3. Existing Product – Secret Honor
(1984) At this stage in director Robert Altman’s career, he was already well established having such
films as MASH, Nashville, The Long Goodbye, McCabe & Mrs Miller and 3 Women under his
belt. All of which films received many awards nominations and wins from BAFTAs to Academy
Awards. Altman usually worked with an ensemble cast with many recognizable faces from
Shelly Duvall, Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, Sissy Spacek and Sterling Hayden.
However, in his 1984 film Secret Honor he only worked with one actor, Philip Baker Hall. And
the film is set in one location throughout its 90-minuet runtime. With myself embarking on a
similarproject and being a fan of Altman's work, I had to watch this and include it in my
research as I got a lot out of it.
With the film only having one character in, Richard Nixon played by the fantastic Philip Baker
Hall, the whole filmis riding on his performance. The films acts as a 90-minute monologue
with Hall giving a brilliant performance of the former president retracing past events, missteps
of his political career. Armed with whiskey, a tape recorder and a gun emotions run high in a
film buried in politics.
As a contingency plan for my film, if things didn’t work out with actors, I thought I could tackle
a one-man film (myself not playing the role, as I usually end up doing when no actors are to
be found) I’ll have to find at least one actor, which is easier than finding two. However, like I
mentioned the whole film is riding on the actor's performance. I don’t know if I can get an
actor that good and for myself to write a screenplay that good to make a filmthat engaging
and entertaining.
The general response from audiences for Secret Honor is generally positive with an overall
rating of 3.7 on Letterboxd, an audience score of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.3/10 on
IMDB. Although these positive reviews seem to be coming from a niche group, myself
included. Only 5.1K people have seen it on Letterboxd, which is a low number of people on
Letterboxd (most films are around 100K and the blockbusters are 600K with Inception at 1M)
The entire film is one long monologue, which suddenly puts off a lot of people from watching
it. I’ve read reviews where users state they were on their phones for a long duration of the
film, many people say it didn’t go anywhere.
So, for myself to fall back on a one-man filmwouldn’t work in my favor, with only a small
audience willing to watch and placing all my bets on an actor that will more than likely
disappoint me. This gives me all the more motivation to push to get my film made, I want to
compromise as little as possible.
4. What I learnt/took from it – Secret Honor
• As I previously discussed, making a one-man film with an actor I’llpotentially not be familiar with, is not a
good idea. And generally, these 90 minute monologue films havea narrow audience, of coursemy film
won’tbe anywhere90 minuets, but character interaction and conflict is something more engaging for an
audience to interact with.
• *There is one thing that happens in SecretHonor which I really liked and will usefor myself and expand
upon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrv_2c1JOFw
*The full movie is available on YouTube. Go to 17:38 minutes
** 1:08:14 monitor shot
There isa momentwhere youcanfaintlyhearacrowd cheering,asNixonre-enactswhenhe wasnominatedfor
president.Since myfilmisdealingwithhow successismeasuredthere couldbe amomentwhere the ‘successful’man
thinksbackto whenpeople were cheeringorclappingforhim.The roomhe’sstoodin,the lightsdimtoablack witha
spotlightonhim.
AnotheraspectIwouldlike totouchonisthe use of colouras the colourpalletusedinthisfilmisverydistinct.Nixon
wearsa maroonblazar fora large portionof the film, until he inevitablytakesitoff aftergettingworkedup,infacthis
office deterioratesthroughoutthe film,papersthrownonthe floorandsoon.Thisreflectinghismentalstate.The
maroonblazaradds to the aestheticof the film,Nixon’soffice beingawoodenbrown,goldishcolour.Thesecolours
bounce off eachother.Maroon,the colouritself representsintense andpassionate emotionssuchas;confidence,risk,
ambition,courage andstrengthall of whichemotionsHall expressesinthe film.Moreover,the wordmarooncanbe
usedas slanginsult- idiot,afool.Thiscouldbe asubtle thingonAltman’spart.HavingNixonweara colourinwhich
people wouldcall afool.Iwouldn’tbe surprisedif myinference istrue.Altmanveryloudlyoutspokethe American
dream,expressingantiwarsentimentsaboutthe VietnamWar.Thiswill be anotherelementIwill borrow,aknownfor
the get-gothe objectivelysuccessful manwill wearanice suit,slickwatch,butIcouldadd ina particular colouras a
subtle wayof communicatinghow Ifeel aboutthe character,Iwill take thisintoconsideration.
In termsof technical qualities(camerawork,editing) Ican borrow fromthe film,otherthanthe non-diegeticuse of an
audience clapping,nothingparticularlystruckme.The whole filmisbuiltuponthisone monologue,the filmbeing
basedoff a play.AltmanbeingAltman,knownforanalmostconstantlymovingcamera,lotsof zooms,athinaplotwe
getall of thathere.Nixonaswell astapinghismemoirs,he’salsorecordingitwithfourmonitorslookingbackathim.
He’sforcedto lookat himself,almostlike amirror.**We usuallygofromwatchingthroughthe lensof the camerato
the camera pointingatthese monitors.It’sthe perfectvisual metaphorforthisfilm,hisentiremonologueisreflecting
on the past.ThisissomethingIwasalreadygoingtoemployinmyfilm,hopefullyshootingata barbers,bothmenwill
be forcedto lookinthe mirror andreflect.Icoulduse the mirrorand whenI choose tocut to a shotof the camera
pointingatthe mirrorinthe same sense Altmandoesinthisfilm.
5. Existing Product – My Dinner with Andre
(1981)
My Dinner with Andre is exactly what it says in the title. Two men, Wallace Shawn and
Andre Gregory, sit and have meal with constant thought-provoking chatter. It is said
that the two men play themselves. They refer to themselves by their real names,
Shawn also refers to his wife as Debby and his wife in real life is called Deborah.
Whatever the case maybe, whether the conversations they had were improvised,
based off real experiences or the filmis completely scripted, that doesn’t take away
from what the filmis trying to accomplish.
I thought My Dinner with Andre would be a good film to look in relation to my own
film that I’m planning to make. It’s even more similar to what I’m going for than Secret
Honor. In this film we have two characters who haven’t spoken in years. One man
who is constantly pushing his beliefs and experiences in hopes for a better more
interesting and for-filling lifestyle, trying to break the mold of a status-quo society as
it were. And the other who is completely content with his predictable, mundane way
of life. The following 100 minuets make for a very interesting conversation with plenty
of anecdotes.
While my film focuses on two different perceptions of success rather than a lifestyle,
it was interesting to see how My Dinner with Andre tackled it and the audience
reaction to it.
The filmis a little more accessible than Secret Honor, the audience a little less niche.
This might be because Wallace Shawn is a successful actorin Hollywood being in such
films as Manhattan, The Princess Bride, All That Jazz, The Haunted Mansion and also a
few voice roles in Pixar films, his most notable voice role would be Rex in the Toy
Story films. This could’ve encouraged audiences to branch out, he does have a very
distinct voice and is quite funny. Over on Letterboxd 27K people have seen it and the
film boasts a 4.0 overall rating. Over on IMDB the film is rated a 7.8/10 and Rotten
Tomatoes audience score 85%. In comparison to Secret Honor, I can already see more
people are willing to watch two characters interact and enjoy it more, rather than one
long monologue.
6. What I learnt/took from it – My Dinner with Andre
• My Dinner with Andre doesn’tdo anything fancy or inventive with the camera and it doesn’t
need to. During the conversation between Shawn and Andrethe camera barley moves, wecut
back and forth between the two. Both characters areshot medium with a few shots wherethey
sharethe frame. Thereis a subtle bit of framing used- Andre, at the beginning of the
conversation, speaks themost. Hehas been away for years and so Shawn wants to find out what
he’s been up to. Andre is shot medium close up. I will mention we cut back and forth fromAndre
speaking to Shawn’s reactions and his questions.
• Then once we progress through thefilm, Shawn starts to talk more and challenge
jjj. Andre on his ideas. When wecut to Shawn speaking, Shawn mustsharethe frame
with. with Andre. Not only is it an OTS shotbut the reflection of Andre’s facein the the
mirr. mirror thereboth sat behind. This could indicate something about Andre’s
characters. character. He feels moreentitled than other people, he’s selfish, unwilling to
share. share. He makes Shawn sharethe framewith him, Andremust always beat the
• centre of attention. This is subtle yet interesting use of framing that I may use in
• my own work. As in my film there are two characters, a clash of beliefs,
• one characters feels moreentitled than the other and since the film takes
• place in a barber's shop, there will be a mirror.
Additionally, at the beginning and end of the film, as Shawn is walking to the restaurant
where he will meet Andre and driving home, there is use of voice over. This helps us get
into Shawn’s head. We learn a lot about his circumstances and the context of Shawn and
Andre’s relationship before they meet. We hear what Shawn has heard about Andre,
rumors and such like. This builds interest and anticipation for us to meet Andre and find
out what unfolds. We know as much as Shawn. I found the use of V.O effective in that
sense however, I will not be using that technique in my film. Mainly due to the very short
runtime. I don’t have time to build the context of the scene, and if I were to do that, the
film would become too similarto My Dinner with Andre.
7. Existing Product – Vera Drake
(2004)
This is one of the only films I looked at for my research that doesn't take place in one location
with a limited cast. So why does this serve as a good film to look at? I had an idea, going in,
what the filmwas about and the themes it would explore. Working class woman, clash of
believes for the time (period piece, set in 1950 London). My film is about the clash of success. A
wealthy man and working-class man. From this film I got a good idea of someone who is
working class and is yet immensely happy and selfless.
This was down to the excellent screenplay by Mike Leigh and performance byImelda Staunton.
I know I will never be able to get an actor as good as Imelda Staunton and I won't be able to
write like Mike Leigh however, I can take a few points from the film.
Vera is written as a woman with a heart of gold. She couldn't hurt a fly. We see how kind and
caring she is. And in the film, she never does anything for herself. She's always thinking about
her family and the people around her. She is brought to life in such a genuine, natural way
through Imelda Staunton's performance, in which she was nominated for an Oscar, rightfully
so. Since it is set up how kind this characteris, as an audience member we become conflicted
when we learn she performs abortions, and the aftermath of the operation could be fatal to the
women she helps. Vera is unaware of this, yet it still begs the question- is what she is doing
wrong? At the time it was illegal to perform such an act and she knows this. The risk of
potentially being sent to prison is something that looms over her, this would be anemence
hardship on the family and herself. I loved this angle of the screenplay, of course now, today
abortions are legal, and most people generally accept them. So, we relate to Vera as a modern
audience. Most people are pro-abortion so we will instantly defend her and feel for her if
negative remarks are made about her because she is helping out young girls. I could potentially
apply something similar to the working-class character I have in my film. Have him act very
genuine and likeable for then to reveal, through the dialogue of the conversation, something he
has done that paints him in a negative light. This would create a more engaging experience for
the audience by subverting what they previously thought of the character to something more
negative, bringing up questions in their head, is what he has done wrong?
In terms of the technical filmmaking elements, it's all quiteperipheral. There is certain piece of
music which is used often to transition one scene to the next. While it is an effective way from
not making the film feel flat or cold the music choice itself never felt smooth and sometimes
took me out of the film.
In the 3rd act there are some emotional scenes with Imelda Staunton, and they're shot and
edited well. We get a close up or medium close up of her face and we told on that shot for as
long as necessary, I found that quite effective in conveying the emotion of the character and
8. Audience Appeal
• When looking at audience appeal, Vera Drake has a 3.9 overallscorewith 11K havewatched it over on
Letterboxd. IMDBgives it a 7.6/10 and Rotten Tomatoes audience scoreis 84%. These scores areall very
similar to the 2 previous films I'vespoken about. Itseems these films are all on a similar positive level.
Talking about Vera Drakespecifically it doesn'thave a lot of people who haveseen it, on Letterboxd that is.
Only 11K, that is very small. The film doesn't call for a niche audience. Itisn't international or obscure. It's
a British film with many recognisable British actors in it, who havebeen in big projects. Imelda Stauton
(Harry Potter, Paddington, Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent, Downton Abbey),Sally Hawkins (Paddington,
The Shape of Water, Godzilla), DanielMays (1917, Rogue One: A Star WarsStory, Tintin,Nanny McPhee)
and Eddie Marsan (Deadpool2, SherlockHolmes, The Gentlemen, The World'sEnd, Vice, War Horse).
Unfortunately, Vera Drake isn'ta very accessible film even being a British film with well-known stars and
being nominated for many prestigious awards, including the Oscars and even winning the Golden Lion at
the Venice film festival. Thereis no DVD or Blu-ray available and it's on no streaming services in the UK (I
watched it on the Italian Mubi using a VPN). The combination of these factors doesn'tmakethe ratings
hold much validity. I'msureif it was moreaccessible, more people will haveseen it and rateit highly. If it
was up on Netflix, I'mconfident it will havefound a strong audience mostlikely adults aged 40+. It's
probably this age rangesince these adults' parents would'vebeen broughtup in the 50s, it’s a period
piece plus recognisableBritish actors.
9. Existing Product – The Exterminating Angle (1962) - Why it didn't help me
When I first discovered The Exterminating Angle I thought it would be a good
example to look at in relation to my own project. I found through a list on
Letterboxd called 'the dialogue is the plot' which is exactly what my film will be.
The filmis also set in practically one location.
However, now I've seen the film, there is nothing I want to take from the film
(screenplay or filmmaking-wise). Past films I've looked at (Secret Honor and My
Dinner with Andre) those films I was able to take something from the filmmaking
choices in which the director employed subtly due to the film being set in one
location.
The Exterminating Angle is a film that criticizes the upper class, bourgeoisie. This
is typical for director, Luis Buñuel. It's an interesting and clever set up- the upper
class gather fora party, then suddenly with no force stopping them, can't leave a
room. They're trapped. What follows is a surreal, comical look at exposing the
upper class forwhat they are- people. They're just like us, only worse. The
themes and plot are completely different to what I'm going for and granted same
goes for the other films I watched, but at least I could take something from them
The only slight similarity I can see would be in the filmis exposing a certain type
of wealthy person. In my filmthere is a wealthy character, I wouldn't say upper
class- not yet anyway. However, there is nothing I can borrow from that. This
would be used to the unconventional surreal filmmaking. If I deiced to employ
that it would be stylistically inconsistent. I don't want to make a surreal satire on
the bourgeoisie.
10. Existing Product – His Girl Friday
(1940)
I decidedtowatch His Girl Fridayonlybasedonthe
fact itwas mentionedinthe PulpFiction
screenplay.Sincemyfilmisdialogue heavyandI'm
restrictingmyself toatleast10 minuet
runtime the charactersmighthave tospeakquite
quickly,insegments.AndwheneverIgo to write a
screenplayforanupcoming shortfilm,Ialways
readotherscreenplaystogetan ideaof the form
and structure of brilliantwriting.Ifindthe opening
scene of Pulp Fiction to be one of the bestI've ever
watchedbecause of the brilliantwriting.It'sfast,its
smoothandfantasticallyopensthe film,you're
foreverhooked.
Tarantinomentionsthatthe characterstalkat a
rapidpace,"His Girl Friday"fashion.So,Idecided
to watchthe filmtoto get a sense of what
Tarantinowastalking aboutandhow I might
implementitintomyfilm.
Nowthe pace of dialogue deliveryisrapidpace in
the filmalthoughthisworkstothe filmsstyle of
beinga1940s romanticcomedy.Itworksand its
quite funnysometimes.Iwasn'tamassive fanof
the filmoverall.
In termsof havingmycharacters talkinthisstye,
I'm still debatingit.Itcouldcome off reallywellor
itcouldfeel forcedandbreakthe realistic
approach.Duringthe shootI mighttry itout with
the actors to see howitfeelsandif itworksor not.
I'm opentothe idea.
11. Takeaways From Existing Product Research
The Film Technique Resources/props needed
Secret Honor Non diegetic sound effect of audience
applause. I've expanded this to have the
room blacking out with just a spotlight
shining on the character
Sound effect of audience applause
Lighting kit
Blinds or something to block out the light
from the room.
Secret Honor Camera placement and editing. Shooting
some segments of dialogue intentionally
through a mirror (in Secret Honor the mirror
is a monitor) to show the character reflecting
on past events or to show a two-sided nature
of what they're saying. What they're saying is
fake.
Stable camera, tripod
Mirror (comes with the location)
My Dinner With Andre Choice of different camera angles. When to
use a close up on which character. The choice
to block the scene so we see one character's
reflection in a mirror and one character is
not.
Stable camera and smooth camera
work, tripod
Vera Drake Writing a character to be likeable and
relatable but later in the film turning the
tables on the audience, giving them a new
piece of information about the character that
conflicts with the previously established
likeability. No much so this character appears
to be the villain, just a conflicting question
within the audience- is what this character
did, wrong? The audience would have to
weigh up the decision in their heads and
hopefully people have different verdicts on
the character.
N/A
Vera Drake Holding on a close up during an emotional
scene.
Stable camera, tripod
13. Topic Research – Existing Products
Before I embark on writing the screenplay for my short film, I need to find out more
on what I'm actually writing about and what the charactersare discussing in the film,
find out where they're coming from. I need to find out different viewpointsof success
to help make the film feel more genuine, well researched and professional.
I have found some helpful existing products that will hopefully fulfillmy needs of
interesting viewpointsthat I can implement into the film, to give it that edge of
professionality.
14. How Successful People Think
I decided to read segments of this book so I could get a feel for what people think, how most
successful people think. More specifically the author John C. Maxwell and he seems to voice the
general perception of success. When we think about success, we think- money, fame,
importance. And with those factors we associate with happiness and fulfilment of life.
In the book Maxwell constantly states different ways you need to think to fore-fill the success you
desire. The book is mainly motivational, for people who may have lost their jobs or are having
trouble finding one. This book will help you divert your thinking to being more productive and
positive, setting your thinking more streamlined. So, I learnt little from the segments I read from
the book (in terms of information I could include in the screenplay).
I have a few ideas of how I could incorporate some elements I read from the book into my
screenplay.
16. Secondary Audience Research
When considering a target audience demographic, I didn't want to tailor my vision to fit the demographic I'm apart of (male, 15-
24 years-old) when researching into that demographic I found that the demographic I belong to mainly watch genre-specific,
mainstream blockbusters. Films such as, Happy Death Day (horror-comedy), Baywatch (comedy), Annabelle: Creation (horror), It
(horror) and The Fate of the Furious (action). I personally find these films to be quite bad. They do nothing for me. The genres
themselves have some brilliant films belonging to them however, when these genres are in the hands of the big studios and
uninspiring studio writers and directors, they tend to be pretty bad. There are exceptions, say if it's an awards contender, a big
director is trusted by the studio to do a good job critically and financially, or I might enjoy the film for what is it, which is rare.
Therefore, my filmwill bring in an audience by itself. It's
not age (at least 16 years+ since I'm 16 and can quite
easily enjoy and make a film for such a narrowed down
audience) or gender specific.
Once my films finishes, I want the audience to be
thinking about it, reflecting upon its themes and ideas,
applying it to their own lives. The core of the film is the
screenplay, the dialogue is the plot. Then the
filmmaking elements, which will be noticeable and
hopefully appreciated by this audience. A cine-literate
audience, filmenthusiasts, the people who have
seen/heard of films such as, My Dinner with Andre,
Secret Honor, international directors.
However, my film isn't going to be so niche that only
this specific audience can appreciate it. A mainstream
audience, that I belong to will be able to follow the fine.
Will they understand every aspect
and why I'm doing it? Perhaps not. But as long as everyone can take something away from the film- that’s what counts. I see no reason why
not, as long as they're paying attention and I've done a good enough job with the screenplay. With this specific target audience, they come to
expect certain elements in films, since I feel like I'm apart of this audience (cinema enthusiast). These elements I alreadyplanned on
employing in my filmanyway- something new or different, clearly knows how and when to move the camera, engaging screenplay, impactful.
To find out more about my audience expectations and their thoughts thus far into my development of the idea (within giving too much away)
I've put together a questionnaire to find out what I don't know, to see what my audience is open to.
18. Audience research
29
Out of the 35 people who answered the survey, 29 of those people enjoy films which made them think and reflect the themes upon their own lives. An
overwhelming amount of people enjoy this, I can see this a popular opinion among my audience. It tells me that 83% of my audience will be happy if I succeed in
having my film make them think about the themes and apply to their own lives and people, they know.
5 other people said that they sometimes enjoyed it when films did this, they're open to the idea but sometimes reject it.
My film will appeal to this audience since the whole film is about what success means. This is something everyone can relate to no matter how old you areor your
gender. The urge for success is human. We all want it and feel it in different ways, we all have different definitions of it. It's only when your definition is clouded by
how successful you are, is the problem. I'm hoping people will disagree with what some of the characterssay, this will elicit an emotion. Eliciting an emotion,
especially something about success will help apply it to their own lives, which is what 83% of my audience want and enjoy from a film. Granted, 35 people is a small
portion however, I opened this survey up to fellow classmates, my Instagram audience (this particularInstagram pageis all about film, connected to my YouTube
channel 'The Filmmaker'. The people answering this survey are all very likely to watch the film) and a UK movie community Facebook group.
19. Audience research Written responses-
11
14
I asked for people to specify the filmthey watched and what they thought of it,
being in one location. 11 people stated they had seen a film set in one location
but did not specify which filmthey saw, in the 'other' section. So, the two
numbers of 11 and 14 are both saying the same thing- 25 out 35 people have
seen a one location film. It was useful for me add an 'other' box, substituting for
a comment box, so I know what exactly people thought of a film set in one
location and how that made them feel. 71% of my audience have seen a one
location film and 14 out of 25 people, went onto to tell me which filmthey saw
and what they thought of it.
A lot more than half of my audience have seen a one location filmand have
enjoyed it. This good as my film will be set in one location. Some people said
why the use one location was effective which one respondent saying, "it made it
unnerving being in one location". I will try and add this same feeling in my film.
Use that one location to the fullest.
25
20. Audience research
Written responses-
Imminently I see the majority of my audience is not tired of having a political or social message incorporated into the films they watch. 63% of
audience said no, while 11% went onto explain their answer as recorded above. I added these 'other' boxes so people would expand on their
answer to give me that little extra detail that is vital and which I will explore more in my interviews. My survey is a blend of quantitative and
qualitative research.
One member of my audience went onto say if the message is 'shoved down your throat for the sake of being political' they do not enjoy the
film. Relating to my film, there is no political message but there is a discussion, a discussion I hope the audience will take part in. I'm not forcing
a viewpoint. We have two characters who disagree- they talk, and we think. So, I feel what this person is getting at is they don't want a forced
message, especially a political point of view.
21. Audience research
I decided to ask my audience this question as my film doesn't fit into one genre, well technically drama however, that genre is so broad as there
is drama in every film. Most people say that sometimes (57%) they like a genre to conform to its conventions but they're open to the idea for a
genre to subvert its conventions. I'm in this field too. I don't want to watch a zombie film, with no zombies, in that case I would like this certain
type of horror genre to conform to its already established conventions. I'm expecting something and I want it. While something like a murder
mystery, it's interesting what Rian Johnson did to subvert the conventions of that genre, and I loved it.
My film will mainly conform to the conventions of a drama- conflict (which is key in any film large or small, inner or outer) the ending I'm still
unsure about at the time of writing this. Usually, dramas resolve the conflict and it's a happy ending.
22. Audience research
Already I see an overwhelming amount of my audience does not watch justwatch genrefilms, 86% to be exact. I wanted to
find out who my audience is and what they watch. I suspected my audience didn't justwatch action movies and comedies
however, I wanted to confirmit. I know if they justwatched thosecommon films, my film wouldn't appeal to them at all.
23. Audience research
This was justa generalquestion to find out the age rangeof my audience. Most of them are my age (15-24) while5
other people answered with the slightly older demographic. Since the majority of the people answering this survey are
between my age, it's safeto say they'reon the samepage as me. They'll be the highest demographic watching my film. I
could implement things into my film to appeal to this audience sage rangealthough, I havea feeling due to the level of
the answered questions, thedetail and the understanding they show, that this audience will enjoy my film regardless.
30 (86%)
24. Audience research
I wanted to make surethat the people answering this survey would actually watch my film. That they are my audience and
will honour that by watching my film. Luckily, no one answered 'no'. The majority of people, thankfully, answered 'yes'that
being 86% of them. The 5 people who answered 'maybe'areprobably classmates who might not know how or when the film
will be accessibleor someoneon my Instagramwho isn'tsureif they'll have time or are waiting on a trailer, firstlook,
synopsis to seeif they'reinterested to dedicate the time to watch it.
25. Audience research
This question, I wanted to see how my audience would react to having only diegetic sound in my film. In the grand scheme of things, it isn't a
massive point but one I was interesting to know the answer, nonetheless. This one was varied with answers. Most people don't mind if a film
has diegetic or non-diegetic soundtrack (57%) I'm apart of this group too. Some films need a good score which amplifies a film for example
Empire Strikes Back although some films are more impactful when a non-diegetic isn't used. It's just the sounds of the environment that belong
in the scene for example Portrait of a Lady on Fire which uses diegetic sound masterfully for a powerful ending. 26% of my audience don't mind
or don't care which is fair, this answerwas probably influenced through the films they watch. Unfortunately, some people feel that s soundtrack
must be used in a film in order to make it good. I ask this question as my film will not contain score or soundtrack. I'm debating to have
background music coming for a CD player or radio, like most shops do. The film doesn't call for a soundtrack or score, it would feel out of place
and unwarranted. Being in the film for the sake of being in the film.
26. Audience research
Just another question to clarify who my audienceis. It mainly consists of male (89%). The fil
isn't directed at any one gender however it'll probablyappeal to male audience more just
because the cast will have 2 male characters and the overallmajority of the audience watching
is male. The themes of the film are universal.
27. Audience research
Finally, I was curious to see whatmy audience thought of having my entire film set in one location, to be specific, a
barber's shop. I'venever seen an entire film shortor feature, set in a barber's shop. 91% of people thought it was an
interesting location while 9% said 'no'. This would'vebeen a good opportunity to add an 'other' box so people could
explain their answer and I could get more qualitative research and I'd really like to know why somepeople thought it
wasn'ta good idea.
29. Experiment – Split Dioptre Shot
When thinking about whatfilmmaking technique I wanted to try out and explore
as an experiment, a technique I have never attempted beforethe split dioptre
shotinstantly came to mind. For the longest time I had no idea whatthe term was
for the split dioptre shotwas. I recognised the shotin films, and it always madean
impression on me. Itlooks visually interesting, and I think using it for the firsttime
in this film, would really help create a distinct atmosphere. I learned frommy
audience research survey thatthe one location films that my audience have
watched, they thought the claustrophobia and that fact the film is set in one
location is very 'unnerving'to them. The split dioptreshot, I feel, adds to the
claustrophobia of scenes. It's a shotwherethe foreground and background are
both in focus.
Itis devised by putting an optical glass filter over the lens. Half of this glass filter is
exposed, with no glass. And justlike that you'vegot a split dioptre shot. I looked
into how to make one a DIYlens with what I havebut the process is time
consuming and mildly dangerous. Itwas justeasier to buy one offebay.
The shot was firstused in the John Ford filmThe Long Voyage Home (1940)by
DP Gregg Toland, who also worked on the revolutionary in filmmaking film- Citizen
Kane. Itwas occasionally used hereand there throughoutthe 40s 50s and 60s.
The technique started to become more popular in the 70s fromthe new
generation of filmmakers in the American new wave. Brian De Palma is a notable
director who popularised the technique and used it often in his work.
Firsteveruse of splitdioptre shot, TheLongVoyage
Home (Dir.JohnFordDP. GreggToland,1940)
The shot tends to leave a distinct blurry line between what's in the
foreground and the background. I quite like this, it extenuates the shot
and makes it more recognisable however, filmmakers sometimes hide this
line using other lines in the frame.
Distinctline
Hidden
30. All you need to accomplish a splitdioptre shotis an optical glass filter with half of the glass missing. To make surethis was
correctI firstly shoota shotwithout the optical lens filter so I could comparethe shots when I put on the filter on. As you
can see image 1, I amout of focus while my brother, who is closestto the frameis in full focus.
Then I placed the lens filter onto the camera lens. Something to note- when I placed the filter onto the lens it wasn'ton
properly and so it dropped off. Smallshards of glass when onto the floor and now the glass is unsecurein the frameof the
filter. I mustremember to the securethe filter on tightly when I shoot. As you can see when I put on the filter, I got the
results. The usual blurry line is very slightly hidden. I am very happy with this result. Itwas easier than I thought.
After the experiment took place, I thought of an interesting idea- whatwould a split dioptre shotlook like, moving? I don't
think I'veever seen a split dioptre shotused with movementbefore. Maybeit's because it's been tried and hasn't worked?
The subject in the foreground would haveto movewith the camera to stay in the foreground, likewisewith the subjectin
the background.
1 2
32. COVID-19 Guidelines
When making a filmduringa pandemic many restrictions havebeen put into placethat I must abideby, as the director it's my responsibility to make the castand crew aware
of the guidelines in place.Luckily,the filmonly has two characters and will only need one crew member as the DP. My roleon set is the director and director of photography,
there will also betwo actors.In total three of us.This is a very small crew,which is recommended for filmproductions duringthepandemic.
When researchinginto the guidelines we must abideby, I found an excellent recourseproduced by various universities,Screen Skills,BFI,British FilmCommission and Film
London. It includes information on protocols and general guidance,where possible,on such contents likesocial distancing,p ersonal hygieneand sanitation,pre-production
and location filming.Other categories didn'tapply to my production (make-up and hair,costumes,art) this recourseis specifically for further and higher education
production.This is useful as theguidancefor bigbudget filmproductions wouldn'thelp me very much and would vary.
Below is a tablewith a collection of data I took from the resourceto solidify and makethe clear guidancein place.
Area of Production Guidance Guidelines in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to keep
cast & crew as safe as possible
Social distancing for on-campus/college& on location
filming
My productionwill be shot entirelyon location.
Keep a minimum distance betweeneveryone, at all times. Since the locationI have is quite
small it will be hard to sociallydistance to fullest extent. Under previous restrictions and
circumstancesinthe barbers around3-4 people at a time are allowedinthe building. The
cast andcrew will collectivelyconsist of 3 people. Social distancing will be upheld at all times
during the shoot andwhen the camera is not rolling, actors shall have put back ontheir face
mask, the DP will have a face mask andshield onat all times.
Other recommendations givenif social distancing cannot be upheldat alltimes:
- limit the number of people involved(done, only3 people)
- avoid inviting guests onto the set and/orlocation (will not happen)
- avoid working face-to-face
-have short activities/processes to limit exposure time
- control movement to ensure you maximise social distancing
-use face coverings in mandatedareas, andifyou have to workfor particularlylong periods,
you should give serious considerationto whether this activityis viable giventhe health risks.
(will be done)
Personalhygieneand sanitisation for on-campus/college&
on location filming
Before entering the location, all cast and crew members shall sanitize theirhands. PPE shall
be worn bythe DP, except for an . Actors shall wear face covering whenthe camera is not
rolling. The DP will be the onlyperson to touchthe equipment andcamera. If anycast
members help set upequipment, theyshallsanitise e before and after touchingit. All
equipment shall besanitised afterthe shoot. The backdoorwill be left open to allowforair
ventilation.
Travel, accommodation & testing None of the actors or crew will needaccommodation. One actor (as of right now) will be
taking the train, earlyinthe morningto avoid peak travel times.
Before the shoot, everycast and crewmember will take a COVID-19 lateral flowtest. Since
each crew/cast member is some form ofeducationwe are beingtestedeveryweek anyway
and some ofour classes take place online, limitingour interactionwithpeople, reducing the
possible spread or infectionof the the virus.
Catering People will be stronglyencouragedto bring their own food, either buyit before theyarrive
or make upa packedlunch the evening before shoot (preferablythe latter, to avoidany
contact with people ina shop/touching things, againlimiting the spreadof COVID-19)
33. Area of Production Guidance Guidelines in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to keep cast &
crew as safeas possible
Location filming It is suggested that a production should undertake a recce to iron-out the geography of
the space, ensure the location has adequate ventilation, space to distance ourselves
where possible. Seek exclusive access to the location, which I have already done. Clearly
set out protocols for cast & crew before arrival. And many other points which don't
apply to my circumstances.
People on set Reducingthe numberof peopleonset,whichI've alreadycovered.Onlygoingtobe three
people there,includingmyself.The documentsuggestslocal castandcrew.I onlyhave (atthe
moment,whattokeepitthatway) one personcomingthatisn'tlocal.However,theygetweekly
covidtestsandmainlybasedonline classes.
Cast, talent Another precaution I anticipated before reading the official guidelines was social distancing with
actors. It is suggested to avoid close contact between actors on screen, which shouldn't happen. No
intimate scenes, which are nonexistent in my film. Special arrangements should be put in place, if
possible, such as a clear screens between people, using members of the same family or household
who can self-isolate together, or using VFX technology to place cast in the same space. None of
those options arepossible for this production, there is an alternativewhich I was going to put in
place anyway and that is for before and after a take, the actors will wearface covering, even in
blocking and rehearsal.
Camera department Camera department concerns anyone who is working with the camera, in this instance,
me. I will be only one touching and operating the camera. This section details sanitizing
the camera and equipment within that. I previously explained what would happen if an
actor helped set up a piece of equipment to help save time.
34. Documents produced
to ensure COVID-19
restrictions are upheld
Another resource that the COVID-19 guideline
document provided me with were a number of
forms that also help ensure the cast and crew
understand the restrictions put in place and they
accept the responsibility into interacting with
other people with minimal social distancing. These
documents include; covid-19 method statement,
covid-19 health declaration (to be signed by cast
and crew), covid-19 risk assessment checklist (to
be completed during pre-production) and
suggested letter to interested parties. I will be
using three out of the four documents, the
document I will not use is the suggested letter, I
don't need to write a letter to an interested party.
The other resources will certainly help me in
planning the production and if in case during the
shoot we are disrupted by someone who thinks we
are breaking the COVID-19 protocol, I can hand
them the correct paperwork.
36. Bibliography
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5. Malle, L. (1981) My Dinner with Andre . Last accessed 2nd March 2021
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March 2021.
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10. Leigh, M. (2004) Vera Drake . Last accessed 4th March 2021.
11. BFI Research & Statistics Unit. (2018) BFI Statistical Yearbook Audiences 2018.
Available: https://www2.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-statistical-yearbook-audiences-2018-12-17.pdf Last
accessed 8th March 2021.
12. Middlesex University, Goldsmiths University of London, Bournemouth University, Edinburgh Napier University, Ulster University,
BFI, Screen Skills, British Film Commission, Film London, Pact and UK Screen Alliance. (2020) Covid-19 Guidelines for UK Further
and Higher Education Screen Productions. Available: https://www.screenskills.com/media/3960/covid-19-guidelines-for-uk-fe-and-
he-screen-productions-08-10-2020.pdf Last accessed 10th March 2021.
13. Maxwell, J. (2003) How Successful People Think . Last accessed 11th March 2021
14. Anon. (Anon). Vera Drake Available: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/vera_drake Last accessed 15th March 2021.
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16. Anon. (Anon) Vera Drake Available: https://letterboxd.com/film/vera-drake/ Lasted accessed 15th March 2021.
17. The Movie Textbook (2020) What is a Split Dioptre shot? Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW1UFLnEU2g&t=2s Last
accessed 15th March 2021.
18. LoGoat Pictures (2019) How to Make a Split Dioptre Lens – DIY.
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