In Control - Updated Screenplay

 Here is the working model for the new screenplay for 'In Control' -- I have edited the vast majority of the screenplay, cutting out the unnecessary dialogue and scenes whilst adding a more visual development of Jess' character. 

‘In Control’ Screenplay

SCENE ONE - INT: BEDROOM

[JESS is asleep, she stirs - she sits up and gets her phone out. She scrolls through photos of ‘thinspiration’ on social media - photos of underweight girls. As JESS looks at the photo’s, she looks like she's in some sort of trance]

[JESS gets out of bed, then starts looking in the mirror: she lifts her pyjama top and checks her belly, pinching at ‘fat’. She then does the same with her legs, before trying to wrap her hand around the top of her arm. (Body checking) As JESS body checks, she looks distraught, on the verge of crying - disappointed? Angry? Hopeless?]

[MONTAGE: JESS is shown to be exercising in her bedroom - situps and star jumps, the plank, etc. She is shown to be exhausted afterwards, falling to the floor.]

END OF SCENE ONE

SCENE TWO - INT:KITCHEN

[JESS and MUM are sat at the dinner table. MUM is eating her food, whilst JESS is pushing it around her plate, clearly uncomfortable. MUM is watching JESS - looking disappointed]

MUM

Jess - are you going to eat that?

JESS

No.

MUM

(sighs) Why not honey? Don’t you like it?

JESS

I’m not hungry

[JESS gets up from the table, storming out of the kitchen. She is clearly distraught. MUM appears to be worried about her daughter, and almost accepting defeat.]

END OF SCENE TWO

SCENE THREE - INT:BEDROOM

***SILENCE OTHER THAN DIEGETIC SOUND

[JESS wakes up, counting calories? -- long lasting shots of her getting out of bed and body checking - she appears to be lethargic, a shell of a person - completely devoid of emotion. Shorter montage of her doing sit ups in front of the mirror before getting out a tape measure and measuring her arm and thigh. She then pulls out the draw under her bed.]

[The draw contains Uni Prospectus’ - the thing that is motivating JESS for the future. Tweets/Quotes appear as the audience realise she is thinking about the student’s in the photographs and how they are only happy because they are thin. FLASHBACKS of JESS as she body checks - with tweets overlapping.]

[JESS appears to be sad, hopeless - it is obvious she wants to go to university and getting better, her illness is stopping her; JESS sits on the floor, flicking through her favourite uni’s booklet - starting at each page longingly. She has a protein bar in the draw - picks it up and looks at it - as though she is considering eating it. She shakes her head, putting it back into the draw and pushing it back under the bed.]

END OF SCENE THREE

SCENE FOUR - THERAPY

EXT:DR FORD’S OFFICE

[JESS stands outside FORD’s office, she raises her fist - hesitating before knocking. She takes a moment, glancing around - trying to get ahold of herself. She knocks after an extended period of time. FORD opens the door.]

FORD

Hi, Jess - come in

[JESS walks into FORD’s office and sits down. He closes the door behind her.]

INT:DR FORD’S OFFICE

[a small room - two chairs facing each other - JESS is sat on one, DR FORD on the other. DR FORD is writing something down in a notepad - JESS appears anxious, playing with her fingers]

FORD:

Jess, I'm going to be honest with you here

JESS:

okay

FORD:

you have lost 4 kilos in the past two weeks, and I can tell that you are not getting any better mentally. [JESS bites her lip anxiously, FORD looks serious, almost pained with what he is about to say] I am considering admitting you to an inpatient facility

JESS:

[Obviously shocked, horrified and worried] what? Why? I'm not even underweight anymore!

FORD:

you may not be underweight but you will be if you carry on like this, and besides, the anorexic mechanisms are still very strong. [pauses] I spoke to your mum yesterday

FORD:

[sighs] Jess, your mum and dad don't think you’re going to get any better. In fact your mum told me she feels as though she is watching fade away right there in front of them, and they can't do anything to stop it

JESS:

what do you mean?

FORD:

your mum believes if you are not admitted as an inpatient then you might die within the next year

[JESS appears shocked, hurt by what FORD said.]

JESS
Why would she say that?

FORD

Your mother believes you are not willing to recover - that the only option is to give you the tube

[JESS appears stressed - jigging her knee and fiddling with her hair]

JESS:

I just - I don't see the point in getting better

FORD:

[leans forward] and why is that?

JESS:

I'm only going to be more miserable, I'm never going to get to do anything on that list you made me write - I just, I think it's all pointless

FORD:

but why do you think those things, Jess?

JESS:

[shrugs] I don't know

FORD:

that's your anorexia, Jess. It's making you feel as though you don't have a purpose other than counting calories and losing weight. If you commit to recovering now - really put your all into it - you will have a chance at being happy

JESS:

but I'll be fat [sounds defeated]

FORD:

will not let you get above a BMI of 21 - you will not be fat, you'll be healthy. If you don't listen to me - you'll end up in hospital or you'll die. And then you really won't achieve anything on that list

[Jess bites her lip, thinking and considering]

END OF SCENE FOUR

FADE OUT

END OF FILM -- CREDITS

Short Film: Production Update - Refilming

After receiving some feedback on my first draft - I have decided to make some changes to the plot of my short film. I want the film to focus more on Jess as a character suffering with an eating disorder than the dialogue between her and the other characters. I really want the audience to see the impact that Jess' disorder has on her life and on her every action and thought. I want to eliminate most of the dialogue in the film to really focus on building up the persona of Jess and her emotions. In order to do this successfully, I will have to rewrite the screenplay of my short film and refilm it to make it match the new idea's I have for film and the direction I want it to take.

At the moment I believe that the audience are being told about Jess' experience with her eating disorder rather than seeing it for themselves, making the film have less of a dramatic impact and appearing chessey in some scenes. I really want this film to have an impact on people and raise awareness for mental illnesses. I want this film to have an emotional impact on the viewer too.

Above is my new production schedule. I plan on rewriting the screenplay as early as possible and posting the updated version on my blog. I also plan on getting feedback after editing each section in order to guarantee that my film is as successful as I can make it.

Drama Film Poster Research: Indie and Hollywood Examples

In Control: First Draft and Feedback

Here is the first draft of 'In Control', my short film:

Here is the feedback I received from my class:

Short Film: Production Update

As demonstrated by my planning schedule, I am upto date with my time management. I have managed to film and edit the first draft of my short film this week, whilst capturing some outtakes during the filming. I have also completed the editing for my film meaning that I have a first draft prepared for the deadline next week. I am up to date on my blog, having completed all of my draft posts.

Short Film: My Budget

I have decided to research into the budget of short films and make a list of the money I have spent on my own short film.

Most filmmakers have to take into account the hiring of equipment and crew in addition to the cast. They may also have to hire out a location and costumes; purchasing specific makeup for the cast members or a specific look. Furthermore, depending on the genre of the film, props and special effects may also add to the overall budget of a short film. Producing music is another factor within the budget - as one would have to hire a writer and a band/artist to perform the tracks. In my research, I have found that some amateur filmmakers have managed to create a film by not spending any money at all, whilst others have spent up to £10,000 on hiring the best equipment and actors that were available to them.

My Budget

As I am not judging the success of my film on the money made, I have decided to keep my budget quite minimal as it is unlikely that I will make any back. Above you can see that the only equipment I had to buy was lighting and a tripod; both of these I found on amazon at a good price for their quality. For everything else I decided to use things that already had in order to save myself from spending too much on my project. My actors have volunteered to be a part of the project, expecting no money in return for their work. Using a CopyRight Free music website has also saved me money as I won't have to pay a licensing fee if I recognise them in the film's credits.

In Control - Editing Update (with tweets)

Here is my updated edit of the footage for my short film.

In this edit I took on board the responses from the first draft and found some quotes online that involved body issues. I then used Adobe Photoshop to crop the photos and edit them, adjusting their opacity so that they did not block out a portion of the frame. Finally, I added the tweets into the video, positioning them so that they were readable whilst keeping the main actions of the frames seen by the viewer.

Warning: This video edit does include some potentially triggering material for those who have suffered with/are suffering with eating disorders.

In Control - First Edit Feedback

I showed the first edit of the current footage I have for my Short Film to some of my peers and got some feedback. The main point I was given as feedback was that during the sequence of Jess body checking it was a bit confusing as to what was going on. Some suggested I had whispers playing over the top of the music in which there could be things said along the lines of 'you're so fat', 'you're absolutely disgusting' etc. Another suggested that I found tweets or quotes online that I could place on top of the screen to represent what Jess is thinking about. I am going to take this feedback on board and use it to improve my film.

How can a short film be successful? - Case Study: Panic Attack!

I have decided to look into what makes a short film successful outside of the money and profit being made. I have decided to look specifically into 'Panic Attack!' a film by Federico Alvarez.

Panic Attack! was released in 2009 by Alvarez, an advertising director, who posted the film online. Alvarez directed and edited the film himself, costing him $300 for the hire of extras who were in the film. The CGI and sound effects were added in post-production by Alvarez. The film was published online and gained popularity via Word of Mouth.

Panic Attack! is an example how films distributed online can be measured by success on the amount of views the video gets. Alvarez used the 'two step flow' theory - by releasing his film online and getting it retweeted by Kanye West who acted as an opinion leader, promoting the film to his followers on twitter. The 'two step flow' theory can only be applied to films distributed online as they are much easier to share on platforms such as social media.



Within days of releasing his film, Alvarez was receiving calls from Hollywood and then he was in LA with a new agent. Two weeks following this, Alvarez was offered a contract with Mandate Pictures and Spiderman Director, Sam Raimi, to create a $30 million feature film based around an Alien invasion in Buenos Aires.



From this case study, I have learnt that distributing a film online - on a site such as YouTube - would not decrease the potential success of my short film. In fact, I have been reassured by looking into Alvarez's method of distribution and the success of his film that I could also achieve my films potential through distributing it online, and using a promotional package in addition to social media.

Narrative Structure: Propp

 Vladimir Propp's Narrative Theory

Propp was very intrested in the telling of folktales and fairytales. He noticed numerous similiarities in a variety of these story types, from these similarities, he developed a theory on the characters and actions as narrative functions. According to Propp, each character has a narrative function and they each provide a structure for the text.

The typical characters he found were:

The Hero - a character that seeks something.

The Villan - who opposes or actively blocks the Hero's quest.

The Donor - who provides an object with magical properties.

The Dispatcher - who sends the Hero on his/her quest.


The False Hero - who distrupts the Hero's success by making false claims.


The Helper - who aids the Hero.


The Princess - acts as a reward for the Hero and as an object for the Villan's plans.


The King (The Princess' Father) - who acts to reward the Hero for their effort.




How will I use this theory in my short film?

I will be including three of Propp's character/narrative functions in my short film:

Jess - The Hero(/Victim)

Jess' Mum - The Dispatcher

Dr. Ford - The Donor

Narrative Structure: Todorov's Theory of Equilibrium

Todorov's Theory of Equilibrium

Equilibrium in media means for things to be balanced; the absense of tensions in need for resolution. From this, Todorov simplified the idea of a narrative structure in his theory, whilst also allowing a much more complex interpretation. He split this theory into 5 stages:

1- A state of Equilibrium: when everything is as it should be. A state of normality and equal balance between the protagonists.

2- Distruption of the Equilibrium: a distruption to the normality and order cause by an event or an outside force that has to be fought.

3- Dis-Equilibrium: a recognition that the distruption has occured.

4- An attempt to restore the Equilibrium: an attempt to repair the distruption and go back to how things were.

5- The New Equilibrium is established: a reinstatement of the Equilibrium. The outer force is defeated and a new state of well being is acquired.

In this structure, the narrative is driven by attempts to restore the Equilibrium. The distrubtion the the Equilibrium usually takes place outside of the normal social framework and events. However, the Equilibrium that is established at the end of the narrative is not idential to the initial Equilibrium, as Todorov's theory argues that the narrative must include a transformation. This can either be in the form of the characters or situation being transformed by the events in the narrative.

This Narrative Theory is very familiar in films and is applied to many mainstream narratives.

How will I apply this theory to my own work?

Short Film: Filming and Editing Day One

Over the weekend I started to film scene one of my short film. In this scene Jess is shown to be waking up, scrolling though twitter and then going through her routine of body checking. The scene took a while to film and get right with the different camera angles and the limited amount of space we had in 'Jess's' bedroom.

After I filmed the first sequence, I uploaded the footage onto my google drive from my camera, before starting to edit it in WeVideo.

I decided to use WeVideo to edit my film as it is a software I have experience with and therefore I find it easily to edit the clips together and add the music whilst editing the sound within the footage itself. I had to move some of the music from my animatic around as the shots I took were longer than I had anticipated.

I plan on filming the rest of this scene, and hopefully scene three, tonight and spending the rest of the week editing the footage.

Here is my production schedule - as before, everything I have finished is highlighted in yellow; anything I am currently working on is in orange - I plan to complete as much of my filming before Half Term as I can so I can focus on editing and getting feedback from those within my target audience on my first edit.

Logo Design: Digital Format

I took photo's of my logo design sketches and uploaded my favourite into Adobe Illustrator. I decided to use Illustrator as it creates artworks using vectors and not pixels, allowing you to change the size of the piece freely without worrying about the appearance of the pixels. Using Illustrator, I digitally traced my design using the shapes tools. I then added the colours I wanted to the logo. I decided to keep the logo monochrome as I thought it looked more effective and profession than if I included brighter colours or tones. I decided to use a circular logo as I quite liked how it would appear on screen and in any promotional pieces I create for the short film.

I then found the font I wanted to use for my piece on fontspace.com. I originally wanted to use a font called 'Hill House', but I decided it was too risky as it is very similar to the font used for 'American Horror Story'. 

I decided to name my production company 'Silver Film Productions' as my surname, Argent, means Silver. I wanted to include the world 'film' in my company name as I wanted it to be obvious what I was doing.

I used Adobe Photoshop to add my font to my Logo, using the magic wand tool to remove the slightly darker background of the font so that it fit my colour scheme. I adjusted the size of the font until I was happy with the positioning.

This is my final Logo:

Casting my Short Film

Here are the actors I have selected to play the characters in my short film.

Jess - Lois Snellin

I made the decision to cast Lois in the role of Jess as she is very serious and enthusiastic about the plot and theme of the film. Lois was eager to get involved and showed an extended range of acting skills. She is able to stay in role and communicate emotions through facial expressions.

Doctor Ford - Richard Spencer

Rich was also very enthusiastic about the theme and the message behind the film, and was eager to get involved with the project. He was able to recite lines and quotes very seriously and was also able to stay in role for a long period of time.

Mum - Caroline Argent

Caroline was able to recite longer quotes from memory. She was able to convey her characters emotions and was also very good at staying in role even in difficult circumstances. Caroline also had an eagerness to be involved in the project.

Logo Design: Sketches

Here are some sketches and ideas I came up with for my institution logo. Using these images, I will digitally draw out my favourite two ideas and then choose between them following this. 

Short Film: Recce

I completed a Reece for the location that I plan on filming my short film.

Jess' Bedroom

These draws underneath the bed can be used to store Jess' uni prospectus' instead of using a 'future box' where there is limited space.

The Kitchen

The layout of this kitchen will mean that I have to make alterations to some of the shots and angles in the scenes by mirroring/flipping them.

Dr Ford' office

The audience will only see one portion of Dr Ford's office, in very tight shots to give the illusion that they are in an office and not a home. 

Short Film: Institution Logo Research

In order to prepare for designing my own logo for my short film's institution, I have decided to research into the logo of other short film institutions. Each of these companies support or promote the development and production of short films and the short film industry. Their logos are very different and unique, and I have decided to look into them to find inspiration for my own logo.

Sundance Institute

Sundance's logo clearly relates to the institutions name using the two things with associate with the sun: a circle and the colour yellow. The font is very clear, with the recognisable part of the company's name in a larger font and in the centre of the composition. The logo clearly communicates the name of the company but does not demonstrate what the institute does.

BFI Institution

BFI's logo consists of three intertwining circles with its initial's inside, and the words 'Film Forever' in clear bold lettering over a white background. This is a very effective logo style, as it clearly tells the consumer what the company does, and can be minimised to the company's initials in any situation where there is a limited space. The colours used are red and blue, which complement each other well.

Institute Contemporary Arts

The Institute of Contemporary Arts has a more simple logo. The only colour used is back, and the font is clear and of the same size. They use a bubble effects on the right hand boarder of the logo. Whilst this looks effective, it does not communicate the aim or purpose of the institute, making it less successful.

British Council Film

This is another simple monochrome themed logo. The name of the institute is written in a clear, bold font with four circles forming a square shape next to it. The word 'film' is then used on the right hand side, clearly stating that this is the film section of the company, and therefore clearly presenting what the company's purpose is.

-

There is a theme in each of these logo's - they all use circles and have black, bold fonts. I aim to keep this in my mind whilst I develop my own institution logo for my short film and the promotional products that will be going with it.

Short Film: Week One Update

Here is everything I managed to achieve this week, and my plan for next week. The boxes highlighted in yellow signify the work I have done, whilst everything white is things I need to do. This week I did not manage to complete my recce, so that is my most important thing to do next week. I also plan on looking into budget and filming a textual analysis.