Location

here are some pictures of the locations for my scenes

Mise en Scene - Costume

In preparation of filming, I have been discussing how the characters will be dressed.

The Protagonist will be dressed smart and sensibly, as he is on the way to an exam. The Antagonists will be wearing matching neck scarves with their hoods up to hide their faces

Here is what they looked like on camera:

Storyboard

here is my storyboard, w hich has been through numerous revisions. I intend to follow this as closely as possible on the day of filming, but there may be more shots added on the day.

I have found some locations and pictures will be posted ina a seperate post

4665_001

http://www.scribd.com/full/48944477?access_key=key-bzlolhlsukor57jy68g

Casting Actors

Today I cast roles to the people acting in my project, and here they are:

Jonny Watson - Protagonist
Tim McConnell - Gang Leader
Tom Pobol, Rob Allen- Gang Members


For the purpose of verisimilitude they will all keep their real first names

The out of shot roles will be played by whoever is best at the time or me.

This is very much like Social Realism, as these are not major Hollywood actors, they are local actors.

Binary Opposition in Media

Binary Opposition is a pair of concepts that juxtapose each other, normally with a dominant ideology.

[PICTURE]

My Synopsis

This is the plot summary for my short film:

" "X" is a boy who dreams of studying ancient history at Oxford. His Father left him and his Mother is nowhere to be seen. The stress is getting to him but he is determined and juggles College work and a Job. The only thing deterring him from reaching his goal is the local gang"

My film will make use of the local area to save on money as well as add to the realism

Analysis: Sweet Sixteen

Sweet Sixteen is a social realist film by Ken Loach released in 2002. Here is the trailer



The trailer starts off happy, with some melancholy music sung by a female singer, and the characters laughing and talking about how good its going to be

Then the name of the film pops up and a heavy bass note is dropped, instantly turning the trailer in a darker, more sinister direction. It shows the protagonist in a dismal situation of drugs and crime

Then the trailer returns to the original song, with Liam telling his Mother about their new home, leaving the question of "How does he secure a nice future?" "Does he secure a good future?" and "What happens a long the way?"

My Target Audience

There is a niche market for short films. This is because they appeal to less people than a Hollywood blockbuster does. People interested in short films are generally interested in the flm industry (are a student, or work in the industry) and/or art house cinema. This means that short films are not normally shown conventially, and do not appear in cinemas, but instead appear at places such as film festivals or on the internet. My target audience ranges from students (16) to adults.

Research: Social Realism

Social Realist films are what British cinema is known for. Here the gritty social life of Britain is depicted from a working class point of view. These films deliver a powerful story depicting social and racial injustice and economic hardship, the like of which had not been seen before the 1960's, where the only films shown were from the Hollywood studios.

Notable directors include: Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, and more recently Shane Meadows

Ken Loach

Ken Loach employs a variety of techniques in his films, in order to keep up the verisimilitude. This includes shooting the scenes in a linear order, and hiring local unknown actors who may have experience the problems they face in the film first hand.

Character Theories

Propp's Character Theory

Vladmir Propp worked out that whatever differences the story may have on the surface, it was possible to group characters and actions into the same 8 character roles and 31 functions.

These 8 character roles are:

1. The Villain

2. The Hero - or character that seeks something

3. The Donor - provides an object with some magical property

4. The Helper - who aids the Hero

5. The Princess - object of the villains schemes, reward for the Hero

6. The Princess' Father - rewards the hero

7. The Dispatcher - starts the hero on his mission

8. The False Hero

The 31 functions are;

"After the initial situation is depicted, the tale takes the following sequence of 31 functions:
ABSENTATION: A member of a family leaves the security of the home environment. This may be the hero or some other member of the family that the hero will later need to rescue. This division of the cohesive family injects initial tension into the storyline. The hero may also be introduced here, often being shown as an ordinary person.
INTERDICTION: An interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'don't do this'). The hero is warned against some action (given an 'interdiction').
VIOLATION of INTERDICTION. The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale). This generally proves to be a bad move and the villain enters the story, although not necessarily confronting the hero. Perhaps they are just a lurking presence or perhaps they attack the family whilst the hero is away.
RECONNAISSANCE: The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc.; or intended victim questions the villain). The villain (often in disguise) makes an active attempt at seeking information, for example searching for something valuable or trying to actively capture someone. They may speak with a member of the family who innocently divulges information. They may also seek to meet the hero, perhaps knowing already the hero is special in some way.
DELIVERY: The villain gains information about the victim. The villain's seeking now pays off and he or she now acquires some form of information, often about the hero or victim. Other information can be gained, for example about a map or treasure location.
TRICKERY: The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim). The villain now presses further, often using the information gained in seeking to deceive the hero or victim in some way, perhaps appearing in disguise. This may include capture of the victim, getting the hero to give the villain something or persuading them that the villain is actually a friend and thereby gaining collaboration.
COMPLICITY: Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy. The trickery of the villain now works and the hero or victim naively acts in a way that helps the villain. This may range from providing the villain with something (perhaps a map or magical weapon) to actively working against good people (perhaps the villain has persuaded the hero that these other people are actually bad).
VILLAINY or LACK: Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc., commits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc.). There are two options for this function, either or both of which may appear in the story. In the first option, the villain causes some kind of harm, for example carrying away a victim or the desired magical object (which must be then be retrieved). In the second option, a sense of lack is identified, for example in the hero's family or within a community, whereby something is identified as lost or something becomes desirable for some reason, for example a magical object that will save people in some way.
MEDIATION: Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc./ alternative is that victimized hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment). The hero now discovers the act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their family or community devastated or caught up in a state of anguish and woe.
BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION: Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action. The hero now decides to act in a way that will resolve the lack, for example finding a needed magical item, rescuing those who are captured or otherwise defeating the villain. This is a defining moment for the hero as this is the decision that sets the course of future actions and by which a previously ordinary person takes on the mantle of heroism.
DEPARTURE: Hero leaves home;
FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR: Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc., preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor);
HERO'S REACTION: Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against him);
RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT: Hero acquires use of a magical agent (directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by other characters);
GUIDANCE: Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;
STRUGGLE: Hero and villain join in direct combat;
BRANDING: Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);
VICTORY: Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);
LIQUIDATION: Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revived, captive freed);
RETURN: Hero returns;
PURSUIT: Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero);
RESCUE: Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognizingly, hero saved from attempt on his/her life);
UNRECOGNIZED ARRIVAL: Hero unrecognized, arrives home or in another country;
UNFOUNDED CLAIMS: False hero presents unfounded claims;
DIFFICULT TASK: Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks);
SOLUTION: Task is resolved;
RECOGNITION: Hero is recognized (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her);
EXPOSURE: False hero or villain is exposed;
TRANSFIGURATION: Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc.);
PUNISHMENT: Villain is punished;
WEDDING: Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted).

Occasionally, some of these functions are inverted, as when the hero receives something while still at home, the function of a donor occurring early. More often, a function is negated twice, so that it must be repeated three times in Western cultures." -Wikipedia

This character theory can be seen in films such as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, here is my analysis;

Applying Propp's character theory to Star Wars
1. The Hero - Luke Skywalker
2. The Villain - Darth Vader
3. The Donor - Obi Wan
4. The Helper - Obi Wan
5. The Princess - Leia
6. The Dispatcher - Obi Wan
7. The Father - Leia
8. The False Hero - Lando Calrissian

Applying Propp's Character theory to Lord of the Rings

1. The Hero - Frodo
2. The Villain - Sauron
3. The Donor - Bilbo
4. The Helper - Smeagle/Fellowship
5. The Princess - The Ring
6. The Dispatcher - Gandalf
7. The Father -
8. The False Hero - Gollum/Borimir

Applying Propp's Character theory to Macbeth

Narrative Theories

Making narratives, or stories, is one of the key ways meanings in the media are constructed. Factual and Fictional media are subject to this structural shaping

Todorov's Narrative Theory

Tzvetan Todorov Believed there were 5 parts to a narrative structure, and these were:

1. Equilibrium - Establishes what is normal for the chaacter to experience, introduces the audience to the characters and crates a believable sense of palce and time to set up the story

2. Disruption - Drama occurs as the Equilibrium is disrupted by an unknown/outside force, this has to be solved in order to reutrn back to the beginning Equilibrium

3. Disequilibrium - The proagonsits set to work to solve the enigma.

4. Resolution - Here the obstacles preventing Equilibrium are overcome, the disruption is solved and damage repared. Antagonist has been defeated, and no mroe enigma.

5. New Equilibrium - It does not stay the same way it was however, and during the course of fixing the disruption the characters have changed, and their location is different. A new state of normality has appeared but it will never be the same as it was in the beginning. Often this is for the better.


Barthé's Theory

Roland Barthes describes a text as

"a galaxy of signifiers, not a structure of signifieds; it has no beginning; it is reversible; we gain access to it by several entrances, none of which can be authoritatively declared to be the main one; the codes it mobilizes extend as far as the eye can read, they are indeterminable...the systems of meaning can take over this absolutely plural text, but their number is never closed, based as it is on the infinity of language..." (S/Z - 1974 translation)

By this he means there is a number of Narrative Codes followed by media:

1. Action code - will be read by means of accumulated details relating to our sterotyped, cultural knowledge.

2. Enigma code - works to set up small puzzles to be solved, to desirably delay the films ending

3. Symbols & Signs - Connotation

4. Simple description/reproduction - Denotation

5. Points of Cultural Reference - Myth


These conventions not only feature in films, but also new stories, where we are teased with enigmatic stories before an ad break. Within the stories, disruption to the status quo is often narratively blamed on one person or group, rather than whoever was equally provocative behind the story, thus complex historical and political meanings are removed from the narrative structure.

The Monomyth/The Hero's Journey

This structure is described by Joseph Campbell as having 17 stages (although a story may not include all 17), and that many classic myth narratives follow it, along with numerous adventure films. such examples are the stories of Osiris, Prometheus, Moses and Buddha.

here is a short summary from Wikipedia

"In a monomyth, the hero begins in the ordinary world, and receives a call to enter an unknown world of strange powers and events. The hero who accepts the call to enter this strange world must face tasks and trials, either alone or with assistance. In the most intense versions of the narrative, the hero must survive a severe challenge, often with help. If the hero survives, the hero may achieve a great gift or "boon." The hero must then decide whether to return to the ordinary world with this boon. If the hero does decide to return, he or she often faces challenges on the return journey. If the hero returns successfully, the boon or gift may be used to improve the world.

Campbell describes some 17 stages or steps along this journey. Very few myths contain all 17 stages — some myths contain many of the stages, while others contain only a few; some myths may have as a focus only one of the stages, while other myths may deal with the stages in a somewhat different order. These 17 stages may be organized in a number of ways, including division into three sections: Departure (sometimes called Separation), Initiation, and Return. "Departure" deals with the hero's adventure prior to the quest; "Initiation" deals with the hero's many adventures along the way; and "Return" deals with the hero's return home with knowledge and powers acquired on the journey."

more info on the 17 stages at Wikipedia

Film Genres

To start off I need to decide a genre to base my short film on, this is that I can start researching the codes and conventions of these genres, and decide on how I will conform or differ from these.

This will help make my short film more authentic

The first genre I will look at is Action

Action films are stereotypically manly films, based around acts of heroism, explosions, car chases and extended fight scenes.
Popular films of this genre are Terminator, Rambo, Die Hard and The Bourne Ultimatum. Notable actors include, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Steven Segal


Comedy

Here the film is based around humour, and apart from Black Comedies, generally have a happy ending. A range of techniques are used to do this, including silent comedy (Mr Bean), slapstick or spoofing (Scary Movie series). Popular comedy films are: Monty Python, The Hangover, Superbad and Carry On series.

Adventure

Adventure Films involve intricate story lines, and sub plots involving the characters. Generally these films take place in the unknown, wilderness, and other mysterious places. Here is a list of popular adventure film concepts from wikipedia

"Popular concepts
-An outlaw fighting for justice or battling a tyrant (e.g., Robin Hood, Zorro or Star Wars)
-Suspense and dangerous situations the characters must escape from.
-Pirates (e.g., Captain Blood or Pirates of the Caribbean)
-A journey or quest of some kind, such as searching for a lost city or for hidden treasure (e.g., King Solomon's Mines or Indiana Jones)
-The Campbellian hero-myth cycle, coming of age, discovery of one's destiny (e.g., Star Wars, Dune, Lord of the Rings).
-Allegorical themes as social commentary (e.g., Planet of the Apes or Star Trek)

Adventure films sometimes contain stock characters and stereotypes. In some cases this has been accused of going as far as implicit racism; claimed examples of this are Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, First Blood and James Bond "kicking third-world people around" in Dr. No."


Horror
Horror films take advantage of the audiences fears and dislikes to shock and scare them. Often Horror films are mixed with fantasy and sci-fi films. Horror films normally take advantage of societies current fears, by taking a story from the news and scaling it into a terrifying film, an example of this are the films "Psycho" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". Both of these landmarks are based upon the true story of Ed Gein. Here is some info from the internet;

"The character Norman Bates was inspired by Ed Gein, a Wisconsin man who was arrested in 1957 for committing two murders and digging up the corpses of countless other women who reminded him of his dead mother. He skinned the bodies to make lamp shades, socks and a "woman suit" in hopes of becoming a woman. He was found to be insane and spent the rest of his life in a mental institution.""


Social Realism

Throughout film history, British films have played an important role, and created a number of memorable films. During the 1960's with the high cost of making films in Hollywood, studios started filming in other countries, namely Britain. In Britain a new wave of film was being done, with directors creating powerful films dubbed “Social Realism”.

Social Realism has a gritty realistic working class view, depicting social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unpolished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic

Short Films

The definition of a Short Film changed between regions. North America defines a short film as anything between 20 and 40 minutes, focusing on the characters rather than visual drama and plot twists. This makes North American short films a platform for aspiring directors

Elsewhere short films are usually a lot shorter, with New Zealand defining one to be between 1 and 15 minutes. European films focus on visual drama and plot, with British Cinema being known for it's gritty social realist films, detailing the life of working class heros. This allows short films to be used as showcases for cinematographers and commercial directors

With New Media Technology short films are becoming more common, due to easy distributon across the internet. Sites such as Youtube.com encourage this with Film Festivals

Introduction

In this blog I will be putting up research for my A2 media course. This research will be about short films, but particularly those in the social realism genre, as this is what I have chose to be the style of my short film for the coursework. It will be periodically updated with research, analysis of short films/social realism and the process of making a short film.