Examining Some Short Films

In a bid to become more inspired, I watched a few short films. I found all of these short films for free on Youtube. I thought that by watching other creations, I would get a twinkle of inspiration for myself. 

The first short film I watched was Hair Love. Hair Love won the oscar recently for best animated short so I decided to check it out. It was about a dad trying to tame his daughter's hair in his wife's absence. The story was short and simple, but extremely impactful. It starts off with a young African-American girl watching a hair vlogger on youtube and becoming intrigued with a specific hairstyle. She then goes to her father and asks him if he can do said hairstyle. He realizes that the job is tough, but he manages to get it done. The characters do not speak throughout the film; the only voice you can hear is of the video vlogger. Thus, the music in the background helped to move the story. THE MUSIC IS SO IMPORTANT. The music's tempo shifts really helped to make me feel a certain way. At the end of the short film, we learn that the mother cannot do her daughter's hair because she is in the hospital going through chemotherapy. In the end credits, we see that the mother gets better. This made me so happy because I feel like in most films, the parent usually dies. I want a happy ending in my short film. I will try to make that happen!

The second short film I watched was Anxiety. It was about a girl who deals with anxiety and

showcasing what it's like in her head. In the short, we see the main character listening to her anxiety. Her anxiety is dressed in all black(it is herself). He anxiety talks to her and berates her whenever she tries to go out or do other tasks. This method of storytelling was pretty neat, but it kind of came off a bit cheesy. I liked the music in the film. It was a bit somber and helped set the tone. at the end of the short, the girl finally decides to beat her anxiety in a spur of the moment decision. While I don't think this short film represented anxiety perfectly(you don't just one day decide to be over your anxiety), I enjoyed watching it. I may want to utilize an informal method of storytelling in my short film as well.


The third short film I watched was Purl. This one has to be my favorite. It's about a ball of yarn named "Purl" who is excited to begin working at a finance company. All of the employees at the company are men and pearl is the only ball of yarn. Purl is supposed to represent women. The men treat Purl very poorly at the beginning of the short, excluding her from events and discussions. Purl is upset and decides to knit herself into a man. She makes herself a suit. The men then start to pay attention to her, since she now looks the way they do. Another ball of yarn is hired at the company and is being treated poorly until Purl steps in. Purl than realizes she doesn't have to change herself to be important to the company. At the end, we see that balls of yarn and men have integrated in the workplace. I thought using a ball of yarn was a clever way to represent just how different women can be viewed in the workplace. Maybe I can include a metaphor in my short film? I loved this short film, especially Purl's cuteness. This film had a happy ending as well. Okay, it's settled. I'm going to have a happy ending in my short film. I just love happy endings!

Some Visual Inspiration

I have always been interested in photography. I myself am not a good photographer, but I have always admire those who have the ability to take a "good" photo. I really liked these photos because they made me happy. Happiness is what I always strive for in my everyday life. I just want to be happy. I think I want to make a short film about happy people doing happy things. My film can have a conflict, but I want to spread joy. 

Here are some photos that made me happy. Maybe they will make you happy too :)

 

I love this woman's outfit. I want to be her in this moment.

These mountains are wonderous. 

Who doesn't love flowers?

Literally my dream. Also, the outfit is amazing.

A heart in rocks. Makes one wonder if this is "fake"?

The CONFIDENCE

While I don't have a conclusive idea, at least this is a start.

How do you even make a short film?

The question above is actually a very tricky one.

I did some research online in order to learn more about the topic of "short films". When I mean "research" I really mean typing into Google "How do you make a short film?".


***What I learned***

Short-films are not a lesser form of storytelling. It requires the same superb writing skills that writing a full-length one would take. It is simply on a smaller scale. Thus, it is extremely important to make everything count. Each line you write is crucial for moving the story from start to finish. We only have 5 minutes, so I plan to really take this into consideration. Also, it is important to create visual backstories for my characters. Utilizing this allows the audience to see and get a sense of the character's temperament, status, etc. Most importantly, I need a compelling story. It can be as simple as a girl just eating dinner with her family. But if we shoot it and write it well, it could be momentous.  Now, all I need is some inspiration for the story. I have been stressing over it a lot. I think the idea needs to come naturally. It will eventually hit me.... and I will be ready to catch it!

***What I "learned" but already knew because of this class***

It is crucial to have a story with a beginning, middle, and end. To do such, you need a script(obvious). The article recommends creating one in a proper format. Maybe I will do that to feel like a true screenwriter. The article also recommends that I create a storyboard. Now, I am probably one of the world's worst drawers so we will probably have Elizabeth take over this part. This will help us stay organized and allow us to meticulously plan each shot.

Sources:https://www.raindance.org/7-rules-for-writing-short-films/
https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-to-make-short-film/

You Gotta Get Organized!

I am one to admit that I am not the most organized person. I don't really have a calendar and I keep myself in order through a "mental checklist". When I tell people this, they don't "buy" it and sometimes I don't either. But with such a task in front of me, my partner and I need to get organized. Thus, we created a schedule that should keep us on track and in check so that we can do this project with ease.

The Schedule!                       

• Weeks 2/18- 3/1 PLANNING/ COMING UP WITH THE STORY- 

In these two weeks, we will be planning out the story for our film. Due to the fact that this is a very important task as it will set up the basis for our entire project we thought it would be fitting to spread it across two weeks. 

• Week 3/2- 3/8 PERFECTING STORY/ PREPARING FOR FILMING

This week we will take care of all the details of the story and prepare for filming. We will most likely make a storyboard and develop the characters thoroughly. This is also when we will go location scouting and where we will figure out the costume design and props.

• Week 3/9- 3/15 FILMING

During this week we want to start and finish filming. We will probably spread out filming across a couple days depending on the number of filming locations we have to go to. We will also try and rent some professional equipment at the beginning of the week so our final product can be shown in high quality. 

• Week 3/16- 3/22 EDITING/ POST PRODUCTION 

Throughout this week we will edit together all of our footage to come out with our finished product. This is when we will also select any music we wish to include and also record any voiceovers or sound effects that we feel necessary. We will also color correct and apply filters at the end in order to make the final product more cohesive

• Week 3/23- 29 WEBSITE/ POSTCARD ADVERTISEMENT

 During this week it is also spring break so we hope that doesn't interfere with our work but I feel like the website and the postcard advertisement will be much easier to finish at this point if we already have a rough draft. 

• Week 3/30- 4/5 FIX ANY ERRORS/ PERFECT FINAL PRODUCT

At this point, we will probably have shown our rough draft to a couple people so we can go back and fix any mistakes that we had previously. This is also when we can add anything to improve our project and make sure it is perfect before we turn it in. 

• Week 4/6- 4/12 CREATIVE CRITICAL REFLECTION (CCR)

Finally, once we have all of our components ready we can start working on our CCR. This is often a long and tedious process as it is a reflection of our entire project so we wanted to make sure we had at least a week to work on it. After that is done, we're done!  

I want to be a more organized person in all facets of my life not just for the sake of this project. Thus, I did some research on how to stay organized. The article "7 ways to stay organized when you are super busy" explains how much easier life is when you are organized. I don't doubt that. Some of my takeaways are to-do lists, patterns, and not letting things pile up. I know all of this already, but reading it in a Bustle article puts it in a new perspective and makes you feel bad about yourself. So, I'll give it a shot!

Lets get Started!

Hello lovely blog reader! It is now time that I begin my portfolio project. Wow! It's scary just typing that. My partner and I chose the short film to work on because it is the option that intrigued us the most because we had endless possibilities with it. We have so much to do in what feels like so little time. There is just so much that goes into making a project that you are proud of. I need to write a screenplay, coordinate dates, get set pieces, etc. I am working with one of my best friends, Elizabeth, which I think will make the process a lot more fun and exciting. Since we are close friends, we won't have a tough time telling the other person how we feel when it comes to certain aspects of the project. I also have a car now so this will make shooting a lot easier because we won't have to beg our parents and siblings for rides. 

Now, what exactly is our short film going to be about? That's a secret. Just kidding. I couldn't even tell you if I wanted to. We have no idea what we want our short film to be about. Like I stated earlier, just so many possibilities! I have one idea that interests me: unconventional beauty. One of the things that I am most passionate about is being accepting of our bodies and embracing who we are. That's one idea that I could potentially incorporate into my short film. It is something that I have personally dealt with a lot so I feel a large connection to the topic.

Thus, I did some research on "unconventional" beauty standards that I could potentially showcase in my short film.





Whenever you type in "unconventional beauty", pictures of Barbra Streisand always appear. Her "large" nose is always discussed but she is still praised for being a beauty icon.  As someone with a larger nose, I am saddened and happy when I see this because I don't think a large nose should be considered "unconventional" when so many people have one.

Uma Thurman is stunning. But in Hollywood, she is considered "unique" because of her large forehead and deep-set eyes. 

Joan Jett is renowned for her "rocker' look with her razor-cut hair and cool eyeliner. She is deemed as "edgy" in Hollywood.

     

Ashley Graham is a plus-size model who is "breaking down barriers" (that's how the media refers to it) on ideal body standards. She exemplifies that beauty isn't one size.

Discussing this topic in my short film would be pretty neat. Bye for now!

Sources: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/g5830/unconventional-beauty-icons/