Filming - Day 2

On today’s recap of production life, I will be going over the process of recording the opening scene a.k.a. the teen scene. We were unable to get to the horror section of the montage as planned, but as a result we were able to take our time to make the start of the film excellent.

A still of the Protagonist looking outside their bedroom window.

A major technique we utilized while filming was movement. By putting our camera onto a stabilizer, we were able to make the first few opening shots feel majestic. Oliver had the camera revolve around Edward as if he were a godly presence to emphasize that main character energy we are trying to parody. This combined alongside the bright sunlight shining through the room helps to sell the perfect illusion these teen movies typically give off. The lesson learned here is that on the spot creativity can be superior to the initial shot list and storyboard which had more static shots. When it came to the Protagonist and Narrator arguing over the script, we decided to change the ending where filming equipment would appear on screen. This was due to it most likely being too confusing for the audience, not having much equipment to make the scene look like a full on movie set, and it ultimately being an unnecessary detail. While on production, these moments of clarity, such as a cool idea or change, come to fully realize a film. From the perspective of a director, the best way I could describe it is as if the story is telling itself to you while it begins taking shape through the set design, equipment, and performances.

A still of the Protagonist acting shocked for being late to school.

With the opening scene done, tomorrow my team and I will spend the day focusing on the montage with the horror section we need to make up for. See you all then!

Filming - Day 1

Production is officially underway for the short film with today being our first time on set. Here’s a rundown on the experience!

This shoot was for the romance scene, which is the third scene in the film and has the Protagonist horribly attempting to act like they went through a break up. While it is not one of the longer scenes in the film, it did take a while to get our bearings both from a production and acting stand point. Edward is not by any means an actor, so it was definitely rough for him to act emotional on camera. I was personally a bit nervous in general, but as we continued pushing through each take, it was exciting to see the story we wrote come to life. The scene was filmed at a local parking lot during sunset into the night, with the dying light being a strong visual indicator of the fictional relationship fading away. The issue with it being filmed in a parking lot, though, is that at any given moment things can get extremely noisy. Since I was boom mic operating on top of directing, I heard all of this first hand. Cars, music, background conversation, all of which bleeding into different recordings that were dialogue driven. Fortunately we had the patience to wait it out until we were able to capture the perfect take.

A still of the Protagonist fake crying.

Overall, today was successful and a great start to this four day marathon of production. Tomorrow we will go cover the opening scene and the horror section of the montage. Wish us luck!

Production Schedule

Last but not least, it is time to talk about the production schedule. In order to be organized and efficient when filming, a schedule is of utmost importance. Luckily, Oliver was on the job.

Oliver created a production schedule that would take place over the course of next week. It is pretty hectic, but it must be done with the especially limited time we have to wrap up the project. We would be knocking out the short in 3 days, with most of these days having grouped together multiple scenes. Scenes were methodically chosen on specific days to match with the locations we would be at, that way we did not have to travel far in between them and instead keep shooting.  We are making sure to clear our calendars in order to follow through with the production schedule and are hoping to enter the post-production stage by next weekend. At this point we will be going full throttle to the finish line, so I hope you will all stay tuned to see the good (and possibly some of the bad) of filming and editing an entire short film. With that being said, check out our production schedule below and see you guys on set!

• Tuesday - Romance scene
• Wednesday - Teen and horror scenes
• Thursday - Comedy and silent film scenes
• Friday - Action and void scenes

The Art of Mise-en-scène

Costume and set design are crucial to any production, which is why today I will go into detail into our planning of mise-en-scène.

Set Design

In terms of set design, the void scene at the end of the short film will be the most dependent on construction and arranging it into the creative vision we had in mind. I suggested to make the final scene something similar to the void scenes in Stranger Things (2016), which had a pitch black background yet had the subject covered in light.

Example of the void effect in the show.

While researching how to pull off a similar effect, I realized that if we were able to order a black photography backdrop, hang it up, and place lights in front of it, then we should be able to recreate this dark space in an empty room. In this case, our set will be in Oliver’s garage like I had revealed in the previous post. Another element in the void scene is the table where the Protagonist begins writing their own story. I was able to find a nice tablecloth that we can cover a plastic table with, that way it is much easier to carry while still looking formal. On the tablecloth, we had the idea of using a small plant on one side and a skull on the other, which would represent life and death. By having them placed at the ends with the Protagonist’s script in the center, it subtly implies that the Protagonist is taking control of their own fate. 

A quick test shot of the table.

Costume Design

On the topic of costume design, this short film requires a lot of planning due to switching between different stories and genres. Edward has already been preparing his outfits for the role of the Protagonist, which look great! Oliver and I both think they match their respective scenes and were well done. 

Edward's action star costume.

There is a specific part of the film I would like to discuss in relation to this facet of mise-en-scène, which is the action segment. The action segment has the most characters on screen, meaning that Oliver and I have to plan outfits for ourselves. Oliver will wear a suit to match his character of a millionaire, all while being tied up with duct tape with his mouth shut and wearing a blindfold. As the villain, I decided to go all out. I will wear a bright red jacket with a matching ski mask on top. This will definitely be eye-catching on screen, while also visually communicate to the audience that the character is an antagonist. 

Me as the fearsome villain Deathclaw 👹.

There is an important element to Oliver and I’s costumes that might not be caught by many, but definitely do hold a symbolic purpose. By obscuring our facial features, we will seem more like generic background characters rather than actual people, which is an important contrast to have when the Protagonist is supposed to be the star of the show. The Protagonist is also the most human in terms of having their own thoughts and emotions, therefore having them have a clearer face makes sense.

Location Scouting

As my team and I prepare for next week’s shoot, we have decided on which locations we plan to use for the short film. 

The locations we chose met the criteria of both being accessible to us while also matching the scenes accordingly. For this reason, a lot of filming will take place near Oliver’s house, as we will use his room for the teen scene, his living room for the comedy scene, his street for the silent film scene, and also his garage for the action and void scenes. For the romance scene we plan on filming it outside of a large, local parking lot, and for the horror scene we will film at a park. Overall, these locations are simple but perfect, and we will be able to find success at these locations when we finally start recording. Here is the full list of locations:

• Teen scene - House
• Action scene - Garage
• Romance scene - Parking lot
• Comedy scene - Living room
• Horror scene - Park
• Silent film scene - Street
• Void scene - Garage

With our locations in mind, it is time to discuss other important elements such as mise-en-scéne and organizing a schedule. Expect to hear more shortly!

VFX Testing

Good morning! Since the short film is shaping up to be graphically intense, I decided that today I would test out these visual effects in order to A) confirm they work, and B) design these elements prior to filming. Let's get started.

Screenplay Text

While the Narrator is reading out the different scenes and the Protagonist is performing, we want to show the screenplay on screen. This communicates to the audience that the events on screen are part of these fictional scripts and shows how the lines translate into the scene. It also allows the disconnect to be clearer when the Protagonist breaks out of character, as the text disappearing illustrates that the script was interrupted. At first we were thinking of splitting up part of the screen with the script and the other half with the shots, but we realized this would not be a great choice. For one, splitting the screen means that we would have to compose shots with the positioning of the text in mind, which would be difficult and time consuming during filming. Secondly, it looked amateurish. I made a mockup in Photoshop using a still from one of my previous productions:

😬😬😬

In order for these graphics to work well, the text has to unify with the cinematography to create a flowing image as opposed to cutting into it. I went back into Photoshop to find a perfect marriage between both elements and came up with a solution. My new mockup overlays the text on top of the visuals, except this time, the text fades away as it goes lower into the frame. This way the text is clear yet out of the way, but also gives a lot of space for the shots. My group and I agreed it was the way to go:

😎😎😎

Narrator Waveform

A couple posts ago on the blog, I told you all how at first we wanted to have the Narrator make a physical appearance at the final scene but decided against it to preserve their omnipresence. Since the end of the short film is supposed to be confrontational between the two characters, I still wanted some form of presence from the Narrator. This led me to the concept of having the Narrator's audio waveform appear above the Protagonist. 

A quick sketch I drew on my smartphone when originally coming up with the design.

The fact that the Narrator appears as literal audio-waves would be comically fitting since they are literally using their voice to narrate, but on the other hand, the addition of a floating being would add more surrealism to the scene. With this image for the Narrator's presence in my head, I went to After Effects to figure it out. I found a tutorial on how to create waveforms that had various options to choose from. I decided to go with a spherical design as it felt more visually appealing rather than having a straight line. It also looked like a spirit orb, almost as if it was someone communicating from another existence (very deep, I know). 

A screenshot from my After Effects Project.

From here I decided to make the spherical waveform more god-like by adding a bright glow and rays of light beaming down from above. To test this in a shot, I mirrored the sketch I drew by adding a new rough illustration of the Protagonist and rotating the Narrator to seem like they are looking down. Check it out:

Conclusion

The team and I are very happy with how these VFX elements turned out and are more than confident in using them when it comes time to put the film together. Next week I will continue to work on preproduction and plan on finishing this stage of the short film by then. Wish us luck!

Crafting Cinematography

Hey everyone! Yesterday I created a shot list for the short film from beginning to end. 

While making the list, I took the time to imagine the movie in my head in order to consider how it would play out. This meant figuring out what shot types, angles, and other elements of composition I wanted to incorporate on screen that would best tell the story. Because of this, I want the cinematography to be smooth, stylish, and above all else, excellent. 

Some inspiration I had in mind was Wes Anderson's distinct yet perfect use of symmetry in his shot composition.

To make the list, I used the comment feature of the screenwriting platform we used called WriterDuet. What this allows you to do is leave notes on the side of the lines, which can be viewed with other editors of the screenplay. This was especially important as Edward will be illustrating the storyboard and must know what shots to include. 

An example of the feature in action.

For your viewing pleasure, I compiled the comments into a list below. Try visualizing the film for yourself!

Opening Scene

1. Top shot over a table with either a velvet or satin-esque cover.
2. Ethereal and calming nature scenery.
3. Symmetrical wide shot of an open window, which then pans to show the Protagonist in bed.
4. Close up of the Protagonist asleep and then awake.
5. Over-the-shoulder looking towards the window.
6. Medium shot of the protagonist from the looking out the window and then getting up.
7. Wide shot of the protagonist getting up from a side angle.
8. Medium shot of the Protagonist and their reflection in the mirror.
9. Symmetrical medium shot of the Protagonist's back while opening their closet.
10. Close up of the Protagonist's hand shuffling through shirts.
11. Medium shot of the Protagonist putting on a flannel.
12. Close up of the Protagonist tying their shoes and then walking away.
13. Wide shot of house.
14. Medium tracking shot of the Protagonist walking out of the house and onto the sidewalk with a skateboard under one shoulder and slinging a backpack on anothe. The Protagonist then halts to check their watch.
15. Close up of the Protagonist's wristwatch.
16. Close up shot of the Protagonist breaking out of character. The Protagonist here drops the skateboard and backpack, then takes off the flannel.
17. Medium shot of the Protagonist arguing with the Narrator. The Protagonist looks through the script while arguing.
18. Wide shot of the Protagonist running away from the camera, props can be seen on the ground and production equipment such as lights and a camera are set up.
19. Close up of the props being left behind while the Protagonist runs away in the distance.

Action Scene

1. Back to the top shot from the beginning, but this time a new script is place on top.
2. Symmetrical wide shot of hostage in gritty garage. A harsh light shines from the top.
3. Close ups of Ritchguye's hands tied and his face covered in duct tape and a blindfolded. 
4. Medium shot with the side of Ritchguye on the left half of the screen and Deathclaw walking in from the back on the right half.
5. Close up of Deathclaw hovering over Ritchguye from a low angle.
6. Close up of Ritchguye from a high angle.
7. Close up of the two from the side.
8. Wide shot of the door being forced open by the Protagonist.
9. Medium tracking shots of the Protagonist walking in from both the front and back.
10. Cowboy shots from both of their perspectives, one half of the screen shows one character and the other shows their opponent's fists.
11. Extreme close up of the two's eyes, but superimposed onto the screen almost like a comic book panel.
12. Symmetrical wide shot of the two running into the center of the shot.
13. Close up of the Protagonist's arm extending to meet Deathclaw's face.
14. Medium shot of the two with the Protagonist's arm frozen.
15. Close up of the Protagonist carefully rubbing their fighting hand.
16. Wide shot of the characters.

Romance Scene

1. Back to the top shot of the table again but now with a new script on top of the other two.
2. Wide shot of parking lot.
3. Medium shot of the Protagonist walking into frame and going into their car.
4. Close ups from all angles from inside the car.
5. Close up of the Protagonist at an angle while they are looking through the windshield. They then bury their head into the steering wheel while they fake cry.
6. Medium shot of the Protagonist sitting in the car while looking into the camera.
7. Close up of the Protagonist's confused expression as the Narrator begins yelling.

Montage

1. Another top shot with the table and new script.
2. Wide shot of the Protagonist walking out of door into a living room.
3. Close up of the Protagonist looking around confused, at a very tilted/disorienting angle.
4. Medium shot of the Protagonist in the set.
5. Another top shot with the table and new script.
6. Wide shot of the Protagonist walking through a creepy forest.
7. Close up of the Protagonist afraid.
8. Another top shot with the table and new script.
9. Wide shot of the protagonist in the street.
10. Another top shot with the table and new script.
11. Medium shot of storyboard panel with the Protagonist in the center.

Ending Scene

1. Wide shot of the Protagonist standing alone in the dark.
2. Over-the-shoulder shot of the Protagonist panning up while they are looking towards the ceiling where the Protagonist is speaking.
3. Close up of the waveform of the Narrator.
4. Medium shot of the protagonist.
5. Close up of the Protagonist.
6. Wide shot of the Protagonist in the void.
7. Over the shoulder of the Protagonist looking at the desk.
8. Close up of the desk and the script on to of it.
9. Medium shot of the Protagonist from the front starring at the desk while the waveform speaks from above.
10. Wide shot of the Protagonist walking towards desk.
11. Medium shot of the Protagonist taking a seat.
12. Close up of picking up pen.
13. Close up of the Protagonist opening through the script and writing.
14. Wide shot of the Protagonist writing away.

Screenplay Completion

The entire draft for the screenplay my group and I have been working on for the past couple of weeks has been completed! It took a lot of time to develop our ambitious ideas into pages filled with scenes, dialogue, and direction, but as a result, we have made an awesome script. Before I share it to the world, here are the changes that have been made while we finalized it:

• The opening scene has been mostly rewritten in order to cut down on time. This includes removing the part where the Protagonist skateboards outside and other sections of dialogue. 
• The action scene has fleshed out the side characters further, with Oliver turning into Oliver Ritchguye, which was a fun way to emphasize that the character was a millionaire, and Ryan (me) into Deathclaw, the most generic villain name I could come up with. The writing is much more dramatic and detailed to further convey how over the top it is.
• The romance scene has a couple of lines rewritten in attempt to make it more comedic, but is ultimately the same as it was before. The Protagonist now asks the Narrator to let them have control of the story instead of just asking if they could talk so it could connect better to the themes of the short film.

Overall, the script is much more cohesive to the story we want to tell. With it completed, we can now enter the final phase of the preproduction. We plan on creating a shot list, storyboard, organizing props and costumes, location scouting, and testing out some of the visual effects we are thinking of implementing before we film. Our deadline is quickly approaching us, therefore we must finish planning everything soon. We are proud of the script we have created and are ready to bring it to life. Without further ado, here is the script for Cutting Room Floor.

Screenplay Update #4

We're reaching the end of the writing process as we have written the drafts for the last two parts of the screenplay!

Montage

The first is of a montage sequence where the Narrator quickly transitions between different genres and mediums to humiliate the Protagonist for their rebellion against the story. When deciding which of these styles to pursue, we came up with a list of multiple conventions we could recreate. They were:

• Sci-fi
• Fantasy
• Comedy
• Horror
• Western
• Vintage/Silent Film
• Animation/Storyboard 

In order to save time and be able to bring these segments to life without any trouble, we went with these final four:

• Comedy
• Horror
• Vintage/Silent Film
• Animation/Storyboard

Genres such as sci-fi, fantasy, and western require a lot of effort in mise-en-scene and an extended amount of visual effects. Due to the small scale nature of the production, these would be too problematic. Comedy and horror would be simpler, as they could be conveyed through sound effects such as laugh tracks and monster noises, and as well be easier sets to find, such as a common living room or a forested area at night. The silent film section could be done through color grading our footage to black and white with an overlay of film grain on top, and the storyboard can be taken from the actual storyboard we will eventually illustrate. 

I was the lead writer for the sequence and am very happy with how it came about. I made sure to emphasize the rage the Narrator has due to the Protagonist's debauchery in a comedic fashion through the dialogue and scene changes. Here is the montage in full:

Ending

Last but not least, the conclusion to this absurd piece of media. This scene went through many variations and was the most difficult to figure out. It first started off with the Narrator in the flesh handing the script to the Protagonist. You might remember that I had originally posted this scene when my team first started writing the script, but since then we decided in a meeting with our advisor that the Narrator should have no physical presence at all. What then followed was a version of the scene where the Protagonist lashes out at the Narrator. We ultimately decided against it as both characters have argued with each other since the beginning of the film, and we wanted to go for something more powerful instead of just incessant yelling. 

In the end, we had concluded that making the scene more somber was the way to go. This change of tone from the bizarre comedic moments to a genuine one-on-one between both characters is monumental, and allows us to be able to communicate to the audience what the story is truly about, which is having control of your own personal narrative. With the two talking it out, the film ends with the Protagonist beginning to write their own script. We think this ending is the right choice in wrapping up the short and are highly satisfied with it. Take a look for yourself:

Screenplay Update #3

The third scene has been completed!

When coming up with ideas for what genre the scene should take place in, I wanted to choose something that would drastically contrast the previous action sequence. Because of this, I thought that going from an high octane thrill ride to a somber drama would be perfect. There were a couple of concepts for the scene I had in mind. They were as follows:

• The protagonist sitting down at the bedside of a dying relative and speaking to them before they pass.
• The protagonist in the car crying about a messy breakup.
• The protagonist writing an emotional letter.

I ultimately decided to go with the moment in the car as I thought it would be a good change of pace in terms of set design. This way the short film will take place in multiple locations instead of just being inside a house. 

Still taken from an emotional car scene in Lady Bird (2017)

The scene will begin with the protagonist stepping into the car as he tries to decompress his emotions. After taking a brief moment to take it all in, he begins to cry over dramatically to the point where the scene is unbearable to watch. This causes the narrator to be the one to interject instead of the protagonist, which I thought was a humorous twist after expecting the opposite to happen in comparison to the previous scenes. The scene ends with the protagonist describing how none of the roles he had to play truly feel like him. This expresses that he wants to be at the helm of his own story and is a piece of dialogue that leads to the conclusion of the short film. Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

My group and I plan on making a couple more revisions, but nonetheless, the screenplay should be done in the upcoming week. We’re almost there!

Getting Feedback

Before continuing work on the screenplay, my group and I decided that it would be a good opportunity to first meet with our advisor about our progress with the short film before continuing. This came out of us having concerns about how to structure the story and as well wanting to receive general feedback about our ideas.

First off, I am happy to report that we were met with positivity as she really enjoyed the concept of our short. This was a bit of a relief as I honestly had no clue how others would react to it and expected that it might come off too ridiculous to some. When discussing the characters, she expressed that it would be a smart decision to not show any physical appearances of the narrator to preserve the omnipresent nature they have to control the protagonist’s narrative. We all thought that this was a valid point and are planning on fixing this by slightly altering the ending. Next we began discussing the presence of clichés and fourth wall breaking moments in the production as we would need to incorporate them as much as possible yet subvert them at the same time. We will be sure to make these moments unique and varied in order to make sure the film stays original in its own way. Last but not least came duration, which our instructor said will be our most major obstacle in the production. Since it is essential for our production to hop between different genres and scenes, it is clear that we might run into time constraints while putting the short together. She said that we should do a total of 3 main scenes, that way there is enough variation and progression in the film without it being too long. This sounded perfect to us and we were glad to hear that we were on the right path.

In conclusion, this meeting was extremely valuable in the creation of the short film. This feedback will help guide us as we reach the end of the screenwriting process. Speaking of screenwriting, we are now a scene away from finishing up this script. I will be the one in charge of writing it, so definitely expect an update soon.

Screenplay Update #2

I am back with a new update and a new scene to share with you guys!

As I said yesterday, we have the opening and ending of the short film already written in the draft of the script, but we are missing the meat in between the sandwich bread (horrible analogy but you get the point). Since then, we came up with the idea to add an action sequence into the mix. When considering what genres to include in the short, we all agreed that it would be best to choose the ones that are the most stylistically distinctive, as it would be easier to replicate and communicate their conventions effectively to the audience. For this reason, having one of these scenes take place in an action film was a given. We plan on using intense music, over exaggerated heroic/villainous dialogue, and have strong uses of greens and oranges in our cinematography to copy how these films typically color grade their footage. 

Examples of action movie color grading from The Matrix (2001) & Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Examples of action movie color grading from The Matrix (2001) & Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

The scene we wrote for the script is based off of a typical hostage situation. The villain of the scene (which is going to be played by yours truly 😈) questions the hostage about the typical: financial compensation. This is when the protagonist interjects as the action hero. The two have a quick, ridiculous exchange and then get in position to fight. Before the protagonist lands a powerful punch, he interrupts the scene to complain that he does not want to get hurt, which infuriates the narrator. This punchline (pun intended) continues this cycle of a fictional scene being performed, interjection by the protagonist, and a comedic argument between the narrator and the main character about the role. The draft of the scene can be read below:

With another scene down, it is now time to get back to the typewriter. See you soon! 

Screenplay Update #1

Hey everyone! I am sure this will be the first update post of many when it comes to changes being made in the script, but nevertheless, I have some news.

First up, the beginning of the short film has been drafted. Oliver took the writing he did for the fictional coming of age script I shared in my last blog post and expanded upon it in terms of the context of the short film. This means that he included the shot of the physical script on the table flipping open and as well added the narrator in the scene. The narrator reads the scene descriptions for this script and the protagonist acts and performs his lines accurately until the scene reaches its turning point. Once the protagonist has to say the line “I'm late. Crap!”, they refuse to do so as the line was cheesy
to them. This is where the short film first becomes meta and reveals itself to be about the narrator and the protagonist arguing about the narrative. To hammer this in, the scene ends with the main character running away after saying that he is going to “make some changes” and the narrator yelling at him to stop it.

After Oliver put the introduction together, he began typing up the ending. Even though this is completely out of order, it was a good way to begin imagining how the short film will end and ensure that it will be as impactful as possible. This final scene begins with the narrator teleporting the protagonist to the middle of nowhere, which as of now we were thinking either being a void or somewhere in the wilderness. Here the physical embodiment of the narrator, AKA “the suited man”, hands the protagonist a script that has every event written down up to the moment of their meeting. This is where the narrator hands the protagonist the script to his life and allows him to take control of the narrative. I especially like how the film ends with the protagonist writing into the screenplay as it effectively communicates the transition of power between the two.

Next up comes everything in between. We still need to brainstorm and write a couple more scenes of the protagonist and the narrator bashing at each other during this upcoming week. This will consist with diverse changes in genre, as we decided to instead focus on a variety of cliche scenarios we can have fun with in the production instead of just a coming of age film. Expect more info soon!

The Screenplay is in Motion

I have returned with the beginnings of our script. Or at least the beginnings of our fake script. Let me explain.

Since our film takes place inside of a fictional script, we essentially have to develop the fake screenplay alongside our actual one. This is what Oliver began writing, and it is full of cliches and cheesy lines typical of 2000’s era coming of age films. I thought that he was able to embrace these tropes well, as shown through the protagonist skateboarding, the classic getting ready for school montage, and of course, no teen movie is complete without the main character being late for school. I think this is a great start for the short film, and with the inclusion with a couple more scenes, we will be more than well off when it comes to our fake script. Here it is below: 

Next, I think I will begin giving a hand in writing the actual screenplay, that way each element is developed in conjunction with each other and we can get the story done at a quicker pace. Time to stretch my typing hands as I have a lot of writing ahead of me!

The Outline

Here is the basic outline for the short film! The outline covers the basic character design, sequencing of the story with what happens at each plot point, and other extra details as well. 

Characters

To begin with, we have the characters. The protagonist is written in the fictional script to be the perfect main character that everyone would desire to be like. The idea behind this is that the narrator wrote his personality to be flawless, which makes the main character upset because he had no choice in the matter. By having a perfect protagonist want to reject his personality and story to instead choose it for himself, a dynamic contrast is developed and establishes the main character’s want to break off from the script. Next is the narrator, who is the puppet master behind the script and the antagonist in the short film. These two will clash with each other in a very comedic manner as they fight over who is in control of the narrative.

Fictional Film 

To continue, this is a short description of the fake movie script that the narrator wrote and the protagonist disagrees with. We thought it would be a good idea to start creating the stage in which the short film would take place on, and decided it would make most sense to make it a cheesy coming of age film. This also harkens back to the original idea we had of incorporating cliches from these teen movies to point out how ridiculous they can be. We jotted down a couple of ideas of generic scenes we could use in the production.

Outline

Last but not least, the outline of the short film itself. It begins with a stylistic technique we coined the “Shrek Opening”. This is in reference to the way the film begins with a storybook flipping open, as we thought it would be pretty funny if we did something similar but instead with the script. 

Stills from the opening of Shrek.

From here the film will have graphics on screen of the script, with the scene description being read by the narrator. When it comes time for the protagonist to read their line, he intentionally messes it up, and the film cuts from the text graphics to the actual scene itself. The protagonist announces that they are “not a fan of this script” and are “going to make some changes”. This is where the title of the film will pop up, which as of now is dubbed Cutting Room Floor. The name is a reference to the process where filmmakers remove content out of their movies and would literally cut rolls of film out and let the remains drop onto the ground, hence the cutting room floor. It fits well as the film is all about the protagonist changing the script to control his own narrative. The rest of the film will continue with different scenes in the script being ruined by the main character and the narrator annoyed at his rebellious nature. The final act of the film has the narrator confront the protagonist and question his motives. At this climax, the main character blatantly states that they want the authority to be responsible for their narrative instead of following one that was written by someone else. This leads to the conclusion of the film, which is the narrator physically stepping onto the screen and handing the protagonist the script to the film. We had the idea that the final shot could be the camera tilting up and revealing that the main character has become the protagonist and is the one giving the script, which illustrates that they have become in control of their narrative.

With this outline in good shape, it is finally time to begin writing the screenplay. Oliver said he was going to start drafting it later tonight, so I will update you guys tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Discussing the Plot

 Good evening and a happy Friday to all!

Today I had a long meeting online with my group discussing the direction we wanted to take with our short film. Last week I had mentioned two ideas that we had in mind, but were unsure about which to work on. The first concept was a spin on teen movies based on the desire to be “the main character” in your life. This approach would both be comedic and meaningful, as the film’s actual protagonist would attempt to recreate the coming of age films they romanticized but later realize they do not need the glamour to take control of their narrative. The second idea took the main character concept literally, as it was about two characters in a script arguing about who should be the main character of the 

story. I personally thought that this idea had a lot of room for creative freedom and experimentation, something which my peers and I definitely want to pursue for our last high school short. For this reason, we decided to move forward with the latter.

The voice call did not end here, though, as we continued to tinker with the project and evolved the film beyond what we had previously envisioned. We came to a realization that the original proposal of having two characters argue against each other would be difficult to pull off for a couple of reasons. We are limited in our crew due to COVID-19 and therefore do not want to work with too many people or risk infection. Also, we were unable to come up with a reason for the argument between both characters to continue for over 5 minutes, which means that at the end of the day the idea is substance-less. This was why we changed the argument to be between one character and a narrator, who would be the one in control of the script the character is a part of. In the short film, the character is going to disagree with the narrator about their role in the narrative and continue to mess up the part in order to make a stance about wanting to pursue their own story. Not only is this safer, but as well creates a clear sense of conflict between the two, which is crucial for any great plot. 

I will be back soon with more details!