SCRIPT

No visuals are shown for the first 30 seconds of the film. First part of the voiceover will be played over the top of a black screen. 

HOLLY

Its funny isn't it. We live the first 18 years of our life complaining and moaning about our parents, not knowing that everything can change within an instance. Suddenly your life is flipped upside down, turning it into something all people would have nightmares about. Suddenly its like your life is smothered in loads of different emotions. Sadness, regret and now all the bad things you've said about them come back into your mind. Your 18th birthday was meant to be one to remember. And mine defiantly was but for the wrong reasons. My name is holly, and this is my story...

VISUALS- House Scene, 

Extreme Close-Up of Hollys eyes opening quickly, then zooming out to see her lying in bed, no makeup. A POV shot from Holly's eyes looking at her clock to see what time it is. Then back to Holly, fading to white.

Fading from white to her washing her face in the bathroom, doing her everyday chores, washing her face, getting ready for the day ahead. 

HOLLY

I never thought I would ever have a life where my parents wouldn't be around. Not being there to watch me grow up, graduate from university, see me get married to the man of my dreams, not having my dad walking next to me down the aisle and never giving me away whilst mum sat in the front row seat she always wanted, sobbing her heart out, looking after my kids when I need a break, my children never knowing how wonderful their Nan and grandad were. Their lives taken away from me before they even started and its left just me. Alone, very alone. Getting lost in my thoughts, attempting to clear my mind. I just stop and think what if we didn't go out, what if i didn't say i wanted to go out for my birthday, is it my fault my parents are dead? My dad was always a true believer of 'When the time is right, it will happen'. Every night, i lay in bed and think 'was that really the right time!?' because i don't believe it was.

VISUALS..

I am, well was… very much a daddy's girl, obviously i loved mum unconditionally but, dad and i had this bond, this special connection, we were so close, always together, messing around in the garden and just generally having a laugh ill always remember a time when i was a little girl and daddy picked me up and sat me down on his lap. I remember the words he said to me as if it was yesterday.'Don't ever let somebody tell you, you can't do something. Not even me. If you've got a dream, you've got to protect it and that if you wanted something, you had to go and get it.' This has stuck with me since i was old enough to remember, he has really inspired and motivated me to succeed in what ever i want to do. To hold onto my dreams and make the best attempt i can to make them come true. 

VISUAL..    

HOLLY

My mum was a wise woman, always knew the answer to my problems. She always used to say to me wherever there is a problem, theres a solution.

The camera is faced up to the sky you can see the sun through the trees. You can hear the birds tweeting.

HOLLY

I love the way my mum knew when I was upset, she would look at me, head tilted and she opened her arms and warmly invited me in, she always smelt as fresh as a daisy.

While she says that she is sniffing a daisy and looking at the camera.

HOLLY

My mum was beautiful. i miss her so much. I miss the way she used to scream my full name when she was mad at me, i miss the way she used to hassle me every five minutes to do things, but the thing I am going to miss the most is seeing her everyday.

A quite piano piece starts to play peacefully in the back ground. Slow motion clip of Holly walking and turning around facing the camera walking backwards, then turning back around as she has turned completely around the camera shows a ECU of just her eyes, while this shot is happening the dialogue is going on. Each question she asks changes to a different facial part, Her Eyes, Her Nose, Her Mouth, Her Ears and the back of her head (showing all of her hair.)

HOLLY

Where are they now? are they happy? are they safe? can they see me? what do i do now? just get on with life? learn to live with the fact my parents are dead?

VISUALS 

HOLLY

Nothing is or will ever be the same without them. Everyone used to say to me 'Your 18th birthday is going to be one to remember' and it is... one that i remember because its the day i lost my parents. The two people I loved no matter what. Two people that are meant to be around to guide you as you are growing up. But I don't have that anymore. When i see people walk along the street laughing and joking with their parents. I envy those people. I get so jealous because that was taken away from me by someone who was too harsh to even care who he hurt. 

VISUALS

HOLLY

I do everything for them, dedicate everything I do to them. I just really hope they are proud of me. 

CONNECTION - Evaluation

For the past month and a half, I have been creating a ten minute drama just using a single camera. After a lot of consideration, I chose to base my piece around a very common subject that is hard hitting for a lot of the audience. My film portrays the feeling of sadness felt by my character that the fact that she lost both of her parents on the day of her 18th birthday. The film follows Holly on a journey through woods and fields as she goes over how she much she misses her parents and blames herself for their death.

This was an individual piece and is all of my own work. I took on all the roles needed to create this production including Director, Producer, Camera Operator, Editor and Casting Director. With a little help from my colleague Oliver Potter, I was able to create a hard hitting script as well. With the list above, it proves that I undertook a lot of responsibilities during this project but i have to say one of the most challenging roles for me was the camera operator. This is because I didn't fully plan the shots that i wanted to use throughout my film so when it came to the day of filming, I didn't have any idea what i was doing. One of the easiest and most enjoyable jobs i had throughout this process was becoming the editor. Editing is one of my favourite things to do in a production process as i have a wide range of knowledge about Final Cut Pro and was able to apply all of my skills into this project.

I think there are a lot of strengths about my dilm and in my opinion, I think I handled the sensitive storyline very well and in an appropriate manor towards the audience members effected. My actress played the part of the girl better than i expected. As she is taking a BTEC Diploma in Performing Arts, I had confidence that she would be able to portray the correct feelings and emotions and she did but even better. Using different facial expressions to express the feelings really helps the audience understand how the character is feeling. The amount of shots I gained in filming was another one of my strengths because I was able to to have more of a choice when it came to the editing process. During post production, I think the editing process was one of my major strengths because i used a lot of different filters and speed changes to create a more emotional piece. The use of the soundtrack really added more emotion to the voiceover. I really liked the fact that is was an instrumental cover of a famous song as it can relate the audience if they have bad memories of the song.

I will never think that I have a perfect short film because there are some errors in the film breaking the flow on continuity. As i lost part of my footage due to having a broken SD Card, i had to film some of the scenes again. The actor work the same costume but forgot about the hairband on her wrist. It isn't majorly noticeable but i know it is there.  In the future, i will make sure that i look very carefully at the actor and what she is wearing before reshooting. Not sticking to my contingency plan was one of my biggest mistakes as it caused to have have to waste time in re-filming some of my film. This caused me to waste a lot of valuable editing time. In the future i will make sure that i save all my footage and sound recordings in more than one place so that if the SD card does break again or even get lost, i will still have the footage i have shot.

Overall i think that this whole project has been a success for me and i am hoping it is worthy of a distinction but that i will not know until results day. I genuinely think that the film could of had a lot of potential to be better but with the time frame that i was given, i am happy to think that i have completed the brief given to me to the best of my ability. I have really enjoyed undertaking more than one role on this individual project because it gave me a better understanding to what it is like in the industry and the pressures they face on a day to day basis. In the future, i would give myself a clearer structured time sheet so i know what I'm going to be doing at all times but overall i think i handled this project really well considering it is the first time i have ever worked on my own.

PRODUCTION - Still Images

CONNECTION - FINAL EDIT

PRODUCTION; Filming Diary - 17th May 2014

DATE; 17th May 2014

TIME; 15:30pm

LOCATION; Field

EQUIPMENT; Canon 600D, Tripod, Boom Microphone

COSTUME; Checked Shirt, Leggings, Converse, Hairband on wrist

ACTOR; Hollyanne Hill

WHAT HAPPENED?

After picking Hollyanne up from her house, we made our way to the location, a field situated down 'Truelove Lane' Mountnessing. After assessing the sound in the environment, I filmed all the shots I needed. Overall i gained 17 minutes of footage for editing. 

After filming all the shots needed in the woods, we made our way to the second location. After assessing the surrounding sounds and working out where to film, we filmed all the shots needed and returned to the final location where we filmed the voiceover and some of the final shots. 

PAUL - Scene Recreation

By recreating scenes from either films or TV programmes, it really helps the camera operators to understand that with just a little imagination and the resources around them, you can recreate a scene from any form of media. Using the studio lighting we had and the sony cameras, as a group of 4, we managed to recreate the scene showed below from the famous 'Pulp Fiction'.

Using Dominic Kehoe and Joshua Bennett as actors, we asked them to stand in the position they thought the men were standing in. After they had finished, Karenza and I re-adjusted them so they looked more like the picture. 

Using the black curtains behind, we created a gap which seemed to be a window like shown in the picture from the film. By using the lights available to us in the studio, we turned on the ones needed. As the light seems to be too white and natural, we added red gels to create a more orangey light. We also turned down the lights that were too bright creating a dull, dark effect. 

Placing the camera in the correct place was the easiest past of the task. This is because it was in dead centre infornt of the actors shown in the picture from the film. Below is a picture of our recreation;

PRE-PRODUCTION; Storyboard

SCENE; 2
SHOT; 16
SHOT TYPE; CU
DURATION; 0:00:12
LOCATION; WOOD
DESCRIPTION; PAN of HOLLY looking in air.





SCENE; 2
SHOT; 18
SHOT TYPE; ECU
DURATION; 0:00:19
LOCATION; WOOD
DESCRIPTION; Tilt of HOLLY looking past    camera.

SCENE; 4
SHOT; 
SHOT TYPE; MS
DURATION; 0:00:14
LOCATION; FIELD
DESCRIPTION; Camera follows HOLLY walking through flowers.

SCENE; 4
SHOT; 36
SHOT TYPE; MS
DURATION; 0:00:07
LOCATION; FIELD
DESCRIPTION; HOLLY walking through plants - shot of hand

PRE-PRODUCTION; Shot List

LINK;

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1R-_NG9_h9_qYg_fYbZxGzCwohtThk031DFz3Jd1QhWo/edit?usp=sharing

PRE-PRODUCTION; RECCE - Shenfield Woods

Release Form - Shenfield Woods

Risk Assessment - Forest

Proposal

South Essex College,

Luker Road,

Southend-on-Sea,

Essex,

SS1 1ND

Dear Mr Cousins,

    As an independent production company, I propose to produce a short film that will fit in the genre of hard-hitting drama. I thought it would be a good idea to have one single actress who has been through a tragic incident that tore apart her family. After a lovely family day out, Holly's life is turned upside down when her car, containing herself and both of her parents, was struck by an oncoming vehicle causing them to overturn, killing both of her parents instantly. Being told they didn't stand a chance and being left to fend for herself, Holly moves in with close relatives that help her to grieve for the lose of her family. Even after a year, Holly is still reliving the accident in her dreams, causing her to lose sleep and fail in school. When the year anniversary death comes round, Holly chooses to go and visit her parents grave. After leaving the cemetery, going for a walk is thought to be the best idea to clear her head. Walking through woods and fields, Holly is taken away in her thoughts, thinking about what her father used to say to her when she was little and all the fun times she used to have with her mum and dad as a family. Using a voiceover, it will seem like Holly is in a dream. Like she is dreaming about her family being back with her and all the good times they had together. Going back home, lying in bed after a long day, a picture of her and her parents is shown to end the film. In the post-production phase of this film, I was thinking of doing some of the shots in a dreamlike state, fading them to white and also adding a little blur. This would make it more believable and more like a wish as Holly is almost wishing her mother and father are back with her. 

    The locations I have chosen are very specific to the happenings in the film. I chose to film the majority of my film in a field. An open space resembling freedom and openness. By doing this, the audience get the impression Holly has the freedom to express her feelings and emotions about the loss of her family and also be able to run away with her thoughts without anyone getting in her way or anything distracting her. I specifically have chosen to use a bedroom as the starting location for my film as it can be seen as some peoples place of comfort. A place where people go to get away from things, to protect themselves from the outside world. This is where is have chosen for Holly to be when she is having her nightmare. Showing that even though she is in the safety of her own bedroom, her fears of reliving the incident that killed her parents is still apparent. 

    The main character in my video will be played by one of my close friends, Holly Hill, who is currently studying a Preforming Arts Degree at Palmers College. I believe that she will be able to portray the character really well, incorporating her own insight on the characters emotions and feelings to the situation. Also with her experience in Performing Arts, I know that with her extensive knowledge, she will be able to portray the character to be best of her ability. 

    When making this film, I intend to capture an audience with the age range of 15 to adult. This is because some of the issues raised in the film may seem disturbing for younger viewers. After a short discussion with my colleagues, they also agreed that it would be a good idea to aim my film at this age range as it is less restricting to what content I can include. A general summery of my film is that a girl goes through a tragic incident causing her to lose both her mother and her father. The one year anniversary of their death comes around, Holly is still left with the mental images of that dreadful day.  Going for a walk to clear her head, Holly allows herself to get taken away by her thoughts, walking through fields, woods and other open spaces. 

    Some of the major participants in the making of this film are South Essex College as they will be providing equipment needed to film the video. A close friend will be taking part in the film too. Some of my colleagues will also be helping me with some initial ideas and also wight eh production process. It will also be an advantage that my colleagues can give me feedback throughout the post-production process. 

    The overall look of this film will be quite dark in some places and then light in others. The contrast between dark and light will be one of the major binary oppersites in my film. Good vs evil will also play a part in my film. Most of the fades and transitions between shots will be added in the post-production process. Adding slow motion to the video swell will also make it more impacting to the audience and help the audience understand the emotions and situation of the character a little better. 

Yours Sincerely,

Rosie Smith

Treatment

Introduction;
My short film will last approximately 10 minutes and will contain just the one actor. I will be performing the majority of the production crew roles including the director, camera operator and chief editor.

Outline;
- Concept
    - A family day out turns into a family tragedy when Holly and her family are involved in a horrific car accident. After tragically losing both her parents and her little brother, Holly is left to fend for herself, living with close relatives that help to her to grieve for her family. Even after a year, Holly is still reliving the accident in her dreams, causing her to lose sleep and fail in school. When the one year anniversary of their death comes round, Holly chooses to go and visit her parents at the cemetery. After leaving the cemetery, going for a walk is thought to be the best idea to clear her head. Walking through woods and fields, Holly is taken away in her thoughts, thinking about what her father used to say to her and all the fun times she used to have with her mum and dad as a family. Using a voiceover, it will be like Holly is in a dream. Like she is dreaming about her family being back with her and all the good times they had together. Going back home, laying down in bed after a long day, a picture of her and her parents is shown to end the film.

Budget;
Every production has a specific budget to stick too and as I am working on this project myself, I had the task of coming up with a realistic budget to stick too. After thinking this through, I believe that £20 will be enough. With this small amount, we will be able to afford minimal travel prices if needed to get to locations and if we need to buy certain elements such as props, I will be able to go to charity shops to buy them or even save some money and borrow them from family members or friends. As I will be closely collaborating with South Essex College throughout the entire process, I have been given permission to use their facilities for free. This will include equipment hire and also the use of the college campus as a potential location. I thought that this will be a major help as it will reduce my budget a lot and I won't need to make the budget a priority throughout.

Personnel Involved;
There are usually a lot of different people involved when it comes to making a short film. As I will be completing this task as an individual, I will be undertaking most of the main roles needed in a production team. The director will be one of the easiest roles to undertake as I like to have control over something that I am passionate about and they are also one of the biggest roles throughout the whole production. They are involved in all 3 processes (pre - pro - post) and have the last word about all ideas and changes that will happen. The camera operator will film all the different shots and is involved in more of the pre-production and production stages. They can have an involvement in the editing stages and I think because I will be filming as well as editing, it will come as an advantage to me because I will become familiar with the structure of my shots and the order they go in. Hopefully this will speed up the editing time as well. The other roles such as Art Director, Health and Safety and Editor will be undertaken by myself but will be sorted throughout the process. These roles aren't my priority but they will always be a part of the production process.

Contingency plan;
My contingency plan is very basic and clear because I know what I am going to do if something goes wrong. For example, if a piece of equipment breaks, I have planned to have a backup camera which will have the closest quality I can find to the previous camera. The location may become unavailable on the day of shooting so I have planned to have a second location that is very familiar to the first in place as this is liable to happen. As my actor is a close friend of mine, I know that I will be able to rely on her not to let me down but if it comes to it, I have 2 understudies who will be able to step in and take the place of my original actor. As one of my locations is outside, I have to be careful about the weather. If this does become a big problem, I have already decided another idea without using the location outdoors. Weather is common to ruin potential filming days so this is going to be one of my priorities on the day of filming.

Research;
During the initial ideas stages of this process, I completed a lot of research as I knew what I wanted to include in my short film. Knowing that I wanted to use a voiceover and that I wanted to be impacting and rememberable, I wanted to use some quotes that have impacted me over the years. Working with films that I love, I found a famous quote from the popular film 'Titanic'. The quote goes as follows; 'Now you know there was a man called Jack Dawson, and that he saved me. In every way that a person can be saved… He exists now, only in my memory.' I like this quote because it really relates to the past, missing someone and really committing to someone that died a long time ago. I think Holly could relate to this because she is saying that she is still committed to loving her parents even though they are not with her anymore. One of my favourite films, 'The Pursuit of Happiness' includes a really inspiring quote where Chris (Will Smith) is explaining to his never to give up on his dreams, no matter what people tell him. The quote goes like this; 'Hey, don't ever let someone tell you, you can't do something. Not even me. Alright? You gotta dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. You want something, go get it. Period?' I think this quote is very inspiring and it is something that any parent would say to their children. Making sure they don't give up on their dreams, making sure they don't fail in lives. This quote will fit in very well with the genre of my film and make it more impacting to the audience as it can hit home as most parent have said stuff like this to their children and children have probably heard it from their parents.

Progress So Far

Entry One

After discussing with Ollie some of my initial ideas, it became apparent to me that I really wanted to use the idea of having a voiceover onto a visuals. With the visuals having no sound at all, it will make it more impacting to the audience as they will be able to really listen to what is being said.

Main Idea
I got the idea from the popular film 'Titanic' where an older Rose is talking about her love for Jack Dawson, a man she courted against her fathers wishes on a once in a life time trip on a cruise ship that was said to be unsinkable. After losing Jack in the tragedy as the ship sunk, Rose then gave her name out as 'Rose Dawson', taking Jacks name to prove her on going love for him. At the very end of the film, there are a group of people sitting in a dark room, listening to Rose talking about her love for Jack. One of my favourite quotes from this part of the film is the following; 'Now you know there was a man called Jack Dawson, and that he saved me. In every way that a person can be saved… he exists now, only in my memory.'  This quote is really touching and I really think it would fit in well with the genre and the idea of my film. Another famous quote that I would like to use is from a popular film 'The Pursuit of Happiness' when Will Smith is determined to tell his son never to give up on his dreams. The quote goes as follows 'Hey, don't ever let someone tell you, you can't do something. Not even me. Alright? You gotta dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. You want something, go get it. Period.' This quote has stuck with me and impacted me ever since I first watched the the film.

Using these quotes, I am hoping to create a speech to be spoke above visuals of a young girl walking around a place where she remembered her father who was killed suddenly from unexplained circumstances.

Techniques
Throughout my film, I want to use a lot of fade to white and also fade to black as it is almost going to be like a dream/memory being relived. The film I am hoping to create is going to be inside an old lady's thoughts. Reliving old memories of her father who she loved dearly.

Location Ideas

Here are some pictures of one of the locations i am going to use.