2. General information:
Title – “The unfortunate life of…” (Name of Character undecided)
Plot:
• The story of my film follows the everyday life of my main character, who’s
name is still to be decided on. He lives in 1930’s England with his family.
• Whilst fixing something in his house, he falls and hits his head, putting him
in a coma.
• He wakes up in 2014 , afraid and alone. He doesn’t know how long he will
be stuck there, so he decides to try and live his life.
• However, the changes in technology and society are so drastic, he cannot
cope. In an attempt to get back to 1930 again, he puts himself back into a
coma and wakes up in his bed.
3. Audience:
Age – The age of my audience is 17+. The genre of the film would
probably be boring for younger teens/children, because of the way it
is filmed and the story line.
Gender – My film is not gender specific.
Psychographics – Anybody of 17+ who may have a particular interest
in “Film Noir” or “German expressionist cinema”. They will probably
need to be quite a mature person who can follow a storyline rather
than pay attention to visual effects.
Social grade – Social grade is not at all important.
4. Inspirations:
I have taken inspiration from two pieces of media. One of which is a previous
student’s work.
“The huge snooze” – Ciaran Davis:
I have taken great inspiration from Ciaran Davis’ short film, “The huge snooze”.
Other than the fact that it is a great piece of work, the film has inspired me because
of the way it blends “Film Noir” and “German expressionist cinema” – something
that I had mentioned in the previous slide. The fact that a piece of work with this
quality was produced by a student has given me great confidence as well.
“Ashes to Ashes” – BBC:
The popular TV series “Ashes to Ashes” has inspired me because of the similar
storyline to mine. The main character falls into a coma, but goes back in time instead
of forward. The elements of this series, mixed with the style of “The huge snooze”
will compliment each other effectively.
5. Shots that I would like to recreate:
Shot 1: “M”
I would love to be able to recreate a shot like this in my short film. The shot is from the 1931
film “M”.
This shot stands out for me because of the clever way that the protagonist is partially out of
the frame, but is in clear view through the reflection. This boasts the talent of the director, as
well as highlighting the emotions that the character is feeling. My character will be bewildered
through most of the film so being able to catch his expressions like this would be brilliant.
6. Shot 2: “Dracula”
Perhaps one of the most famous shots of all time, the staircase scene from Dracula is
instantly recognisable throughout the world of film. Whilst my film isn’t as sinister
or frightening as Dracula, I have decided that I would like to try and attempt a shot
in which the shadow of my character is either manipulated or shown in a fashion
similar to this.
7. Shot 3: “M”
Another shot from the 1931 film “M”. I had previously spoken about the emotion
and fear that the character was showing in the last shot. Once again, the character
is showing levels of fear through his body language. A shot like this would fit
perfectly into my film, as it would emphasise the fear that the character is showing
because of the changes in society and technology.
8. Shot 4: “The third man”
This “Dutch tilt” from the 1949 film “The third man” is a shot that I would very
much like to use in my film. Where I will incorporate this shot, I am not entirely
sure – but it is a shot which will bring a bit of variation to my film.
9. Shot 5: Unknown
This is a shot from an untitled film. The reason I have chosen to try and replicate
this shot is because of how effective it is. The fact that the character in frame can
only be seen as a silhouette adds mystery and a feeling of suspense to the film.
