With a Little Help from my Friends - Final Short Film
I confirm that the attached portfolio is all my own work and does not include any work completed by anyone other than myself.
Pre - Production
UAL: Project proposal -https://drive.google.com/file/d/11EbJzUy_jHOe3d2DtJWSAvM5gGWz73bY/view?usp=sharing
My idea
I wanted to make a coming of age story about teenage friends, as this is something that everyone can relate to and something I could now. Coming of age story's are one of my favourite genre in cinema so I believed it was perfect for me to create one. The story follows an older Trevor as he notices some teenage lads having a laugh with each other. This then spurs the memory of his friends and he takes a trip down memory lane. Back to 1977, he and his three-childhood friends Jude, Gary and Winston. Summer was close to ending so they wanted to have a night to remember, an adventure to their local pub. Trevor and Winston shared their issues and they help. Trevor opens up about his dad’s death. Winston, the shy and nerdy one out of the group shares about his social confidence with girls. From the help of his friends Winston gains the confidence to speak to a girl in the pub, Linda. They all drink and sing Beatles songs with one another and experience a beautiful moment all as one. The moment is quickly ruined by the local bullies who enter the pub, they soon verbally assault’s Linda as she is leaving. Winston quickly comes to her defense and a fight breaks out. They quickly escape from the bullies but we soon find out Gary knows one of the bullies. An emotional argument breaks out and it is revealed that Gary’s parents abandoned him and he is now living in a care home and lives with one of the bullies. Gary walks away without the lads and they all walk home and go their separate ways. The group were divided, and all went home. Jude went home to his parents arguing, a divorce. His problem felt small and irrelevant, so he didn’t share with the group. To get out the house he went on a walk, were he bumped into the bullies. They brutally beat him up and stabbed him, killing him. The group met back up at Jude’s funeral. Sometimes, growing up can be hard, nevertheless, finding true friends can be even harder.
This story is inspired by the Beatles personal life as there is references about the Beatles throughout. Each character's issues represents each individual member of the Beatles, Trevor represents Paul McCartney as he lost his mother at a young age, relating to Trevor losing his dad. Jude represents John Lennon with his death at the end representing John Lennon's assassination. Winston who is a shy and introverted character represents George Harrison as he was known as the quiet Beatle. Gary represents Ringo as he was known as the cool Beatle.
First Draft
Monday 29th March to Friday 2nd April 2021
During the week off I began going location scouting throughout the week, looking for different locations that would fit the atmosphere and look I was looking for. I had an idea of what locations I wanted so during that week I went round looking at these locations and took images to try and represent the vision the best I could. This is the multiple images I got throughout the week when location scouting for my short film.
The big scene is set inside a pub, I contacted the pub owner that I know and asked if there was any chance I would be able to use the pub. After some discussion he said we were allowed to film anytime before re-opening. The pub re opens on the 17th May 2021 meaning I would have to film before that date.
Monday 12th April 2021
On Monday 12th April I began the pre-production paperwork for my end of year short film. I wanted to start the paperwork early as it will give me more time to to develop the story and plan everything to perfection. As I had already had a script I began by writing up a treatment/synopsis for my short film. Having this allows people to understand the story without reading the whole script so they get an outline for what I'm trying to create.
Tuesday 13th April 2021
On the 13th of April I began doing a character breakdown for each character in my short film, doing this allows me to understand the characters even more. Having this allows me to convey the performance that I want the actors to portray in the audition. Character breakdown also allows me the team to understand the physical description, costume and more. Further allowing me and my team to determine if the actors would fit the role.
On Wednesday I began doing research on the 1977 fashion, allowing me understand the costume for my end of year short film. I began looking at films between the years 1975 and 1977 as this is the fashion that would be relevant for my short film. I looked at films such as Taxi Driver, Rocky and more. From this I created a mood board about my costume allowing it to be clear what style of costume I want from my short film. I then began showing the mood board to relative's who where alive in the 1970's, doing this allowed me confirm that the costume would fit with the time period.
From doing research about costume I was able to understand that the costume I wanted was a mix between late 1970's and early 1980's. Then I began to buy some of the costume from my short film. I first wanted a ugly sweatshirt for one character, Winston. The reason I wanted this was because I wanted a sweatshirt that looked like his knitted or bought it for him. After doing research on different websites including eBay, Depop, Etsy and Amazon I found this sweatshirt on eBay which was perfect for the character, which I purchased.
Under the sweatshirt I wanted the character to have a white shirt or polo underneath showing he is a sensible character. I ordered a large sweatshirt allowing it it fit all actors who are auditioning for the role.
Monday 19th April 2021
On the Monday I began creating the casting call and began writing out a character breakdown for the casting. The casting call includes the locations, logline and synopsis of my film. Furthermore including the date, time and place of the auditions, giving actors all the relevant information that is needed. I also included different way platforms to contact me on if interested auditioning.
I then began to create a character breakdown for the auditions similar to the ones I did before, but added more detail about each character. Doing this would give the actors plenty of information about each character ready for their auditions.
Tuesday 20th April 2021
I began creating character monologues for each character ready for the auditions, having monologues for the actors to perform gives me a clear understanding of the acting ability. Furthermore, writing monologues allows the actors to experiment with the character and allows me to see there interpretation of it. I wrote monologues for each character that I wanted auditions for giving the actors a wide range of characters to choose from.
Once I had all the casting paperwork I sent all the relevant paperwork into the acting group chat and furthermore put up all the sheets on the casting notice board. This allowed everyone who wanted to audition have plenty of time to prepare ready for the audition on Monday 26th April.
Wednesday 21st April 2021
I presented my pitch on the 21st April and I presented my idea and did it with confidence to show I believed in my idea. Furthermore, I had to show I was passionate and presented my idea so I would stick in the teachers head as a short film they wanted to create.
My Pitch:
Along with the pitch I created a proposal, this allowed me to go into more detail and explain everything that I was planning to do with this project.
The Proposal:
Sunday 26th April 2021
After the casting notice went out along with the character breakdowns and monologues, I had eight people get in touch from the college, auditioning for different roles for the production. On the Sunday I scheduled everyone into a time slot ready for their audition on the Monday. Due to certain people having different commitments I had to try my best to schedule around them for the audition. Furthermore, I had to extend one persons audition to the Tuesday as they where busy for the Monday.
Monday 26th & Tuesday 27th April 2021
On the Monday I started the auditions at 1:30 pm and had each person auditioning coming in when it was there time to audition. Along with the monologues that I provided I gave the actors little bits from the script to see how they would act when talking to the different characters in the story. I did the same throughout and on the Tuesday audition.
Throughout auditioning I filled out a talent audition sheet, this allowed me to know the relevant information, if I then chose to cast them. Furthermore, it allowed me to take notes on the actors performance and if they are suitable for the role that they auctioned for or a different role.
Wednesday 28th April 2021
On Wednesday I began the day by creating a risk assessment for the production of my short film. Risk assessments are essential when working on any project as it is my responsibility to keep both cast and crew safe. Risk assessments allow me to put protocols in place, allowing each shooting day to be safe for everyone on set. They also help determine the severity of the risk is and what is required to prevent that risk. Once I finished the risk assessment I had a member of staff look over it and sign it off meaning that I have taken all precautions necessary keep cast and crew safe.
I then created scheduling cards ready for filming, scheduling cards are so important as it allows everyone making films able to schedule around each other, making sure there are no cross overs between actors and equipment.
At the end of the day I decided to have a pre-production meeting with all the crew, in this meeting I went through each persons individual job role on set. For cinematography I wanted to have Nathan Appleby and Amilyah Ashraf on set as I have worked with both before and they are both very talented with the camera. I further discussed with Kai my production designer, about the set and the locations and that he will need to fix certain things on set if it doesn't fit with the time period. Finally, I spoke to Harriet the script supervisor, I spoke to her about her role on set, looking through the script and making sure actors are saying the correct line throughout.
Thursday 29th April 2021
I finished the second and final draft of my screenplay. The feedback I got from the first draft was to add subtle hint throughout about Gary living in a care home. Furthermore, I believed the fight scene between the four lads felt a bit forced. I decided to change the dialogue to make the scene feel more natural and it allowed the dialogue to flow better.
Second Draft of Script
Moreover, I did the production roles sheet, explaining everyone's roles and what I expect for them on set when working on my project. Doing this allows all my crew to know exactly what to do on set and know what their job role is.
Friday 30th April 2021
On Friday I began going through the auditions and none of the auditions fitted the performance that I wanted for the film. I decided to audition outside actors to see how they would fit with the role. I auditioned them one by one going through different lines and had them all in the same room, going through the lines and doing a little read through of the script. This went perfect and it fitted the vision perfectly of what I had in my mind.
Monday 3rd May 2021
I started the day off by getting in contact with everyone who had auditioned and let them know if they got the part or not. Everyone who was successful with their audition I sent off the script and I discussed with each actor who was casted more information about the character to make sure they understood their character in the production.
Script Breakdown (Scene Breakdown)
After this I did a props list for the whole production. I went through this with Kai my production designer to see what we could get for a reasonable price. Doing a prop list meant I had to go through the script and label whenever a prop was needed for the scene, then I wrote it on the props list.
Tuesday 4th May 2021
On Tuesday I strayed the day by doing a design breakdown for each scene, this allows me to breakdown the design elements including props, location etc. This is important as it is important for me and the production designer to know what I want for my film and how we can make that become a reality.
After this I created a crew and cast contact sheet, this is a very important bit of the paperwork to do as it is my main source of contacting people. This sheet is helpful for knowing how to contact people quickly and efficiently. Additionally if someone hasn't showed up on set, I will have everyone's contacts on me so I always have a way to contact them.
After this I created a location breakdown list and addresses, this is important so you have a lear document of all your locations for filming.
Wednesday 5th May 2021
I finished the scheduling cards and created a scheduling sheet for each week of the production, furthermore I placed all my scheduling card on the sheet to make sure my production didn't overlap with anyone else making their short film. Additionally due to me using outside actors I am only available to film at certain times and at weekends. This is due to the actors having college and other commitments. I scheduled around the actors filming big shoot days on weekends and small scenes after 4:00pm during mid week. I had all the locations sorted other than one but I always had a safety location with the Eaglescliffe village hall as that is ran by my teacher Kelly who said she will let me use it.
After this I created a group chat for the whole production including both cast and crew. Having a way to contact everybody allows everyone to know who they are working with and allows both cast and crew contact me if they have any enquires. Furthermore, it allows me to contact t them all to let them know the days of filming and what times and stuff they will need on set.
Once I created the group chat I sent in the shooting schedule for the first week of filming, which informed everyone who will be filming and the time they will be filming.
On Thursday I spent the whole day doing shot lists for each scene, shot lists are very important as it allows me to demonstrate my vision to the rest of the team. this means that when on set I can go through the type of shot I want to the cinematographer the team has an idea for the vision I am trying to achieve.
I the did some camera plans for only scene that where more complicated (more movement with camera and actors). This allows me to demonstrate where I want the camera positioned, but I only did camera plans for the scenes that felt complicated, especially the outside tracking shot scenes.
Friday 7th May 2021
On Friday I bought all costume for the short film with each character. With costume I watched lots off films set in between the years 1976 to 1978. This was able to give me inspiration from the outfits. The costume from the 1978 film taxi driver as it was lots of flannel shirts with slim fit jeans. Additionally, I spoke to people who lived in these years and they said that the outfits where perfect for the time period it was set.
I then began shopping for all costumes and props. For the four main characters I had Winston's costume be different to the other lads showing that he is different. Furthermore I had girl 1 and girl 2 dress similar than Linda dress different with a flowery dress showing she is different. Additionally having Linda and Winston dress differently represents their relationship with one another.
When buying props I bought classic british pint glasses for the pub scene, with this I bought three boxes of non alcoholic beer. Having this makes the scene look realistic and give a realistic look and atmosphere. Secondly, I bought a prop knife this was very difficult as I couldn't use a real knife as it wouldn't be safe on set. After research I found a realistic butterfly prop knife which would look perfect for the close up.
Moreover I had a meeting with the two cinematographer's Nathan Appleby and Amiliyah Ashraf, I went through the shot lists for each scene. I explained my idea and what shots I wanted, doing this allowed the crew to understand the vision of my short film. For the complicated scenes, I went through the camera plans and showed pictures from the locations. This gave them a idea for how we would film the scene and create the best shots on the filming day.
Finding location for the Scene 9 and scene 10
Finding location for the final scene was difficult. I contacted Stockton baptist church by email and I was back and fourth with them for a few weeks. Unfortunately I didn't fit into their time frame with filming as I needed to film everything before May 28th 2021. Here is the whole conversation between the church, after the emails I spoke to Katy on the phone and we discussed if it was possible. Unfortunately it wasn't available for the days that I wanted but it was great having the contact for future films.
Instead I spoke to Kelly (our teacher) and she has access to Eaglescliffe village hall, this fitted it better as we wouldn't have as many extras. Furthermore it fitted the time period a lot more as often in the 1970's it would be a small venue at funerals.
On the girl who was casted on playing girl 1 dropped out due to her moving houses, this wasn't a major issue as the character she was playing wasn't an important role. I asked about but everyone had different commitments to different projects and many weren't free to film on weekends. I discussed with my cinematographer Amiliyah and she said she was more than happy playing this role as there aren't any lines. Additionally this meant there would be less people on set making it safer with covid-19.
Release Forms
I got everyone on screen in my production to sign a release forms, this gives me permission to use there face on screen in my production.
Production Process - Filming the short film
Saturday 8th May 2021
The day before filming I sent into the group chat a call sheet which gives both cast and crew all the information that is necessary including the time schedule, locations, contact information and extra information if needed. For the filming I needed extras, I contacted my two of my friends the week before and asked if they could help me and this day and they agreed.
The day was meant to start at 11:00 am, as we were meant to film scene 1 with older Trevor and two extras. However due to the heavy rain, I had to postpone filming till later that day when the rain stopped. As this was a small day of filming I was the only member of crew on set but I still had to contact all the actors about the push back. Once I contacted them, they where more than happy to wait a bit until the rain stopped, however one extra was unable to do this. After this inconvenience I had to ring up different friends and asked them if they could help be an extra, luckily my friend agreed and we were able to film later that day. This meant I pushed back filming till 1:00pm, however I was going to record the voiceover of older Trevor earlier but due to the rain, the sound when doing practice recordings was loud when hitting off the roof.
Mathew Harston who was playing older Trevor came to my home at 1:00pm to record all voice overs as the rain had slowed down significantly meaning there was no interference with the audio. We went through the lines and did multiple takes on different recordings, allowing me to work with Mathew and work with his voice to portray the different emotions that his character would be feeling. At first I realised that when talking he was very robotic and stiff in the way he was reading his lines. I decided to go through the lines around 10 times without the camera on so he was comfortable with the lines and the setting. After this I was able to get the perfect emotion from the voice that I wanted and I could vision the voice over in the over all story. During this I decided to add in lines and change lines as I wanted to experiment with it when I have all the footage in ready to edit. I had added in one line which I am thinking of using for the finally of the short film which is "But I suppose we all get by with a little help from our friends". We finished the voice over recordings by 2:30pm which meant we were on schedule as the extras met at my house to walk down to location.
We got to location around 2:50pm and I began blocking through the scene with the actors and explained what the plan was for this scene. I then set up the cameras and started filming at 3:00pm, on set one of the actors brought their dog, I decided to include the dog within the short film (Older Trevor walking his dog) as I believed it would make the audience like older Trevor from the beginning and it made a nice extreme long shot with the dog entering frame before older Trevor. This scene went smoothly and everyone was perfect in listening and understanding what I was planning on achieving. We finished filming around 4:00pm, this took longer than expected as I was the only member of crew on set on this day.
Overall this filming day was very successful as I was able to achieve everything that I was planning on achieving, however there was a few minor setbacks but I was able to overcome these with quick thinking and good problem solving. I filled out the daily production report, this is used to understand the timing and how long each day will take you.
Sunday 9th May 2021
The day before filming I sent into the group chat a call sheet which gives both cast and crew all the information that is necessary including the time schedule, locations, contact information and extra information if needed.
I had everyone meet at my house to get changed into all costumes that I had bought for the short film then we would walk on location from there. Both cast and crew met at 2:00pm and we walked to the location and was on location for 2:30pm. The first scene we were filming on this day was scene 2. As Amiliyah and Nathan (Cinematography team) where setting the camera up I began blocking through the scene with the actors. Doing this also allowed the actors to feel comfortable around each other as some of them have never acted together before. One worry of mine was the continuity of the scene as it is a tracking shot of the four friends walking along the country side whilst talking. I did my research and I concluded that the best way for me to achieve this was to have a mark on the floor of where the actors would start their conversation and where they would end it. We went through the scene once see where they started and where they finished and marked the ground. This meant when cutting between different peoples mid shots the continuity of the background to be the same. After this we began filming the scene, I started by getting a wide shot for the master of the four characters walking having the conversation. Then I cut to a medium two shot on Jude and Trevor then the same shot on Winston and Gary. I further got different close up shots of Gary's hand and finished the scene with an extreme long shot to contrast the long shot with older Trevor in scene 1. Filming went smoothly as the weather was perfect, one of the only issues we had was sometimes people would be walking past meaning we had to be patient and let them walk away before we were filming again. We finished filming around 4:00pm and we walked straight the the next location from there.
We arrived at the second location at 4:30pm, this was for scene 5. We filmed in the alleyway in Yarm high street, a big issue was there was a big yellow car parked at the end of the alley way meaning we would have to frame it out of shot. I blocked through the scene and told them all their narks and where to stand for this scene. I wanted a mid shot on each character so I could get each characters emotion separately as this is a very important scene, I went through the shot list with Amiliyah and showed her my vision. I really wanted to focus on the acting especially with the character Gary (played by Joe Harston) as this is his emotional breakdown. I had to do several takes as I wanted Gary to be very aggressive as he is a character that pushes everyone around him away. I conveyed this by having push each friend with his hand, showing that he is very self destructive and pushes away the people who are there for him. At first Joe played the character more frustrated than angry, but after a bit of direction I showed him that I wanted him to be angry because he is scared of what the bullies could do to any of his friends, as they were the reason he hurt his hand. After multiple takes on different angles I finally got exactly what I wanted. During this scene it began to light rain a little bit but this wasn't a massive concern to call of filming as you couldn't see it on camera. The final scene we did was scene 6 which took around 2 minutes as it is just the three friends walking down the street without Gary. We finished filming at exactly 6:00pm, which meant I scheduled it perfectly.
In conclusion the filming day was very successful as I was able to achieve everything that I wanted to. There was no issues this day and it was a great day on set working with actors and my crew to create this project. For this day I did a daily production diary.
Tuesday 11th May 2021
On Tuesday was the scene filmed inside Jude's house where it is revealed his parents are getting a divorce. I sent in the call sheet a the day before and I made sure everyone did the covid-19 lateral flow test before filming as we were going to my nana's house so wanted us to be as safe as possible. There would only be three people on set this day as it was a small shooting day.
We arrived on set at 5:00pm, which we began setting up the set of the room. Me and Kai (production designer) set up the set by taking down pictures to replace them with our own design. As part of the set I had a Beatles poster, the Let it be album. I believed this was great product placement as this the Beatles final album, foreshadowing Jude's final encounter with his friends. I blocked through the scene with the actor and explained the context of this scene. After setting up the set and blocking it through we began filming at 5:20pm. We did multiple takes on different angles allowing me to have a lot to work with in the edit. We set up a two point lighting to light the scene perfectly, meaning it was lit on each side of the actors. We finished filming at 6:00pm which meant we fitted to the schedule perfectly.
Overall this was a successful filming day as for a small day of filming I was able to shoot more than I needed.
I did a daily production report on this day to track the process of this film.
Saturday 15th May 2021
On Saturday was the big shooting day in the pub, this is the most important scenes to film as this is where the majority of the story takes place. Before filming I sent in the call sheet letting actors know when they will arrive on set and all the details they will need for the shooting day.
The main cast and crew met at the pub at 9:00am and we began setting up the cameras and all actors changed into their costumes, which meant we were ready to film at 9:30 am. We first filmed scene 3 where the lads are about to enter the pub in an exterior location. I decided to change this into an interior location as it felt like the scene would run smoother if it was inside and moved into the start of scene 4 where they are trying to get served. One issue that I faced was the covid-19 markings on the floor for the pub reopening. As we couldn't move these I had to try my best to frame them out of shot when filming. Another issue I faced was the lighting as the pub was dark and as it was a bright day the windows were a bit over exposed on the camera. We fixed this by using the studio lights to light the scene and changing the ISO and aperture on the camera to try and fix the exposure on the windows. This worked but as it still was a bright day there wasn't much we could do.
At around 10:30 am I filmed the conversation between Trevor and Jude where Trevor opens up about the death of his dad. This is a very important scene as I wanted it to show that boys try and hide their emotion but Jude wants Trevor to open up. I worked closely with Sam (actor playing Trevor). I focused on the way he talked on a few lines and the emotion. I wanted him to be choking up and trying his hardest to not cry, relating to the toxic masculinity that is around at the time and still is around today. I blocked through the scene and for continuity I had both actors drink the beer on certain lines and whenever starting a new shot I refilled the glasses so the continuity was perfect when cutting between shots. We finished filming this conversation at around 12:00pm and we want for a one hour lunch break for all cast and crew. During the break I began setting up the lights and camera for the next scene, we did this as it would save time as setting up the lighting took up the most time.
At 1:00pm we began filming Winston's and Gary's conversation at the bar, this scene flowed beautifully but setting the lighting up was difficult as the reflection in the characters glasses kept catching the studio lights. To fix this we had to try our best to bounce the lighting of the walls to light the scene instead of having them pointed directly at the actor. I worked with the actors on there performance as I wanted Winston to look awkward throughout especially when Linda introduces herself. Other than the lighting the issue we had was the covid-19 markings on the floor, I spoke to the cinematography team and we had to try and frame them out of shot the best we could. We finished filming this scene at 3:30pm this took longer than expected this was due to the lighting of the scene as this was the most time consuming as we had many issues that we faced and had to overcome.
At 3:40pm we began to film the song piece in the pub, I started it by going through the song with the guitar and trying to find the correct pitch of the guitar that fitted Joe's voice. I went through it a few times with the signing to make sure it sounded perfect and exactly how I wanted it to. I went through where each character will be sat and what their reactions will be throughout the song. Winston and Linda's reaction was the most important as this is the turning point that shows Winston coming out of his shell. George (the actor playing Winston) struggled with the sweet emotion during this scene, this took multiple takes and I had to take him to one side and work on his reaction as it his his facial expressions that has to convey his emotion which is very difficult to portray on camera. After a bit of work we were able to achieve what I was planning on achieving and the scene was a very beautiful piece of the film. We finished filming this bit at 5:30pm.
After the singing scene Mathew Harston turned up to set at 5:30pm, the person playing Older Trevor came to film the final scene. This was a short and simple scene as it is him looking as a Polaroid of his friends in the pub that he was once in as a child. The lighting once once again an issue however we fixed this by using studio lighting and adjusting the aperture and ISO on the camera.
The final bit to film was the bullies entering the pub and starting a fight with the four main characters. I began blocking through the scene at 5:45pm and going through what the actors will be doing throughout the scene. As I play one of the bullies I had to keep checking each shot that I was in to make sure the shot was perfect for what I wanted. I worked with the actors and their reactions throughout as Gary's reaction is important as later the characters and the audience find out that he lives with one of the bullies in the care home. We finished filming this scene at 7:00pm which meant we ran over the scheduled timing.
Overall this was a great and fun shooting day and I was able to accomplish everything that I wanted to achieve. This was a long shooting day but it was a fun day of filming as we all worked well together and had fun a lot of fun working with a pub group on a location as we haven't been able to do that this year. I did a daily production report on this day to track the process of this film.
Tuesday 18th May 2021
On Tuesday the 18th we filmed Jude's death scene, the day before I sent in the call sheet giving actors all information including contact, locations and timings. This is a very important scene as it needed to look as realistic as possible because this is the big conflict of the film. Furthermore the characters death represents so much within the story including the death of childhood and it is a reference to John Lennon's assassination.
Both cast and crew got to set at 4:30pm and everyone got changed into costume and we began filming at 4:45pm. I first began blocking through the scene with the actors and placed marks down on the floor so everyone knew where to stand and stop during filming. I marked through the scene and timed the how long it would take for the walking as I didn't want it to drag and be boring for the audience. Having markings helps the cast know when to stop to allow them to be in the framing of the shot. To make sure all actors where safe on set we did multiple rehearsals where we slowed down the whole fight sequence to make sure everyone knew what was happening during the scene. Furthermore it allowed everyone to be safe as it was well choreographed on set.
We finished filming at 5:45pm and it was a fun and interesting shooting day as it was fun to direct the actors and choreograph the whole fight sequence. I did a daily production report on this day to track the process of this film.
Wednesday 26th May 2021
Wednesday was the final day of filming and this was Jude's funeral scene. We got on set at 4:20pm and began setting up the chairs and set with the production designer, to make it look like it was a funeral. I filming at 4:35pm and started with Trevor's eulogy, we did multiple takes from different angles. I wanted to do two version, one following the lines of the script and I asked the actor to play around with the emotions and say what came naturally to them. I said if he ever got lost in what to say link it back to the script. For both version of the eulogy it only took 2 or 3 takes as the emotion in the scene was perfect with what I wanted as the actor had went through the eulogy multiple times with me before filming, so on set we would get the best performance. But I believed the improvised version was a bit too dramatic compared to the script version, as the script version felt more raw and emotional to listen to.
After this we filmed the reaction shots of Winston and Gary sat at the funeral listening to Trevor's eulogy. As we didn't have any extras due to covid-19 and actors having other commitments to different projects. Instead I had to use crew members as extras in the scene and angle the shot in a certain way to make the background look busier than it actually is. Furthermore I used perspective to move the chairs and angle them in certain way to make it look like the room is full. Overall this shot was great as we had the main subjects in focus and the background out of focus.
After this I filmed the reaction I filmed the bit that was going to originally be outside of the church. Due to the road being busy, I decided to change this scene into an interior location. I wanted to have Trevor sat alone after the eulogy and Winston and Gary join him to be there as support. I wanted to have Gary and Winston slowly fade away as the voice over is explaining what happened after childhood. To get this to work we set up the camera and first began filming Gary and Winston walking over then when I would tell them to freeze I would have each character move out of shot. I then got a blank slate without moving the camera, then in edit I would be able to crop the character out of shot to see them slowly fade away. This took a lot concentration from both cast and crew as we wouldn't know if this will work until we got in the edit so everything had to be perfect.
We finished filming at 5:40pm and that was the official wrap on my film. This filming day was successful as everyone was well prepared and organised and understood what I was trying to achieve from my vision.
I did a daily production report on this day to track the process of this film.
Post Production - Editing
Organising footage
I made a separate folder for each scene when filming, doing this allows me to orangise all footage into the correct place. It also makes the editing more time efficient and easier to find all footage when editing.
After filming on each day I sorted all footage into good and bad, this means in the edit it will be easier for me to organise footage. This makes editing a lot more time efficient and simpler as I know what footage is good to use and what isn't useable.
Scene 1 - Editing
When editing scene one I first began putting all the footage together to make a completed sequence. I linked each footage together so it would flow smoothly and be one continuous scene.
I then added in the U films intro at the beginning, I wanted the intro to link smoothly with the first scene. I did this by removing the orange colour of the U films intro and have the start of scene 1 in the U when it comes onto screen.
I did that by using the ultra key to remove the orange background, this made the film more professional and interesting as I didn't want it to be the same as everyone else's intro on there film.
I then added in the music from the scene, due to the film being inspired by the Beatles story and the subtle references throughout. I really wanted to use Beatles songs throughout. I wanted to use Hey Jude, foreshadowing to the audience that the character Jude's death is very important to older Trevor. When finding the music I didn't want it being just the original song I wanted it to have a softer tone. After research I found Hey Jude but played by an orchestra, this sound was perfect for the opening scene. I added it in and slowly faded it out with the exponential fade.
I then added in the beginning of Older Trevor voice over to merge scene one and two together. The voice over with the music made a really sweet and interesting transition between scenes. As the voice over was a bit loud compared to the the orchestra of Hey Jude, I decreased the audio gain so the voice over and music was on the same level.
After this I decided to colour grade the scene, I first began by adding an adjustment layer over the whole scene. Then using the adjustment layer it allowed me to colour grade the whole scene in one. When color grading I followed the lumetri scopes and made sure when colour grading it was between 0 and 100 on the bar.
Furthermore as I wanted to make it clear between the past and the present so I made the temperature on Older Trevor a more blueish tint and in the 1970's it is a more orange tint. This will also represent the death of childhood.
Scene 2 - Editing
When editing scene two I put all the footage together to make a completed sequence. I followed the script and made sure that each shot cut well together. I did this by using L cuts and J cuts, which I learnt when editing my Christmas short film. Overlaying audio between clips makes the scene flow smoother and makes it no jumpy when cutting between different characters mid shot.
At the begging when transitioning I added in music when older Trevor voice over talks about his friends in 1977. This felt a bit flat with nothing behind it so I researched different sounds and music from the Beatles. I decided to use the acoustic version of 'Come together' as this fitted perfectly between the voice over and going into the conversation between the four main characters in scene 2. I added had the sound get quieter when the conversation began by blending the music using a constant gain and finishing with an exponential fade.
For the title card appearing I wanted to use the Beatles font for the title and throughout the film. After doing research I found out that the font is called Bootle, I had to download it for premiere pro and then I was able to use it.
For the title to appear I added in the wipe effect of the title as it is Winston running to catch up to his friends. Then when it fades out I used an addictive dissolve as this felt the smoothest and more interesting to use.
For the title card I wanted to use the the first five seconds from the song a 'With a little help from my friends by the Beatles. This fitted perfectly when it was all cut together. I first thought it was to loud when the music played. So decreased the audio gain and faded the music in and out by using the constant power at the beginning and fading it out with an exponential fade.
I then began colour grading the scene, doing the same thing in the other scene I added an adjustment layer over the whole scene, then followed the lumetri scopes and made sure when colour grading it was between 0 and 100 on the bar. In some cases the bar was high but this is due to me wanting it to look like summer and a bright and colourful look to the scene.
I changed the temperature to a more orange tone further emphasising the difference between the past and the present also showing the death of childhood. I also adjusted the saturation to make the different colour be brighter and stand out more.
Scene 3 and Scene 4 - Editing
When editing these scenes I put all the footage together to make a completed sequence. I followed the script and made sure that each shot cut well together. I did this by using L cuts and J cuts. This took me the longest as this scene is multiple conversation within the characters journey at the pub. Doing this cuts allowed the cuts to be smooth and not jumpy. Additionally to make the audio when cutting between conversation sound better I added constant gain affect to mega both audios together, allowing it to sound smooth. During the signing sequence I had each characters reactions listening to the song, I added a cross dissolve on each clip to fit with the slow tempo the song was. This worked really well and made the song sequence heartwarming for the audience.
I then added in music, I didn't add any music behind the conversations, as the emotion scenes where strong with the acting alone. When the bullies enter I added the come together song by the Beatles and linked pop the audio so on the beat of the song the punch is thrown. This makes the scene so much more interesting for the audience, along with this I added in a realistic punch sound effect.
I then began colour grading the scene, I separated the colour grading into separate parts as each conversation has a different angle. I added adjustment layer over each bit that needed colour grading.
Doing the same as the other two scenes I followed the lumetri scopes and made sure when colour grading it was between 0 and 100 on the bar.
Scene 5 - Editing
I then began colour grading the scene I added adjustment layer over each bit that needed colour grading. Then followed the lumetri scopes on the bar and made sure it was between 0 and 100.
Scene 6
I decided to cut scene 6 as it as just one shot of the three characters walking without Gary after the argument, it just didn't fit in the final cut. So I decided to cut this tiny scene out of the short film.
Scene 7 - Editing
I put all the footage together to make a completed sequence. I then extended the acoustic of the day in the life into this scene until the end. This makes the transition between scenes smoother and more interesting for the audience. I then added in stock footage an argument and decreased the audio gain by -5 and added a reverb on the voices to make the argument sound more muffled. Then I faded both audio out using an exponential fade.
I then began colour grading the scene I added adjustment layer over each bit that needed colour grading. Then followed the lumetri scopes on the bar and made sure it was between 0 and 100.
Scene 8 - Editing
Foley Video
I began looking for sound track to go behind the fight as it felt a bit flat without any sound behind the fight sequence. I wanted a score that was tense, dramatic but slow at the same time. After many hours looking I decided to look at Christopher Nolans films and his soundtracks as often he used dramatic scores but is calm and slow at the same time. I found this perfect score call Let men sleep from the film Insomnia. I added this in and ended the sound with an exponential fade as it slowly fades to black.
I then colour graded and did the same thing with the other scenes and followed the lumetri scopes to get the best looking image.
Scene 9 and Scene 10 - Editing
I put all the footage together to make a completed sequence, when editing the clips for Trevor's eulogy I decided to just use the one close up shot. This is because I felt like the audiences able to feel the emotion from the acting that I didn't need visuals to connect to the audience, it was all in the performance. When choosing between the improvised eulogy and the script version, I decided to go with the script version. This is because the improvised one was too emotional and I wanted Trevor to be calm and dealing with his emotions as one of the films themes is toxic masculinity and sharing issues. Now the person he has been sharing his issues with is gone he has to be strong again and put up a guard. So I used the script version as it felt the most genuine and fitted with the story better. Throughout the eulogy I cut back and forth between Gary and Winston's reaction shots to them at the funeral.
For the ending bit I wanted Gary and Winston to slowly fade away as Older Trevor is explaining Mehta happened in later life. I was able to accomplish this by putting the clean late version of the footage without anyone sat down below the video of them sat. Then when the character disappears I cropped the video with the actors revealing the clean slate image, giving the illusion that he disappeared. I then added a cross dissolve so the actors slowly fade away and not be jumpy.
I then colour graded and did the same thing with the other scenes and followed the lumetri scopes to get the best looking image. Instead of an orange tint I added a subtle blue tint on the temperature, signifying that Jude's death represents the death of childhood.
For the ending scene I decided to have a montage of the whole film as Older Trevor is saying his final monologue about childhood. This fitted really well as the dialogue fitted perfectly with the visuals revealing that that was the last adventure they had together.
I then edited the final scene with Older Trevor in the pub he was once in as a child. I had the video cut to back as soon as you hear the pint class hitting the table. This felt like the perfect ending as it mirrors the same shot of Jude when he puts the glass down on the table. I then colour graded the ending, following the lumetri scopes to get the scene looking very visually pleasing. Overall when finding the soundtrack for my film I did lots of research with different Beatles songs for the edit. I was also worried about copyright but after doing research as I used acoustic and orchestra covers I was able to use the music as long as I didn’t gain any revenue from the film.
Evaluation
Directors Evaluation - Video
Link - https://youtu.be/9viaVS-6HzY
This idea I was planning on filming for my end of year major project in first year. This was a project I am really passionate about and it was a project that was longingly anticipated. Throughout filming I had great communication skills when organising shoot days and when working with different groups on set.
During the pre-production process the biggest challenge was auditioning as during my auditions none of the male actors fitted the role of the main four characters. However I was able to overcome this by auditioning actors outside college for this project. This worked amazingly as the four main actors that got casted fitted the role perfectly and the on screen chemistry between them all was great. Furthermore I conducted lots of research about the time period so I would understand 1970's fashion and more. This made my film authentic as the costumes fitted each character perfectly.
Throughout the production process I had a few struggles that I was able to overcome. One issue I had was one of the minor supporting roles dropped out last minute, as it wasn't a huge role it was easy fix and I re-casted the role to one of my cinematographers as it was too short notice for actors in college. The main struggle was the amount of time we had on certain shooting days. This was due to the availability of the actors, as I was using outside actors, this meant they couldn't film between 9 am to 3:30pm on weekdays. Nevertheless, I overcame this issue by scheduling and communicating with both cast and crew to make sure everyone was available on certain days that I needed to film. During emotional scenes I worked very closely with actors and sat them down before shooting days and explained the exact emotion their character would be going through. This is what I believe made the film great and interesting as the characters interactions with each other is what makes the film relatable.
During the editing process I wanted the film to look professional and look like it was made to a very high standard. To make it look professional in edit I added cinematic bars as this is used often in the industry. I further used J-Cut and L-Cut. This is very important when editing together footage as it allows conversation to slow smoother. Additionally I tried to use Beatles songs throughout as it will fit with what my inspiration was behind this short film and what each character represents.
Overall, I think my final short film was very successful as the vision that I had when writing this project came to life. Throughout this project I problem solved, communicated and worked with a great cast and crew on set.
Final film
Link - https://youtu.be/UxsgoYEUvAs
U Films Film Festival
My short film will be premiered on the 24th June 2021 along with my classmates films, at the U Film film festival. We are going to present the year one film first, have a short break, then showcase the year two films. As a group we decided that my film will premiere last as it is a film about growing up and as college is soon coming to an end, it is something everyone in the audience can relate to. Furthermore, to promote the short film I will create a movie poster and it will be set out like the Let it be album poster. I decided to do this poster as it was the final album the Beatle's produced, foreshadowing this is the final adventure for the characters.
To promote the festival we created a short one minute trailer showcasing everyones short film, we then shared this on multiple social media platforms to advertise the film festival and out films. We promote our films using the U Films integral page where the trailer and photographs from the making of our short films.
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