Short Film (REPRESENTATION)

Short Film

For my coursework, I am working with Brad Gladden. We have chosen to make short film, as we feel are both interested in the process of film production and would like to experiment with it ourselves.

Conventionally, a short film begins with an equilibrium, which is something that happens in the film that creates some sort of dilemma. From this, the film returns to a re-equilibirum nearer the end which could possibly incorporate various different shots and/or camera angles. Brad and I have a brief idea of what our short film will represent however, we will need to go into more detail.

Representation - Our idea involves the representation of teenagers and the effect that peer pressure can cause on a group of individuals. From this, we decided to include the message that; one decision in a teeneger's life could lead to positive or negative consequences. We will include two main characters around the age of seventeen. Both are males (like Brad and myself) and go to the same secondary school. However, one of the characters has more ethics and a stronger will power than the other due to a death in the family and the sense of responsibility. They are best friends and have many things in common, however there will be an equilibrium which see's the two friends' seperated.

This is representation of peer pressure and how it can have an affect on your life as a teenager. We are going to have contrasting scenes where you see the different lives each boy leads as a result of the decisions they each made.

Institution - The institution is Film/Cinema, but the sub genre is short film. Our target audience is going to be that of a secondary school, as we feel that teenagers would benifit most from out short film because than can relate to the characters and what they could be feeling.

We believe our film would be perfect for film distributors Revolver Entertainment as they have previously released urban drama's such; as Kidulthood, which out film could be catagorised with.

We could also receive funding from the UK film council as the fully support realist films that let people see into the everyday lives of the working class, which out film could be see to represent.

Values - The film is going to need skilled camera work so me and Matt will organise slots of times to work on the film with extra incase things need to be fixed at the end like in our short film 'The Package'. We will also need a co-operative cast, who will be our friends willing to work for us.

Audience - This film would be given a certificate '15' which is appropriate as out target audience is for secondary school kids around 15-18 years old . There will be moderate scenes of drugs taking, but no real violence or swearing involved.
By showing representation of social decisions and the negative effects they can have, we hope to make a direct impact on our target audience. We will not force them into thinking what's right and what is wrong because that is our own view's and could have been mediated, we want to represent teenage life in the best way we can in order to the viewers to come to their own conclusion.

Language - There will be a fair amount of dialogue in the film, but we are also planning to use diagetic and non-diagetic music to portray the storyline and the mood. In relation to this, we are also going to use camera angles to exaggerate and express some scenes.

Ideology - The film will deal the issue of peer pressure amongst teenagers, and how older teens can influence the decisions younger, more vunerable teens can make. We are dealing with factors such as the loss of a role model, in this case character 2's father. In the film this makes him realise that you shouldn't waste your life, and that the decision you make are important, and i'm sure particular viewer can relate to this. On the other hand we are dealing with the consumption of drugs among youngsters, and showing the negative effects that they can have on your life, long term and short term.

Narrative - Set on a Friday, the story will begin by each character waking up in their home, and showing the contrast between the indiduals, and their daily routines. It will show the way in which they interact with their families (or in some cases, don't), their houses and the areas they live in. There won’t be much dialogue, just some non-diagetic music to portray the mood.
Then the story will show the two different characters meeting up on the way to school and the similarities they possess. Sometime during the day they hear about a party and decide to go. From this we will show a few school and clips from throughout the day, showing how one character is an introvert and how the other is an introvert. Possibly showing their different attitudes to school. From this we will show them getting ready before the party, having a laugh and drinking. The main scene which involves the equilibrium shows one character taking drugs off older kids, and the other declining the offer. This is where their similarities decrease and the gradually drift apart. Flash forward to a re-equilibrium where the two are reunited and the viewer can see the contrast between the two, when character 2 decides to help character 1 get his life back on track.


Genre - Looking at the paradigms of the film it will be catergorised in the ' Teen Drama' genre.