Millie Mae Creative Media - FMP
What is a Short Film?:
Definition of a short film:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, defines any film as a short as long as it is under 40 minutes run time, including credits. In every other way creatively and professionally, a short film is indistinguishable from its longer-running “feature film” counterpart.
Aesthetically, there is no difference from a short film and a feature film, meaning the process's for both are the exact same. The only difference is the run time.
The main reason many directors opt to make a short film instead of a feature is purely budgeting cost. Each page of your script constitutes roughly one minute of screen time, and each minute of screen time necessitates longer casting contracts, longer crew hires, longer equipment rentals, and so forth. So in simple terms more money.
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Purpose of a short film:
The main purpose of a short film is to create a concentrated piece of storytelling at a significantly lower cost than a full-length feature film.
A “proof of concept” short film is often used by executives or established filmmakers as a way of testing various technologies or styles. They can also be used, however, as “samples” for what a filmmaker’s vision of a feature film may be. Think of them as extended trailers or prologues, or very high-quality teasers. Amateur or yet-to-be-discovered filmmakers use them in the same way to showcase their talent, eye, and interpretation of a concept or story.
The purpose of any short film is simple: to showcase your talent and make the case that you should be entrusted with a larger production that carries a larger budget.
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Types of short films:
Short films can come in all different lengths, genres and styles. However, like any featured film, they fit into three major categories:
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Narrative
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Documentary
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Avant-Garde
Firstly, Narrative short film, like any traditional plot-based piece of storytelling, is often fictional and scripted to present a dramatized version of a story. In other words, it is a “normal” movie with a shorter runtime. Secondly, a documentary short film, a nonfiction and subject-focused film that presents an authentic exploration of a topic, person, place, or theme, just as feature documentaries do. Finally, a avant-garde, it's more experimental, stylistic, or abstract motion picture that’s less focused on story or themes and more focused on mood, tone, and aesthetics. It is typically reserved for teasers, sizzle reels, proofs of concept, and other needs within the industry.
Yet, there’s ultimately no “wrong” version of a short film, so long as it stays under a 40-minute runtime.
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Conclusion:
A short film is defined first and foremost by its brevity. Although they come in many sizes, use cases, and genres, their goals are almost always the same: spend less than on a feature film, gain professional visibility, and practice telling smaller, more concentrated stories before graduating into feature films. Short films are an essential part of the filmmaking lifeblood no matter your age, credentials, or experience.
10 Codes and Conventions:
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Length - A short film will most commonly last between 3 to 20 minutes, however the length varies greatly and can last as little as a minute and up to 40.
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Storyline - Storylines are generally kept simple and easy to follow and will be based over a short period of time. The narrative is usually condensed and there will be limited dialogue. Instead characters will be developed through images and actions rather than extended and lengthy dialogue sequences.
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Character - Due to the length and simplicity in storyline, a short film will usually introduce between 1 and 3 main characters as creating back stories and developing characters is again limited. This is also done in order to keep the audience engaged and be able to follow the storyline without being bombarded with information and new people. Short films will usually last only long enough to connect the audience to few characters and will not have a developed enough storyline to hold a large cast.
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Twist - Including a twist is a common convention in short film although this is not a general rule and not all short films will use this format. However, a twist allows the film maker to tell a short story in an interesting way and they are able to do this as the short storyline gives less clues to the ending.
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Creativity - Overall short films allow for much more creativity and abstraction. They will often be made up of a number of creative shots and soundtrack making up an artistic and sometimes quirky piece. The director or film maker are able to use more creative flair placing their own signature look on the piece as there is less pressure to make a profitable film for a large audience. Well established directors such as Matin Scorsese, Spike Jones and Tim Burton, make short film despite their popularity and success in mainstream for these reasons.
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Budget - Budgets for short film are usually quite low. Short films are unlikely to make any money which effects the amount spent in the making and they are often made by first time film makers or experimental artists and film makers with no or little funding. This effects the overall look of the film creating a more home made or arty look. There are exceptions of this however where a film made on a low budget looks near professional and others which will have a large budget to spend on making.
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Niche Audience - Short films have a lot smaller and niche audience than mainstream due to the creative nature, length and simple storyline. Although largely accessible, many are not aware of short film. This is laregly due to popularity decreasing through the 30’s onwards, and the limited access in mainstream forms such as prime time television and cinema. Short film also varies in genre and style and will appeal to a much more specific audience.
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Emotion - Short films are used to convey a strong emotion to the viewer whether this is laughter, pleasure, sadness or anger, sometimes making comments on morals or society in the process. Short films can be a lot more powerful in this way as it is easy to make something appear differently to how it is or to get the audience thinking about a particular topic without having the time to make up their minds while watching, leaving them to contemplate after the film has finished.
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Online Distribution - Unlike mainstream film, short films are largely accessible for free through the internet. There are many sites who distribute short films online from independent to established sites such as the BBC. This is the easiest and most effective way for short film to reach audiences as they are very rarely shown at cinemas or on television. As short film is based much more on creativity and expression rather than mainstream and profit, it is much more important for the film maker to reach a wide audience and distribute films to them for free.
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Opposite to Mainstream - All of these codes and conventions largely make short film in opposition to mainstream. They hold a very different format and style to each other and short film will usually try to give audiences a different outlet of film to the mainstream.
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The History of Cannibalism:
What is Cannibalism and Where did it come from?:
The Britannica definition of Cannibalism: The eating of human flesh by humans.
The term originated from the Spanish names Caríbales, or Caníbales. The Carib (short name) was a well known west indies tribe well known for their Practise in Cannibalism. It is a widespread custom going back into early human history and it has been found among people on majority of continents.
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The Practise of Cannibalism:
Many early encounters were probably exagerated or in error. However, the practise continued until modern times in parts of West and Central Africa, Melanesia (especially Fiji), New Guinea, Australia, among the Maoris of New Zealand, in some of the islands of Polynesia, among tribes of Sumatra, and in various tribes of North and South America.
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Religious Impact and Crazy Traditions :
Certain religious looked at human flesh as a source of food. Sometimes it was equated with animal food, as is indicated in the Melanesian pidgin term, long pig. Victorious Maoris often cut up the bodies of the dead after a battle and feasted on the flesh, and the Batak of Sumatra were reported to have sold human flesh in the markets before they came under full control by the Dutch.
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Cannibalism - Cultures, Cures, Cuisine and Calories:
There is an argument that nothing inspires fascination and repulsion as human cannibalism. It is regarded as one of today's societies Taboo topics and often it is associated with evil. When looking at the history behind it when can see how complex it actually is and, surprisingly, sometimes even reverential.
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Firstly, in certain cultures, funeral rituals involved Cannibalism. The Fore of Papua New Guinea, were known to have eaten the bodies of the deceased, which was a sign of love and respect to them as the bodies weren't rotting or being eaten by insects. It was also seen as protecting the body from any dangerous spirits. Moreover, the Wari of the Brazilian Amazon included Cannibalism in their funeral rituals in the 1960's at the end of the practise. Not only this but, commonly, the Aztecs would make human sacrifices and then ate the corpses as they were seen as sacred.
Secondly, in different types of cultures, eating a body of an enemy was considered the ultimate act of revenge. In addition it would show domination and inspiring fear. It was to be believed that by eating the foe, the victor would possess the strength and bravery of the deceased. Even in a time more modern than all listed above, in World War Two, the Japanese Soldiers would eat POW's and the Korowai of New Guinea were within their rights to eat men thought to be witches. Ugandan leader Idi Amin, whose reign was from 1971 - 79, was known for brutality and he was accused of cannibalising his opponents. He responded with a nondenial: “I don’t like human flesh. It’s too salty for me.” The Carib of the Caribbean islands were also thought to have eaten their enemies, and Europeans used claims of cannibalism to justify the murder and enslavement of numerous indigenous people. Though the veracity of the allegations against the Carib is still debated, the term cannibalism derives from a corruption of their name.
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Thirdly, medical cannibalism seem to existed around the world, nearly every body part had ended up in some concoction. Chinese compounds included human organs as well as nails and hair, while, in early Greece, human blood was thought to treat epilepsy. And even as they were decrying cannibals in the New World as savages, Europeans were routinely consuming human parts as medicinal treatment. Furthermore, followers of 16th-century Swiss physician Paracelsus, for example, sought to cure dysentery with medicines that contained powdered human skulls, and in 17th-century England pulverized mummies were used in treatments for epilepsy and stomach aches. In some cases, not just any mummy would do: one concoction called for the body of a redheaded man who had died from hanging.
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Fourthly, Cannibalism Cuisine. Human flesh taste very similar to pork, So in turns, the Batak of Sumatra reportedly sold human flesh in markets and, in China human based dishes were considered a luxury. Not only this but during the Yuan dynasty, it was noted that “children’s meat was the best food of all in taste.” The country also reported cases of children cutting off various body parts to feed to their elders as a sign of respect.
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Despite being widespread, the practise eventually became taboo. However, some cases where it was accepted or at least tolerated and these are all based around survival. According, to a recent study, the human body contains at least 125,000 calories,
One of the most famous accounts of survival cannibalism ever recorded. In 1846, 87 pioneers led by George Donner left Independence, Missouri, bound for California. In December they became trapped by heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada. Facing starvation, the people eventually resorted to cannibalism. The story became well known because of some press. Another example of survival cannibalism followed a plane crash in the Andes Mountains in 1972. Of the 45 passengers—a number of whom belonged to a Uruguayan rugby team—only 16 survived the 72-day ordeal, which included cannibalism, an act some of those rescued later compared to taking Holy Communion. And at Jamestown Colony in 1609–10—a period known as the Starving Time—desperate American settlers cannibalised their neighbors after first eating rats and shoe leather.
Top Ten Cannibal Films:
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre- This film is similar to Cannibal Holocaust, Hopper (the director) targeted this film to a wider audience by saying it was based on true events . This film has been ranked number one as it captured the vacant minds and indiscriminate motives of killers that end in ambiguous animosity. To this day, the film still feels like a nightmare come true.
The Silence of The Lambs- "I ate his liver, with some Fava beans and a nice Chianti." The twisted line is actually a well-crafted medical in-joke, proving how much of an insidious genius Lecter is. Hopkins taught us that the killer's mind is not to be probed, nor is the cannibal's meal to be interrupted. This alone gets in the position of second place.
The Hills have eyes- This film is supposed to be based on the legend of the Scottish cannibal, Sawney Bean and his family.They were said to have robbed, murdered, and eaten over 1,000 traveler's in Bennane Cave. There is a thin line between sanity and insanity, civilised and savagery, and Michael Berryman's performance as Pluto haunts that line. Specifically, for the truth behind it, gets it third place.
Raw- It's original, bold, and extremely convincing as a coming-of-age story. Raw is bizarre because of how vegetarians try meat and their cravings turn into something else and how emotional the story gets after Justine begins to seek human flesh as the next step. This isn't traditional by any means. The scene involving a pair of scissors will give you nightmares. Due to the crazy story and gory scenes it is ranked fifth.
Cannibal Holocaust- The film was noted for its visual realism of sexual assault, animal cruelty, and on-camera deaths. Cannibal Holocaust is a commentary on the sadistic yellow journalism that betrays our better judgment and makes us think twice about who the real cannibals are. It was banned in multiple countries and the director wisely hid the actors to help release and promote the film.
Neon Demon- Hollywood gets broken in Nicolas Winding Refn's insanely original film The Neon Demon. After Jesse causes a big stir in the fashion industry, the jealousy of her peers gets expressed in the most brutal and unexpected of manners. It is a stylish thriller that takes its time to deliver, but when it does, you will be extremely satisfied.
Ravenous- It is a cult film about a regiment going on a rescue mission in a remote location on the American frontier in the 1800s. However, they encounter a drifter with a taste for human flesh (and superhuman strength) that will put their mission at risk. This one's also inspired by the incidents involving Alferd Packer, The Colorado Cannibal. It's considered a obscure box-office flop that people didn't really get at the time, but it has grown over the years.
Bone and All- Is a love story. It tells the story of Maren and Lee, two teenagers who find themselves united by their craving of human flesh as they escape together from the standards of society across America. Luca Guadagnino's film is very emotional and feels like a relevant take on a subject that's hard to blend into more traditional genres and plots.
Motel Hell- This story follows Farmer Vincent SmithSeen as a satire of psychological horror filmsthe low-budget film is seriously silly. However, some scenes featuring humans as "crops" are very upsetting., who is also a motel manager, where he butchers and sells his guests in the form of human sausages as a self-proclaimed meat connoisseur.
We Are What We Are- It's a human-driven storyline that feels honest, realistic and grounded. The obscure cult film tells the story of a family that takes a hit when its patriarch passes away. The family of Cannibals, which intend to follow the tradition of putting food on the table, even if the main dish is the human flesh of unfortunate victims. The film is ranked four, considering it's cult nature and patriarch leader, leading to an excellent story.
Watching five of these films (randomly) and ranking them my self, with a review:
5. Cannibal holocaust- Overall, I wasn't a fan, it was way to realistic, which can be a good thing or a bad but bad it just made me uncomfortable and not in the way you want a psychological thriller to make you feel. It was very gory but there was way to much animal and sexual abuse that just made me feel sick. However, I will say that the beginning wasn't bad it was just the ending and the backstory was nice. I do understand the point of the film and think the meaning behind is good, it was just to much for me specifically.
4. Motel Hell- From the start of the film you can interpret the nice hidden meaning behind as soon as you see the farmers farming humans. Personally, I feel hat the message behind the film, is saying, the people who have influence use and kill the people under them using them to their advantage and to grow their wealth. It felt like it dragged and was on for ages, and you didn't really understand what was happening till like half way through. It was gory but not overtop which I liked. I mean it was based in a slaughter house but it didn't feel ridiculous. The ending was really good and was a closed ending which I enjoyed. It was the only bit of action in the film really, and I think hat worked in their favour.
3. Neon Demon- It is very slow paced and I was getting distracted a bit, however the one thing that really drew me back in was the colour representations and the foreshadowing we had all the way through. i really liked these two things, in away they didn't feel un-natural and blended quite well with what was happening within the scenes. Even the shots used were amazing. It was a goody story though and the hidden message was even better. I feel like they really got the point across about how society views and consumes beauty and how jealous can be someones down fall. It was insanely gory and crazy, like everything that happens is just insane and you don't know weather to cry or laugh. I feel like all the actors who were in it all the way through had good character developments. It didn't really have me on the edge of my seat though.
2. Bones and all- It's a classic story line with a nice sadistic twist. One of the things I really liked about it was that it was suspenseful and unexpected, the ending especially. At parts it was overwhelming and gory but your bound to have that with a cannibal film. It also wasn't to much like the film was being taboo about it. It did have an open ending which has left me thinking about what could have possible have happened next and what happens to the girl, which is a plus. However, I did feel that is a was on for ages and felt myself getting distracted and bored.
1. The hills have eyes- One of the best psychological thriller I have ever seen, it was suspenseful all the way through and that made it for me. I was literally on the verge of my seat for the full thing and couldn't take my eyes away. I really liked how there was a backstory and message for society within it, being how we destroy the world we can only be blamed for what happens after. It was very gory and bloody but it was expected and in away it really helped sell the story. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I watched it and it had my heart pounding and my anxiety rising all the way through. It was really, engaging, at no point did I get bored and feel myself not paying attention.
Genre:
What is Genre?:
The word genre originated from France, it means "type".
More specifically, consumers can make choices about media text they wish to consume and media producers can create a media producer specific to that audience. If a media producer wants to direct their product to that said audience they need to take include codes and conventions.
However, genre isn't that simple and it changes all the time, which has resulted in hybrid genre's, sub genres and changing codes and conventions. Not only this but a relationship exists between the genre and the societies in which they are created.
Types of Genre:
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Sub-genre - a genre that is apart of a larger genre
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Hybrid genre - they share the conventions of more than one genre.
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Subverting genre - For example, Sherlock (a television drama), its sub genre being a detective crime drama. In addition, it is considered to be a hybrid genre because it is a modern day adaptation of an original 19th Century story.
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Intertextuality - happens when the conventions of one genre are alluded to in another, or when a specific cultural reference is made in a media text.
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Steve Neale Genre Theory:
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Genres are made up of repetition and difference
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A genre is made up of repetitive conventions that you associate the
genre with. For example, Creepy Dolls are associated with Horror.
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Audience enjoy familiarity of repeated conventions, therefore, when
the familiar conventions are shown, the consumer will consume what
they know.
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Genres are know for anything that is different. A horror film can
show as having aplot that is familiar to the audience, however
there is a few different conventions within that keeps the audience
hooked.
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Audience enjoys repetitional elements and the different elements,
unconventionally.
The Horror Genre:
This genre in film and Tv is one of the most popular genres and key money makers. It's purpose is to create feelings of fear, dread, disgust, and terror in the audience. The primary goal is to develop an atmosphere that puts the audience on edge and scares them. All genres contain sub genres which further define and categorise the media text.
About:
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Purpose to entertain
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Gratification of escapism
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Dark themes and abandoned or isolated settings
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Cutaways for backstory or foreshadowing
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Low key lighting
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Fear of the unknown
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Less is more, not seeing is scary
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Slow lingering shots
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Jump scares
Genre signifiers: ​
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Typical situations, things things that always happen in a horror film.
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Iconography, typical objects and props within the horror genre.
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Themes, similar to the sub genres but more specific.
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Settings, locations that are in nearly every horror film (forest, isolated horror, etc).
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Stock characters, character personas that are in every film (hero, villain, etc).
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Style, how you film and edit (close ups, low key lighting, fast cuts).
Psychological Thrillers as a Genre:
One thing I want to get an understanding of is psychological thrillers as a genre and what they mean to people and why they are liked and talked about as much as they are. As I consider my short film to be a psychological thriller, I want to be able to understand what specifically stands out to people who watch these said films and what should I aim to include and not.
When I was looking for an article that would help me get a better understanding, I found Grace Wakefield piece on "Psychological Thrillers: the best genre to evoke fear". There were two reasons this piece stood out me, the first being the name straight up including the genre I am looking at and second, how she considers it as the best genre to evoke fear. This stood out to me, purely because I agree and this made the piece all the more interesting to read.
Early in her article, Grace writes, "I constantly look for films to genuinely scare me, to evoke a fear which I can’t quite grasp why but is on my mind for at least the next 48 hours. Whilst the obvious choice would be to pick the first horror film to come up on Netflix, the real contender for conjuring a genuine sense of distress has to be psychological thrillers." Within in the first ten line Grace gets to the point about why she specifically enjoys in that genre. By stating that she likes the "genuine sense of distress", I can clearly understand (and relate) to how she enjoys the realism in a psychological thrillers and how even though the chances are slim, it is more likely to happen that someone getting possessed, which is were that stress comes from. It really allows you to consider yourself in that situation and imagine how you would feel. I can also understand that she wants that fright and would find it difficult to pick between the two - horror and thriller. However, I believe that through the use of a horror, once you've watched it once, twice or maybe even three times, it loses it's scare, cause you know what is coming. Yet, with a psychological thriller, that fear seems to always come back when you watch the film, a sense of unease that you can't seem to shake and plays on your mind for days after. Shortly after her first remark she follows with, "Whilst there are notable horrors, [...] there are far more thrillers which have instilled more fear than a 100-and-something-minute horror could ever induce.", backing up what I originally stated above. I strongly believe this all comes back to the idea of realism, with a psychological thriller.
Moreover, Grace begins her reasoning behind her opinion of the "best genre to evoke fear". She uses the example of the 2020 remake of The Invisible Man to help explain the difference between genres. "The genre of this film is somewhat undecided being labeled ‘a science fiction horror’, ‘a psychological thriller’, and a ‘suspense’. However, it seems clear to me that this film is in fact a psychological thriller. Jason Hellerman describes the difference between horror and thriller to be that horror portrays “inevitable but predictable doom”, whereas thrillers are “a tension-filled story that’s not predictable.”" By her simply stating that her opinion but then following up with evidence, is impressive. She helps outline the difference between the two and highlight what I need to include to make my film a psychological thriller, instead of a horror. By explaining the mix up and how it can be misinterpreted, gives me a chance to aim to create what I want rather than it be misleading and something else. The fact that she chose to talk about The Invisible Man, which couldn't have it's genre decided, is interesting. I feel like this film, in my own opinion, is everything you want in a psychological thriller, it has all the classic jump scares and tension building elements and that's was really makes you think about for hours on end after. Like I said before it doesn't have that classic fear that makes you not want to sleep but one that makes you uneasy and feel like this could happen in real life, even though you know the chances of that are super slim. "The mysterious unraveling of this film, paired with the concept of revenge – on behalf of the protagonist – is something uncharacteristic of horror. She also adds how the themes in the film make it this genre, that is something I know now that I have to take into consideration when creating my script and production.
Furthermore, Wakefield goes on to mention and talk about the "realism" in the movie and how it isn't as far fetched as people think, which is classic of a psychological thriller. "In general, the inclusion of a suit which can turn invisible highlights the ever-rapid advancements in technology." she then goes on to write, "It’s not too long ago since Mercedes revealed plans to have technology in cars which will allow drivers to adjust settings driving by staring at light dots and thinking about them. Therefore, the inclusion of far advanced technology becomes a microcosm for technological advancements and the paradox they create." This is backs up what I was saying before about the realism that comes with the fear of the film. Each and every psychological thriller, has this element and it might be as far fetched as an invisible suit or just an everyday person. I feel as long as you can explain what you mean by this added element and how it relates to the realism then you can have it as a psychological thriller and in that genre, as long has the other themes of suspense and the unexpected.
Moreover, she talks about a more common theme seen in psychological thrillers, such as the view of women in society. Grace starts of this argument by writing, "Cecilia is seen as hysterical in her manner, as no one can see or experience what she is until way later in the film. In this sense, it becomes even more evident that this film is more than just a comment on technology, but a comment on a woman’s place in society." I personal feel that in most psychological thrillers, women are looked as the underdog, someone who is constantly underestimated and never truly believed in and this is the case in The invisible man. Cecilia is constantly ignored and no one ever believes what she is saying and Grace makes a valid point on this theme. It got me thinking about other movies and how they are portrayed in a similar manner. Overall, apart from the sexiest-ness that comes with this theme I do believe it is a good theme to include and does allow for the story and character development to develop smoothly and add to the suspense. It also adds to the element of surprise, specifically when it's either the woman left standing or the one woman who got away. Once again, Grace can back up what I am saying around it having sexist roots, "[...]highlighting the deep-rooted misogyny related to such emotional excess. In this sense, Cecilia acts as a physical embodiment of the constant sexism women have faced over the past 500 years. It becomes clear here that psychological thrillers evoke a deep-rooted fear, in the things we can see and have seen for the past 500 years." I feel I have a better understanding that the genre has to have hidden meaning behind it, that it comes through to people and they have a clear understanding of what they are tying to say.
Finally Grace end us on a nice quote, "Whilst psychological thrillers evidently make us fear what we already know, they also make us fear the possibilities that society presents too. In this sense, they emulate a genuine sense of anxiety as the audience is left weighing up the possibilities of what could happen in the future. So next time a horror makes you fear the unknown, turn to a psychological thriller – and realise the visibility is the new invisibility." Her closing statement really gets you thinking, about how these two genres can easily get misinterpreted as each other and how when in reality there are many different things that separate each other. Personally, I have learned a lot from this article and feel I have a better understanding of the genre as and how I want my piece to be consumed.
Colour Theory:
What is colour theory?:
Colour theory is how colours work together and how the can affect or perspective and how they can affect our emotions and perspectives. It enables you to pick colours that go well together and convey the right mood for your project or piece.
Sir Isaac Newton, established colour theory when he created the colour wheel in 1666. Newton understood colours as human perceptions—not absolute qualities—of wavelengths of light. He put them into three groups:
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Primary - Red, Yellow, Blue
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Secondary - Mixes of primary colours
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Tertiary - mixes or primary and secondary
Hue, Value, Saturation?:
Hue - the the attribute of colour that distinguishes it as red, blue, green or any other specific colour on the colour wheel.
Value - represents a colour's relative lightness or darkness or grayscale and it’s crucial for creating contrast and depth in visual art.
Saturation - also known as chroma or intensity, refers to the purity and vividness of a colour, ranging from fully saturated (vibrant) to desaturated.
Colour schemes and temperatures:
In screen designs, designers us an additive colour model, where red, green and blue are the primary colours. Your colour choices should optimize your users’ experience in attractive interfaces with high usability. There are many different methods to chose from:
When looking at these colour schemes and wheels, I feel like I have abetter understanding of which one will best for me to use. Originally, I was planning on using a scheme like complementary. I thought this would go best because of the green in the forest and the red my characters would be wearing. I was also considering using a monochromatic scheme for the scenes in the house having everything round a certain shade mainly to show how sickening the man is, However, as I have learnt more about these schemes I personally feel either Triadic and Square are probably the best for me. Personally, I don't feel like it is very practical to have two different colour schemes and that it would be much easier to use a more complex scheme than two more simpler ones. Specifically, I want to focus on the colours green, red and yellow. I feel like these colours represent a lot of what I want to give in my message, but more on that later. However, in each scene I will specifically show these colours together and how they work. If I was to use the square scheme I would also include the colour dark blue as I strongly believe I could use as a way of showing the sadness or the cannibal or his dark side. I would normally have chosen black, but I think to much of it can be overwhelming and that is why I am considering square.
In colour theory as well use have to consider the coolness and warmth that the colours give. You should also apply colour theory to encourage a positive psychology. So you should strongly consider how certain colours may affect your message. For example, if I used pink in my piece people would be expecting a love story especially with the warm tone of it. However, if I used a dark blue people would interpret that their is sadness in the film and that it may be emotional to watch.
The right contrast is vital to catching users’ attention in the first place. The vibrancy you choose for your design is likewise crucial to provoking desired emotional responses from users. How they react to colour choices depends on factors such as gender, experience, age and culture. Your users will encounter your design with their expectations of what a design in a certain industry should look like. That’s why you must also design to meet your market’s expectations geographically.
Personally, for me, I want the colours I use to represent what my film is about. For example, I want the red I use to highlight danger and blood. I want it show that the kids wearing it about to lose their lives and I want it ring a siren in the viewers head that something isn't right. Moreover, I want yellow to represent sickness. I got this idea from the Jefferey Dahmer series, he was also in yellow lighting and the font colour was even yellow. I feel like it really shows that what happening is disgusting and possibly an illness. I have chosen green, as I feel that represents freedom. I know this is ironic considering they both die. But that is what I want it to be as to show they are so close to living and being free, yet their stupidity by going in is what lead to their downfall. I think three colours all go well with each other and will help sell the story and message I am trying to put down.
Lighting Representation:
The table I have created above have really helped me get a better understand of how lighting can affect a scene and how it can make it help tell a story. I feel as though I have a better understanding of what I need to use and create (in a sense), to help me portray the characters and the mood of the scene. Specifically, I know now that, using a lighting like yellow- which I was considering using- will portray a warm, happier feeling. However, if I use a white lighting it will help portray the power of my character and it will also be brighter creating this uneasy feeling of viewing what he is doing. Harsh lighting in the scenes with the cannibal is a must and will create this feeling of an intense atmosphere. I also believe that for my cannibal that the best type of lighting I could use is side light, backlight and under light. These will help keep his identity a secret and will really help create this sense of mystery and unease. Especially, the side light you wouldn't be able to see his full face and only a glimpse from a certain angle, which will hopefully create this fear of the unknown. I think creating a silhouette will be perfect for my short film, it will show how this man is smart and careful, whilst also hiding his identity. An under light however, will be harder to do with the angles I am aiming for. Yet it will create feelings of fear and curiosity. So i would have to figure that one out. Finally, I feel like I have learnt how important it is for me to use lowkey lighting. It will really help sell the mystery and the drama.
My one issue is that, I am unsure of how to combined all these ideas. So when I begin feeling I might have t mess around with them to figure our what works best.
Short Film Analysis:
Childer- When I was watching this short film I noticed that there was a wide range of shots, which really helped portray the story. They varied from wide shots, close ups and even over the shoulder shots. The close up specifically created an uneasy feeling. This film wasn't exactly scary but it played games with your mind. It made you question what was actually happening and really made you think about who the bad guy was. I think this was all down to the close ups of the mum. The wide shots were great for helping set the scene. Specifically with the forest surrounding her house. With the forest being an iconography for horror films, I thought it was pretty interesting that it was round her house, the wide shots really helped portray this forbidden place and atmosphere. The story line was also pretty good, at first I was a bit confused about what was happening but when it got to the end it all made sense. The ending was definitely an open ending I would say, due to the plot twist of the mum being the killer and her killing all of her own children. You don't actually know what happens next after the ball arrives at her door and she buried her son, which leads me onto the plot twist. The fact that it was the mum in the end all makes sense, there was always tense music with her and her OCD. You kind of don't realise when you see the other kids, who are ghost though, I feel like they specifically throw you off. There was great colour symbolism throughout, especially with the red dress that she has wears in the nightmare and at the end. There is also a theme of isolationism , which happens a lot in horror films. The mum pushed everyone way and it was purely so they couldn't find out her secret.
Overall, I think the use of shots, colour symbolism and iconography is really interesting and I am hoping to apply these three to my own short film.
Upstairs- Straight from the beginning this film had great shots, it used lots of close ups, which really added to this uncomfortable feeling. It also made you on edge like you shouldn't be watching this and they were letting you in on a secret. It was quite short but it was to the point, I personally didn't get bored when watching this one. When you first begin watching the film, your not to sure what to exactly make of it and you can't tell what is going to happen. It's only when the daughter starts going insane that you get an understanding. There was a lot of colour symbolism. In the background you could always see the dad's ashes or something red. Personally, I feel like this was trying to show the danger the man was in and how they are the dangerous ones. The plot was shocking but also not unexpected in way. Like I wrote before, when the sister starts rambling on you get this understanding everything she is saying is true and she's the one that they are isolating. There is a lot of foreshadowing as well in this short film. The use of the knife, the ashes the colour red. It all leads up to the mans murder. The foreshadowing is great and it honestly adds a suspense to the film. It really leaves you wanting more. Not only all this but the goriness in this film is interesting. You don't see the murder but you hear and you see the after math when the girl comes back down stairs covered in blood. And I mean head to toe. This element alone really helps make it more realistic in a sense. It is also the most helpful for my piece, it has an undertone of cannibalism and I want to somehow incorporate how the eldest daughter acts throughout into my own cannibal.
From this film, specifically, I really want to use the foreshadowing and the acting style into this piece. I feel like it can help me bring my piece to life and more suspension.
Hangry - The story line for this short film was really good, it follows a young girl who has an abusive step father and a sick mother. The shots in this film are so good and go really well the music. Specifically, the long shots and wide shots in this is quite interesting. It really allows you to see what is going on around you and creates a nervous feeling. You feel like you have to look round a lot to make sure she isn't getting caught and just really understand what it going on. The close ups are also great, you can really understand her feelings and actions through them. It also has an open ending which I think is great. Selling her step fathers meat to people is crazy and I think it's more crazy that we don't find out what happens after this either with her or her consequences. The music in this film was great it really helped create suspense and show her feelings all at once. The plot twist was so crazy and a little unexpected, never the less it was still everything you'd want in a film. It was gory and bloody, which really helps sell the story. Once again, in the horror genre, the iconography of isolationism is there. She has no one to turn with her mum being sick so she is all alone. The film even has foreshadowing through the cooking of the steak and the use colour. The use of colour symbolism, is also key for this short film. you can see little things red lighting, red items in the background that show us that something bad is going to happen. Not only these but the acting in this short film is so realistic, that it makes the film more realistic. Out of all the others as well this has the most realistic backstory and this is why I believe it makes it more uneasy to watch.
From this film, I want to take away the use of music and the blood and goriness. I feel like this will help me create a more entertaining piece and keep people watching for the full time.
Character Development:
Fresh:
When I watched the film Fresh, I only had two focuses and that was how the Cannibal (Sebastian Stan) was portrayed and how the Victim (Daisy Edgar Jones) was portrayed. I can honestly say that this film didn't disappoint me in these areas. Sebastian Stan's character, is portrayed as this lovely doctor at first, who is so different to Daisy's usual dates and Daisy a young girl just trying to get by and find love, clueless to what the future holds. Once her and Sebastian's relationship starts to develop so does the characters personalities. Obviously later in the film the truth comes out and this loving doctor, is a blood thirsty cannibal who wants to eat her and sell her parts to others like him. And Daisy's character turns into a smart woman who is determined to play mind games to get out of their alive.
When looking a Sebastian's Stan's character (Steve), we can clearly see this cocky, charming man, who is well off. He has the personality through nearly the full film. He is very charming and soon wins Noa over. Personally, I found this very interesting for his character. His "business" is clearly a secret and he puts himself out there a lot, which personally, I wouldn't thought he would. Yet I think this works in the characters favour in a way and allows the viewers to understand that it is his ego that allows him not to get caught and his way to bring victims to him, instead of just taking them. When looking at the film as a whole he is a manly man: bread winner for his family, loves doing the hard work and makes that known, womanizer, etc. I think this quite interesting considering the circumstances. If you look at this from a feminist perspective you get the idea that he wants to save these women that want to find what everyone women is looking for- love. He uses that and his charms to his advantage to lure pray in.
Specifically, with this character, I want to take away his confidence and wealth. Wealth, specifically because the meaning behind mine is all about how the rich consume the poor for their own good. I think his interpretation of a wealthy man with a secret is really good and I want to apply what I have seen into my script and character. Moreover, his confidence is continuous until the end, which is outstanding. I want my character to give that same atmosphere and vibe that he does. I want it show that he isn't ashamed for what he is doing and rather enjoys the sport around it. I need to portray this though through shots, facial expressions, posture and atmosphere. As this character doesn't have many lines.
Furthermore, when looking at Daisy Edgar Jones's character (Noa), we can clearly see her character development through the entire film. She starts off as this shy woman who is bored of dating, and turns into a strong woman who wants to survive a madness she has been pushed into. In a way, I want to use both of these parts of Noa and use them at the same time. What I mean exactly is that, even though my victim will fight for her life and run away from the madness, she also want be strong enough and to afraid to, which is her downfall and why she dies. I want to take Noa's attitude and vibe from when she first arrives at his "slaughter" house and when she is fighting to leave in the end. I want my character to be hysterical and brave in a sense. If you look at Noa in a feminist perspective, you can really how her annoyance of being trapped and anger from nearly dying, is what pushes her through. Which can be interpreted as a metaphor for all the bad stuff women have to go through due to men.
I really want to take away Noa's close ups and atmosphere she creates through her body language. I strongly believe that is quite powerful and will show my audience how she truly feels.
Jeffery Dahmer's- What made him?:
When reading the Jeffery Dahmer book I found a lot of interesting stuff about his adolescent life that is believed to have impacted who became and a reasoning of a sort for why he did what he did. Specifically, I looked at how he acted through these years. I know that my characters aren't even remotely in the same age group as the young Jeffery Dahmer but I would like to use what I have learnt and find a way to incorporate his youth into my cannibal character and show that he is the way he is because of how is younger years.
I have know written up everything about his formative life and I can clearly say that it is so crazy and disturbing that it's hard to base my character around it. The only few things I want to take away from Jeffrey Dahmer is his relationship with his parents and his obsession with animals. The parents I have some ideas how to show this like a cracked picture frame or even no picture frames. But the animals I am going to struggle with. Overall, this book was really informative and showed me that Jeff was a shy, quiet boy for most of his childhood and really found himself in nature and the outside. However in high school even though he had limited friends he became more loud and joking, maybe even classed as disruptive through his drinking. Yet, through and through, all his teachers called him respectful. I think if I had longer to make my film I would take more of what Jeffrey |Dahmer went through and show how that affected my character like it affected Jeff. I think knowing that is a real person makes it harder for me to want to incorporate what made him him. I think instead I will just use how he acted: shy and odd.
Before Jeffery Dahmer was born:
Even before Jeffery Dahmer was born his home life wasn't great. His father, Lionel Dahmer, was a workaholic and very aloof, whilst his mother, Joyce Dahmer, was very needy and selfish ( which can traced back to her father being an alcoholic and never really being around). Lionel's grandmother actually said, "Joyce was loud, argumentative and selfish, They fought like cat and dog. It upset my home and my life . I'm sure that Lionel didn't want a child, not at first. He was starting a new career. He didn't have any money but she was insistent. That was the only reason I allowed them to stay with me until he got on his feet."
During Joyce's pregnancy she was struggling really badly. She has depression and anxiety. During her pregnancy her body had began seizing up and she would begin foaming at the mouth. Not only this but she was taking 27 different types of drugs a day, including antidepressants, progesterone and growth hormones. Later down the line, Lionel actually questioned if all these drugs is what affected Jeffery and made him who he came out to be.
A study actually found that depressed mother while pregnant could actually pass on this mental illness to their baby. The question that arose was what if this wasn't the only mental illness that he had received from her.
The only other thing that really stood out to me before Jeffery was born, was how his mother acted on one new year eve , whilst pregnant with him. She stormed out of the house only in her nightgown, no shoes no nothing, into the middle of a snow storm and lay there shivering in the tall grass until Lionel came to collect her.
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Former Years:
Jeffery was a healthy baby when he was born. The only condition he had was to do with his feet and how they wasn't pointing the right way. This was easily solved through the use of leg braces and is quite common for new born's.
Another thing that is important to look at when considering how his younger years affected him, is the fact that his mother stopped breast feeding him after a few months. Another study found that this random pull away can affect a mothers and child's relationship. It can create a feeling of isolation and anger in the future towards the mother.
Jefferey Dahmer became extremely obsessed with animals at a young age. Many people thought that he might have tortured them and killed them. Yet there isn't any proof of that. It was said he just liked looking at them and even playing with them.
Around the age of three or four, Jefferey had to have surgery and for weeks after it he wasn't really the same. he was in incredible pain and agony and he would just sit there in silence and never even stirring. He said in a later interview that the pain was so intense that he thought they had cut his genitals off. It is believed that it had a bigger impact on his life than thought - it was the first time in his life that he truly felt pain and helplessness and even violation. This could have played on his mind for years after.
Other than this, it was said that Jeffrey was overall a happy kid, who liked being outdoors and playing.
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School Years:
There wasn't much about his time in school, however, a teacher recalled that she saw early signs of abandonment in Jeffrey She recalled that he was a shy kid, who was always alone and unhappy. She also said that he had little to no friends. He was overall isolated.
Jeffrey's life wasn't all too bad though after school and on the weekends he would go out and play with his two (only) friends.
At the age of six Jeffrey had his first run in with the police. He had been walking in an abandoned area to meet his friends and he decided to smash a window of an isolated house. The police found him and took him home, where his parents would scold him.
This happened to be a continuous thing - scolding. He would often climb apple trees or play on top of coal. And when he got home he would get in trouble once again.
Around this age Jeffrey became fascinated with dead animals. His father had found some animal bones under the house and he brought them into the home in a bag. This is where Jeffrey was found captivated for the first time by death. He picked up the small, dry bones and would drop them on the floor. His father would watch him do this and later would say how Jeffrey laughed as they hit the floor and broke. Once again his father saw him captivated by death, he took him fishing and he said that Jeffrey would just stare at the fish guts.
Not only this but around this time, his parents marriage became even worse and more rocky than it had already been. It got so bad that Jeffrey had seen his father hit his mother a few times and he even recalled that one time a knife was pulled out (it didn't say which parent did this).
His parents weren't happy where they were living so they moved. But once they had settled into this new home the mother would constantly complain about how the neighbours were too noisy, even though they weren't. So they had to move again. This time though they got Jeffrey a dog to help him compensate.
He then started his new school and he hated it and he found it really difficult to make new friends.
One day he was playing with this lad and the boy turned to Jeffrey and asked him to strangle him. Jeffrey did it but not in a "I want to kill you way", the boy broke free and ran and told him mother. Jeffrey then had to take ten slaps of the paddle by his teacher. This was the first time he felt betrayed.
In this new school, he had a favourite teacher and decided to give her tadpoles as a gift. Later on he found out that she had given them to another student. When he found them he was filled with rage and poured car oil into the jar, shook it and killed them. Once again he felt betrayed.
Around this time he started to show signs of childhood schizophrenia.
They moved again and he started to feel neglected.
However, in this home he was surrounded by nature and was able to explore. The only big down fall, was that he started killing insects, dissecting dead roadkill, and he started stripping meat and fur off of animals.
He had become a loner - he was always out of it and never happy or committed unless he was alone.
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High School Years:
Jeffrey really wanted friends but it was very obvious that he struggled to make them.
By the time that Jeff was in high school he had asked his father "what would happen if he put chicken bones in bleach". This obviously started to show he was considering how the best way to decompose bones would be.
Not only this but by the time he was 14 years old he had become an alcoholic. In a later interview he had said that he turned to drinking to help escape his parents relationship.
With his bug and dissecting collection, he had moved on to much bigger animals like pigs. He even admitted that this gave him a sense of control. Around this stage in his life he began developing Paraphilia - sexual fascination with the dead.
His mum was also sectioned in 1970 and Jeff blamed himself for this. He thought that if his mum didn't become pregnant with him she wouldn't have all these mental health issues now. He began living in his little bubble of blame and self hatred.
In school, his grades started dropping massively. He had a high IQ but he had found a new fun obsession of playing pranks. They would be harmless, but many people really started to like him because of his.
In an interview later down the line, Jeffrey Dahmer admitted to masturbating three times a day. He had also realised he was a homosexual at this point. He began reading porn and bondage magazines.
Finally, when he was in high school he began his stalking stage. He had been watching a runner for a couple of weeks and planned to attack him. He waited in a bush with a bat to get him when he ran past. Luckily for the man he had never gone out running that day. So Jeff wasn't able to attack him.
Due to his mass alcohol consumption he had begun to gain weight and lose sleep. He would sneak bottles of any alcohol to drink between classes and referred to it as his medicine.
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Divorce:
Lionel's and Joyce's divorce really affected Jeffrey and brought him to the most dramatic way points in his life. Children can react differently to divorce based on their age your children become sad and clingy whilst adolescents become angry and distant. It may increase drinking, using drugs and sexual promiscuity. This is exactly what happened to Jeffrey Dahmer.
For Jeffrey his parents divorce was nothing less than a nuclear explosion. It actually got to the point where his father was setting trip wires to wake him in case his wife was coming to him. He was terrified of her. When Joyce's father dies she goes home for his funeral and whilst she was there she cheated on Lionel. It all got worse from there.
Fighting over custody, who gets the house, etc.
A few weeks before everything happened, one of Jeff's teachers watched him sitting close to the school parking lot, drinking. He told her that he was having a lot of problems at home and the guidance counsellor knew. His drinking got worse and he became dangerously disconnected.
His father was staying in a motel and his mother decided to pack up and move out of the house with Jeff's younger brother David and go to her family. Jeff was left alone. He later recalled that at this point he was shutting down and had painful thoughts.
In the same year as his parents divorce, he graduated from high school. Three weeks after he left he killed his first victim.
