Introduction: A brief explanation of the plot with reference to ideology. Mention the short films that I took inspiration from. 

Narrative: A thorough explanation of the narrative structure and narrative devices in my short film. Talk about how I was directly and specifically inspired by some of the short films. Such as, ‘When the Day Breaks’, ‘La Jetee’, ‘Night Fishing’ and ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’. Also make reference to feature length films that I took influence from. 

Mise en Scene: A thorough explanation of the mise en scene choices in my film. Talk about how I was directly influenced by some of the short films we studied like, ‘When the Day Breaks’ and ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’ 

Cinematography: An explanation of my cinematography choices, making sure to use lots of key terminology and specific references to my short film. Remember to link to short films that we have studied, and influence taken from them. 

Sound: An explanation of the sound choices in my film. Link to short films that we have studied like ‘Night Fishing’ and any others if possible. 

Conclusion: Discuss overlapping similarities and common connections, such as a particular short film that I was most inspired by. Sum up quickly what has been said. 

1. INT. DAY.

The clock near the ceiling is shown before NADINE walks into the kitchen. NADINE see’s the knife on the edge of the centre kitchen counter and stops walking.

2) NIGHT. RED LIGHTING (if possible)

NADINE is holding the knife in the corridor. (Not literally, it’s in her head).

3) INT. DAY.

NADINE is still in the same place in the kitchen as before.

NADINE V/O

MUM could easily hurt herself, it’s too close to the edge. Just move it.

NADINE walks slowly over but doesn’t get there yet.

4) NIGHT. RED LIGHTING (if possible)

NADINE is holding the knife by her side in the corridor like before. She starts to walk into the living room.

NADINE V/O

Stop it

The room fades for a second before being clear again. NADINE continues to walk.

NADINE V/0

(elongated) stop. Please stop, stop

The room fades for a second before getting clear again while NADINE walks faster. She raises the knife, there’s screams but we see nothing as the screams come from around the corner.

5) INT. DAY.

NADINE is in the kitchen still and she is now leaning on the side kitchen counter.

NADINE

(annoyed and upset) Stop for god’s sake stop it stop

NADINE V/O

I still need to move the knife

She walks slowly towards the knife and stops briefly while doing so before moving the knife to the centre of the counter. She takes a deep breath out.

NADINE walks over to the sink where she washes her hands twice and shakes them dry four times. After her hands are dry, she gets kitchen roll to cover her hands as she begins to make cereal.

NADINE has finished making the cereal and places it on the side counter. NADINE then examines multiple spoons before picking one to use.

6) INT. DAY.

NADINE walks into the living room and sits down on the sofa. She taps her spoon four times on the edge of her bowl before eating and uses TV remotes covered in tissue to turn on the TV which plays quietly in the background.

MUM

Morning sweetheart

NADINE

Morning

NADINE smiles at her MUM.

MUM

Are you alright?

NADINE

I’m alright thanks, you?

MUM

I’m fine thanks

The MUM leaves the room.

7) INT. DAY.

NADINE finishes getting changed before heading to the front door with her bag ready to leave.

MUM

You’re leaving already?

NADINE

Yeah, but I’ll be home around 3, see you later

MUM

Bye darling

The MUM goes to hug NADINE who instead of hugging back gives a thumbs up and leaves. The MUM who appears sad pauses before walking into her room and shutting her door.

Narrative and visual/audio influences for your work

I would like the audience to understand what is going on without having to use too much narration and/or dialogue for them to know what’s happening, I’ll use some but also use things like colours, what they can actually see and lots of sound editing to get across meaning. I want to use lots of sound editing (mainly non-diegetic) as well as coloured lighting if I can. I’m hoping I can make the sounds with objects around the home and stay away from music as much as possible. Influences are the films/short films that I researched about such as the short films I found on YouTube. ( Coursework Research ) I want my film to be an opening sequence that sets up the film as not just about someone living with ocd but how it effects relationships and other people such as family. I want the character to be doing something extraordinarily normal when ocd is effecting them to try and keep it as real as possible and to show that they’re still a regular person.

Production’s genre, style and intended audience

I’m not sure what the genre is, but the intended audience is teenagers and older. I want to use as little dialogue and narration to explain what is going on as possible but using some is inevitable. If I am able to, I want to use colour to help get across meaning as well as lots of non-diegetic sound, but I am unaware of what I am capable of doing. I think I am going to use the title of the movie to help it make sense, by putting ‘ocd’ in the title, it doesn’t have to be explicitly said and it will help explain what’s happening.  I’d like to not have too many cuts and instead have takes that last a bit longer as that is what I really enjoy in films, some cuts and close ups will be necessary but when I can I will try and make longer takes.

Red

• Violence
• Danger
• Power

For:

• Lighting during knife cut away scene

Pink

• Innocence

For

• Possibly for clothing

Yellow

• Obsessive
• Madness

For

• Walls
• Lighting

Blue

• Isolation
• Cold

For

• Possibly for clothing

Film Plan (Opening)

• Opens with clock (and cuts to washing hands?)
• Long shot/mid shot of her entering the kitchen and the camera zooms out to centre on the knife on the counter which the girl is looking at
• Sound editing starts
• Quick cut to holding the knife with red lighting then back again
• Voice over of her thoughts to explain that she has to move it to the middle because its dangerous on the side, but you can tell she doesn’t want to touch it
• Slowly moves towards the knife and the sounds get slightly louder
• Cuts to close up of holding the knife in the corridor with red lighting. Starts to walk into the lounge slowly and the sound editing has uncomfortable noises. Occasionally hearing the voice over of the girls thoughts trying to stop it which causes slight ‘glitches’. Speed up walking into the lounge as the camera follows and she raises the knife and there’s screaming
• Back to kitchen where she is leaning on the counter (not next to the knife) She is saying stop out loud and the sound continues but quitter with occasional screaming
• Dialogue of her convincing herself she just has to move it
• Camera cuts to her doing so and the sound editing comes in again briefly
• Constant quiet sound in the background
• She goes to wash her hands again and when she’s done she shakes her hands dry four times and uses a piece of kitchen roll and uses it when opening the things around the kitchen to make breakfast. The camera follows her doing so
• Once the cereal is made the camera zooms in on her picking up each spoon and examining them with a close up of the one that she picks put
• Walks in to the lounge and taps the spoon four times before eating (close up) and the mum asks if she’s okay
• Cuts to her finishing getting change upstairs hen cuts to her walking out into the front of the house from upstairs with a bag
• Mum goes to hug goodbye but she just gives a thumbs up and waves four times
• Camera stays with the mum and we see her expression. The camera lingers before following behind her until she goes into and shuts the bedroom door.

A Few Aims/Genre/Style/Intended Audience

• To allow the audience to fully understand what’s happening
• To not have to use voice overs to explain everything
• To have the film set up to be about how ocd effects relationships
• Intended audience is probably teen and upwards

Edit: I have a drawn storyboard but it’s not on the blog

How mental health/OCD is presented in films

As Good As It Gets

• Explicitly saying it
• Showing with characters actions
• Subtly e.g. not wearing gloves anymore
• The fact that when he steps on the pavement, the amazing thing about it wasn’t that he didn’t mean to do it, rather that he didn’t care once it had happened
• How it effects relationships with others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oETiBIpW_Jk

• Use of colour
• Voice over
• Text explaining what ocd is and how people with harm ocd don’t mean any harm
• Medication
• Knife

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uunJD1HwyMo&feature=youtu.be

• Text explaining what’s going on
• Using multiple sinks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzrDv_5Zlo8

• Multiple dialogues happening at the same time which causes stress and adds to the mess, helps the audience feel the way that Howard does, this also allows the audience to understand why he lashes out
• Quite fast paced editing between the people all saying different things causes stress and adds to the mess, helps the audience feel the way that Howard does, this also allows the audience to understand why he lashes out
• Performance – The way Howard sits subtly shows how he feels uncomfortable
• (Not in clip but happens just before hand) – extreme close up of the food which

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69_lJJe4M-g

• Allows you to see both perspectives
• Dialogue
• Facial expressions
• Close up
• Performance – the deep breath in when he comes closer and the quick turn around

Baby Driver

– Use a random, new character for a brief moment
– Use action to also tell the story
– Character speaking to themselves about the other character
– The use of a third character

Little Miss Sunshine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_oHIUCp_TY

– silence of other characters
– Volume of voice
– Interrogatives
– Use of other characters to show reaction or contrast or add in sentences (“I’m not driving “)
– Characters move around
– Long pauses (before resolution)
– Lack of dialogue to show other characters emotions (glare/uncomfortable etc)
– Declaratives
– Imperatives
– “Frank, shut up”

Pretty Woman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9ganTVVC6A

– One character not sharing what they’re think/feeling with the other character
– Insults
– Characters leaving then coming back again and them both doing that
– Characters using the same words as the previous character to try and convince them
– Body language (e.g. hands on hips)
– One character physically higher than the other
– Characters repeating what they say
– Characters refusing to look at the other one
– Long pauses
– Characters start to randomly do things like open drinks

Other research:
-use sound in the background to add to the mess, such as the phone starts to ring or someone knocks at the door
-Try not to say all things explicitly as it’s lazy