The document discusses the research done for a student film project. It explores influences from successful films like "The Sixth Sense". Research was also done on budgets, finding most sources suggested $1000 but the student had no budget. Tips for zero-budget filmmaking helped. Distribution options were considered, like film festivals, but most were not suitable for a beginning student. Research was also done on film ratings and certification which helped refine the film's target audience. Overall the research process helped improve the original idea.

1. Real world influences
The film is about a girl who wakes up after being attacked only to discover that she is a dead.
It wasn't based on any particular real world sources however, many people die every day
and there has always been some questions about whether ghosts or spirits live on after
people which has influenced this film and many others quite a lot.
One of its biggest influences is the film 'The sixth sense' about a boy who sees dead people.
At the end the main character discovers that he is a ghost and that is why he can
communicate with dead people. I choose this film because I really enjoyed it so I went
onto IMDB and looked at some of the details of the film.
As you can see highlighted in green the film made a huge amount of money in the first year
and has probably made loads more which suggests people enjoyed the film and suggests
my movie will be successful to.
Box Office
Budget:
$40,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend:
$26,681,262 (USA) (6 August 1999)
Gross:
$293,501,675 (USA) (12 May 2000)
The rating of the film is also 8.1, As shown by the highlighted section off of imdb.com which
is really high which suggest that people must have enjoyed the film and therefore they will
enjoy my film. This website was useful because it confirmed that this film was highly rated
and made a lot of money and therefore my idea has a higher chance of being successful.
8.1
Your rating:
-/10
Ratings: 8.1/10 from 666,079 users Metascore: 64/100
Reviews: 2,072 user | 231 critic | 35 from Metacritic.com
I then did some more research into twists in regard to the film that had influenced my idea. I
found this website which listed and talked about the biggest shock endings of all time.

2. This was useful and it gave me the idea that this was the best type of ending for my short film
as not only was it voted the biggest shock but also all of the other biggest shocks
were similar.

3. Budget
I then looked at the usual cost of making a short film. This is a document I found on the
internet which gave me an answer. You can find it if you click here. This person suggested
that short films should cost about 1000 pound. However, I have vertically no budget and will
make to make do with the money from my own pocket so Ichanged some of the pricing in
order for it to fit my budget.
This website was useful because it told me how much a usual production cost so that i could
plan mine. However, my production has virtually no budget and therefore this website does
not apply to my production and was not as helpful as it would be to other people making
short films. This website was also quite unreliable because anyone can comment on it and
the information isn't necessarily correct.
As this website wasn't as helpful I did some further research at this web
address: http://www.raindance.org/10-zero-budget-filmmaking-tips/ . Here is the page in
which i looked at, detailing all of the ways it has impacted my final story idea.

5. This website was useful because it gave me lots of tips on low budget film making which i
could interpret into my idea as I do not have a big budget to work from.

6. Funding
All of the funding for this project will come from a mix of mine and my team’s money as the
cost will not be that high and therefore no funding is needed. However, I did some research
on https://www.kickstarter.com/ and found that many people go and describe what their
project is in attempt to get funding from people on the internet. This would be a good way to
fund my project if it had been more expensive.
Although this website is a good way to fund ideas, it wasn't as helpful as it would have been
to other people because my production has virtually no budget and I don’t have time to wait
for my idea to be funded.
Another website which I looked at in order to fund my film was this one:
https://filminitiative.musicbed.com/?gclid=CjwKEAjwuPi3BRClk8TyyMLloxgSJAAC0XsjkWIr
8neatYT00gPZUb0ujDKA5ZLHnstLJKAHNAS_vRoCas3w_wcB
This is a website which allows you to pitch your idea in hope for getting investors to fund
your project. This is the page in which I researched.

7. This website however was not very helpful as it was unlikely since there were only three
prizes and it is a known competition for people who are more experienced. It is also too
much money for my small low budget production.

8. Distribution
I then thought about how my work could be distributed by online platforms and looked at a
number of different film festivals that I could enter it in to. The first one I looked at was
called Raindance and this accepted all different types of films with many types of categories
Here is some information about the price of entering a film into this film festival.
This was not suitable however for my idea as it was a international competition for all sorts of
talented people and my film will not be as advanced as theirs will be.
I also looked at this one called Asthetica short film festival (ASFF) which showed
some similar information but was not suitable for my budget or experience when it came
down to short films.

9. I then researched into some student film festivals as I decided this would be closer to my
level. I found the London short film festival website and began looking down it in order to find
out some information about it.
The first two websites were not so helpful as they did not apply to me, however, the last
website was helpful as my film could possibly be entered into this film festival.
I then considered other places in which my work could be distributed. I found this website
that detailed how you would go about getting your film put on
Netflix.(https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/get-your-independent-movie-on-netflix/)

10. Although this was helpful for future reference, this told me that my film had little chance of
being put on Netflix and that there is no way to submit it. This website was partially useful
because it gave little information but not all of it was relevant.
However, with the thought of my film maybe being put on Netflix, i decided to look into
regulation and certification in regards to Netflix. I looked on this
website: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/9929070/BBFC-has-persuasion-job-
over-online-ratings.html
This website was useful as it told me that if my film were to be distributed via Netflix it would
be rated and therefore I should look into the possible certification of my movie.

11. Film classification
so I then did some research on film classification
on http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification. This is a company that
rates British movies on the age people should be to watch it. Here is
the necessary age you have to be in order to watch certain rated films. As my
film is a you tube video and therefore international, it will not have to be rated.
However, If it was to be rated, since it is a thriller, it would probably be a 12 or
15. So i went on to look at what sort of things can be in a 12 rated movie so
that i could narrow down the rating of the movie. This was the information in
which i found.
This website was helpful because, although my idea wouldn't have been rated, it gave me
information about what i could put in my film for what ages so that i could apply my film to my
ideal target audience. However, some of the information did not apply to my film idea.
This led to me thinking of what processes Iwould have to go through to get my short film

12. rated. I found this website which detailed this kind of information.
On another page on this site (http://www.bbfc.co.uk/industry-services/fee-calculator)it let me
calculate how much it would cost in order to get my film rated.

13. As you can see it would cost about thirty-three pound in order to get my film rated. This
would help me protect vulnerable audiences and might be a good investment for the furture.
However, for now this will not be considered after making my film.
Both of These website was partially useful because even though this information isn't likely
to be useful to me know, if my film went any further e.g got put on Netflix, this would be
useful information.

14. Guidance
Finally, I browsed online for guidance/criteria for writing for a successful short in order to
improve my film. On Film Network I found this advice to help me with my film. The red writing
describes how I have added this into my short film production.

15. This website was very helpful because it gave me relevant and helpful advice about my short
film. Therefore, when planning, filming and editing it i could follow the advice to improve my
film and improve my chances of getting it recognised.
Overall, all of the research that i collected has helped me in some shape or form which has
helped me to change and improve my original film idea. Any advice that was not helpful was
good for future reference.
I then thought about what locations I might need when filming and thought i could use some
advice. I found some information about location scouting on this website.

16. This website was useful because it gave me loads of relevant advice on how to pick
locations which I have interpreted into my planning.