Double Page Spread Analysis - Interstellar

For my first double page spread analysis I studied the review of ‘Interstellar’ found in the magazine empire.

The large drop cap top left of the first page is bold with a shadow making it look like it is coming out of the page (3D), also it is covered in stars like a galaxy effect which links to the overall theme of the film as it is about being out in space. There are two images placed on the double page spread yet the main one is a lot larger and through mise-en-scene reveals to the reader what the film is going to be based about before even reading. We can tell from the picture that the film is going to be about space, due to the fact that the two men in the picture are crouched down in a spaceship and the man on the right is wearing a space suit. There are many other details from the mise-en-scene of this picture that will help the reader figure out other areas of the storyline, for example, the man on the right is wearing a ring (showing he is married) and has his name and the United States of Americas flag on his suit, from all of the small details within the picture the reader can already feel a slight connection with the character as you already know so much about them.

Camera shots - Short film

Film Ideas

Due to my short film being based around two people in a coma that experience life from a different perspective, I have found some relevant research about people who have had an outer body experience when in a coma. This research will help me when writing my script and deciding on effective editing techniques to use in my film. My five minute short film is based around a girl who has been in a coma for over a year after a major car crash, she is a ghost to the normal world however she lives a life in an alternate universe, seeing and hearing everyone around her yet no one can see or hear her only until she meets a boy that is also in a coma. I decided to base my film around this as I find it fascinating reading about people who have had an outer body experience while in a coma and I wanted to make people aware of the possibilities of what happens when you enter a coma, and the possibility of having an alternate universe on earth. In 1983 a man named Ron Houben was in a car crash which led to him being trapped in a coma for 23 years. Doctors never imagined that his brain was able to function while in a coma so they believed that he was in a persistent vegetative state however they then realised that his consciousness may be extinct yet his brain was still functioning. Another man wrote an article about how he was locked in a coma after an operation went wrong, he explained how he heard medical staff discussing his case and listened to his wife talking to him but was unable to respond. I want my audience to try and understand something that they may never experience, lying in a hospital bed, trapped in a coma, apparently dead to what is happening around you yet you hear everything that is said about and to you, and you try ti communicate with your loved ones and the world outside yet you are stuck in whats like an alternate universe. The reason I have decided that no one can hear or see them is because I want to portray the idea that when you are in a coma you are voiceless. I found various quotes from people who have had an outer body experience during their time in a coma, I believe these quotes will help me when writing my script as they give me an insight into the feelings felt by actual people who have experienced it; "All that time I just dreamed for a better life"..."Frustration is too small a word to describe what I felt. I screamed, but there was nothing to hear"..."White and black worlds"..."Unseen nurse would tell me that she was going to take my blood pressure or give me an injection"..."I could feel the needle pricking my arm"..."Alien sensation"..."An ongoing nightmare that you can't awaken from".

Music ideas - Short film

Music ideas - Short film

Analysis of survey results

It is extremely helpful gaining the opinions of the public when planning my short film as it helps me to organise certain shots and how they will make the audience feel and help me to understand whether I could gain the favoured reaction from certain shots, having a second opinion helps me to revaluate certain decisions I make when planning my short film ensuring that I can make it the exact way I want it to be.

I found out what the public expect to see in a documentary film and what certain decisions I should make to gain the correct responses from my short film. When reading through the responses from my questionaire, most of the replies just backed my own ideas and thoughts up for example the use of close ups to help the audience understand the emotions of the characters on a personal level and using establishing and long shots for the understanding of the location in comparison to the feelings of the characters. However I did learn that if I am trying to make the audience sympathise with the main character then I can use high angle shots to make them look weak to emphasise their sadness, answers like these will help me when trying to make the audience feel a certain way about the characters.

I will use narration from the main character/protagonist as it is then more personal for the audience and I feel that it makes it less confusing for the viewer as it then easier to follow. Also due to my questionnaire results I will have the main protagonist speaking informally not to the point where I will be using slang, I will just stear away from using formal language as I don't want my audience to find it confusing, or for them to loose interest or focus. There were several different answers when it comes to what type of lighting i should use in my documentary drama short film however due to the fact that I want the audience to feel as though they can relate to as much as they are seeing and hearing and make them feel as though it could be them in the film I will be using natural lighting as I want the audience to feel comfortable when watching and I want it to seem as real as possible. I want my audience to feel as though they can relate to my short film as much as possible therefore I am going to locate my film in the city of Chelmsford (the streets) as when reading the replies to my survey people have said to base it in a location that my audience would have encountered so that they can relate making it more realistic making then feel true feelings of memories had in that location which will help them to connect to the story, also scenery shots will make it more interesting and beautiful to watch.

Camera workshop

In our lesson today we were shown how the cameras we will be using to shoot our film work, we also got used to using the tripods and learnt how to put them up and how we can use the tripods to achieve the desired shot.

When using the cameras we discussed certain camera angles that we could use during our short film/trailer and then how you can achieve those shots using the camera with the help of the tripod.

We discovered how the rule of thirds works first hand by placing my partner somewhere in the room and then positioning the camera to view the different shots which can be taken and how important the rule of thirds is to take into consideration. For example, by zooming into my partners face and having her face directly into the cameras lens in the centre third made me feel uncomfortable due to how personal the shot was, not only having an extreme close up but also by placing my partner in the centre third.

We then practised low angle and high angle tilt using the camera on the tripod, making sure we adjust the steadiness of the tilt my tightening/loosening the handles of the tripod to suit us when moving the camera in a scene where there is movement. After achieving low and high angle tilts we then accomplished shooting the various different angles that can be adopted when doing an over the shoulder shot to suit the mood of the scene and also what style we like the look of using an over the shoulder shot.

We then learnt how to transfer the film on the camera to the computer, and briefly how you edit the film on the editing software which we will be using. 

Survey Results

Documentary Drama - Short Film - Survey

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Analysis - Sundays

• The man who hates Sundays is wearing dull colours and doesn’t seem to waste his money on clothes or expensive luxuries compared to the elderly who love Sundays having expensive cars wear colourful elderly clothes and waste their time with afternoon tea.

• It begins with a long shot of the man who hates Sundays as he sits alone on a bench. This simple shot highlights how he is alone with his views about Sunday. There is no music playing in the background of the shot to highlight him as being strange for not liking Sundays however as an audience member the silence draws in the truth about Sunday, all it really is, is another day. The shot then cuts to a close up of the man as he says how he wishes he lived in one continuous week, the close up is a personal shot as we begin to understand how he resembles Sunday as being the end of the week.

• The scene then cuts to a master shot of fields in the countryside whilst the non digetic sound of church bells ringing fade into the background. During the church bells ringing, there is a close up of someone polishing their car and a longshot of elderly people having afternoon tea this highlights how set up and artificial we have made Sundays, it shows how unneeded all these aspects of life are yet we indulge in them.  It then cuts to a close up to two old men expressing their love for Sundays for two different reasons contrasting to the man who hates Sundays.

• A close up of someone trimming a bush causes for the scene to change as he cuts the bush the church bells stop and it cuts back to the long shot of the man at the beginning as he explains how he feels Sundays are an ‘imposition’, connecting back to the sudden cut to then next shot highlighting how he feels the fairy-tale aspect of Sundays is unnecessary.

Analysis - Two & Two

• The clip begins with the opening credits which mimic a chalk board, the non-digetic sound of children accompanies this image in the background. This was miss leading for us as viewers as once the camera zoomed out to reveal the true context: basic, hostile (prison-like) room with Arabic children – as we are not aware of how children are taught in an Arabic speaking country we are able to pick up on the simplicity and differences between teaching.

• The first close up of a child is of the young boy who is killed at the end for standing up to the authority. Our attention as viewers surrounds that one child which when looking back, highlights how he will be in danger, we are made to remember that boy from the beginning of the short film.

• The slight differences between the costumes (all black and white) to highlight status shift works within the short film as it allows the viewer to easily guess who is more powerful from the rest which in turn sets the scene in a confined amount of time.

• The digetic sound of the three older pupils talking in unison highlights how the power of others can brainwash you to believe things you don’t want to, all because of their power over you.

• In a country where control is highlighted using weaponry – the children are taught and controlled using language and by being patronising as the older pupils mime holding guns at the young boy which symbolises the idea that the patronising, blackmailing and controlling language that is used in politics is as abrasive as weaponry, power is meaningless however when you are given it you can use it in any form against someone. 

Analysis - My Dream/My Reality

• The clip begins with statistics about trafficking – there is silence as the information is loaded on the screen – with a plain black background and white writing all combined highlights the seriousness of the issue.

• Title of “My dream/My Reality” flickers whilst piano chords combined with the harsh sound of wind/noise play non digetically in the background– the flickering of the title highlights her life, a combination of her dreams vs the harsh reality that has come in the way. Also highlights how disturbed her dreams are due to being mentally/physically scared when trafficked.

• The contrast between using two different sets when in the ‘flat’ by having half of the trafficking scene set on stage with an audience watching then cutting to the actual room without the audience watching. This highlights how trafficking can be shown vs what it is actually like, conveying what she remembers of the experience (how real it was for her) and how we will never truly understand. The blank faced audience shown watching the story unfold, highlight how nothing is being done about this issue, we just ignore it. Yet she cannot ignore reality. 

• The calm non – digetic narration combined with the image of her in pain (silent screaming) is uncomfortable for us as a viewer as we cannot hear what’s actually going on in the room, only the calm narration and sound of music over the top whilst her pained facial expressions continue this causes the audience to become anxious and worked up as the audience in the film cannot see the full picture like we can. 

• The woman stares at herself in the mirror, due to the narration highlighting the current and image being the past it conveys the protagonist’s introspection as she stares into her future, like her hurt self is trapped in the mirror.  

• The comparison between the fast pace movement on the stage when talking about what happened leading up to her being taken suddenly changed when she is given the drink. As she takes a sip there is a jump cut to suddenly her falling to the ground then back to when she is stood up, highlighting how distorted her life became after and her falling to the ground symbolises how her life suddenly crumbled. Conveying the drastic change from her dream to sudden reality.

• When we watch the staged version of what happened, the colours on set are warm, orange and yellow lighting are used to highlight the set as a stage to remind the viewer that the staged version is what we imagine it to be like. Whereas, when showing reality in the actual room the colours of the room are blue and grey, to convey a cold atmosphere. When watching the staged version, the camera only faces front of stage (does not move around on stage) yet the real version set in the room changes, and begins with a close up of the protagonists quivering wrapped up body and then cuts quickly to a short lasting view of her in the actual room crying, making the viewer feel more uncomfortable and worried for her as the camera shots are on a more personal level.

• Both the audience and he actress in the staged version adopt blank facial expressions highlighting how the issue of trafficking is not taken seriously and is just used for entertainment purposes. Whereas when in the actual room you see her crying, sitting at the end of the bed tightly squeezing the sheet she is wrapped up in conveying how scared and vulnerable she is and highlighting the reality of the situation.

Forms And Conventions For The Short Film

I have chosen to create a five minute - short film as I then have enough time to get an issue based message across to the audience in a short and impactful way. This in turn will challenge the audience as it will force them to think about what they are watching and the message I am trying to get across. The issue I will surround my film around will be a real issue – a true story, this is because I want my film to effect the audience watching as it is based on a real life issue that needs to be made aware of. The audience will recognise that it is a true story as it is based on a real life issue. I want to highlight the issue in an artistic way using historical influences i.e. Cinéma-Pur (Pure Cinema) and German Expressionism. Both convey a message on emotions of a character through the set of the scene being symbolic (distorted sets) and the way the camera is angled; tilted and distorted/out of focus images. I will also combine artistic camera shots to capture the truth about the scene and the characters emotions. My short film will contain a voice over of narration maybe in an alternative language rather than English so that the audience feel uncomfortable from the beginning. By having the narration in a foreign language it causes the audience to have to pay closer attention to what is going on in the image/scene causing them to have/want to rewind so that they understand exactly and therefore making the message clearer. I will use music to convey the emotions of the characters involved.

My Chosen Brief

Brief 10 -
A short film in its intirety, lasting approximately 5 minutes. Together with; a poster for the film and a film magazine review page featuring the film.