Lauren's NEA blog

Short film rough cut: So far I have produced a 19-second rough cut using my desired props and location. This first rough cut was useful as I was able to see which location worked well and what props I wanted to use. The music layered over the top is not going to be the music I will be using in my final cut as I want something a bit more unusual and not so cliché. I also used this rough cut to see how certain camera angles which I had planned to use looked on the screen, for example: This rough cut has made me contemplate the actor I want to use, as during the making of this rough cut I found it difficult to direct my actor as what I had in mind was different to what my actor had in their mind, therefore creating issues and making the whole process end up taking longer than I had expected it to especially as I only had to film a few shots. Therefore when filming the whole thing I think it would be more effective if I was to act in it as I know clearly what I want wh...

Own Cuts and Transitions: These different cuts and transitons that are shown in this video are a really effective way to make transtions smoother and more interesting compared to just a standard cut from each shot. These shots can give the illusion of no cut for example the invisisble cut that was used to show two different people sat at the desk. As well as this, we used a dissolve match cut to show the progression of time, showing one shot of a clock on the wall then dissolving into a watch showing a different time. Following on with the match cut, we also used one of these when we had a shot of the door and then a shot of someone walking away, the dark moments within these shots allowed us to bring them together and include a cut in betweeen this therefore creating the illusion that no cut has been used. By the use of a whip pan transtion we were able to show that the character had got from one side of the room to the other without having to show them walking across the whol...

Montage from UP: Montage from Rocky: What is a montage edit? A montage is a feature that is used in films which consist of short cuts to show the development of time. Such as the montage used in 'UP', audiences are able to see their lives develop together and we are able to see both their positive and negative times. The whole point of the montage is to cover a long amount of time in a 2 or 3 minute scene. Another example that we looked at was the montage used in 'Rocky' one that has become famous which has led people to recreate the iconic moment at the end. The montage in this film is used to show the development in Rocky's strength, we are able to see him get stronger and better at boxing therefore raising hope for the viewers. As well as this, montage shots are often used in Romcoms showing the passing of time in a relationship. Overall, a montage is the progression of time shown through a short scene.  Own montage video: ...

When experimenting with horror makeup we used a variety of resources such as flour, red food colouring, water and mud to create the fake blood and used the FX wax which allowed us to create the mould of the wound. Our idea was to have branches growing out of someone and we did this by getting sticks and leaves and using the wax to create a mould for them to be stuck into, once they were in place we used the wax to shape the wound around the sticks and leaves and used our fingers to smooth out the edges so that when we applied the blood it would look realistic. For the first injury we did it on the hand and had a stick coming out of it, to give this effect we used a larger stick and then used a smaller stick to be attached on the side of the hand to make it look like it had gone straight through. We then covered the wound in fake blood and added grass and mud to it. For the second injury, we used a twig with some leaves on it and secured it to the side of the arm, near the shoulder. ...

Considering my short film will be set at one continuous location I have decided it would be more realistic to have all of my characters in naturalistic clothing, this decision was made to make my film fit in with my naturalistic style. My main character will be wearing casual clothing, such as jeans, a black t-shirt and perhaps a jumper at some points. I think it would be effective to have an item of clothing in a bright colour to juxtapose the mise-en-scene to the overall message and actions within the film.   The makeup will also be naturalistic as this is a realistic short film. As well as this, it's important to have the makeup suitable for harsh lighting as this is something which I aspire to use within my short film, therefore the makeup has to still look natural under these lights, therefore, I will have to bear this in mind when deciding which make up the main character can wear. For the stranger, they will only ever be seen from the legs. therefore I have decid...

My short film requires two characters, one being the online 'stranger' and the other being the 'victim' of online stalking. As my short film planning process developed, I thought about using two online 'strangers' talking to just the one 'victim' to be a representation of how easy it is to talk to someone who you do not know, the victim assumes that they are talking to one person whereas the viewers know that they aren't therefore showing the overall message of the short film. When discussing this idea with my peers, I am still undecided on this aspect of my film however I do think this would be an effective 'spin' on the exsisting videos focussing on this subject. *UPDATE* After discussing this idea of using two antagonists and one victim, I think it would be more effective to keep to the original idea of having one protagonist and one antagonist. This will be more effective at conveying the overall message of my film as I think having two...