Music and Sound Effects

I found a couple of royalty free music and sound effects websites which either have their work licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License or an End-user License Agreement. So this means that I can download and use any of the files on their website as long as I credit them. The websites I found are freefx.co.uk and audionautix.com.

Script for It Ended dialogue.

Intent
I want my script to create melancholy atmosphere, and through the characters words convey emotions like sadness and loss. I want the dialogue to make the viewer empathise with one or both of the characters.

My two characters are a male and a female.

M: It Ended. I guess i felt kind of more vulnerable after. But I've started going out more now. Definitely, going out more.

F: I think, people really like me when they first meet me. But then they go off me. I can feel it. I can see the change in their eyes.

(Dialogue overlapping slightly)

M: She had these blue flowery curtains.

F: He's got this shirt. Its my favourite shirt. It's like a white one, a white plaid one. 

M: I didn't really like her friends at school. All of them felt so young.

F: He wore it for one week when I told him that I really liked it. And then, sort of, stopped. I didn't see it for a while, I really liked that one. 

(Finishing and starting each others sentences) 

F: he said

M: I don't remember being here, and she said

F: you wouldn't

M: he didn't understand

F: so he just smiled

M: she said 

F: I first met you when I was fifteen 

M: what she meant was, the subtext was

F: this has gone on for too long, things have changed, it's not the same anymore

M: because things have happened

F: things don't stay the same, people they grow

M: they meet new people

F: and the ones they used to know become less important 

M: because they don't really know them at all anymore. She said

F: if this is it then that's okay

M: but he didn't understand, what she meant was, what the subtext was

F: this is the last time and that's okay for me. He didn't understand 

M: so he just smiled 

F: she walked home. 

M: he took the train home. 

F: she didn't see him again. 

M: he didn't see her again. 

Second idea for short film.

My second idea is to make a film which reflects images off of dialogue, so my shots are cut in time to the dialogue of my two main characters to show a reflection of their lives to show who they are through a series of shots. And then over the top of the shots have a dialogue which tells a story of how the two characters are related and what happens to them.

I decided to use two characters because, in my short film survey, I found most people expected more than three characters in a short film so I want to challenge this convention by showing it can be done with just two. 

Here is a storyboard for my idea: 

Age rating and classification

What is classification and how does it work?

In order to protect children from unsuitable and even harmful content in films and videos and to give consumers information they might need about a particular film or video before deciding whether or not to view it, the BBFC examines and age rates films and videos before they are released. 
The BBFC watch films and videos all the way through and award the correct age rating by applying the standards and criteria included in their classification guidelines.
Normally, two examiners view a film for theatrical release and in most cases a senior examiner will confirm the examiners recommendation. If the examiners are in any doubt or fail to agree the work may be seen by other members of the board up to and including the director and presidential team. Occasionally the BBFC take specialist advice about the legal acceptability of a film's content or its potential to harm.
There is the same process for DVDs and Blu-rays, though these are generally only viewed by one examiner, However sometimes, opinions are collected from other examiners for more difficult works.
The BBFC look at issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, dangerous and easily imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, and violence when making decisions. The theme of the work is also an important consideration. They also consider context, the tone and likely impact of a work on the potential audience.
The release format of a work also affects the classification.  Their decisions on the age rating of DVDs and Blu-rays can occasionally be stricter than at the cinema because there is a higher risk of underage viewing in the home and a greater potential for watching scenes out of context.
At all categories heterosexual and homosexual sexual behaviour and activities are treated the same.


Bernie the Brave

This film would be rated a U because a U film is suitable for audiences four years and over. The film doesn't raise any significant issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex or violence. 
There is a brief fight scene where the character is placed in danger but the threat is quickly resolved and the outcome is reassuring. There is also no emphasis on the sword used and it is within a historical setting, this is what is accepted at a U classification.
A children’s work at U will generally contain positive messages about loyalty, honesty and friendship, particularly amongst children, which mine does. The film has a happy ending for the child and the overall tone is one of reassurance.


It Ended.

This film would be rated PG, this means that its suitable for general viewing and should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. All themes are allowed at a PG as long as they are treated with the appropriate manners.
References to sex are acceptable as the activity is implied and lacking in detail. Also, a child is unlikely to understand the references, so this is allowed a PG.

Bernie the Brave - first cut

This is my first cut of my footage, I haven't added in my animation yet but where there is a empty frame is where I will have a shot of my hydra so you can get an idea of how it will look.

I don't like how it turned out, I think it looks to student made and the quality of the combination of the filming, location, costume and acting makes it seem unprofessional. So I have come up with another idea for a short film which should work better with the resources that I have at my disposal.

I got a focus group together and asked them to write a list of things they liked and things they didn't. Feedback from the group:

Like
The change into fantasy/medieval
The costumes
Range of shots
Sword fighting
Sound Effects
The premise of it
The bullies reaction at the end kept it lighthearted

Dislike
Jump cuts don't flow very well
Script is repetitive
It feels kind of awkward
The young boy playing with a teddy looks a bit odd especially as it then turns into a baby
The background noise in most of the shots is distracting
The teddy into baby was a bit bizarre and fast

Final Superhero poster

We tried lots of combinations of different poster conventions, we also tried a vintage look on the poster and we really liked the way it made it look so we decided to keep it.

Here are a couple of examples of things we tried:

Out of all of the combinations simplicity won, and we decided this was our favourite as we think its the most eye-catching and looks the most professional as a poster.

We are really pleased with how it loos, and we think it will interest lots of people in the movie that the poster is for because of the different elements within the poster.

There is one element that we think we could improve and that it the title of the film in the lefthand corner. although the font fits and works with the image, we think that it isn't as clear to read as it should be. To improve the poster we would put something under the title font so that it would be more distinct, or we could make a logo with the title on it, to make it look more professional and official.

Superhero poster - editing

 

To make the girl look like she can control time we took pictures of lots of different elements of a pocket watch so we can edit them above her hand to make it look like she is in control. Like so:

We really liked this picture but decided it wouldn't work as a poster because there is no where to comfortably fit a title, date or credits.

We decided to use this instead as there is open space to fit the title, date, logo and certificate.

Props and Costume

Props

The only prop I need is a teddy for the bullies to throw and to also to be wrapped up as a baby for the princess to save from the hydra.

Costume

The boy in the real world will be wear normal everyday clothes to show he's a boy from modern day. In the fantasy he will turn into a knight, with armour and a helmet. However even though he as dressed as a knight he will be playing the part of the 'damsel in distress', this shows a contrast between his behaviour and his look. I'm  doing this to show that people aren't their stereotypes and many people break the mould, so this shouldn't be asumed of people on how they look.

The girl, simily to the boy, in the real world will be in modern dress to show the time period and to not make her look any more higher status than any of the other characters. In the fantasy she will wear a princess costume and so be the opposite to the boy whose the knight. I have tried to show, through the princess being the one to slay the hydra, female strength so my young impressionable audience can have a good example to use. Also, because of these contrasts to real media I am challenging conventions on the representation of female characters and male characters.

 

For logistics I may use a cloak and a tiara instead but they will give the same effect.

 
 

The costume for my bully characters is blue/green colours so that when they're turned into the hydra the same colours are used. So that you can see that these are the characters from the real world that are the hydra in the fantasy world. This is a colour signifier that alows the audience to see the connection between the two situatutions and to show thats its the same.

Character Research

The Three Bullies

I use the convention of three against one, and of the victim being smaller than the bullies.


The Hydra

A hydra is a creature from the greek myth, it was an ancient serpent-like water monster with lots of heads and for each head that got cut off it grew two more.

This is the style I want to do and how I would like it to look when put with my shot footage.

Animatics

In the pre-production the storyboarding stage amy be followed by simplified mock-ups called "animatics" to give a better idea of how the scene will look and feel with motion and timing. An animatic is a series of still images edited together and displayed in sequence with a rough dialogue and/or rough sound track added to the sequence of still images (usually taken from the storyboard) to test whether the sound and images are working effectively together.

It allows the animators and directors to work out any screenplay, camera positioning, shot list and timing issues that may exist with the current storyboard. Editing the film at the animatic stage can avoid animation of scenes that would be edited out of the film. Animation is usually an expensive process, so there should be a minimum of "deleted scenes" if the film is to be completed within budget.

Often storyboards are animated with simple zooms and pans to simulate camera movement. These animations can be combined with available animatics, sound effects and dialog to create a presentation of how a film could be shot and cut together. Some feature film DVD special features include production animatics.

This is an example of an animatic made for a scene in Iron Man 3 -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiZRuOxiCGw

This is my animatic for my short film -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lliaoad4ikY

Ancillary Tasks

Brief

A short film in its entirety, lasting approximately five minutes, which may be live action or animated or a combination of both, together with two of the following three options

• a poster for the film;
• a radio trailer for the film;
• a film magazine review page featuring the film.

I am going to do a poster and a film magazine review page for my short film.
I choose these two to do because these are the areas I think I can best portray my skills in.
I have had lots of practice in putting a poster together as I did one for my AS work and also one as a preliminary to this A2 coursework. As well as these two, for my drama group I made a poster for our performance of the Grimms Tales.
I also want to do a film magazine review page because in contrast to the poster I have only done this once before, a magazine article advertising a car company.

Script for Bernie the Brave.

Intent

Through this script I want to convey the narrative of the story, I also want the audience to be sympathetic towards the little boy.
Because I want to aim it at a younger audience, by using humour I lighten the mood at the end of the film.
My script could also be interpreted as having a moral that anyone can be a hero.

Characters

Girl
Boy
Bully 1
Bully 2
Bully 3

Plot

A young boys teddy is stolen by three older bullies, a young girl notices them teasing him and tries to help save the teddy. In the young childrens imagination the situation is changed into a fantasy fairytale where the teddy is a baby and the three bullies are a three headed hydra, the boy a knight and the girl a princess. The girl slays the Hydra and saves the teddy and returns it to the boy.

Script

(Boy is alone, playing with his teddy. Three older boys see him and approach him, joking and laughing to each other)

Bully 1: (to young boy) Hey, is that your sisters?

Bully 3: Yeah teddys are for girls, are you a girl?

Boy: (quietly) N-n-no

Bully 2: (to other bullies) I bet he's given it a name.

Bully 1: Here I think it looks like a (snatches teddy from boy, looks at it) Mr. Buttons!

Bully 2: (takes teddy from bully 1 and holds it up above his head) 

Boy: (reaching up, still quietly) Please... no!

(All the Bullies laugh and tease, they pass the teddy around. The young boy still quietly asking them to stop and give the teddy back)

Bully 1: (in a mocking baby voice) Oh do you want Mr. Buttons back?

Bully 3: Haha, I think he's gonna cry!

Bully 1: Cry baby

(All the Bullies start teasing and calling names, you see the boy become more scared and recline within himself)

All: Little girl, cry baby, ...

(Around the corner a young girl hears the Bullies, she goes and stands behind them with her arms crossed and a brave face)

Girl: (loudly and confidently but still scared) Give him the teddy back now!

(All the Bullies stop and turn to look at her)

Bully 2: (to other Bullies) Are you kidding me? (to girl) Go home.

Bully 3: (Mockingly) Does your Mummy know where you are?

Girl: (not quite so confidently) Give it back.

Bully 1: Don't be a silly little girl, what could you even do?

(the bully tries to tear off the teddys ear)

Boy: (reaching out) No!

Girl: (with renewed confidence) GIVE. IT. BACK.

(woooooooooooooooooooooooo fantasy time, the boy turns into a knight, the girl turns into a princess, and the three bullies into a three headed hydra and the teddy wrapped up like a baby)

Short Animation Film Examples

In my short film I want to include some animation. The style I want to do my animation is like an animated paper model.

Roy - this is a clip from a CBBC show which mixes animation and live action.

Shoe - I really like the style of this one and it is how imagine mine looking.

Munro - This roughly drawn style also appeals to me and I think I may do something similar.

Magical Umbrella - This is not how I  first imagined my animation looking but I do like the style and I think I will explore it more as another option.

Real Short Films Examples

Themes that will be in my short film: swapping roles, girl and boy, young actors, children, bullying, fantasy, hero, evil vs. good, happy ending.

Love is all you need: swapping roles, bullying, young actors

Imagination: fantasy, boys and girl, children

Water Song: evil vs. good, fantasy

Imagination: fantasy, boy, children, hero

I don't want to go back alone: girl and boy, young actors, happy ending

Photoshoot - final 6

We choose these photos as our favourites from the shoot because they all show best what we were originally trying to display, and they will work with how we want to edit them and what we have in mind for the final poster.

Superhero poster - photo shoot planning

List of things for shoot

White shirt 

Waistcoat/corset

Bracelets 

Ribbon

Feathers

Tophat

Dark backdrop

Lamps for lighting

Make up ideas for the shoot: 

From these I know I'm going to use the colours gold brown and black and I may also add a small amount of dark purple or blue depending on what we have as the background colour.

Short Film idea and storyboard.

Storyboard: 

Another idea I had was that I change around the roles of the girl and the boy. So the boy is playing with the teddy and the girl is the one who slays the hydra, but the boy is still dressed as the knight and the girl the princess. This idea challenges stereotypes and breaks away from the cliche knight and damsel in distress. 

Possible Titles

Bernie the Brave

Bella the Brave

Chloe the Courageous

Caty the Courageous

Superhero poster 2

"Five out of twelve are breaking fourth wall.

The majority have the title of the film on the bottom of the poster. 

*All but one are wearing black leather.

** These two are very similar in the way they are laid out and the NVC of the characters.

*** All but one show at least one characters face.

**** Only two show more than one character."

Just his expression and his hand show his power and there just happens to be a half crushed car in the background, so it gives the impression he is the one crushing it.

I like the lighting in this picture and the overall colour scheme.

I like the juxtaposition of the fact there doing community service but have powers, I think its mostly the posture of the characters that says the most about who they are.

The first idea we discussed was that our superhero doesn't have to have super powers, and that our teenage heroine could be like batman and have lots of gadgets and rather than armour a dark coloured hoodie so their face is in shadow. So they're secretive, like an online superhero and it could take place in a urban setting. We dismissed this first idea because the convention of a teen in a hoodie screams urban gang movie more than superhero, and therefore would not show our audience what our film was about.

Our second idea was a superhero who can control time. With a victorian, steampunkish feel, with a brown, orange yellow colour scheme to it. The background to the poster could be pieces of a broken clock or pocket watch, and the only thing that shows it's her power could be the fact her eyes are closed and/or her hand is doing something.