Evaluation- How did you use media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?

Evaluation question four

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Evaluation - How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?

Eval part 1 (2)

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Final Product- Short Film

This is my final short film. Throughout the filming and editing process my original idea has been developed in an attempt to make a fluid and effective piece. My plan for this production has been changed repeatedly due to problems with the location, equipment and the time I had with my actors. Even though this is the case I attempted to keep the content and message of my piece consistent. The short film was edited using Sony’s Vegas Pro programme in order to make the cuts and transitions effective and to produce a high quality final product.

Final Ancillary Task - Review

Above is the final design for my short film review. The design is based strongly upon the conventions of professional film review articles. The design on this poster was considered in order to make an effective as well as aesthetically pleasing design. The short film review exists in order to advertise the film and entice new members of the target audience to the production. Reviews also aid the debate and discussion of the product which helps the audience engage with the moral message fully. The colours and tone of the article are used in order to connect the three products together. This design was produced using a combination of Photoshop CS4 and Microsoft publisher. These programmes were used in order to make a professional, aesthetic and legible product.

Final Ancillary Task - Poster

This is the final design for my short film poster. Through the construction and research phase this design has been edited and then altered in order to try and make it the most effective method of advertising as well as an aesthetically pleasing design that the audience will react to. The design used on this poster was not one of my original ideas but was developed in order to symbolize the strong theme that runs throughout the films narrative. It was constructed using Photoshop CS4, in order to produce an accurate and professional piece. I am pleased with the final outcome of this design as in my personal opinion it represents important emotions from the piece such as danger, fear and love accurately.

Filming Day One

Before filming began it was important to survey the location that was my friend’s cellar. This allowed me to find the angles and features of the room that were not suitable representations of my narrative and would cause problems during filming; an example of this was the window. Another feature that was important was securing the rope and testing it to make sure that it was the safe. The same needed to be done for the person tied to the chair. All pieces of rope used quick release knots in the sections that had to be tied, so they would break under pressure. Knots were only tied in the necessary places. The rest of the rope was just tucked in or sat on so there was no tension in it and the actors could control it. The aim for the first day of filming was to achieve the majority of camera shots planned and to cover all of the dialogue. This was undertaken in order to have consistent light and positions of the camera and the actors. It also meant that it portrayed important pieces that needed to be reshot due to a variety of factors; such as background noise, not being framed correctly and faults in the delivery of lines.  In order to assist the actors of the piece, the lines were read aloud before and they had to read them, due to the time constraints when learning a script.

Short Film Script - Second Draft

Shot opens with a black/blank screen with narration from the villain (Lance) over the top

                                                                        (Prologue)

Lance: (Cold, emotionless) who decides humanities survival? Who plays the God in our lives?  I worship every breath, every tear, and drop of blood that beats within wasted souls. I decide who lives and dies. It’s(loud, angry) my (momentary pause) choice! I’ll make sure you welcome the silence and yet wish it never came.  

                                                                    (End of Prologue)

An abrupt flash of light bridges the two scenes. It’s a dark screen; a close upshot to the inside of a bag. The sounds of heavy breathing and frantic scrabbling are heard over the top.

Rhys: (Heavy breathing) what?
(Whispers) Kathy? Lucy?

Lucy: (Sobbing) you have two minutes to decide. Follow the human flaw and choose. Think carefully for one of them must die (Breath hitch) don’t dare to defy me; I designed every detail. You have two minutes to decide. Enjoy my game Mr Miller. Good luck! (Crying)

Rhys: Kathy? Lucy? Are you alright? Are you hurt?

Lucy: (Highly emotional) Oh god! I can’t (Sob)

Kathy:  (Sarcastic) Of course! Having the time of my life!

Rhys: (Angry, weary) Now is not the time Kathy! (Confident, assured, masking fear)  You’ll be fine. I promise! Both of you!

Lucy: (Whisper) Please, Help me!

Rhys: (Assured tone) Kathy, move gradually to the right.... Don’t put any tension on the chord

Lucy: (Screams as the noose pulls tighter around her neck)

Rhys: (Angry, confidence slipping) STOP, Just Stop! (Directed at Kathy) I’m sorry! I’m so sorry (whispers to them both)

 Kathy: (pause, before continuing quietly) Rhys, I’m nothing to you! Always a disappointment, always kept as the dark secret. It’s painless isn’t it; like choosing between heaven and hell.

Lucy: Please no! That’s not right (Whispers to self) (Pause)  

(Directed at Rhys) Promise me you’ll make sure Ben and Amy are cared for. Help them deal with this. Help them get over me (Voice steady, though still crying)

Rhys: (Serious tone) I’m meant to protect both of you. I can’t.... (Looks at both of them, eyes not focusing)
(Turns to Kathy) I always taught you it was wrong to make promises that you can’t keep

Kathy: (Voice calm) Promises are there to be broken. Mother taught me that.

Lucy: (realisation. Anger) What! No! Rhys you can’t do this. This isn’t what we agreed! This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.

Kathy: (Calmly, Confidently) don’t resent him. His biggest fault is he cares too deeply. He couldn’t live knowing he’d orphaned two children. He’s too generous for that.

Lucy: (Yells angrily) Shit!

Rhys: (sadly) I love you, Kath.

Kathy: (First time with emotion) I know.

(Dialogue stops. Reaction shots of Rhys and the decision he has had to make. Final shot a close up of Rhys’ eye as he blinks. Sound of the trap door opening on the black screen)

                                                                       (Epilogue)

Lance: (Simultaneously, Gleeful full of pleasure) and then everything stopped counting

Rhys: (Simultaneously, cold and emotionless) and then everything stopped counting

                                                                  (End of Epilogue)

 

Props Facts and List

Prop’s List:
- Rope
- Chair
- Wedding Ring
- Ear Piece

There are only a small number of props required within the production of this short film. This is largely because the tension is created by the dialogue, narrative and location as well as in the acting. It is also an important feature because of the minimal number of locations used. All the characters within the short film are immobile; Rhys tied to the chair, Lucy and Kathy by the nooses around their neck reinforcing the fact that they cannot interact with a large majority of objects. It represents to the audience that this is a location emotionally unconnected with any character due to the lack of personal content, connoting the danger the characters are in.

Due to the fact there are only minimal props within the piece means that each item needs to imply a crucial fact about the characters behaviour. The ear piece is a central point within the film. It is the only connection within the main structure of the film to Lance, the villain, who is holding them in the location. The ear piece while crucial for communication also represents the importance of technology and the modern era that the short film is based in. It also conveys the only piece of technology in the film, contrasting with the traditional roles and methods used, reflecting the danger and conflicting nature of Lance’s personality.

The wedding ring is a crucial statement about supporting the character and her background to Lucy. Lucy’s ring represents that she is married and has a family, supporting Rhys’ decision to save her. Lucy represents a traditional role and character, with simple and stereotypical roles. Despite the fact that her position and career represent her as serious and intelligent, when faced with danger, she portrays a variety of conventions of a damsel in distress. Her ring reinforces her partial dependence when compared to Kathy.

The rope and chair are the most important props within the short film. They are the construction of restraint and danger within the piece. These props symbolise the peril that the characters face. Being bound in the chair with rope is not only a physical restraint but is a symbolic restraint of Rhys’ mental choice. He has been forced into this decision and cannot choose otherwise. The rope that creates the noose upon the necks of Kathy and Lucy is literally a line between life and death. This metaphor is commonly understood for dying and this acts as a visual representation. Rope is also a dangerous object and conveys the inevitable passing of one of the characters.