Shooting schedule

DAY 1 // FEB 05 // 9:00AM // TRAIN STATION
On this day, I will be filming everything at the train station. We will arrive there for 9AM, as to maximise our time to see the express trains (the ones that pass through the station without stopping at a great speed), and therefore get the shots that we wanted. It also means we have as much time as we can get to play around with the lighting and shadows, and we also have time to reshoot anything that doesn't go well. Also, filming the bulk of it on the first day will mean I can begin the editing process in the evening, and maximising the time I will have after I finish filming to edit everything properly.

DAY 2 // FEB 06 // 11:AM // INSIDE A HOUSE AND ON A ROAD
This day will be the day in which I film any short filler shots e.g. the kettle, the indicator and the driving shots. I am also planning on doing any Foley sound (if I discover I need any during filming), and simply re-recording ambient sounds and other sound effects. Starting early will again mean I have plenty of time to film everything in good daylight, and re-shoot things if necessary.

Both of these filming days have so far been fairly easy to organise - all I will have to do closer to the time is check the weather and make sure it's right for what I want to film, as I have already secured my actors and collected together my props and costume. Writing this schedule will prove very helpful as I will know what I need to film on what day, and what I need to do if things don't go as planned.

Storyboard

I only did a very rough storyboard planning out the general order and a few specific shots that I want to include. This is because I don't really find that I can map out the shots in enough detail when they are being drawn, as a new picture would be required for every single change in angle, no matter how slight. However, alongside the storyboard, I also wrote a shot list - I feel this will be very helpful as it won't be too much paper to take on set with me, and I can go into a lot more textual detail. I will still use my storyboard whilst filming as I think some shots are easier to visualise through drawing, but since I have a lot of cuts it wouldn't be time efficient to draw out all of them (especially the short, easy to describe ones), and it would be incredibly difficult to take them and use them on set.

Characters and Casting

NAME: Charlie Taylor

AGE: 36

PROFESSION: Financial adviser

LIKES: His dog, hiking, going out for meals

DISLIKES: Watching TV, his job

HISTORY: Parents got divorced when he was very young, and so he grew up with just his mum. After completing his A-Levels, he went to university to study finance. He has had a few long term girlfriends, but nothing too serious.

PERSONALITY TRAITS: Very quiet and reserved, likes to keep himself to himself

FRIENDSHIP GROUPS: Has a few close friends from college, but apart from them and his colleagues from work, he doesn't really see anyone else

THREE DESCRIBING WORDS: Quiet, conscientious, reserved

I decided to cast Andrew as my main character for a few reasons. Firstly, he is around the right age and so no makeup or drastic clothing changes would be needed to give the character the right feel. He's also comfortable on camera, and is good at keeping neutral facial expressions, and so it will probably be easy to get the emotion right in minimal takes. He is also available very often, and he lives near the locations that I want to use, and so it won't be difficult to arrange filming days and if anything needs redoing it won't be hard to organise that either. The costume that I want won't be difficult to organise, as they too need to be very plain. I am planning on getting him to wear plain dark trousers and a white shirt, and maybe a coat over the top - however, as long as it gives a smart-casual vibe it doesn't really matter too much. These too will hopefully help reflect the repetitiveness and boringness of the character's day to day life. They won't be difficult to get hold of as I'm sure he will have them in his wardrobe already, but if he doesn't it will be very easy to source any of these items from charity shops or borrowing them from someone etc.

Final Script Evaluation and Changes

After completing all my other tasks, such as casting and location research, I have found my final script to be pretty much completely spot on in terms of everything I am going to need to make it happen. Since a lot of my things are very generic and easy to obtain/visit, e.g. a road or a train station, there wasn't really anything that needed changing as there are so many different ways I can access these things. I also managed to secure a very good voice over artist to do my narration, and so I didn't have to change any of that either - I simply recorded myself saying the parts in the pace that I wanted, and then sent it to him along with the script.

I think I have definitely included enough detail in my script to make it very easy for myself whilst filming - I made sure to write in every time I wanted a change of setting, or a different angle, or a cut to happen. This will help me hugely on set - if I have a copy of the script with me, I can very easily check back over it if needed and know for sure what the original plan is in terms of angles etc. It will also make post a lot easier, as in editing I can use the cuts I have written into my script as a reference point, and so not only will I immediately know what order to put everything in, I will know how long roughly each shot should last, and where it should actually end. Also, once I create a shot list according to my storyboards and script, it hopefully won't take me long to get everything organised on the day, maximising my time for reshoots and camera positioning.

Casting

These are the people I am considering for my character. I chose them because they both fit the general criteria, and I feel they could easily match the mood and feeling of both the entire opening and the main character. They are also both relatively comfortable on camera, and whilst neither have any acting experience, they both seem very willing to learn.

Andrew

Jordan

I think, out of the two people I have been considering, Andrew would be more suitable for the role as he is closer to the age I was thinking. It wouldn't be too difficult to use makeup and clothing to make Jordan appear the right age, however this could be a problem if we had to film over two days. It would also use makeup skills that I don't have, so I'd have to find someone to do it for me for a low cost or free.

I didn't think it was very necessary to do an audition as such, as there isn't any dialogue, and if it goes as planned, there aren't any close ups or shots that require specific facial expressions. Since it is meant to reflect the boring and the ordinary, all they need to do is be able to keep a normal, relaxed expression throughout filming. However, I did run through the script with both of them just to check they were happy with everything, and they both seemed very happy to give it a shot if needed.

BFI Academy Day 2 - Production Design and Art Direction in Film

Today, we had our first masterclass with the BFI Academy. It was on production design and art direction in film, and we had a specialist speaker come in to tell us about what she does, what the role involves, and let us try out some stuff on our own.

A production designer is someone who plans, designs, and dresses the sets, who deals with both the background props and the action props (something an actor can use), and who decides on a lot of things, like the colours and the look of a room. To design a set effectively, a production designer should work to suit their actors - a location is almost as important as the character itself; it adds another dimension to them - so, creating a visual extension of the characters is incredibly important when designing a set.

Ken Adams is a very important figure in production design - he designed the set for Dr Strangelove (1964). This is said, by many famous film figures, to be the best set ever designed in film. Ken Adams has a particular talent for drawing, however, this isn't the most important thing when being a production designer - Stuart Craig is the designer for the Harry Potter set, and he had a whole team of people, all of whom had different skills.

In production design, there are quite a few roles.
First, you have the production designer - this person deals with the colour schemes, the props, the set itself, the set dressing, etc.
The supervising art director helps to employ the staff, they look after the budget, and they deal with the general finances.
The art director does the model making, the drawing, and the research into the location.
The standby art director is the person on the set, who looks after things when the filming is going on.

When designing a set, there are many stages.
1. Script analysis - this stage is when a feel for the text can be gained. A very general idea of how the set will look is created.
2. Research - after gaining an understanding of the script, research into colours, furniture, room shapes, props etc. is done.
3. Presenting - this research is then put together into one presentation - usually in the form of a moodboard or scrapbook.
4. Surveying and location - a location is found to create the set in, and a plan is made to see the available dimensions.
5. Design and drafting - an elevation sheet is created - this consists of a birds-eye-view drawing of the set, and the side elevations.
6. Model making - a small, model version of the set is created - in film, the scale is usually 1/4":1', and in the UK and on television, the scale is usually 1:50. Model making is a good way to know how to read the plan - it helps the director, the lighting crew and the cinematographer gain a better understanding of how to light the set, where the characters should be, and how it will look when it's built.
7. Construction - the model is then sent off to a company who build the set. Sets are usually built from 'flats' - these are just single pieces, which can be put together quickly, which is really useful in a location where you don't have much time.
8. Buying and set dressing - this is the stage in which the props and furniture are decided on and bought. Most, if not all props are hired from specialist places called 'prop houses' - there are many of these with a specific theme, such as A+M Hire Ltd., who hire out a lot of period furniture and props. There are also companies who you can hire plants from - greenskeepers are people who look after these on set.
9. Action props and graphics - action props are carefully considered by the director and the art department. You have to be very careful about what you include in terms of products in your props - a general rule in the film industry is that if there are 6 or more brands in shot at the same time, it's okay, but if there's less than that, it is considered product placement, and rights from the company have to be bought. Therefore, during this stage the art department have to be very careful about where they get their props from, and so they often just design their own.
10. Get-in - this is when the set is built in the studio. Final colours and placement of objects is decided - these can be used to make things stand out or blend in, and they can also be very important in revealing things about the characters.

After learning about all the different roles in the art department, and stages in set production, we were told to draw a birds-eye-view plan of the room we were in, to scale. We were given a tape measure, and some squared paper. Firstly, as shown in the picture, we drew a very rough version of the room. We then went round and measured all the walls, and wrote these measurements on the plan. Then, we simply had to draw it onto the squared paper - with the scale, 2 medium squares = 1m. This task was actually a lot harder than we thought it would be - there were a few walls we couldn't actually measure due to furniture being in the way, and so we had to calculate the lengths in a different way. There were also many windows, a lot of angled pieces surrounding them, and a curved wall. However, we did manage to create a fairly accurate to scale birds-eye-view plan of the room, and doing this helped us gain an insight of what designing an actual set would be like.

Final script

FADE IN:

BLACK SCREEN

NARRATOR
You turn left,

CUT TO:

INT. CAR – DAYTIME
Quick shot of the indicator – it gets flicked down.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAR – DAYTIME
The camera is looking at the windscreen from the outside; the character turns the wheel to the left. The ticking noise of the indicator can be heard (2 sets/4 clicks).

NARRATOR
Then right,

CUT TO:

INT. CAR – DAYTIME

Quick shot of the indicator – it gets flicked up.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAR – DAYTIME
The camera is looking at the windscreen from the outside; the character turns the wheel to the right. The ticking noise of the indicator can again be heard (2 sets, 4 clicks).

NARRATOR
And then left again.

CUT TO:

INT. CAR – DAYTIME
Quick shot of the indicator – it gets flicked down.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAR – DAYTIME
The camera is looking at the windscreen from the outside; the character turns the wheel to the left. The ticking noise of the indicator can be heard (3 sets/6 clicks).

NARRATOR
Coffee, after coffee, after coffee

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN – EARLY MORNING
Hip-hop montage style cuts showing close-ups of making coffee.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN – EARLY MORNING
Over each word (next piece of narration) a different action is shown – pushing down the top of the coffee machine, pouring the coffee, empty cup being put on the table.

NARRATOR
Black [pause] no milk [pause] no sugar

CUT TO:

INT. CAR BOOT – DAYTIME
The camera is in the (shut) boot of the car, looking diagonal (mostly upward).

NARRATOR
Open,

CUT TO:

INT. CAR BOOT – DAYTIME

The boot opens and the character reaches inside and begins to pick up his coat and newspaper.

NARRATOR
Shut,

CUT TO:

INT. CAR BOOT – DAYTIME

The boot is open and looking out at the character, he shuts the boot, submerging the camera in darkness.

NARRATOR
Open.

CUT TO:

INT. CAR BOOT – DAYTIME

The boot opens and the character reaches inside and picks up his coat and newspaper – the shot is repeated from the first boot opening, but it carries on for the remainder of him picking up and holding the newspaper and the coat.

CUT TO:

EXT. OUTSIDE THE TRAIN STATION – DAYTIME

The character walks toward the entrance to the train station, and puts on his coat while doing so.

EXT. IN THE TRAIN STATION, ON A BENCH – DAYTIME

NARRATOR
And then, you wait.

CUT TO:

Shots of the character sitting on a bench, jump-cuts between him reading the newspaper, fiddling with it, and looking around the station.

NARRATOR
And that’s my life.

CUT TO:

Character notices a pair of shoes across the station; looks up, tilts head slightly.

CUT TO:

A pair of black shoes sit neatly on a bench over on the opposite platform.

CUT TO:

Character looks down at his own shoes, then back up again at the shoes on the platform.

CUT TO:

A shot of the shoes on the bench, this time from slightly further away. The character walks up to the shoes, and just before touching them, a train hurtles past. Once it has passed, we see the character has disappeared, and so have the shoes.

NARRATOR
They say, ‘you never really know someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes’.

CUT TO:

EXT. SHOT OF THE STAIRS LEADING OVER THE TRACKS – DAYTIME

 A tilting shot; the camera moves up as the character walks into shot, places the shoes down, and proceeds to walk up the stairs and towards the exit.

[PRODUCTION SEQUENCE AND CREDITS APPEAR]

BFI Academy Day 1 - Selection Day!

The BFI Academy is an academy in which you attend several 'masterclasses' (lasting one day each week) on different aspects of film, resulting in a production week, where you make either a short film or a documentary, with a team of other filmmakers. I decided to apply for this after seeing it on Twitter, as I know it will help me massively gain the skills and knowledge that I need to not only get further into cinematography, but also learn about and develop my skills in other areas that I might not necessarily focus on in other places.

On the selection day, we learnt a lot about the Academy, what we would be doing if we got selected, and the Arts Award we would gain from it. Then, we did some ice-breakers, and played a game of Consequences. This set up our main activity of the day - using some of the characters and locations from the game, we had to create a short film based around those. We had free reign over what we wanted to do, but we were told we were only allowed to use still images. So, we made a stop motion. The mise-en-scene conditions we got given were:

- A cactus
- A clown

- A cupboard

- The line 'The sun is shining bright'

We were split off into groups of around 5 or 6, and each group was given the same mise-en-scene conditions, but a different genre. The genre we got was action, and we were also allowed to cross and combine genres. In the first stages, we decided to develop our characters a bit further. Instead of having the cactus as a prop, we decided to make it a character, and the antagonist in our story, and the clown was the protagonist. To incorporate the cupboard, we wanted to have it as one of the main focal points of the story - we decided to have a clown walking down the street, and then the cactus enters. As it enters, black clouds descend on the street, and when it touches the clown, a cupboard opens and black clouds pour out. Everything gets sucked into the cupboard apart from the cactus.

Making this was fairly easy - all we had to do was draw a backdrop consisting of a street, and then draw the characters. It was then just a case of placing everything on the paper, and taking a photo, then gradually moving it. You can watch the end product here - from 7:33 - 7:52.

A few days after selection day, I received an email from Culture Works East saying I got into the Academy - I will be documenting my journey through it on this blog, to record and show how it has helped me develop my skills/knowledge in film.

Based on your idea so far...

Ideally, taking into account the genre and target audience of my film, it would mainly be consumed online and in the cinema. Since the cinema is accessible for all ages, it would allow for my entire target audience (mainly teenagers/middle aged people) to attend, and maybe even people outside of that. I would also like my film to be consumed online, as I think it's another easy way to spread the film as wide as possible in terms of age range and also numbers of people. Almost everyone has internet access at this point in time, so it wouldn't be expensive or difficult for them to watch it online, and it also means they can watch it from the comfort of their own home, likely again expanding the number of people who would consume it.

Final locations

I'm going to be using Wymondham train station because it's very near to my house, meaning it's easy for me (and my actor) to get there, and we can visit it as many times as we like. It's also a lot smaller than other train stations, such as the one in Norwich, and so will be less busy/we will have less interuptions. This is the only station close by that fits with my plot - it would be no use me trying to use Norwich station, as trains don't pass through it, they stop to pick people up. This, therefore, wouldn't fit with my plot because I need a train passing through at quite a fast speed when the character bends down to pick up the shoes. Finally, Wymondham station is better than Norwich as you need to buy a ticket somewhere to actually have access to where the trains are, which could become very expensive very quickly, whereas Wymondham it's free entry. There are only a few other locations I am going to be hopefully using, but they don't need to be anything specific - they are my kitchen, and any road.

Location research

These are 3 potential locations I am thinking of using for the main setting of my film opening. All of these locations themselves are perfect for what I want to do, but there are pros and cons to all of them, which are listed below.

Location 1

Location 1 is good because, as you can see from this picture, it has no cover and so the lighting is varied across different parts of the location, which will not only allow for interesting/aesthetically pleasing shots, but it will also mean I can experiment with mood-reflections in lighting, etc. It's also fairly quiet so there won't be many disturbances whilst on set. It'll be very easy for the actor to get there, since it is in my town (and in the town my actor lives too) - this is a huge positive because it means if I don't get it filmed all in one day, or if I watch the footage back and it's not quite what I wanted, I can very easily go back and re-film it. The cover is not only good for varying light - if the weather isn't particularly good, it means there is cover for both the camera and the actor (if it's raining), and if it is very cold there's a building just behind it which serves hot drinks. This means we can stay out for a longer period of time as we won't have to go off location to eat etc. However, there are a few cons to this location too. It being small is a good thing, because it means not many people are there, but also it means that around the time the trains come the people that are there may get in shot by accident. Also, there aren't many trains passing through, and so it will require careful time planning and a lot of waiting to get the specific shots I want.

Location 2

Location 2 is good because it has a lot of platforms and has a really nice 'authentic' look to it. It also has plenty of cover in case of bad weather, and since it's partially indoors, the weather isn't something that will be particularly obvious in the final cut. However, I wouldn't use this location unless the others weren't available, as after going on a recce there I found that trains don't actually pass through it, they reach the end of the line here. This is a problem for one of the shots I want to use, so I will have to be careful with a number of things if I want to still capture that shot. Also, since it's central to the city, it'll probably be quite busy and so people will probably get into the background and ruin the isolated feel I want to create. This location is a bit more tricky for my actor and myself to get to, as it's around 25 minutes away from where we are both based. Therefore, if anything went wrong we would have to wait until a time when we both had a whole day free to go and film there again, as it's not somewhere we can just go to for an hour or so.
  

Location 3

Location 3 is very similar to location 2 in the way that trains don't pass all the way through, and so again that will require careful thought and editing to get a certain shot in. However, I know from being there in the past that it is often fairly empty, and it has the flat, grey, isolated look that I wanted. Therefore, this is my backup location as it isn't as good as location 1, but has a number of things over location 3. However, this location is the worst of the three proposed ones in terms of where it's situated. It takes around 50 minutes to get there, and so would require a lot of driving, weather planning (since it has no cover if it starts to rain), and maybe even two days of actually filming to get everything done in the way that I'd like.

Script first draft

This is the first draft of my script. Once I have done all my official casting, found all my props and made final desicions regarding the location, I will be able to adjust this accordingly.

FADE IN:

BLACK SCREEN

NARRATOR
You turn left,

CUT TO:

EXT. CAR – DAYTIME
The camera is looking at the windscreen from the outside; the character turns the wheel to the left.

NARRATOR
Then right,

CUT TO:

EXT. CAR – DAYTIME
The camera is looking at the windscreen from the outside; the character turns the wheel to the right.

NARRATOR
Then left again.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAR – DAYTIME
The camera is looking at the windscreen from the outside; the character turns the wheel to the left.

NARRATOR
Coffee, after coffee, after coffee

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN – EARLY MORNING
Hip-hop montage style cuts showing close-ups of making coffee.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN – EARLY MORNING
Over each word (next piece of narration) a different action is shown – pushing down the top of the coffee machine, pouring the coffee, empty cup being put on the table.

NARRATOR
Black [pause] no milk [pause] no sugar

CUT TO:

INT. CAR BOOT – DAYTIME
The camera is in the (shut) boot of the car, looking diagonal (mostly upward).

NARRATOR
Open,

CUT TO:

INT. CAR BOOT – DAYTIME

The boot opens and the character becomes visible.

NARRATOR
Shut,

CUT TO:

INT. CAR BOOT – DAYTIME

The boot is open and the camera is looking out at the character, he shuts the boot, submerging the camera in darkness.

NARRATOR
Open.

CUT TO:

INT. CAR BOOT – DAYTIME

The boot opens and the character reaches inside and picks up his coat and newspaper.

CUT TO:

EXT. OUTSIDE THE TRAIN STATION – DAYTIME

The character walks toward the entrance to the train station, and puts on his coat while doing so.

EXT. IN THE TRAIN STATION, ON A BENCH – DAYTIME

NARRATOR
And then, you wait. 

CUT TO:

Shots of the character sitting on a bench, looking around absent-mindedly.

NARRATOR
And that’s basically my life.

CUT TO:

Character notices a pair of shoes across the station; looks up, tilts head slightly.

CUT TO:

A pair of black shoes sit neatly on a bench over on the opposite platform.

CUT TO:

Character looks down at his own shoes, then back up again at the shoes on the platform.

CUT TO:

A shot of the shoes on the bench, this time from slightly further away. The character walks up to the shoes, and just before touching them, a train hurtles past. Once it has passed, we see the character has disappeared, and so have the shoes.

NARRATOR
They say, ‘you never really know someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes’.

CUT TO:

EXT. SHOT OF THE STAIRS LEADING OVER THE TRACKS – DAYTIME

NARRATOR
I don’t know who ‘they’ is, but now, I know that quote can sometimes be quite true.

 A tilting shot; the camera moves up as the character walks into shot, places the shoes down, and proceeds to walk up the stairs and towards the exit.

[PRODUCTION SEQUENCE AND CREDITS APPEAR]

Prop list

There are only a few action props I will need whilst filming. Since I want the film opening to be set in a normal place, with normal characters, I don't want there to be too many really exciting props or action props to take away from what is happening within the scene. So, my prop list only contains a few everyday items, which are:

- Black shoes
- A newspaper
- A car
- A kettle
- A train
- Coffee

I chose these props, as most of them are used to tell or enhance the story. I wanted to make them as average/boring as possible, to reflect the character's backstory.

I also wanted the character to be dressed as plainly as possible - looking like they are on their way to work. However, I wanted a pair of shoes that are bright, and don't match the main characters outfit, to put across the idea that before he changes shoes, he doesn't feel completely himself, or comfortable in his own skin. Therefore, the clothing items I decided on are as listed below.


- A white collar shirt
- A jumper (dark coloured)
- Blue/black (plain) jeans OR black trousers
- Trainers (any colour other than black)
- A jacket/coat (dark coloured)

Based on my first draft...

The preliminary task was a big learning curve for me in terms of how to successfully edit and film something. From really simple things like changing from shot to shot (e.g. if there's a character walking through a door, and they are being filmed walking through from both the back and the front, they shouldn't stop walking straight after opening the door, as when you try to edit both the clips together it's obvious they paused), to continuity - if they have their hair one way in one shot, it should be that way throughout unless they change it in the shot itself. I also learnt a lot about recording dialogue and sound. Since the preliminary was done before actually doing any research into sound and dialogue, I hadn't realised the problems I would face with the quality. I also didn't know anything about recording ambient sound, and so it sounded a bit jumpy in the end. Camera angles were the final thing I developed my knowledge on in my coursework - we stuck with quite basic angles and shot types, and so overall it isn't very interesting. In my actual coursework I have several ideas on how to change angles from quite ordinary to a lot more intriguing. Finally, during our preliminary, we only did each shot once (when it went right). This turned out to be a quite bad idea, as there were often subtle mistakes that are hard to see on a camera screen, that we noticed during editing, but by then it was too late to go back and film again. Therefore, when making my coursework I am definitely going to do each shot at least twice, so I have plenty to choose from during editing.

Overall, the preliminary taught me a lot about the whole filmmaking process. Since it was my first time ever filming, I didn't really know what I was doing, but after doing that task I had a better understanding on how much effort actually goes into making a piece of film, even if it is only two minutes of it.

Character Profile

NAME: Charlie Taylor

AGE: 42

PROFESSION: Financial adviser

LIKES: His dog, hiking, going out for meals

DISLIKES: Watching TV, his job

HISTORY: Parents got divorced when he was very young, and so he grew up with just his mum. After completing his A-Levels, he went to university to study finance. He has had a few long term girlfriends, but nothing too serious.

PERSONALITY TRAITS: Very quiet and reserved, likes to keep himself to himself

FRIENDSHIP GROUPS: Has a few close friends from college, but apart from them and his colleagues from work, he doesn't really see anyone else

THREE DESCRIBING WORDS: Quiet, conscientious, reserved

Plot Synopsis

My film opening will begin with some shots of the main character sitting on a bench at the train station. There will be a few cuts to other parts in his life - e.g., driving to work and making coffee. He is reading a newspaper, and flicking through the pages without really concentrating on the content. He looks up from his newspaper, and looking around at the empty station, he sees a pair of black shoes on the other side of the platform. They look brand new and unworn. He puts his newspaper down on the bench, and crosses the platform to the other side. As he bends down to pick up the shoes, a train goes past, and once it has gone, the man has disappeared. We then see the man walking toward the exit of the train station, wearing the shoes, and placing his trainers down on the floor in place of the black shoes.

If I was to make the whole film, the plot would develop to tell the story of how finding the shoes have, although they match his outfit and he may feel more comfortable in them than the other ones he is wearing, made his life a lot worse. Bad things start happening to him, until he discovers that something about the shoes that he found is affecting him - (he then eventually find out who they belonged to, as referenced in a voice-over quote I am planning at the start, and finds out about their bad backstory), and the bulk of the story would be about his trying to get rid of them.

I would definitely make it into a non-linear story, as I think they are a lot more interesting. Most of my favourite films, such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) and Adaptation (2002), are non-linear, and that's part of the reason they are so great - they can withhold the most important part of the film until the end in the most unique and beautiful way, or choose to piece the story together at a certain rate, and so it not only gives the filmmakers a lot more control, but it makes the audience think about what's happening. Also, something I really like about a lot of non-linear films is the fact that you understand them retrospectively - you aren't necessarily allowed to understand a lot of what's gone on until the end, and every time you watch them you understand something new (e.g. in Eternal Sunshine - tiny details, like the small dots on the side of Joel's head in the scene where he is in his car, you either don't notice/hardly notice them until you watch it a second time, where you realise that it is him coming back from the clinic).

Already, in my opening, I have planned to have a few non-linear parts - the parts where he is driving, the shots of the coffee and the shots of him opening the boot will be non-linear, as they happen at an ambiguous time outside the main storyline. This adds in the possibility for a much greater amount of shots to be present, making it a lot more fun to watch.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Fan-made Trailer

After downloading Premiere Pro on my laptop at home, I decided to practice using the software on something else, before I edited my coursework. Since I had no footage of my own to edit, I decided that I wanted to make a trailer for my favourite film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. You can watch it below.

Firstly, I imported the film into Premiere Pro. I then went through the whole thing, and cut out small clips that I thought would be good in a trailer, and then it was simply a case of editing them together, and adding a soundtrack.

This first part, the advert for Lacuna Inc., doesn't actually appear in the film, but it is in the bonus part of the DVD. I wanted to put this at the start, as it is an effective way of telling the viewer about the main concept of the film, without having to use extended clips from the actual film, which could make it confusing/really long. I then had to think about what kind of story I wanted to tell - whether my trailer focussed more on the darker aspect, or the relationship aspect, or both - I decided to have a transition from one to the other.

So, with this in mind, to start off with, I decided to tell the story from the start. I used short clips from when they met, and then broke up, and then showed the card saying Clementine had gotten her memory erased. The main bulk of the trailer then showed the process of Joel having his memory erased. I decided to make the mood get darker and darker as it went through - as he is happy to have the procedure to begin with, his mood shown by the happy clips, but then once he experiences all these he changes his mind and wants to call it off. This is shown by the darker clips, of Clementine disappearing and also the addition of Patrick. I think the clips used in my trailer don't give too much away, but they tell the audience enough to want to watch the film to know how it ends - I wanted the narrative structure of it to be much like a real film description, in terms of not telling them too much about the plot.

Toward the end, I thought that 3 minutes of solid music and short clips may be too much, so I decided to add in a break. I tried to make the clips toward that point get scarier, and more intense, and I timed it so the music was the same - as soon as it peaks, it cuts to silence, and the clip where Patrick hits his head on the table. This also sort of matches with what actually happens in the film, as Joel's memories are getting out of control and almost painful for him, until it cuts to that point and it all goes calm. I think this is effective as it breaks up the continuous music, and provides a bit of extra interest as it's not expected.

Finally, I decided to end the trailer with the part where both Joel and Clem (quite a prominent point in the film) figure out that they have both had their memories erased when they meet again, and they say, 'Okay' to each other. I wanted this as it's a very significant point in the film - it doesn't provide an actual closed ending where we know what will happen, it's really more down to us to guess. However, I also wanted to merge this somehow with the final moments of Joel's memory erasure - when I found both these clips, and put them together, it just so happened that Howard said 'Okay', before shutting his laptop, too. So, I decided to keep these together as I thought it sounded interesting, and put Joel and Clem's clip first, and Howard's after - I just kept the video when it was focussed on the laptop, and then had it cut to black after. The titles then pop up at the sound of him shutting his laptop. I think this was an effective way to end it, because not only is it the ending of Joel's memory erasure and their ambiguous ending as a couple, but it finishes on a laptop shutting, and 3 final closing statements using the same word.