Lily Ajaib is proposing a short film project titled "Present" to be completed by Week 18. The concept is a thriller about a girl receiving a puzzle box that contains threatening messages. Lily will document the process through a production diary and evaluate the final project. Research will include studying techniques for building tension from the works of David Lynch and examining how other films use elements like sound, lighting, and composition to create atmosphere. Pre-production will involve planning, storyboarding, and securing locations and equipment. Principal photography and editing will occur between Weeks 8-11, with evaluation and a presentation in the final weeks.

1. Proposal
1
Centre Name and Number:
York College 48357
Student Name and Unique Learner Number:
Lily Ajaib 2439723788
Project proposal title and date:
Present 02/02/2023
Main area of activity:
Short Film
Rationale:
Over the last 18 months of this course, I have developed my organisational skills and technical
skills to create a short film. In the trip to Aruba where we filmed a documentary project, I felt like I
developed my knowledge on composition, the importance of lighting, audio equipment and I also
got some journalist experience. In different video-based projects, like create a music videos,
showreels, being able to be a camera operator and vision mixer for college musical gigs etc, It has
developed my ability to adapt to the different environments and adapt when the technical side of
things goes wrong. When doing these projects, there has been a lot of organisational skills that
have gone into it weeks before the production. Things like story boarding, location scouting, visual
concepts, schedules etc. These different projects have also allowed me to expand my knowledge
on Photoshop and Premiere Pro from first year. I think my experience with my previous video-
based projects has always led into me thinking that I could achieve better. For this project I want a
strict thorough plan of what I want my project to look like and be able to do the necessary research
to achieve that. My video game project, my York animation app concept project, and any Audio
targeted projects wont directly impact this project, but doing those projects has taught me what I
should not do. The projects that are more likely to affect my project are the Factual documentary I
created, my music video, my FMP from last year and any outside work experience.
Project Concept:
My concept for my project is to create a short film about a girl receiving a puzzle box that results
into a threating message. We see her receive this box as a birthday present, and as she starts to
open it, it is another box. Once that box has been opens, it is another box inside, and the process
repeats until something will scare her in the last box. At the bottom it will have a note, “by the time
you read this, you will already be dead”, it will show her and a dark figure behind her. The concept
is something that I am still developing but I have envisioned of what I want it too to look like and
how I want to shoot it, which will hopefully create a deeper meaning to the concept. I want to
develop my theme of building tension and creating a certain atmosphere. Alongside the short film,
I want to create a movie poster and a trailer. Some films or tv shows that I might look at to help me
are Scream (1996), Parasite (2019), Fresh (2021), Zodiac (2007), Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022),
Fear Street 1994, 1978(2021) and more depending in which way my concept develops. Additional
research would be on gaining more knowledge on things like composition and framing, iso, camera
lenses, opening scenes, cinematic lighting and on extra possible equipment. It might be a good
idea for me to look at a specific Director or Cinematographer/DoP. I have David Lynch and David
Fincher in mind. Researching these creators would include listening to podcast episode or
watching interviews about their films. Lastly, I might look at the film Don’t Worry Darling and have a
look at John Powell soundtrack of building tension.
How will the project be evaluated and reviewed:
For my evaluation, I am production some sort of daily or weekly production diary. I have not
decided whether I am doing it in a written form or a video form. If it was in a written form, I would
present it as if it was a blog, and if it was a video form, it would be presented as a YouTube video
to document my process. That would include behind the scenes footage that I would upload which
would include me describing what is currently happening, some challenges I faces, and what went
to plan. I will be doing a big evaluation and reflection document to look at my project as a whole
and then look a specific section of work in detail. It will analysis my thoughts and feeling and will

2. Proposal
2
Bibliography:
1. A Quiet Place. (2018). [Film]. Los Angeles: Paramount Pictures.
2. Don't Worry Darling. (2022). [Film]. New York: New Line Cinema.
3. . Film Riot. (2009). Film Riot. [Online]. youtube.com. Last Updated: 12 july 2009. Available
at: https://www.youtube.com/@filmriot/videos [Accessed 7 February 2023].
4. Kelsey Bollig. (Unknown). Kelsey Bollig. [Online]. kelseybollig.com. Last Updated:
Unknown. Available at: http://www.kelseybollig.com/thefourthwall [Accessed 6 February
2023].
5. Parasite. (2019). [Film]. South Korea: Barunson.
6. Peter Swanson. (2020). Rules for Perfect Murders. London: Faber & Faber. pp.1-352.
7. Scream. (1997). [Film]. New York: Dimension Films.
8. Studio Binder. (Unknown). Blog. [Online]. studiobinder.com. Last Updated: Unknown.
Available at: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ [Accessed 7 February 2023].
9. V Renée. (2015). How Do You Define 'Lynchian'?: An Exploration of David Lynch's
Cinematic Style. [Online]. nofilmschool.com. Last Updated: December 24 2015. Available
at: https://nofilmschool.com/2015/12/how-do-you-define-lynchian-exploration-david-lynchs-
cinematic-style [Accessed 6 February 2023].
10. Zodiac. (2007). [Film]. Phoenix: Phoenix Pictures
Week Tasks to be Completed: Specific Tasks
1 Context  Context – start on context document.
 Log initial thoughts, try narrow down a concept,
talk about strengths, weakness, skill I have
developed
2 Context  Context – explore different influences an
inspiration, look at directors, films, books,
photography.
 Write official proposal.
 Log any extra thoughts
3 Research  Research- look at themes of tension, suspense.
Look at composition to create that, scene
analysis. Include directors work, what films do it
well and why.
 Move onto artists like David lynch, look at what
makes him unique and what you want to take
away from his work.
 Go through the fourth wall short film and analysis
it. Look at the lighting, composition, editing,
concept. Talk about what interested you in the
touch on how much applied all the stages before to my project. This overall will be something I can
look back on so I can see my progress and errors in the future when I’m on the BA course a York
College doing something similar.

3. Proposal
3
work.
 Move onto a quiet place and lack of sound. Look
at the little dialogue and tension created with little
sound.
4 Research  Research- audience research. Who is my
demographic, what do they want to see, what will
interest them. Look at facts and statistics and talk
about why its relevant to my own work.
 Look into equipment, best ways of using the
black magic, talk about my experience with the
equipment so far.
 Research anything on colour grading and
cinematic lighting.
 Importance on music for building tension –
reference don’t worry darling
5 Problem Solving  Problem solving
6 Pre-production – planning  Planning – casting, location scouting, meetings
with team, start storyboarding, writing scripts
7 Pre-production – planning  Planning – make sure I have storyboard, shot list
and script done in great detail. Production
schedule, equipment list, contingency plan,
sound list
8 Production  Shooting – short film and the poster
9 Production  Shooting
10 Production  Editing – rough edit of the film
11 Production  Editing – see if I need to do any reshoots of the
film, start on the editing of the advertisement.
Reach final cut – make sure colour grading and
audio is added
12 Evaluation  Evaluation – finish my production diary, edit the
film diaries. Start planning the presentation.
13 Evaluation  Evaluation – finish evaluation documents
14 Evaluation  Presentation – plan the presentation event
15 Evaluation  Hold Presentation event
16 Moderation 
17 Show Preparation 
18 Show 