3-Minute Short Planning

Working Title: Natural Causes

Chosen RoleScreenwriter
InfluencesAlfonso Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien)
Specific Techniques -Character study
-Intellectual montage: juxtaposing footage of nature with the events of the protagonist’s life
-Still shots of natural weather events
GenreComing of age, Psychological, Queer
Story OutlineDepicting the destructive effects of nature before it reaches a stable state.

Act 1: Destructive weather events/ strong waves are
intellectually montaged with an exploration of a male protagonists borderline abusive relationship with his girlfriend.
It is hinted that his abusive personality is as a result of suppressed homosexual desires
Act 2: show protagonist accepting his identity and leaving his toxic masculine personality in the past.
This will be montaged against tranquil shots of the weather/ the sea
Location-St Ouens (sea shots)
-Park above The Good Egg (shots of trees and nature)
-My mums house (for demonstrating the abusive relationship in act 1)
-Curiosity coffee shop (for shots depicting hidden homosexual desire or events of Act 2)
Kit Required-Tripod
-Lighting
-Sound recorder
Additional CrewPossibly a sound designer
Cast3 actors needed

Independent Short Film

Element
Chosen RoleCinematographer
Specific TechniquesSymmetry, Whip pans
GenreComedy
Story Outline“How to make a bowl of cereal”. Someone is trying to make a bowl of cereal but faces countless challenges on their way.
LocationKitchen, Neighbourhood
Kit RequiredTripod, Camera, Lights
Additional CrewLighting
Cast2 characters?
InfluencesWes Anderson

Map, Hero’s Journey

Independent Short Film Plan

CHOSEN ROLEEDITING
INFLUENCESStanley Kubrick, Quentin Tarantino, Edgar Wright
SPECIFIC TECHNIQUESMontage, 180 degree rule, match cut, match on action
GENRERomance
STORY OUTLINEThe narrative follows a young couple as they split up and try to move on
LOCATIONParks, restaurants, a house, an office, two cars
KIT REQUIREDCamera, tripod, lights
ADDITIONAL CREWSound designer (soundtrack)
CASTTwo main characters, 4 or so faceless extras

Collaborative Project Production Meeting 6 – Scene/Shot Planning

We met up at Jardin d’Olivet in Trinity to plan and shoot part of our collaborative project, discussing different areas where we could shoot our burial scene at the end of our film.

We came up with the idea of this shot as an establishing shot for when our protagonists arrive in the car late at night, the car entering from the left side of the shot, illuminating the car park. The shot should be long enough for the car to park.

We then planned to have an overhead shot of the boot of the car as it opens, transitioning to a worm’s eye/POV shot from the boot, facing our characters looming over the body. One of the characters pulls a shovel from the boot that they previously took from the house.

We then plan to have the next shot follow the characters through the gap in this slot in one of the abandoned buildings as they moved the body deeper into the woods. We should probably open this part with a shot showing the building so that the audience knows where we are before looking through the slot.

Similarly, the next shot would have the characters moving the body through a more wooded area to emphasise their struggle as they move further.

Again, we can have the characters pass this small castle-looking structure before finally stopping to bury the body.

This small window could be used for a distant shot of them burying the body, as it overlooks a large slope where we plan to shoot the final shots of the burial scene.

We then shot some rushes of Noah digging the shovel into the ground in preparation for when we shoot the rest of the scene with everyone, which should hopefully save us some time later down the line.

We also discussed how we will light our scene, which I think we can do on a particularly bright night with a full moon, given that it isn’t too cloudy. Otherwise, we plan to use torches and the flashlights on our phones as they’re a universal, convenient source of light that would fit in more with our characters.