After looking at what my audience have come to expect when watching films, I am now going to discuss some cunning ways to meet these certain pleasures:
• Realism (mainly for males)
• Shock
• Surprise
• Romance (narrative)
Firstly to make this short film realistic, it is relied upon two things in particular. It is going to need a sharp, down to earth narrative and good actors. There is no way my short film is going to be realistic with a cheesy plot and unconvincing actors.
To give me an element of shock in my film, I have got to make my camera work and editing outstanding. I need to use the camera and editing software to keep the audience guessing. For example I will try to cause a bit of confusion by having a quick edit pace. Also by not using too many long shots so the audience do not have much of an inkling what is going on, then I hit them with something special at the end for example.
The touch of surprise can be enhanced by the contribution of the soundtrack. I do not think in this type of film it is necessary to have any speech, just like in ‘spin’. I can make the soundtrack sound very basic and normal at the start so that the audience do not think anything peculiar is going to happen. Then the soundtrack can really come into its own when the surprise in unveiled, by getting faster and louder.
Now getting romance in my film is down to one thing and one thing only, the narrative. Taking into account how the likes of quick edits and so on can really cause shock and surprise, I think it would be brilliant if these quick edits could be going back and forth between two different stories. I will keep you posted on this.
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Saturday, 23 January 2010
Sam: Target audience for my film
When making any film it is paramount you research into your proposed target audience in depth. I will now need to look at what the best ways are to achieve this.
Firstly the narrative or plot of a short film really has to be spot on if you want it to appeal to a certain audience. Generally speaking, romantic films with happy endings appeal to the female audience. Whereas it seems that clever, subtle and non-obvious narratives interest males. Therefore to target my proposed audience this is something I will definitely keep in mind when scripting and storyboarding my film.
Another way to appeal to an audience is the costume the characters are wearing. As I want this film to attract your common adult, I feel it will be best if it is set in an outside public place, for them to wear between casual and smart casual clothes. This is primarily what your normal adult would wear in a shopping centre for example.
That brings me on nicely to the setting of my film. After watching ‘spin’, I like the thought of having it were a lot of people are going to be at one time. This would make my short film realistic, as this will mean it is more likely things are going to arise and have a knock on effect to people around them. Also it will need to be somewhere any adult can relate to, for example a ballroom dance in a mansion is not going to interest the audience I am looking to target. I will keep you posted on my different Ideas for the setting of my film throughout the project.
Firstly the narrative or plot of a short film really has to be spot on if you want it to appeal to a certain audience. Generally speaking, romantic films with happy endings appeal to the female audience. Whereas it seems that clever, subtle and non-obvious narratives interest males. Therefore to target my proposed audience this is something I will definitely keep in mind when scripting and storyboarding my film.
Another way to appeal to an audience is the costume the characters are wearing. As I want this film to attract your common adult, I feel it will be best if it is set in an outside public place, for them to wear between casual and smart casual clothes. This is primarily what your normal adult would wear in a shopping centre for example.
That brings me on nicely to the setting of my film. After watching ‘spin’, I like the thought of having it were a lot of people are going to be at one time. This would make my short film realistic, as this will mean it is more likely things are going to arise and have a knock on effect to people around them. Also it will need to be somewhere any adult can relate to, for example a ballroom dance in a mansion is not going to interest the audience I am looking to target. I will keep you posted on my different Ideas for the setting of my film throughout the project.
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Sam: Short film inspiration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP59tQf_nj
This was definetly the sort of inspiration I needed to make a decision on my narrative. This is going to be the short film im going to base my own film around, but i will also definetly try and put my own touch to it aswell. Whilst looking at some useful information on short films, I will be trying to pull some ideas on a storyboard template.
This was definetly the sort of inspiration I needed to make a decision on my narrative. This is going to be the short film im going to base my own film around, but i will also definetly try and put my own touch to it aswell. Whilst looking at some useful information on short films, I will be trying to pull some ideas on a storyboard template.
Friday, 15 January 2010
Sam: Decision on the form and target audience of my film
After some research on narrative structure and pleasure and expectations of films, i think i now am ready to make a decision on the form of my film and which audience i will attempt to target. Personally when talking about this issue to former member of my group, i wasnt too sure about an animated short film. After exploring and enquiring about the level of software we have in our school, I thought it was best we dont no pursue with animation. As said before the other option was a drama peice based around a clever narrative. I am sure this suits me best as I can definetly relate to this more from my AS projects. So I now have to scan the web and other resources to gain some inspiration on the actual narrative or plot of my film. After talking about having a brief target audience in my mind earlier, I can confirm I will be targeting both males and females of a young age and above.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Sam: Pleasures and Expectations of films.
When making a short film it is a well known fact that the audience watching are going to have certain pleasures and expectations. What these exactly are depends on which audience you are trying to target and in what genre. In my head I have an idea of targeting a broad audience in typical drama film. This would realistically mean young adults and above.
One pleasure I think all of this audience expects is an element of shock or surprise. For example, an unexpected end is a good way of doing this. As my film will be targeted for males and females I need to find a nice blend of these two tastes. I think we know, without being too stereotype that women tend to like soppy and really romantic films. Furthermore females seem to show their sympathy a lot more than males, meaning they love to feel sorry for someone, or at least one emotional scene. On the other hand, a significant pleasure men expect, almost an unwritten law is to not have too many tears, and for their to be a good degree of realism in a film. Again another dilemma I face is that females like to know exactly what is going on in a film, whereas men like a touch of mystery.
I feel these are the main pleasures and expectation I will need to think about.
The techniques used to go about meeting these pleasures and expectation will be discussed later.
One pleasure I think all of this audience expects is an element of shock or surprise. For example, an unexpected end is a good way of doing this. As my film will be targeted for males and females I need to find a nice blend of these two tastes. I think we know, without being too stereotype that women tend to like soppy and really romantic films. Furthermore females seem to show their sympathy a lot more than males, meaning they love to feel sorry for someone, or at least one emotional scene. On the other hand, a significant pleasure men expect, almost an unwritten law is to not have too many tears, and for their to be a good degree of realism in a film. Again another dilemma I face is that females like to know exactly what is going on in a film, whereas men like a touch of mystery.
I feel these are the main pleasures and expectation I will need to think about.
The techniques used to go about meeting these pleasures and expectation will be discussed later.
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Sam: Narrative structures in films (Vladmir Propp)
After research about this topic i found that when looking at narrative structure its essential you understand that it assist in the way the story is told and shown, not the actual story itself. This was the best summary i found of exactly what a narrative structure is:
"The narrative structure help defines the story. It needs to be structured to help the viewer understand the message contained within, giving the film meaning throughout."
Evidently, every film needs this structure as the fil would have no meaning which therefore disadvantages the viewer from understanding the story.
A writer named 'Tzvetan Todorov' has a rule of five conventional stages in he thinks is used as a template when writing the narrative. These 5 stages are:
"Stage 1- A state of equilibrium is defined.
Stage 2- Disruption to the equilibrium by some action or crisis.
Stage 3- The Character(s) recognition that there has been a disruption, setting goals to resolve problem.
Stage 4- The Character(s) attempt to repair the disruption, obstacles need to be overcome to restore order.
Stage 5- Reinstatment to the equilibrium. Situation is resolved, a conclusion is announced.
He believed there is far more clarity in your film if you stick to these conventional stages. However this stage do not have to be used chronologically. For example you often see the conclusion being announced (stage 5) at the top of the film.
Propp
Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp born on April 17th 1895 was a Russian formalist scholar. Propp extended the Russian Formalist approach to the study of narrative structure. In the Formalist approach, sentence structures in narrative had been broken down into analysable elements, or "morphemes". Propp used this method by analogy to analyse folk tales.
When analysing 100 different films he came up with 7 main character types which are:
1. The villain — struggles against the hero.
2. The donor — prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.
3. The (magical) helper — helps the hero in the quest.
4. The princess and her father — gives the task to the hero, identifies the false hero, marries the hero, often sought for during the narrative. Propp noted that functionally, the princess and the father cannot be clearly distinguished.
5. The dispatcher — character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off.
6. The hero or victim/seeker hero — reacts to the donor, weds the princess.
7. [False hero] — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess.
Hopefully this research on Todorov and Propp will help me make a well structured conventional film.
"The narrative structure help defines the story. It needs to be structured to help the viewer understand the message contained within, giving the film meaning throughout."
Evidently, every film needs this structure as the fil would have no meaning which therefore disadvantages the viewer from understanding the story.
A writer named 'Tzvetan Todorov' has a rule of five conventional stages in he thinks is used as a template when writing the narrative. These 5 stages are:
"Stage 1- A state of equilibrium is defined.
Stage 2- Disruption to the equilibrium by some action or crisis.
Stage 3- The Character(s) recognition that there has been a disruption, setting goals to resolve problem.
Stage 4- The Character(s) attempt to repair the disruption, obstacles need to be overcome to restore order.
Stage 5- Reinstatment to the equilibrium. Situation is resolved, a conclusion is announced.
He believed there is far more clarity in your film if you stick to these conventional stages. However this stage do not have to be used chronologically. For example you often see the conclusion being announced (stage 5) at the top of the film.
Propp
Vladimir Yakovlevich Propp born on April 17th 1895 was a Russian formalist scholar. Propp extended the Russian Formalist approach to the study of narrative structure. In the Formalist approach, sentence structures in narrative had been broken down into analysable elements, or "morphemes". Propp used this method by analogy to analyse folk tales.
When analysing 100 different films he came up with 7 main character types which are:
1. The villain — struggles against the hero.
2. The donor — prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.
3. The (magical) helper — helps the hero in the quest.
4. The princess and her father — gives the task to the hero, identifies the false hero, marries the hero, often sought for during the narrative. Propp noted that functionally, the princess and the father cannot be clearly distinguished.
5. The dispatcher — character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off.
6. The hero or victim/seeker hero — reacts to the donor, weds the princess.
7. [False hero] — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess.
Hopefully this research on Todorov and Propp will help me make a well structured conventional film.
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Sam : Reflection of the project
After hearing about ryans departure earlier in the year, lloyd being a close mate of his, reviewed what his aspirations were in life. After alot of confusion in the past months on whether he went to pursue a job outside school, it was finalised by our teacher that I would be going it alone on the project. Whilst the confusion sent me off track a little bit, I now know i can get on with what ive been wanting to do on my own terms. At first it was a shock , knowing every decision would be my own, but i feel you have got to take it as a positive. I will take lloyds storyboard research into account when making my own. In the coming days im going to look generally at narrarive structure, pleasure and expectations of all short films. Furthermore with my audience research in mind this should lead me to some important decisions on the making of my own film.
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