Proposal

Candidate Name : Kwyn Ashby

Candidate Number : 22000460

Pathway : Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production - TV & Film

Project Title : ‘The Body’ (TBC) 

Rationale

Prior to the start of the course, I had always had a passion for film and TV and aimed to become an editor. However as I’ve progressed through the two years, I have picked up a like for screenwriting and research. This is because I enjoy the creative aspect such as storytelling and find myself to be stronger at telling stories through a script, rather than through the camera. Therefore, this year I have focused more on the pre-production and making sure it is complete to a professional standard - consequently I believe this has helped my production skills.

I have previously had a very similar problem with nearly every project I’ve made and that’s how I struggle with the technical side of filmmaking. I’ve always felt I can plan out a project well, but the end product always feels too rushed or something that doesn’t replicate my initial vision. So for the FMP, I have decided to work with a partner who aspires to be a camera operator and who succeeds primarily in the technical areas of filmmaking while sometimes struggling with the pre-production side.

Throughout the years, I have learnt a lot through problems I’ve faced, notably in my Unit 12 project. The main problem that tends to recur is that I don’t follow or create a schedule. In the last project, I left a lot of post-production and evaluative work too late, causing a lot of stress and a decrease in quality in my evaluation. By following a strict schedule, I would be able to plan out my work to reduce the rush and stress that I have previously faced.

By preparing in a structured way, I would feel more confident in filming and completing my FMP to a standard that matches my initial vision.

Project Concept

For my FMP, I wanted to create an entertaining piece that showcases both our strengths (as previously mentioned). We have decided to attempt a “dark” comedy, inspired by other short films and characters. One example is a short film titled ‘Mop’, which features a Janitor trying to hide a body that he accidentally killed via a wet floor. We both found this film unique and comedic, therefore we wanted to try and add our own styles to it. 

Our short film will follow two henchmen for a Mafia being tasked with hiding a body, only to realise that the person is actually alive. After finding out they are conscious, they quickly knock him back out and have to decide whether they want to stay loyal and kill/hide the body, or take them back to their home address. Ultimately they choose the latter. It will feature various shots of satire, comedic events where the henchmen have to drag around the body, pretending that it is conscious so that they do not get caught/accused.

By doing this, we can also incorporate some of our previous research we have done for past projects. For example, it was always my plan to use some of the research I did on Edgar Wright and the context behind his films. Therefore we have a strong base on how we want the film to be set out as well as room to develop that research. A style similar to Edgar Wright’s would work well in my opinion as it follows a similar style of comedy seen commonly in his films as well as the potential for different transitions and sound design. 

Another piece of research and knowledge I want to carry over is the lighting. Throughout the course, I feel I have struggled with planning out how my scenes should be lit. However in the past few months we have had many lessons on lighting such as colour temperature, aperture and even a workshop done by a professional lighting company. These experiences have helped me in understanding lighting in greater detail and consequently, I want to showcase it within this project, especially in outdoor scenes. 

Historically films of a similar genre and themes to ours (dark comedy & crime) have been commonly associated with the male gender, often leaning towards those of ages 16-40. Typically, men have been known to watch and invest themselves into both crime dramas and comedies. Due to this, it has seen many films and shows possess a predominantly male cast list.

Films surrounding the crime genre often accentuate masculinity, with many of the characters embracing violent and unforgiving personalities as well as most plots revolving around a form of currency. In this project, we aim to switch the generic conventions and create characters that oppose this ideology, with softer and more natural characteristics. We plan to introduce the film in a solemn way but upon the twist, rapidly switch the genre into a more light-hearted and comedic fashion.

My filming partner has a Sony A7 iii, paired with lenses such as the Canon 70-210mm, a Sony 28-70mm and a Tamron 17mm lens. This means that we will not need to worry about renting or borrowing out a camera and the multiple lenses gives us opportunities to plan out our shots in greater detail. 

One of the big issues that I predict for this project is the reliance on suitable actors. Due to the project having 3 main cast members - though one is unconscious -, organising times where everyone is available may be difficult. On top of that, the actors in the film would need to have decent chemistry as the dialogue between the characters would be reliant on that. One option would be to ask some of the acting students in college as some of us have previously worked together before, though in smaller circumstances, and the prospect of them already having chemistry together due to their time on their course.

Evaluation

I plan to evaluate my work through weekly entries in a reflective journal. As done in previous projects, the journal exists so I can write down my experiences working on this project. This will help me in logging my progress, process and learnings while being honest about how I view the project on a more personal level. I will be able to reflect and understand how something has either helped or hindered my progress while also being able to point out ways on how I can improve upon it. 

As this is a group project, we plan on communicating our ideas, discoveries and questions through messages on a regular basis. Communicating multiple times per week ensures that we are both on track according to our schedule and reduces the amount of issues and problems that may occur. We also plan to keep each other updated in order to ensure neither of us are falling behind as well as to check for the purpose of critiquing and developing our work to the highest standards. 

Unlike previous projects, I will be looking for feedback from teachers, classmates and outside perspectives on how we can improve our work throughout the project, rather than just at the end after the video is complete. Doing this will enable us to go back and improve any criticisms people have given us as well as confirming if our work is up to a good standard or not.