Idea 1:
Narrative:
Unidentified character lurks in the church, protagonist shows curiosity traits suggesting he wants to investigate further (equilibrium), when the drive to find out the mysteries of the local church over comes him then he gains the courage to investigate the church, must be at daylight as this is when the creature prowls around. Numerous of inhumane actions occur, increased suspense is created through abnormal movements for example 2 trees shaking at same time, resulting in fear thoughts in protagonist. Further he indulges into the church he discovers more abnormal actions, increasing suspense.
There are two potential outcomes to this short film, firstly the protagonist gets caught by the creature, making him another victim, this would be a closed narrative
as a definitive outcome comes from the film. Secondly, an attempt to fix the issue is made by the protagonist resulting in the death or thought to be death of the creature, this results in a positive outcome that would ease the ideas of the viewers.
To summarise, the boy aged 17 gains worrying concerns over missing people in his town, he feels a notion that the source of this is at the church. He regularly visits the church to answer his queries, as his gain in confidence that he is certain the creature lurks within the church grounds he gains the courage to investigate. Resulting in his death/missing or death of the creature.
Genre:
The genre my short film with sit in is action-horror, this is a genre hybrid, both action and horror work together effectively this is because both have the aim to keep the viewer hooked and engaged on the narrative. As we know from the genre theory, genres are dominated by repetition but marked by difference, this applies to my film as I will be using pivotal elements from both genres but creating a conjoined film that is the unique element, resulting in gripped viewers. Key iconography that highlights this sub-genre will be a church, mysterious noises and actions, the unknown, darkness, great suspense and thrilling engagements between the binary oppositions of good vs evil.
Characters:
As explained in narrative in my short film there will be on
e protagonist, I believe this is the most effective as it firstly allows engagement between viewer and characters to be strong, resulting in more hooked viewers, who have more of an opinion and desire for the right outcome for their protagonist to occur. Secondly, it makes my short film single-stranded, meaning that it will follow only one storyline, this is required in a short film as it doesn’t have enough time to cover multiple of storylines.
Supporting cast will be the cameraman, most likely to be me, my role is to imply the right connotations via the shot types and angles I take, for example I will want to use a high-angle shot on the protagonist as it shows the viewers his inferior dominance over this creature. As the Kuleshov effect states, the meaning of a scene is determined by the way it is shot and put together, this means that the emotio
The protagonist will challenge stereotypical ideologies that are made by the modern day society, that a protagonist in an action film has to be male and hegemonic, meaning that they are seen as superior and very powerful with vast strength and muscles, however my male protagonist has a subordinate characteristics as he doesn’t fit the ideologies of a hegemonic male, he is curious, intelligent and can be seen as nerdy attitudes, this is shown is his extreme level of curiosity and desire to learn more. I believe this is effective for my protagonist to challenge society’s ideologies of a man having to be hegemonic as most of the public will be able to relate to my protagonist personality, resulting in further engagement in the film.
Order of events:
My short film will follow a linear structure this means that all events are represented in a chronological order, this is necessary in a short 3-5-minute film as if events are simple to follow then confusion will occur for the viewer, this can’t happen as then their desire to want to watch more will vanish.
I will follow the three-act structure, firstly the equilibrium this is where normality life occurs, shown in the protagonist visiting the church, as time goes on a point of destruction occurs as the main character creates a link between missing people in the town and suspicious noise he has heard in the church, he tries to repair the problem by investigating however a new equilibrium is created (stage three) by the protagonist outcome is either him going missing or the creature being taken down. I believe this effective to have in a short film as it is clear to follow and the change is easily identified by the viewer, meaning that they will understand the storyline and want to understand more.
Shot types:
I will use high-angle shots when the protagonist first investigates the church as it shows is inferiority to the creature, implying the viewer that he could be in danger as bigger, more dangerous creature is lurking near him.
Tracking shot will be used to show the abnormal movement of the creature due to camera moving fast from left to right (pan-right), this implies what the protagonist is facing is a creature as nothing humane would be able to move as fast as that.
Rack focus is where the changing of focus is done mid-shot I will use this because when the creature is doing numerous of chilling and suspicious actions like shaking the tree I will rapidly change focus from point of action to another, highlighting the creature’s actions.
The camera will be handheld, this is because it will create this notion for the viewer that they are there, that they are witnessing this from the protagonist’s point of view, this will add immense suspense to the scene, as the actions of the creature used to intimidate the character will seem to be directed towards the viewers.
The lighting will be ambient lighting as I will use only natural light from the setting this being a church at night will create fear in the viewers as they understand the connotations that come with this, death and a foreshadowing notion of something bad will happen, keeping them more hooked.
The protagonist will challenge stereotypical ideologies that are made by the modern day society, that a protagonist in an action film has to be male and hegemonic, meaning that they are seen as superior and very powerful with vast strength and muscles, however my male protagonist has a subordinate characteristics as he doesn’t fit the ideologies of a hegemonic male, he is curious, intelligent and can be seen as nerdy attitudes, this is shown is his extreme level of curiosity and desire to learn more. I believe this is effective for my protagonist to challenge society’s ideologies of a man having to be hegemonic as most of the public will be able to relate to my protagonist personality, resulting in further engagement in the film.
Transitions:
Transitions are the post-productions editing of a scene to make them into a film, conjoining of more than one scene. The way they lead into the next scene is pivotal in what emotions the film is trying to get across, for example a fast cut will add suspense to the film as an increase in tension will be made as the viewer will imply something with action might occur.
I will use numerous of jump cuts, this is where unwanted parts of a scene are cut out meaning that the viewer will only get the most gripping scenes.
I will use numerous of simple cuts in my short film as they easily 
change the setting or actions of the film, having lots of these will add to the suspense as it will create a fast pace, synergising with the suspense that the viewers have.
I will use a fade in/out as it is an effective way to open and close a film as when opening it is can lead to an establishing shot that will set the scene for the viewers so instantly they understand the setting of this film. Furthermore, when concluding a film, a fade out is effective as it adds clarity to the viewer that the film has ended, and it can also represent death or the loss of something in my films case the protagonist or creature.
Style:
A film genre can easily be recognised by the iconography, dialogue, sound and editing of the scenes. Firstly, the iconography I will use will be the church graves, this suggest death and a sinister tone and this fits into my genre (horror) purpose. Another example is the church, key connotations that society has of a church at night is death and a creepy tone, due to it not being a place many visit at night.
An example of sound that represents the action-horror genre will be the rustling of trees, squawk of crows, the connotations that the consumer makes of this with the night setting as well will be fear and an increased notion of tension due to the inference that something bad will happen.
Edits can be used to suggest a film genre, due to mine fitting in the action-horror genre a fast pace edits can suggest the genre; therefore, I am using a lot of cuts as these put together rapidly will create this increase in pace, resulting in a foreshadowing atmosphere. A equilibrium the pace will be slower as no increase in tension is required however when the protagonist investigates the church the pace will increase the engage the viewer.
Content:
The textual analysis of my film dialogue is that little will be spoken this is because the thought of the unknown is the greatest way to keep the viewer hooked on watching more, it will add suspense as a response is not given to their answers. I will use one-line dialogue every now and again this is because it will keep the viewers on the edge of their seat as they can imagine themselves in the same situation. Often the moments of silence have the greatest meaning, I will follow this idea as I believe it is the best way to engage by viewers.
Brief interpretation:
The overall summary of my short film is that a 17-year-old boy has an ever-growing sense of curiosity on resolving the mysterious deaths of people in his town, when he gets a suspicion on the church being the source of the problem then he makes it his intention to save his town.
Plot points:
In my short film the enticing moment of the film is when the protagonist gains the courage to investigate the church, the hope is to save his town from the unexplainable missing reports of people in the town. Furthermore, a point of destruction occurs causing the death or missing if the protagonist leaving the audience hooked.
Target audience:
I am aiming this short film at a wide range of people, varying from ages 16+, however I believe teenagers will find this more appealing since they can relate to the protagonist being a similar age, thus allowing them to make opinions on what they would have done if in the protagonist’s position. As we know from the Usage and Gratifications theory, teenagers like to have social talking pints on a film, due to viewers being able to debate their decisions and what the character should have done this will create a strong notion of engagement within film and viewers, essential in all films.
Costume/props:
In my short film I will mainly use natural props for example in the church there is gravestones, I will use these and ad no effect onto them as it will show the scenario and connote to the viewer the genre of the short film. Props will be minimalistic as it will highlight a foreshadowing feeling, as the notion of the unknown will be imminent in the viewers, this is commonly used in horror films as it increases suspense and keeps the audience hooked.
The costume I will use on the protagonist will be simple and a casual look this is essential as it further reinforces my ideologies of making the viewer feel like they are there, therefore by wearing casual clothes like a plain t-shirt and jeans the viewers will believe they can relate to the protagonist.
Research into genre:
As it is commonly known the ideologies we get when hearing horror film consist of frequent jump and scares, ever-increasing sense of anticipation. An example of this is in IT the use of a clown as the protagonist connotes fear as clowns are a common fear within people, therefore the director of IT, Andy Muschietti, deliberately does this as it opens up connotations that the viewers have of clowns even before watching the film, this is an extremely useful say to show the success of a film as before anyone watched IT we all got ideologies that it was going to be sinister and malicious.
In addition, in the pre-production stage the editors of horror films always look for ways they can interpret a notion desired by the director, for example if great action is occurring the conjoining of scenes will be more rapid, as the Kuleshov effect states, the meaning of a scenario can be adapted depending of the order of shots.
My filmic influences are that is have always had a passion for horror films as I believe that they have great levels of engagement with the viewers as anticipation is created throughout, a notion that I believe I can exploit well in my own short film. I also appreciate the techniques that the pre-production team have to do that are unrecognisable by the normal public viewing, like I explained above. I look forward to trying to engrave these techniques into my film.
Treatment:
To summarise my film is situated within the horror and with a sub-genre of action, this is shown throughout the film with connotations of theese genres, like a gripping narratvie that keeps the audience hooked. As the eagerness of this young sixteen year grows with every missing child in his neighbourhood he gains this internal determination to save his town from a mysterious criminal that lays within the church.
On the night of the investigation the boy see’s another poster of a missing child this antagonisises him resulting in him to enter the church. Suspicious and malicious noises start to occur as he engulfs himslef further into the unkowns lair, tension arises on the face of the protagonist, James. This mirrors onto the viewers a they will share the same relatable emotions that he is currently experiencing.
After searching the perimiter he comes to a conclusion that the noises source is located in the opaque back of the church grounds, walking in darkness the noises grow louder with every pulsating footstep as it echoes under the ground, it is like the noises are the lost members of society that are trying to stop the protagonist from entering the the creatures base.
James goes and searches around the back of the church and on camera he disapears, this leaves the viewers with a closed structure, allowing them to debate the outcome with peers, this is known to be effective by the Usage and Gratifications theory that my TA will want a notion of uncertanty to keep them on suspence. This leaves the outcome of the boy unknown.
Idea 2:
Narrative:
A teenage boy suffering metal health problem like anxiety, depression and lack-off self-esteem, tackles the hidden issues that aren’t open to society, for example the effect it has on a person’s attitude to school, family and friends. Stereotypically males find it harder to speak up and state emotions from within on how they feel, my short film will highlight
the imminent problems with this and how a change in response can aid in the recovery of mental health. Firstly, the equilibrium will be showing how this depressed teenager gets on from day to day, highlighting the pending response that happen from mental health. The protagonist will address his issues and try to fix them (second phase of the three-act structure) this will result in a increase in happiness and outcome a positive result, this will also highlight the way people similarly going through this can understand how to cure their anxieties and depression.
Characters:
My short film will have 1 main protagonist, this will be a teenage boy, I have used this type of person as they will easy to relate to due to my target audience being this general age. My character will be a marginalised male this is where they don’t fit the stereotypical personalities of a male, for example aren’t visually powerful and muscular or shows sign of extreme confidence and superiority. I believe having a protagonist like this will enable to viewers to engage to the character, the sharing of emotions will occur resulting the consumers having a need and desire to want to understand the outcome to this.
Shot types:
I will use a high-angle shot a lot during the production of this film, this is because it has the connotations that the object in focus has an inferior notion to it, thus implying that the protagonists is being controlled or dominated by an external source; depressions and anxiety. Furthermore, I will use shot-reverse-shot, as this will personify the feelings from within, making them to be portrayed as a evil hegemonic character instead of the emotions trapped inside the protagonist, I believe this will be effective as it will further allow the characters to engage with the film as they will want to see the destruction of this malicious thing.
Genre:
This short film follows connotations of a documentary, for example it informs the viewer on metal health implications and the potential outcome if help is taken correctly, however it still follows the guidelines of a short film as it is gripping and enticing. I believe this is a good genre to situate the my film in as it doesn’t get commonly addressed in society so by doing so I will gain mass audience viewings.
Transitions:
As we know from the Kuleshov’s effect, the meaning of a scene can be determined by the order and the way the scenes are cut and instituted together. In the pre-productions phase of making my film I will use a fade in/out to open/close the film, this is effective and commonly used in the film industry as it clearly indicates the opening and closing of a film, giving a sense on conclusion and introduction within the viewer. In these micro-element spectrum, the sound I will use will be highly natural dialogue from the protagonist, making the viewer feel like they are in the situations with them, furthermore the anxieties he has will be portraying the ideologies through darker more sinister tone of voice connoting a malevolent emotion within the protagonist.
Plot points:
My film will follow a non-linear structure due to the protagonist having flash backs, therefore events aren’t all in chronological order. I have confidence in this can be effective due to the constant unanswered questions given to the viewer always leaving them in upmost anticipation keeping the gripped to the film. The main points will be equilibrium where the flash-backs are vicious and daunting, then a point of fixing the issue by seeing a doctor or mentally rehearsing themselves to defeat the anxieties and finally the new equilibrium where normality occurs, and the protagonist is without any negativity.
Content:
There will be dialogue spoken throughout, and non-diegetic sound, this is where the sound is adding during the pre-production, this is effective as it will add great levels of tension and suspense, essential in all films.
Style:
A way film genre can be represented is through iconography, this is the mis-cen-scene that represents he genre, within my film genre you would expect to see a hidden under-tone informative messages, in my film it will be promoting the actions needed to address mental health issues.
In addition, edits can be used to suggest a mood and film genre. I will use slower paced edits as it will infer to the viewer the serious matter of which is being addressed.
Brief interpretation:
To summarise my film as about a teenage boy’s lifestyle having suffered traumatic flashbacks, anxiety and depression, it shows his rise in confidence and change of personality to the usual excited boy. It will highlight the ways mental health can be addressed and the effect it has on surrounding people of the protagonist.
TA:
The age group this is aimed at will be varied but predominately I will aim my film at people going through the same thing as my protagonist, I believe this is essential as it will promote the notion of speaking up about your struggles rather than keep them inside like most people currently do. I can portray this idea through not using techniques that you would do if a film was aimed at a specific TA for example if it was for teenagers I would have to implement a constant notion of tension.
Costume/props:
The costumes I will use will suggest that the protagonist is suffering a hard time, I will use worn clothes that imply the in superiority the protagonist has on the emotions within, that are controlling her are making her suffer. Props used will be very sinister due to the sense that I have to get across the point of my protagonist suffering, I will use objects like knifes to infer to the viewers that the protagonist is suffering, this is essential to get across the emotions of the protagonist as it creates a relationship between viewer and protagonist that is essential in a film like mine.
Research into genre:
My genre hasn’t been addressed in recent times, therefore I will make my own conventions on this new genre, I will use sympathetic non-diegetic sound to show emotions that the protagonist is feeling for example when a scene of grief is made I will have faster aced music as it will show the panicking thoughts going on in the mind.
My filmic influences is my desire to address a issue that is becoming extremely common in everyone’s life, many people struggle to talk about there current mental situation so I want to publicise that is completely fine and natural to talk about yourself, seek for help and become mentally healthier. I aim for my film to address the journey a man is going through in hope it will make others react the same way.
Treatment:
Firstly, this short film situates within a very unique genre that hasnt been addressed, this is the mental health genre. My film has one protagonist, a young boy aged 16, this is becasue a lot of people will be able to relate to him in differnt ways, by age or personality; this is nesecary to have in a film as it will engage the reader as they will want the best to happen to the boy, thus making them want to watch more.
The first scenes of this film will be setting the scene and stating the equilibrium that the protaognist is in, it will show him in a quiet deprived room all englufed in the corner of the room, showing his insuperiority and anxieties, secondly his bullying situation will be shown. I am showing this as is will make the viewers further gain a relationship between protsgonist and viewer.
After his situation is shown to the viewers my film shows the protagonist seeking help, this is important in two main ways, firstly it highlights to society that the best way to solve mental health issues is to talk about it with someone else and secondly it creates a reconstruction of a broken equilibrum.
After conuslting with someone the protagonist’s life becomes vastly better, resolving his anxieties and becoming more socially active, gaining friends and bullying has stopped, completely oppostie to the initial equilibrium, by showing this development of the protaognist it will end the film on a closed structure to give the viewers as sense of conclusion.
tation of the action genre, is the use of frequent violence, in Infinity War there is a repetitive elements and scenes of violence of the build up of tension to create a constant notion of anticpation within the audience, this feeling is vital in the genre, action, this is because the a main U and G for the action genre i sfor the audience need to be entertianed, without and gripping, tense storyline then this is not achieved, but Infinity War succesfully does this, thus why its a succesfull film.
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oked as the fear of there hero’s not winning or potentially dying is imminent.
ly, a contrasting example of how narrative is vital in showing the true meaning of a story, in this image you are seeing Thor being violated by Thanos, the way his facial expressions shows us his pure fear and pain reflect onto our connotations of Thanos, a evil killer. Making the audience want to watch further to see Thor get his revenge.
ocial classification is represented in a media text, in this scene the black family is portrayed as a ‘dangerous’ race, this is wrong as its illustrating a society grouping is as violent, we know this because all members of this race carry heavily armed swords and weapons. In my Marvel doing this ethically wrong as they are identifying a group of people as violent, when in reality they aren’t, the constant repetition of this in many films can end up creating bad stereotypes in modern day society. However, Marvel were the first action film to have a black actor and character as the protagonist, Black Panther, this is breaking the Tokenism theory of where characters often have reduced roles in comparison to characters who fit society’s dominant grouping, so by Marvel doing this it allows more opportunities for black actors to become a successful actor.
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