A Level Film Studies: Coursework Blog

I’m going to write a screenplay for a short horror film. Currently I’m thinking of styling it like a found footage film, taking inspiration from ‘Digging up the Marrow’ which is favourite found footage film of mine. Although this is feature length, I’ve been looking at horror shorts on YouTube (mainly by CryptTV) with similar settings to see how the locations and stories have been adapted to fit the narrative of a short film. If I can find a location that suits what I want then I may make a short film but I think it will be unlikely so for the moment my plan is for a screenplay.

Narrative Structures: How can they be adapted for short film? Narrative Structures Propp: Propp's narrative focus on 8 main characters and 21 functions which move the story forward. The characters are: The Villain, The Hero, The Donor, The Helper, The Princess, Her Father, The Dispatcher, and The False Hero. The 31 functions include things such as: The Hero is prohibited from doing something, The Villain learns something about the victim, The Villain is punished, etc.  Todorov: Todorov says that everything starts with an equilibrium, a problem then disrupts it, events take place and a new equilibrium is established. Modern narratives often start with a disequilibrium. Barthes: Barthes suggests that narratives work with different codes which the reader tries to make sense of. These are puzzles which the audience needs to solve throughout the plot. Levi-Strauss: This is the focus on binary opposites - there is a central opposition echoed throughout the nar...

Slap (2015) Dir. Nick Rowland Narrative: The story is about a British working class guy called Connor, who has a secret hobby of doing makeup. The film shows us his struggle in coming to terms with this in an environment which is very unaccepting of his stereotypically feminine hobby. Structure: The structure of the film is linear, and to me feels like it's in two acts rather than the traditional three as it feels like we leave on the lowest point of the film and that there is no resolve. Representation: The main representation in the film is of sexuality and coming to terms/discovering it as well as gender stereotypes and how they can be damaging to young individuals. This all takes place in a working class environment which may be seen as generally less accepting of non-standard gender roles and sexualities and this is seen within the film when a friend of Connor's gets beaten up for being gay. Micro Elements: - Use of montag...

Arrival (2016) Dir. Daniel Montanarini Narrative: The film is about a woman who has become pregnant and she is waiting in a coffee shop for the man while she has an inner monologue/debate with herself over what to do with the baby. Structure: The structure is linear, moving forward in time solely. Representation: Accidental pregnancy + baby fever. Micro Elements: - One long continuous shot of the woman, the camera slowly zooming toward her over the course of the film. - Use of mainly voice-over, as well as sound effects of the coffee shop and a train during one point. How will this influence my coursework?: Not much, I didn't particularly like it.

The Ellington Kid (2012) Dir. Dan Sully N arrative: The film is about a kid who gets stabbed and runs to a kebab shop for help, the guys who stabbed him following him and getting into a fight with the kebab shop owners, told through a guy re-telling this story to his friends in the same kebab shop this supposedly took place in. We see the story happening visually, while the guy telling the story voices over it/narrates it. Structure: The structure of the film is an extended flashback, starting an ending with the two guys in the same place. Representation: Disrespected kebab shop owners. Micro Elements: - Slow-Motion - Voice Over - Shot-reverse-shot How will this influence my coursework?: I like the use of the story being told through a uninvolved character re-telling it as a story, it reminded me of Luis from Ant-man.

Over (2015) Dir. Jorn Threlfall Narrative: It's about an asylum seeker who hides in the wheel hatch(?) of a airplane, near freezes, and then falls out when the wheels come out for landing, falling onto a street in a neighbourhood where he is then found by a man walking his dog. The police then come and take his body/investigate the crime scene, eventually clearing all evidence of the event by the end of the day. We follow this story going backwards. Structure: We follow the story moving backwards, starting at 11:30, when everything is cleared, moving backwards through time till the beginning where the man lands on the car. This structure works well for the story as the most intense part is the beginning and so by moving backwards in time, we build up the tension. Representation: Although not obvious, the representation here is of the dramatic lengths that people will go to to escape their own countries, commenting on a hot political top...