was that of Film Noir. This was a significant genre compared to others like Action, Thriller, Romance or Sci-fi. This is because there are many types of generic conventions that often appear within it, for example the excessive use of black and white lighting and shadows to mask certain characters within the narrative. This helps to reinforce the 'darkness' of this type of genre that helps contribute to the diverse significance of the conventions that follow with it.
Another typical convention that is often seen in Film Noir is the honesty and sinisism of the characters within the narrative. This means that they speak bluntly so that there is no ambiguity for audience members trying to comprehend what the characters motives are within the text.
"Power women" are seen throughout the majority of all film noir pieces. This is reinforced through the tilting shots of the females starting from feet to head. Thus, meaning that the audience members can see through the eyes of the "male gaze" (another typical convention). Consequently showing that females are "playing the heroin but also the victim", in other words they are using "crocodile tears". This is suitable for this particular genre because it shows females to be a more dominant fixture which helps to steer away from the typical stereotypes that males have more power than their opposing gender.
Another convention seen in "Film Noir" is noted in the framing of the scene. It became apparent after watching a selection of film noir extracts that the male is on the left and the female is on the right. This again reinforces the subverted attitudes of power within gender types. Consequently, showing that females have the 'right' attitude or purpose within the narrative, in comparison to the male gender.
An obvious convention that seems to appear regularly in Film Noir extracts is the fact that there is never a happy ending. This is reinforced as most of the films end in a dark and unhappy atmosphere, instead of in sun/daylight. This also links to the convention that occurs when two 'lovers' within the text are unable to connect, instead typically one of them ends up getting hurt as the result of something that has happened earlier on in the narrative.
Whilst understanding some of the generic codes and conventions that appear in Film Noir, certain people within the documentary of the genre said the following things:
- "It promises suspense".
(Examples of this include "Kiss Me Deadly", "Out of the past", "Double Indemity", "Spell Check" and "The Killers").
- "It is a transitional genre that has become more graphic and violent in recent years".
From looking at the excessive codes and conventions that appear in the Film Noir genre I have decided that I will use ideas from this particular medium, however I will not copy them nor will I completely subvert them as I feel it is important to create a unique piece to represent the narrative that I am creating.
One particular feature that I feel would be appropriate for my short film is the idea of the "male gaze" as I felt that it helped show a diverse camera angle to keep the audience members engaged throughout the course of the text. Nevertheless, as my protagonist is female it is most likely that I will use a "female gaze" to help show this particular camera shot/ angle.
Another feature that I feel will help embody the issue of my short film is voiceover. Due to the fact that I am using an issue that is common in society, it means that the person giving the voiceover will be directing the issue at multiple people. Through using a female voiceover it will also reinforce the connotations of certain conventions that have been created in Film Noir extracts which is that of "Power Women" (i.e. women are dominant in comparison to men who appear to have less power).
Nevertheless, I also want to create a happy ending within my narrative as I feel that the underlying issue is already quite dark and troubling. Therefore, giving me an opportunity to really develop the narrative to create a much happier ending to a dark storyline.
Lastly, I will try to incorporate some element of black and white within my short film as I feel that it complements well with the dark storyline in which I am creating. However, I will not use this throughout the whole of the text as I want to show the development of time and thus happiness for the predominant character.
Another typical convention that is often seen in Film Noir is the honesty and sinisism of the characters within the narrative. This means that they speak bluntly so that there is no ambiguity for audience members trying to comprehend what the characters motives are within the text.
"Power women" are seen throughout the majority of all film noir pieces. This is reinforced through the tilting shots of the females starting from feet to head. Thus, meaning that the audience members can see through the eyes of the "male gaze" (another typical convention). Consequently showing that females are "playing the heroin but also the victim", in other words they are using "crocodile tears". This is suitable for this particular genre because it shows females to be a more dominant fixture which helps to steer away from the typical stereotypes that males have more power than their opposing gender.
Another convention seen in "Film Noir" is noted in the framing of the scene. It became apparent after watching a selection of film noir extracts that the male is on the left and the female is on the right. This again reinforces the subverted attitudes of power within gender types. Consequently, showing that females have the 'right' attitude or purpose within the narrative, in comparison to the male gender.
An obvious convention that seems to appear regularly in Film Noir extracts is the fact that there is never a happy ending. This is reinforced as most of the films end in a dark and unhappy atmosphere, instead of in sun/daylight. This also links to the convention that occurs when two 'lovers' within the text are unable to connect, instead typically one of them ends up getting hurt as the result of something that has happened earlier on in the narrative.
Whilst understanding some of the generic codes and conventions that appear in Film Noir, certain people within the documentary of the genre said the following things:
- "It promises suspense".
(Examples of this include "Kiss Me Deadly", "Out of the past", "Double Indemity", "Spell Check" and "The Killers").
- "It is a transitional genre that has become more graphic and violent in recent years".
From looking at the excessive codes and conventions that appear in the Film Noir genre I have decided that I will use ideas from this particular medium, however I will not copy them nor will I completely subvert them as I feel it is important to create a unique piece to represent the narrative that I am creating.
One particular feature that I feel would be appropriate for my short film is the idea of the "male gaze" as I felt that it helped show a diverse camera angle to keep the audience members engaged throughout the course of the text. Nevertheless, as my protagonist is female it is most likely that I will use a "female gaze" to help show this particular camera shot/ angle.
Another feature that I feel will help embody the issue of my short film is voiceover. Due to the fact that I am using an issue that is common in society, it means that the person giving the voiceover will be directing the issue at multiple people. Through using a female voiceover it will also reinforce the connotations of certain conventions that have been created in Film Noir extracts which is that of "Power Women" (i.e. women are dominant in comparison to men who appear to have less power).
Nevertheless, I also want to create a happy ending within my narrative as I feel that the underlying issue is already quite dark and troubling. Therefore, giving me an opportunity to really develop the narrative to create a much happier ending to a dark storyline.
Lastly, I will try to incorporate some element of black and white within my short film as I feel that it complements well with the dark storyline in which I am creating. However, I will not use this throughout the whole of the text as I want to show the development of time and thus happiness for the predominant character.
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