The document summarizes the creative choices made in producing a short film about a girl's murder. It describes choosing a nonlinear plot that flashes back to show how the girl was killed. Scenes were filmed in the woods and outside a pub to fit the crime/thriller genre. Various camera shots like close-ups and establishing shots were used. Matching shots and sound bridges added tension. Low key lighting created suspense for darker scenes. Props like a hammer advanced the plot. Fonts and colors were kept minimal.

1. By Hayley Hall

3.  We chose to do the plot of a girl been
murdered as it is against typical stereotypes
and we thought that it would be different to
other films. Our plot is non-linear as it
flashes back from when the girl is laid dead
on the floor to how the girl gets killed and
the back to the girl been killed.

4.  The chosen genre that we chose was Crime/
Thriller, when we filmed in the woods this
added to the tension and gave it a crime feel
as many crimes occur in dark places. We also
filmed outside a pub which is another
location which matches our genre as many
crimes occur outside pubs as people are
drunk and under the assumption of alcohol.
These all added to the genre as they
matched the genre locations which we
looked into for our research.

5.  Throughout our film we used a variety of different
camera shots. When the mother was arguing with the
girl we used a close up to show her facial expressions
so that the audience were about to see how she was
feeling. We also used an establishing shot when the
girl was walking through the woods so that the
audience could see where the girl was going and what
she was wearing. When filming through the woods we
also filmed hand held to give the film a shaky feel
and build tension to the scene.

6.  Throughout the film we used shot reverse shot when they
was conversations going on so that the audience were able
to see the facial expressions on the characters faces to
build up tension. We also kept to the 180 degree’s rule and
only filmed from one side of the room so that it didn’t
confuse the audience. We also used match on action when
the girl was hit with the hammer so it builds suspense as
the audience watched to know what the hammer actually
hits.

7.  While the girl is walking through the woods they
is no dialogue and only non-diagetic music which
we added to build tension to the scene.
Throughout most of the film they is dialogue
when the girl is having arguments with her best
friend and mum. We also used a sound bridge
from when the girl was walking through the
woods to into the house to build up tension as
the girl made her way home. When the girl was
hit with the hammer, we also used non-diagetic
sound to give an effect that the girl had actually
been hit with the hammer, this added tension as
people wanted to know if she was alive or not.

8. During the arguments we used high key lighting
so that the audience could see the facial
expressions. However, when we filmed the
walking through the woods and the girl been
hit we used low key lighting to add suspense to
the scene and give it a scary thriller theme.

9.  The props that we used in the film were the Hammer, this added
tension to the scene as the audience knew that the hammer was
dangerous and meant that a crime was probably going to occur.
We also used a phone as it is the general stereotype that
teenagers go on their phones and due to it been an argument
between two teenagers we felt that it would fit in well with the
scene. The mother is dressing in bright clothes and looks like a
chav as it gives the audience the impression that she hasn’t been
a good mum and hasn’t been their throughout the child’s life.
The girl who gets murdered is dressed very feminine and you can
see that she takes care of her appearance, the girl which is her
friend is again very feminine and petite.

10.  We didn’t use many fonts in our short film,
only when introducing what our film was
called and who the people in it were. We
also added colour to the revenge to match in
with the blood.