This task was the second to last in all our short film sequences. The objective of this workshop in particular was to use the narrative to display the genre of film which is being used. Using techniques such as dialogue, camera angles and mis en scene to tell the story.
The film was meant to be a minute long but paired up with Sabrina Yaqub and Isabella Francis we went the extra mile. To begin the project, we developed an outline script which featured the course of the narrative. The idea to conclude our first two horror films with a detailed narrative inform of a drama-thriller, was mutual. The narrative involved a friend of all three main characters going missing and two of their friends being killed off in the course of the film. To concluded on of the main characters will discover who the killer is.
First, I drew up an accurate story board consisting of various camera angles which we were to use to determine facial expressions. Following up to that, we all came together to develop a more accurate script which determined all the cues, locations and scenes. Finally we assembled our stock characters and begun the production process.
Before filming we had to print off some props we were to use in the course of the film, these included, a missing poster of Meron and photos of the deceased
The opening scene consisted of a fast track intro into the building. Objectively it was meant to look like a point of view shot from one of the main characters, but since it was sped up and it was cut out by a ripple edited via iMovie, it looked like a fast track tour of the college, but it was still able to tie into a dramatic genre. The scene involved the three main characters staring a missing poster talking amongst themselves. Personally I felt the scene worked well, but it would have been better if each of the characters received a close up shot of their faces while they were speaking and then finally a group shot as the each exited the scene. The following scene involved the main characters having a conversation with their friends at a table. There were several problems with this scene, the first was that the camera was in a fixed position, there were no close up shots of any of the characters, audience members are unable to witness facial expressions of the characters involved in the scene, this makes the concept of the scene obsolete. Whenever a character entered or exited, it would have been more professional if the camera fixed on that particular character, in order to make the story clearer. Other wise in the scene, it was clear that there was a disagreement between on of the characters and the group.
The scene that followed was the first murder. This scene was planned out well, the camera was mobile in a point of view shot looking through the eyes of the murderer. The victim makes it clear that the murderer is someone he knows, but that remains oblivious to the audience, as the camera pans upward towards the sky and a guns shot is heard, making it clear to the audience someone has been killed.
The next scene involves an argument between the couple of Hari and Cynthia. Cynthia is upset about the disappearance of her friend, Hari tries to calm her down but is clearly not successful. The camera angles we used include, over the shoulder shots to establish the view of both charaters. We used a mid shot at the side of the couple to show who is in the conversation. The following scene involved the death of Hari, sitting on his own interrupted by the point of view shot of the murderer that he clearly knows. Once again the camera pans up and the sound of a stab and a scream is heard, while a bird flies away in the sky. (A happy accident) which adds to the mood and meaning of the scene.
A memorial of the deceased outside with portraits of the victims. The three main characters from the beginning once again are seen looking at more tragic information. the camera pans from right to left looking at the facial expressions of each of the characters. Unfortunately, the scene would have worked better if in the beginning of the panning shot, Cynthia was placed in center screen. finally the scene ends with the girls all departing which was very effective. The final scene in the film is the discovery of the murderers, Bella stumbles upon Sabrina in an isolated room on campus. They have an altercation as Bella over hears Sabrina talking to her accomplice over the phone. This scene is effective in terms of dialogue. The plans of the murderer are unmasked we see the story unravel and we find out who the antagonist is. The scene however was uneffective in terms of camera shot. I would have been effective if we used cut to cut shots of the characters rather than panning.
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