- vfx object reveal action research. This is relevant because when the protagonist writes down his wish, it comes true. Instead of just having a shot of the object, it would look better to have it reveal in a magical way.

primary research: get opinion of rough cut

Fantasy Definition

SECONDARY RESEARCH - WEBSITES

As my short film is fantasy, I felt it was needed to get a clear definition of what exactly is considered to know if I need to change things in my films to make it a good representation of the genre.

Fantasy is a genre which involves themes of supernatural, magic, imaginary worlds, and creatures. It includes magic powers and enchanted objects.

The genre incorporates elements of:

• Drama

In my film, there is conflict between the protagonist and his friend. I also plan to add non diegetic music.    

• Magic

In my film, you write in the diary "Dear diary I wish for..." and it will magically appear in the location you ask it.

• Escapism

The audience watches this film and they may wish it could happen them in real life because their current life may be full of challenges. 

• Mystery

In my film: how old is the diary? why is it just randomly in the library? why has no one else taken it? These are questions the audience may ask themselves.

There are 3 Different Types of Fantasy

I researched this to know which category my short film belongs so I can specifically compare it to other films in that category. This is useful so I know if I need to adapt my film to make it accurate to that sub-genre.

 My short film fits under the  Intrusion category because it takes place in a real life setting (library and house) and the magic is somewhat minimal (diary granting wishes and sparkles appear when it comes).

Cautionary Tale

SECONDARY RESEARCH - WEBSITES

A cautionary tale is a story told to warn people about the consequences of certain actions or behaviours. It shows what happens when someone makes a bad choice, teaching a lesson through their mistakes. 

In my film, the cautionary tale is:

• Don't tell good news to certain people because they may pretend to be your friend but do bad things against you. The friend in my film rips out the page from the diary causing all the protagonist's wishes to be reversed and then she steals the diary.

• Selfishness can lead to your own downfall. The protagonist was gatekeeping the diary so maybe if she had let her friend make 1 wish, she wouldn't have stolen it.

I researched this because I want the audience to learn something from my film as well as be entertained. 

Conventions of low fantasy

SECONDARY RESEARCH - WEBSITES

1.Real world setting with fantasy elements

The narrative takes place in a recognisable , real world environment. For the fantasy elements, I plan to add at 2 VFX (object reveal and magic particle trail).

2. Mystery and discovery

The fantastical element is usually hidden or revealed over time. In my film, the protagonist is just in the library choosing books then she  accidentally finds the box.

3. Ordinary protagonists

The main characters are often regular people living a normal life (especially children and young people) with little to no responsibilities. For example, in the Harry Potter, Harry lives in a normal looking UK house until his life changes when he receives the letter to Hogwarts. 

In my film, Blossom is an ordinary girl who lives with her parents. Her life changes when she discovers the diary that can change her life for the better.

Technical Conventions of Fantasy

SECONDARY RESEARCH

Now I know what sub genre my film is, I asked myself what qualities make a grounded fantasy film - this is what I've decided to research next.

 Update on the dolly zoom 

I wanted to use a gimbal to for the dolly zoom to help keep the camera steady because it's a handheld shot. After speaking to the technician, she said I need to get training and supervision on the gimbal which can take a long time. 

I also wanted to use the zoom lens which has two zooms on it. She said I'm not allowed to take it off site because it's very expensive. This has ruined my initial plan on how I'll do the dolly zoom. 

Alternatively, I can use the dolly wheel and do the zooming in on premiere pro using scaling. 

Narrative Structure

SECONDARY RESEARCH

Narrative structure in film refers to the way a story is organised and presented to the audience. A well-structured film has a beginning, middle and end. Fantasy films follow the 3 act structure so I need to follow this.

Three Act Structure

I am researching this because most fantasy films follow this structure and I need to know if my film aligns with it or if I need to change things.

My film is not completely in line with the 3 act structure so I'm going to add something at the end. At the end, I'm going to have conflict.

 Act 1 : Setup - Introduces the characters and setting. (0:00-3:00 mins)

The protagonist is in the library looking at books on the bookshelf and comes across a box that looks like a stack of books. At first she thinks its a stack of books but it's a box. Intrigued by it, she sneaks it into her bag and goes home.

 Inciting Incident: 

• An event that hooks the viewer into the story

In her room, she opens the box and reads the rules that is inside the box. She decides to write her first wish which is to have the living room cleaned up. She quickly hides the box and leaves her room. The mum rushes downstairs to check the living room and she is amazed by how tidy it is. Protagonist goes downstairs and she is also amazed that the wish worked. The mother praises her for tidying up so quickly. 

The girl goes back to her room and writes her second wish. She goes outside and it magically appears in front of her. She is very excited about this.

Act 2 : Rising Action  (3:00-7:00 mins)

The girl invites her friend over to the house to watch a movie. She tells her about the diary and how all her wishes have come true. The friend pretends to be happy for her but deep down inside she is jealous and wants to steal it. 

Midpoint Twist:

• A consequence occurs

After telling her friend about the diary, the friend sneaks into the protagonist's room and steals the diary which is hidden in her wardrobe. She opens the box and is confused by it. She reads the instructions about the diary, she also reads all the wishes the protagonist has written. Laughing to herself, she rips the page.

 She goes back downstairs and acts normal. During this time the protagonist has gone to the toilet so she is unaware of all what is happening. When the protagonist comes back, the friend says she will go home now.

Low Point:

• Protagonist realises they've lost control

The girl goes to her room and she is very tired from the whole day. Suddenly she sees a paper on her bedside table and is shocked. She walks up to it and then rushes to her wardrobe. She ruffles up everywhere looking for it and it's no where to be found. All her wishes have been reversed. She calls the friend but the number doesn't go through.

Act 3 : Resolution  (7:00-10:00 mins)

After all the materialistic things the protagonist wishes for has gone, the mother receives a phone call from her school that there was a mistake in the system that the girl actually failed the test. This causes the mother to be furious with the girl.

Why I researched this

The 3 act structure helped me plan a clear beginning, middle, and end. I understood how to follow it properly and I had to change some things. In the Resolution, I wanted to have a bad thing happen to the friend but after reading that the resolution is meant for things to get worse for the protagonist, I had to change it.  This also helped me because I was unclear on how I should end the film.

The red text is the incorrect resolution I initially wanted to do.

Action Research

5

pre production - set design , rough drawing of where things will be like a chair, table

phone vs microphone for dialogue

4.  SOUND - PHONE CALL

Near the end of the end of the video, Blossom's teacher calls her mum to clarify some things. I plan to do a phone call audio for this.

Action Research

1. Dolly Zoom

I decided to do practice tests shots of Dolly zoom because I haven't done it before. Since I'm including this in my film, I felt it was needed to experiment how it will look. 

I moved the car backwards whilst I zoomed in on the bear. This was quite difficult at first but as I kept practicing, I got better.

In the film, I will do dolly zoom of Blossom in scene 6 as she stares in awe of the bike emerging. I decided to test this to see if it will look as good as envisioned

2. Rack Focus

Rack focus is where the focus of the camera shifts from one object to another in the same shot. I'm adding this is scene 16 from Blossom to the ripped page from the diary on the bedside table.

This was easy to do but the accuracy of the focus lens can be improved. This technique only works as a mid close up between objects. 

Reflection

I focused on the plant then slowly shifted to the box. I found it quite easy to shift back and forth but the focus lens were not accurate at times. Rack focusing is useful because it helps the audience focus on what's important in the scene (the torn diary page). I learnt it takes good accuracy and steady hands to execute this properly.

3. Low Key Lighting on DSLR Camera

I am adding low key lighting in scene 8 of the film where Blossom is up at 12 midnight. Instead of relying on color grading in premiere pro, I decided to experiment with my Nikon camera to make the scene look like night time even though we shoot during the day.

I went to 'effects' and scrolled until I found 'low key lighting'. I had not discovered that setting before and I was pleased when I found it. It even has high key lighting. This setting is useful because I won't need to rely on adjusting the ISO levels all the time. All I have to do is scroll to settings and it's automatically set to low key lighting.

4. VFX Object Reveal

After I realised where I kept going wrong, it won't be an issue to do it for the bike in the film. I wanted the object reveal to look magical which is what has happened so I'm happy with the result.

5. VFX Magic Particle Trail

• rack focus when the protagonist is in the room and finds the torn paper on bedside table

• vfx object reveal

• vfx magic particle trail

• low key lighting on camera

• dolly zoom

What I'm taking from films technically

Nocturnal animals

After watching this film, I like how the 180 degree rule is utilised. Laura and the therapist have a left/right relationship wirh each other during their discussion. The therapist is on the left whilst Laura is on the right.

I'm taking the 180 degree rule from this into my fulm when the mother and Blossom are talking. This helps the audience know spatially where the characters are at any time. I will also add this in scene 10 when Blossom and her friend are in the living room.

I'm including day and night shots of outside after the end of a scene. This allows the audience to process what they've seen so far and to then it's morning, afternoon, or night.

To accomplish this, I'll wait until evening to film the night shots.

Costumes and Setting

SECONDARY RESEARCH

At the start of my film, the protagonist is in the library and she finds a box containing the diary. I plan for this scene to look like Harry Potter. The lighting is low key and cinematic. Also, the costume will be dark academia. The storyline behind this is it is an old library with hidden mysteries. This will mise en scene will add realism to the scene, making it believable. I will need to go location scouting for a library that looks like the image below.

 I plan for there be binary opposition. The protagonist's costume will be colorful clothes while the friend will wear darker clothes. This creates meaning to the audience that one is good and the other is bad to an extent.

The friend will wear the red and black outfit because it looks more villainous.

CAMERA

I am using a DSLR camera for my film because there are advanced elements to experiment with such as adjusting the depth of field. I need  to adjust this so that the background can be blurred and only the subject can be in sharp focus. Without adjusting this, it won't be even.

GXT MICROPHONE

If I rely on the camera for dialogue, It'll pick up background noise. To prevent this, the microphone will only pick up the voice.

PHONE

I will compare the microphone to the sound recorder app on my phone to see which one is better.

Location Scouting and Cinematography

In terms of cinematography, I'm going to reduce the ISO in the library so it looks cinematic.

At the start of the film, the protagonist is in the library looking at books. There is a library in the area I live so it's convenient to access. I'll have to get permission from them if I'm allowed to film in there. 

 I initially wanted to use a library that looks old like Wren library but they probably won't allow me film there since it's a university. It's also a long distance from where the actors live. Alternatively, there is a library in the area I live so it's convenient to access for everyone. The problem is it's not as good as Wren library but I can tweak the camera setting to make it look cinematic. I'll have to get permission from them if I'm allowed to film in there

 Update: 

I visited Cambourne library on 8/02/2025 and they have given me permission to film there. They just said I should inform them a few days prior to filming. Although I initially wanted to use a library like wren building because of it's dark academia vibe that matches with the wishing diary being ancient, I can see how things work with Cambourne library.

Primary Research

PRIMARY RESEARCH - SURVEY

When finding my target audience, I decided to gather primary research to get a clearer idea on what the target audience is. I am doing this by creating a questionnaire on google forms. I put this on my social media platforms for people to complete.

1. Age

The first question I asked was how old the respondents are. The age demographic for the film is 14-18  because I felt they will relate to the narrative more even though 10 and 11 year olds are the main characters. I didn't expect 13-15 year olds to be that much as 27% but I'm glad the majority is 16-24. This means my initial target audience aim was correct.

In conclusion, the age demographic for my short film according to this survey is 16-24. 

2. Enjoyment

The majority said they enjoy character and storylines more. This means they prefer low fantasy which is focused on that and not much VFX. This matches my film because the storyline is good and the characters will sell the story. The VFX will make is a fantasy. 

In conclusion, this audience may like my film because it falls under their preferences. I'll have to make the characters be interesting so they are entertained.

3. Mood or tone

The majority said like a mix of moods but they also like light and funny. My film is not that humorous but it also is quite light. This makes my film relatable especially for the somewhat younger audience (13-15). It helps balance the magical and strange elements with normal things that the characters doing (protagonist inviting friend over to the house and them spending time together). This helps the audience calm down and feel relatable.

3. Real world vs made up

53% said they prefer fantasy films set in the real world. This means the majority prefer low fantasy over high fantasy. My film is low fantasy, meaning I'll carry on with this idea. This will help them connect more with the characters and situations, because it feels closer to their own life. They will like my film because a magic diary is found in a normal library.

4. Magic elements

The majority of respondents enjoy ancient magic more in fantasy films. This means they are drawn to stories that have an ancient, mysterious feel. This means for my film, the backstory will be that the box containing the diary is very old. This will be indicated by having the list of instructions on ancient paper and the box itself will look ancient. The second most popular is prophecies and chosen ones. This means the protagonist in my film will be the chosen on because she is the one who finds the box.

6. Happy or sad endings

The majority of respondents prefer bittersweet endings in fantasy films. This means the audience enjoy emotional and realistic plotlines, where everything doesn't always turn out perfectly or with the cliché happy ever after. A bittersweet ending can feel more meaningful as it shows loss, sacrifice. 

This tells me that viewers may like to feel connected to the characters, and want an ending that reflects the consequences. This means for my film, I'll subvert from the usual happy endings and have an unfortunate ending.

7. VFX

I initially wasn't going to add VFX but the majority have said VFX is important so I'll add at least 2 VFX in my film. This will make the film true to the genre and make it more interesting.

8. Characters

The majority said they enjoy ordinary people as characters in fantasy films. This suggests the audience prefers relatable and realistic characters who live normal lives but get caught up in magical, strange events. These types of characters make the story more engaging because the viewers can see themselves in the protagonist and imagine what they would do in the same situation. This shows the audience like a balance between fantasy and reality, where magical elements feel believable because they can happen to everyday people.

In my film, the protagonist is an ordinary person who finds a magic dairy.

9. Deep meanings

60% of the respondents said they like fantasy films that teach them something. This shows audiences don't just want aesthetics-they also want a film to make them think or teach something important about life or human nature. 

This is good because I was thinking about adding addings a life lesson in my film that you shouldn't tell people good things happening in your life because they can betray you. This won't be an obvious lesson but those who notice what is happening in the film will understand. I think the older audience watching my film will be drawn to this aspect than 13-15s.

10. Personality

According to the Young and Rubicam's 4C'S Theory, 47% of the respondents are the 'reformer'. This means they appreciate deeper messages. The message in my film is not that deep.

Sound and Music

SECONDARY RESEARCH

 Diegetic sound  is sound that originates in the world of the film - characters can hear it.

Will there be diegetic sound in my short film?

Yes:

• Magic sound effects when the objects the girl wishes for come into existence

• Dialogue between characters

• Ambient noise

To accomplish this, I'll find a magic sound effects from YouTube and use microphone or sound recorder for the dialogue 

 Non diegetic sound  is sound that does not originate in the world of the film - characters cannot hear it

Will there be non diegetic sound in my short film?

Yes:

• Orchestral music with rising tensions when the protagonist is looking for the diary in her room

• Voice-overs of the characters