Script Reflection

Dreamscape Project Script

The script for our group's short film is fairly concise as most of the film will rely on visuals. The short is made up of an eerie  dream montage/sequence set in an airplane cabin, with scenes in a dentist reception before and after to give context. We made the decision to put emphasis on the dream sequence because this is what the project's main focus is. The points where we have chosen to use dialogue help to link the character (and audience) between the real world and the dream world through the airplane tannoy and the dentist receptionist whose voices are the same. We also link the real world to the dreamscape by using the same character for the dentist receptionist and the air hostess. Leading up to the shoot I hope to annotate this script and refine some aspects of it as I feel theres still improvements to be made.

Relationship Between Characters

Original Shoot (Watch Here)

In Ed's moving image lesson recently we have worked on shooting actors having a conversation from a script provided by Ed. Through this we have discovered how to do this effectively. There's three main stages of this: writing, shooting and editing. To practice this we shot and lit a scene in the studio, and cut it together. We also were given access to the original footage of the scene and cut that together too.

When planning out a story to shoot, the pre-production is one of the most important stages. A significant part of the pre-production is the characters and script - dialogue drives and develops the plot the most. At this point of planning, the idea of the characters in your head and their relationships are fairly vague. Writing dialogue is a struggle and can take lots of revisions and changes. One thing to consider when writing is how the actor will deliver the line - Will they be feeling a certain emotion? What speed will they say it? What expression will they have? - this needs to be listed in the script as a parenthetical remark. All of these things become a bit clearer when shooting.

Drama Student Shoot (Watch Here)

At this stage of production you work with the actors and can see the characters develop their personalities and relationships, as there is a real person to represent them. During conversations you can present the characters through their reactions, emotions and delivery of dialogue which can be done by directing the actors. As there are many takes, you can observe how the actors act and in-between takes speak to them about what you want them to change or do.

Finally, in the edit you have the ability to pick and choose how much of a certain emotion or reaction to show, and what order the shots are in. During editing you need to not only consider showing the characters when they react and speak, but also think about the flow of the scene and make sure it doesn't seem mechanical. If done well this can achieve different atmospheres/emotions or build tension etc. making a gripping and intriguing film for the viewer. Getting the intimacy right between the audience and characters can be essential. This can go on to invoke an emotional connection from the viewers.

What is a Research Project?

To put it simply; a research project is a large piece of formal, detailed writing, with images and external sources that explores an idea or subject. It is usually done to increase ones knowledge on something and give them the ability to learn more. As put forward by Successful Writing "A research paper presents an original thesis, or purpose statement, about a topic and develops that thesis with information gathered from a variety of sources."

Potential content in a research project is similar to a book, in that there's a front cover followed by a bulk of writing. Content may include primary and secondary research, statistics to back up points, images on occasion and lastly extracts from past publications, data from documentaries and films. Throughout the research project the writing should be of a formal, detailed standard and use Harvard referencing. This means that references must be listed in a research journal/bibliography in a Harvard Referencing format (Author, Year of Publication, Title, Place of Publication, Publisher) for books.

Exploring and Evaluating Ideas

After completing these three mind maps, I decided that I wanted to base my research project on 35mm film photography. I had created two mind maps with a similar topic: ("Why is film used today and is it still a valid medium" & "Why has film photography become more popular in recent years"). Out of these I have decided to focus on why film has become more popular recently. This is because I can relate it the the modern day photography industry and look into statistics. Furthermore looking into film photography will be an exciting project for me as it is a medium I find aesthetically pleasing and interesting as it's so aged.

Why use Harvard Referencing?

Using Harvard referencing in a research project (if not in all work) is essential to ensuring your work is professional and of high quality. For example, using Harvard referencing helps to avoids plagiarism by letting the reader know where certain data is sourced from and who created it (the author). In order to properly reference a piece of writing for example, it needs to be included with an in text citation and a full reference in your bibliography (or reference list). This form of referencing is also helpful as you can include data using it to back up research you're conducting to make a more impactful point. Furthermore it lets the reader know that you've committed to your research and explored different books, websites, magazines etc.

When referencing a book for example, the reference would look like this:

Bell, J. (2010) Doing Your Research Project.

5th ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

The authors surname followed by their initials: "Bell, J.", the year of publication in brackets "(2010)", the title in italics with the edition if it applies "Doing Your Research Project. 5th ed" and lastly the place of publication and publisher "Maidenhead: Open University Press.". This covers all relevant information to not only show exactly where you've sourced the data, but also to let the reader find the data for themselves.

Interview Reflection

Interviewing someone from the industry gave me a great perspective of media and the real life practical aspects of it. From completing this task I learnt 3 main things. Firstly, I discovered that I should keep doing things related to media, be it watching films, taking photos, writing scripts or experimenting. The second thing I learnt was that any work in the industry is good work, even if unpaid. It enables you to make contacts and connections which is vital and can help towards you getting noticed. Lastly I found that I should try to make a portfolio and show myself off. This means that when people ask or find out about you, you have something to say for yourself.

Critical Analysis - Contextual Studies

Portfolio

Strengths
-Had a minimalistic layout - didn't look too complicated
- Was organised into sections and neat looking
-Shows a variety of photography types, letting viewers know my range of skills

Areas for Improvement
-Content limit - more photos could have been added
-Not much information, add text for details
-No contact information or details about me

3 Things I've learnt by completing these tasks
-Important to get yourself out there online
-It can prove quite challenging to make your own website
-Constantly keep creating content

Presentation

Strengths
-It was to the point and concise
-Arranged in an easy to understand manner
-Good choice of goals

Areas for Improvement
-Too simplistic - add photos maybe?
-Short length, add more information/goals? Go into more depth
-Present it better - use gestures, face the audience etc

3 Things I've learnt by completing these tasks
-Work hard to get into uni - the sooner the better
-Do independent research/work outside of college
-Contribute/go the extra mile in lessons