1. Idea
Development
In this Presentation I will be trying to
definitively figure what my short film will be
about so I can plan out the best possible
short film/documentary I can create. I will
achieve this by looking at some examples
of films and the criteria that Sunderland
Culture has given me to make a final
decision.
2. Sunderland Culture Criteria/ Short
Film or Documentary
In the Brief that was given to me by Sunderland Culture, the product I must create can either be a Short Film
or Documentary that is meant to be approximately 15 minutes long and has to be tied to the Northeast
meaning at least use locations in the Northeast, the cast being from the Northeast and having themes relating
to the Northeast. This means the film can be about almost anything as long as I film in the Northeast, but
there aren’t that many films that are set in the Northeast with the only ones that really come to mind being Billy
Elliot and Purely Belter. Both of which aren’t set in Sunderland, so perhaps just focusing on the people of
Sunderland and the City itself could be a unique selling point for the film as there has been series that have
focused on Sunderland like ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ but not a film. ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ is also a documentary
about Sunderland Association Football Club, so by creating a short film I can differentiate from other pieces of
media that people have seen before about Sunderland. I plan on utilising local shooting locations and a local
cast in my production, but I will have research themes that could apply to the Northeast by researching the
area and films set in the Northeast like the ones previously mentioned, as well as other films that I could draw
inspiration from in terms of creating an effective storyline that will resonate with audiences. Pieces of media
that represent people of the Northeast in a way that doesn’t look down on them are rare. So, I feel that giving a
realistic but sympathetic tone to my project could be a breath of fresh air for the intended audience.
3. Inspiration For The Product
There are multiple things that I have watched about the northeast or about working-class
communities that have a certain realism to them that I want to be able to achieve to tell a story
that can resonate to local audiences as well as other audiences from different parts of Britain.
The most notable two that are inspiring me the most are ‘Purely Belter’ and
‘Trainspotting’. Both films deal with young men having to deal with poverty/bi-products of
poverty and have heavily thick accents with Purely Belter taking place in Newcastle and
Trainspotting taking place in Edinburgh. While Trainspotting focuses on escaping daily life by
using Heroin, Purely Belter uses Football as a way of escapism. So potentially I could have the
plot of the film be about The working-class community of Sunderland’s desire for escapism as
well as the struggles of their situation. In addition, Trainspotting has a lot of infamous moments
like 'Its Sh*** Being Scottish' and 'Lust For Life' that I could reference but put a spin on it so it is
relevant for the film. Other products that I have watched that are about the Northeast have
their own message are ‘Billy Elliot’ and ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’. Billy Elliot takes place in County
Durham, where I am from, during the miners strike in the 1980’s. The Film is about how
negative and toxic male stereotypes perpetuated by a lack of education can hinder young
people's progress as the main character, Billy Elliot, becomes a ballet dancer against the
wishes of his father. Most scenes were shot in Easington which is the next village over from
Murton, where I am from, so using the same locations may be a good easter egg as well as
effective story telling. Finally, Sunderland 'Til I Die is it a documentary series about Sunderland
A.F.C 'S 17/18 and 18/19 seasons. In the documentary, they have interviews with Sunderland
fans about their stories and how the club has an effected them. These interviews could be
useful for basing different characters off of. Also, in these interviews they use famous locations
in Sunderland like the painting of Raich Carter in Hendon, so using these places to shoot in
will also help with setting the scene
4. Different Plot Lines
For this project, I have 3 important details in mind for it. That being the beginning, middle, and final scenes. The first
scene will be the main character walking around his messy house begrudgingly getting ready and going around the
different rooms while the intro credits show on screen in ways that fit with the environment. The scene in the middle
of the short film will be the main character arguing with the supporting character while at Penshaw Monument. And
finally, the last scene will end with the Main character in a bathroom dying from a drug overdose. My only problem is
trying to connect those dots and make a cohesive story out of it. Some of my ideas are between the main character
hating where he lives and because he doesn’t have the money to move away, he becomes frustrated with his
situation and his friend tries to convince him that the Northeast is not as bad as it seems. The two characters will
show the duality of perspectives on the Northeast, with the main character having the stereotypical negative outlook
on the Northeast while the supporting character will play devil's advocate. Another plotline I have in mind is the main
character being a drug addict and his friend trying to help him to get sober. This is heavily inspired from
Trainspotting and would be somewhat of a homage to the film. The whole film would be cat and mouse chase
around the Northeast with the main character running away from the supporting character with some slower scenes
when the two characters have verbal confrontations. With the fast-paced nature it will also be like Boiling point in
that respect. This storyline would be good for the short format of a short film and could prove itself entertaining for
the full run time. The last plotline I am considering is the short film being a day in life of the main character will a full
Voice of God monologue from the main character. He would give his own opinion on his surroundings, people, and
events around him. The purpose of the constant over voice would be to show that the main character is dissociative
state and doesn’t care about his reality anymore, With some people being completely just faded out of scenes and
silenced because he doesn’t want to deal with them anymore.
5. Why I Am Going For A
Short Film
During my Audience research, most of the focus group answers regarding documentaries came back as
negative as most preferred watching a short film over a documentary. I took this into account when I was
making decisions as to what the product would look like as creating a project that is going to be enjoyed by 16–
25 year-olds is the one of the aims given to me by the brief. I have also already made a documentary previously
and I would like to test my skills and try something a bit different this time round. This will be beneficial for me as
it will lead to me having more experience in film production as I will have filmed two different film types. Also,
with Short Films I am allowed more flexibility as I can make the people in the film say and do as I please and not
have to depend on actual events to get a good final product. The downsides to short films however do depend
on a lot of other factors such as different shooting locations, actors, script writing and camera men. However, I
have experience in script writing and getting locations to film on and I can find suitable people for these roles as
I have a few people in mind already who could help out during the production phase. Some things I could look at
doing while doing a short film is showing a visual difference when the Main character is on screen as to when
the supporting character is on screen like for instance perhaps in using shadows and other visual ques to show
what certain characters are feeling in certain scenes.
