Final Products

Short Film Double Page Spread

Short Film Poster

Final Short Film

Evaluation - Question 1

Transcript:

Short Film

In my short film, time and a countdown was crucial to my storyline. This is because Zara was counting down to this event and this clearly highlights the psychological aspect of my short film. This is because it is typically an exciting event when you are counting down and therefore this creates a twisted dark plot for my short film. This is also done in the psychological film “Gone Girl” as they also use a mid close up of a calendar; similar to my shot. This is done in the same type of way and creates the exact same effect. This enhances the psychological genre. 

Secondly, there is another closeup of a record player in my short film. This was purposely done to create a atmosphere were we have a look into the main character’s diegesis. This gives the audience a look into the attention to detail for the diegesis. The record player shot was also in slow motion which managed to slow down the pace and give the viewer a calmer watch. This nicely matched to the pace of the song in the background. This was also done using an extreme closeup in the film Whiplash. This was because the intensity of an extreme closeup matched the effect the film wanted to portray. 

The mid shot of Zara smoking creates a dark plot quickly. the shot not only is intense due to the eye contact but also because of the uncomfortable message the audience are receiving. In the film Donnie Darko this has also been done to let Donnie look straight at the viewer and make them feel on edge.

When my protagonist Zara is walking towards the garage, it is a dark and mysterious shot. This fits in with the conventions of a psychological short film as the Mise en scene is minimal for the shot and not a lot of detail is involved. The shot transitions from a mid shot to a long shot as she is walking away from the camera. This is similar in the film Donnie Darko as he is the prime subject in the shot and nothing overshadowed him. 

Furthermore, the shot of my antagonist in bed creates a more mature theme to the film. This is just accentuating her perfections and how Zara may view her as “too beautiful”. This shot being a birds eye view lets us view her in full detail and see her in the way Zara or possibly even a lover would see her. Also in the film american beauty this image is portrayed using the blonde woman laying in petals. This highlights the woman’s provocative appearance and raises the factors of how they may seem heavenly in the other characters eyes. This only maintains the typical traits of a psychological genre.

In my short film, the scene of Zara dragging the body convey a raw edge of how the body has been killed and is being shown. It brings a violent message which evidently conveys the “psychotic” characteristics the main character has. This has been also done in the psychological short film “letter”. The man is dragging his partners body and implies nothing but inevitable danger.

Furthermore, the shot of multiple images on the wall convey obsession. This is also done in the film one hour photo as the main character is standing and viewing his wall of images. This is a shock factor as it physically shows the twisted person in the film.  

To transition the shot of ivy in bed to ivy dead, i wanted to give a clear impression of how Zara preferred the outcome to be this way. This also carries on the psychological genre. By this I used the fade in transition on iMovie. This creates a smooth glide into the next frame but it also maintains the thrill within the plot. 

In my short film I used a lighting technique to portray the two characters. the character Zara is the dark and is always in the shadows and ivy is the light which is lit up with beauty. The symbolisation this gives is that Zara even sees herself in the dark and how she is not in denial. 

In my short film I used a voiceover as the main source of sound. This is in a letter form and adds personal touches to the short film. I decided i wanted Zara to be the only character to talk, as the film wouldn't be as mysterious if we heard both sides of the situation. in this case the audience are bias and believe Zara; regardless of her psychotic characteristics. It connotes the conventions of a psychological film and instantly adds a cold touch to the film. IN the short film letter this is also done and it successfully creates a thrilling plot.  

Lastly, the music i used in the background was to set a scene of mystery. The song is quite eery and sets each scene as a dark and gloomy one. The song is in the background and doesn’t overrule the voiceover in the film or any of the shots.

Magazine Double Page Spread

Firstly, to follow conventions of a typical double page spread. I used the twilight double page spread to inspire me. This made me decide to have my headline on the magazine to be a foreboding sentence towards the plot rather than the film title. This is because it creates a mode of address for the article rather than just stating the film title. This carries on the conventions of my film and highlights the psychological aspect throughout the triad of the products for poison ivy.

Next, with the images on my double page spread I wanted to show a variety of stills, action shots and candid photos. This gives a small element of the film in action and also some posed shots to convey certain messages within the psychological field. Avatar also did this on their double page spread as it gives away the beauty of the film which is an important factor for the film to get across to its demographic. This is also the same for my short film Poison Ivy.

I also used a black, white and grey colour scheme for my double page spread. This is simply due to the short film also being black and white. However, the double page spread being this way lets the psychological conventions carry on throughout the double page spread. The colours mix well and it isn't being overshadowed by any other bright colours. The only colour is for the rating and this is because the reputation of the film should be a key factor. Twilight also did their double page spread in black and white. It carries a more mature tone and it fits with its target demographic. This is similar for me and how I want this to attract to the demographic for my short film.

To commence the article for my short film, I wanted to use a drop cap to start the text. It gives a structured appearance and Is a good way to navigate the reader to the start of the article. As well as this, It is not too much bigger than the rest of the text as I wanted to focus on the overall appearance and content within the article. The articles for Twilight, Avatar and Shutter Island also have a drop cap due to the conventions of a double page spread.

Film Poster

The colour scheme for my film poster runs along with the double page spread and with the short film. I carried this monochrome colour scheme so my ancillary products all cooperate with one another. I also did this colour scheme to carry on the typical conventions of the psychological genre. The film poster’s I analysed previously were all in colour. However, I believe that my film poster needed to lean away from the typical eye catching film poster due to the story line not having a rose tinted perspective on it; ultimately it is dark and sinister and I wanted that to evidently show.

Furthermore, to lean away from conventions of a psychological film poster, I used two images to portray the story line and also the plot twist. The two images forebode the ending but this is does not reveal the entire story line or the ending. Zara’s facial expressions are also foreboding the ending. 

The movie title in my film poster is in the centre of the poster. This structures the poster nicely and runs with conventions. Gone girl, shutter island and donnie Darko’s film posters inspired me to put the film title in the centre of the poster. This is easy for people to identify the film and is eye-catching. This is also in a bold structured font. This is simply for a clean looking poster. A more extravagant font would convey it to be a happy or positive film and would also be harder to read at a quick glance. Therefore, my choice in font is successful. 

I also put the reviews of the film on the top of the poster. This enhances the quality of the film as people view the outstanding review it has received. This leads people to want to see the film and likely to remember the ancillary products to be related to one another. 

The credits of the film are located on the poster; just below the film title. This is to show the main actors names and to give credit to the people who had a contribution towards the making of the film. This is important and also runs with conventions as it has a professional appearance to the film poster.

Evaluation - Question 2

Evaluation - Question 3

Evaluation - Question 4

Symbolisation of "I've got no strings"

I thought the song "Ive got no strings from the film "Pinocchio" was a wise choice for multiple reasons. Firstly, I believe that the metaphor "I've got no strings" fits well with my character Zara as she has no longer any strings and she is free from all control from Ivy. Secondly, she see's herself as Ivy's puppet. As well as this, I thought the idea of having such a mature storyline with a murder would be highlighting contrast with this song playing whilst the credits play. The song has positive connotations and implies freedom; matching with Zara's feelings. The murder of Ivy is negative and the song is positive; they contrast perfectly. 

Film Poster - In Process

 To start my film poster, I two posed photos that I took of the girls and my main character Zara. I wanted to do one image of the two characters and then another of just Zara. I did this because the story has two dimensions and I really wanted this to be conveyed through the triad of my products. 

Secondly, There is a gap in the centre to put the film title and extra information. This is because It fits with the conventions of a psychological film poster.

Lastly, I chose these images as they forebode a lot about the story line but to an external view it seems to be quite vague. This symbolises the film and how it unravels into a dark twisted plot. 

 This section will contain the title and extra information. I have used the smudge tool to slightly smudge the photo into the white space. This will give it a cloudy/smoky look and fit with the underlying message.

 

 Here I added the smoky image into the gap. I chose to use a smoky image as the film does represent this image a lot. Furthermore, I wanted this smoky image to be in-between the two images as this symbolises the separation of the alter egos of Zara. The top image is conveying the person Ivy knows and the image below is the person that is hidden and is unleashed at the end of the short film.

I then added the people starring the short film, the film title, and the added information below. This is all central as it structures the film poster nicely.This box of information is centrally placed due to the people viewing the poster will see the film title first and they will then remember the film title due to its centrality and boldness.

After that, I added the review given by a film festival I made up. This gives an instant idea to the viewer about how high quality the short film is.This also gives a sense of thrill to the person viewing the poster; this is highlighted through the reviews and the poster having dark, smokey tones.

Double Page Spread - In Process

 To commence my double page spread (dps) I got this picture of a misty, foggy forest to set a grey misty tone to the page. I Thought this would set the double page's mode of address as mysterious and carry on the hegemonic psychological aspect of the triad of products I have produced.

I then turned the opacity from 100% to 40% as I wanted it to be in the background but still visible (not overlooking all the later features). This was to make it still visible but faint as I wanted other all the other features on the double page spread to pop whilst this is settled in the background; to add depth.

 I then added two more features. The headline "The countdown to happiness" forebodes my short film's motive and message - but this doesn't give away too much detail. I did this in the font "Copperplate Regular" in black. This is because I didn't want to add any cheesy detail and make it look friendly looking. I also added bramble which I cut out using the polygon lasso tool. This sits over the background nicely. I wanted the bramble to be able to separate two sections of text and I believe this accentuates the column structure.

 Next, I added the coverlid and the article - which is another blogpost. I did this with a stroke of 8 on as it outlines the cover line quite nicely and separates it from all the other text. I also put the Q&A in the dps. I did this in 3 columns and different colours (question = black, answers = grey). I lined them up using a grid layout.

 After that, I added the rating and comments made from the newspaper I made up and also a film festival. I also did this in a stroke. The stars not only instantly/visually tells the reader the quality of the short film but adds a tad of colour. I also added the page numbers and issue date at the bottoms of the page. This also made my mode of address for the double page spread more approachable - possibly increasing my target audience. 

I then added a still of my short film into the bottom right corner. I cut this out using the polygon lasso tool and it adds visual appeal to the page. From my target market research I gathered that people would prefer seeing a variety of stills and posed photographs in the double page spread.

 I then added the multiple images from the film into my double page spread. I did this also using the guide layout. This gives people an emotion to expect when watching the film but this does not ruin the whole surprise and shocking aspect of it.

After that I then added the four black rectangles into the double page spread. These contain the director's name, editor, interviewer and producer. This is a personal touch to the magazine/double page spread.  

Finally, I added the short film of the month logo that I created into the top right corner. This makes it look like the magazine features short films and is a nationally/globally read magazine. The film weaves in with the overall look of the magazine. Yet again, people will see this along with the reviews and expect a greater performance and overall short film.

Article for my Double Page Spread

I will have my double page spread to be set out in a Q&A format. This is because the short film is set in a serious mature tone and I wanted to portray the fictional part of it. Therefore, the article  is set in a chatty tone - to show the fictional outrageous characteristics the character Zara Teller has. 

The article:

The successful film Poison Ivy has taken the nation by a storm as the breath-taking film captures you and takes your mind on to a psychological path. Detail magazine have been lucky enough to meet Ellen Maskrey the girl who plays Zara teller in Poison ivy and we discussed the film and how she has made us fallen in love with her in a obscure, psychological way. 

Q1: Hello Ellen it is a pleasure to have you here! so how has it been since the premiere of “Poison Ivy”? 

Hello, thankyou for having me! Oh my god things have been incredible, people in the industry are welcoming and I honestly couldn’t of expected a better reaction to the film.

Q2: So we’ve all heard since Poison Ivy, you’ve been thinking about doing a few more films in the next coming year. Is this true? 

Yes this is true. I love acting and if that means I can do what I love as my future career - it would be an absoulte dream. I never expected the reaction to my debut film and I am looking forwards to starting new fresh projects and doing what I ultimately love. 

Q3: Ah that is what everyone has been wanting to hear! so during the filming of “Poison Ivy” how was the relationship between you and Megan Wilgress (Ivy Allen)? 

Over the course of filming, me and Megan made a bond which was honestly what I wanted. She is so lovely and I couldn't of imagined doing it with anyone else - she's truly amazing. 

Q4: Ah that's so good to hear. So from what age did you know you was destined to act? 

Well that's funny actually as I never thought I was that good at acting and never believed in myself. So I never believed in myself. But it was when I was auditioning for a bunch of cheesy adverts that I realised I want to do this but on a more mature level. 

Q5: Ah so no stage schools or acting clubs then aha! so what are you doing for the christmas holidays? anything exciting?

Aha no, i was no where near confident enough for those kind of things. for the holidays i will be travelling up north to my parents house and my sisters will also be there. I love family time as it makes me not forget where i came from and keeps me humble. I have such a great relationship with my sisters - so it’ll be really fun.

Q6: that is so amazing! thankyou so much for joining us, it has been an honour to have you! one last question, where can you see yourself in 10 years time?


thank you for having me. i would like to have done some more work and possibly settled down, i want to have fun and live in the moment but in 10 years i can see it all calming down and i can then live the normal parent life aha! thank you again, it’s been so much fun!

Symbolisation Of Light

When looking at a image, a painting, a video etc; I always focus on the lighting in the picture. I see what has the most light and was is in darkness. From there I interpret the lighting and try to understand the painter/photographer/directors meaning of the light. Typically, I see the most lit thing to be the subject that the creator wants the most attention on, and the dark objects to have less attention as they're hidden. below are a few examples that I clearly see this representation.

Editing Photos For my Double Page Spread & Movie Poster

I subtly touched up the blonde girl's features using the spot healing brush tool. This did not have to do a lot but I thought it would make her glow more and that is what I was striving for.

Equipment For my Short Film/Photographs

To take my photographs I used a Canon EOS Digital Camera which made my photographs and filming appear in high quality and look clear. I also used a tripod to steady the shots which ensured the photos to look structured. I considered using a dolly for my moving shots but they turned out to look too smooth and the slight vague handheld effect suited my short film more overall.

Alterations to the structure of my Short Film

I have made a few alterations to my short film. This is because when it came to filming I saw some frames to work out better than the originally planned ones. I have flipped a few frames around as when editing it seems to make more sense when watching it. I have added a few more mis en scene frames, which gives the audience more of an idea of what these two characters are like.