Script and storyboard analysis

Through the amendments to my script, I felt that I had to build up a sense of representation through camera angles, narrative structure and character development, whilst also following common conventions of existing media products to help create a market successful film with my target audience.

To gain experience in the common conventions of short films, I analysed various products such as films that have premiered at festivals and recent University graduate projects. Through viewing these films online, I discovered that all of them contain common themes such as the length of time, stretching from three minutes to thirty minutes being classed as ‘short’. All of the films that I watched had a strong sense of narrative and character theory containing linearity. “Linearity of cause and effect within an overall trajectory of enigma resolution” (Barthes). A great example of this is the short film called ‘The Siren’ created be Alex Nevil, based around an old man seeing visions of a beautiful young lady. The way that the film is structured, with a very definitive beginning, middle and end, helps to tell a story and leaves nothing unresolved, in some senses, helping to create more enjoyable, easier viewing. To some degree, this is something I would like to create in my film as it would help make it flow in an interesting and professional manner, however some issues in my film I would like to leave unresolved to create tension keep the audience thinking after they leave the cinema.

In two short films that I analysed, ‘Get off my land’ and ‘The Siren’ the filming takes place in the countryside, which is something that I also included for my script and storyboard as it has a scene that takes place by a river. I think that although this setting seems like a common convention, it all depends on the plot and location hunting that can be very varied depending on the genre. In some senses I broke the conventions of location as most other films are set in cities or built up areas, these are places that you are more likely to pair up with drama and social realism.

In ‘The Grammar of Narrative’, Tzvetan Todorov developed a theory of narrative structure, which I studied and followed when I began turning my script into a screenplay. In some senses my plot follows Todorov’s theory, as there is state is Equilibrium, before the character’s dies, Disruption, when the characters dies, Disequilibrium, when he is dead reviewing his memories, the resolution, when he realizes he isn’t scared of death, and the new equilibrium, where he is finally back in peace. Using this narrative structure helps to create further interest in the film, especially when I leave certain issues unresolved, then the audience would be more likely to research more into the plot or wait for a sequel/another film from the same director.

The use of representation within dialogue is also very poignant. In one particular scene, a child goes to meet his brother in hospital who has been in an accident. The teenager is very sarcastic to his brother, and when asked about how he is, he says “Being stuck in a hospital bed with wires poking out of me? Oh yeah it’s fantastic, dream come true mate.” This relates to Stanley Hall’s theory of storm and stress: “Adolescence is inherently a time of storm & stress when ‘all’ young people go through some degree of emotional and behavioural upheaval, before establishing a more stable equilibrium at adulthood.” Stanley Hall (1904). The fact that the brother is being rude and sarcastic is a stereotypical representation of youth and so is the fact that he has been in an accident, as this piece of narrative lets us think that he is a reckless youth that has been messing about.

To sum up, through conventions and gaining influence from existing products I feel that I have started to create a product that represents the needs of my particular target audience through films that have similar audiences and the use of structure, camera angles and dialogue. Whilst also creating an interesting and powerful film, these things will also help to create a market successful and commercially viable short film.