At the moment we are struggling to meet the 5 minute minimum length requirement of the film with the current version of the film reaching just under 3 minutes. To make the film longer we are trying to include a number of additional shots: establishing shots - there will hopefully be two or three new establishing shots which will last around approximately 5-10 seconds each a scene of him travelling to the train station - along the way he will pass one or two affectionate  couples showing signs of public affection which he registers and this will probably last around 20-30 seconds  a scene of the protagonist sitting in a public place, looking at items belonging to the woman e.g. a locket, personal items etc. This scene will last around 30 seconds (potentially a few seconds longer) to allow each object to be developed properly 

Over the past few weeks, we refrained from finalising the title of the film due to uncertainty over the strength of the one that we have been considering, which is Cumha (see the screenshot to the left for pronunciation). While we understood the meaning and relevance of the title, our reluctance to finalise this as our title came from the dilemma we faced relating to how this relevance and meaning would be conveyed to the audience. We tossed around a few solutions to this and thought that a brief description of the title, its meaning and its pronunciation would be the best way to give the audience some context and a better understanding of the title which sets the tone for the rest of the film. The Gaelic origins of the word Cumha serve as a nod to the first sources of inspiration from our film - Windy Night by Peggy Rose. This Irish short story described a young man feeling something similar to love sickness for his girlfriend who is separated from him by distance. This is the pr...

In relation to the naming process of our production company for this year, we wanted a more serious name to match the gravity of this years film in contrast to Dapper Stork Productions and Alaska Productions which featured more light hearted films. We all quickly agreed on the name Black Sheep Productions which feel has a more ominous and professional tone to its name. This week we have also found a beautiful poster template that we are planning on using for our poster, which we have completed a rough draft version of.

Although we have all agreed on a visual concept for our poster , we have also thought of backup ideas in case the initial idea does not work or it becomes too difficult to achieve. Both ideas are very different and hold different indications to the plot of the film, meaning either idea would be suitable. Poster 1 Instead of having the male protagonists face reflected on the glass or plastic of the clock we decided to shatter the clock which is red to fit in nicely with the motif of red, giving the impression that the protagonist has taken his anger out on this essential component. We believe this idea will be more effective since it highlights the characters votive nature and possibly dangerous personality. Poster 2 This idea was one that we devised on the day of filming using the muse en scene. An item in the bedroom we were filming in was an old dartboard. With the colour red present this caught our eye and we decided to experiment with the visual concept of this as a poste...

Character: Male lead Actors Name: Michael Kelly Age: 18 Height: 6"4 Physical description: Tall, slim build Experience: None General Notes: We were pleasantly surprised by Mochael's professionalism and decorum, despite his lack of experience, as he managed to keep himself composed in some challenging shots. His enthusiasm was also admirable as he was excited to get involved in the more difficult shots. Character: Female Lead Actors Name: Rìbh Brownlee Age: 17 Height: 5"2 Physical description: Petite, small frame, distinctive long brown curly hair Experience: Grade B at Drama GCSE General Notes: Rìbh contributed her to the project well and struck a good balance, using her previous experience in Drama (see above) to ensure that her presence was not lost without being overbearing. Character: Male cameo Actors Name: Luke Darrah Age: 18 Height: 6"2 Physical description: Tall, slim build, similar appearance to the male protagonist however Luke had darker...

Each actor was given descriptions on their character and how their costuming would influence the strength of the characterisation. In the first few scenes in bed Michael wore a pyjama top with short red sleeves and bottoms. The hint of red visually worked well with the motif of the colour red in the film which is supported by Ribh's red lipstick, top and suitcase as the colours has a multitude of meanings. In the public scenes at the train station, Michael wore all dark clothing which isolated him in the bright surroundings to give a more unnerving feel to his presence. Luke simply wore casual clothing for this role which made him feel more relaxed as he portrayed a calm character

We filmed and completed all of our scenes on Sunday 18th March with the help of new actors who replaced those that couldn't make it. The filming and execution of most of the scenes went smoothly thanks to a high degree of professionalism from our actors who maintained a balance between being serious and staying relaxed and enjoying the experience. We were grateful and impressed by some of our extras who were so enthusiastic that they stayed on set and watched for hours before they were needed. We also finalised our decision on the title of the film 'Cumha' which is an untranslatable Gaelic word meaning loneliness, sickness for a person. MISE EN SCENE A vital component of Cumha is the rise en scene and on particular area of this is the display of photos of the female lead on the male protagonist's wall. This required time and money to print these photos and carefully select which ones we would use on the wall the would generate the memories or fantasy scenes. LIGHT...

Rare medical conditions at the centre of cinematic plots are not common, but when developed properly these kinds of films make phenomenally dramatic and educational. Prosopagnosia tells the story of a man being questioned as the prime suspect to the murder of his best friend, a case in which he is the only witness. The main attention grabbing element is that he actually 'saw' the killer and look him directly in the eye but frustratingly he can't recognise him due to his condition which shares the same title as the film, Prosopagnosia (also known as face blindness in casual terms). The film explores Alfred's (the male protagonist) inner battle with his condition which not only impacts his effectiveness as a witness, but also influences his relationships. This is explored through his bond with his best friend Julia, who's dedication to their friendship has restricted her from changing distinctive features like her curly red hair and her perfume scent the same which he...

This week there have been multiple obstacles thrown our way which are we trying to be flexible around: The first that we have been notified that the photos that we ordered online from freeprints.com will not arrive until the 21st of March which is after our scheduled day of filming -> this filming date was carefully picked and cannot be pushed back to the next week so we adapting to this by getting the photos printed in a local Boots store.  Although our filming schedule was agreed on by all involved a month ago, we have been thrown an unexpected curveball an our main actor cannot make it to filming on Sunday the 18th (which is the main filming day) due to a family emergency -> in order to facilitate and support this, we have rearranged to film everything on Monday the 19th, which does not leave any room for error as we will only have a few hours to film many scenes across three different locations. This also means we will have to keep an eye on the weather for Monday as...

Buy a clock with a ticking second hand Confirm with our actors the details on their costumes and the filming times Regularly keep updated on the weather conditions expected for the days we are filming on (Sunday the 18th and Monday the 19th) Keep the cameras charged and assign who will take the equipment including the tripod home and manage it. Take multiple photos for the poster on the day of filming, which will require breaking the clock Wait for our printed photos to be delivered (they are expected to arrive tomorrow or on Wednesday) which we can then organise and put up on the wall on the day of filming) Evaluate, re-evalute and then re-evaluate again the risk assessments, making sure that each team member is aware of possible problems to which they can be flexible and adaptable 

The colour palette of a short film will depend mostly on its genre and the colours featured in the film's poster will set the tone for the colour palette of the rest of the film. Considering our coursework film will be a romantic thriller we must investigate the colours used in each separate genre as well as when they are combined respectively. Colours like black, white and greys are dominant colours in the thriller genre. Red also seems to be a popular colour in the thriller genre as it is generally associated with danger or blood. This would be a good colour for us to use as red is also connected to love and passion which, along with the sense of danger, would fit in nicely with our plot. Shadowing and low lighting are more key elements in the colour palettes of thrillers as the harsh blacks blend with dull greys or faded whites to create a more eerie, mysterious atmosphere like in the posters above which serves to unsettle the audience and build tension for a typical twisted end...

A terrified, young widowed woman, in order to protect her young infant, asks a 911 operator for the permission to shoot an intruder attempting to break into her home. This intense, fear-gripping thriller tells a real story that resonates with audience that the threat of an intruder could happen to anyone. The film also features a number of flashbacks of the woman (Nora) with her husband who appears to be ailing slowly, and their young child. The maternal instinct of protection I feel is a relatable emotion for the audience as Nora decides to protect her baby, even at the cost of a human life. The film covers a variety of important topics , both cinematical (the element of suspense and fear mixed with the desperation to survive) and societal (is killing anyone, even an intruder, justified?). The phenomenal acting in this film starring Samantha Bilinkas was definitely a big contributor to the success of the film as a thriller. SHOTS THAT COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE PAST AND PRESENT T...

Myself and Jane who was the lead cinematographer divided the shot list between us with Jane handling the filming equipment while I provided the main props in relation to the mise en scene The clock (Jennifer) The calendar (Jennifer) Photographs (Jennifer) Cameras (Jane) Tripods (Jane) SD cards (Jane)