Research
This page will present a review of different research sources I have consulted for my project. The page will showcase my research plan and research activities that I have conducted to answer my research question which underpins my project. The evidence of my research includes:
Research plan, subject research ( literature and resources reviews), target audience research, skills and techniques research and production research. I will conclude with the research report where I will write about my research findings.
Research Plan.
Literature and Resources review.
Introduction:
This is a review of different literature and resources I have consulted for this project and how it influence my further research, study and development of the final idea for my project. I will first present the requirements for my creative media production project detailing skills and techniques for my project. I will then present the findings of my topic / subject research and explain how similar media products influence my project.
Research Question.
Recently due to the rise of interest in true crime as well as fictional crime, I have been enlightened to the topic and gained an interest: specifically with detectives and different types of cases. For that reason, my final major project is a crime, thriller short film named “The Ring”. My research will hopefully determine my aims with this project as well as how I am learning to achieve them.
“The Ring” is about two detectives investigating a crime scene. Bobby, one of the detectives, stays with the body and analyses the wounds for clues. Fred, the other detective, explores the crime scene looking for evidence. While looking around, he discovers a ring. As he picks it up, he remembers Bobby wearing the ring on the predicted day of the murder. As he lifts the ring, Bobby is behind him, holding a gun to Fred’s head.
For my research, I will be conducting Primary and Secondary research with the use of a range of media such as videos, online sources such as websites, books, and other people to help get answers to the questions I am researching.
Here are the Questions that I am asking:
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How do I achieve the feel of the Crime/Thriller Genre?
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How do I build up a good plot twist ending?
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Who is my Target Audience?
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What are my Target Audience's thoughts on my idea?
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How do I successfully do a Rack Focus?
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How can I make my camera movement and shots more unique?
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What Locations are available?
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What Actors are available?
Requirements for my creative media production project.
In this section, I will be explaining the job roles that I will be responsible of within my own project. I will be stating what the role involves, the qualifications are needed to reach this role, what transferrable skills are needed to carry out this job, and how I can contribute to the project with my role.
Director:
The Director of a film is the creative leader of the process. They withhold the creative vision throughout all 3 stages: pre-production, production, and post-production.
The job role involves working with a screenwriter to create the script, working with producers and casting directors to select actors, working with the director of photography (otherwise known as the cinematographer) to develop their envision, they also work with actors before properly filming to rehearse choreography on how they would like the actor to move within the shot and how to deliver their lines. They also instruct the lighting, wardrobe, and make-up supervisor members to achieve the look that they want. They then lead the editing of a film which they produce a “director’s cut”, a famous example is Zack Snyder’s director’s cut of Justice League, which the producer will review before signing off the final cut (Screenskills, n.d.)
There are multiple ways to become a director. Some examples are going to university or college, producing, and releasing self-produced films or working towards the role in the film industry going from a runner, to potentially an assistant director. For university, 2 to 3 A levels are usually needed for acceptance and for college, Level 3 diplomas in film and television production, performing and production arts, creative and digital media, or a T level in media, broadcast and production are recommended. Volunteering at small television sets or film projects also helps as it builds connections and allows you to gain experience (National Careers Service, n.d.).
The skills needed for this role are in the following:
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Leadership
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Ability to focus on different tasks accurately and efficiently at once
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Initiative
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Media production
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Communication
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Work well under pressure
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Teamwork
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Computer literate
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Ambition
(National Careers Service, n.d.)
I can contribute to my project with this role as I will be able to take charge of my project and capture my vision that I have of my short film. I will also be able to direct my actors into what I want them to do, for example, facial expressions or body movement. This role also allows me to take complete control of the post-production work, which is otherwise known as the editing process, which I have multiple ideas for.
Producer:
The Producer is usually the driving force for the film and is in charge of the financial and practical side of the filmmaking process. They are first to get involved with the process and is the person to spot creative opportunity of a production, making them the overall decision makers.
Producers will either come up with the story idea, hire writers to create a story or purchase and secure rights to a script created by a screenwriter. They have to decide on the scale and budget of the film and then source the financing from investors, studios, and distributors. They hire and work with directors and discuss creative ideas to approve production costs. They also solve potential problems throughout the filmmaking process. It’s their job to create a good working environment and have to constantly communicate with all sections of the film crew to make sure everything is running smoothly. They are usually the one to hire the crew and actors. They are legally responsible for all health and safety issues of the crew on set and the delivery of the completed film at the end of production (Screenskills, n.d.).
Like a director, there are multiple ways to become a Producer. The most common ones being university or college, in which you’ll need either 2 to 3 A levels or a Level 3 diploma in either creative media production or film and television production. A T Level in media, broadcast and production is also good. Apprenticeships are also a good way of becoming a producer which usually require 5 GCSE’s including maths and English. Similarly, to a director, working your way up from a runner on a film set or volunteering within the industry will help build connections and gain experience which is a viable option on becoming a producer. There are some other routes like going through a broadcasting company such as BBC or ITV as they offer training schemes (National Careers Service, n.d.).
The skills needed for this role are in the following:
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Leadership
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Ability to focus on different tasks accurately and efficiently at once
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Initiative
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Media production
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Communication
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Work well under pressure
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Teamwork
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Computer literate
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Ambition
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Flexible and open to change
(Screenskills, n.d.)
I can contribute to my project with this role as I will be budgeting the whole thing and I will be able to change plans if need be.
Director of Photography:
The Director of photography, otherwise known as the cinematographer, are responsible for the visual side of the film. They research locations and are in charge of the camera crew to achieve the best possible lighting and colour for the scene at hand.
They work closely with the director and examine the screenplay to come to an agreement about the look and feel of the film. They will go on to research on how to create the look through lighting, framing, camera movement and what crew and kit they will need to help achieve this feel and look. They are responsible for making sure every shot is usable and making sure to let the crew know when it’s not. They prevent this by turning up to set before the rest of the crew to rehearse camera movement and lighting requirements. They review raw footage with the director to discuss the quality of it then work with a colorist in post-production to achieve the look and feel they discussed within pre-production. For small productions, like my own, they will shoot as well, which is what I am doing (Screenskills, n.d.).
Exactly like the producer career, you can go to university or college, in which you’ll need either 2 to 3 A levels or a Level 3 diploma in either creative media production, film and television production or photography. Similarly, to a director and producer, working your way up from a runner on a film set or volunteering within the industry will help build connections and gain experience which is a viable option on becoming a cinematographer. There are some other routes like going through a broadcasting company such as BBC or ITV as they offer training schemes (National Careers Service, n.d.).
The skills needed for this role are in the following:
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Ability to focus on different tasks accurately and efficiently at once
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Initiative
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Media production
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Communication
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Work well under pressure
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Teamwork
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Computer literate
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Flexible and open to change
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Creative skills to come up with new ways of completing tasks
(Screenskills, n.d.)
I can contribute to my project with this role as I can decide on locations that will be perfect for my project. I can also be in control of the lighting and effects that will bring me the look and feel that I am hoping to achieve.
Editor:
The Editor’s job is to put the final pieces together to create the vision that the director and producer imagined in pre-production. They take scenes in a non-story order and edit them into a whole film.
They work with the director in pre-production and decide on how to make the most of the script at hand. In the production stage, they look at the rushes, raw and unedited footage, making sure they a technically up to standard and emerging a sense of story and performance. When it comes to post-production, they will have spent hours reworking scenes and cutting them together to create a rough draft of the final edit. In post-production, the director and the editor will work together to refine the draft into a director’s cut, which will go onto be approved by the producers until they achieve the final cut (Screenskills, n.d.).
Similar to the other careers that I have researched, you can go to university or college, in which you’ll need either 1 to 2 A levels or a Level 3 diploma in either creative media production, T Level in media, broadcast and production or a level 4 higher national certificate or diploma in creative media production. You can also receive an apprenticeship as a broadcast production assistant or a post-production technical operator which will help you climb up to becoming an editor. You can also volunteer and help charities with their films. There are some other routes like going through a broadcasting company such as BBC or ITV as they offer training schemes (National Careers Service, n.d.)
The skills needed for this role are in the following:
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Ability to focus on different tasks accurately and efficiently at once
-
Initiative
-
Media production
-
Communication
-
Work well under pressure
-
Teamwork
-
Computer literate
-
Flexible and open to change
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Creative skills to come up with new ways of completing tasks
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Editing software skills
(National Careers Service, n.d.)
I can contribute to my project with this role as I will be in charge of the editing process. I will be able to make my project come to life, and I have multiple ideas that I can implement in the post-production stage that will make my project feel complete.
Contextual analysis of my study.
This section of my research is all existing media products such as websites, videos and books with information gathered by other people that will be helpful and relevant to my final major project. I have gathered a plan to use for my secondary research and I have 2 questions that I want to answer.
Question 1: How do I achieve the feel of the Crime/Thriller Genre?
The first thing I have to discover are the characteristics and what actually defines a film being established as a Thriller. Thrillers tend to be dark and captivating with intriguing suspense with engrossingly built tension. They don’t tend to reveal many answers to the viewer to allow that room for the extra suspense (MasterClass Staff, 2021). I believe that looking into suspense and tension will give me the answers I need.
Video 1: (Camp, 2020) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K_V4CADk4w
This is the first video I have decided to use that will help me answer the question at hand. This video is called “How to Create Suspense in Film” which was uploaded by Ryan Camp in 2020. The reason why I have selected this video is because a main part of Thriller is building up suspense in order to frighten the audience. This video gives tons of information on what suspense is, some incredible Thriller writers such as Alfred Hitchcock and Dan Brown, examples on how to build tension and how light and audio will affect the build-up of suspense.
This video has given me tips on how to successfully build suspension for the viewer and to achieve the Thriller genre feel. For example, “In order to get suspense you provide the audience with a certain amount of information and leave the rest of it to their own imagination,” is a quote stated by Alfred Hitchcock. This quote has helped me develop some ideas for the end of my short film when Fred picks up the ring and lifts it up towards him and how much information to actually reveal before it’s too much.
Camp’s video also describes techniques that will be valuable such as longing out the scene to allow room for the suspense to build as well as for the viewer to understand what is going on. Furthermore, he also delves into depth of field and how it is used to create suspense (Camp, 2020). That being mentioned, it justified my choice for the end shot, where the depth of field changes to give the viewer more information, tells the viewer that Bobby is behind Fred with a gun, which states that the viewer knows what’s about to happen, but the character doesn’t, which builds up the suspense.
This information has allowed me to improve my ideas on my short film so I can successfully achieve the feel of the Crime Thriller Genre and I will be taking it forward with me into the pre-production process when it comes to creating a storyboard for my short film.
Video 2: (Fandor, 2017) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ5XB9eDVM4
After looking at tension and suspense in my other video, I wanted to see more examples. I have decided to delve more into the thriller film genre and analyse a particular Director, Steven Spielberg. Spielberg is an American Film Director who also works as a Producer and Screenwriter, and he is also known to be the most commercially successful director of all time (Wikipedia, 2022). He is better known for his films such as Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List and many more.
This video states that Spielberg is a Master of Building suspense due to his empathic nature to put himself in the viewers shoes and understand what they want from that perspective. For example, in Jaws, he uses both subjective perspectives, an emotional perspective of a particular character, and objective perspectives, conveys information from an omniscient point of view, as he sees both as equally important to build suspense and to create the scene (Fusco, 2017).
However, the idea that inspires me for my short film is the bit after that. Spielberg uses a range of close ups that breaks up the action which helps build the suspense. He uses close-ups of hands mainly, as his actions require his hands a lot. With him introducing small clips of music to go with it, it allows the audience to realise something is about to occur. I will keep this in mind for my short film, particularly the part when Fred is searching around the area for clues before he finds the ring.
Question 2: How do I build up a good plot twist ending?
The next thing I want to find out is how to successfully pull off a plot twist ending, a technique that changes the direction of the expected outcome, which shocks the viewer but doesn’t seem so stupid it doesn’t make sense (Wikipedia, 2022). The reason why I am going for a plot twist ending is because I find that they engross the viewer more into the film, leaving them shocked and hopefully satisfied with the ending. I believe this will help me increase the quality of my short film.
Video 1: (It, 2017) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuorsbghT5M
This video is very helpful in assisting me in my research in what type of plot twist I should plan out and the way I should reveal it as the person shows examples of films with plot twists from all different genres such as children cartoons to thriller. It is very helpful to show these examples because it states why the plot twist could be seen as bad or good then go onto show why. For example, the narrator shows a Scooby Doo episode, a children’s cartoon, and states how the twist is satisfying and less shocking due to the information revealed at the beginning. This leaves the viewer feeling satisfied due to the looming feeling that the viewer knows who the culprits are. However, he compares this to the plot twist from “Now You See Me”, a Thriller/Crime film from 2013, which had the element of satisfaction missing due to the lack of following established logic: ultimately leaving there no way to see the plot twist coming.
This video actually states that “the best plot twist is the one that can create the biggest surprise without ruining the established logic”, which I will go on to take when I plan how I want the plot twist to work. Watching this video has helped me improve my idea and hopefully the way I am going ahead with it now, it makes more sense and enhances the quality of my short film.
Research Design and Strategies.
Under this heading I will explain research methods and design for my project. I will present the research I have done for my target audience, further research for the subject of my project, research on skills and techniques required for my project and the production research.
Subject / Topic Research.
Here is the Primary Research that I have completed for my FMP.
This is all the research I have concluded myself without help or inspiration from other secondary sources.
Film 1: The Prestige (2006)
(IMDB, 2006)
Like I did when answering the first question, I am going to develop further research. In this case to gain a better understanding of a plot twist ending which is considered to be a great, I am going to analyse the plot twist of “The Prestige”. The film was released in 2006 and directed by Christopher Nolan. To keep it short, the film is set after an accident and is about two magicians who go against one another trying to create the ultimate illusion and sacrificing everything to win (IMDB, 2006).
What I love about this film is that the ending is unpredictable yet smart. It is impossible to tell when watching it for the first time who is going to win out of the situation until you find out who actually does.
I find that “The Prestige” follows the logic that I researched previously that “the best plot twist is the one that can create the biggest surprise without ruining the established logic.” This film has the plot twist ending which I am looking to take inspiration from. It was shocking, but it wasn’t irrational. If I was to watch it again, everything would make sense and the ending wouldn’t be completely out of the blue. I can’t take inspiration from the multiple twist ending; however, I can take inspiration from how they revealed the plot twists. I can flash back to the original scene or new scenes with familiar settings and reveal important details that weren’t signified before.
Location Research:
16 Highfield Road, Ramsgate, CT12 6XQ
Due to this being private property, there won’t be any interruptions from the public. I am filming my final major project at a friend’s house, and I am using his living room as “Fred’s living room”. I think this space is perfect for my film as I wanted a living room that looks homely and normal as Fred is nor rich or poor. The white walls also help with the filming as they will make it easier for the lighting.
There are two extension cords and power outlets on either side of the room.
Access Issues:
There are no access issues.
Lighting Issues:
Due to being inside, the natural light is not distributed evenly and therefore it may cause continuity issues. For that reason, I am going to be using lighting to help brighten the darker areas and minimize potential continuity problems. I will also use lighting to help balance the light out as the window is to the left of the actors.
Sound Issues:
Due to it being a terraced house, we may have the neighbors being loud. There may also be construction work going on outside. Due to the house being next to a road, there is a chance of picking up the sound from cards and motorbikes.
Footpath to a Forest off Highfield Road CT12 6XQ
Even though this is a public footpath and forest, it is not used a lot of the time during the day. I am filming in the Forest as I wanted a place for a Crime Scene, and I think this area is perfect. It's a good forest to film in as there are spaces of no grass, bushes or trees while being surrounded by them.
There are no power sources within the forest.
Access Issues:
There are no major access issues other than having to step over bushes or walk through thin branches.
Lighting Issues:
Due to being outside, the lighting can cause continuity issues. I can't use lighting as there are no power sources however, if I get battery powered key lights, I might be able to help myself out. If I can't I will try to film within the sun so the lighting isn't ruined.
Sound Issues:
Due to it being in a forest, the sound issues that could occur are wind, bugs flying past, the public, or potentially passing cars or motorbikes if the part of the forest we choose to film in is near a road.
Target Audience Research.
This section of my research is stating my target audience. This is the viewership that I am creating my short film for. This research will be involving both secondary and primary research. I have gathered a plan to use for my target audience research and I have 2 questions that I want to answer.
Question 3: Who is my target audience?
For this question, I want to figure out the average age rating for crime and thriller films. This way I can justify my reasoning for my target audience.
Crime/Thriller Films:
(Team SciFiNow, 2021)
(ClipArtBest, n.d.)
Malignant is a 2021 film directed by James Wan. The film is about Madison, a woman who gets paralysing visions of murders who receives a deadly shock when she realises that the visions are in fact reality (IMDB, 2021).
Malignant is an R Rated film. This means that people under the age of 17 will need a parent or guardian to view the film with them in theatres. The R Rating suggests to parents or guardians to investigate the themes of the film to decide if it is suitable for their child to view. This is because of the adult themes such as violence, drug abuse, sexuality, profanity, nudity, or other adult themes (Parental Guide, n.d.). Typically, over 18s will be the main target audience for this film.
(Mixo, n.d.)
(CC-BY-SA, n.d.)
The Batman is a film based on Bruce Wayne’s second year as Batman. The film follows him fighting crime around Gotham and indulging himself more into Gotham’s City corruption. He faces The Riddler, who is a riddle-obsessed serial killer (Wikipedia, 2022). It’s not considered a Thriller; however, I believe that it is helpful in finding out what my target audience should be.
The Batman is rated a 15 in the UK, which is mainly because of the strong threat and violence, as well as the death traps, mutilated bodies and strong language. This has helped me more to figure out who my target audience is as I believe a 15-age rating might be too old for my short film as I don’t have any strong language, a lot of adult themes, only a theme of murder.
BBFC Rating Website:
After looking at the BBFC Rating, I have figured that my short film fits between the 12A and 15 rating. This is because the 12A rating disallows dangerous behavior that children could copy. With it being a murder scene and a potential murder at the end of the short film, I believe this would be considered dangerous behavior. It also states that horror themes should not be sustained, and my short film being a thriller goes against that (BBFC, n.d.). This has given me confirmation that I will make my short film for 15-year old’s and above.
Malignant is a 2021 film directed by James Wan. The film is about Madison, a woman who gets paralysing visions of murders who receives a deadly shock when she realises that the visions are in fact reality (IMDB, 2021).
Malignant is an R Rated film. This means that people under the age of 17 will need a parent or guardian to view the film with them in theatres. The R Rating suggests to parents or guardians to investigate the themes of the film to decide if it is suitable for their child to view. This is because of the adult themes such as violence, drug abuse, sexuality, profanity, nudity, or other adult themes (Parental Guide, n.d.). Typically, over 18s will be the main target audience for this film.
The Marketing Edge for Filmmakers
In this book, written by Russel Schwartz and Katherine MacDonald, it states that I need to be aware of who my audience is going to be and whether my film appeals to a “small specialized” audience or a “wide commercial” one (Schwartz, 2019). Due to the small budget, I believe my target audience will be a small, specialized audience. This is because I can’t afford to pay for media advertising to reach a further audience. That means I must create “earned media” to gain interest (Schwartz, 2019). This means relying on my original target audience, over 15s who are students at Canterbury College as it will be shown at the end of year showcase, to tell their friends and family.
Question 4: What are my target audience’s thoughts on my idea?
For this question I will be conducting Primary Research and asking my target audience what their thoughts on my idea is. This way I can improve my idea by gathering feedback from my viewership, ultimately improving the quality.
Phoebe:
Phoebe is a classmate who is interested in crime, mystery films. She is also over the age of 15.
“I really like the concept of the film. I like how it foreshadows it in the beginning and how the ring is the focus of the whole film due to the ring’s importance. I also like how the ending is left up to the viewer’s interpretation.”
Hallum:
Hallum is a classmate who is interested in crime, mystery films. They are also over the age of 15.
“It’s a very good idea and it makes sense. You have two very different characters that work well with one another. I feel like you need to signify the ring when it comes to filming to show the true importance.”
James:
James is a classmate who is interested in crime, mystery films. He is also over the age of 15.
“I love the tension that the 2 childhood friends are going to have and how their friendship will be torn apart between the ring and how Fred will have to choose between friendship and the law.”
Ben Fewell:
Ben is a classmate who is interested in crime, mystery films. He is also over the age of 15.
“I really liked it and it was very interesting and engaging. I was really pulled into the story/scene. I didn’t like the names.”
Skills and Techniques Research.
This section is researching what skills and techniques I need to learn or improve on before filming and editing my project. I have 3 questions to answer for this section.
Question 5: How do I successfully do a Rack Focus?
My idea for the end scene is to have a rack focus going from Fred’s distressed face and him holding the ring to Bobby’s figure in the background, holding a gun to Fred’s head. I have chosen to do this as it helps build suspense. In this question I will be finding out how to successfully do a rack focus.
A rack focus is a filmmaking technique that requires you to change the focus of the lens during a continuous shot. Some reasons to use rack focus is to move from one scene to another, to attract attention to detail, to merge numerous frames into a single shot, to follow a character’s mental process and to disclose something hidden in the frame (NFI, n.d.).
The way to achieve the rack focus shot is to go from a wide aperture to a narrow aperture. A wide aperture keeps things out of focus unless they are the chosen subject, whereas a narrow aperture widens the focal plane so all the objects in the scene are in focus simultaneously (Garofalo, 2021).
I decided to give it a go myself using two figures to represent the people.
The problem I had here was that I wasn’t touching the focal lens and used auto focus instead. This gave it a jumpier, less smooth look. I decided that this wasn’t the correct way to do a rack focus.
This time, I used the focal lens to transfer the focus, and it worked. This is what I am going to do at the end of my short film.
Answer 5: How do I successfully do a Rack Focus?
I can successfully do a rack focus by changing the aperture from wide to narrow as it widens the focal plane. This allows me to increase the quality of my short film by adding a unique shot to reveal the huge plot twist, ultimately shocking the viewer.
Question 6: How can I make my camera movement and shots more unique?
I am asking myself this question because to really set myself apart from other films, I need originality. I want to push myself and have multiple unique camera shots as well as camera movement for my short film, so it increases the quality of my short film, “The Ring”. For this question, I am going to study a book written by Steven D. Katz.
An idea I had for the opening of my short film, “The Ring”, was to open the scene with the camera moving with footsteps of one of the detectives or having a panoramic shot of the landscape and location, allowing more information about the setting to be analysed by the viewer. The book “Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen” by Steven D. Katz holds important data about camera movement.
For example, If I am going to go ahead with the initial idea of following an actor walking with the camera, it will have to “subtly” follow the actor as “the use of the pan is intended to be invisible or unobtrusive” (Katz, 1991). However, if I am going to go ahead with a panoramic shot of the landscape, I will have to choose between a vertical tilt or a horizontal tilt. Katz states that a vertical tilt up or down of a skyscraper conveys the feeling of height while the horizontal pan conveys the immensity of the location like a desert or ocean that spreads well beyond the borders of the frame (Katz, 1991). With this information, I believe a horizontal tilt may be the better idea as I envision the location will be wider rather than taller. This will allow the whole setting to be introduced to the viewer, giving them context of where we are within the scene.
Another idea I had was to pan the camera to different things to lead the viewer’s eye. For example, if I were to do the first idea, I would pan from the actors’ footsteps to his whole body, then move to the other detective, then the body on the floor that they are examining, I would then move back and show the whole setting, which informs the viewer of the setting, giving them context. It is a “highly manipulative” technique and “is such a compelling move that we usually do not question the effect” meaning we “accept it as a pictorial device” (Katz, 1991). This would be effective as it would introduce the characters, location and potentially the initial narrative straight away in a very smooth and subtle motion.
Experimentation:
For my FMP, I want to have high quality audio as well as camera movement. For the audio, I will be using 2 lapel microphones with audio recorders. This way, I can effectively capture their dialogue to a high-quality standard. For the camera movement, I will be using a
Here is what the audio sounded like:
I found that I need to fix the audio so it doesn't come out of 1 ear. I also need to make sure the microphone isn't rubbing against clothing to make the audio muffled or low quality.
When it comes to filming, I will test it out again to make sure the microphone and audio recorders are hidden as well as making sure the microphone is picking up clear audio that isn’t being muffled by clothing.
Furthermore, previous projects which I have completed will also help when it comes to creating and planning my short film. For example, I had to write a short script for my Scriptwriting project. This taught me how to layout a script and what a script should include. Here is the script I wrote, and took inspiration from.
Describe your image
Describe your image
Describe your image
Describe your image
In addition to that, I believe that I am comfortable in editing and camera work when it comes to short films as I have created a short film before. One of my projects for college back in December 2021 to January 2022 was to create a 1-minute short film. I decided to create a horror short film with a comedy twist. This allowed me to practice and experiment with Avid, the editing software which I am going to use to edit "The Ring", and also experiment with different camera angles.
Production Research.
In this section, I will be showing all my pre-production documents that I created. I will refer back to these documents during production to follow the plan that I created so filming is efficient and goes smoothly.
Storyboard:
Shooting Script:
Fred’s Living Room / Scene 1
Forest Crime Scene / Scene 2
Forest Area / Scene 3
Production Timetable / Schedule:
Production Budget:
I had a budget of £35. Here is how I spread my budget across the sections I needed to cover.
Recce Research:
Fred’s Living Room / Scene 1
Pictures of Location:
Forest / Scene 2 + 3
Pictures of Location:
Google Maps:
Google Maps where we accessed the Forest.
Health and Safety:
Call Sheet:
Script:
Describe your image
Describe your image
Describe your image
Describe your image
List of Props:
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Phone
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Ring
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2 Mugs
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Folder
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Prop Weapon
Contingency Plan:
Findings.
In this section, I will be refining and breaking down my research and showing the most conclusive answers that I received from my investigations that will help me achieve my goal, which is successfully making a high-quality short film.
Answer: So, how do I achieve the feel of a Crime/Thriller Genre?
I believe the best way to create a Thriller is to learn how to build suspension correctly, so it doesn’t pull the viewer out of the film. This is by not revealing too many answers or letting the viewer know something before the character does, which is a technique named Dramatic Irony (Aquino, n.d.). I believe music and lighting choices are also a huge part of the Thriller genre, tending to use very sinister music, commonly in a minor key scale, and quite dark, cold lighting.
I have developed some extra ideas that I can include or improve on for when it comes to storyboard and film my short film such as using depth of field to reveal secrets to the audience, ultimately building up tension, using multiple close-ups to break up the action like Steven Spielberg did in Jaws which I can use when Fred is searching the area for clues before he finds the ring, to make sure I don’t reveal too much to the audience that it just ruins the suspense of the whole short film and that the use of cold and dark lighting and swells of dramatic music can build the atmosphere around the scene a lot.
Answer: How do I build a good plot twist ending?
Plot twist endings aren’t as simple as just making an unexpected ending. I have learnt with this research that “the best plot twist is the one that can create the biggest surprise without ruining the established logic”. I was able to see and gather examples on confusing or satisfying plot twist endings which has helped me decide which route I want to go down when it comes to plot twist endings.
Therefore, I will add suspicious text messages or phone calls so the reason for Bobby murdering his childhood friend is justified and not that he just doesn’t care. Like in “The Prestige”, a movie which I analysed to gather more information on how to correctly pull off a plot twist ending for my primary research, I can flash back to the original scene or new scenes with familiar settings and reveal important details that weren’t signified before.
Answer: Who is my target audience?
I researched the age range that would be perfect for my short film. I deemed the ages suitable for my short film would be 15-years-old and above. This is because based on the age ratings for films, the 12A rating allows no room for violence, and as my short film involves slight violence, I feel like it would be breaking the rule.
After researching my target audience’s age, I had to consider the budget of my short film and whether access to promoting online is an option. After deciding it is unlikely, I was able to discover who my target audience would be by where the short film would be originally shown, which is at Canterbury College. From there I was able to work out their main occupation. I also managed to work out their interests as the typical audience who would willingly watch my short film are those who are interested in other detective or crime shows such as Sherlock or maybe even true crime documentaries.
So therefore, my target audience is people above the age of 15 who are interested in short films, specifically of the crime/thriller genre. They might have enjoyed detective shows such as Sherlock or enjoy true crime documentaries. They will be located around Kent, specifically Canterbury due to the low budget. They will be students at Canterbury College as my short film will be shown at our college’s end of year showcase.
Answer: What are my target audience’s thoughts on my idea?
After gathering the thoughts of my short film idea from my target audience, I quickly realized what I need to do to improve my short film’s storyline as well as what I need to keep on doing to keep the audience happy.
For example, something that doesn’t need changing as it is enjoyable to the viewer already is the ending and the contrast of characters. Phoebe said “I also like how the endings is up to the viewer’s interpretation”, so I don’t believe the ending needs to be changed. 2 people from my target audience said that the relationship between Fred and Bobby is going to be interesting as the film develops and how they contrast each other. This feedback gives me confidence in my character’s and ending.
However, Hallum, a member of my target audience, stated that I “need to signify the ring when it comes to filming to show the true importance.”. This has influenced me to slightly change some of the shots to help signify the ring more and show its true importance. This will hopefully make it a better plot twist as well, which I researched earlier.
Overall, I had majorly positive feedback from my target audience which radiated excitement and enjoyment about my idea and the potential that I have to make this amazing. The critical feedback was more positive than negative as well which has inspired and motivated me to continue improving my idea to help the viewer understand the story more while still keeping secrets to reveal the shocking twist at the end.
Answer: How do I successfully do a Rack Focus?
After experimenting with the camera and my subjects, I worked out the way on how to complete a rack focus shot. I also used websites and videos to help me along the way. I got it wrong the first time, so I went back, researched some more and then tried again. After the second attempt, I done a rack focus successfully.
I can successfully do a rack focus by changing the aperture from wide to narrow as it widens the focal plane. This allows me to increase the quality of my short film by adding a unique shot to reveal the huge plot twist, ultimately shocking the viewer.
Answer: How can I make my camera movement and shots more unique?
Overall, the book, “Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen” by Steven D. Katz, has helped me discover techniques I can use to improve my camera work skills and techniques which will improve the quality of the short film, while keeping the viewer emerged in the film due to all the techniques being subtle and unobtrusive movements.
I can use pans and tilts to provide the effects of the camera I want. This includes using pans to introduce a large setting to the viewer and tilts to create a Dutch angel, making the shot unbalanced, letting the viewer know something isn’t right. I can also use camera movement to create more original shots and to stop repetition happening so much in my short film.
Conclusion:
Overall, all of my research was successful as I managed to gather information from each question that I asked myself.
I realized my short film is similar but not the same as some existing media products like films or TV shows; for example, The Prestige. However, the existing media products that I found were used in my research and inspired me for some of my ideas for my short film like The Prestige which has helped me write the build up and the pay-off of the plot twist within my short film. I also used existing media products to influence what I shouldn’t do in my short film. For example, “Now You See Me” is a film with a plot twist ending however it seems quite out of the blue and doesn’t make much sense. I want to have a plot twist which is shocking but not out of the ordinary.
When it came to practicing my skills and techniques to use for my short film, I decided to investigate a rack focus shot. This will be used at the end of my film to reveal the mysterious figure behind Fred. I got it wrong the first time, so I went back, researched some more and then tried again. Instead of using the focus lens, I used the auto-focus button, which made my shot jumpy and out of place. After the second attempt, I done a rack focus successfully. I also experimented with audio as I was using lapel microphones for the first time. What I found out from my experimentation is that it can muffle easily due to interferences and clothing and that I need to experiment with it more.
References.
Requirements for my creative media production project:
National Careers Service, n.d. Director of photography. [Online]
Available at: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/director-of-photography
[Accessed 29 April 2022].
National Careers Service, n.d. TV or Film Director. [Online]
Available at: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/tv-or-film-director
[Accessed 29 April 2022].
National Careers Service, n.d. TV or film producer. [Online]
Available at: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/tv-or-film-producer
[Accessed 29 April 2022].
National Careers Service, n.d. Video Editor. [Online]
Available at: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/video-editor
[Accessed 29 April 2022].
Screenskills, n.d. Director (Film and TV Drama). [Online]
Available at: https://www.screenskills.com/job-profiles/browse/film-and-tv-drama/development-film-and-tv-drama-job-profiles/director-film-and-tv-drama/
[Accessed 29 April 2022].
Screenskills, n.d. Director of photography (DOP). [Online]
Available at: https://www.screenskills.com/job-profiles/browse/film-and-tv-drama/technical/director-of-photography-dop/
[Accessed 29 April 2022].
Screenskills, n.d. Editor (Film and TV Drama). [Online]
Available at: https://www.screenskills.com/job-profiles/browse/film-and-tv-drama/post-production/editor-film-and-tv-drama/
[Accessed 29 April 2022].
Screenskills, n.d. Producer (Film and TV Drama). [Online]
Available at: https://www.screenskills.com/job-profiles/browse/film-and-tv-drama/development-film-and-tv-drama-job-profiles/producer-film-and-tv-drama/
[Accessed 29 April 2022].
Requirements for my creative media production project images:
Chansanchai, A., 2014. Technology helps ‘Annie’ director Will Gluck make movies. [Online]
Available at: https://news.microsoft.com/features/technology-helps-annie-director-will-gluck-make-movies/
[Accessed 24 May 2022].
Cinema-Friends, n.d. WHO ARE FILM DIRECTORS AND WHY THEY ARE IN CHARGE ON SET. [Online]
Available at: https://cinema-friends.com/2022/05/12/who-are-film-directors-and-why-they-are-in-charge-on-set/
[Accessed 24 May 2022].
Dinita, M., 2022. 9 Best Lightweight Video Editing Software to Pick From. [Online]
Available at: https://windowsreport.com/lightweight-video-editing-tools/
[Accessed 24 May 2022].
Gardiner, M., 2018. Rachel Morrison: Getting Critical Acclaim as Director of Photography. [Online]
Available at: https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/rachel-morrison-getting-critical-acclaim-director-photography
[Accessed 24 May 2022].
Lamphere, M., 2020. MUST KNOW VIDEO EDITING TERMINOLOGY. [Online]
Available at: https://beverlyboy.com/post-production/must-know-video-editing-terminology/
[Accessed 24 May 2022].
Ramsey, B., 2013. Behind the Scenes. [Online]
Available at: http://brentramsey.blogspot.com/2013/05/director-of-photography-steven-poster.html
[Accessed 24 May 2022].
Ranieri, T., 2021. How To Maximize Budgets As A Film Producer. [Online]
Available at: https://www.thefilmfund.co/how-to-maximize-budgets-as-a-film-producer/
[Accessed 24 May 2022].
WordSkillsUK, n.d. How to become a TV Producer. [Online]
Available at: https://www.worldskillsuk.org/careers/how-to-become-a-tv-producer/
[Accessed 24 May 2022].
Contextual Analysis of my Study:
Aquino, K., n.d. Irony. [Online]
Available at: https://www.brightstorm.com/english/writing/writing-terms/irony/#:~:text=Dramatic%20irony%20is%20defined%20as,other%20than%20what%20is%20communicated.
[Accessed 20 April 2022].
Camp, R., 2020. How to Create Suspense in Film, s.l.: Ryan Camp.
Fandor, 2017. 3 Ways Steven Spielberg Builds Nail-Biting Suspense, s.l.: Fandor.
Fusco, J., 2017. Watch: How to Master Perspective in Cinema. [Online]
Available at: https://nofilmschool.com/2017/05/difference-between-objective-and-subjective-perspective-movies-cinema#:~:text=In%20cinema%2C%20the%20objective%20perspective,perspective%20of%20a%20particular%20character.
[Accessed 20 April 2022].
IMDB, 2006. The Prestige. [Online]
Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482571/
[Accessed 20 April 2022].
IMDB, 2006. The Prestige. [Online]
Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482571/
[Accessed 20 April 2022].
It, N. Y. S., 2017. How To Do A Plot Twist. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuorsbghT5M
[Accessed 20 April 2022].
MasterClass Staff, 2021. Writing 101: What Is the Thriller Genre? Definitions and Examples of Thriller in Literature. [Online]
Available at: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-the-thriller-genre-definitions-and-examples-of-thriller-in-literature
[Accessed 20 April 2022].
Wikipedia, 2022. Plot Twist. [Online]
Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plot_twist#:~:text=A%20plot%20twist%20is%20a,a%20twist%20or%20surprise%20ending.
[Accessed 20 April 2022].
Wikipedia, 2022. Steven Spielberg. [Online]
Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Spielberg
[Accessed 20 April 2022].
Target Audience Research:
BBFC, n.d. Ratings at a glance. [Online]
Available at: https://www.bbfc.co.uk/rating/12
[Accessed 25 April 2022].
CC-BY-SA, n.d. 15 (BBFC). [Online]
Available at: https://rating-system.fandom.com/wiki/15_(BBFC)
[Accessed 25 April 2022].
ClipArtBest, n.d. RATED R. [Online]
Available at: http://www.clipartbest.com/clipart-aceo4A6Ei
[Accessed 25 April 2022].
IMDB, 2021. Malignant. [Online]
Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3811906/?msclkid=90773aa7c47311ecb919822dc1afb5ff
[Accessed 25 April 2022].
Mixo, n.d. "The Batman" (2021) Poster By MixoFX. [Online]
Available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/757378862328091266/
[Accessed 24 April 2022].
Parental Guide, n.d. R Movie Rating. [Online]
Available at: https://www.parentalguide.org/movie-ratings/r/#:~:text=An%20R%20rating%20constitutes%20a%20strong%20warning%20toward,adult%20oriented%20for%20the%20average%20minor%20to%20view.?msclkid=5a49acebc47411eca248f6e1f2a419e0
[Accessed 25 April 2022].
Schwartz, R., 2019. The Marketing Edge for Filmmakers: Developing a Marketing Mindset from Concept to Release. 1st ed. s.l.:Routledge.
Team SciFiNow, 2021. MALIGNANT: TRAILER AND POSTER REVEALED FOR NEW JAMES WAN HORROR. [Online]
Available at: https://www.scifinow.co.uk/cinema/malignant-trailer-and-poster-revealed-for-new-james-wan-horror/
[Accessed 25 April 2022].
Wikipedia, 2022. The Batman (film). [Online]
Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Batman_(film)?msclkid=6e6184e5c47e11ec9d85aeb288eb6055
[Accessed 25 April 2022].
Skills and Techniques Research:
Garofalo, E., 2021. What Is Rack Focus? How to Achieve the Shot. [Online]
Available at: https://www.makeuseof.com/what-is-rack-focus-how-to/
[Accessed 26 April 2022].
Katz, S. D., 1991. Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen. In: Part IV: The Moving Camera. s.l.:Michael Wiese Productions, p. 291.
Katz, S. D., 1991. Part IV: The Moving Camera. In: Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen. s.l.:Michael Wiese Productions, p. 289.
NFI, n.d. Rack Focus – Everything You Need To Know. [Online]
Available at: https://www.nfi.edu/rack-focus/
[Accessed 26 April 2022].
Findings:
Aquino, K., n.d. Irony. [Online] Available at: https://www.brightstorm.com/english/writing/writing-terms/irony/#:~:text=Dramatic%20irony%20is%20defined%20as,other%20than%20what%20is%20communicated. [Accessed 20 April 2022].