draft 1
Rationale
Before starting this course, I knew so little about what went into making a film, about all the individual roles and all the layers it has to go through before you get the final product. Throughout my studies, I’ve learned about the rules of composition, how camera settings affect the image and the art of visual storytelling. These are the aspects of film that interested me the most and are ultimately the reasons that I have now chosen cinematography as my discipline and future career. Because of this, I’d like my final major project to be fantasy based, to give me a chance to try some more creative visuals.
Project Concept
For this project, I plan to produce a short fictional film, 3-4 minutes long. Inspired by the theme of identity, I intend for my film to feature a protagonist who has lost sight of the value of human life, but experiences an event that reminds them of it. The main character will be a soul keeper who, growing tired of their job, has stopped seeing the souls as actual human lives.
Because of the fantastical element to my story, a lot of my secondary research will be focused on exploring how others films created surreal magical worlds, so that I can figure out how to successfully portray the souls to the audience through my visuals.
It will also be important to include primary research, and for me this will mostly mean gathering peer feedback on my idea, from its initial stages right up until the script stage, so that I can form my idea into a workable film. The constructive criticism will allow me to see any flaws in my idea and to build on it to make it better.
Evaluation
Every bit of work I do for this project will be recorded on my WordPress site. Each section of the filmmaking process (e.g. research, planning, production) will have its own blog post, which I will be continuously updating as I go. Each update to a post will be dated, allowing me to see my workflow and show how my idea developed over time. Also, at the end of each update, I will reflect on what I have written and this evaluation will show how the film has been changed by the new information.
27th April
draft 2
Rationale
Before starting this course, I knew so little about what went into making a film, about all the individual roles and all the layers it has to go through before you get the final product. Throughout my studies, I’ve learned about the rules of composition, how camera settings affect the image and the art of visual storytelling. These are the aspects of film that interested me the most and are ultimately the reasons that I have now chosen cinematography as my discipline and future career. Because of this, I’d like my final major project to be fantasy based, to give me a chance to try some more creative visuals.
Project Concept
For this project, I plan to produce a 4 minute fantasy drama, which will tell a story of revitalisation and the value of human life. My film will feature a single protagonist who starts off as very disconnected from the world, but throughout the film reconnects with his emotions and the end of the film shows him with a renewed appreciation for life. The main character will be a soul keeper who, growing tired of his job, has stopped seeing the souls as actual human lives. One day, he drops a soul, destroying it and this mistake forces him to remember the importance of each individual soul.
I’d like to develop my skills as a cinematographer, specifically how to frame an actor within a shot to best compliment their performance. I will be researching dynamic movement in shots, especially ones that involve moving between multiple shot types within a single shot. I will also be focusing on how close shots can convey emotion. It will be important for me to test out the camera techniques I research, so I will spend time working with the Canon 5D on a steadicam to ensure I can control it properly. I will be gathering peer feedback on my idea through it’s development stage, so that I can use the constructive criticism to improve my idea.
Evaluation
Every bit of work I do for this project will be recorded on my WordPress site. Each section of the filmmaking process (e.g. research, planning, production) will have its own blog post, which I will be continuously updating as I go. Each update to a post will be dated, allowing me to see my workflow and show how my idea developed over time. Also, at the end of each update, I will reflect on what I have written and this evaluation will show how the film has been changed by the new information.
Schedule
Bibliography
- Rausch, Elliot (2015)”El Pescador” https://vimeo.com/120138244
- Thio.com “Kharon” http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Kharon.html
- Theoi.com “Judges of the Dead” http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Rhadamanthys.html
- Reddit (August 2013) “screenwriting” https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/1jyi3h/advice_from_writing_scripts_that_have_little_to/
- Keegan, Rebecca(August 2015)”‘Shaun the Sheep’: What a script with no dialogue looks like” http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-shaun-the-sheep-script-with-no-dialogue-20150804-htmlstory.html
- Done Deal Message Board(march 2008) http://messageboard.donedealpro.com/boards/showthread.php?t=40524
- Mashedpotato13(2016)”How to make computer pop ups using notepad!” http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-computer-pop-ups-using-notepad/
- nerdwriter1(July 2015)”In the Mood for Love: Frames within Frames” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01E5otZCpqw
- mabrowndog(January 2010)”RotLA Shots Contest” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUAueFkVYvA
- Every Frame a Painting(May2014)”The Spielberg Oner” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q4X2vDRfRk
- Khan, Yasser(Febuary2016)”Birdman Clip” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu4pNcF24Po
- Gibson, Andrew S.(2014)”How to Choose the Perfect Portrait Lens” https://digital-photography-school.com/choose-perfect-portrait-lens/
Catriona Fish 
This is a good start Kitty. For the most part you have stuck closely to the UAL brief.
It needs tightened up and worded more carefully in places but we will do this over the coming weeks.
Before we return I want you to focus solely on the middle section (Project Concept) and make this more specific. Pay particular attention to this sentence, ‘clearly explain the concept and aims of your project, production or performance’. You need to make the concept very succinct and to the point, with slick wording.
And what are the more general aims with regards to your productions and performance? For instance, ‘I want to develop my interpersonal and directorial skills working with actors and crew on set’, or ‘I want to really concentrate on developing my confidence and instinct as a cinematographer’.
If you are struggling to find words that succinctly describe what you are saying use the thesaurus on your computer!
It’s a great start though. New draft for the day we get back please!
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27th April – redraft
This is great but can we have one sentence about how it will play out visually?
‘A guy lies in a flat……..etc etc’
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Feedback as of 02/06/17
You have written an excellent project proposal that sets out your concept in a concise and eloquent manner with a good schedule attached, remember you must add the bibliography!
You have shown a wonderful path through the ideas generation stage and really taken time to consider why and how ideas happen which will help you to develop this part of your creative process in future. If this area is lacking in anything it is a little bit of research to back things up but there is some great research coming in in the development stage.
The research you have chosen is very relevant and targeted to specific aspects of your project, which is excellent to see, however we need to see more of it and it needs to be from a variety of sources. And we must see some more pre-production and planning documents coming through now Kitty. Remember how important books and articles can be as you move more in to the technical stages of the project. Looking good so far, and you are on track for a distinction providing you add the work I have mentioned above.
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