Unit 3: Research techniques for the creative media industries

1. Short Film Proposal
Loren Turner

2. Working title
• Director: Bradley, James
• Camera: Nathan
• Sound: Alex, Tony,
• Editors: Lucy, Anna,
• Others/Talent: (family) Lily, Michael, Emma,
• (victims friends) Susan, Emily, Courtney, Sarah

3. In life I believe that all children, men and women should be treated fairly and
correctly without being victimised. Anyone that is suffering from any type of
abuse should find the courage to speak to authorities or someone that they
trust in order to restore their safety and wellbeing.
My film will show this in action by exploring my specific type of abuse
(psychological) of a teenage girl who is being emotionally abused by her father
while also balancing the stresses of college and mental health problems. Her
mother died of cancer a few months ago and is furthermore struggling to come
to terms with the loss. She does not confide in anyone although she does have
many friends and always tries to maintain a smile. My short film will also include
the various effects, ways of abusing/ being abused and how to overcome this
and locate attention to the situation. Psychological abuse is sometimes
unnoticeable and might be difficult to acknowledge.
Working Hypothesis and Interpretation

4. Working Hypothesis and Interpretation
The main conflict is between the father and daughter as they have many disputes about the
mental state of the young girl. Her father is an alcoholic and regularly blames his daughter
for the loss of his wife although we know this is not true. The teenager starts to believe his
horrible lies and rapidly looses her self-esteem and concept. Already overcome with stress
and suffering from depression she has to experience her fathers abuse everyday where she
thinks she has no where else to turn.
Ultimately I want the audience to feel moved and sympathetic towards the teenager. The film
will show that the abuse can be so easily hidden from those closest to her while she is still
suffering in silence. I want the audience to understand that my chosen type of abuse can not
always be noticeable. I want them to acknowledge the signs of the abuse and what victims
possible support and service options might be.
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5. Topic
My film focuses on a teenage girl called Lily who is psychologically abused by her father (Michael),
while also balancing the stresses of the loss of her mother (Emma) who she was very close to. Lily
also has to face the struggles of trying to cope with her college work and education, furthermore
her mental wellbeing and depression. It is an important year for Lily who was a high academic
achiever before the problems started to occur within her family life and the tragic death of her
mother.
My film will show how Lily (like many other victims of emotional abuse) deal with this and the
outcomes it can have on an individual. Lily’s story will be the focus of the short film while also
having a young girls voice narrate over this to create a more dramatic atmosphere.

6. Topic
The audience will be shown the moving and dramatic footage of a young girl being
emotionally abused while also trying to deal with other life problems she faces. The narrator
in the short film will explain and give evidence/ facts of the fictional protagonist as well as
genuine victim statistics and information. The young girl narrating over the footage will in fact
be the victim’s voice herself although she will not purposely say this up until the end of the
film. The reason behind this is to build suspension and hopefully when the short film comes
to an end the audience will feel significantly sympathetic and moved by what they have
seen.
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7. Action Sequences
The short film will start with the victim in college talking and laughing with her friends then
switches to her studying and concentrating in the college environment writing notes. She
appears healthy and happy to the audience until the next frame changes to her walking
through the front door of her house which she is then presented with her father who is
intoxicated heavily with alcohol. He begins his usual abuse towards his daughter and then
resumes to sitting on the sofa watching television while his daughter exits to her bedroom,
shutting the door behind her.
The next frame is in Lily’s bedroom where she sits back against the door looking distressed.
Lily gets her school work out of her bag allowing the audience to see it and it shows low
grades on every piece of her work. The last frame is the victim curled up in her bed while
hearing her father shout and scream the emotional abuse about her from downstairs, the
camera focuses on her face and she closes her eyes.

8. Action sequences
The sequence should show the abuse in the victims perspective as it is based on her normal lifestyle.
The sequence will show the victim pretending to be happy and normal at school and around others who
interact with her however when she returns home to the abuse she completely changes and resumes
to how she really feels and looks upon things. By doing this the audience will get an idea of how a
victim of this abuse can hide it so easily and trying to get them to understand the signs and symptoms
of a victim being abused.
The audience must become informed of how a victim may deal with the abuse and what effects it can
have on them. It is important for the audience to take into account all perspectives of the short film and
also information such as signs that a person is either abusing or being abused as well as
understanding statistics and factual information that will be important in acknowledging.
Key representative imagery I hope to capture in my short film is a young defenceless girl being abused
by her father and the affects that it is having on her and the impact it makes on her life and mental
health. It is important for the audience to understand that Lily is only one of many victims that are
psychologically abused and that this is only one account/ story whereas there are many more and
various situations which victims have to suffer.
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9. 9
Main Characters
• Lily- daughter/victim
• Michael- father/abuser
• Emma- mother
Lily is the main character (protagonist). The film is based around her situation/ experience.
Michael is the cause of the abuse which is a big role in this film.
Emma is not with the family but is repeatably brought up throughout the short film and
focused on by both the family and audience in order to make it significantly moving.
Lily’s role in the short film is the victim where she shows how the psychological abuse is
affecting her everyday life and how it can be hidden so easily from others. Her
experiences show the audience how much the abuse can hurt and affect her as well as
many other victims.

10. 10
Conflict
The issue in the film is Psychological abuse and the distribution and affects of it shown by
the father towards the protagonist.
The daughter wants her father to stop the abuse and does not understand why he is doing it
although she starts to believe what he is saying to her adding to the bad thoughts and
depression she suffers. Lily also wants to achieve well in school with her grades however
she is unable to concentrate properly and falls behind. The small family start to distance
themselves from one another because of the constant issues and arguments they face.
I want the audience to understand and learn that a victim is able to hide and discard their
emotions and mental health so easily even from those closest to them. My short film can
give the audience a first hand account of a victims experience with psychological abuse. It is
important to understand that even those closest to a victim can be the one(s) causing the
abuse to occur.

11. Conflict
The audience will see the abuse occur when the girl returns home from
school and her father is there waiting for her so that he is able to take his
anger and stress out on his defenseless daughter. The developments that
you see emerging after this confrontation are how serious and damaging the
abuse actually is. Lily does not confide in her friends or other members of the
family about the abuse or any issues that are effecting her life. We can see
that the abuse starts to have a massive impact on her as she locks herself
away in her room, becoming further isolated from everyone.
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12. Audience biases
The Audience might be viewed more so by females rather than the opposite sex as they are
seen as more ‘emotional’ or ‘victimised’ by the type of abuse however psychological abuse
can affect anyone of any gender and age. It is not specifically aimed towards women. The
film has a high possibility of being viewed by someone who is a victim of abuse and might be
trying to access help and see other victims perspectives and situations.
The film may give the audience different views and opinions after watching it as they might
look at various perspectives from each of the characters. For example the audience might
sympathies for Lily as she is trying to balance the stresses of her school work and the loss of
her mother but also having the stress of mental health problems. Other audience
perspectives could be feeling sorry for the father as he has turned to alcohol as a way of
coping with the death of his wife. Furthermore as another coping method taking his anger
and distress out on his daughter.
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13. Audience biases
I will show as evidence in my short film that there are different
truths to the abuse by showing both perspectives of the victim and
abuser. It is important to understand how and why the abuse may
occur and why the abuser does this and thinks that it is
acceptable. It is also significant that the audience understand and
take into account the victims situation and perspective so that
they are able to identify the affects that the abuse can have on a
target.
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14. On-Camera Interviews
• Lily- role in life: in full time education, studying Media. Role in film: the victim of the abuse
• Michael- role in life: Journalist, studying psychological abuse. Role in film: abuser
• Emma- role in life: TV presenter. Role in film: mother of the victim/ wife of the abuser
• Susan- role in life: in full time education, studying Art and Fashion. Role in film: victims friend
• Sarah- role in life: in full time education, studying Performing Arts. Role in film: victims friend
• Emily- role in life: in full time education, studying Performing Arts. Role in film: victims friend
• Courtney- role in life: in full time education, studying Health and Social Care. Role in film: victims
friend
The main elements my interviews seek to establish will be why they have chosen to appear in the short
Film and what their personal views are on the fictional story being told.
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15. Structure
The structure of the film will consist of being in linear although there will be a flashback towards the end
showing the victims past of her family all viewed together looking very happy which will contrast to her
current situation.
Story development information will appear from the start to the finish which will vary from actual
psychological facts as well as the characters information and situations. The narrator speaking over the
footage will inform the audience of statics and other significant information about the abuse. The
protagonist’s situation and life difficulties will be narrated in her voice to give a more dramatic and
personal affect.
The climatic sequence of the short film will appear in the middle as it starts off quite positively with the
victim looking happy in school which will then transform into informing the audience of her life and
problems as well as develop progressively into her father continuing the abuse and destroying her self-
concept further.
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16. Structure
The sequences action rises to the crisis of the film slowly at first showing the victim who
appears to be healthy and happy but when she returns to her abuser we see the victim
change and allows the audience to see what and how she really is. As the film goes on we
see how her situation gets progressively worse which will be shown by the flashback near
the end of the short film.
I will use interviews to gather information on the actors/ actresses views and opinions in the
short film they have starred in and understand what their beliefs and purposes for being
included in this are. Using an interview with each individual person will help the audience to
acknowledge certain facts and opinions they may have not been sure of before such as the
affect and outcomes it may of had on the actors while filming this psychological short film.
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17. Form and style
The film will take place in the victims house as well as her school. I find that it is important to
do this so that the audience can see the contrast in the victims emotional state from being
around her friends where she seems to be a lot brighter and happier but then completely
changes when she returns home. The shooting of the film will be done with a camera stand
as well as being hand held while using shots such as:
• Close up
• Middle shot
• Tracking
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18. Form and style
The editing of the film will consist of colour change. For example; when the victim is at home
the colour will change from being normal and colourful to dark and with the colours faded
almost near to completely black and white. Editing will also consist of using high and low
lighting which will change the mood and atmosphere of the film. Natural and Artificial lighting
will be used depending on the scenery that is being filmed at the correct times.
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19. Resolution
I imagine my film to end with the audience being some what shocked and distressed by the footage
they will watch. This is so that the viewers will be able to fully comprehend the result of what the abuse
can do. I would like the short film to end as being a sort of lesson to the audience so that they are
then informed more so on psychological abuse than before. I would like the audience to be able to go
away from this viewing with the knowledge of the chosen abuse and what it can do to a victim as well
as being able to identify signs and symptoms of the abuse occurring.
I would like the audience to become informed and aware of the abuse and be able to speak up if they
are/ or know anyone that might be psychologically abused and will be able to gain access to services
which will further help them.
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20. Budget
The money will go towards:
•Filming locations
•Wages for talent and crew
•Food, drink and facilities
•Camera(s)
•Artificial lighting
•Editing materials and software
•Distribution- DVD etc
•Copyright
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21. Budget
The equipment that we already possess to enable us to create this short film
are:
•Talent
•Filming locations
•Food, drink and facilities
•One camera (which will not be an issue
if we do not need or use another)
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22. Logistics
Accessibility
We may not be able to film in areas that we had hoped such as in a school environment and
a chosen household. If we are denied this authority it will have a negative affect on the
making of the short film and may cause it to take a step back from the development and
process of making this. Although our chosen Talent may not for fill the exact criteria that
might be needed to be included in the short film we may need other talent/actors involved as
well as crew. If we are unable to find the right crew or team that is above our budget range it
can be a major step back as we want to have high quality filming and outcomes but at a
reasonable, acceptable price.
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23. Summary
This slide show presentation includes all the features required to persuade the Commissioner to take
an interest in my short film idea and proposal. The presentation includes various facts and evidence of
planning such as:
•The working hypothesis and interpretation of the film
•Topic
•Action sequences
•Main characters
•Conflict in the film
•Audience biases etc.
It is important to include information like this as it will inform the Commissioner of the film plans and
possible strong and weak points of the planning and presentation. It will also inform the Commissioner
that the proposal is thoroughly planned out and will have an advantage in being able to win the
Commissioner over to then create the short film.
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