Final draft of short film

Textual analysis of my prelim task

In this blog post I will be writing a textual analysis about my prelim task- 'A Day in the Life of a Drama Teacher' especially looking at camerawork, editing, sound and mise en scene that I used throughout the short film. Having a textual analysis allows me to look back and realise the different skills I used and how I can improve them for my own final task of a 5 minute film. In addition I can see what I need to do more of as I will have to look at what I did in a minute and how to change it to 5 minutes. I will be doing the textual analysis in a chronological order as I will therefore be able to talk about each scene.

Camerawork

• Whilst Mrs Glynn is walking to the school there is a LONG SHOT this allows the audience to understand who the main character is and who the film is going to be about.

• After she has walked to the main door there is a MID SHOT when trying to get into the building it adds a bit more of a personal feel as she is coming closer to the camera as she is being introduced. As it doesn't work she tries again so the mid shot shows more of how she is clumsy which is stereotypical for a drama teacher.

• Once she has finally come into the building there is a CLOSE UP on her face, this allows the audience to see how the drama teacher is very dramatic about situations as you can see her facial expression where she is brushing of the situation, just like a stereotypical drama teacher would do.

• After she walks in she has to sign her name so there is another CLOSE UP to show how she is not putting her actual name and wants to aspirer to be a famous actress.

• There is then a WIDE SHOT as she is walking into the block to show more of the school surroundings.

• Whilst she is walking down the corridor we decided to TRACK her as she is very chilled and therefore makes her look as though she is a relaxed and unnerving drama teacher.

• When she is in her dressing room pulling facial expressions we used an OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT so you can see her reflection in the mirror which allowed us to see that there was nobody else in the room.

• There was a ZOOM IN whilst she is doing her facial exercises so we can see more of her in the mirror

• When Shakespeare is on the screen there is an extreme close-up to show how she genrally loves him and wants to be close to him.

• There is another OVER THE SHOULDER shot when she is reading Macbeth we added a puppet of Shakespeare just so the audience knows the love of Shakespeare.

• We tried to add a POINT OF VIEW SHOT to make it look professional and to add to the emotions that she has towards him and his work.

• A MID SHOT is used when she is saying her thank you's at the end of the short film, this is the same as how professional actresses say this and shows how she wants to be a famous actress one day.

• At the end we wanted to use a very different shot to make it look interesting so we used a HIGH ANGLE SHOT to show her at the top of the stairs and her hat falling.

Editing

• At the start I wanted to put something to show that it was about a drama teacher therefore we looked on the macs and found a red curtain that it stereotypically for the theatre and especially a drama teacher, it is good as well as it opens up the short film.

• We decided to make it easier to follow we would put text in-between the different scenes so the audience are not confused and to tell them what is coming up. The text at the start has an effect on it to make it quirky and unique just like a Drama teacher.

• There is an IRIS when she signs the book to show its importance, it allows the audience to make sure that they are focusing on the correct thing.

• We wanted to make sure that we used a MATCH ON ACTION so we decided to put one in when she is coming through the door and along the corridor it makes the edit look smooth if done correct and it worked well when we did it.

• We used FAST MOTION to make it more interesting and shows how she is excited to go to her studio and mess around. The fast paced nature of this allows her to look eager.

• There is a EYELINE MATCH when she looks at the door and then the shot of the key hole to show how she is waiting to go in. The keys as well show how her studio is her prize possession as it is looked therefore it a forbidden place to go if you don't have the keys.

• There is a HORIZONTAL SWPIE to add some dimension to the film it allows the audience to be introduced to the new scene instead of just cutting to the new scene.

• We edited the sound over Shakepeares face to show her love of him and makes it more engaging to watch.

• REGULAR CUTS were used to make it easier to follow and smoother to watch it also allows the audience to see her everyday life as a teacher.

• JUMP CUTS are used when she is changing from different costumes as it shows how she is spending a lot of time to make her own games and how she is wacky and crazy.

• At the end we added some CREDITS like a star wars effect to make it easy for the audience to see and also makes it more effective because the credits go slow so they are able to still watch what is going on behind them.

Sound

• At the beginning of the short film we decided to use thrift shop, the only reason that we choose this was because we couldn't get any of our own music. However it did work as there were instrumental parts that went well with what was going on. It was also very upbeat and worked well with our character.

• At the end we used the Macarena as it was fun and related well to a drama teacher.

• We decided to use some voice overs / sound bridge just to add more of an effect when she is talking about Shakespeare it was good to use and also added some dimension to the short film.

• we wanted some DIALOGUE in it as it was about her and we couldn't keep it as a silent movie.

• The only problem is that the short film that I have uploaded to my blog has not got any sound which I will have to resolve as when I showed it to the class it worked fine, hopefully I will be able to re upload it with the sound working. 

Mise en scene

• We wanted to film her in her own clothes as that is what she already wears however wanted to add some accessories to make sure it showed how she is crazy

• The fur hat adds to her character as she is very bubbly and the large hat is the same as her large personalities.

• The trolley was originally hers and we thought that we would use it as it would make her look crazy like we wanted her too. The different colours on the trolley stand out just like her.

• When we filmed her in the studio we were allowed to look in the prop cupboard that is where we found the different costumes that she had on. She decided to choose them herself and improvise to make it more funny and show off her personality.

• We decided to use the ordinary lighting around school as it was easier to film and we didn't have to fiddle with carrying anything around the school. However when we went into the studio we asked about the lights and the end shots during the unseen clips did have some lighting from the studio to make it just a little more professional. 

Ideas for short films

Questionnaire about the prelim task

I have asked 8 questions to 7 people about the short film that I have produced. I have ask them what they liked and disliked about it and how I could make it better, this will allow me to gain some personal opinion on my editing techniques and also will allow me to change the way I have done something for my main task. In addition if they didn't like something that I wanted to put in my main film then I can change it as it has to appeal to my target audience. As I have not yet decided on the type of film that I will create and therefore do not know my target audience I have asked people of different genders and ages to see what they feel about my short film.

1. What are your first impressions?

Neil- I like it you can see that you have spent a lot of time on it
Lesley- It is really good but I'm not sure what it's for
Bethan- I think it's really funny
Matt- I really enjoyed it and found it entertaining
Harriet- Although it didn't work at the start I throughly enjoyed it
Tilly- I really liked the unseen clips at the end
Noel- The music makes it really entertaining

2. What do you think it is about and is it clear?

Neil- A short film about a drama teacher and I think it was although the editing could be smoother
Lesley- A day in the life of video and it is really clear
Bethan- A drama teacher and the title helped me understand it
Matt- It was really clear
Harriet- I could understand what was going on about the drama teacher
Tilly- yes I understood the film about a drama teacher
Noel- The title told me and it was clear

3. Did you enjoy the short film?

Neil- I loved it I want to create something like that
Lesley- I really enjoyed it it made me laugh
Bethan- I want to watch it again please
Matt-Yeah it made me laugh, it was good
Harriet- Yes I enjoyed it
Tilly-Yeah it was good I liked it
Noel- Yes I really liked it

4. What didn't you like?

Neil- The bit with Shakespeare it seemed irrelevant as I don't think a drama teacher will do that everyday
Lesley- The music at the start seemed to not fit the scenario
Bethan-Nothing I enjoyed it as it was
Matt- The walking through the corridor was too long and I think you could either speed it up or make it shorted
Harriet- Nothing I liked it
Tilly- I liked it all you shouldn't change anything
Noel- Nothing I enjoyed it

5. What did you like?

Neil- The beginning bit with the door was funny
Lesley- All of it it was funny and well put together
Bethan- The unseen clips at the end
Matt-The singing part was funny
Harriet- The door with the different costumes was hilarious
Tilly- The end when she says thank you to the audience
Noel- All of it

6. What could be improved?

Neil- Take more time on it to make sure the finer details are focused on more
Lesley- Add a bit more dialogue
Bethan- Nothing I liked it as it is
Matt- The end section seemed a bit rushed I would like to see more of the unseen clips as they were good
Harriet- The quality of picture was average maybe it could be better
Tilly- The beginning bit was a bit long the title should be short and snappy
Noel- The credits at the end were long and the music seemed to end short of the credits but that might be because you ran out of time

7. What did you think about the editing?

Neil- It could of been smoother but it was good for a first attempt
Lesley- There was a lot of variety which made it more enjoyable
Bethan- There could be a few more transitions or the music could be different in stead of having the same throughout
Matt- I thought it looks really professional and I wouldn't change anything
Harriet- I really liked it and to be honest I didn't really look at that
Tilly- I thought the transitions were really good and that you could have maybe added another to make it different
Noel- I really liked the editing it looked like you spent a lot of time and effort and it shows

8. If you wanted to change anything what would it be?

Neil- I would possibly change the order
Lesley- I would take a part out to make it not as long
Bethan- I wouldn't change anything as I liked it how it is
Matt- For your first attempt I thought it was good and I wouldn't change anything
Harriet- I would probably add some dialogue as I didn't really hear her voice very well
Tilly- I wouldn't change anything I liked it
Noel- Probably add a bit more dialogue

Overall I think people enjoyed it and they thought that it was good for my first attempt even if they did have things that they wanted to change. I will defiantly take into consideration about their opinions as they count and maybe change the things that they didn't really like. When creating my short film I will make quite a few drafts and then change it whilst considering peoples feedback however I will have to think about my target audience for my short film.

Evaluation for the prelim task

I will be writing about what I thought was successful with my 1 minute short film and what was not so successful. I was able to see what things I learnt whilst planning, directing, producing and editing with different software. This will make me think about how I will go about my 5 minute short film. When creating the short film I found it very helpful as I can see what I will need to do in order to create a successful final piece.

Firstly, we needed to think about what we were going to film about the day in the life of... We liked the idea of a chef as we thought that we could make it quite entertaining and could make a short film quite different. We were thinking whilst storyboarding what scenes we could have and how we could create them whilst editing. After thinking about the chief we decided that it might be easier to use a student as it would help us when filming because of their free periods. However after talking about the idea with teachers and students we realised that the title of the film might be to difficult, we would have to hire out the kitchen, the equipment of a chief and to create a story with in it. Therefore we decided not to go with this and we brainstormed some more ideas including day in the life of a: student, teacher and then a drama teacher. As my friend who I was working with takes a level drama she thought that the drama teacher (who was crazy anyway) would be perfect to film and make a piece about that would be entertaining for an audience. We also had the advantage of the drama studio as a space which was more useful to film and the lights gave it a more professional setting. Along with the costumes that were already in the cupboard we created a storyboard that was very easy to put together. When in our lesson our teacher gave us a sheet of paper with 6 big boxes along with 6 underneath so we can write about what we wanted in each scene and things in terms of camerawork, (angles and shots). Storyboarding to me was one of the most important processes in the planning as it allows me to have a clear and sufficient pathway. If we didn't use a storyboard whilst creating the chief then we might of continued with the idea and it might not of worked. In the 6 boxes we drew what we wanted in each scene. When looking back at the storyboard there were things that changed and ideas that popped up so it was good that we had the storyboard to fall back on.
Box 1 - Entering the school 
Box 2- Walking through the school
Box 3- walking into the drama studio
Box 4- Creating facial expressions
Box 5- Reading Shaekspeare 
Box 6- Going through the drama door with different costumes
Box7- Unseen features

Then we went on to the filming. I believe that we spent a sufficient amount of time filming to create a well thought through piece with different shots that we could edit together to make the short film. We decided to make sure we had enough footage so we could pick and choose from our favourites, that was one of the main advantages from using the big room as we didn't get interrupted when filming. Some people didn't have enough footage which made it harder to try and find things to elongate the ilm to one minute. The only problem with the amount of footage that we had we couldn't fit it all into the 1 minute film if we did it would be 5 minutes long which was not the brief. We had to make sure that the actress we used was free and if we could use the space that we had in mind. Luckily she was free during our two free periods which was perfect as if we filmed on different days then she would be wearing different outfits that would make it confusing and not as professional as we hoped for. The two hours that we had where perfect as it was enough time to film the footage that we needed. However the only problem that we had was that one of our ideas was to film the children in the class but we didn't manage to find time to film this so we had to leave this out which was annoying as it didn't show the actual day in the life of a drama teacher. When choosing what we needed to film with we wondered whether to use my camera at home as I knew how to work it however this wasn't going to be the equipment that I would use for my short film and I needed as much practice as I could get. We therefore hired out a camera and a tripod for the two hours which was the best option as it was easy to get hold of and make sure that nobody else uses our footage or camera. Furthermore we had to think about where we were going to film and the locations as there would be different lighting etc. Through the school building we used the reception, the make up room, the corridor, the drama office and the costume room, the different locations around the school were good fun and then when it came to edit we were able to put them together smoothly. 

The worst part of the prelim task was the editing as Me and Aneisha didn't really have a clue when it came to the software and how to actually edit a professional looking short film together, we did do a small project called the cops but it was a while ago and there were a lot more of us. The first task was actually getting the footage onto the macs as it took along time and once we left it to load it didn't actually save to the computer so we had to do it again after 2 hours. Even though I have a mac and have used it to make my videos for my as level media work I still didn't really know the shortcuts for the keys so when asking it was a lot easier and I felt a lot more confident. I will probably use the same software for my main task as I have now got a lot more confident with it and changing it now will not allow me to use my time wisely. Most of my time was spent editing in order to to make it look professional, we played around with some different techniques which allowed us to use some different editing techniques which could be useful for our short film such as slow or fast paced motions. The only problem with that it was speeding up and slowing down too much so we had to try and resolve the problem and try to correct the issue by our selves. We also wanted some music over the top of the film as most of it was silent so we had to find some music on youtube and try and convert it however the website would not load so we had to use what was already on the macs so for future reference I will have to bring my own music to use. As well as having the music we decided to put a title at the start so we found a curtain which would go really well with the title a day in the life of a drama teacher.

Overall I think our short film did work well however there were problems during the task which we did solve. Thinking about the planning I will definatly use a storyboard to plan and think about the scenes and detail, I will also have to think about the software that I will use to make my editing skills less time consuming. The problems that I had whilst creating this were difficult to tackle however it made me want to make sure that I overcame the problems so I delivered a well produced film. I will next evaluate my short film in depth to make sure that I have delivered a good prelim task and ask on peoples opinions.

Planning for Prelim task

When thinking about my actual short film I need to think about the planning that needs to take place before hand. Therefore the class was asked to create a prelim task of a short film that we had to produce and edit ourselves. The title of the prelim task was called 'A day in the life of...' it had to be 1 minute in length we were allowed to work in pairs.

When planning for a task that has been given we needed to think about the things that we wanted to use and what we needed to make it the best we could. We looked at some short films and thought about the planning that went before it: where was the filming take place? When? Script or no Script? What we was going to do it about? What equipment we need to use?

We had to think about what our short film will be about so we contemplated about a chief however it didn't work well so we decided to go with 'A life of a drama teacher' this was because we thought that it would be funny and that it would be easier with the space and lights in the drama studio. The chief idea would be hard to organise and would also be more time consuming because of the space that we would have to film in and the props that we would have to use. When we then changed to a student chef but because there was only two of us to film we thought it would be a lot more hard work so we stuck with the drama student. As Aneisha takes a level theatre studies she had a connection with the drama teacher so it was easier to film her as we knew her free periods and she was happy to help us. In addition we decided to use a real drama teacher as it would be more realistic and would make it easier to follow, also because she is a drama teacher she can act anything  that we wanted her to do which was helpful. Mrs Glynn the actress is a stereotypical drama teacher so it was easier for us to film her as she is crazy anyway and the two hours free that we had allowed us to get the shots that we needed of her. 

Once we had sorted out the title and characters that we were going to have we had to think about th e locations that we would film in. As we were lucky to have the drama studio which is a big space we were able to film a lot of the footage in here however the lights were difficult to use but it allowed us to use more equipment and therefore gain more information. We also located around the school so it made it more effective as it was about a school teacher, the students as well were not part of the script but it made it more funny as they were reacting to the things that we asked her to do. After we decided the locations we had to create a filming schedule which was very important as we had to then lead on to editing and if we didn't have the correct timing for this then it would not make the end product very effective. Luckily when talking to the drama teacher she had two free periods in which we were both free so we made sure that we booked all the equipment so we can film all the footage in the 2 hours we had.

After we gathered the information about the time and places that we were going to shoot it was onto the script. As the character was crazy we decided to make the script humorous which was not difficult. In addition we decided to add when we needed to shoot and what sound effects to add in the editing stage. However because Mrs Gylnn is a drama teacher we didn't really need to use a script as she improvised which made it more funny as we tended to laugh behind the camera. Although we didn't use one there was a structure and we did follow the script in what scene came next. I will defiantly be using a script in my short film as I will not be using a professional actor and therefore they will need as much directing as possible.

Finally we needed to hire the equipment out. I was thinking about using my own camera however I needed as much practice as I could get with the school ones so I decided to use them instead. As well as that I needed to borrow a tripod which we booked out with the media department in school, it makes the camera not shake so when it comes to editing it allows it to run smoothly also it makes it look a lot more professional. The number on the side allowed me to recognise which camera I was able to use and then people in my class then knew not to use this camera as I will have to upload to the macs.

The planning for the prelim task has allowed me to make sure that my short film was the best it could be for my first try. I will defiantly learn from this and will also take on board the different types of planning that I will need to do to make sure my film is as good as it can be.

Thinking of an idea for a short film

When I think of a short film idea my mind goes blank and as there are so many different genres and films out there it is hard to try and think of a unique idea that you can film well. There are so many things that you have to consider when coming up with an idea. I still don't have an idea for my film so anything that will help me will be useful, in lesson we got given a sheet with different elements to include in any short film which will hopefully
help me understand how to make a short film as well as come up with an idea.

Firstly a conflict either big or small- Having a conflict allows the audience to engage with the storyline, it allows the short film to be more interesting.

An anecdote that you have heard- I think it will be interesting if the story is based on something that you have heard as it will be more realistic. It will be easier as you will not have to make up a storyline as it will be something that you already know. You will just have to adapt it to make it longer.

Something that has happened to you, possibly amplified, signified or exaggerated- This will be easier than anything else as again you won't have to think of another idea and can just use something that you already know.

A generic film including the tropes of genre- This will probably be easy as you just have to follow the generic stereotypes of a specific genre for example if you choose horror then there must be a scary character in it.

A rite of passage- something people do in real life.  This is one thing that I am thinking about using as the audience will be able to relate to the film and instead of thinking of something that is not realistic then I will think off something that people do day to day.

Subvert the audience's expectations- I think this will be tricky as when you say to your audience about the type of film it is they will want to watch it so changing it half way through will make it harder as they will not be happy. Some people don't want to be surprised so I don't think I will be using this idea.

A desire that you have that either comes true or is thwarted- I think that this will be good to use as it will make the audience want to watch it to see what happens in the end.

A historic event- This is one of the hardest ones and I will not be doing it as you need a big budget to make sure you make it look effective. Also you must make sure that the facts from the event are true otherwise it will not be correct and therefore will make it look unprofessional.

A sense of closure- The audience need to know that the questions are answered at the end otherwise it ends on a cliffhanger, which for a short film needs to be finished.

A tale with a twist- This was my favourite idea as it gives the audience something to be intrigued about without this they would get bored. I wanted to use this as it will surprise the audience and because it is a short film it will be useful to put in because they will not be expecting it. 

Lastly Aristotle classical unities- this is normally used in Greek theatre- one place, one time, one action this means avoiding sub- plots. As it is a short film there is no point in making it complicated so following this rule will allow me make it simple yet effective.

Narrative structures for short films

Narrative form is the structure through which movies tell stories, they are most common in fiction film, but appear in all basic types of film including -documentaries, animated films and of course short films. Typically a narrative begins with one situation then a series of changes occurs according to a pattern of cause and effect. Finally a new situation arises that restores equilibrium and brings about the end of the narrative. "Action triggers reaction: each step has an effect which in turn becomes a new cause" (David Bordwell, 1985)

Story- is what we see on screen, it consists 'of all the events in a narrative, both explicitly presented and inferred' - Bordwell and Thompson

Plot- everything visibly and audibly present in the film

Narrative- How the story is told, how the material is selected and arranged in order to achieve particular effects on the audience

Conventional narrative structure 

Conventional narratives follow the same basic pattern in terms of the way they construct a story.

Tzvetan Todorov defined the three main parts of a narrative structure  (the beginning, middle and the end) as:

- Equilibrium- the balanced normality of the world of any story 

- Disequilibrium- the unbalanced world between the problem in the story and the climax

- New equilibrium- a return to normality at the end  

However some films end in disequilibrium to discomfort the viewer. 
The simple formula can be applied to virtually all narratives- it is a more formal way of thinking about the beginning, middle and end and it takes into account Aristotle's theory that all drama is conflict i.e. there is a disequilibrium at the heart of every narrative. This basic three point narrative can be looked at in more detail and is sometimes called the narrative arc.

Classical Hollywood narrative structure

1) situation or exposition- needed at the beginning of the narrative to set the scene. This is where the information is given to the audience to allow them to build a clear picture. Where are we? when are we? whose story will we be following?
2) complication- events which occur to make a problem. This is the section that takes up most time in a film.
3) Climax- this is the moment where the problems are actually solved by someone in a film.
4) Resolution- This is the part of the narrative where the world of the text returns to some sort of normality as the problems and their complications are now past. This is conventionally the part of the film where all the loose ends of the plot are tied up and questions are answered, unless it follows the other rule and ends on a cliff hanger.

Some films try to overturn the rules of the IMR and Classical Hollywood narrative structures. In my short film I will try and use the conventional narrative structure as I can follow a step by step rule which will allow me to create a good short film.