A2 Level Media Initial Short Film Ideas (Group Task)

1. Initial Short Film Ideas
By Ana Vasilescu & Mima Micic

2. Chain Dump
After an adventurous summer two
friends become lovers. However, when
one of them moves away he decides
that it’s time to end it. He calls her on
video call and breaks up with her. The
story then follows a chain reaction in
which the girl then calls another guy
and breaks up with him in the exact
same way that the previous guy broke
up with her.
Pros :
- Relatable for the targeted teenage audience
- Easy to film, no additional cgi needed
- No extras
- Simple environment, filmed indoors
Cons :
- Might be too simple for the viewer, making it
hard to keep the viewer’s attention
- Could be difficult to film a phone due to the
phone glare

3. How I almost Moved to Moscow
The story is told from the point of
view of an unreliable narrator. The
narrator being an obsessive ex
boyfriend who describes to his
friend how his ex girlfriend almost
moved to Moscow for him. This
conversation occurs in a cafe. The
film ends with a plot twist, as the
ex girlfriend explains to that same
friend she had no idea about that
trip.
Pros:
- The story will be dramatic enough for the viewers
- Simple to film, no additional effects needed
- Comedic elements
Cons:
- Could be difficult to film in a cafe due to obtaining a
permit
- Some viewers might not understand the plot twist and
miss the point of the film
- Extras could be needed to make the cafe setting more
realistic

4. Let’s Talk About Benny
This comedic short film will follow two
women complaining about their
problematic children, specifically about
one called Benny and his sexual
orientation. The punchline being that
one of them is actually referring to her
pet and not her child. It will be set in
one of their homes and fact that the
child is a dog will be revealed when she
refers to the dog as Benny.
Pros:
- Easy for the viewer to follow the story due to
entertaining comedic elements
- Only two characters needed
- The filming location is in an apartment, meaning
that no permit will be needed
- The story speaks on an important and relevant
topic
Cons:
- Dogs may be hard to film with due to lack of
training
- Some viewers might not be comfortable with
the topic

5. Vokašon
The short film comedy will follow a
homosexual couple on vacation
with their child. The setting takes
place on the beach and as the
couple argues about little things
and judges other families parenting
skills they fail to notice their child is
gone. The short film pokes fun at
the irony of the situation while also
representing sexual and ethnic
minorities.
Pros:
- The ironic plot engages the audience
- The representation of homosexual families and
ethnic minorities will make them more likely to
watch and relate to the film
- No special effects are needed and the editing
process will be fairly simple
Cons:
- Extras are needed and could be difficult to
obtain
- Can be interpreted as offensive to minorities
- A child actor will be needed along with parental
consent

6. In Search for Forgotten Memories
The mysterious short film follows a
young girl as she moves into her
grandparents old house. She finds a
box of old letters and pictures which
belonged to her grandmother. These
lead her to further explore her
grandmothers dark past and her role in
the second world war. This historical
short film will also include flashbacks
from her grandmother’s youth.
Pros:
- Intriguing for the viewer
- Will attract a wider range of audience due to its
historical appeal
Cons:
- Lots of extras needed
- The mise-en-scene will he hard to execute properly
- May be hard effectively conclude in a short film
- The storyline might be too heavy for some viewers
- Editing of the flashbacks might require too much
time

7. Trouble From the Future
A sci-fi short film portraying a young
man and his discovery of time travel.
As he is about to execute it for the
first time his older self appears and
tries to stop him. This sparks an
argument between them about the
paradoxical consequences and
elements of that interaction. He
futuristic aspects of this film make it
aesthetically pleasing while the
plotline gets the audience thinking.
Pros:
- A complex story told through a light tone will
effectively leave an impact on the viewer
- Only two characters required
Cons:
- The editing process might be complex due to the
need for cgi
- The story might be a cliche
- The setting will be difficult to portray properly
- Could be hard to cast two actors that look similar
enough to portray the roles

8. Chinese Whisper
The plot follows a rumour being passed
around from one person to another
conveying how the story changes due to
different interpretations. It is set in a
high school and show how a harmless
tale escalades and ruins a girl’s
reputation. It is an over dramatic
interpretation of gossip culture and how
it affects teenagers.
Pros:
- Brings awareness to a relevant and important
issue
- Relatable to teenagers, making them more likely
to watch
Cons:
- A lot of teen actors will be needed
- Due to the school setting it could be difficult to
film since some students may not consent to
being filmed
- Even though it attracts the target audience, not
many people outside of it will desire to see the
film

9. Company
This seemingly simple story is accompanied by
a melancholic twist at the end. The short film
introduces an old couple searching for their
perfect home. As they visit several potential
apartments their story as to why they’re
moving keeps changing, leaving the reader
wondering what the real reason is. The film
ends with the couple returning to their actual
home and discussing all the new friends
they’ve made. This reveals to the viewer that
all they really wanted was some company
Pros:
- Post production editing process is fairly
simple due to no requirements of CGI
- Interesting topic without much coverage
- It will follow a linear narrative structure,
meaning it will be easily understandable for
the audience
Cons:
- Professional elderly actors needed
- A large number of locations is necessary
- A lot of side characters needed

10. Adoption Abduction
This thriller sci-fi short film is set in a
futuristic and prestigious adoption center.
Two expressionless and distant women enter
explaining that they want to take a child. The
women are taken to a room filled with
children with similar features in order to pick
their favourite. The film will portray the
coldness and inhumanity of the adoption
system. The story will take a literal term
when it’s revealed that the women are in fact
scientist picking out a new test subject for
their cruel experiments.
Pros:
- Topic raises awareness of many issues at
the same time and represents a minority
- Interesting for using various editing
techniques
- The mise-en-scene will be expressed
intensely, capturing the viewer’s attention
Cons:
- Could be boring for the viewer as only one
location is used
- Many child actors and extras are necessary
- This sensitive topic could potentially be
triggers to certain viewers

11. Gordian’s Earphones
Inspired by the legend of Gordian’s
Knot, the main character of this heavy
short film is Gordian,a boy who is
constantly untangling others’
earphones, even without permission.
We follow his day around and, as every
knot is untangled he has a flashback
from his childhood. All these flashbacks
lead to the moment the boy was
diagnosed with OCD. This will also
demonstrate his daily struggle and how
his family is coping with the diagnosis.
Pros:
- Shines light on a serious and usually misinterpreted
topic
- Could help people dealing with similar issues
themselves
- The pace will be quick, keeping the audience's the
audience's attention due to the editing pace being
quick
Cons:
- Could be triggering to certain viewers if not handled
properly
- Finding all the extras and obtaining permits for all the
locations will take a lot of time
- Could be hard to find a talented teen actor to portray

12. The Impostor
The plot of this short film portrays a
stalker who tries to get a closer view
of the girl he is obsessed with. This
leads to the stalker giving the girl a
present which has a secret camera
hidden in it. The ominous tone of this
film keeps the audience on the edge of
their seat as they witness the stalker’s
obsession aggravating day by day as
he observes the girl.
Pros:
- Since many scenes will be filmed through the
“hidden” camera there isn’t a need for
professional equipment
- Due to the point of view switching from one
character to another the pace is quick and
engaging for the audience
Cons:
- Triggering to certain viewers
- Does not allow for a wide range of audience
- The stalker concept is relatively overdone in
many mainstream movies