Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Fun House (Experimental Film)
It will be 3 minutes long and consist of one main character, as well as one main location (a house).
The basic plot outline is that a bored character is wandering around their house, not a lot going on when visiting the various downstairs rooms. He visits the play room and his mum waves him to go away as she chats away on the telephone. He feels useless, decides to go upstairs, into his room and go to sleep. It is this 'sleep' that sends his room spinning, forcing the picture to blur and distort. A bright light appears between the cracks in the door. He opens his eyes and normality resumes, everything appears the same. He gets up and head towards the stairs.
On approaching the stairs, everything still seems normal, however as he puts his foot onto the first step of the staircase he is whisked away to a forest! He's shocked and brings his foot up immediately, sending him back to the top of the landing. He's confused, yet intrigued and decides to continue down the stairs, again being whisked away to this strange place as he makes his way down. He walks through trees and bushes, pushing it away from his face to clear a gap. He stops, he's reached the bottom of the stairs.
Overlooking the hallway and the trickling fish tank opposite, everything is back to normal it appears. Wait, there's a snorkel and mask hanging on the bannister next to him, he ignores it and puts a foot down onto the floor.
Suddenly he's plunged underwater! Bubbles and splashing everywhere! He pulls his foot up, his face now drenched, he's extremely worried. He looks behind him, forest. He looks in front, hall way which turns to water, he's still intrigued so puts on the mask and jumps in!
He's swimming underwater, looking all around him at the underwater hallway, he's fascinated. He surfaces and there's a POV shot of him looking around the hall at each door. He ends up looking at the kitchen and heads towards it.
The kitchen door opens, water rushing in and the soggy character walking in. He takes his mask off and his jaw drops in disbelief. The kitchen is manic; chefs cooking, waiters running around, flames everywhere, sizzling sounds and things burning all over! The character heads towards the cupboard to get a drink but to his horror everything has changed to a restaurant kitchen and everything has gone! He checks another cupboard and gets agitated, backing away from it all he ends up clattering into a waiter. He moves around in shock as people rush past. A plate is brought out emitting a wonderful smell, the character picks up on this and follows the plate and the waiter through to the dining room. The character puts on his mask expecting a flood but this doesn't happen.
The dining room is just as bad... Packed with a large, loud dinner party. Chewing, laughing, chatting, a lot of noise and stress! The character circles the table a couple of times, being ignored by the loud guests. They start to get louder, with their laughing and chewing becoming almost too loud, the character tries to get out but the doors locked. He tries to barge his way through the connecting doors to the lounge and is successful.
The character peers over the sofa he's landed behind. He looks at the TV and is slammed right in the middle of a football match, defending a free kick in a wall. He's standing next to a few people in the same football kit as him now, standing in the typical wall pose. A player is running up to take the free kick, as he kicks the ball, we're sent back into the lounge and the ball comes flying through the TV and smacks the character, standing there like a lemon behind the sofa, in the face! The crowd goes wild, literally a gang of football fans starts going mad, cheering and celebrating they pick up the character and celebrate even more! The character eventually, uneasily gets free and legs it to the playroom.
Forgetting about the water he's drenched again! But he doesn't really care as he's quite worried now. He opens the play room door and peers in, his mum still on the phone, waving him away again! He puts his foot down this time and storms in. Looks outside he tries the windows but they're locked! He then looks at the exercise bike and hops on and begins to pedal. As his feet get faster, he is suddenly cycling along the road on a real bike! He's not really surprised by the sudden change of location, almost as if he knew this might happen. He has a plan, he turns the bike around and heads into an estate.
He arrives at his own house on the outside. He cycles up to the window in which he's on the exercise bike and gets off the bike. As he does this he's whooshed back into the play room, he goes to the window and peers outside, there's a Bike there! He looks at his mum but she's away with the fairies on the phone still. He gets back on the exercise bike and suddenly we're outside again. He moves up to the window on the bike and looks inside. He's in shock. There sat in front of him on an exercise bike is himself. Not only is it himself, but he's mimicking every expression he's doing on the outside. Peering in, knocking on the window, waving. The actions are the same, but there's no recognition!
The character goes to the front door on his bike, he tries to get in but it's locked, he leaves the bike on the pavement outside the door and suddenly we're back in the play room.
He puts his mask on and swims to the porch, tries the door but it's locked, he looks outside and sees the bike there on the floor. He rummages through the keys but none of them work, he needs to come up for air so heads for the stairs. Now he's back there he takes his mask off and puts it back, he looks at the door then heads back through the forest and back up onto the landing.
He heads into his room and as he shuts the door, that same bright light shines through the cracks and suddenly out character opens his eyes.
He jumps up, heads to the landing, hesitates then jumps down the stairs with ease. He holds his breath before he steps into the hall, but everything is really back to normal. He looks in the kitchen and all the other rooms and everything is normal! He goes to the front door, opens it and from the outside the character basks in the freedom and fresh air. The camera then tilts down to reveal the bike left on the pavement. The character looks down in horror.
The End.
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
The Mind of a Filmmaker!
I Had my Personal Tutorial yesterday about my experimental film for the Other Cinema unit. It went very well! I took along my Ideas Journal we were told to create and he was very impressed with the ideas!
The Mind of a Filmmaker will be interesting, crazy and fun. It won't take on usual conventions of a experimental film, by being dark, slow and depressing. It'll be upbeat, exciting, frantic, mad, colourful, magical, cinematic, insightful! All these things will be covered in the film, it's a 3 minute short film and for it's quirkyness to come across, the scenes will need to be quick, pacey yet cover what it needs to well.
The theme will revolve around using your imagination. To do what you want as a filmmaker, the ultimate creative career. To make things that aren't real, real. The film will incorporate a character (which may turn out to be me, after my discussion yesterday) with a voice over (me) on top of the action.
A series of experiences, events, moods and styles of filmmaking will be encountered by this character as he walks through each location.
False rain, parties, characters, changing locations, sound, protestors, restaurants, changing lights, Everything!
The film will end with a spectacular epic finale that incorporates as much cinematic magic as it can! Explosions, drama, fantastic tracking shots and more, it will look amazing!
I can't wait to start making this film!
Yes, it's an ambitious idea, but i'm confident I can make it look as spectacular as it sounds!
Here are some images from my Ideas Journal:
Sunday, 3 October 2010
UCA - University for the Creative Arts!
Well!
I've started University! At long last!
In the second year of a BA (hons) in Film Production. Due to my partaking in 2 years of National Diploma Media as well as another 2 years doing the Higher National Diploma in Media Production.
Myself, as well as 2 others from the HND at Guildford (Jamie Buckingham and Tom Oswin) were thrown straight into the Deep End. After spending the first week with the new 1st years, making friends and settling into Uni life, it was becoming difficult to get the mindset that i'd had all summer of going into the second year across. I was spending every day all day with the 1st years, becoming attatched and making friends with them.
It wasn't until the Friday of that week that we finally split from the 1st years and met with the 2nds years. This was a nerve racking experience in itself. We were then told to write down 3 job roles we'd like to partake in for our group project. I wrote down; 3. Camera Operator 2. Editor 1. Director (preference being 1.)
We were then told to 'network' outside the class room. It was like feeding time at the Zoo. Everyone grabbing what they could and leaving what they didn't know behind. (I.E. Me and Jamie) Tom had some friends he knew so went with them...
I was left wandering around, trying to get to know everyone as well as join a group. This was humiliating and didn't do much for my confidence. People already had their little friends groups and weren't prepared to have me.
One group I went up to purely to introduce myself; "hi i'm Darren"... This guy just looked at my name badge, saw it said Director and without even saying hello back he said "we've already got a Director mate", so much for the friendly people they were talking about. I suppose he did say mate. Anyway.
Once everyone was being grabbed and chosen, there were a clear few that didn't have a group. Jamie and I still being part of that embaressing minority. I thought, crap, everyone's seen these people's work, and don't want to be in their group! Must Avoid. No one had seen mine or Jamie's work so how did they know they were making correct decisions by neglecting us.
I thought well, this isn't really going anywhere, so wandered to the middle and started talking. It was clear a group of people were prepared to be in a group but didn't really know everyone. One was a Director already so I was swaying backwards and forwards as I really wanted to be Director. Clearly that wasn't going to happen, and unfortunately I had to let go of that idea of being a Director for this project about an hour into it.
I was loitering around and then they asked me if i'd join them. I said what would you like me to do. They didn't really reply indeffinitly but they wanted me nonetheless. Myself and Jamie ended up both being Cinematographers in the same group, which wasn't a bad outcome, considering how the mass brawl of media heads had begun.
I was ok with that job role. I was more upset that no one had really been as welcoming as i'd expected and they didn't want to know anything about me. They all saw me as an outsider and not worthy because I was new. Well, if they'd had any kind of common sense they may have thought, well, the lecturers have said he can come into the second year, he must be of some standard close to ours, if not higher. But no, the small mindedness of students prevailed and unfortunately another students potential crumbled.
It doesn't matter.
It's very difficult to say/ write what i'm trying to get across without sounding big headed. I'm not saying i'm better than them all at all. I'm saying it would have been nice to have been given an opportunity to show what we were about, instead of get thrown to the lions that are university students wanting to get into group with their friends quickly so they could bugger off down the pub!
Anyway. In group I now, we're all set. Great lets all chat, discuss what we each do and get to know each other, wonderful! Oh wait, Producer pisses off somewhere, along with editor and sound. Director and Production Manager are in the corner, Sound disappeared and left Jamie, myself and our script writer to chat.
Hardly the first day I thought it would be. But The Media Industry is a competitive Industry so in a way it's good that I was denied a top job straight away. I'm here to prove my worth. I will succeed. I will show what I can do and next time I will get the top job. I am going to do this.
I've started University! At long last!
In the second year of a BA (hons) in Film Production. Due to my partaking in 2 years of National Diploma Media as well as another 2 years doing the Higher National Diploma in Media Production.
Myself, as well as 2 others from the HND at Guildford (Jamie Buckingham and Tom Oswin) were thrown straight into the Deep End. After spending the first week with the new 1st years, making friends and settling into Uni life, it was becoming difficult to get the mindset that i'd had all summer of going into the second year across. I was spending every day all day with the 1st years, becoming attatched and making friends with them.
It wasn't until the Friday of that week that we finally split from the 1st years and met with the 2nds years. This was a nerve racking experience in itself. We were then told to write down 3 job roles we'd like to partake in for our group project. I wrote down; 3. Camera Operator 2. Editor 1. Director (preference being 1.)
We were then told to 'network' outside the class room. It was like feeding time at the Zoo. Everyone grabbing what they could and leaving what they didn't know behind. (I.E. Me and Jamie) Tom had some friends he knew so went with them...
I was left wandering around, trying to get to know everyone as well as join a group. This was humiliating and didn't do much for my confidence. People already had their little friends groups and weren't prepared to have me.
One group I went up to purely to introduce myself; "hi i'm Darren"... This guy just looked at my name badge, saw it said Director and without even saying hello back he said "we've already got a Director mate", so much for the friendly people they were talking about. I suppose he did say mate. Anyway.
Once everyone was being grabbed and chosen, there were a clear few that didn't have a group. Jamie and I still being part of that embaressing minority. I thought, crap, everyone's seen these people's work, and don't want to be in their group! Must Avoid. No one had seen mine or Jamie's work so how did they know they were making correct decisions by neglecting us.
I thought well, this isn't really going anywhere, so wandered to the middle and started talking. It was clear a group of people were prepared to be in a group but didn't really know everyone. One was a Director already so I was swaying backwards and forwards as I really wanted to be Director. Clearly that wasn't going to happen, and unfortunately I had to let go of that idea of being a Director for this project about an hour into it.
I was loitering around and then they asked me if i'd join them. I said what would you like me to do. They didn't really reply indeffinitly but they wanted me nonetheless. Myself and Jamie ended up both being Cinematographers in the same group, which wasn't a bad outcome, considering how the mass brawl of media heads had begun.
I was ok with that job role. I was more upset that no one had really been as welcoming as i'd expected and they didn't want to know anything about me. They all saw me as an outsider and not worthy because I was new. Well, if they'd had any kind of common sense they may have thought, well, the lecturers have said he can come into the second year, he must be of some standard close to ours, if not higher. But no, the small mindedness of students prevailed and unfortunately another students potential crumbled.
It doesn't matter.
It's very difficult to say/ write what i'm trying to get across without sounding big headed. I'm not saying i'm better than them all at all. I'm saying it would have been nice to have been given an opportunity to show what we were about, instead of get thrown to the lions that are university students wanting to get into group with their friends quickly so they could bugger off down the pub!
Anyway. In group I now, we're all set. Great lets all chat, discuss what we each do and get to know each other, wonderful! Oh wait, Producer pisses off somewhere, along with editor and sound. Director and Production Manager are in the corner, Sound disappeared and left Jamie, myself and our script writer to chat.
Hardly the first day I thought it would be. But The Media Industry is a competitive Industry so in a way it's good that I was denied a top job straight away. I'm here to prove my worth. I will succeed. I will show what I can do and next time I will get the top job. I am going to do this.
Thursday, 29 July 2010
OK Blog, Take This!
Right, being the summer holidays...
I now have a lot of spare time; obviously I have work as well but to be honest, I have a lot of spare time there as well! So what to do with all this spare time?
What I always do, think of a Film Idea!
But this time, I actually want it to be a solid, interesting, entertaining idea, something that I will have a passion to turn from an idea to an actual film.
I've spent so many days at work coming up with half an idea, half a storyline and ended up putting it in the back of my mind, as well as the cupboard!
Now, armed with my little brown book, I can sit and come up with a plot, characters, locations, humour, style, music, EVERYTHING! and think hey, this is good. I am going to make this film.
I've spent my last few years of Filmmaking creating Drama's and Action Films. However, what first got me into the whole making films world was comedy. I used to love making funny films, it gave me a huge buzz to create something entertaining, what's more the laughs and joy it brought to the audiences was amazing to watch.
I want to do this again. I want to create a Lengthy film that fulfils my first desires about film; something that'll make an audience feel entertained and good about themselves. Something to smile about, something to make them happy. I want to be the person that cheers an audience up.
I want to make people Happy.
Watch this space.
I now have a lot of spare time; obviously I have work as well but to be honest, I have a lot of spare time there as well! So what to do with all this spare time?
What I always do, think of a Film Idea!
But this time, I actually want it to be a solid, interesting, entertaining idea, something that I will have a passion to turn from an idea to an actual film.
I've spent so many days at work coming up with half an idea, half a storyline and ended up putting it in the back of my mind, as well as the cupboard!
Now, armed with my little brown book, I can sit and come up with a plot, characters, locations, humour, style, music, EVERYTHING! and think hey, this is good. I am going to make this film.
I've spent my last few years of Filmmaking creating Drama's and Action Films. However, what first got me into the whole making films world was comedy. I used to love making funny films, it gave me a huge buzz to create something entertaining, what's more the laughs and joy it brought to the audiences was amazing to watch.
I want to do this again. I want to create a Lengthy film that fulfils my first desires about film; something that'll make an audience feel entertained and good about themselves. Something to smile about, something to make them happy. I want to be the person that cheers an audience up.
I want to make people Happy.
Watch this space.
The Blogger!
Hello!
After speaking to my friend Max, he's persuaded me to use my Blog more often.
So i've played around with a design, added some pictures and updated my profile information!
It's the summer holidays at the moment so not a lot of projects on really...
I shall add a new post whenever something new comes up!
After speaking to my friend Max, he's persuaded me to use my Blog more often.
So i've played around with a design, added some pictures and updated my profile information!
It's the summer holidays at the moment so not a lot of projects on really...
I shall add a new post whenever something new comes up!
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