Reaserch

Influences and inspiration - Ideas and Concepts:

There have been many inspirations that have influenced ideas and concepts for my final major project (FMP). I intend to look further into the sports genre in film, using the themes of platonic relationships, intergenerational friendships and growing up. I will examine how directors and writers portray these themes in the films they create, for example, through intimate conversations in training. And while the character Donnie helps Rocky through his illness by staying with him at the hospital. Looking at these themes will help to inspire me when writing my screenplay and creating storyboards and by looking at the more technical aspects, I will be better equipped to portray different emotions and meanings in my film.

‘Creed’ - 2015 - Directed by Ryan Coogler:

I looked at the film ‘Creed’ as an influence on my initial narrative ideas for my short film project (Judah, ‘Creed 2015 Training Montage,' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NH1A6CLIrY YouTube, 2017, Viewed 09/02/23). ‘Creed’ is a sequel to the 1976 film franchise ‘Rocky’ written by and starring Sylvester Stallone and sees the Rocky franchise branching out with Apollo Creed's son, Adonis Johnson, played by Michael B Jordan as the protagonist. The story revolves around Adonis Johnson, wanting to follow in the footsteps of his late father, a heavyweight boxing champion. Getting nowhere and frustrated, he seeks the help and mentorship of a rival and later friend of his father, ex-heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa. Rocky is at first reluctant to mentor Creed, but over the course of time, we see the friendship grow between the two characters. This intergenerational relationship inspired me when thinking of ways to portray the platonic friendships of the mentor and the fighter in my narrative and how the codes and conventions of this are presented throughout the film. The issues that the protagonist Creed faces during the film, are those of grief and anger, due to the loss of his father at a young age and the affect it has had on him. One scene, in particular, stood out for its intimacy, as the two characters Creed and Rocky are training for a championship fight whilst Rocky is battling with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. This difficult situation forces them to train in the hospital. This sequence portrays the strength of the friendship between them, as Rocky is still determined to get Creed to the top even when he is at his most fragile, the setting of the hospital making the scene even rawer. I intend to look at the technical ways they created this scene and use this as an inspiration for my short film.

Camera Angles and Movements: The camera shots used in this scene, vary between heavily long, mid and close-up shots, with some static and tracking elements. I believe the filmmakers chose this style so as to not overcomplicate what the audience sees and enable them to capture the emotional expression and body language between Rocky and Creed. Creed becomes overwhelmed and starts breathing heavily, due to what he is dealing with both mentally and physically, while Rocky his frail mentor, faces the fight of his life whilst being the weakest that he’s ever been. I will use this contrasting technique as an influence to look at for my project, as the camera techniques manage to capture both characters’ emotions and feelings within a sports genre setting, even when it is a high-action scene.

Editing Techniques: The editing techniques used in this scene are fast-paced quick cutaways - to form a montage which depicts Creed caring for Rocky whilst maintaining a gruelling training schedule. The editing technique used is fast cutaways, which allows the audience to see what Creed is going through in preparation for his fight. I will use this editing technique for my own work, as I feel it aids the emotion of the scene and how the audience connects to it - as they watch the friendship strengthen between the boxer and his mentor, whilst still depicting the sports genre as his training progresses.

Sound diegetic/non-diegetic: The scene begins with diegetic sound until Rocky says ‘Let's go, common’ and Creed begins his training, at this point a non-diegetic sound score begins to play. This technique allows the audience to feel empathy towards Creed and Rocky, the sad music enhances the sensitive emotions that they are both feeling, Rocky’s illness, and the urgency to train as the big fight looms. As the scene continues, it uses the diegetic sound of the punch bag being hit by Creed, layered over the top of the sound score, which keeps the audience grounded in reality with the beat of the punch bag being hit. I am eager to experiment with the layering of sound in my FMP piece, both non-diegetic music and diegetic sound in training, as it can help manipulate the audience to understand the emotion required in the scene that I am creating

Lighting and Colour: Another technical element the scene uses is silhouette lighting for the long shot camera techniques. As with the other methods used, it can help in audience communication and make the scene more dynamic and visually interesting. This technique is used in the hospital location to establish the mood whilst Creed trains, by using large areas of darkness with large areas of light and stripping away the colour from the scene. I would like to use this for a training scene in my film, as it holds the viewer's attention and allows the characters to stand out.

Setting and Location: A range of different locations and settings are used in this scene which has a strong connection to the character Creed. The hospital, where his mentor and trainer Rocky fights for his life, to the street and gym where he trains. The range of locations is carefully thought through and has personal emotional connections to Creed, which enhance the film's theme of Creed’s growth and show his vulnerability, whilst at the same time growing in strength in readiness for the biggest fight of his life. For my FMP,I will also use different locations to support the narrative and show growth in my protagonist.

‘Million Dollar Baby’ - 2005 - Directed By Clint Eastwood:

After being influenced by the film ‘Creed’ I looked into researching other sports genre boxing films that also include the theme of platonic friendships between the coach as a mentor and the trainee. I found the film ‘Million Dollar Baby’. (The Planet Clips, ‘Clint Eastwood reluctantly agrees to train Hilary Swank | Million Dollar Baby Movie Scene’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lk3jy_4lBM YouTube, 2018, Viewed 09/02/23). It follows an aspiring female boxer named Maggie, who wants to be trained by Frankie, an older boxer and trainer serving out his last years in a run-down gym. She is drawn to Frankie & feels that he can help her train and turn professional. The codes and conventions of this piece are presented throughout the film and the narrative. For example, in the scene when Frankie agrees to train Maggie saying; ‘I'm going to take you on’. This gentle scene represents the new bonding strength of the friendship between the two characters and the two become closer friends as they encounter life-changing events and tragedy together. Maggie is shown during the film trying to escape from her toxic family, who, even after her terrible injuries try and get every penny from her insurance pay out and the medical companies. Maggies life changing injuries will affect her life as a boxer and her personal life.The storyline inspired me to ways of portraying intergenerational platonic friendships between mentor and fighter. It also had a major influence on my thinking of how I can represent women in my short film, especially as the sports genre is male-dominated and the sport of boxing is historically associated with men. In creating my own sports genre film I want to look at the technical ways that they created this scene to use as inspiration.

Camera Angles and Movements: The scene uses different camera angles and movements including, a variety of mid and close-up shots. This is to not overcomplicate the audience's viewing and allows them to read the emotions and interactions the characters have as their friendship begins to blossom. A strong example of this is when Maggie shares details of her troubled personal and family life with Frankie before he agrees to mentor her. I will mirror this use of close up and mid-shots for my project to establish the growing friendship between my two protagonists and enhance the depth of feeling that has grown between them.

Editing Techniques: The editing techniques used in the scene show slow-cut shots with no technique, allowing the audience to witness the facial and body language expressions the characters are portraying. This basic editing technique is used throughout the film when Maggie and Frankie are talking to each other - I intend to use this technique when trying to portray to the audience the themes of friendship, as it allows the audience to observe the growing relationship between the two characters.

Setting and Location: The locations of a boxing gym the character Maggie wants to train at and the gym Frankie owns, represents the film being part of the sports genre. The locations are frequently used, they allow the audience to see the growing phases of Maggie as she trains more and more, day and night in the boxing gym with and without Frankie. I like the use of a main location for my FMP, as it gives a sense of continuity and allows the audience to focus on the growth of the protagonist's personalities and friendships.

Lighting and Colour: The final technical element that influenced me, was the lighting in the scene. As with ‘Creed’ the scene also relies on dark silhouettes contrasting the light to make the characters stand out. Emphasising the lighting on their faces is an effective method of grabbing the viewer's attention and highlighting the emotions of the characters. This technique has inspired me to think of ways to light my film when I need to emphasise a scene's importance which requires the full attention of the audience.

Mise-en-scène: The Mise-en-scène is the speedball boxing equipment, placed as a usable prop between the characters and is also one of the first pieces of equipment Maggie is given to train with. The symbol of the boxing equipment could represent the beginning of Maggie's journey to becoming a professional boxer. I like the idea of using a piece of boxing equipment to demonstrate the growth of my character, as she becomes stronger the more she uses it.

‘The Fighter’ - Directed By David O. Russell:

‘The Fighter’ has also inspired me whilst trying to conceive ways of adding dramatic storylines outside of the boxing ring in a sports genre film. (Rio 91, ‘Mark Wahlberg The Fighter Workout’, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e6JCgo2Bk4 YouTube, 2013, Viewed 09/02/23) The film is based on the true life story of welterweight champion Micky Ward and his complicated relationship with his brother Dickey who is also his trainer. The relationship is all the more delicate due to Dickey’s drug addiction. Over the course of the film, difficult events take place between them which affects the balance of their relationship and causes it to change. Over the course of the film, difficult events take place between them which affects the balance of their relationship, causing it to change. Their father steps in and trains Dickey Micky is pushed away, Dickey tries to overcome his addiction but ends up back in prison before returning to the ring; Even in their separation, Micky still manages to give his brother winning advice on the night of his big fight. The codes and conventions of the sports and drama genre are presented throughout the film whilst also showing the themes of growth, friendship and the difficulties that life can present. A scene that influenced me was when the character Micky is training for a fight and his brother Dickey is alongside him helping train Mickey to get ready for a fight and I intend to use this in my own short film.

Camera Angles and Movements: The camera techniques used in the scene range from mid/long, with a few close-up shots and static and tracking movements. There is also a moment which enables the audience to observe closely Mickey's emotions whilst he is boxing and training with his brother, as he punches the boxing bag while training. I will use these techniques in my FMP to concentrate on facial expressions and body language to help the audience read the subtext of a scene what is going on in the character’s mind.

Editing Techniques: The editing techniques used in the film range from slow cuts between different angle shots and having a montage of Mickey’s different training schedules. Through the cuts, the editor makes sure that the character's body language and facial expressions are maximised. An example of this is when Mickey is punching the boxing bag and also when running alongside Dickey. I will use a similar technique in my FMP, as I am aware I do not want to over-edit the shots I've filmed. Keeping them at a slower cut pace allows the audience to interpret what they want to from the scene.

Sound diegetic/non-diegetic: There are two different non-diegetic sounds used during the scene I have chosen, one is slower and the other is more upbeat. The first song used is when Mickey trains alongside his brother ‘Can’t you hear me knocking’ By The Rolling Stones, this non-diegetic sound is upbeat and a typical convention of the sports genre. Contrasting this, when Mickey is training alone, the song choice is ‘Strip my mind’ by The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the non-diegetic sound creates a slow sad feeling which is unusual for training scenes from the sports genre and makes it all the more melancholy. I find the use of music to manipulate the emotions of the audience clever and plan to think of different ways to use it in my FMP.

Mise-en-scène: The mise-en-scene for ‘The Fighter” is the song ‘Strip my mind’ by The Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The song title used for the scene when Mickey is training alone could be a symbol and representation of his thoughts and feelings whilst he is boxing. I like the idea of using song lyrics and their title to be a symbol of the character's thoughts in my own film.

‘Rocky’ - 1976 - Directed By John G. Avildsen:

After looking at my initial influences and inspiration, I researched other sports genre films (Thapa, ST, ‘The 10 Best Boxing Movies Of All Time, Ranked (According To IMDb)’, Screen Rant, Click Here, 05/08/21, Viewed 09/02/23) to look more in-depth into scenes of this genre. I felt it important as I have used ‘Creed’ as an influence, to further study the original film in the franchise — ‘Rocky” as it is one of the most iconic boxing films of all time. (Movieclips, ‘Rocky (8/10) Movie CLIP - Training Montage (1976) HD’, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YYmfM2TfUA 2014, Viewed 09/02/23). The film ‘Rocky’ is an American sports drama film about a struggling semi-pro boxer who makes a living in Philadelphia as a good-natured part-time thug. After a fighter pulls out of a championship fight, Rocky is given a chance to fight the heavyweight champion of the world - Apollo Creed. At the time the writer Sylvester Stallone was unknown but also wanted to star in the film. It was made on a very low budget and I find that these constraints make it a better film. Within the film's narrative, the main issue that the protagonist Rocky has to face is fighting a well-known boxer while being a complete unknown himself, a street thug fighter who has no experience and who has not yet fought anyone professionally. The characters and locations feel authentic as real places and people have had to be used. The codes and conventions of the sports genre are presented throughout the film narrative, in particular, in the scenes of Rocky using different methods of training for his final fight. I wanted to look at the technical aspects of how they created this scene to use as inspiration for my short film.

Camera Angles and Movements: In the chosen scene, a variety of camera shots are used to keep the scene interesting. These ranges form heavily long, mid and close-up shots with some static and tracking movement elements. These have become iconic images in film history with Rocky running along the train tracks and up the 72 stone steps to the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, so much so that they are now referred to as the Rocky steps. I will use these techniques to keep my film interesting for the audience - when my protagonist is training and having a variety of shots gives me more to play around with when editing.

Editing Techniques: The editing techniques used in the film are slow cuts between the different angle shots, while also using the montage technique. As it is not a high-action sports scene and is used to show different training techniques, (including his being in the gym,) it helps progress the storyline, as Rocky grows in strength and becomes a better boxer. I will use a similar technique in my FMP to portray character development.

Sound diegetic/non-diegetic: The sound throughout the chosen scene is a sound score created for the film called ‘Gonna Fly Now’ by Bill Conti and Ayn Robbins. The non-diegetic sound is solely used throughout the scene with no other sound and slowly builds throughout the scene montage to a climax when Rocky is running up the museum steps. The use of the music creates an upbeat feeling and adds power to the scene which matches the protagonist Rocky growing in strength as he readies himself to take on the world champion Apollo Creed. This soundtrack has become iconic in film history - it shows the importance that sound and music can play in a film. This is what I would like to convey in my own film.

Conclusion Influences and Inspirations:

The boxing films I have looked at resonate with audiences. Even people who do not enjoy boxing can enjoy watching the inspirational events that occur in these lives the surroundings and daily life are ordinary but the events that occur are extraordinary so we are happy to see characters that we can relate to experience these narrative events.

The films I have studied experience different themes, not only of the sport of boxing, but also the drama behind the training, the problems with their family life- to the friendships that they make along the way. This allows an audience to relate to the narrative, as the films share different themes and genres beyond the sports genre.

The narratives of the films that I have researched have a lot in common. From all of the protagonists rising up against personal challenges they have to individually face, whilst struggling against issues that they are experiencing in their home life. This is clearly seen in ‘Million Dollar Baby’ and ‘The Fighter’ both films protagonists, Micky (the fighter) and Maggie (million dollar baby) are training to fight against their own personal challenges they have to individually fight against while also experiencing personal problems at home. This is a common narrative seen in all of the influential films particularly ‘The Fighter’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby’.

In conclusion, researching relevant films and focusing on various technical aspects that the filmmakers have used to aid their narrative has helped me in conceiving ways to portray technically, the different genres and themes in my own short film.

Target Audience:

Primary Research:

Demographic:

When researching the target audience for my short film, I wanted to gather my own primary research in order to give a myself a clearer idea of who the right audience should be. I intend to gather the primary research by creating my own questionnaire on google forms for the intended primary audience to fill in. The key questions I will ask are;

1. Age/How old are you?

2. Gender

3. Where do you live?

4. Where do you consider yourself to be from? Class?

5. Do you watch films in the drama sports genre?

6. If yes, which type of Sports genre film are you likely to watch?

7. Name some films on the list that you have seen in this category.

8. Which platform have you watched these films on?

This data once collected, will give me more of an idea of who I am aiming my short film at.

Age research question: How old are you? The first question I asked was about the audience’s age. The initial age group I had for the target audience was between seventeen to nineteen years old as I felt they could relate to the narrative. At 81.8% the majority of people who answered the questionnaire were between eighteen and nineteen, this is the intended age demographic. This primary research has proven that the age group I am aiming my film at, can relate to the protagonist with regard to age. The research also tells me that the people who have answered the questionnaire are of the same age too.

Gender research question: What Is Your Gender? The next question I asked the interviewers was what gender are they? The ideal gender for my audience is female, this is because the protagonist in my film is a woman. The questionnaire showed that 63.6% of the audience answered female which is the intended demographic. This primary research tells me that, the majority of people answering the question are female, giving me more of an idea that the film is correct and suitable for this group.

Location research question: What location best describes where you are from? The ideal location for my short film's target audience would ideally be aimed at the suburbs and city areas due to them having larger amounts of audiences on streaming and cinema platforms. My film location is set in a suburban area as well, which means it is easier for the viewing audience to identify with the protagonist and hopefully bring more of an audience to see the short film. However, when receiving the answers from my primary research questionnaire, I had a mixed responses on where people were from, the highest being from suburban areas at 63.6% as I had hoped, but with the second highest at 27.3%. from the country, which meant I had to review my target audience. The response has shown me that although the majority answering the questionnaire are from suburban areas it is worth me broadening my target audience to encompass people from more locations as with streaming I feel the location of the audience becomes less of a problem.

Class research question: What class do you consider yourself in? The last demographic primary research question which class do you consider yourself to be from? The intended target audience is the middle class. This is because they have a higher majority of streaming and cinema audiences and are more likely to view my short film. At 81.8% the highest amount who answered the questionnaire were those who thought themselves to be from the middle classes and where the majority of the audience will be from. After acquiring this demographic, I know that the audience I am aiming at so far is aged between 18 - 19, female, from a suburban area and middle class. Next, I wanted to find out what they are more likely to watch and not watch.

Genre research question: Do you often watch drama and sport genre films? I wanted to find out how often people watch drama and sports genre films - if at all- and hoped that the main answer would be yes. This would inform me that the genre of my film is correct and suitable for my target audience and something that they would want to see. With the majority of them answering yes - 54.5% and 27.3% responding with the answer sometimes, this tells me that they are likely to watch a drama and sports genre film and that I am aiming the drama genre film at the correct and suitable intended audience.

When looking at the target audience who have answered yes to watching drama and sports genre films, I wanted to see if the demographic behind the question is the one I am actually aiming for. This can tell me what the audience relationship is to the genre and who is more likely to see my short film. I did this by looking at previous answers to questions such as, ’Do you often watch dramatic films set in the sports genre? All of the people asked this question were aged 18 - 19 - the age group I want to aim at. As 100% of the people questioned answered yes this proved to me that I am aiming my short film at the correct age group. Next, I looked at the gender of the demographic. 79.6% (4/6) answering the question yes were women. This being more than half proves to me that they are the correct gender for the short film.

I then wanted to study the class of the demographic. Who had said yes to watching sports genre films. The majority of people who filled out the previous questionnaire were from the middle class, with two saying that they were from a working-class background. This told me that the final outcome would be those from the middle class who are more likely to watch my short film. This was proven when looking at the individual responses. Five people said yes to being from a middle-class background and one person saying yes to being from a working class background. These answers told me that the middle class is the correct demographic to aim my film at, as they are more likely to watch the film. Finally, the last demographic study I looked at in the response was individual areas where people live, this was divided into 50% being from suburban areas and the other 50% being from rural areas. I have previously spoken about how worthwhile it is for me to try to broaden my target audience to encompass people from more locations, as with the popularity of streaming, I feel that the location of the audience becomes less important. After looking at individual demographic responses, this information has informed me as to the correct demographic to aim my short film at. The research has also told me the target audience's relationship to the sports genre by seeing who is likely to watch my short film.

Genre research question: What sports or drama genre are you more likely to watch?: After researching if the target audience commonly watches sports genre films, I then narrowed it down to which film from a choice they are more likely to watch, so as to develop more influences and inspiration research. The main response was for the more recent 2015 film Creed, this research gives me more ideas on what the target audience is more likely to watch.

Secondary Research:

After conducting the primary research as to the demographic of my intended target audience, I then wanted to back up the results to make sure the target audience I am aiming for to view my short film is correct and the ways they will view the short film is correct too. (Statista Research Department, ‘Cinema audience distribution in the United Kingdom (UK) as of 2014, by age and gender’, Statista, Click Here,14/04/2014, Viewed 06/02/23), (BFI ‘Audiences’ BFI, Click Here, 2019, Viewed 06/02/23)

Age: After primarily researching the demographic of the suitable age group of my sports genre short film, I wanted to back up the evidence I had gathered and make sure the age 17 - 19 is the correct audience and how they will view the film. I did this by looking at a variety of recent statistics on the BFI website to see who made up the largest audience in both the cinema and on streaming platforms. The resources told me that younger audiences aged 18 - 24 are more likely to watch films in the cinema at 28%, the resource also informed me that 20.5% of this age group watch films on streaming platforms. These statistics prove that the age group I am aiming my film at makes up the highest majority in both streaming services and cinema viewing.

Gender: Another demographic I wanted to conduct secondary research on is which gender makes up a higher amount of streaming and cinema viewing. The graph above indicates percentages of cinema audiences and the different gender viewing in each age group. The graph shows me that in the ages 15 - 24, my intended target audience age group, 15% of the total viewing audience are male and 13% female. Though this research shows more men are likely to watch a film in the cinema, with a two per cent difference and a high percentage viewing in this age group, I feel confident in aiming my short film at women.

Location: The final secondary research demographic I wanted to look at, is the best population locations to aim the film at to achieve the highest amount of audience watching. The main area the BFI resources said to aim at, is highly populated areas, due to them having a higher amount of viewers in the cinema and it being easier to access both on foot and with public transport. Using this data, I will continue to aim my film at the urban & suburban areas as both have higher populations with easier access to the cinema.

The settings of my influential films such as ‘Million dollar baby’ and ‘The Fighter’ can also give these audiences something to relate to, as they are set in similar urban and suburban locations to where the audience lives. This is something that I will take into account when making the film.

Psychographic

After researching the demographic side of the target audience, I wanted to aim my short film at the mainstream psychographic target audience as they are the main audience in similar genre films like ‘Rocky’, ‘Creed’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby’. This audience in recent studies of consumers is seen as the largest group in cinema and in streaming platforms, meaning they are more likely to view my short film than any of the other psychographic target audiences. I will continue to have my psychographic audience as mainstream due to them being a higher consumer on streaming platforms and in cinema.

Qualitative Research:

For the qualitative research, I wanted to use my aimed target audience's feedback to help improve my short film and to make it more tailored to them. I decided the best way to do this, is to show a group of people from the audience my short film and listen to their thoughts on what works and what can be improved. I did this by showing them my rough cut edit before I edited the final edit of my short film. They then gave feedback on it having a strong narrative story and felt that it was aimed at their demographic, due to the events the protagonist was experiencing with exams and being involved with a sport they love, as they were at similar stages of change and often experiencing forms of anxiety within their own lives.

To improve, it was suggested that I slowed down some of the scenes, to make them less jumpy and enable the audience to process the emotion the protagonist is feeling. After receiving feedback from the target audience, I now have a clear path of what is working and where I can improve before editing my final edit and am happy that my film fits in with the audience it is aimed at.

Conclusion Target Audience:

After researching primary and secondary data on target audiences, I now have the main concept of who the correct target audience should be for my short film and where they are more likely to view the project.

Action Research:

Preparing to film:

I prepared myself for making my short film by reading the book ‘Making Your Own Movie’ published on the website and film magazine Little White Lies. I then watched a YouTube short video called ‘Film Making Basics: Everything you need to know in 8 minutes!’ I also re-read a book I’d used in previous projects, called ‘The Little White Lies guide to making your own movie’ by Matt Thrift & Laurence king. (Vaughan, AV, ‘Film Making Basics: Everything you need to know in 8 minutes!’, YouTube, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFwMRVwrKcA Viewed 07/02/23) (‘The Little White Lies guide to making your own movie’, Thrift & king, (Click Here) 18 September 2017. Viewed 07/02/23)

‘Making Your Own Movie’ by Little White Lies has a step-by-step guide, showing different ways to create a short film. The first step gives a detailed explanation of how to break down a movie scene by scene, through storyboarding and scriptwriting ideas. It guides you through types of shots, framing and the equipment required and how to budget for this. The guide also covers finding locations relevant to the film, general problem solving like if you have any issues with locations and assembling a cast and crew. Through rehearsals with the cast, I can ascertain my crew and equipment requirements and anticipate any problems that might arise which will have to be dealt with. After following these main steps, I will be in a position to start making my short film with the book as my guide.

I wanted to look further into production elements and found the video ‘Film Making Basics: Everything you need to know in 8 minutes!’ very helpful. It breaks down the main production methods that you need to know before making a film, including camera setups, editing styles, sound setups and correct lighting for a scene. Watching the tutorial has helped me understand the terminology used in filmmaking and how to utilise the best moments for close-ups, mid-shots, low angles and high angles when using the camera. I have also learnt a range of editing techniques - including cut away and jump cut and when they are most relevant. I have learned the importance of the boom mic, which enables me to pick up the specific sound without outside or background noise. The tutorial demonstrated different types of lighting, by dimming the light on a person's face, to show the dramatic effect it can create in a scene. The YouTube video has taught me the overall practical basics required for filming, looking forward, I will conduct further research to increase my understanding of these techniques. . I will do this by studying current websites on the correct equipment to use when filming & looking at YouTube tutorials - focusing more on camera angles and movements, when they are best to use and looking at other online tutorials on ways to light a scene naturally and alter the lighting in post-production.

Narrative structure:

During the past two years of my BTEC, I have learned about the common structure in projects which is the narrative structure and where the structure is applied in films. (Madej, KM, ‘“Traditional Narrative Structure” today, also known as Aristotle’s Arc and Freytag’s Triangle’, Research gate, (Click Here), August 2008, Viewed 07/02/23). We looked at two feature films from different genres ‘The Matrix’ directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski and ‘The Apartment’ directed by Billy Wilder. And studied how the narrative often begins with the exposition in the first 10 - 15 minutes of the film. When we are introduced to the character we see their life, their world and their setting, which establishes with the audience who they are. In ‘The Apartment’ the audience is first introduced to CC Baxter - a lonely office employee leading a dull life as an insurance clerk who happens to live in a conveniently located apartment used by his co-workers and villainous boss Sheldrake for affairs with women in the office. The other main character is Fran, a lift operator who CC has a secret crush on. Once CC gets the courage to ask Fran out, it turns out that Fran is one of the women having an affair with Sheldrake culminating in Fran’s attempted suicide, distressed by her affair with Sheldrake - these elements are our disruption to the equilibrium, an important act in the story. The audience is then introduced to the middle climax, where they see the events leading towards the finale of the film, CC and Fran form a friendship as he cares for her after the suicide attempt they become friends and are on their way to being in love. This middle /climax commonly 5 - 10 minutes long, gives a chance for the narrative to return to some kind of normality to the character's lives, allowing the audience to breathe before the climactic ending when Baxter leaves his job and goes to the New Year's eve party to be with Fran. This is a common three-act structure in film narratives.

I watched a YouTube video explaining a films narrative structure in under 40 seconds, (Bird’s Kid, ‘Short Film Narrative Structure in 40 Seconds’ YouTube, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZyACElLUyA Viewed 07/02/23) this gave similar points to the narrative structure of “Establishing the story’s ‘world’” then “Introduce conflict” and “develop the conflict” to then lead to the “Climax” and finally “Give a payoff”. Through these five steps, I now have an understanding of the structure to follow and how to research this further in order for me to apply it to a short film. Following these key steps when planning out the film, using the stages as headings to follow when writing the initial narrative, also when creating my script and storyboard.

Narrative stages are important to follow in order to have a clear story, especially in a short film, when you have a limited time to communicate your message or story to an audience. These stages can be difficult to incorporate in such a short amount of time. To try and solve this, I researched how long on average, each act should be in a short film A website that I discovered even outlined this topic and suggested running times for each act (Open Screen Play ‘Story Outline & Sections’ Open Screen Play Click Here, Viewed 07/02/23) The site also broke down how to follow the three-act stages appropriately, and how to determine the length of each one to achieve a correct running time. This has given me a clear understanding of the stages to follow, and what the ideal running time should be for my short film. I will follow this when planning my narrative and creating my script and storyboard with the different act stages.

Scriptwriting/screenplay

For the scriptwriting/screenplay, I intend to follow the narrative structure above. In my first year, I researched ways to write a short film using the book ‘Story’ (Robert Mckee’s ‘story’ Methuen (Click Here) July 16 1999. Viewed 07/02/23), as it gave key points on incorporating a ‘crisis, climax and resolution’ while also thinking about genre, characters and meaning to build the narrative. It describes character development as “the revelation of true chatter in contrast or contradiction to characterisation is fundamental to all fine storytelling” and explains that “the only way we ever come to know characters in depth is through their choices under pressure”. These are interesting points and I would like to incorporate them into my script in order to portray more in-depth characters, showing their thoughts and feelings on an event happening in the story.

When developing meaning in a script, the book makes the point of “looking at your ending” as “the story tells you its meaning: you do not dictate meaning to the story”. This point has helped me understand how to build my narrative as from the ending you are able to build a stronger narrative by adding extra details due to knowing what happens, by explaining how to let the story flow without dictating the story's meaning. I could apply the methods for ‘Story’, along with examining how the screenplay writer Aaron Covington of the 2015 film ‘Creed’ wrote some of the boxing scenes (Jog road productions, ‘Screenwriter Aaron Covington on writing boxing scenes in Creed’, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XdDizjWRa8 2016, Viewed 07/02/23). The writer describes his method is to “be with” the character to understand their emotions,’ - this research will help as I write scenes that feature the Boxer’s training for my film, making sure I am using the correct terminology and pace. It has given me a clearer understanding of ways of writing the script to make the film stronger. . I will use this when writing the training scenes in my script to make sure the terminology is correct and doesn’t feel forced.

Story Boards

To ensure I am using the correct structure when creating my storyboards, I took inspiration from the book ‘The Art of Movie Storyboards: Visualising the Action of the World's Greatest’ (Halligan, FH, ‘The Art of Movie Storyboards: Visualising the Action of the World's Greatest, MerseaBooks, (Click Here), 2013, viewed 07/02/23). It shows storyboards from a variety of different genre films through past decades, including Saul Bass, who was a well respected Graphic and film poster artist who also worked as a storyboard artist for directors such as Stanley Kubrick - The importance of the storyboard is that it is a visual aid for the director to communicate their ideas to the crew by giving a step by step guide. Reading this book has helped my understanding of how to create my own storyboards. It is also a useful guide when I am creating my storyboards to ensure I am using the correct layout.

Genre:

I am looking to create a sports genre short film. I researched key codes and conventions of the sports genre used in films, including (Sideplayer, ‘Conventions of the sports genre’, (Click Here), 2016, viewed 07/02/23). I found the typical props, costumes, characters, settings and locations used in sports genre films, for example, footballs, sports kits, changing rooms and the environments used in a film based on football, or the props and environments used in a film based around an athlete - sports equipment, the playing field, which help give us a sense of reality. These key points will be crucial to follow in my FMP to portray the key genre of sport. After secondary research of the codes and conventions of the sports genre, I then created a questionnaire to find out what my target audience's thoughts and expectations would be when watching a film in the sports genre. Their answers included “upbeat music while training”, “necessary props relevant to the chosen sport” and for the characters to wear “sporting clothes like tracksuits”. These responses showed me clear ways to present my short film to the target audience through different codes and conventions. During the film, I want to also show the themes of change and friendships between people of different ages. I want to show the younger age group that my film is aimed at, that they can be informed, educated and entertained while watching the film. By involving the themes in the narrative it will create a storyline for the group to watch, whilst informing and educating them about the themes of change and friendship . I am trying to look at the area in a positive way, so that the genre of sports can educate and inform as to how sport can help people with their mental health. This is shown in the films narrative as Frankie uses her boxing to combat her anxieties.

Theory:

My intention with my short film project is to apply one narrative theory and three representation theories. In past projects, I have researched and applied two of these theories, Tzvetan Todorov's narrative and Laura Mulvey’s representation theory. Satisfied with the previous outcomes I will use them again in this current project. The other two theories are representation theories by Mary Jo Kane and Heather D. Maxwell and Smelik. They look at consumer responses to representations of women’s sports. All of the above theories will help structure my script, which has a female protagonist in a sports genre film. (BBC Bitesize ‘What is narrative?’ BBC Bitesize (Click Here) 2019. Viewed 07/02/23) (Rachael Sampson ‘Film Theory 101 – Laura Mulvey: The Male Gaze’ Film Inquiry (Click Here) October 27, 2015. Viewed 07/02/23) (Kane, Maxwell, MK, HM, ‘Media Research: Using Critical Theory to Explore Consumer Responses to Representations of Women’s Sports’ Google Scholar, Click Here, Viewed 07/02/23) (Smelik, AS, ‘And The Mirror Cracked’, Google Books, Click Here, Viewed 07/02/23)

Tzvetan Todorov bases his narrative theory on five main stages in a narrative.

1

The narrative starts with an equilibrium

2

An action or character disrupts the equilibrium

3

A quest to restore the equilibrium begins

4

The narrative continues to a climax

5

Resolution occurs and equilibrium is restored

One of the representation theories I will also apply is Laura Mulvey’s theory that mainstream Hollywood's output is a product of a male-dominated and controlled industry, where ‘women are seen and represented as passing objects’. Mulvey states that mainstream Hollywood films are made for the male gaze and for male sexual desires and that ‘women are the bearer of meaning and not the maker of meaning’. She calls this phenomenon ‘scopophilia’. I intend to challenge how women are represented in mainstream films, particularly in the sports genre, by making my protagonist female, as I believe women are underrepresented.

The second representation theory that I will use is the essay Consumer Responses to Representations of Women’s Sports by Mary Jo Kane and Heather D. Maxwell. The theory describes the women being represented in sports as “operated from the paradigm of positivism”, the statement tells me that having more women represented in sports it will bring a positive change for more incorporation, an important point for my film.

The last theory that I am considering is a book entitled ‘And the Mirror Cracked - Feminist Cinema and Film Theory’ by A. Smelik, where she explores the theory that film ‘defines the female character as a structure a code or convention. The ‘women’ represent the ideological meaning that she has for men; but in relation to herself, she means nothing’ she describes female characters in the film as passing objects for the male protagonist. This is something I intend to change in my FMP, making my lead role a female protagonist who talks of her own life and ambitions, ones which are not governed by men.

Studying these theories has given me a better understanding of the narrative that my film should and will have and the positive message that I would like to convey with it.

Budgeting

For my own budget I have been inspired by a low-budget sports genre film called ‘Perfect 10’ by Eva Riley (IMDB, ‘Perfect 10’, 2019, (Click Here), viewed 08/02/23) The film is a coming of-age tale which revolves around a young teenage gymnast who struggles with events that occur beyond her control and how she reacts to them. As I am working within the constraint of having no budget at all for my short film, I will use ‘Perfect 10’ as an inspiration as the director Eva Riley uses a limited cast and simple locations to create an emotionally powerful film. By working within a constraint and limiting equipment, crew and locations my hope is that this will push me to focus on character interactions, which will have a positive effect on the dramatic element of the film.

Equipment

I have researched a list of essential items needed to make a film and have found a website (Desktop documentaries, ‘Video Production Equipment’, (Click Here), viewed 08/02/23) that lists video production equipment you might need when making a low-budget film. I have also drawn on past experience, looking back at equipment lists that I have used in previous projects. Both have been valuable for my upcoming project. Both sources list the following essentials; a camera, camera lens, camera support, tripod and z grip, lighting equipment -sound equipment including a boom pole, audio portable recorder and other supplies such as batteries, SD cards, clapperboard and tape. The list of equipment will inform me as to what is needed for production, which days of filming and what needs to be tested before the shoot, so I am familiar with the equipment and can evaluate what is important.

Camera: In past projects, I have used two cameras, a standard manual canon camera and an iPhone 12 camera and although each produces similar outcomes, they are both different to use. When shooting my short film I want to use a suitable camera that is both easy to control and more portable for different locations while still giving clear footage.

The standard manual canon camera is good for framing focus movements, particularly pull shot focus, however, it is difficult to control types of lighting, especially in daylight. It also appears shakier in the post-production editing process, even when using camera support. Overall, the camera achieves strong shots, but it is not without its problems.

The iPhone 12 achieves high-standard shots and I find it more suitable, as it allows smooth movements without a shaky effect and has a cinematic setting where the shots are smoother. It allows different types of focus movements and the lighting exposure is easy to control which makes it easier in the editing process. I used the iPhone 12 for my year one FMP and was very pleased with the outcome. I then researched a short film that was shot on an iPhone 13 titled ‘float’ which created high-standard shots using similar technology. After reviewing both cameras, I have decided to use the iPhone 12, as I believe the footage outcomes will be better than the standard manual canon camera.

Camera Lens: Although mentioned in the research, I do not feel my short film requires camera lens equipment as the iPhone 12 covers the shots I require. I will include a wide-angle lens with my equipment in case I change my mind, as for long shots it is able to focus clearly on objects, while also framing the shots nicely.

Camera Support: The camera support I will use is a tripod for static shots, a grip-tight tripod which is a smaller version of a tripod that can grip onto objects to achieve different angles and a Z grip which can control both where the camera is pointed and what it's doing, preventing camera shake and stabilise my shots, especially that have a lot of movement. When testing out the camera supports in past projects I have been happy with the non-shaky footage that they all created so will use it in my FMP.

Lighting Equipment: I am unable to afford and have access to lighting equipment for my short film so I will be reliant on daylight, natural light and artificial lighting in order to light the scenes in the film correctly. I am looking forward to the challenge of working under this constraint, as this is how Stanley Kubrick filmed Barry Lyndon at the time using natural daylight and other sources such as candlelight, when asked about why he had chosen this method he replied, “Because it’s the way we see things”. In previous projects, this plan worked successfully and I am able to adjust some aspects of the post-production stage software so I am happy to use this method in my project.

Sound equipment: For the equipment, I will use two types of sound tools, a boom mike operator to pick up on the dialogue and other sounds that are needed for the film in a scene and an audio portable recorder to focus more on the main foley sound needed for the film. In other projects, there have been positives and negatives when using the equipment. The sound often picks up unwanted sounds such as the wind- other than the intended foley which also makes the foley quiet when trying to edit. The solution to the se negatives is to use a muffler, to make sure that the intended audio to be captured is picked up by the microphone. When testing out the equipment, this technique worked and created a high-quality foley sound so I will use this equipment for my FMP.

Supplies: The supplies I will bring for the production days are an SD card to record the footage on, a clapper board which enables me to edit the footage and audio together easily, a hard drive to back up the footage in case there are technical issues and a camera battery to ensure the camera is fully charged. Having this equipment it will ensure the shoot runs smoothly and will be useful in the post-production stage when editing and uploading all the footage. After researching and testing the equipment needed to create a short film, I understand what is needed to bring on the production days.

Locations

When considering locations for my short film, I wanted them to be easily accessible and reflective of the sports genre. I looked at inspiration from other sport genre films for ideas and the locations used for training scenes. All three photos above are set in a boxing gym frequently used by the main characters which give a more personal feel.

Figure A is taken from the film ‘Creed’ depicting Rocky, the protagonist Creed's trainer in the gym helping him train for a match. This is a key location, as the character uses it not only to train in but finds it a safe area that he feels comfortable in when he suffers stress. I like the idea of creating a location that the audience associates as being a safe place for the main protagonist to be herself in.

The second photo, figure B is taken from ‘The Fighter’. For an authentic feel, it uses the actual gym that was used by the real character (Mickey Ward) that the story is based on. I like the feeling of community that the real-life location brings to the film and would like to achieve this within my own work.

Figure C is taken from the film ‘Million Dollar Baby’ and is also a community gym used by the local town. Maggie, the female protagonist, finds solace at the gym, a place where she can escape the troubles in her life. I like the idea of the location is a safe place for my main character to escape.

After looking at all three inspirations for the location of my project, I have a clear image of the locations I intended to use but have found difficulty in permission being granted in the local gyms I approached. I have therefore had to accommodate this and will use the locations of people I know in order to solve the problem. The first location as an initial idea is in my house (photo 1) , as it has a punch bag, a piece of equipment that is important to use as a prop. This will provide the codes and conventions of the sports genre. Although this will allow the audience to see our protagonist training, the set is small and is in a house, not a gym so can only be used to show the character training at home. I looked at a second location of a family member's small gym, which is a bigger room and has standard gym equipment (Photo 2). This fits the description of the setting from the inspiration and will be the main location in my short film. Happy with the locations now, I can fill out the forms for the pre-production stage for my FMP.

Location Scouting: In the pre-production stage before filming, I visited different locations I wanted to use in my short film, including the protagonist's home, the local gym, and the footpath from school. Some of them are public locations where you are allowed to film as long as you don’t have members of the public in the background. The other locations I have permission to film, as I have spoken to the owners and been granted their permission. I have taken photos and visited all the locations when scouting and am happy as they best match the inspiration and initial ideas I had for the setting. I researched the locations by visiting and taking notes on whether there were any safety issues, the time of day the location needs to be filmed and where the location is. I have recorded this information onto my pre-production documents and this information has informed the final locations that I will use in my project.

Props:

Props are important in presenting clear codes and conventions of the sports genre and in order to show the boxing sport I need to incorporate essential items. I researched equipment that is used in boxing by looking at the website “What Equipment Do You Need To Start Boxing” (Mccarthy, PM, ‘What equipment do you need to start boxing’, Fight Camp, (Click Here), 10/12/21, Viewed 08/02/23), which gave me a clear list including hand wraps, boxing gloves and a punch bag. I have added boxing pads and skipping ropes as shown in the ‘Creed’ training scene. I have access to all of the props listed and will use them in my short film.

Camera Work: Camera Angles and Movements:

When researching types of shots, I will look further into how to set up camera angles and movements and when it is best to use these different techniques, while also looking at renowned camera work in films. Resources such as the book ‘Shot by Shot’ (Steven d. Katz, ’Film Directing Shot by Shot’ Michael Wiese (Click Here). July 1 1991. Viewed 09/02/23) and the videos by studio binder ‘Ultimate Guide to Camera Angles’ ‘movements’ and ‘Ultimate Guide to Camera Movement’ (Studio Binder, ‘Ultimate Guide to Camera Movement’, YouTube, 2020, viewed) (Studio Binder, ‘Ultimate Guide to Camera Angles’, YouTube, 2020, viewed 09/02/23). The research will give me a broader knowledge of a camera operator and help develop the skills I want to focus on in the project. This is the professional role I that I will undertake in the production stage in the project. It also will give me key ideas to use when setting up and planning my shots in the future.

Types of Angles:

Low Angle: A low-angle shot is a camera positioned below a character’s eye line that looks up at the object. This is commonly and best used to make the character or object seem more powerful to the audience. Creating the shot is simple, just place the camera below the character or object's eye line, this can be low or extreme, the character commonly tilts up to the subject. Here is a professional camera work example taken from ‘The Dark Knight’ created by Bill Cooper which makes the hero look powerful and strong to the audience. I will use this technique when filming my protagonist to make her look stronger when boxing.

High Angle: The high-angle shot is when the camera is positioned above the character's eye line and looks down at the object. This is commonly and best used to make the character seem smaller and powerless to the viewers paradoxically to the low angle. To create the shot, the camera is placed above the subject's eye line and the lens is tilted down. The professional camera work example below created by Matthew E Alper is taken from ‘The Avengers’ and the shot makes the characters look vulnerable to the audience and the audience can anticipate that something may happen to them while watching. This technique will be valuable when I want my protagonist to look vulnerable in my film.

Overhead View: An over headshot is also known as the bird's eye view and is when the camera is 90 degrees over the character or object of the film. This is used to show information about a scene without complicating the shot, it also allows the audience to see the action from a wide perspective. To create the shot you place the camera 90 degrees above the action. In the film ’Moonrise Kingdom’ the overhead view created by Brandon Belmonte allows the audience to see the entirety of the props map and in my short film, I can use this technique when creating high-action boxing sequences.

Dutch angle: A dutch angle shot is when the camera is slightly tilted. This is common and best used in a film to create an uneasy feeling for the audience. To create the shot you tilt the camera either to the left or right. Here is a professional camera work example created by Michael Chapman from the film ‘Jaws’. The protagonist Brodie is feeling uneasy and anxious, this is shown to the audience through the camera work, which makes the viewer feel unsettled and tense. I do not feel that this camera angle is right for my film as there isn’t a scene that fits the character feeling that emotion and needing the audience to feel that way too.

Eye Level: The eye level shot is a common level shot as it is the most natural level for the character. It doesn’t manipulate a feeling for the audience so they can be open to their own interpretation. This is best used in a regular shot, as it can be used in static or tracking movements. To create the shot, align the camera with the character's eye level. In the film ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ it is used when the character breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience - this shot is created by Maceo Bishop. I will use this angle regally in my short film to allow the audience to have more of a connection to my protagonist.

Shoulder level: This is also a common neutral angle as it doesn’t influence the audience but creates an illusion of a slightly low-angle shot without connotations of the character being powerful. This is best used during dialogue with the over-shoulder shot technique. To create the shot you position the camera at shoulder level with the character. This angle is seen in the film ‘Prisoners’ when the protagonist is talking to another character and allows the audience to focus on the dialogue. This shot was created by Mike Barnett. I will use this technique in my short film.

Ground level: The ground level angle, is the technique used when a character or object is filmed from the ground and can sometimes be another version of a low-angle shot. This technique is best and often used as another way to track a character’s movement. To create the angle you set up the shot with the camera on the ground. A professional camera work example is seen in ‘Avengers: Infinity war’ created by Ross Coscia when a character is walking through the ruins of a spaceship and it is used to track them. This will be a useful technique to use to track my protagonist when boxing.

Types of Movements:

Static: The static movement is a shot that remains still and is a common technique used in the film. This is best used for dialogue in a scene, or to make the audience feel that the character is somehow trapped. The shot is set up by placing a camera on a fixed tripod that has no movement. An example of this is from the film ‘Goodfellas’ when a group of characters are teasing each other in a scene whilst the shot remains static. This shot is created by DOP Larry McConkey. I would like to use this technique in my short film for dialogue, to allow the audience to focus on the characters and feel that they are observing their conversations.

Pan: The pan movement is when a camera moves left or right horizontally while remaining in the same location. This movement can be slow or fast and the fast movement is known as a whip pan. The pan movement can be used for different events to follow a character’s movements or to reveal information. The camera is set on a fixed tripod and then the lens is moved from left to right. This is seen in the film ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ where the camera pans to the right to reveal an object of a car that wasn’t in the original frame. This shot was created by Christian Almesberger. I will use this technique to track the character's boxing movements in my short film.

Tilt: The camera tilt, tilts vertically up or down while remaining in a fixed position. The tilt movement is used for many different effects to give a character power or vulnerability, to reveal information like a character, scale or setting. To create this movement we place a camera on a fixed location tripod and either move up or down to create the shot. This movement is used in the film ‘Interstellar’ when the scale of a vast alien world is shown to the main character and the audience. This shot was filmed by Ali Cumhur. I will not use this technique as I do not feel it will add any value to my short film.

Push in / Pull out: The push-in movement moves the camera towards a character or object in the film to emphasise a moment in the scene, whereas the pull-out movement moves the camera away to de-emphasise it. The push-in movement is to connect with the character, whereas the pull-out is to disconnect. To set up this shot, make sure the camera isn’t in a fixed location and is free to move forwards or backwards. The push-in movement is shown in ‘The Godfather’ when Michael Corleone the protagonist, is talking. This technique is used to emphasise the importance of the dialogue and was shot by Gordon Wills. An example of the pull-out movement is used in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Catch Me if you Can’. For the final shot the Pullout disconnects and takes the audience away from the scene, a shot created by Janusz Kaminski - I will use both of these techniques at both the start and end of my short film to connect and disconnect the audience.

Zoom: The zoom is a movement that is created from a stationary camera but moves with technology, by zooming in and out to change the focal length of the camera lens. This movement is commonly used to reveal or enhance the surroundings of a scene. It is set up by placing the camera in a set position, whilst changing the focal length. An example of this can be seen in the film ‘The Shining’ where the camera zooms into the characters’ face to enhance his facial expressions. This shot was created by John Alcott. I will use this technique in my short film, but in a less dramatic way.

Tracking: The tracking shot is the most common camera technique used in film and moves a camera through a scene to follow a character and their actions. It can be set up freehand or on a set camera runway track to follow the object. An example of this technique is in Quentin Tarantino’s film ‘Pulp Fiction’ following a character who, walks to a location that is new to the audience, leaving them not sure what to expect -so it is used as an observation for them this was shot by DOP Andrzej Sekular. This is a technique I intend to use frequently in my short film.

After researching different camera angles and movements I have more of an understanding of different techniques to use at different moments in the film. I also feel I have developed my skill in camera work. I wanted to focus on developing these skills as it has given me knowledge of different camera techniques and can show this understanding when shooting my short film.

I then practised a selected amount of camera angles and movements. I did this by recording test runs of the different types of shots for this I used the equipment of a camera, tripod and z grip to help with the shakiness when filming this helped me understand how to film and set up the movement and angle ready to record. For this, I practised the most common angles and movements I feel I will use in my project. These were tilt up, zoom, close-up, mid shot and over-the-shoulder shot. I will use this practice in the project when setting up different types of shots as I understand how to set up angles and movements.

After researching types of angles and camera movements I then wanted to look at general advice from professionals who work in the camera department. The main influence on my work was renowned cinematographer Roger Deakins. Deakins is known for his Oscar-winning cinematography to achieve this it can also mean working as a camera operator working on hit films like ‘1917’, ‘Fargo’ and ‘Blade Runner 2043’. The types of camera angles and movements he uses have been a main influence on me, the most notable from Sam Mendes’ 2019 film ‘1917’. Although the film only has one continuous tracking shot, I admired how this sequence showed the character's surroundings, then tracked into the character's facial expressions, finishing with a mysterious figure emerging from a burning building.

The advice the cinematographer described in the Alter Cine video is (Alter Cine, ‘The BEST Cinematography Advice From Roger Deakins’, You Tube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6zWyxNrHO0 ,2021, Viewed 09/02/23) ‘have a reason to move the camera’ - ‘there are times to move the camera, there are times to follow a character and there are times to stay back - to allow the audience to observe the chatter within the space’. This is useful and helpful advice when creating ways to tell a story without overcomplicating or distracting the audience, but still keeping the scene interesting and allowing the audience to understand what is happening. He then also describes that ‘simplistically is the best way to go’. Having simple shots won’t distract the audience from the action in the scene, important advice to allow the performance of actors to show in the film while also telling a story. Finally, some of the most important advice I will take on board is ‘plan as much as you can, but be ready to adapt’ I will follow this advice by creating storyboards before the production dates of what camera angles and movements I would like to use in my short film - this will make me more prepared to actually shoot. This research, looking at the work and information resources of Rodger Deakins will be very useful for my upcoming work as an operator the role I am undertaking on my FMP. It will also help me when planning my shots in the storyboard and then creating the shots in production stages of my film.

Lighting:

After filming test camera angle and movement shots I then tried out diffrent types of lighting on the main actor, one was a warmer tone and one was a colder tone seeing which worked out best. When practising I felt the warmer tone felt more natural nand worked well with the actors face and is best to use when filming my FMP. As the colder tone feels more unnatural and is way to bright for the lighting I want to have in my film

(Warmer)

(Colder)

Editing

Last year for my first-year project I focused primarily on the role of editing. I found many helpful online tutorials which demonstrated how to use the primer pro software and how to create rhythm within a scene. I followed a step-by-step guide in the book ‘Blink of an Eye’ which guided me on conveying emotion using J cut and montage, story, rhythm, eye trace, a two-dimensional plane of the screen and three-dimensional space of action when editing, all of which enable me to manipulate the scene into how the audience reacts to it. After in-depth research I now feel more confident when editing and plan to expand my knowledge further, including looking at transitions in a scene, as I feel this will be beneficial in my project. This YouTube video by studio binder (Studio binder, ‘Ultimate Guide to Scene Transitions – Every Editing Transition Explained’, YouTube, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKXBAaQB03U, Viewed 09/02/23) describes scene transitions including :

The cut: Where there is an instant transition from one shot to another. This is a transition I intend to use frequently in my short film, as I like the instant change of scene.

Fade: When a picture dissolves from a shot usually too black. I like the subtle calming change this can bring to a scene as opposed to a solid cut and is another transition I will use in my project.

Dissolve: The dissolve is similar to the fade, where it gradually transitions but rather than to black it merges into another scene. I like the subtle calming change this can bring to a scene and intend to use this method.

Match Cut: This runs through any shot but has to match something in the last scene's visual and is often seen when there is a time jump. I am less likely to use this visual transition as it’s not appropriate for my film.

Having researched the scene transitions and using research points made in past projects, I am confident I can edit my short film and showcase the skills I have learned.

Copyright:

When filling out the pre-production forms I came across a problem when writing the legal and ethical form. The issue was legal and had to be removed to solve the problem, originally in my initial script at the end of the film I wanted to use a song by David Bowie - ‘Heros’ however I did not have the copyright to the record, to solve the problem this then meant I had to research and find a royalty-free song that I am allowed to use in my video, to do this I found a copyright song free clip that has 12 hours of music to choose from (The Relaxed movement ’12 Hours of Free Background Music - Copyright Free Music for Creators and Streamers’ 2022, you tube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWTuWDrWDLo viewed 09/03/23) I then found a song that I liked from the video that begins roughly around 01:50:00 of the video, this song I will now use in my short and means the problem I have faced has been resolved.

Colour grading

When I have finished editing my short film, I will need to colour-grade all the footage used. I am looking to achieve a subtle cold effect grading using a muted colour palette, which creates a stark lack of warmth on screen at the beginning of my film, which will then warm up as the protagonists’ outlook on life changes and improves towards the end. As a reference, I researched different films in the sports genre and examined how they created the lighting effect - whether it be in post-production, or in situ - lit for the scene. I discovered that the majority of them shared a similar colour grading palette. Two of them, Clint Eastwood’s 2005 film ‘Million Dollar Baby’ and Ryan Coogler's 2015 film ‘Creed’ had a gritty realistic feel to them, which they achieved by using a subtle cold colour grade effect.

The colours used are created by adjusting the camera lenses and settings. In order to create this effect, I will study my influences and adjust the lighting exposure setting on my camera to generate more realistic lighting as they have done. If this process doesn’t achieve the look I am aiming for, I can also adjust some of the colours in after effects.

Evaluating Research:

Overall, I feel that this research has been very useful. The majority of aspects studied have been a significant help in the production stages, helping to develop my concept design and technical ideas that I had for the projects’ short film. The areas that were particularly useful, were the ones evaluating my job role of being a camera operator - by studying different types of angles and movements used in film - this helped my understanding as to when different types are shots are best to use in the production stage.

Looking at the technical aspects of the films that influenced my short film has helped me understand which technical aspects would be good to use in different types of scenes throughout the production stages. Finally, looking at narrative theory in film has helped me understand how to create the script and storyboard in my pre-production stage of the project. The area I am unsatisfied with of my FMP is the primary target audience - this is because I feel I haven’t researched in enough detail who they should be. This didn’t help me in the post-production stage of the project as it wasn’t clear who the target audience was.

Research Bibliography (Harvard Reference)

Target Audience:

Winterbottom, MW, ‘Understanding Audiences’, Independent Cinema Office, Click Here, Viewed 06/02/23

BFI ‘Audiences’ BFI, Click Here, 2019, Viewed 06/02/23

BFI ‘Official 2021 BFI statistics reveal a record £5.64 billion film and high-end TV production spend in the UK’, Click Here, 2021, Viewed 06/02/23

Statista Research Department, ‘Cinema audience distribution in the United Kingdom (UK) as of 2014, by age and gender’, Statista, Click Here,14/04/2014, Viewed 06/02/23

Influences and inspiration:

Thapa, ST, ‘The 10 Best Boxing Movies Of All Time, Ranked (According To IMDb)’, Screen Rant, Click Here, 05/08/21, Viewed 09/02/23

Kermode, MK, ‘Creed review – there’s life in the old punchbag yet…’ The Guardian, Click Here, 17/01/2016, Viewed 09/02/23

Singh, AS, ‘Hollywood Rewind | Creed: The way ‘inspirational’ sports dramas should be made’, The Indian Express, Click Here, 30/11/2019, Viewed 09/02/23

Mackie, RM, ‘Million Dollar Baby’ The Guardian, Click Here, 01/07/2005, Viewed 09/02/23

Callaway, TC, ‘How 'Rocky' Became the Sports Movie That Changed the Genre Forever’, Geeks, Click Here, 2017, Viewed 09/02/23

Patterson, JP, ‘The Fighter KOs the sports-movie cliches’, The Guardian, Click Here, 29/01, Viewed 09/02/23

Judah, ‘Creed 2015 Training Montage’, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NH1A6CLIrY 2017, Viewed 09/02/23

Rio 91, ‘Mark Wahlberg The Fighter Workout’, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e6JCgo2Bk4 2013, Viewed 09/02/23

The Planet Clips, ‘Clint Eastwood reluctantly agrees to train Hilary Swank | Million Dollar Baby Movie Scene’ YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lk3jy_4lBM 2018, Viewed 09/02/23

Movieclips, ‘Rocky (8/10) Movie CLIP - Training Montage (1976) HD’, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YYmfM2TfUA 2014, Viewed 09/02/23

Action:

Madej, KM, ‘“Traditional Narrative Structure” today, also known as Aristotle’s Arc and Freytag’s Triangle’, Research gate, (Click Here), August 2008, Viewed 07/02/23

Bird’s Kid, ‘Short Film Narrative Structure in 40 Seconds’ YouTube, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZyACElLUyA , Viewed 07/02/23

Open Screen Play ‘Story Outline & Sections’ Open Screen Play (Click Here) , Viewed 07/02/23

Jog road productions, ‘Screenwriter Aaron Covington on writing boxing scenes in Creed’, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XdDizjWRa8 2016, Viewed 07/02/23

Halligan, FH, ‘The Art of Movie Storyboards: Visualising the Action of the World's Greatest, MerseaBooks, (Click Here), 2013, viewed 07/02/23

Sideplayer, ‘Conventions of the sports genre’, (Click Here), 2016, viewed 07/02/23

BBC Bitesize ‘What is narrative?’ BBC Bitesize (Click Here) 2019. Viewed 07/02/23

Smelik, AS, ‘And The Mirror Cracked’, Google Books, Click Here, Viewed 07/02/23

Kane, Maxwell, MK, HM, ‘Media Research: Using Critical Theory to Explore Consumer Responses to Representations of Women’s Sports’ Google Scholar, Click Here, Viewed 07/02/23

Rachael Sampson, RS, ‘Film Theory 101 – Laura Mulvey: The Male Gaze’ Film Inquiry (Click Here) October 27, 2015. Viewed 07/02/23

IMDB, ‘Perfect 10’, 2019, (Click Here), viewed 08/02/23

Desktop documentaries, ‘Video Production Equipment’, (Click Here), viewed 08/02/23

Fight Quality, ‘What Types of Punch Bags Are There?’, Click Here, 13/04/2018, Viewed 08/02/23

Mccarthy, PM, ‘What equipment do you need to start boxing’, Fight Camp, (Click Here), 10/12/21, Viewed 08/02/23

Studio binder, ‘Ultimate Guide to Scene Transitions – Every Editing Transition Explained’, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKXBAaQB03U 2022, Viewed 09/02/23

Matt Thrift ‘The little white lies guide to making your own movie’ Laurence king (Click Here) 18 September 2017. Viewed 07/02/23

Vaughan, AV, ‘Film Making Basics: Everything you need to know in 8 minutes!’, YouTube, 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFwMRVwrKcA , Viewed. 07/02/23

Steaven d. Katz ‘film directing shot by shot’ Michael Wiese (Click Here). July 1 1991. Viewed 09/02/23

Studio Binder, ‘Ultimate Guide to Camera Movement’, YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiyBo-qLDeM, 2020, viewed 09/02/23

Alter Cine, ‘Ultimate Guide to Camera Angles’, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLfZL9PZI9k 2020, viewed 09/02/23

Alter Cine, ‘The BEST Cinematography Advice From Roger Deakins’, You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6zWyxNrHO0 2021, Viewed 10/02/23

The Relaxed movement ’12 Hours of Free Background Music - Copyright Free Music for Creators and Streamers’ 2022, you tube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWTuWDrWDLo viewed 09/03/23