Holly's blog

  what I still had left to do; I had a lot more footage but realised I had almost reached the time limit so was going to play around with the ending, of which the footage was not the best anyway, and also with the beginning too. There was also a section where there is no video, I was intending to use that to signify the filming I didn't get done however on time issues reflection I would of removed this. I did also not get a chance to import the sound I had chosen into my short film and I was hoping to figure out away to change the volume level of the argument at the start so it sounded more like it was coming from outside the room, not still the same volume as standing right in front of the camera. I also was in the process of working out how to colour correct he footage in the woods so it had more of a blue hint, in fitting with my Tim Burton inspiration.

 This is the missing poster I have created to use in the opening and final sequence of my short film. I have used a real missing poster I found on line but changed the words to fit the film and the area I live. This is my friends ring she leant me for filming. It looks enchanting and fits with my desired genre. 

Colin: He is my dad and plays one of the cloaked figures the figures just need to be tall and require no               acting, he is 6ft1.  Cassie: She is a peer at my school and a friend so I know she will take me seriously and listen to me. She plays a cloaked figure and is 5ft9. Ralph: He is my boyfriend so will have to do as I tell him. He plays a cloaked figure and is 6ft3. Suzanne: She is my mother and I have been bouncing my ideas off her she will understand my vision and help explain it to others. She plays a cloaked figure and is 5ft7. George: He is playing figure and will be a main character. He takes A Level Drama and has been in many stage shows, I know he can take on direction well and has a lot of acting experience. Natasha: She has been in lots of plays and has done drama her whole life. She also takes A Level drama and will be able to follow direction but also act on impulse.

I want the sound in my short film to capture the essence of the genre. It should be twinkly and enchanting to reflect the fantasy side of my film but yet also haunting and unnerving to reflect the horror side of my piece. It also needs to be routed in classical instruments to intertwine with my ballet inspiration. I also am a musician myself and take A level Music Technology, so to me choosing good sound for my piece id very important and something I want to be proud of. First I found this composition. It was twinkly and had bass heavy electronic sounds blended in to it. It was haunting from the vocals. This song has a good feel about it however I'm not sure if it would be the best fit. I could cut parts of it up and use them intermittently when appropriate.    This song is a waltz and incredibly haunting. when listening to it I felt intimidated and scared, I think this would be excellent to use when the figure is talking to the girl and enticing her in like prey. This next so...

My final settings: Thetford forest: I want to use Thetfort forest as it has the thick foliage to be mysterious and scary but also the right amount of wonder and magic. It is not to far away from where I live, meaning that I can get there early when no one is around to be in the back of my shots, ruining my microelements. My Nan's room/house: The scene is meant to be taking place in the bedroom of the main characters recently deceased grandmother. By using my Nans room the mise en scene is super realistic and comes preconstructed. There is a scene in another room of my nans house I have placed my two actors in front of old black and white pictures which clearly shows the scene is taking place in the home of an elderly relative(s). In a school classroom: In a classroom in east due to COVID restrictions. Similar to my nan's house, the mise en scene comes pre constructed, it it will be naturalistic and obvious that the students are in a classroom/bathroom. 

  WE OPEN ON A WIDE SHOT OF A STREET LEADING TO A SCHOOL. IT’S FULL OF MISSING POSTERS FOR THE SAME GIRL. WE ZOOM SLOWLY INTO IT. CUTS TO A POSTER ON THE FLOOR WHICH SOME ONE STEPS ON LEAVING A MUDDY FOOTPRINT. ONE MONTH EARLIER… A MEDIUM SHOT SHOWS A GIRL DRESSED IN FUNERAL ATTIRE SITS ON A BED WATER IN HER EYES. SHE IS LOOKING THROUGH A JEWLERY BOX (CLOSE UP). WE CAN HERE TWO ADULT VOICES ARGUING IN ANOTHER ROOM ABOUT THE FUNERAL. A DISTURBING FIGURE DRIPPED IN BLOOD IS STARING THRIUGH THE WINDOW AND PRESSES ITS HAND AGAINST THE WINDOW (BACK TO MEDIUM SHOT). SHE NOTICES A DAZZLING BLUE RING; IT SEEMS TO CALL TO HER. SHE HAS AN URGE TO PUT IT ON. SHE PLACES IT ON HER FINGER. (CLOSE UP) GIRL: *Gasps* SHE IS IN A WOOD (WIDE SHOT). SHE IMEADEATLY TAKES THE RING OFF AND IS BACK IN THE ROOM. SCARED BUT INTRUIGED SHE PLACES IT IN HER POCKET (CLOSE UP). THE NEXT DAY IN SCHOOL. THE GIRL SITS IN A CLASSROOM SHE IS AT THE FRONT AND LOTS OF HER PEERS SIT AROUND HER. THERE IS ONE GI...

These are some useful videos I found of how to do SFX makeup easily without spending too much money. I would also use coloured contacts.    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0no7JKSegDE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0no7JKSegDE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxJ9NfunmKA

 Tim  B urton   Timothy Walter Burton is an American filmmaker, animator, and artist. He is best known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Dark Shadows, and Frankenweenie. Tim Burtons style is called Gothic suburbia its a very distinctive style. He combines 19th and 20th century visuals and images to create a  gothic  sort of film that has dark implications hidden in a children's movie, that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. I really feel inspired by his style and work. I want my film to have a gothic feel with darker more morbid undertones.  Here is a great article I found all about Tim Burtons evolution of his unique visual  aesthetics and style article about Tim Burton's style

 Pans Labyrinth: I like the strong theme of mythical creatures and fairy-tale adventures all set in a wood Coraline: I like the the idea of the girl being happy with this new great place but then it's all really horrible and evil

  I would like the aesthetic effect of my film to be dark and gothic mixed with naturalistic images. This is fitting of the fantasy/horror genre

 

  This would be the dress worn by the main character when she puts on her grandmothers ring and in the other dimension. I think it perfectly fits being gothic and dark but still majestic and fitting of the ballet feel. 

 

  I would like to cut my film at the point of fading to white, however I have included two extra scenes just encase my final cut does not meet the time requirements. 

  This is a mind map I created jotting down all my different thoughts.

  My teacher gave me this book, as I expressed an interest in doing something mystical. I found this book a great inspiration for my short film. I was really drawn in by the feel of fairy tales, often mixed with something a little grim. I think the idea of childhood stories and fairy tales can easily be made very chilling and eerie. I like the simplistic and also visually stimulating imagery which goes along with stories. I am a big fan of a lot of Tim Burtons films and would love to include some of his influence in my piece as his work too is often based of off a enchanted fairy tale sway. I like his style of animation and could possibly include this in my own piece. This story called 'The red shoes' found in this book was particularly interesting to me as I am a fan on ballet. In my short film I want to include a ballet influence, as I feel ballet is very graceful and majestic and this fits well with the feel of enchanted fantasy stories as well as fairy tales.  ...

 According to Bulmer and Katz film is for either entertainment and escapism or for information and education. While I do believe that is important to use cinema's immense influential platform to raise awareness of important issues or educate people on historic events of tragedies as to learn from our mistakes, I think is is more for the everyman to use to escape from their busy lives. I think it is very important for cinema to entertain and allow the viewer to escape, more so than to educate the viewer. Many people across the world live in lots of different situations, some times those situations can be terrible and it's hard for those people to get out of these situations and cinema allows them to escape for an hour or two to live a different life where they can be anyone anywhere and I think that's more valuable than guilt tripping the general public. I would to like to create my short film to entertain people. I would like to maybe include a hidden message as this is not...

What is the point of them? Short films are made for the same reason as feature films. To entertain people and help them escape their everyday lives. Or to inform and educate people on important matters. This is what Bulmer and Katz suggest. Then Stewart hall says it's up to the audience how much of the education they take on and whether they agree with the message or not.  Who makes? Who is in them? Short films are often student made and have their peers or people they know in them. Some short films hold auditions for cast as a less familiar person maybe easier to feel superior to on set, giving the creator full authority. Short films are not always made by students but it's more likely as they do not have the budget or experience for feature length. How and where are they exhibited? They are often shown at film festival where lots are shown and a winner is then voted after all films have been show cased. There also countless uploaded to Youtube everyday where t...