The document discusses several films that served as references and inspirations for the author's final media studies project. The first film discussed is Flight, which portrays an airline pilot involved in a plane crash and deals with themes of addiction and truth. The author chose this film because it depicts the mental state of a pilot after a crash in a similar way to their own project. Two short films are also discussed - Who Guards the Guardians, about a soldier experiencing flashbacks, and Death of a Salesman. Both films use flashbacks and sound/music to convey character and were inspirations for how the author plans to structure their project.

1. Existing film used as reference and inspiration
TEODORA RADOVANOVIC
A2 MEDIA STUDIES

2. -
Flight(2012)
This action-packed mystery thriller illustrates the
impact of an airplane crash upon its main survivor,
commuter airline pilotWhip Whitaker. While Whitaker
was transporting passengers from Orlando to Atlanta,
the JR-88 experiencing a technical malfunction and
erratically begins to crash. He has no choice but to
crash the plane, managing to save most of the
passengers on board. After the sudden plane crash,
Whitaker, being one of the survivors is immediately
taken to hospital where he is braced the news of the
tragic event. He thus labeled a hero by the circulating
media, a notion that is proved not to be entirely true.
While being hospital, blood was extracted from Whip
in order to identify his health state during the flight.
Traces of alcohol and cocaine were present, which put
Whitaker in an unforgiving position of being held
responsible for the incident and consequently a life
sentence in jail. As the film progresses Whip cycles in
both his mental state and his level of addiction as he
is fighting the urge to reveal the truth.

3. -
Why have I chosen this film as my
reference and inspiration
I have chosen this film as my reference and inspiration for
my final project due its similar significant portrayal of an
aircraft member in distress due to a sudden airplane crash
as I intend to exhibit as well.The captured essence of the
pilot’s grief and sorrow gave me inspiration on how to
exhibit the mental instability and despair of the main
character of an air traffic controller in my short film.
Moreover, the poignant illustration of the airplane as it
crashed gave me a deeper insight into the atrocious state
the pilot, crew and passengers would have felt.Therefore, I
could build up my main character and make his mental
insights and observations more realistic.

4. -
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqn2L6kQQt8

5. -
WhoGuards
theGuardians
(2007)
Another reference of inspiration was a short film entitled “Who Guards the
Guardians” directed by a Serbian director Goran Stankovic which he created
during his studies.
This plot of this short film follows a flashback of a soldier to his unforgetable
childhood memories while on his way in a war transport truck to a front line.
Associations of objects and sound effects of the truck’s interior trigger the young
soldier to flashback to his childhood. During the reminiscence of his naïve
perception of his childhood the audience gets an insight into the inevitable
destiny of the child being shaped into a soldier.This starts from the glimpses of his
garden childhoods games of enacting war scenarios to the strict body
mesurements of students in order to symbolize their indoctrination into the
system and ends with the physical and mental captivity of the soldier in the war
truck.

6. -
Why have I chosen this film as my
reference and inspiration
I have chosen this short film as inspiration primarily for its
similarity of story to mine. It consists of a mental deconstruction
of a young soldiers’ present and past in order to emphasize his
inevitable psychological instability prior to the suspenseful
atmosphere of the trip to a front line.The only difference between
my idea and the premise behind this sequence is that in the plot of
my idea, the tragic and tense event has already happened to the
individual and its mental instability is a consequence where as in
this film the soldier is guided into his inevitable future. However,
the selection of sound and sight of objects as triggers to the past
relates to my idea and aids me to get a closer glimpse into the
execution of the events. Secondly, the reference is also a short
film which helps me to perceive how to exhibit my idea in a short
format.

7. -
The poignant transitions in the color of the picture
illustrate the age gap and the significant shift in
the atmosphere of the individual’s life.The warm
and muted colors reflect the innocence of the little
boy as the surroundings give a nostalgic and idyllic
impression. In contrast, the dull expressions of the
soldiers and the black & white mis-en-scene
demonstrates the cold and tense pre-battle
setting.The crammed and heaving truck
furthermore, shows the mental instability of the
soldier and the metaphorical projection of
enclosed freedom.

8. -
Clipsfrom:
https://vimeopro.com/tunafishstudio/goran-
stankovic/video/188636125

9. -
I found this film, following the script of the theatre drama of Arthur
Miller, as a source of inspiration most poignantly as it also follows the
guilt-ridden downward spiral of a middle aged man trying to combat
with his inner turmoil of undoable regret.The story follows a mediocre
salesman spellbound by the intrigue of the capitalisticAmerican Dream
which he seeks as an escape from his inner turmoil as an idyllic safe
haven from reality. His “escapes” from reality relate to his visions of his
prosperities in the past. Due to his main male figures of father and
brother leaving him at a tender age in his early childhood he is not a
given a substantial base for his maturing as an adult.Therefore, this
fragments of child-like behavior of idolizing them as a form of glorified
success without comprehending the reality of their abandonment not
being equal to success but rather betrayal.This everlasting cycle of a
perception of false reality leads to the self-deprecation of the lead
character.
Analysis and Reference
(1985)

10. -
Why have I used this filmas my
inspirationand reference?
Much like in my short film idea the main character is channeling his
tumult through nostalgic reminiscences of his past which help him to
become detached from his muddled mental state. However, similarly
like in Death of a Salesman, these flashbacks to his past create a
reverse effect and deepen his emotionally drained condition. In my
idea, the positive events of the exhilaration of travelling instigate a
remorse feeling as he feels guilty about the people who have passed
away in the inevitable airplane crash they are unaware of. Similarly, in
the Death of a Salesman, the joyful segments of the past initiate a
form of a reminder of his failed career and infidelity in his marriage.

11. -
Sound reference
Furthermore, the implementation of sound used before
the entrance of a character coincides with my film as my
supporting character appears after a melody of casual
whistling is heard.This theatrical-like approach gives a
detailed perception of the characters as the music/sound
illustrates their character before they appear visible to
the audience. In Death of a Salesman, the mention of
death is illustrated with the angelic sound of the flute
and acts as a poignant juxtaposition to the dark and
foreboding notion of death. In my film, the appearance
of the supporting character is introduced by the sound of
casual whistling. This sound insinuates a carefree and
calm character, a sharp contrast to the frantic main
character.