Genre research

Moodboard

This genre research will influence the production of our short film as it has given us ideas about how we can film the short film, such as identifying the types of shots, lighting and cinematography we can use.

Proposal for Short Film

Outline of concept/plot
The short film starts with four teenage girls who are best friends - the protagonists. One of the girls suggests that they should play the Ouija board after school as she has heard that there is a ghost in the school. They all agree to do it and go to a dark room in the school where they begin to play the ouija board. They ask it questions and it begins to move and answer the girls questions. All of a sudden, the room goes pitch black for a second. When they light the candles again and put their torches on, they realise one of the girls has gone missing. They all decide to search for her around the school. One of the girls finds her missing friend dead in a room. She starts crying and runs to tell the others. She finds her other friend and hugs her, crying uncontrollably. Suddenly, the girl she is hugging stabs her as she has been possessed by the spirit. This is the twist in the narrative. The last girl who was also looking for her friend sees this happen and runs as fast as she can to escape the possessed girl. She is trying to start her car but her engine is not working. The possessed girl appears in the back seat and covers her mouth. This is the end of the short film, and this will shock the audience.


Target Audience and Scheduling/Distribution
The target audience will mainly be female and around 15-20 years old. This is because the main characters in the short film will all be female and around 18 years old. Also, some of the content may not be suitable for under 15s as it will include some violent, gory content. The ethnicity will be mixed as there are characters of different ethnicities in the short film. The interests of the target audience may be watching horror movies. The location of the target audience will be London as the short film will be filmed in East London, and therefore those living in London will be able to relate to the locations in the film.
The short film will be distributed to our target audience via YouTube. This will be suitable as YouTube is a platform that enables anyone to create and upload any type of video content such as short films. Furthermore, YouTube is mainly used by a younger audience. Therefore, this will allow our short film to be watched by a large young audience.


Genre and Themes
The Genre of the short film will be Horror.
The Props used will involve fake blood, ouija board and candles.
The Recurring characters will be the four teenage girls, but mainly the girl who becomes possessed in the film, as she kills the three other girls one at a time.
The Sound will involve suspenseful and tense music as well as different sound effects such as a door creaking, a loud scream, loud breathing, and a loud bang.
The Cinematography will involve very slow moving camera pans to build a tense atmosphere, as well as a focus pull, changing the viewers attention from one character to the other who will be in the background.
The Lighting will be very dark, low key lighting, which will reflect a creepy atmosphere.
One key theme my film will explore is death. This will be shown when the possessed girl kills her three friends.


Setting and locations 
The film will be set in the modern day in London. We have chosen this setting as it will be suitable for our audience because they will be able to relate to the era and setting, as they will live in London and are living in the modern day.
The main locations will be inside of our school, Chadwell Heath Academy. The first location will be inside a room, which is also known as the drama studio at our school. This is a large room where we will be able to sit down in a circle and play the ouija board. Furthermore, it will also allow us to have low key lighting and will have a range of lights in the room. The next location will be in the corridors of the school where the girls will be looking for the missing girl. The final location will be outside, but inside of a car.


Personnel and job roles
I will be the director of the short film, as I feel that I would be good at directing the cast and my partner and have had a lot of previous experience when producing media products.
Both my partner and I will be camera operators and editors. We will both share responsibility of the production and post production of the film. When I am acting, my partner will be the camera operator and vice versa. The camera will have to be placed on a tripod and not operated whilst my partner and I are both on screen, as we are both actors in the film. We will both edit the short film together to ensure both of our ideas and editing techniques are applied to the short film, which will enable us to produce the highest quality short film.
The actresses will be:
Maheen - will be 1/4 of the group of teenage girls. I feel that she would be a great actress in the film as she is confident and enthusiastic. We have also offered to be actresses for her short film in return, and so she will be more likely to give her full effort.
Manpreet - will be 1/4 of the group of teenage girls. We have chosen her as she is very outgoing and reliable. We have also offered to be actresses for her short film in return, and so this ensures she will give her full effort.
Simran (me) - will be 1/4 of the group of teenage girls. I will be a good choice as I know how I want the character to act in the film, and so by being an actress, I feel like I will be in full control of how the character is portrayed. I will also be 100% committed and reliable as it is my short film.
Nierraja (partner) - will be 1/4 of the group of teenage girls. My partner will be a good choice as it ensures that she will be committed and reliable, and will put all of her effort into it, as it is also her short film.


Legal and ethical issues
The BBFC certificate for our short film would be a 15. This is because, BBFC guidelines states that the film should be classed as a 15 where "There may be strong threat and horror" and also states" Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury". Therefore, our film should be classed as a 15 as it includes violence and horror.
One issue of intellectual property which would affect our short film is copyrighted music. This is because, there will be a lot of copyrighted music online. Therefore, to resolve this we would have to find copyright free music that suits our horror film. This can be found on websites such as YouTube.
One ethical issue which may affect our short film production is that one of our actresses are under 18. This means we would have to gain permission from her parents/guardian for her to be involved in our short film.

Initial Ideas

DSLR Camera settings video

                 https://youtu.be/OOUmq3mVouM               

Final Idea Discussion Video

                 https://youtu.be/ixjawN2C2JI               

Lighting techniques

Sources of light

Direct lighting is the absence of light on any other side except the side with a single light source. This type of lighting can create glares and shadows which can create a dramatic atmosphere. Furthermore, the direct lighting will allow the focus to be on a certain object which will make it stand out from the shadows.

Indirect lighting is light coming from all sides in the photo. The light is more evenly balanced and the light reflects from different objects and onto the main subject. In areas where natural light is lacking, indirect lighting can provide the feeling of natural light, enhancing comfort and alertness.

Natural/Ambient lighting is light that is already present in the scene, before any additional lighting is added. This makes the scene look realistic and natural.

Artificial lighting refers to any light source that is produced by electrical means. This makes the setting look more natural, by making low dull ambient light more brighter and emphasising the subject.


Lighting equipment for Film and Television

Studio lighting rigs are the different lighting equipment fixed to the ceiling of a studio using bars. This will have a wide range of different lights to cater for all moods and requirements. 

Simple three-point lighting is the most common and basic lighting setup used in film and tv. The key light is the brightest light placed to one side of the camera so that this side of the subject is well lit whilst the other side has some shadow. The fill light is at medium light intensity and is placed on the opposite side of the key light. This is used to fill in the shadows created by the key light. The fill light will be softer and less bright than the key light. The back light is placed behind the subject and lights it from the rear. It provides more definition around the subjects outlines and helps separate the subject from the background. This creates a three dimensional look.

Barn doors are light modifiers that shape and direct light. The barn doors are flexible and can be moved to create more focussed light on the subject. They have four hinged doors around the light source which can also create shapes such as squares and circles. When the barn doors are open, there will be more light on the subject, whereas when the barn doors are closed, there will be less light on the subject. 

Par cans are used for lighting stages and theatres. PAR stands for Parabolic Aluminium Reflector as the reflector helps to concentrate the shining light and gives the light an oval shape. There is usually a space for a gel frame near the front of the PAR cans, as colored gels are inserted into the frames to provide illumination in a variety of colours.

Fresnel Lanterns are soft-edged spotlights that offers control over the angle of the beam. A Fresnel lights beam is adjustable because you are able to move the lamp and the reflector closer or further away, by using a screw mechanism or a slide. These are used when focussing on a subject from a further distance.

Light panels are portable LED lights that come in a variety of sizes and lighting strengths. These are very easy to use as they can be taken to different locations when on set of filming.

On-camera lights are lights that can be fixed onto a camera. They are usually small and high powered. These are used when not much lighting is necessary.

Redheads are portable large standing 1K open face tungsten lights which simply means a 1000 Watt bare light bulb in a reflector with no lens. They are very harsh bright lights and may be too bright to be directed at a person's face, and so are often reflected onto the subject.




Reflectors are tools that are used to reflect existing light onto the subject.  A traditional white reflector simply bounces the light, and the light produced is nice and soft. A silver reflector doesn’t change the color of the light much, but it is a bit brighter than light reflected off a white one. Gold reflectors are designed to change the color of the light by warming it up a bit with an orange tone. Reflectors can also be used to fix odd shadows on the face, or even to prevent a backlit subject from becoming a silhouette.

Softboxes emulate natural light, which makes it ideal for frontal lighting. With just the right amount of power, it creates a broad coverage that’s great for softening shadows and lighting up more of the scene in front of it. Its interior lining—reflective silver or neutral white—is used to alter the quality of light.

Creative use of lighting for effect

1. Lighting can be used to direct the viewer's attention to a specific area. For example, using the three point lighting technique helps to focus on the subject in the middle of the shot and makes them stand out from the background.
2. Lighting is also used for shadows and highlights. Different types of lighting equipment can be used to enhance or lessen shadows/highlights. For example, three point lighting can get rid of shadows on the subjects face, and both sides will be evenly lit. More focussed lights such as par cans can create focus on the subject but create shadows and darkness on the other areas the lights are not focussing on.
3. Lighting can be used to establish excitement in a film/show. This can be done by having bright high key lighting as it creates a sense of happiness as bright lights usually reflect excitement. 
4. Lighting can be used to establish fear in a film/show. This is usually done by having low key lighting to create a suspenseful and creepy atmosphere. There will also be lots of darkness as it will make the audience feel on edge and anything can emerge out of the shadows.
5. Lighting can be used to establish passion in a film/show. This can be done by having warm lighting as it creates a romantic and intimate atmosphere. 
6. Chiaroscuro refers to the extremes of low and high-contrast lighting to create areas of light and darkness in films. This applies especially to black and white films. Often the light would only illuminate half of the subject’s face, while obscuring the other side, giving them a three dimensional shape and volume.

Group Discussion Video for Initial Ideas

https://youtu.be/jkyiYAAPU08

Analysing Past Students Short Films

Analysis of DSLR Camera settings to produce Cinematic Footage

DSLR Cameras

DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. It is a digital still image camera that uses a single-lens reflex mechanism. A DSLR works by manipulating light. When the shutter is pressed, the mirror flips up out of the way, the shutter slides open, and light coming from the lens takes a straight shot to the imaging sensor where a photograph is made. DSLR’s have several different camera modes such as creative auto, portrait and manual mode. This allows photographers to take different types of pictures. For example, the manual mode allows the photographer to control the exposure of an image by letting them select an aperture value and a shutter speed value. The DSLR Camera that I will be using is called the Canon EOS 1300D. 

Manual Mode Controls

1. Aperture controls the brightness of an image that passes through the lens. It is expressed in an 'f stop' or an 'f-number'. A large aperture is measured using a low f-stop number, such as f/2. When the maximum aperture (lowest f-stop number) is used, this is referred to as “shooting wide open” which means it is letting in the most light possible. Whereas a small aperture is where less light is being taken in and is measured using a high f-stop number, such as f/22.  An example of aperture being used can be seen in the photograph below. A wide aperture (left) creates a bright, and focused effect whereas a narrow aperture (right) creates a low brightness and is best used when the brightness is too high.

        2.  Depth of Field is the distance between the nearest and the furthest objects giving a focussed image. The depth of field can be controlled by the aperture, the focus distance and the focal length. For example, a large aperture, being close to the subject and a longer focal length will give you a shallower depth of field. An example of a shallow depth of field can be seen in the film ' The Social Network'. A shallow depth of field allows the audience to focus on the character in the center of the shot. This shot is also using selective focus which is where depth of field is used to isolate the subject.

       3.  A Focus Pull is a technique used in cinematography in which the focus is switched from one subject to another during a shot. This is used to pull the viewer's attention from one subject to another during a scene. An example of the focus pull be seen in most films (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT_qv9ptauU). For example, at 1:13, the camera is focusing on the people talking in the living room. Then the focus changes as the two main characters enter the shot and start talking to each other. This is used so that these two actions can be captured within one shot, and tells the audience what they should be focussing on in the film.

Types of Camera Lenses

1.    A Standard camera lens produces an image that is a similar angle of view to the human eye. This gives shots a natural effect. 

2.    A Wide Angle camera lens produces a wider angle of the view than a normal lens. It allows you to fit more into the frame and are best used for wide landscapes.

3.     A Telephoto camera lens is designed for taking photographs of subjects that are of a far distance.

4.     A Macro camera lens is designed for taking photos of small subjects at a very close distance. They are able to focus much more than a normal lens which allows you to capture more detail of the small subject. 

5.      A Fish-eye camera lens is a type of wide-angle lens and is able to capture an extremely wide image, typically around 180 degrees. This gives shots a very abstract effect. 

Use of Exposure Control for effect

1.      Shutter speed describes how quickly or slowly the shutter on the camera opens and closes again. A fast shutter speed means the shutter is open for a shorter period of time and is able to freeze action of the subject, whilst a slow shutter speed means the shutter is open for longer. 

2.      ISO is a camera setting used to brighten or darken photos. A higher ISO, will increase the brightness of the photo. Therefore, ISO is useful when taking dark photos as the brightness can be adjusted via the ISO setting. 

3.      Light Trails are colourful streaked moving lines across the image rather than just a fixed point of light. They are usually created by the headlights of moving cars on a road. It is created by lowering a cameras shutter speed where light is captured over a long period of time, with every passing vehicle having its lights tracked over the visible distance of the road. 

Frame Rates for different effects
Frame rate is the speed at which images are shown

1.     25 FPS is the standard frame rate for cinematography in films and television broadcasts. It produces the same effect of real life movements and so is used when trying to make the film/tv show look natural. If a video is captured at 25 fps, that means each second of video shows 25 distinct still images, maintaining realistic motion. Most films that people watch are often filmed in 24 or 25 fps. This makes the film look realistic and flow smoothly. 

2.     High FPS refers to higher frame rates than normal (anything over 30fps). This is good for capturing a lot of action in films. Furthermore, an extremely high frame rate is used to create slow motion footage. An example of high fps being used in films can be seen in the movie 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' where the entire movie was filmed at 48 fps. This was done to make the film look less real as the middle earth in the film was supposed to be fantasy and not look too real. Furthermore, 48 fps allows for the creation of very smooth slow motion scenes in the film.

3.     Lower FPS refers to lower frame rates than normal. This is used for time lapse photography and  stop motion animation. Also, early motion picture films used 18 fps. This creates a fast motion effect in cinematography and is used to speed up time. Examples of a lower frame rate being used can be seen in this clip (https://kizny.com/services/timelapse-cinematography/). This is useful when time lapsing a certain environment, and is used in films to show that a lot of time has passed.

Conventions of a short film: TICK

Analysis of Conventions of Short Films

I will be analysing conventions of short films to understand and identify the different conventions I can use in my short film. The main conventions of short films include a small number of characters, a twist in the narrative, minimum dialogue, a small budget and a duration of between 5 and 30 minutes.



1. INSide (https://vimeo.com/27387850)

One short film convention used in the film is the characters. For example, at 3:00 several different characters are denoted on screen. Many types of characters are used to connote that the main character (the man sitting down), is suffering from a split personality disorder and all of these characters are inside his head. Therefore, this convention is used effectively as it helps the audience to identify why the young man is in a mental institution.


Another convention of a short film that is seen in this film is a twist in the narrative. This is denoted at the end of the film at 4:40 to shock the audience. Throughout the film, the audience was convinced that the lady questioning him was a doctor. However, at the end of the film, the real doctor enters the room and the audience now realise that the lady questioning him before was just another person inside his head.

Lighting is another convention that is used in this short film. Low key lighting is denoted throughout the film. The use of shadows and lack of light helps to create a suspenseful and tense atmosphere. This will make the audience feel on edge as they will not expect characters to emerge out of the shadows (0:48).

The setting is also a convention of short films as there are only a couple of different locations that are in the film. The setting is established at the beginning of the film at 0:25. The main character is in a locked room and is then taken by guards to see the doctor. This connotes that the film is set in a mental institution. Therefore, this will help the audience to understand the narrative and where the main character is.

One of the most important conventions of a short film is the duration. Short films usually last 5-10 minutes. This film lasts for 5 minutes. The duration of the film allows the audience to identify whether it is a short film or a long film. Therefore, the audience will be able to engage in the film constantly without any distractions.



2. Money Box (https://vimeo.com/103315539)

One convention of a short film is Sound. There is often minimum dialogue, if any. In this short film, Money Box, there is no dialogue and only a minimum amount of sound. This will help the audience to focus on the visuals of the short film and allows them to interpret the narrative of the film.

A Twist is also a convention included in the short film. It can be seen at the end of the short film at 4:30 where the money box has stolen all of the mans money. This will surprise the audience as it is unexpected. It also changes the narrative of the film as this is where it reaches its climax.

Characters are also a convention used in short films. In 'Money Box' there is only one character in the film, a young man, who is the main focus of the film. This allows the audience to engage with him and understand his thoughts and emotions throughout the events of the film.

A convention of short films include the genre. The genre of 'Money Box' is drama. This is connoted in the film as the drama genre is usually based on real life situations with realistic characters, storylines and settings. It also involves a rise in tension as the short film develops. This can be seen throughout this film as it slowly builds up to the climax where the power in the town goes out for a second, and when the power turns back on, the man realises that all his money has gone.

The Budget is another short film convention. The budget is usually a very small amount in short films. In this film, there is a prop, the “money box”, which is the main focus of the film. This prop would be the main cost for the film, as the area around him is public, and the other props are most likely already owned by the creators of the film (e.g. the mans jacket).

3. Mobius (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO9n4aOQi00)

One convention of a short film that is used in 'Mobius' is a twist. In the film, there is an unexpected turn in events as the journalist who witnesses two men shooting another man, ends up being the innocent man being shot. The film connotes that this loop will continue until it is broken. This will shock the audience as they did not expect the journalist to be killed.

Another short film convention used in this film is abstract creativity. The storyline and themes of the short film are very unique and abstract. This short film is very original as there are no other films that follow a similar storyline. Therefore, this film can also be identified as a niche.

Four characters appear in this short film. Short films use a very small number of characters compared to long films. This allows the audience to focus more on these characters and identify their personalities and actions more closely. There is also a main character in this film, as he appears on screen for the whole five minutes. This allows the audience to understand who he is and what he is doing.

The genre is also a convention of short films. The genres of 'Mobius' includes western and action. This can be connoted by the use of guns, car chases, the setting of a desert and the characters who are dressed as cowboys. This allows the audience to identify the genre's of the film and helps them to understand the film better.