Conventions of a Short Film

Audience Research, Script Survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5S5PTKC

(Have a go at my survey while you're here!)

 



Having a script means that I can get a rough idea of what the audience will think of the film before all the fiddly, difficult stuff. For example, if people really hate the ending, then I can act on that before I shoot.

 

It's also helpful to have it read by many people so if there's elements that are unexplained, then I can redraft and not have a short film with unintentional unanswered questions.

Directors Research

Narrative Analysis

Applying narrative theory to my short film has allowed me to explore ways to effectively tell the story I want to tell using the medium of film, as well as looking at which ways it is conventional.

Work that I admire

Having mentioned a small number of short films I've enjoyed in an earlier post, here I'm going to talk about some different ones that I have watched since, and discuss the influences that have appeared in my script and may come across during shooting.

I'm Here - 2010 (dir. Spike Jonze)

While it boils down to a very simple love story between two robots, presentation is key here. The script is touching, polarising but ultimately conventional and plays many similar tropes straight which in a postmodern world can be appreciated.

Jonze presents a robot, Sheldon (played by Andrew Garfield in his natural english accent) who is lonely and unfulfilled with his life as a second class citizen. World building is quick and efficient with Jonze introducing the prejudice and lack of care for robots in the opening scene as Sheldon sees a robot broken in half in a car accident lying in the road getting no attention.

The love story here is effective with a sweet and moving relationship presented between Sheldon and Francesca. Sheldon's life and happiness is improved, with Francesca bringing joy into his life - encapsulated in a single moment where Sheldon returns home to find numerous paper-mache Mice constructed. She is bring art into his life!

The polarising aspect occurs in the climax where after Francesca, after being increasingly irreponsible and self-destructive has most of her body destroyed. Sheldon then gives his entire body for her, leaving just a head. While this seems to be intended to be sweet and uplifting, I just found Sheldon a bit pitiable.

That being said, for a short running time, Spike Jonze's result of combining love with a bit of science-fiction for such a short running time serves as a masterclass of introducing elements and dealing with changes in characters.

My short film, Brew, tells the story of someone realising that they're not happy and is offered a chance to change that. While the running length is likely to be a sixth of the length of I'm Here, having seen this film has shown me some storytelling options as well as giving me a huge influence in regards to cinematography.

Short Film Festivals and Channels

History of the Short Film

History of the Short Film

Similiar Product Research - Posters

One of the tasks I will need to complete is creating a poster for my short film. To do this I am looking at other posters that are likely to be similar (in tone and style) to the one I will create.

Another Earth (2011)

Another Earth is an indie sci-fi film about another Earth appearing in the sky. This event is explored through the character of Rhoda who is seen on the poster. The narrative told in the film uses this event as a backdrop to tell a much more human and tragic story which is reflected on this poster.

While Another Earth is a feature, I consider it to be very similar to many short films as it is primarily about two characters and their relationship and doesn't answer every question the audience would have about the new planet. This poster reflects this as it includes the protagonist (played by an unknown, attractive actress) as its main focus with the sci-fi background rooting it in genre.

It is a very simplistic poster, with no credits to director, actors/actresses or companies which is due to its position as an indie film and likely a debut film for the director and cast. To attract its audience (which wouldn't be very mainstream due to its unconventional storytelling choices) it announces its winning of the Sundance Film Festival - a very popular festival for premiering of films in search of distributors. This victory would attract an audience who enjoy films that are good.

Also furthering its simplistic appearance is a very basic colour scheme which consists of mainly blue and whites. Whereas many blockbuster/mainstream movies use garish, bright colours (pretty often blue and orange) to scream for an audience's attention amongst the other loud, bright movie posters, any audience that would see this film would be paying attention to the poster in the first place and likely want to see it for the fact it isn't a loud, bright movie and promises something more thought provoking. 

What I would be likely to take away from this poster is it's ability to convey the nature of the story in such a simple way, using a very basic colourscheme and imagery.

Paperman (2013)

Paperman was a Disney short film shown to audiences before Wreck It Ralph, a feature film. It's an animated film which returns to Disney's 'traditional' 2D animation with a few updated innovations. The film is entirely in black and white - save for the red lipstick seen on the paper airplane. 

Like Another Earth, Paperman focuses on a simplistic image. Paperman doesn't explore its characters as much as Another Earth did which is why the main character isn't shown prominently. It's about what happens to the characters; not who they are.

The famous Disney logo is the only text (aside from the title) on the poster. Disney is an acclaimed studio and including its name guarantees an audience.

What I could take away from this poster is that it isn't necessary to feature your actor prominently on the poster. Although Paperman is an animation, it's likely that the actor who plays the main character wouldn't be seen on the poster anymore than this one: ultimately it depends on the film.

Robot & Frank (2012)

The first thing that strikes me when I look at this poster is that it looks like a romantic comedy yet also completely different. Posters for rom-coms are almost entirely composed of a colour scheme that features reds and whites - the choice here to use yellow makes the poster stand out yet seem familiar.

The plot of Robot & Frank is akin to a romance comedy in some respects - two characters, very different, learn to love each other as they get to know each other. The film soon gets very more unconventional but the initial root in familiarity 'prepares' the audience for what to expect.

Unlike the other posters, the actors names are featured prominently here. While none of the cast would be able to draw an audience in on their own merits, the combination of "That guy from X-Men" and "The girl from Armageddon" would also help root the audience in familiarity.

The main character - Frank - is played by an unknown actor. The quoted review would help ease any potential audience that may be on the fence about seeing a movie starring an actor who may be awful. The review praises the actor's ability and with the Sundance credit marks the movie as something distinctive.

This is undeniably a poster for a feature film with a larger cast than a short film could deal with however the initial, primary image of Frank and his Robot is brilliant in it's simplicity, with the yellow bringing a focus to that.

Similar Product Research - Main Task

Eager to understand what it is in a film that makes it significant and covey meaning, I looked to what some have considered one of the greatest movies of all time - certainly one of the most significant ones for the genre. Knowing how meaning is conveyed will help embed meaning in my own video.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly Meaning Alysis

Ciaran Davis - ‘The Huge Snooze’ Exploration

To make the best possible short film, it is necessary to see what has come before to develop knowledge of the medium - You have to be able to know the rules before you can be break them.

I’m looking at a previous piece of coursework - a short film called ‘The Huge Snooze’.

The Huge Snooze - Ciaran Davis from Haydon Media on Vimeo.

The film comes across as an authentic homage and ribbing of the film noir genre as it plays with the tropes of the ‘femme fatale’ and the sleazy private detective.

Opening with a beautifully appropriate soundtrack and title card, the film’s progression into opening credits reminiscent of those included at the start of many film noir movies the viewer could be fooled into believing this is simply another entry in the genre. 

However, by the time the protagonist declares proudly that he is ‘a dick’ the humour and affection for the genre is seen.

This is continued with the visuals. The atmospheric opening shot of Mr Mallow lighting a cigarette surrounded by darkness sets a precedent for the rest of the film which thankfully is consistent.

While there does seem to be a necessity to accommodate the pre-written monologue - with a few shots that linger a little too long while the narrator describes what he and the viewers can see - the humour is ever present lighting the noir tone.

With great lighting, set design and cinematography The Huge Snooze fits comfortably amongst other film noir movies.

Looking at his ancillary tasks, what I appreciate most is the acceptance (and embracement) of the film’s existence as a short film with no attempt of presenting it as a feature. I would consider that to be a fallacy as the distribution and viewing of short films is completely different to features.

This is why Ciaran has chosen one of his reviews on his poster to be by Sight and Sound as opposed to Empire which would not regularly review a short film.

The main focus on the poster is a still from the short film which has been edited slightly. The visual of a man looking through a window surprised fits in well with the film noir genre and definitely would encourage someone who saw it to enquire more. The use of a single frame as the main image is likely something I will do for my poster too.

The review page looks effective as if it was from a magazine. The choice to focus on the actor’s career as opposed to a review presents it as a film that already has a presence in the reader’s mind, with the writer referencing made up events to create that illusion.

Looking at the work Ciaran has done for his Media Coursework has definitely helped me put thought and consideration into making a high-quality short film with accompanying tasks that appear genuine and consistent.