Initial plans

1. INITIAL PLANS
Rhys Sadler-Scott

2.  I think I will make a dramatic film. With high stakes as the time
from a clock or watch runs out.
 I might like to place a focus on the more serious problems of a
teenager, like darker thoughts and suicide.
 The film could be shot in an intense, black and white style, with
the main protagonist isolated or overwhelmed by their peers.
 I am usually good at creating three dimensional characters and
establishing them quickly, so the focus of the film will most likely
be on the psyche of the main character.
 I think the brief is slightly restrictive since the line used, the props
that appear and the length are all dictated before the film is made.

7. My mood board has pictures that are heavily influenced by all three of my film ideas. Part of the board
is dedicated to each idea. The pictures that are based on the first idea, that of a teenager struggling
with depression and dark thoughts, are mostly devoid of colour and detail, showing how out of focus
and uninteresting the world has become to the disillusioned teen. There is one picture where a lone
figure skirts the line between a sunny meadow and a desolate desert. This is to represent the indecision
of what the protagonist wants, like most teenagers. The pictures based on the second idea all involve
dancing, in varied locations, which matches the film idea perfectly, as the whole film revolves around
teenagers taking their dance practice too far. All of the pictures are over the top and have a lot of
energy in them, which is what I would want the tone to feel like if I made the film. The pictures inspired
by the third and final idea all feature an old woman doing stereotypical ‘old person’ things, like sleeping,
knitting etc. but most of the pictured women look bored with what they’re doing. This fits my idea of
having a snarky, well adjusted old woman waiting to pass away.
The pictures I have used in the mood will help to influence the tone and cinematography of my film,
whichever I choose. The Dancing film will be the most energetic and colourful, as it is a comedy with
fast paced shots. The film focusing on the old woman would be shot in a slow, methodical way, to show
the boredom the old woman is suffering from, but it will also feature some bright colours and fast editing
to reflect the comedic edge the film has. The film featuring the depressed teenager will be the bleakest
and most uniquely shot of the films. It will feature unusual angles and out of focus moments, to show
how something is off in the main character’s life. It will also feature a lot of shots of the main character
alone, to emphasize their isolation.
All of these different tones are reflected in the pictures I have chosen to represent them in my mood
board. So I will refer to it if I need help deciding how to shoot my film or how to make use of different
colours.

8. It would be a good idea to research other modern short, silent films
most of which will be available on YouTube. This will help me to shoot
a film without any dialogue and rely more on the body language and
actions of the characters. In short, it will help me to adopt a ‘show,
don’t tell’ rule.
I will also look into the general behaviour patterns of depressed
individuals, specifically those aged 16-24. This will make it easier for
me to write and understand the behaviour of the main character, a
teen struggling with depression and dark thoughts after suffering from
a major trauma.
Studying the cinematography of noir films will also help me to set the
tone of the film. These films are often heavily shadowed and clever in
their usage of camera focus. I plan to have everything and everyone
not significant to the main character and their life blurred and out of
focus.