TREATMENT

Characters: Main girl, friends + parent. 

Location: 3 locations - The house + outside house, office and school.The main location is the house as that is where the main event takes place, and the story is centred around this house.

Props + Costume: The props used will play a significant part in this short film, either to build the scene or make it seem more realistic and natural. As alcohol + drugs are advised not to be used or taken in the film, we are taking more of an implied approach and showing the reaction to the substances. The costume will be casual wear during the day, and when a certain event takes place, the outfit will be changed to suit that event.

Storyline: A young girl is trusted by her mother to take care of herself and the house while she handles work away for a night. The girl takes advantage of her trusted situation and throws a house party with the intention of impressing her friends, however things go terribly wrong. At her party, the girl is frustrated by everyone messing up her house and is pressured into taking drugs by a friend with the 'promise' of calming her down. When she goes back to school the next day she realises she still goes unnoticed by everyone and on her mother's return to face the consequences. 

The film is a viral campaign to raise the awareness of taking drugs and what could happen.

Featured on websites such as:

*YOUTUBE

*FACEBOOK

*TWITTER

*TALK TO FRANK

*BLOGGER

*TUMBLR

I was thinking of including some statistics in our film as it shows more meaning and facts. Here are some statistics we may use:

• 28% of school teens are aware of at least one of their friends who is a chronic drug abuser. 17% of them know more than one.
• The age group that is worst affected by drug addiction is 18-29

·         Depends on what the pressure is to do. Not everyone will give into peer pressure to smoke but they might give into peer pressure to jaywalk. So pretty much 100% will give into peer pressure about something.

·         Here are some stats:

·         Smoking (cigarettes) - 38%

·         Smoking (Drugs) - 53%

·         Other Drugs - 22%

·         Alcohol - 49%

·         Breaking rules/law - 56%

PRELIMINARY TASK IDEAS

In order for me to fully understand short films and the making of them, my preliminary task was to create an advert for a product I produced. We had several workshops working with a director of photography who helped us to understand key elements when filming on camcorders and other equipment. 

In these workshops, we were taught how to use tri-pods, adobe premier elements (an editing programme) and camcorders all supplied by our school. To get used to this equipment, we were asked to collect a variety of different shots (close-ups, medium shots, 45degree angles etc..). We were also told to film an interview to get different shots. 

After learning the basics, we were split into groups and had to create an idea for a product to sell, with an advertisement for this product. We created a treatment for our advert and a short script. The idea me and my group came up with was a commercial for a hair product. Our product is called 'Glamhairous'. Whilst filming our advert, we were able to practice different camera shots/angles for the making of our actual short film.

Our advertisement consisted of:

1-2 main characters

1 location (filmed mostly in my school)

Different shots/angles

Effects (split screens)

Voice overs/music

Props, costumes etc..

CODES AND CONVENTIONS

Having watched several short films, im going to summarize the codes and conventions of a short film.

• Time limit of approx. 20 minutes.
• Limited amount of locations.
• Maximum 3 main characters.
• Whole narrative must be included.
• Follow the same pace throughout, as would be in a feature again.
• Title sequence.
• Credits sequence.
• Social message portrayed throughout.
• Beginning/Middle/End sections.
• Must follow 180 degree rule and contain correct camera shots/angles.

SHORT FILM RESEARCH

-This is a short Animated film from Ringling College of Art and Design.

A naive music-lover's patience is tested on his quest to download music online, as his perspective on technology completely changes. I chose to show this film as it is very popular on youtube with many hits, and also has its own official website http://www.lirontopaz.com/ThisSideUp/this-side-up.html

An award winning short film by Jonathan Beamish about a troubled teenager purges her abusive past in a dream of her own making.

It is a very eerie, surreal film along the lines of David Lynch. This is a challenging insight into a bleak, unstable world that exists within the realm of immagination.

A fast paced film, which is well put together and very unique. 

The photographer makes his way through a swarm of unexpected twists and turns, with unpredictable events.

This short film gives more of an insight into other films made by the same person.  

DECONSTRUCTION OF SHORT FILMS

Sold by Nadia Attia

Synopsis: Jon Smith has all but given up on his dreams and aspirations. It's only through a strange shopping channel experience that he finally buys into the notion of happiness.

The idea for Sold was born on a lazy afternoon in front of cable at a friends' house, and was partly inspired by the film 'Napoleon Dynamite' and the director Michel Gondry. It was shot on a HDV, with a great crew & cast (including Trevor from 'Trev & Simon' fame!) and it was partly shot at Ealing Studios on a set built from salvaged materials!

*This film was written for a course at The Met Film School. 

*This film was chosen by the Film Network team through our online submissions process.

*This film is included in the film catalogue under the following themes:

Love/Hate

Outsiders

Strange Happenings

Message of the film:

-Money is not able to buy you happiness

-Take opportunities

-Don't hesitate

-Modern fairytale 

Themes:

-Desires

-Commodities

-Be active

Characters: (4)

-Jon Smith, protagonist young man

-Dee, a girl (next door neighbour who wants to borrow the ladle)

-TV presenter selling the ladles on the television shopping channel

-Wife and girl who are featured on the TV shopping channel

Location: (3)

-Studio apartment

-Sitting room/bedroom

Length of the film:

-5-8 mins


For the Love of by Chris Sheriff

For the love of' is a short film made by Chris Sheriff, telling the story of an immigrant who has moved to England in order to make a better life for his son back in Poland. The film gives us a reversed perspective on the life of an immigrant and shows us the hardships this particular man must face such as a low-paying, tedious job, a bully for a landlord and being away from all of his family and friends in a new country where he is not accepted.

Message:

Immigrants trying to make a better life or future for themselves.
Themes: 
Immigration
Characters: 
Male protagonist who is the immigrant worker and landlord.
Location: 
House, work place + streets.
Length: 
5-8 mins.


Dipper by P.J.Harling

Message: 
'Don't just a book by it's cover'
Themes:
Judging people on appearance.
Characters:
Woman, male protagonist, police man and ladies husband.
Location:
Park, alley and highstreet.
Length:
8-10 mins.
When deconstructing each short films by Nadia Attia, Chris Sheriff and P.J.Harling, I realised that there are specific conventions that each films includes. Each of these films have a maximum of 3/4 characters and locations used within. 

SHANE MEADOWS

Shane Meadows is an English film director, screenwriter, occasional actor and BAFTA winner. His first step into the world of film making was to volunteer his services to the Nottingham based Intermedia Film and Video Ltd. Whilst working there, he gained access to camcorders and editing equipment and asked his rather wary friends and family to take part in his video experiments. After creating a couple of short videos that he made entirely on his own, he realised that short film making is what he wanted his future to be. 

The first of Shane Meadow's films to grab the attention of the film-industry was 'Where's The Money, Ronnie?'. The acclaim won by this short lead to Shane being given a shot a making a documentary for Channel 4's 'Battered Britian' series. The film was called 'King of the Gypsies'.

Other short films which Shane Meadows has created are: 

The Stairwell

(This film was shot on a Nokia N90 mobile phone in 40 seconds)

Northern Soul

(This a longer short film, consisting of 30 mins)
Northern soul is a short film, filmed in the UK.  It is a dramaric short comedy, both directed and written by Shane Meadows. It follows a young man called Mark Sherbet who is obsessed with American wrestling. He dreams of becoming a professional wrestler but he has no idea what he is letting himself in for. Unfortunately for him, Mike couldn't punch his way out of a paper bag.

Valentine - Promotional music video

Serious - Promotional music video

The living room - documentary about musician Gavin Clark

Somers Town

Smalltime

Twenty four seven

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF SHORT FILMS

Different types of short films:

-Animated short - usually hand drawn frame-by-frame or created using CGI.

-Documentary short subject - usually depicts ‘reality’

-Experimental or Abstract short films - usually different from mainstream commercial and documentary films.

-Live action short - referring to cinematography not produced using animation.

-Musical short - were mostly used during the early days of sound films (from the 1920s - 1940s)

-Soundies - the early version of the music video used during the 1940s, usually including short dance sequences.

-Sponsered or Ephemeral films - usually made by a particular sponser for a specific purpose other than as a work of art.

-Travelogue films - a form of virtual tourism/travel documentary, providing information about distant parts of the world since the late 19th century.

-Very short films - usually considered to be in a category of their own. They are the equivalent of microfiction, the films are less than three minutes long.

SHORT FILMS..

What is a short film?

A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less.

Shorts films usually communicate a message throughout. Many genres used in short films are:

-Documentaries

-Abuse

-Life lessons

HISTORY OF SHORT FILMS

Before the 1920s longer films were rare so length-based categories had little meaning.

In the 20's when short films became more and more popular it was  short comedies that ran in a seriel such as Charlie Chaplin's 'Little tramp' and the 'Our Gang' films.

Although there was often no set release schedule, these series could be considered somewhat like a modern TV sitcom - lower in status than feature films but nevertheless very popular (comedians such as Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keatonall 'graduated' from shorts to features).

Animated cartoons came primarily as short subjects, as did newsreels, virtually all major film production companies had units assigned to produce shorts, and many companies, especially in the silent and very early sound era, produced mostly or only short films.

In the 1930s, the Great depression caused the distribution system to change in many countries; instead of the cinema owner assembling a program of their own choice. Studios sold a package centered on a main and supporting feature, a cartoon and little or nothing else. Later shorts include George O'Hanlon's Joe McDoakes films, and the animated work of studios such as Walt Disney Productions, Leon Schlesinger Productions/Warner Bros. Cartoons, Walter Lantz and Fleischer/Famous Studios. 

By the mid 1950s, with the rise of television, the commercial live-action short was virtually dead, The Three Stooges was the last major series of two-reelers, and the cartoon short began to fade in the early 70s, with The Pink Panther being the last regular theatrical cartoon short series, ending in 1980. Short film had become a medium for student, independent and specialty work.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-life/7593291/The-long-history-of-short-films.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_film#History

INTRODUCTION

For A2 media, we have been given the task of creating a short film consisting of 5-8 minutes along with a poster for this film and a review. This blog will be updated with each step I take, including pre-production and the final product.