Film specification

The Brief:

Create a short film in it's entirety, lasting approximately five minutes, which may be live action or animated or a combination of both, together with two of the following options: A poster for the film and either a radio trailer or a film magazine review page featuring the film - 60 marks

 

Research & Planning Evidence:                                                                                                                                                 20 marks

Your blog must contain all evidence of research and planning conducted to produce the work.

 

Evaluation:                                                                                                                           20 marks

 

Using your blog you will produce an evaluation covering the following questions:

 

1.       In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

 

2.       How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

 

3.       What have you learned from your audience feedback?

 

4.       How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

 

 

Your instructions:

In groups of up to 4 people you must make a short film that is appropriate (and appeals successfully) to your chosen target audience. 

You have to decide who the audience will be (demographics) and how your film will be distributed and exhibited to that audience.

 

 

WHAT SHOULD THE FILM BE ABOUT?

§  Your film must have the theme of, or make reference to, TIME and also TECHNOLOGY.  It needs to feature a prop which is a box or a piece of jewellery.

§  You must make use of one or more narrative concepts to help to tell your story.

§  You must select a genre or hybrid for your film.  Follow Lacey’s schema of genre to ensure you follow some of the codes and conventions but you might also challenge some conventions to offer something new / refreshing to the audience.

 

 

GETTING STARTED

Brainstorm some ideas:  Creating a pot of creativity!!

§  List films that already use time as a concept

§  In what ways do they use time as a concept?

§  What technologies could you include?  (Think of some that may be relevant to your audience or to the narrative of your film).

§  How could the prop of a box or jewellery be used in your film?

§  What could happen in the film?  What is the conflict?

§  Who or what could the film be about?

§  When and where is your film set?

§  What genre is it?

§  How will mise-en-scene help to communicate meaning?

Write your answers on post it notes or present in poster form and photograph these.  You can then turn them into an animation and upload this onto your blog.

§  Think of an appropriate title for your film. 

§  Consider the rules of short film making and create your own list of rules for making a successful short film.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION:

§  You must use studio lighting for at least one scene.

§  Within your filming you must ensure you have used the following shots:

An extreme close up                      An extreme long shot                    A point of view shot (subjective  shot)

A mid shot                                          A low angle shot                              A high angle shot

§  You must use the following edits:

A cross cut                                          Shot reverse shot                            Matched cuts                   

A motivated cut

CREATING THE SOUNDTRACK / SCORE / MUSIC:

§  All sounds used must be copyright free. 

§  You can compose your own music / soundtracks / scores using the Garageband software.  This is very easy to do.

§  You can ask local / college bands to provide tracks. (Permission forms must be completed by the song writers / owners) or you can use copyright free music.

§  Remember, it is unlikely for films to have one song throughout the film, think of how to create an incidental score which heightens the mood of the actual film.

§  Also pay attention to other sounds – voice over, dialogue (must be clearly recorded and fully audible in the final mix), sound effects.

 

              Essential Planning and Research:

§  Who is your target audience and why?

§  What is the purpose of your film?

§  How could you get funding for this if it were a real product?

§  Where do you expect your film to be exhibited?

§  How will you distribute / market your film to target your specified audience?

§  Once you have selected a specific audience you must conduct audience research – questionnaires, online surveys, video focus groups to find out what they do / don’t like about short films.  Explore genre preferences, style preferences, where they access short films, what media they use most often, etc.

§  You must continue conducting audience research throughout the planning and production stages to ensure your audience like what you are producing.

 

Film Planning:

 

§  Write a synopsis for your film.

§  Split your film into scenes.

§  Produce a storyboard or step outline for your film.

§  Produce a locations list, props list, cast list.

§  Produce a filming schedule.

§  Conduct a recce check and complete risk assessment forms.

§  Complete permission forms of all actors in your film (to give consent to Internet exhibition.)

 

Before October half term you will be expected to present a pitch for your film idea. 

This will be filmed and can be added to your blog.  This will be treated as a professional pitch so you must dress suitably and prepare a presentation of some kind.  Think of The Apprentice or Dragon’s Den.

 

 

§  Filming will begin straight after October half term.

§  The filming needs to be completed by Christmas. 

§  Time will then be given to producing the ancillary tasks and completing the evaluation.

§  Attendance is monitored.  You will lose planning marks if you miss lessons.

§  All students must participate fully in the practical work.  You are being assessed at all times.

§  Aim to produce interesting, creative films.  Enjoy yourself and work professionally at all times.