NOVA Team has decided that we want to base our short film around the basis of time travel. The image shows a mind map, produced by Rachel, and rough plan and ideas that we developed, including name ideas. Now though, we've decided on naming it "Time to Time".
As part of my research i came across another A2 short film that gave me many ideas. It was called 'the waters echo' and this is where i decided i really wanted to do something working around the idea of time and time travel. I loved the ways they edited their film and used many techniques and angles, it was also very well staged and the story was told in a manner where you wanted to finish to see what finally happens.
BW/RM
We always had this previous idea of Time travel. Rachel had this constant idea of repeating what had happened but in the Time Traveller's eyes like a rewind and I like this idea I think it's intriguing it will be a tricky film to create a script about and even film but as a team we are quite strong and can soon overcome the hurdles I believe.
Ben and I had done this development video. Unfortunately it cuts out half way through which I'm talking about Horrors and Parodies but we believe that we have an idea of what we want from a short film and how we have developed.
CM and BW
"When you edit, try and get a variety of shots in there (ie close up, wide, medium, long etc.). This is especially good in a short film and makes it more exciting and if the shot selection is good enough, it will leave the viewer feeling involved, even in a short period of time.
Remember, half the emotion comes from the editing, if you get it right there will be a big wow factor, but if you get it wrong your film will look feeble. Editing is possibly the most important part of the filming process."
I am going to start off by giving a few examples of good editing and then some examples of bad editing.
The secret of editing is through continuity the first film I shall be talking about is by a personal favourite short film company, Finite Films:
This is called Stealing Time-
A crucial thing to remeber when making a short film as complicated as this is not to forget something crucial especially when using something like time travel.
For example when howard is chasing his past selves each one has to be precisely correct, in the exact position and the exact time this can be done easily through just shooting one scene and repeating but when it comes to explaining each moment facial expressions have to be precise.
the continuity is fantastic here as we have got the pho0ne call in the middle and then the phone call later on in the film.
If I was to correct this in any way I would probably have missed out the CGI on the time machine and just used sounds to show the effect. I think it looks a bit amateur especially when you are trying to show to people that this is what you are not.
A bad example of editing is by looking at this short film-
The problem with this film is that the editing is too fancy. It uses too many fades in an outs. Causing it to be quite slow. although the upside to it is that the idea of the film is that the girl is "Too Shy" so the slow and smooth editing connotes her slow and perhaps quiet persona.
I have looked at various different Short films and analysed the camera angles and realised that, as the time is not long enough the directors use complicated camera angles because there's not enough time for a complicated plot.
1. The First Shot- it's a Panoramic shot that changes into a Close-Up on the man's face. It gives the audienhce a feel of the atmosphere that's in the office. The fact that it is empty, dark and gloomy connotes the feelings of the character. Obviously shown when we see a close up of the man's face. It is also a contrast to the excitement and wonder that is then present in the atmosphere when we see the man experiencing the wonder of The Black Hole.
2. The Second Shot-a Tilt shot from the hole on the sheet of paper POV from whatever is inside The Black Hole. I like this shot as it gives the audience the first idea that the hole is something more than a mistake. It was meant to be photocopied for a reason. The angle that it's at denotes that there is a presence inside the hole, almost like another dimention. A typical concept that is often used in a sci-fi film, there is always something extra there, watching you constantly.
3. Close Up-this is a very extraordinary shot as it is a close-up of the side of the face. Showing the reaction of the person. I find there isn't much you can do with a documentary when it comes to camera angles but in terms of close ups this is the most realistic and natural that you are gonna get when it comes to catching mannerisms and makes the documentary personal, especially when you're trying to get a message through to the audience it can be very touching.
I haven''t got a short film showing this but one of my favourite angles is my fourth and final shot/angle:
4. The Dutch Tilt-I love this as it gives the film a sense of unease. I would most probably use this in my short movie as I just love this shot although I would most probabaly have to use it in the right place and time if it was used anywhere else I think it would be a pointless shot.
Non-Diegetic:
The majority of the time music is used in Short Films to create an atmosphere. For example in a romantic Short Film the sound may be slow and sensual or it could be upbeat depending on the type of romance. The video below-Post It Love- has a quiet and sweet music throughout with no dialogue it's only the editing and the shots that makes the Plot, but the score adds to the atmosphere:
Narrative-these can be used as voiceovers. Character in the picture may be the voiceover. Or the voiceover could be related one way or the other to the chracter onscreen. For example this is shown in the short film True by Tom Tykwer:
Diegesis:
Dialogue between characters is crucial and can be the making of the movie. For example the Dialogue between the two characters in this short film-Connection-is how you get the comedy accross to the Audience.
"Diegesis is a Greek word for "recounted story" The film's diegesis is the total world of the story action"
We were talking about narration today in class and the best kind of narration we said was when it came from the character in the past talking about his future or vice verser for example in American Beauty (seen below)
I learnt that there are certain ways to indicate that this is the voiceover in flesh, without physically pointing an arrow at the character. this can be done through a simple camera shot of the person getting dress and the narrator talking, the audience are obviously clever enough to work out that this is the narrator in the past or in the future.
What I really don't like is using the characters as narrators and getting them to break the 4th wall. This was done a lot in the 80's and 90's for example Malcom in the Middle and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Also a popular 80's show that broke the 4th wall is Saved by The Bell (seen below
I think when used properly you can break the 4th wall without it looking unprofessional and messy. I think when used in a comedy it can look fantastic but when used in say a horror film or a drama it looks amateur so my opinion is that to use a trick like this is very brave and can only be used professionally I would never use it in my own work.
One of my members in my group (Ben Woodier) had an idea for our short film to do with someone in confusion of what was a dream and what's real life. His post explains the detail behind the idea and bellow is the story board we came up with to get the idea onto paper to make it easier to imagine.
The main idea is that someone is on their way home and as they get in they get a glass of water or something like that, then the camera follows the person walking with the camera on the hand holding the drink, this person then is in bed and asleep when someone in a mask grabs hold of them, events like this continue and he wakes up, there is then shot with the focus just on the drink which is now blood red and the person in the mask turn up again this is when the confusion begins weather he is actually asleep or awake. Ending with him fining the mask in a bag. All this sounds very vague and as mentioned the main ideas are on Ben Woodier's blog ( http://woodiermedia.blogspot.co.uk/).
NOVA Team has decided that we want to base our short film around the basis of time travel. The image shows a mind map, produced by Rachel, and rough plan and ideas that we developed, including name ideas. Now though, we've decided on naming it "Time to Time".
