1. Choose a character, the character’s environment and a problem
the character wants to solve. If you are going to make a genre film
(i.e. thriller or horror or sci-fi for instance) remember to include
the genre codes and conventions).
2. The character I am choosing is a young female aged 17 named Samantha
who is in the process of committing suicide due to strongly feeling her life
is deteriorating rapidly around her and the world has become her
opposition. With an alcoholic mother trapped in a domestic violent
relationship with her boyfriend, Samantha cannot do anything to help in
fear her mother’s life would be taken if she tries. Samantha lost her father 1
year ago from cancer and since his death she has built up massive levels of
depression. Samantha and her father’s relationship were extremely strong.
She didn’t get along with many people and had a hard time in school
growing up. Her father was like her shoulder to cry on and had always been
there for her through tough times. Since he passed away, Samantha has felt
lonely, isolated and concealed all feelings.
3. When you have decided on these three points decide which few
minutes in the character’s life the film will explore
4. Writing a letter
Zooms into the letter
Voice starts reading out the letter
Flash backs to important life events
Comes back to reality
Stool gets kicked over
Girl commits suicide.
5. Decide on what the enigma will be for the audience how will you present
this enigma? The enigma is the puzzle for the audience to solve
6. The audience would see a young girl sitting down and writing a letter. A
voice will then start speaking and telling a short story of her unfortunate life
events. The audience will feel sympathetic for Samantha and be attracted to
what she’s been through. In the end, when the chair drops, the audience will
only then realise she’s going to kill herself. The letter be structured and
spoken in a way that makes the audience feel Samantha is going to try take
control of her own life and start being independent but instead, she’s
quitting.
7. Think of title that really ties in the whole idea of the short film – the title
should also be enigmatic
8. The title would simply be “Samantha”. The audience will realise the title is
just a name and that’s the only piece of information I’d like to give away.
With a name as a title, there’s nothing to guess or pick up from it. It can go
in all different directions and can literally be about anything. I want the
audience to start watching with the only knowledge of a character’s name.
9. Think of 3 beats for the film 1) the opening scene /shot 2)the turning point
for the character and the audience which changes the direction of the
story 3)the twist at the end (the twist at the end should be the response to
the character’s problem)
10. Opening shot would be a medium shot going into a close up to see only the
side of Samantha’s face and to see the letter she’s writing.
The turning point shot would be when the life events are playing and the
audience is thinking Samantha is going to start to be independent but
instead the screen flashes back into reality and sees her eye’s starring.
End would be when the stall gets kicked over and the audience see’s feet
hanging on the screen with nothing but an assisted high pitch noise.
