Feedback

Study a further 2 films in the dramatic genre (dark) bigshortfilms, virgin shorts etc.
Thought about the style and visuals of the film
The analysis of cinematograph and mise-en-scene need to be more detailed
Editing needs to be discussed
Location shots need to be anotated

Location Shots- Location 1

This shot, looking down the stairs is very good at creating a slightly uncomfortable feel. I will use shots like this and this location when I want to create tension or isolation. I may use these location, or locations like this, for the opening shot. To use this as the opening shot I would bring the camera up the stairs to make the audience feel like they are entering the film but also bring it up the stairs which would elevate toward the characters.

This shot is of the same stairs as the first but from the other side. I would use these stairs as the opening shot going toward the door, where the main character would be. This would rather be in one continuous shot, following through from the bottom of the stairs until it is in the room. Or be cross cutting between a memory or dream of the character. This cross cutting would be useful as it would introduce the characters into the film, but also create tension which can be broken by a birds eye shot looking down at the younger brother, he would then weak up, breaking the uncomfortable tension that is created by the cross cutting between the dream and reality.

I will use this area and shot during the opening shot to move into the room. I may also use this area as it is very bland and colourless. It is also very normal and what you expect someone to live in, making the narrative seem more real. 

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This I will use as the area where the girl has to confront the boy, as it is very enclosed and has a dark corner. I an then move objects out of the way, allowing more room. However I want to use a corner or enclosed space for the final confrontation as it will make the character feel more trapped and then make the audience feel more for him.

I will use shots like this when the younger brother is still looking for his older brother, these will e quick cuts in one sequence, while I would put eerie music over the top to create an unconmfortable tension for the audience. I will also do this to make the charctrer feel more paniced.

Costume

After watching the short film 'Daddy', the man is wearing plain cloths, grey t-shirt, which matches the plain colour of the room. The daughter in the film is wearing bright colours to contrast the room.
I will use thos contrast of costume but having the alive, younger brother wearing simple grey pyjamas, but have the older, dead brother wearing darker colours, like black trpuises and shirt.
The younger brothers girlfriend will wear a brightly coloured coat, but a darker dress. This will connote the 'light and colour' in the younger brothers distressed life. However once she's insite the narrative will revery back to the dark and sinister.

Feedback

I should use a sound motif for the dead brother; this will signify to the audience that the dead brother is near. The motif should start of subltle, however as the tension increases the subtlety of the sound decreases. The final point for the film is to use several anti-climatic endings that will lure the audience into a false sense of security making the actual climax more powerful.

Actor

Here's a shot of the actor for the younger brothers, who is still alive but imagining his dead brother.

Questionaire (empty)

Questionnaire

Name__________________

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Which genres of film do you enjoy?

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What attracts you to these types of films?

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What themes play through these types of films?

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Do you watch and enjoy short films?

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If not would be interested in watching any short films?

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What genre of short film would you watch?

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How do you view these films?

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Cinema Internet TV         Other

If other please specify

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Film ideas

Age Certificate Rating for film Audience

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) set the age ratings for films in Britian. These age ratings are used as guidlines for the films so parents and viewers of films can decide whether the film is ok to view. They also put out small pieces of information about why the film has the rating it does so the decision is easier.

 

U (Universal)

Films which have a Universal rating are suitable for everyone of any age. It is advised and known that only children aged over three to watch these films as it can be difficult to gauge a child's response to something they see. There is little to no violence or threat, and if there is it is handled correctly. Most

of these films are animated and aimed at children.

PG (parental guidance)
PG films are for general viewing. Children of any age can watch PG films without an adults accompaniment, but parental guidance is advised if the child is sensitive. PG is normally aimed at eight years of age or older. These films are designed to portray morality for children.

12
No one under the age of 12 can watch, rent or buy a 12 rated film. These contain elements of danger and violence, these may upset children under the age of 12.

12A
This is gin when the film is only appropriate aged 12 years and older. 12A applies for films in the cinema and no one under the age of twelve can watch these films without being accompanied by an adult.

15
An 15 age rated film means that only people 15 and over can see it at the cinema. No one under the age of 15 may rent or but a 15 rated film. There are usually elements and aspects of violence and danger, and often sexual undertones, although it is not normally graphic. There may also be aspects of drug use and mental instability. To be a 15 it would have to be show the consequence.

18
No one younger than 18 can see an 18 rad film, they also can't rent or buy and 18 rated film. These are considered to be very graphic: only mature audiences may watch these films.


From the mental instability that is shown in our short film is would make it a 165 because it somewhat shows the ending and consequence of these behaviours. Although it will not be to explicit and be more subtle, balancing it back to a 15.

Sound experiments

The two separate audio experiments that go as the soundtrack. I prefer the shorter track as the longer experiment has too much to hear and overpowers the emotion I want in the film. 

The shorter track that I prefer is in D minor pentatonic scale, which makes it more chilling. However the track gets higher, which is regularly used as a tension building tool, I do not want this so I am going to develop the track so it goes down because that adds more of an emotional effect that I want. 

Because it is an emotional drama then I will also look into using other instruments like strings as they connote both sorrow and can create the desired emotional affect 

Further Development of Idea

 PLOT: a younger brother is mourning his dead brother. He sees his sibling leaving the room while talking on the phone to his friend (the events before his dath), then calls his girlfriend to talk and asks her to stay the night. During said night he hears the front door opening, sits up, says his brothers name. He searches the house for his brother, disbelieving in his death. He hears the front door closing, and runs out to the front of his house. The girlfriend is then forced to run out to follow him,  confronting him about his denial and has to get him to accept what has happened. The film ends with the couple on the floor, with the brother hysterical

Short FIlm Analysis. Daddy

Daddy

Title
The title 'Daddy' looks ghostly as it disappears  and has a slight transparency so we can see partially though it. This ghostly effect on the word gives a chilling feeling and also sets up the theme for the film as a whole. I am going to use this title by using a similar effect that will allow the words to go in and out of being completely opaque and transparent. This will start the film on a spectral essence.
The font is basic and uncomplicated, making it easy to read, sans-serif.
The opening shot shows a blank corridor, the white walls similar to that of a mental institution, planting the idea of insanity in the audience, which is later shown in the main character. However in my film the main character is not insane, he is suffering from depressed caused by loss meaning I will have to find a way to show depression and not insanity.

Mise-en-scne
The inside of the bedroom is also very bare and has  a simple double bed. The bed however only looks slightly used and the man sleeps in a very unnatural position, this  including hi facial make-up (bags under the eyes) gives feeling of unrest. I will use this make-up style to make the main character seem uneasy and ill.
The girl first enters the film; she looks very typical to what we expect a little girl to look like; pigtails and a bow in her hair. This costume is very old fashioned in its style, which initialy implies that the character is very old fashioned and almost ghostlike. This ghostlike feel of the costume, old fashioned pig tails and dress, makes the audience feel very uncomfortable with the character, instantly causing a distrust and distance between the characters. This feeling is enhanced when we see the fear in the mans eyes, the man being a character we feel we can trust. We feel this because of the bland colourless in his skin and cloths, which implies that he is frustrated and distressed. All of these things make the audience feel empathy for the man. This empathy for him makes the audience agree with his fear of the girl.
'Daddy' is single room as a setting for the vast majority of the short film, apart from the opening shot. Ths is because it makes the film feel very enclosed and that the man himself is almost stuck in that room. This isolation is shown in his distressed look and aesthetics, it is also shown because he is lying on the bed by himself. This is similar to mine because I am going to use a single location; but using many different rooms because of the narrative being explosive and emotional it would not work in one single room.
The lighting for the whole film is very dark with a strong contrast between black and white with the other colours being slightly subdued.  This allows for very strong shadows to be cast which then brings the tone down of the film and makes it more tense. I will use this lighting technique as it gives a good effect and creates a strong atmosphere. Although  I will place the shadows carefully to create a more emotional atmosphere than it being tense.

Cinematography
The cinematography varies throughout the film.
The opening shot consists of a moving shot going through a clear corridor t. This sets up the rest of the film , but also allows the viewer to feel as if they are entering the film. I will use this technique to start my film because it gives a good effect, but also that I can cross-cut between the camera moving toward the main room, then cut to a close up birds eye shot of the main characters face on the bed. I will do this because the
film uses this finishing on a closeup of the mans face breaks tension and creates a small jump.
One of the major effects used in the cinematography 'Daddy' is the use of close up shots of the characters faces. This is seen in the opening shots of the characters. The first man is introduced useing a close-up that looks down on him sleeping, this shot initailly presents the man as frustrated and tierd because of his facial expressions, which we assume is caused by the girl saying 'Daddy'. The little girl is then introduced with a mid-shot of her at the end of the bed, this is because it introduces her as distant, but also makes her seem remarkably creepy. We then see a few extreme close-ups of the little girls hand as she tries to get the Dads attention, but more importantly we see an extreme-closeup of the mans mouth as he breathes in. This is used to build tension as people don't inhale like that without there being a problem. We also see slighlt shakes in his neck which could dennote fear. This extreme-closeup could also build tension to make the audience have more fear toward the little girl as the next shot we see of her is very close. This shot makes the girl seem very powerful and like she is getting uncomfortably close to the dad, the man that we trust and is showing signs of fear. All of these shots are to build tension, something I am going to have to do if I want my film to have an emotioal impact on my audience, as to be able to put someone in an emotional state they have to be hightened with tension.
The close-up shots are used throughout, when they are used it is normally to show the main characters facial expression. the first time we see the mans face is when we see a shot looking down at him from a birds eye view.
All of these shots allow the audience to see the mans face; which shows his exhaustion/terror. I will use this to show the characters emotional state.

Sound
The film opens with a single piano playing a tune using minor chords which immediately provokes a melancholy emotion.  It's tempo is slow which also reinforces the gloomy feeling, it fades to silence.  The dialogue of the young girl breaks this, by calling out "Dadd.  His heavy breathing is then the only sound the audience can hear, which brings attention to it .
As the sound of the breathing increases, so does the tension.  A tone creating suspense gets louder, as does the music that was heard at the beginning.  The volume increases until he sits up and takes a deep breath.  The music is now his ringtone of his wife, the helper of the story according to Propp's narrative theory.
This is what I want to do to get my audience to have the same emotive response that the audience gets from this film.  I also intend to be able to make the music blend in with the diegetic sound as it would make the sound more fluid. There are more tense sound effects as the jump scare is about to happen, but I do not think that I will use this as I Will make more of a drama than a (shock) horror film.

Edit
The opening shot of the film is very long in duration and moves through the corridor and into the room in a single shot. This slows down the film and makes it seem more relaxing. This will be something I want to avoid in my film as I want an emotional reaction for the younger brother so I will have to put the audience on edge straight away. This will then make the emotional reaction in my film more powerful compared to the reaction I would get if the audience are relaxed. I will do this by cross-cutting between the slow opening shot and a paniced dream. However I will tend this cross-cutting sequence by quickly cutting to a similar shot as used in 'daddy' when the camera is looking down at the man. This will instantly create and break tension.
The rest of the short film however uses wuick cuttings between the man and the little girl. For example after we hear the little girl say 'Daddy' it cuts to a mid shot of her. However it cuts during the silence, givng it a more organic feel that I want in my film. It continues to cut like this, between he man and the little girl, sometimes they use sound bridges where it cuts on someone saying something, however more of the cuts are done on silences as it makes it feel more organic and real.
The major cut from this fear building tension is the quick cut to the phone call, something that breaks the tension that has been build during the sequence. I want to use this kind of false scare, as it places the audience in a false sense of security, making the final effect a much more powerful one.

Initial Idea Development

PLOT: a younger brother is mourning his dead brother. He sees his sibling leaving the room, then calls his girlfriend to talk and asks her to stay the night. During said night he hears the front door opening, sits up, says his brothers name. He searches the house for his brother, disbelieving in his death. He hears the front door closing, and runs out to the front of his house. The girlfriend is then forced to run out to follow him,  confronting him about his denial and has to get him to accept what has happened. The film ends with the couple on the floor, with the brother hysterical. 

Genre

Action - these usually include high budget and adrenaline filled scenes, which are normally car chases, gunfights and big explosions. The plot to most action films is very straight forward and easy to follow as it is not the focus of the genre. The plot is normally typical stock characters (hero, villain, damsel in distress etc.) and a basic linear storyline, this is because, as said earlier the action is the focus. These are created entirely for escapism.

Adventure - similar to action in many ways e.g. Normally high budget and based around the action more than the narrative. But the adventure genre focuses more around an exotic and unknown world to the audience. This reinforces the escapism this genres allows.

Comedy - uses an exaggeration of the real world to create a humours response. This is normally achieved by taking a mundane type narrative and exaggerating the characters, actions ect. For example using an exaggerated form of the police character to make it funny. Again these films hold an escapism and still use simple, yet exaggerated story-lines.

Drama - a very serious genre heavily driven by somewhat complicated and involved narratives. They normally portray very realistic characters who are era relatable, the characters also adapt and change to the world around them. They are not normally focused on special effects because they are so narrative driven, with the emotional connection between the characters and the audience. They normally also focus on important aspects of modern life or even important historical matters.

Horror - are normally focused on people's phobias and fears to get a reaction out of the audience. This can span from simple body horror and gore to subtle psychological and emotional horror. They are often combined with supernatural and fantasy because it allows for the audience to connect with those fears and get a bigger reaction. The plot lines for horrors can range from complicated to simple.

Plan

Initial Idea
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Analysis of other film
X
Rough Cuts
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Shots of Actors
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Locations
X

The Brother: initial idea

PLOT: a younger brother is mourning his dead brother. He sees his sibling leaving the room, then calls his girlfriend to talk and asks her to stay the night. During said night he hears the front door opening sits up, says his brothers name. He searches the house for his brother, disbelieving in his death. Th girlfriend is then forced into confronting him about his denial and has to get him to accept what has happened. The film ends with them holding each other crying.