Props In My Short Film

These are some of the key props that have been used in my short film to help show meaning.

 

 

 : Rent Money Letter

 

This is shown towards the beginning of the film where Sarah is still in her normal every day life. This is used to illustrate the harsh world she is living in of not always having a lot of or enough money. She is not always able to pay the rent and she is always getting pestered for it. But this is all about to change when she wins the lottery...

 

 : Lottery List

 

After winning the lottery, Sarah creates a 'Lottery List' which is a starting point for how she intends to spend her money. While she is on the phone to the first friend asking for money for her own rent, she ticks this off on her list. After doing this she intends on buying a new phone and booking a holiday. This is used as it is something she thought she would never have.

 : Letter from the Homeless Woman

 

After she has lived in a dream world about how she wants to spend her winnings, Sarah recieves a letter  from the homeless woman she met in the park. The letter thanks her for the money but then goes on to say why she should think about not going to too many extremes or spending money for the sake of it. Instead she should make sure she thinks about what she's doing and remember that there are others that aren't as lucky as she is. This is a key point in the film as it also gets the audience to think a bit too.

 

 

 : Lottery Ticket

 

This also plays a significant part in the film. It is the thing that is meant to change her life for the better, but instead it does the opposite. At the end of the film she screws it up as an indication that she no longer wants the flash lifestyle and that she would rather live her old lifestyle as she was happier in that time.

 

 : Money

 

This is the thing in the film that determines the kind of life that Sarah has. It is something that the audience can decide if it's a good or a bad thing and they can see what Sarah chooses to do with her money in the end. It creates a message for the audience as well as the main character.

 

I started getting my props together and filming my footage during the February half term on 22/2/13. This was one of the only days which my main character was available to film. I re-filmed other areas of my films a couple of weeks later in case there was anything else I wanted to add. On this day I filmed all of the footage at my house, which I tried to make look more like a flat. I filmed down my roads and the streets around my road. I did this as I wanted my film to be filmed in an every day setting and also because it was easier to film. My locations represent the every day life of my main character to show that she lives a fairly normal life.

Short Film Review - On Your Own

 

 

This short film starts off with the company logo and some non-diagetic sound to introduce the film. The sound represents how powerful the film is as there is an important message that they want people to recognise and listen to. It starts off with a voice over from the main character who introduces himself and what he is like. The title of the film then comes on and then we see some of the narrative as an example of what he is trying to say to the audience. When he is talking to his friends in the corridoor, the non-diagetic music seems quite threatening and suspicious. This acts as a warning that something bad might happen if he goes along with what they tell him to do. The extreme close ups of the man's face also act as warning signs as they are quite intimidating and threatening. Towards the end of the film, the voice over appears again, but this time, it is talking about how he will change the way he is and that he has learnt not to say "yes" all of the time.

 

I found this short film interesting because of how meaning was conveyed throughout. I liked how a voice over was used to create the narrative and how the exaples used helped to demonstrate this. I want my short film to be similar in the way that it helps to get meaning across, but not being too obvious about it. I think this short film is good in the way that it does this.

Short Film Poster Ideas

   


Most of the examples I've found for short film posters often use a simple design to represent their short film. Often with a plain background, a picture of the character within the film, and maybe some additional pictures to represent the film. They also have the date of which the film will be released and some of the actors/actresses names. The example above of the film Terminated uses lots of special effects to create an effective poster. The colours used in the poster refelect the mood of the film and this is something that I want to do in my own poster. Another thing that I have noticed about film posters, is that they often have enigma codes. In the example above of "Terminated", it brings up the question of, who is the main character? What is being terminated?

 For my short film poster, I will use Photoshop, and I want to have a divide down the middle to show the two different sides of Sarah's life. I wanted to design it so a lottery ticket was ripped in half to show the two sides of her life and also how she tears it up or gets rid of it at the end of the film.

     

 



Script

Scene 1: Sound of counting out money
Diagetic sound

Scene 2: Sound of her walking down the road
Diagetic sound of outside

Scene 3: Diagetic sound

Scene 4: Sad sound effects

Scene 5: Diagetic sound of outside

Scene 6: Diagetic sound

Scene 7: Diagetic sound

Scene 8: Fantasy world
Lots of various non-diagetic sounds

Scene 9: Diagetic sounds

Scene 10: Diagetic sound, phone rings

Scene 11: 2 way conversation
Sarah: Hello?
Friend1: Hey! Heard about your big win on Saturday!
Sarah: I know can you believe it?
Friend1: Yeah 1 million. You're so lucky! Erm listen, I've got a bit of a stiuation with the rent going on. I've had the rent collecter at the door again.
Sarah: Oh he hasn't has he?
*She ticks off pay rent on her list*
Friend1: Yeah, I don't suppose you could lend me a bit of cash could you, just until I get sorted out?
Sarah: But....
Friend1: I'll pay you back every penny I promise!

Scene 12: Out walking and sees tramp
Diagetic sound

Scene 13: Diagetic sound of phone ringing

Scene 14: 2 way conversation
Sarah: Hello?
Friend 2: Hi! Sarah?
Sarah: If you're going to ask for money just let me sort out something first
Friend 2: Well yeah, I only need £200. It's my dad's birthday and he wants a new TV, except, I don;t have enough.
Sarah: Wow! He doesn't want much does he!
Friend 2: Says you with your million.
Sarah: Err I won that you know.
Friend 2: Right, well anyway I'll pop over later and see you, bye!

Scene 15: 2 way conversation
Sarah: Hello?
Friend 1: I don't know who you think you are! Just cos you got lucky on the lottery it doesn't mean you're any better than the rest of us!
Sarah: I'm sorry?! What have people been saying?
Friend 1: That rent money, it was only a little bit, you could easily afford that. Remember when you were in trouble just last week?
Sarah: I'm sorry ok?
Friend 1: Look, all I'm saying is, just don't change who you are, just cos you didn't have a lot of money before, it doesn't make you a bad person. Don't let money change you, you're fine the way you are.

Scene 16: Non-diagetic sound

Scene 17: Bumps into friend
Friend 3: Hey! I was just wondering if I could borrow just £20, I need to pay my rent next week.
Sarah: You know what, you may as well just have all of it. I don't want this money anymore it's caused enough problems, I just don't need it.
Friend 3: Why? You can do anything with money, why would you give it up?
Sarah: Because, I don't need people like you hassling me all the time "Can I have this? Can I have that?" It does my head in!
Friend 3: Look, just calm down ok. Why don't you just keep the money, do something useful with it!
Sarah: You know what, that's a good idea! I'll go and use it on someone who will actually appreciate it!

Scene 18: Non-diagetic sound

Story Board

• The main character is counting out her money in her hand (£4-£5). This is a close up shot of her hand and is filmed outside so there may be some diagetic sounds.

• It then cuts to her putting money in her pocket and walking to the shop to buy a few things she needs. This is a mid shot and still possibly some diagetic sounds.

• It then fades into a shot of her walking back from the shop carrying a bag of shopping down the road to her house. The bag could split and her shopping falls out. This is done as a mid shot still with some diagetic sound.

• Scene then fades into her walking downstairs and into the hallway to pick up the post. She then opens it. This is a mid shot but then a mid close up, with some diagetic sound.

• The rent collecter knocks on the door. She doesn't have the money to give to him.

• She then looks through and reads the letter and she finds out she has lost her job. There is a close up of her letter and her face. There may be some sad, down beat music, The scene then fades out.

• In the next scene, it shows her walking into the shop again. This time she buys a lottery ticket. This is a mid shot of her walking in the shop. There is some diagetic sound and then it cuts to the next scene.
• She is walking out of the shop with the lottery ticket in her hand. This is a mid shot which pans when she is walking. There is diagetic sound and then cuts to the next scene.

• Next she is checking her numbers on her laptop. She finds out she has won a big amount of money. There is a close up of her face and the lottery ticket, with diagetic sound.

• She then celebrates the amount of money she's won. She gets up and jumps around the room screaming. There may be some upbeat music and then the scene fades out.

• It fades in to the fantasy world. There is a selcetion of various clips. These include her being proposed to, her living in a big house and her throwing her money up in the air and being happy. There are lots of various sounds including upbeat and happy music. There will be lots of special effects.

• Next, the "back to reality" scene, where she realises she's been dreaming. There is a close up of her face and then it zooms out to her holding the ticket. It then cuts to the next scene.

• She is sat on the sofa as her phone is ringing. She walks out the room to answer it. This is done as a mid shot of her, walks past the camera and out the door. There is non-diagetic sound of her phone ringing in the background.

• There is ow a 2 way conversation between her and her friend on the phone. It keeps cutting between her and her friend. She puts the phone down after she asks to borrow some money.

• When she is out walking she spots a tramp who has no food or money. She gives them £10 for some food. It is a mid shot of her down the street. We can't hear the conversation, we can just see her giving them the money. The tramp gives her something in return.

• It cuts to her walking down the road past the tramp, and then her phone rings. The camera is walking backwards as she is walking, There is diagetic sound of her walking and talking. It then cuts to the 2 way conversation.

• She has now stopped walking and is having a 2 way conversation with another friend who is asking her for money. This is a mid close up of her leaning against a wall. This conversation lasts a fairly long time. The conversation ends and the scene fades out then in to the next scene.

• She is sat at home and then her phone rings again, this time it's the 1st friend. She is complaining about how selfish she's been since she got the money. This is a mid shot before. It then cuts to a 2 way conversation, and then cuts to the next scene.

• There is a close up of a letter that has come in the post about helping out homeless people. There is a close up of her looking at the letter, and there is non-diagetic sound (sad music). The scene then fades out as she looks at the envelope with the money in.#

• She then is out walking to the shop and then bumps into another friend, who then asks for some money. She tells her she can have it all as she doesn't want it any more. This is a mid shot.The scene fades out as they walk past each other.

• When she gets back home she picks up the lottery ticket and tears it up. She then reaches out to some family photo's and a letter from the tramp. The camera pans down the letter. She then picks up her old bag and the letter and walks out.

• The last sequence is a selection of photo's of her helping out the tramp and other homeless people. The sequence could have some non-diagetic sound and then fades out at the end.

Film Review Research

 I have researched some general short film reviews to get an idea of how they are set out and what's included in them.
This is a review of the film Due Date.



This review includes an explanation of how the star ratings work, details about the cast and other people involved, the title of the film and certificate, information about other reviews and other films. Also an advert for a magazine subscription, a picture from the film, a short summary of the plot and the review itself. The review refers to the actors/characters, their opinion on what parts of the film they like and sometimes what they don't like. They do this by describing the characters and some of the action in the film, and they also compare it to other films they have seen. I have noticed that film reviews are often found on film websites, and that films that are reviewed are being recommended for an audience that are likely to watch it, or that they have watched similar films. Reviews are kept simple as they shouldn't give too much away about a film, as they need to keep the audience guessing throughout, so that they will actually go and watch it.

I want my short film review to be of a similar layout to this. There isn't too much writing but I would probably include more pictures to make it look more interesting.

Short Film Review Ideas

Film reviews will normally be found in lots of magazines, the genre of film reviews will depend on the type of magazine it is. They can be found on TV programmes, newspapers, or websites such as IMDB and on Youtube. My short film will be designed to go on a double page/page and a half of a magazine especially for short films. It will target the general audience who are interested in short films.

I want my short film review to include pictures used from my film to show the different camera shots and movements. I will use them as a story board to show the progression of my short film. I also want to include "ratings" from different people and a comment so that people can see what other people think of the film. I will need to outline the storyline as this is something that you would normally find on a review, but I wouldn't go into too much detail as it may put the readers off, so it only needs to be a short description. Another idea is including who I recommend to watch the film and who would enjoy watching it. I would do this by sating what the genre of the film is so it targets that particular audience.

I am going to look at some previous film and short film reviews to see if I can pick up any ideas for my own review.