So far, I have expanded on four of my coursework ideas so that I have a range of ideas to choose from and, therefore, allow me to begin creating my coursework with a precise idea of what I'm going to make. Once I had developed these ideas I then formed a list of pros and cons surrounding each idea. I compared these pros and cons to help me make a decision. This being said, I didn't rely solely on the pros and cons to help me decide as many of the issues can be worked around through hard work and precise organisation. I merely used the list of pros and cons to help me understand what I need to do if I chose that idea.
Based on the originality of each idea and the potential for various camera shots and angles, I chose to use my Coursework Idea Three as my final idea. This idea may have been one of the hardest to do because it requires directing a dog, but if done correctly it has the ability to invoke emotion and allow the audience to empathise with the characters, despite the limited length of the sequence.
Please Read the Idea Before Reading On (Link Above)
I have decided to adapt the idea slightly, however, to make it easier to understand for the audience and make it more engaging/emotional. The first alteration I have decided to make is to add flashback sequences as opposed to implying the death of the character's significant other through prompts eg. the ring etc. Using flashback sequences will allow the audience to be shocked by the murder of the character as they can see it for themselves. Furthermore, it allows the audience to understand exactly what happened and therefore exactly what the protagonist is going through, allowing them to empathise with him more; it makes it more emotional.
Another element I have changed is how the dog is introduced. Instead of creating tension by tricking the audience into believing the protagonist is being preyed on, I want it to be out of place. For the dog to suddenly just be there and the mood suddenly grow lighter so that the dog purely symbolises hope instead of fear.
Are You Looking to Work as a 1/2/3?
I have opted to work by myself. The reason for this is so I don't have to make compromises surrounding my work - it's all my ideas. This will allow me to follow my vision without having to settle on other ideas because somebody in the group disagrees with my vision. Furthermore, working on my own means that - because the research work has not been split - I, myself, fully understand everything that surrounds feature film conventions and therefore can apply my research to it as opposed to relying on somebody else's knowledge because they did a specific research post that I didn't. Because I did the research, it's more memorable to me and therefore I can apply it better. It also means that I don't have to work around multiple people's schedule - just mine and the actor's as opposed to mine, my group member's and the actor's. This makes the filming schedules more lenient which will make things so much easier. Another advantage to working by myself is the ability to practice all elements of filmmaking because the roles eg. director, cinematographer etc. are not split. This will benefit me for any future projects as I have more experience working in all areas of cinema.
On the contrary, working by myself will carry many pitfalls too. Firstly, the workload is massive, especially compared to the other groups who's individuals have up to four times less work to do than myself because the work is split between them. I don't have anybody to split the workload, therefore making it difficult to fulfil deadlines because of the quantity of research/planning/production/evaluation work I have to do. Another drawback is if I struggle with a particular thing eg. editing. I don't have any other group members around to help me. Furthermore, performing all roles on set may be difficult, especially if something goes wrong. This will, therefore, require extra organisation skills in contrast to large groups.
What Genre are You Going To Make Your Film In?
I have decided that the genres I will be creating my film opening in will be Post-Apocalyptic Drama. The reason I have chosen Post-Apocalyptic is because it's an unfamiliar setting. The use of an unfamiliar setting is effective because it allows the audience to see the struggles of a 'widow' or 'broken man' in a weird environment to help them see emotional struggles from a different perspective and therefore create a better understanding of grief to the audience by placing the familiar in the unfamiliar to open their minds. Furthermore, using an unfamiliar environment is arguably more engaging because it's not mundane and ordinary; it's captivating because it's different which will entice the audience.
The reason I have chosen drama films is because depicting the emotional struggles of a character can invoke emotion in the audience and therefore make the film more memorable. Drama films are realistic because of their realistic portrayal of emotion, this, therefore, makes the film convincing in spite of its non-existing setting. A convincing film allows the audience to enmesh themselves in it better, therefore making it memorable. Furthermore, it's a good method to highlighting the emotional ordeals of those who are grieving by allowing the audience to empathise them. This utilisation of catharsis helps the audience apply this lesson to their own life and help support those suffering too.
Because I had a slight idea of what I wanted to do when I was conducting my research, I have created additional research posts on the Post-Apocalyptic genre and the Drama genre to have a better understanding of the genres which I can, therefore, apply to my work efficiently. Having done this extra research I know that I've done my best to help portray these genres as thoroughly as I can.
What Narrative Style Do You Intend To Use?
I intend to use a linear narrative. Although flashbacks are used, they are not extensive enough to make the film non-linear as they are just a fragment to aid the emotion as opposed to relaying key information about the story - this makes the film linear as it's told in a chronological order minus the minor flashback sequences.
The reason I have chosen a linear narrative is because it's easier to understand - especially in such a short video where so much from different time periods can only be revealed in such a short amount of time without it looking choppy or unfinished. It will prevent me from confusing the audience.
How Many Characters Do You Intend To Use?
I intend to use four different characters in my opening sequence. That may sound like a lot of characters to fit into such a short piece of footage, however, two characters are involved in a flashback that will ideally last only a second or two. This means that their screentime will be minimal however, they still play a large role in the primary character's life and therefore have a huge role in the opening. Using this many characters is risky as make the sequence look chaotic and hard to follow - however, by using minimal screen time for certain characters it will hopefully make it look less chaotic and will actually be very effective. Using this many characters is also risky as I may not be able to acquire/coordinate these many actors. This being said, two characters are in a different setting and therefore wouldn't require coordinating those actors on the same day.
What Locations Are You Looking To Use?
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| Thetford Forest during Winter |
In terms of the natural environment, I would like it to look very brown and dead as opposed to lush, fertile and green. This helps reinforce the idea of a wasteland associated with the post-apocalyptic genre. Thetford Forest is an ideal location as the plants are very brown - especially in wintertime.
What Have You Decided You Definitely Do Not Want To Do?
Firstly, the thing I have definitely decided I do not want to include is dialogue. This is because dialogue makes the opening too casual etc. and will distract the audience away from the character's emotion being portrayed through expression, body language and other film techniques. Moreover, dialogue produces many risks, which you can read in my research post here.
Another thing I have decided that I do not want to include is breaking the fourth wall. This is because my film is very serious and this technique will break away from the seriousness. Furthermore, I want it to be realistic as it is a drama film and breaking the fourth wall breaks the barrier which means the audience cannot find the film convincing as the film itself has established the fact that it's not real. This being said, I would like to 'near-break' the fourth wall by having my character looking nearby the camera in a flashback, also known as being camera-neutral. The reason for this is because it's a memory from the character so it's as though the character in the flashback is looking at that character in their memory, not addressing the audience.
Are You Going To Use Narration?
I am contemplating using narration as I feel that it would definitely allow the audience to understand what is going, which is what the exam board says is important (more information here). Furthermore, it allows the audience to learn how the character is feeling based on what he says and how he says it. This is important as conveying character emotion is one of my priorities in this piece, because it's a drama film. On the contrary, using narration is a risk because it can distract the audience away from the footage. However, this won't matter too much because the footage in my head is quite slow building.
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