Production Documents

Drama Treatment by Nat Clarke on Scribd

Pitch: 

8 Artist Contributor Letter of Agreement_ Release Form_1 by Nat Clarke on Scribd

Contact List by Nat Clarke on Scribd

Equipment List Template by Nat Clarke on Scribd

Ethics Form Film Based(2) by Nat Clarke on Scribd

Drama Behind the Scenes Stillds by Nat Clarke on Scribd

Drama Storyboard by Nat Clarke on Scribd

Shot Sheet by Nat Clarke on Scribd

Equipment List for Just Simle 1 by Nat Clarke on Scribd

Equipment List for Just Smile 2 by Nat Clarke on Scribd

Sound Log for Just Smile by Nat Clarke on Scribd

Sound Plan for Just Smile by Nat Clarke on Scribd

Location Research:

We have decided to use Sheffield city centre as the location for both of our films because we decided it would be best to convey our emotion with the character surrounded by the public when filming, to gain specific reactions to create an emotional connection with the viewers. We also think that specific locations such as the Peace Gardens bring a homely aspect of beauty to the film which will create a sense of reality. As well as this we also booked the Student Union HUBS Stage to shoot the stage scene. We believed that due to time constraints it would be best to book a part of the university because the facilities were what we needed and we didn't have a budget to spend.

Because we are using local high streets to film we didn't need to arrange for any cost in location hire, food or drink for the shoots due to living close. The actor was working with us voluntarily and therefore we didn't need to pay for his ability, and the university provided us with all the equipment we needed for the shoot resulting in £0 being spent.

Props:

I myself created the poster on photoshop to use as a prop in the film to help the audience understanding of what the film purpose is about. This not only sums up the theme of the film but it also gives it direction and therefore we believe it to be a vital part to the film.

Auditions:

Our director Hope had previously cast a student called Ben White to feature in a short film, and with his ambitious personality to be apart of student produced work we decided to contact him first before making our mind up about holding auditions. Due to the availability Ben had in correspondence with our team we decided after looking over his previous work he would be the right actor for the job. Therefore we believed we didn't necessarily need to hold auditions as we had proof that he was good at what he does, and he already has a formed working relationship with our director.


Subject and Theme Research:

The main source of inspiration for our short films were associated with the music video 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams. From this concept, the emotion was obvious from the title, and is expressed through dance which is something we want to incorporate. We believe it links well to film as an art form, as this song is a theme tune on the sound track to a children's animation film 'Despicable Me' thus meaning it is a strong example of how the emotion happy can e expressed through dance and body language.

Dance is becoming the predominant expressive art form to convey emotions, and movies incorporating dance are becoming more popular. However, dance is used for both happiness and sadness which is why we decided the concept is perfect for our 2 minute and 5 minute film. Although we wanted to include over expressive body language and dance, we don't have copyright currently to any music, and due to the brief, we cannot use sync dialogue, therefore we will produce a cityscape of sound as the soundtrack for our dance.

Another music video which is significant to our research is Pink 'Try' as it expresses the emotion of heartbreak and sadness through dance which reflects the contrasting emotion we will convey in our longer short film. From the music video it has become clear about the specific types of camera angles and editing techniques which are significant to the piece to create an emotional response for the viewers.

Individual Contribution:
As the producer I completed all of the production documents for the blog, however documentation was made by our director before shoots, as sources for reference i.e storyboard, shot list and audition information. Due to my availability for shoots becoming limited because of work commitments, I took it upon myself to ensure that all forms of pre-production were complete and to the extent the group are happy with to ensure my personal contribution was equal to the rest. 

Feature Film and Short Film Analysis

Feature Film

Zootropolis:

Zootropolis (2016) is a fast paced children's animation which follows the story of a bunny who becomes the first to graduate from the police academy, in a civilised world where humans play no part. One of the main themes which becomes present across the film is evolution, and how remarkable it is for the character Judy Hopps to by-pass the innate biology of her species to defy all possibility of becoming a successful bunny cop.

The children's animation however is extremely political, and incorporates many elements of American topics such as immigration, and the Donald Trump campaign. Although the politics within the film are somewhat too extreme for convention, the depth of the story line is more aimed at the adults taking them. The fast paced story which is quickly contradicted by the sloths, is one which grasps the attention of the audience and retains it throughout, whether this is through the witty humour or the more harder hitting topics, the animation is one which has been highly accredited for its incorporation of so many world issues whilst at the same opposes the reality of the food chain, whereby animals in the wild don't get along unlike in the film.

The theme of following your dreams which is portrayed in most of Disney's films is one which develops an emotional connection to the characters, and is an important trait of a children's film, whether animated or not. These types of messages are the ones in which the children will understand and be able to take from and relate to in their lives, which is why it is essential they are constructed in the right way. By presenting more adult topics with humour based jokes, the film gently exposes the target audience to the real world, whilst watching a virtual 'Zootopian City'. This subtle technique is very cleverly mastered and has been praised by not only film critics but also its custom of the audience.

This film conveys many emotions throughout, mainly positive, which is why for our 2 minute and 5 minute drama we have decided to result in a more upbeat emotion because we feel it can be appropriate and more understandable for a wider range of ages.


Short Film

Happiness - 'All Apologies'

The short Happiness 'All Apologies' is a beautifully executed film which concentrates on the raw emotion of happiness through the contradicted feelings of heartbreak and sadness. The film focuses upon an elderly woman who dances with her partner on the dance floor. Until the very end we as the audience aren't aware that the elderly lady who was dancing with her husband is in fact imagining the whole thing, and results at the end of the film is dancing alone on the dance floor.

As the film progresses, onlooking characters reach out to the lady in different ways, some whom are angry, some who are upset and some who look very disturbed and uncomfortable. Due to the audience seeing everything from the elderly lady's point of view, we as the viewer cant make reference to the out-paw of different emotions which create conflict throughout.What makes this piece so effective is the simplicity of the lighting, the setting and the song. Less is more in this case, and the film highlights evidently how to create such raw emotions from a simple context which in turn creates mixed reactions and leaves us with no answer to what actually happened to her or what we perceive to be her husband.

The long takes allows us as the audience to gain some form of understanding from the surroundings, but ultimately reflects confusion. These particular shots are extremely effective because they create a audience character relationship which we can empathise with so well at the end. The long takes create a sense of involvement because of the realistic approach taken within the cinematography, and the use of sound is extremely significant.

The dim lit room, which looks to be in a community hall portrays the emotions of sadness and heartbreak well. The contrast of emotions we are presented with throughout is something which is simple but extremely effective. The colour grading plays a huge part in the mood of the film, and allows the elderly ladies emotion of happiness shine through the darkness. Although an anamorphic lense was used to capture the "cinemtatic appeal" Adam Berg the director made sure that in post production the picture was even darker to ensure the tone of the film was obvious to the audience. He expressed in an interview that there was no shot list on set and that he just went with his 'gut feeling' as it was a last minute project which was shot after a day of filming a television advert.

Berg stated in an interview that the film was shot in one day, and on location the director cast the general public as actors due to the raw nature of their reaction to the concept of the film. He stated  "I wanted everyone to simply react to the situation as it unfolded. I felt is was important for them to just do it without knowing what to do next.” 

The use of dialogue is important to many films, but what makes this film so unique is that there is none throughout the entire film, yet we connect so deeply with the emotion on screen. The song which is used across the whole film is slow and distressing which contradicts the happiness the female displays on screen as she dances away almost under the moonlight of the spotlight.


The reason as to why this film is such a huge inspiration for ours is because of how the emotion of happiness is conveyed. The film is artistically portraying the emotion of happiness through such a heart wrenching moment in one woman's life. It could be analysed as how she has come to terms with the grief of his death, or she in fact could be imagining everything in her last few breaths before she joins him. Whatever the approach the filmmaker had towards the reasoning behind the dance in the first place is something else that adds to the simple and effective narrative.

Analysis of Text

'In the Blink of an Eye'

In the Blink of an Eye is a book from 1995 written by Walter Murch. The book explores the nature of filmmaking with regards to post production, and how the edit of a film can change the narrative dramatically. Murch believes that through the edit a film can either come to life, or make no logical sense, which therefore highlights the importance of ensuring that an edit is practical and works within the time scale set. He states that "The ideal cut is one which incorporates all six rules" and you cannot sacrifice emotion for story just like you cannot sacrifice story for rhythm and so on. 

Throughout the book Murch states his six rules of post production that he believes are essential in order to create the best film from the footage. Murch believes that there are many films with in the footage and it is the role of the editor to ensure that the best one is cut. The first of his six rules is emotion and how the primary source of a story comes from the emotional engagement the audience has with the characters. He believes that if the audience don't have understanding or any emotional involvement within any part of a character then it loses their interest. Murch divided his rules by percentage of importance, of which emotion is 51% significant in the edit. 

His second rule focuses on the progression of the story (23%), Murch states that the story must continue to make sense throughout, and if it loses its way, the audience will lose interest. The construction of how the story is cut is essential in order for the narrative to make sense so that it not only conveys the emotion but it also keeps the viewer engaged and interested in the rest of the film.  

His third rule is about how the rhythm (10%) is explored through the cutting. For example if the pace of the editing is slow in a chase scene, the narrative will have no suspense or sense of urgency which in turn loses the emotional engagement of the viewer, and doesn't excel to the nature of the story that it should. The rhythm of the edit will pull together the emotion and the story to ensure that it flows in a way that is best consumed for either a positive or negative audience response. Murch refers to the rhythm as the glue which helps enhance the emotion and narrative. 

Murch's fourth rule regarding post production is the eye trace (7%) which focuses on where on screen the director is wanting the audience to look. This could be linked with where on the screen a character is framed, how the colour grading can change the direction of the eye on screen, or simply how a prop is used to signify something to the audience regarding the narrative. This includes cutting to movement because it maintains the rhythm of the piece and keeps constant eye trace thus higher levels of engagement from the audience. 

The fifth rule Walter Murch believes has importance regarding editing is the two dimensional place on screen (5%). This rule ensures that continuity is maintained via the 180 degree axis which keeps track of the space the scene has with regards to its characters and the set design. 

His sixth rule regards the three dimensional space on screen (4%) which takes into consideration the imaginary camera line set at 180 degrees. This rule is usually one for cinematography but takes place in the edit also. It is important to ensure that the edit doesn't disorientate the viewer by using shots from both sides of the 180 degree line. Unless a disorientated audience is what the director is looking for, Murch believes this rule ensures the situation reflects normality for the viewers. An example of where this rule is manipulated on purpose to disorientate its viewers is 'The Shining' whereby the movement of the camera and the way the film is cut creates no architectural sense of the set due to the constant reverse-angle wide shots that are cut throughout. 

Through the progression of the project I propose to ensure that I incorporate all six rules across both the to minute and five minute film to create the most effective narrative possible with the shots i'm provided with.