FMP

1. Initial Plans
Connor Wiffen

2. Initial Reaction
As part of my FMP I have been given free reigns on what I produce within the mediums of Video, Video Game and Print for the next 8 weeks.
There are a number of genres available for me to pick from and as my rough idea is centred around the concept of a stop motion short film
using figures I have at home, it would be appropriate for me to go with a mixture of Photography and Video. This will allow me to utilise both
my passions of editing and photography in a project I care a lot about. Within the project I will make use of several programs like Adobe
Photoshop, After Effects and a choice between Premiere Pro or Sony Vegas editing software – I already have quite a bit of experience with
the two programs as I used them at home for my hobby of editing clips together to a software. Within the previous projects I have noted that
my Research and Production are strengths of mine but I do find that I struggle with evaluating my own work as I am always too harsh on
myself and quick to dismiss my work so I will need to work on that aspect of my project. Another weakness of mine is managing my time and
although I do get everything done on time, it is not without stress so I will also need to work on better keeping to my schedule. As mentioned
before, for my project to be a success I will need to utilise a number of different Software to create each aspect – for example, I will use
Photoshop to manipulate the images to add different effects like a backdrop or fire. For hardware I will use both my own and a College
booked Camera to take the shots needed to stitch the film together in software like Vegas on a Computer at home or College. For Time
management I will make a schedule to keep to which is even more important in an FMP as the deadline is absolute and more necessary than
ever to get a grade I am happy with to show for my work over the College year. Reflection at the end of each week will be an important part
of the FMP as it will allow me to see where I am with my work and also improve on aspects which may hinder me as the project goes on.In
conclusion, for my FMP I would like to do a Stop Motion Short Film where I use the figures I have at home to create a story of some sort
where I can show off my previously mentioned passions.

3. Mind Map
Genre:
There are many genres I would potentially like to explore when
thinking of creating a Short Film for my FMP which includes going
out of my comfort zone and attempting a romance orientated short
as I’ve always been fond of giving it a go. Within the romance genre
there are a lot of subgenres and for my own film I would like to
make a traditional drama which demonstrates the dramatic side of a
couples life/love or go further away from the traditional romance
conventions and create a film which implements elements of
science fiction and time travel. As I am on practically nothing for a
budget these would have to be small in scale so the sci –fi elements
would need to be toned down but a time travel story could easily be
done. Although both concepts differ slightly, the basic narrative
would more than likely follow a conventional "boy meets girl" (or
vice versa) set up, where the main character meets someone and
they eventually fall in love throughout the film. This has been a
successful narrative structure for films in the romance genre for
ages now and the specific target audience for these type of films
expect to see a plot which follows this structure. However it is also
common place for a shake up to occur which forces the characters
to break up or be separated that contribute to the drama elements
of the film - the ending to any film is important and in this genre
that is no exception with there being the choice of two definitive
endings, one where the two characters live happily ever after and
the other where they do not end up together both endings are
aimed at causing an emotional reaction within the viewer I.e. make
them happy or make them sad..
Concepts:
Concept 1: Within the science fiction romance genre I
have the idea of a time travel movie where the main
female character is given the chance to save her lost lover
after she accidentally drops a picture of him (or her) and
when she does she realises that time doesn’t always heal
wounds. She is left wondering whether bringing them
back was a good idea at all, time is constantly pushing
them apart to fix the apparition until they are both left
broken and alone.
Concept 2: Within the Psychological Horror genre I
have the idea of a film where the main character
completely paranoid after watching a horror movie late at
night and has trouble sleeping. They see and hear unusual
things that no one else can (whispering into her ear and
shadows) as the day goes on until they are left sitting up
in their bed, terrified of whatever is going on. Until they
can’t take it anymore and put a gun to their head where
another ghostly hand covers theirs as the trigger is pulled.
Concept 3: Within in the Stop Motion film genre I have
the idea of the titular characters using a Lego TARDIS to
visit different worlds which lead them to meet many
different characters from a range of universes (Any of the
figures/toys I have that can work in a stop motion form)
that will more than likely include the Xenomorph from
Alien and a Lego Godzilla with settings that encompass
their characters.
Research:
The research is very important to the creation of a basis for the entirety of the
project and includes comparing the concept to three already existing products
which are similar to the production I would like to make that are then analysed
along the lines of what common features they share and what aspects of the
research I will include within my own production work. It would also be
recommended to create a survey detailing questions which can be asked to
people within my intended target audience to get a clearer image and idea of
what my product should aim to be. As part of the research I will also be looking at
information that can help me throughout the production, for example tutorials on
how to do a certain aspects like editing or sound production to better prepare
myself for when these things need to be done. I will also be conducting some
interviews with a select few members of the designated target audience to better
determine what the audience is and how my product appeals to said audience.
Finishing with a Bibliography of resources I would use to go about my research
which could include online videos, books and magazines.
Production Experiments:
Common practice is to do some production experiments to have a sense of what
the certain parts of the project will look like when it is complete. A small demo
video of what the concept will look like and a conceptual design for the Poster,
DVD and Blu-Ray case which attracts new viewers to see the film without any
previous knowledge of the production and can also give them a sense of what the
film is about before they see witness it.
To accompany the film I will be creating a poster which
will have the sole purpose of advertising the upcoming
film; through letting audiences know the release date
which raises the awareness of the film and in turn aims to
generate hype from intended audiences. The poster
should provide a range of information on an upcoming
film including the name of the film, the release date, the
stars and the BBFC certification. This information is
included to attract a viewer in a number of ways, for
example through naming the stars who are the most
popular and well known, a memorable film title, whilst
also informing the viewer of important information like
the release date and certification- which will determine
the suitability of the film. The design of the poster can
also suggest a genre for the film and thus narrative that
the film will possibly follow which acts as an insight to
what the film may be about/along the lines of and
therefore helps them to decide whether this film is
something they may be interested in seeing. Another
creation I will be making to accompany the film is a DVD
and Blu-Ray cover as it is common practice within the film
industry to have variants for each medium which capture
the attention of the audience when it is o n a shelf with
many other cover designs.
Another genre I would like to explore is that of the Horror variety as
I have always enjoyed films within this genre. There are a number of
elements that I could potentially implement into my own Horror
short but I personally believe that Psychological Horror is the most
effective form of cinematic horror so I would come up with a
concept that encompasses it. A Psychological Horror doesn’t
include any gore or weapons and doesn’t have the aim of making
the viewer jump out of their skin as it plays games on their mind,
messes with their head in such a way that the audience doesn’t
know who to trust and make them feel vulnerable. These types of
films can either be set in a normal environment like a school, a block
of flats or in a less familiar setting like an abandoned mental asylum
or underground bunker. For my own Psychological Horror I would
set it in an easily accessible location for me like a forest or my own
house for example, this gives the familiarity aspect a major boost
which in turn would juxtapose with the horror taking place in it. The
final idea for a genre I would choose is that of a Stop Motion film in
which I would utilise easily adjustable figures to form some sort of
narrative. To create a film like this I would need to build each set for
the different environments and make sure that everything is the
same for each frame that is taken as to keep a consistency within
the eventual narrative formed by stitching the images together to
form a compelling viewing experience.
Pre-Production:
The Pre-Production begins with the Story Development where the working Title,
chosen Genre and a few visual conventions which the selected genre will need to
be successful such as the setting, colours and type of camera techniques which
will be used. Another part that is included within this early stage of Pre-
Production is a Structural Breakdown detailing the beginning, middle and end of
the film with what happens along with the approximate timings of each section as
with visual/audio notes which help to form a basis for the rest of the production.
Storyboarding helps to create a starting visual for how you want your finished
movie to look, how the story should unfold and what shots will be the best way to
convey your story to your audience. To accompany the Storyboard there will also
be a Shot List which is a list of the camera shots that you will need to get whist
you're filming. Organisational Planning begins with the production group info
which details the name, stage, roles and contact info of each member of the
production team. Cast information is also required to keep track of the cast and
who is doing what in the film, This along with the location information which
details the locations that will be used during filming build up the necessities for
the filming days. Furthermore there is a need for a Risk Assessment of possible
things that could derail the production and a Contingency Plan which details back
up plans for if any aspect of the production falls through so you aren’t completely
left with nothing to recover from. In finality, there is what Diegetic (Sound whose
source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the
action of the film) and non Diegetic (Sound whose source is neither visible on the
screen nor has been implied to be present in the action) sound will be used
without the show.

4. Mind Map
Stop Motion Film
Use of Lego and other figures which are easy to move around to tell
some sort of narrative. I will also make a Poster and DVD case to
accompany the film, going into more detail with the poster – it will
use the rule of having the most important aspect of the film being in
the middle/centre of the poster so that a viewers eye is
automatically drawn to it as when looking at image the human eye
centres on the middle of it and reads left to right. For the DVD cover I
will create a different image from the poster as is standard with
many Film covers when they come to home release – another
common practice amongst home releases is having an alternative
cover for the Blu-Ray release which I will also adopt for my own Stop
Motion Film.
There are many genres that I could place the film in as Stop Motion
allows for a wide range of concepts but for the idea that I have, I am
able to include different genres from Action to Horror because of the
different ‘worlds’ I am planning to have the characters visit. For
example when they visit the Alien world the atmosphere can be
more horror orientated to mimic the original style of the classic film
which is a major juxtaposition to what is normal for Lego as a family
friendly product . Another genre I could delve into is Fantasy with the
characters travelling to a land of Knights and Dragons . This jumping
between genres will make the film more of a unique viewing
experience rather than a convoluted mess.
Sound
The sound for my Stop Motion will consist of premade royalty free
sound effects and music as well as my own recorded sounds
whenever necessary. For an example of using premade sounds I will
be using the signature Xenomorph screech whenever it is on screen -
as for my own recorded sounds I am planning to either use my own
voice in the form of voice acting for the characters or playing
homage to the original LEGO games where the conversations
between characters are told merely by inaudible sounds which may
be a more time effective and easier to preform way around the issue
of dialogue in the movie. These are all examples of Diegetic sound
as the source is visible on the screen and is implied to be present by
the action of the film. For Non-diegetic sound there will be the
inclusion of a soundtrack that is either copyright free music that will
be found on websites such as YouTube and Bensound or created by
me within a music making software depending on how much time I
have during the post production section of the project.
Poster and Home Release
To accompany the film I will be creating a poster which will advertise
the film and release date which begins to generate hype from the
intended audience. The poster will include the name of the film, the
release date, the stars of the film and the BBFC certification. The
Poster needs grab the viewer’s attention. The poster should be
attractive to the eye as this will ensure that viewers take the time to
look at what the film is called and the movie’s cast. With a visual
image it makes it easy for the audience to remember. I will utilise big
and bold pictures of the characters within the film and other uses of
imagery to give the viewers a taste of what the movie is about
without telling them exactly what the plot is and leave them wanting
more. The poster design will also reflect the genre of the film, as
mine is presented as an adventure type film before the complete
change in genre at the end – the design will have to reflect this with
having for example, the characters being happy or in mid action. I
will also be creating a separate DVD and Blu-Ray cover for the film
which will be different from the Poster – A use of colours which
draws the eye in and makes things stand out amongst other covers
that make it so someone chooses the film instead of another choice.
Bright colours will be used to emulate the adventurous and fun
aspect of the adventure parts of the movie and make the ending
even harder to see coming considering the lighter nature of the
scenes before. The cover will also embody the themes of the movie
by, like the poster – showing the characters mid scene or multiple
scenes from around the film’s plot.
Story
Synopsis:
The Story of my Stop Motion film will involve the titular characters
using a Lego TARDIS to visit different worlds (However if the original
plan takes too long or cannot be done then I will downscale it to
specifically two to three worlds) which lead them to meet many
different types of creatures from Dragons to Godzilla. Throughout
their journey they will discover signs that there is someone or
something sinister working behind the scenes.
Scenes:
Scene 1- The Characters are in the TARDIS and something bleeps on
the monitor which leads to them going to investigate it. There is
some time turbulence as the ship is thrown around.
Scene 2 – The TARDIS lands in an empty city where there is only the
faint sound of commotion as explosions go off in the distance.
Suddenly the ground shakes and a huge shadow of a creature looms
over the scene before it is revealed to just be the lighting making the
tiny LEGO Godzilla look massive and way more threatening.
Scene 3 – The characters act surprised and relieved before noticing
something moving in the shadows but vanished before they work
out what it is. Godzilla tries to roar and scare them but it has no
effect, fails and walks away sad. The characters go back into the
TARDIS and it is thrown uncontrollable into another world.
Scene 4 - The TARDIS crashes into a nest with huge eggs and as the
characters get out the they soon realise that the Eggs belong to a
Dragon which lands to protect them. The characters run away and
hide from the raging Dragon before another Dragon appears to
destroy the eggs and start their own family. The Dragons fight and
the enemy Dragon is killed as the characters distract it, leaving it
open to a fatal attack. Before the Dragon notices them again, The
characters run back to the TARDIS and get it out of there before the
Dragon can get to them (The shadowy creature from before is seen
again as a tail appears.
Scene 5 - They land in a dark unknown setting where they swear
something is moving in the darkness. Something moves from around
the back of the TARDIS as people start disappearing into the dark
with the sounds of something within it. The lead uses the Sonic
Screwdriver to light up the scene as it reveals the creature to be a
Xenomorph which lunges, knocking the screwdriver onto the ground
and the film cuts out.
Research
As part of the research I will need to look at techniques for actually
creating a stop motion film i.e. How many pictures are needed to give
the illusion of smooth movement and specific types of lighting I will
need to utilise to give the best results. I will also need to potentially
research tips and tricks in the form of online video tutorials on voice
recording/acting as it may be utilised within the production. Other parts
I will need to conduct research on is how similar products compare to
my concept (in the form of their editing, style, plot, poster design and
home release covers) and what aspects I could implement into my own
production which will help me to create something that appeals to my
intended target audience, A survey containing questions which will be
sent to people within my intended target audience to get a more
streamlined idea of what my product should aim to be. I will also be
conducting some interviews with a select few members of the
designated target audience to better determine what the specific
audience is and how my product appeals to them

5. Mood Board

6. Mood Board Analysis
My product will be very similar to the Lego Movie as it will contain many different characters from a range of franchises which is
where most of the appeal will come from. As with the Lego Movie my stop motion film will also share a similar colour scheme i.e.
bright colours (Mainly blue which is a reoccurring colour through my mood board) that will contrast well with when the genre of
the film takes a change for the darker at the climax of the film which is where the inspiration from the sombre alien world comes
from, these shifts in colour will effect the tone and mood of the scenes which in turn affects the audience making them feel more
in line with what the characters on screen feel. I will take direct inspiration from the shots from other stop motion short films and
projects as they are commonly used within the genre on video sharing platforms by amateur stop motion filmmakers. The
background of the scenes will reflect the world the characters are in which is why there will be multiple from a fantasy land, city
and Space. As for the poster designs shown, they all reflect the style I will be adopting for my own poster with the characters
being in the centre of the frame as an action piece goes off to create the background, for example a building exploding as the
characters jump out. The Posters all share the common aspects of a large text which shows the title of the movie where it can be
easily seen by the human eye and stay in their minds till the movie’s release, building anticipation. I will also use a similar
technique in my own poster so the title is one of the first parts to be seen. The separate DVD and Blu-Ray covers however are
slightly different as the DVD cover usually resembles the original poster that would be put up within a cinema whilst the Blu-Ray
goes for a more minimalistic look for a cleaner design – when I am designing my own home release covers I will take this into
account, another aspect which changes between them is how the back is designed. A DVD cover will usually have short reviews
from newspapers or trusted sources that are represented by a quote and stars which are accompanied by a short descriptive blurb
that introduces the plot of the film, screen caps from various points that give the potential audience an idea of the movie they will
be watching and whatever special features be it director commentaries, behind the scenes or deleted scenes. For the Blu-Ray, the
designs usually strip a lot of this information down to the bare minimum to reflect the more streamline design. The DVD is
cheaper and therefore needs to grab the attention of someone walking by a lot more than the Blu-Ray as generally the
mainstream audience will go for the more expensive option for a first viewing.