LO1.1 - lo1.2
BRIEF |
ANNOTATED BRIEF |
CONTEXT
Research
SHORT FILM |
A short film is a too short to be considered a feature film and usually has a running time of under 40 minutes. Many new directors and producers create short films to gain experience and promote their career, where they can self-critique their work and determine whether they should take the step towards feature films. Famous directors such as Ridley Scott, Ken Russell and Shane Meadows launched their careers with short films. Most short films are live action or animated and are very popular in the UK. Audiences usually find short films more appealing because everyday situations take place then the plot is twisted and the audience can relate. Due to time frame, a short film usually establishes 1 to 3 main characters who cannot provide the audience with a complete back story as they need to stay engaged with the story line. This therefore cannot be developed enough to support a large cast.
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Most short films rely on visuals to tell a story. As the picture is shorter than a feature film, the film maker must externalise through visual images to explore characters and the story, otherwise the audience has to rely on the dialogue which can soon make the film less interesting to watch. 'Apricot' is a perfect example of a short film that limits dialogue and tells the story through imagery, while two people sit in a cafe and talk. The audience learns about the two characters through a sequence of flashbacks expressing their thoughts and feelings, giving us a better understanding of their characteristics. Similar to 'Apricot', I would like to create a piece that deals with two people in conversation yet manages to show a wide range of emotion visually.
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'apricot' (2009) |
Genre |
For my short film, my chosen genre is drama. The purpose of a dramatic story line is to move the audience emotionally with realistic characters dealing with emotional issues. The development of characters engages the audience as they witness a conflict or dilemma take place. They aim to tell an honest story of human struggles the audience can perhaps relate to. Drama gives actors the opportunity to develop themselves into a role that films of other genres may not be able to do. Most dramas are driven by conflict. The protagonist becomes immersed in a conflict with either themselevs
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'The Mink Catcher' is a short film set in 1980 that investigates the inner world of a Republican wife who loses her composure and opens up to a journalist she has just met. It meets the criteria we expect with a drama; the audience meets a character who develops into something we may not have expected and we find ourselves relating and sympathising with the character Pete Pangburn, a very popular female and wife of newly elected mayor Dick Pangburn.
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'the mink catcher' (2015) We sympathise for Pete because she has built up a glamorous persona that many wealthy women of the town are obsessed with but as the evening plays out, we see Pete drop this act in front of journalist Libby Smith who she has just met. The Mise-en-scene in this film is very successful. Close up of characters bring the emotion to the audience as we drawn attention to the main focal point, making it easier to relate to the characters or story. The dull lighting in 'The Mink Catcher' portrays a gritty and bleak nature of the woman during this time period, suggesting they were almost competing for social status, and their friendships were based on having well off lives.
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Target Audience |
Drama is a way to escape the everyday life and look at life from a different point of view. Although the characters and setting in a drama are realistic, the audience are still drawn into a different experience to real life because they are in a world they play no part in, but witness and share emotion with characters. A sad scene that causes a viewer to cry can lead to a successful reaction because they can appreciate the positive aspects of their life.
'Two Peas in a Pod' is aimed at mainly males and females between the age of 15 and 21 and targets young people from any upbringing as the film bases a lot of the drama around background. These can be students or ex students between secondary school and university who are familiar with the current education system in the UK. The film is also aimed at an older audience, who have experienced entering the work world for the first time, and understand how their upbringing may have affected their life through school. This film is targeted at both male and females as it star two main characters of the opposite sex. I deliberately chose to have one main male and one main female so that it would appeal to a larger target audience who can think about what the film investigates. |
References |
Joalland,S. (2012). 7 Rules for Writing Short Films. Available: http://www.raindance.org/7-rules-for-writing-short-films/. Last accessed 17th Nov 2016.
Cave, D. (year unkown). Short Films. Available: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/1350979/index.html. Last accessed 17th Nov 2016 Apricot, Directed by Ben Briand. (2011). Apricot . [Online Video]. 15 February 2011. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfprSp8_BR8. [Accessed: 17 November 2016] Malatesta, M. (2013). Drama Genre Definition – Complete List of Book Genres. Available: http://book-genres.com/drama-genre-definition/. Last accessed 18th Nov 2016. Banks, A. (2016). The Mink Catcher Review. Available: https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2016/11/17/the-mink-catcher/. Last accessed 20th Nov 2016. Dirks, T. (Year Unknown). Drama Films. Available: http://www.filmsite.org/dramafilms.html. Last accessed 20th Nov 2016. McCracken, B. (2010). Why Do We Watch Movies?. Available: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/film/why-do-we-watch-movies. Last accessed 27th November 2016. Morin Fitzgerald, P. (2012). Why Do We Love to Cry at the Movies?.Available: http://www.nextavenue.org/why-do-we-love-cry-movies/. Last accessed 23rd November 2016. |