For this project we have to make a short film about a space. It should be both engaging & creative in execution and the 'space' can be interpreted in a number of ways - it could be a small or large space, interior or exterior, it could be a space that has an emotional connection to us or has a story to tell. It could be visual in approach, a film that captures the physicality of a space - its form, texture, colour & sound. This project aims to produce a creative, well-executed film that integrates a range of disciplines (live action, typography, title, graphics / animation, natural & artificial light, sync sound & ambient sound / music) and to be able to balance these elements depending on the concept.
Brief:
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Project log / personal reflection:
Out of my head is an experimental short film focused on the paranoia that someone with schizophrenia is struggling with. The film presents the audience with ideas of the visions and hallucinations that the protagonist is experiencing and the ways in which this affects them. My main objective was to make the audience aware of the chaos within the characters mind and the intense emotional battles they are constantly having to deal with. As the film has no distinct narrative, I have ensured that the story is told through various visual elements and filmmaking techniques; including cinematography, editing and overall direction.
The film is split into 2 main sections to show the different sides to the character. The first part presents the character to be distressed and unstable as they are gradually facing more vivid and graphic delusions. This section starts slow, using steady shots, to help establish the location and character - but the pace continuously increases to show the changing state within the characters head space. This allowed me to portray the characters struggles in a visual way by using different post-production and editing techniques. For example, I used quick cuts, canted angles and glitching edits to represent the chaotic and confusing nature of their mind and their distorted perception of reality. As I wanted the film to have a haunting and nightmarish atmosphere, I chose to shoot this part in a cemetery / graveyard setting as I believe it is a location with many connotations. In my opinion, I would describe this setting to be peaceful and serene, but also dark and spooky at the same time.
The second part of the film sees the character alone in an empty, desolate room. This helps to emphasise the characters paranoia and show how they are trapped with their thoughts and are unable to escape no matter how hard they try. This section is a lot calmer in terms of editing as I have used smoother, more gradual edits, however I feel as though this creates a more eerie ambience. Although there is a strong contrast between the two sections, making the film seem even more unbalanced and intense, they both successfully present the characters fear to the audience.
Aside from visuals, the element that I think really brings the film together is the audio. I knew I wanted to include a song as the background music, but rather than using a pre-existing song, I created my own to ensure that the sound matched my vision correctly. I achieved this by first establishing a tempo & pace for the piece and then gradually building this up with different instruments, audio tracks and effects as well as samples from “Problème d'émotion” by Igorrr.
Another key aspect I included was the use of 3D graphics. I wanted to include graphics in a similar style to the title sequence of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (2011) as it has heavily influenced my work and style in the past. I tried to recreate this in my own way using Cinema4D but unfortunately didn’t have the plug-ins required to do so. I have included some of the original elements in my film, these were created & designed by Tim Miller and David Fincher at Blur Studios.
Overall I am very happy with the short-film that I have created. I feel although I have successfully encapsulated all the elements I wanted to include and have achieved the vision and narrative that I was aiming for. If I had more time, I would’ve liked to research further into creating the 3D graphics myself and finding a way to produce these to a high standard.
Short film: Out of my Head:
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