Finalised Screenplay

Here is my final draft of the screenplay: Short Film Screenplay Final Draft

It includes the ending I have decided on, but is lacking a title. I don't think that the title is critical at this point in time, and is something that will be more appropriate to decide once I have started to capture the tone of the film. 

In this post I want to go through some of my justifications for certain parts of the screenplay:

• The main body of dialogue occurs during Dylan's monologue at the start. I thought it would provide enough exposition but also be emotionally engaging. For example we learn that he is mourning the death of his brother who was killed by a car, hence his reference to 'headlights and windscreen', and we also learn that they were street kids, and that Dylan is intending to avenge his brother. This passage also features the only use of profanity. I wanted Dylan's statement of 'you deserved more than the headlights and windscreen of a fucking car' to convey frustration at the lack of meaning in his death and also emotion, unwilling to accept he is truly gone. Therefore I think that the use of 'fucking' adds a level of emotional depth, contributing to Dylan's character by showing that the only way he knows to vent his anger is through violence and swearing, stereotypical of the 'street kid' I am trying to represent.

• A monologue is a very theatrical technique, and many are used as a soliloquy in Shakespeare's plays. They are very common in television and films where characters talk to people who have died, trying to reconnect or maintain contact with someone they have lost. I was inspired by the monologues in Vikings, where Ragnar speaks to his dead daughter and friend, and Sons of Anarchy, where Jax speaks to his dead father. There is a sense of closure about using a monologue as a form of mourning. It verbalises the character's feelings, and also in my case, clarifies several plot points. The final line, 'I'll finish this fight for you, one last time', was inspired by Jason Statham's speech at the start of Furious 7; 'I'll settle your one last score'.

• I thought that opening with a non-linear sequence would be quite a fancy way of incorporating some ambitious editing into my film. We begin with Dylan in the present, and then use a flashback to show him at the place where his brother was killed. I think that this flows better than just a chronological narrative, because it initially leaves the viewer guessing. 

• If possible, I would have loved to use a non-diegetic score during the scene where Dylan is following the father and son, because that way I could have picked a soundtrack that mimicked Dylan's changing mindset, providing a slow, dreamlike tone to the action taking place. Since I am not allowed to use soundtracks or music that isn't mine, I thought I could fill in some of that silence with dialogue between the father and son. I chose to focus on the topic of the father going to court for killing Dylan's brother, using this brief section of dialogue to fuel the plot and establish the father's character as regretful but honourable. 

• As the father and son drive off, I write that Dylan points the gun and pretends to shoot. This scene is largely modelled off of the final scene in Justified season 1, where Raylan has opted to let his adversary go and as he drives off points the gun after him. With regards to my narrative, I think that it is a very poetic sequence that would show Dylan contemplating his choice, as well as showing him come to terms with his decision. It shows both acceptance of his choice and uncertainty about whether it was the right thing to do. The scene can be found here:
  Justified Season 1 Final Scene

• Towards the end, the father goes to the place where he ran over Dylan's brother to pay tribute and show his respects. This scene is intended to mimic the scene where Dylan mourns his brother at the start, emphasising symmetry between the characters. However I am going to have them bring different coloured flowers as a way of emphasising their contrasts. The simple line of 'I'm sorry' is a very simple but nuanced way of conveying remorse and the father's apologetic nature. 

• I am still unsure on the final scene. I could see the narrative being effective enough by ending it on the scene with the father at the accident site, but the scene of Dylan at the beach could be too much overkill in my opinion. Although he chose to spare the father, would he really have changed that profoundly? I think that I will shoot the scene anyway, and decide in the editing process which ending I shall use. 

The Ending

The 5 possible endings I discussed in my last post are all clever ways to wrap up my narrative. I initially thought that I could start filming and decide later on, but I think that it is better to have a clear sense of the end before I start so that I build up to a justified finale. In this post I shall make a choice on which one of my five endings I intend to use. 

• I like the simplicity of the first ending, where Dylan leaves everything peacefully and chooses to let the father go. Although it is not an eventful or thrilling finale, I think that it shows the depth of his characterisation and a subversion of audience expectations. It goes for the less is more approach, adopting more of a dramatic ending than a thrilling one.  

• The second ending is another subversion of audience expectation as they initially think Dylan has chosen to redeem himself and spare the father.  He isn't entirely villainous because we see him consider letting the father go, but then give in to his darker side. This is probably the most true to Dylan as a character, who we learn has had a rough life as a street kid, and so his capacity for forgiveness will be somewhat inferior to his capacity for revenge. 

• This conclusion brings the biggest sense of finality to the story. It would show how he refuses to make a choice between revenge and forgiveness, and instead chooses to die the same way his brother had, creating a deeper bond between them. However as much as like the eeriness of this choice, I think it is also quite drastic, and I wouldn't have had the time to build up the character to justify his suicide. So I fear it would feel too abrupt and misunderstood by the audience, which is why I won't use it. 

• I think the idea of Dylan waking up and revealing that it was all a dream is a clever twist, but undermines the emotional build up. It would definitely complement the thriller conventions, leaving the ending to be speculated on as he looks down at the gun, but I think it is counterproductive and erases any of the dramatic elements that preceded it. Therefore this won't be the ending I adopt.

• Again I really like the idea of having Dylan already killed the man and the narrative playing out as an alternative to this reality, but it once more undermines the build up because it is seen as fake. Like my fourth ending, I think that it neatly adheres to thriller conventions and subverts expectation, but I think that this could be adding a twist for shock factor rather than using it to drive the narrative. I want the story to be gritty and grounded without seeming intentionally misleading. So I shan't be using this conclusion either. 

Ending 1 or 2?

So, a thought-provoking ending that shows the protagonist experiencing a deep psychological change, or a subversive ending that shows the protagonist contemplate forgiveness but eventually gives in to his darker side? I think that both of them hold potential, and both of them still keep Dylan as a human, sympathetic character, even though in one of them he does kill the father. That being said, I have made my decision on a matter of believability.

Although I like the second ending and the harshness of Dylan's inner conflict, I think that shooting the father in front of his son isn't really believable. It would leave a witness (his son) and also be happening in a public place, in broad daylight. Therefore I think that the first ending would show Dylan come to his senses a bit more, not just emotionally but sensibly as well. Knowing he was driven to this by grief but eventually realising that what he's doing isn't moral and wouldn't even be a smart crime. So I am going to keep it simple and remain with my first ending, because in my opinion it would complete a good character arc and use the ending to serve the drama, not the thrills. 

I shall now try and write this ending into my screenplay. 

The Screenplay

This is my draft of the screenplay: Short Film Screenplay Draft

As you'll notice the conclusion seems a little incomplete, and this is because I am still in the process of working out an ending. So far I have thought of a several scenarios that could be quite effective:

• The first and most simple ending I can think of is to let Dylan walk off having undergone a profound change, having an epiphany about the murderer and about himself. He chooses to forgive rather than to take revenge, and this was inspired by a moment in Sons of Anarchy, where the protagonist is finding his kidnapped son, but chooses to let the foster family keep him, knowing they will give him a better life. This is apparent as Dylan chooses to let the family go and live in peace rather than destroy their lives. 

• Dylan seems to walk away and leave the father in peace as he gets into the car with his son. However in the final shot we see Dylan have a change of heart and approach the car again, this time with the gun raised. He mutters the words 'I'm sorry' with tears streaming down his face, and the screen cuts to black. It is implied that despite having an initial hesitation, he could not get over leaving the man who killed his brother alive, and had to tie up the loose end. 

• In this alternate ending, Dylan can't bring himself to take the shot at the man, seeing how he is a kind-hearted family man who regrets the accident. So instead, Dylan finds himself faced with a paradox. He can either kill the man and avenge his brother, bringing him closure, or he can decide to let the man live and be haunted by the thought of forgiveness, something he has never done. This inner conflict becomes overwhelming, so Dylan just drops the gun onto the floor and as a car comes down the road, he steps into its path. The implication is that he accepts the same fate as his brother and has nothing left to live for, choosing to escape the dilemma. This is again inspired by Sons of Anarchy, from a moment where a character decides that all the chaos and wreckage they have caused is too much to bear, and so they cause their own death in a poetic but tragic acceptance. 

• At the point where Dylan walks in the opposite direction, leaving the father and son alone, we cut to a bedroom, and Dylan's eyes shoot open. This was all a dream, and forgiving the man was just one possible outcome. Dylan reaches onto the floor to check he still has his gun, and the final shot shows him handling it thoughtfully, contemplating how the day will go, and how this dream will inform his decision. 

• At the point where Dylan walks away, we cut to an extreme close up of Dylan's eye. We slowly zoom out to see him crouched low, protectively, clutching the gun in between his fingers. His white trainers are stained red, and he is holding a bullet shell in his palm. The implication is that he has already killed the man, and was just reminiscing about the other possible ways of handling the situation. 

Primary Research

I've already got an understanding of my audience, after examining both national successes and international successes in the film industry. However I don't think it will do any harm to gather some primary research about more local preferences and see how this correlates with my current ideas about my target audience. 

I intend to use a simple and easy to answer questionnaire, because I know from personal experience that people don't like taking their time to answer questions on things which don't interest them. Therefore I want to keep the number of questions low and the answers basic without being too wordy. Questions I want to use are:

1. Do you consider genre as a primary factor that makes you want to watch films? (Yes/No)
2. What interests you most within a film? (Actors/Character Development/Plot/Visual Spectacle/Script/Other)
3. What genre are you most likely to watch? (Drama/Thriller/A mix of the two)
4. Do you watch short films? (Yes/No/Sometimes)
5. Which do you think would make the best genre for a short film (Drama/Thriller/A mix of the two)

I have asked 7 adults (family and extended family), 4 of whom are middle aged and 3 of whom are elderly. I have also asked 10 friends, who are either 17 or 18, and my little brother, who is 14. This gives me quite a range of age groups and should present a diverse range of preferences. 

Do you consider genre as a primary factor that makes you want to watch films?

Out of the 18 people I asked, only 2 people said 'Yes', and these were both my elderly relatives. This could be a confirmation of the stereotype that older generations tend to stick with what they like, without branching out or watching something new. When I pressed them to ask what they liked, I found out that gritty British crime stories were their favourites, or historical dramas. So it seems the elderly are quite patriotic in their viewing with a strong sense of national pride and heritage. My other grandad said 'No'; this is because he is a film buff and regular cinema goer which tells me that he is more open minded and engaged with cinema as a form of entertainment rather than just at a cultural level. This suggests that those who enjoy films and frequently engage with them aren't limited by cultural factors, no matter their age. 

What interests you most within a film?

This question resulted in the most diversity. 6 people said actors, 2 people said character development, 4 people said plot, 3 people said visuals, 3 people said script, and 0 said other. The people who said actors were mostly teenagers, demonstrating how they are growing up in a celebrity defined culture and their consequent awareness and attraction to films are shaped by their familiarity with the stars. The adults seemed to be mostly split between script and plot, implying that they like a clever and thorough narrative both visually and verbally. My own brother, rather interestingly, said character development. I think that this is because at the moment he watches lots of television shows and one of the essential factors to their longevity is the character arc that spans across the series, which is why he enjoys the shaping of the protagonist. 

What genre are you most likely to watch?

12 out of 18 said a mixture of the two, including all of the adults, my own brother and 4 friends. 4 of my friends said they'd prefer to watch a thriller, and two of them (both female) said drama. From this there is a clear preference of my hybrid proposal over one of the individual genres. It suggests that, particularly among the maturer audiences, suspense and emotivity are more favourable together than apart. The two of my female friends who said they'd rather watch drama could be influenced by a dislike of thrillers in general or by a general enjoyment of real and engaging situations over suspenseful events. 

Do you watch short films?

1 person watches short films, and even then only sometimes. That means 17 people said No. And I myself must confess that until this coursework short films were of no interest to me either. It was only one teenager who on the odd occasion watched short films. And when I asked him why he said that it was because he wouldn't have time to watch a whole film or was just watching random videos on YouTube and stumbled across an engaging short film. This information tells me that short films tend to be watched mainly by those who actively seek them out, because they aren't as easily accessible as slotting a DVD into a DVD player or clicking on the Netflix app. It also confirms that I need to target the younger audiences rather than the older, who are less likely to have confident abilities on digital platforms and consequently unable to access the short films. Short films seem to be actively consumed rather than passively accepted. 

Which do you think would make the best genre of short film?

There was a rather odd reversal here. A hybrid of the two was the least favoured option, gaining only 3 votes. 9 people opted for thriller, leaving 6 for drama. In fact there was quite an even divide between the adults and teenagers who voted for each, which makes it difficult to draw a correlation in terms of age and preference. That being said, it does tell me that people are quite unsure about the idea of hybridising for a short film, and when I asked some of my friends why they thought that there would perhaps be too much going on if I tried to condense both genres into one brief narrative. Although I can see their argument, and it is one I have contemplated myself, it actually incites me more to try and prove them wrong. 

I think that this research has supported my audience proposal. A combination of peers and adults said they were more likely to watch a hybrid film of drama and thriller, rather than a film adopting just one of these genres. However when applying this to short films, most people opted for one genre or the other, showing that despite liking the idea of a hybrid drama and thriller, when applied to the constrictions of a short film this concept becomes less appealing. That being said if I were to narrow down my genre I feel like I would be reducing the quality of my short film, and keeping both genres involved expands my audience to fans of both. My research has also proven my suspicion that short films generally attract quite a niche audience of the film industry and so are more available to those with active knowledge of both filmmaking and the digital era, which appears to be categorically teenagers. Since I will not have any renowned actors starring in mine, I shall eliminate the actor category from the most popular element of the film. That leaves quite an even split between plot, script and visuals, establishing a need for the semiotic and narrative cohesion to be quite engaging. 

With this in mind I don't think I will change my audience. If the market is already quite niche, I think that limiting it down would be a counterproductive move, since those who want to watch it are actively seeking them out at festivals or on websites. So my audience will still be 15+ 

Other audience demographics may be decided at a later point, like gender or class, but I don't want to risk confining the audience more just yet. 

My Audience

Target Audience

For my own audience, I think that at first it would be smart to look at how genre will influence my target demographic. I have already stated that the hybridisation of thriller and drama is a decision which allows me to infuse my narrative with dark subject matter as well as deeper characterisation. Consequently I feel like I will have to exclude audiences younger than 15, partly because I think that darker thematic depth will require a level of adult maturity to empathise with, and also because I am not ruling out profanity or violence in my short film, which would be certified as a 15 by UK standards. 

Quoted from the British Board of Film Classification (15)

Violence




Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but the depiction of sexual violence must be discreet and justified by the context. 

Imitable Behaviour
Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Whether the depiction of easily accessible weapons is acceptable will depend on factors such as realism, context and setting. 

Language
There may be strong language. Very strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual justification. 

These are the guidelines I am aiming to stick to. Out of the top 25 highest grossing R-rated films in America (adjusted for inflation), 5 of them are dramas, including Good Will Hunting and American Sniper. This proves that there is a strong market for thought-provoking films. On a more national level, the popularity of TV shows like Peaky Blinders, Luther, Line of Duty and Happy Valley (which are all at least 15 certifications) demonstrates that British audiences enjoy gritter, darker stories. So I am not confident that young teenagers would respond to the film with the mature outlook I want to evoke.

Therefore 15 and above will be my target audience. I don't think it would be sensible to put an upper limit on the age demographic. Crime thrillers like Harry Brown and Legend will all have a slightly older target audience anyway because Harry Brown focuses on an elderly man's reaction to local crime, and Legend is about the Krays, notorious gangsters who the elderly may remember from when they were younger. So I do not see any benefit to restricting the older target audience, because if I want viewers to respond maturely, who better than the people who've experienced the most?

Furthermore, short films tend to be released digitally, and very view make it to the big screen, unless they're promoted at film festivals. As a result I think that it is wise to consider how many people of older demographics will have access to digital media like YouTube in comparison to the younger generations. So bearing in mind my short film is likely to be released digitally, it would be safer to assume that my audience is going to include more people from the younger demographics than older. 

To summarise, my audience will need to be at least 15 years old, but the short film can also apply to older audiences due to the complex themes of family and loss. However I am aware that it will be viewed more by the adolescent/middle aged demographic (due to digital knowledge) and so I will tailor aspects of my short film more towards them. 

Audience Theory

Audience is a fundamental part of film as an industry and commercial market, revolving around the relationship and understanding between the producer and consumer of the product. Films can have a mass audience, like a summer blockbuster, or a niche audience, like a regional independent film. However audiences aren't just determined quantitatively, other variables can include nationality, gender, age and ethnicity. In this post I am going to explore and review different audience theories and their relevance to my own short film, and use this research to determine an audience for my own product. 

Relevant Audience Theories

Reception Theory

Reception theory emphasises the importance of individual interpretation. It sees the meaning as not something which lies inside the text or the product, but as something which is shaped by the consumer's individuality and experiences. Therefore it sees meaning as an abstract and personal idea, to which there is never a definitive answer. 

Encoding/Decoding Model of Communication-Hall

Seen as a strand of reception theory, Hall proposed this model in 1973. It focuses on how meanings are encoded within a text through verbal (words/signs/images/videos) or non-verbal (gestures/expressions/body language) symbols which the audience then decode. However unlike Reception Theory, there is an intended meaning to be decoded and failure to understand it highlights either a lack of agreement between consumer and producer, or the lack of clarity in the product itself. There are three types of decoded positions:

1. Dominant-Hegemonic Position: The audience decode the meaning exactly as it is intended. 
2. Negotiated Position: Audiences acknowledge the dominant meaning, but do not necessarily accept it the way the encoder intended.
3. Oppositional Position: Audiences acknowledge the dominant meaning but reject it based on their own experiences and ideologies. 

I like both of the above theories, I think it gives both the producer and consumer power over the product. The producer will create an intended meaning, and the audience will decode it and take different feelings away from it. I hope to replicate this interpretative philosophy in my own work.

Uses and Gratifications Theory- Blumler and Katz

The Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) is seen as an expansion of Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs from 1970. It explores why people indulge in the media and what they use it for. It sees audiences as active consumers who consciously choose media products which fulfil certain personal requirements, like the desire to enhance knowledge, to relax, to establish social companionship (mainly through social media), or as a form of escapism. UGT is an assumption that audiences have control of their media consumption, shaping their individual needs into an expression of identity. For example I am currently watching the TV show Vikings as a way of escaping contemporary pressures and immersing myself in a different culture in order to relax, so I am overlapping multiple uses of this model. 

Because it is such a broad theory, it will only apply to my short film through the sub-category of entertainment media, which focuses on how we emotionally engage with the visual story/characters unfolding on screen. However, this theory is about how audiences interpret and engage with the media as individuals, not how the producer wants them to engage with it, so I'm afraid this is not as relevant as the other two I have presented. The Reception Theory and Encoding/Decoding revolve around an understanding and acceptance of the relationship between media producers and consumers, whereas the UGT solely analyses consumers. 

Hypodermic-Syringe Model-Adorno

Quite the opposite of the Uses and Gratifications Theory, the Hypodermic Model expresses that audiences are passive consumers, and that the mass media use their influence to compel audiences into accepting the message being delivered. Again this is not really applicable to my own production; it is focusing on the media at an institutional level and analysing the media from a sociological/capitalist perspective. Perhaps when I make my poster and my magazine review page this theory will hold more value because the marketing of a film does operate at an institutional level.  That being said, for now the only aspect of the Hypodermic-Syringe Model worth taking away is that I will want to convey my own distinct message in the film, but I am less concerned with enforcing one singular meaning, and would rather the audience interpret my intended message uniquely, like most philosophical films allow. 

Obstinate Audience Theory

This proposes that audiences are active consumers and select what messages to pay attention to. In a way this could be seen as intelligent and cautious, actively engaging with the media and being selective, or alternatively it could be naive and stubborn, disregarding certain messages because it doesn't conform to your ideologies. For example some people may disregard the film Spotlight due to its subject matter and exposure of the Church's child abuse, undermining a religious institution, or think that films like American Sniper and Lone Survivor glorify American warfare, whereas others see it as honouring a real-life hero. Although I think that this can't be imposed on my work, I think that it has underlying similarities with the Reception Theory and how audiences will shape their own viewpoint on situations. 

Rejected Theories

Two-Step Flow Model-Katz and Larzasfeld

The Two-Step Flow of communication revolves around a hierarchy. Information from the mass media is interpreted by an opinion leader, who's ideas and opinions are valued by other people. The original information is then delivered to the other people through the opinion leader, who delivers their interpretation of the information. The Hypodermic-Syringe Model would be an example of a One-Step Flow, where the information is directly passed from the institution to the consumers. But here it goes from the institution to a consumer, where it is then filtered to a wider audience. A relevant context is how film critics see films before their official release. A One-Step Flow would be where a film is released in cinemas and consumed by the audience, but a Two-Step Flow will be where the critic watches the film and expresses his opinion about it to the readers before it has become available for their own interpretation. 

I am going to discard this theory because it focuses on the way information is received by different layers of audiences, and is about informative manipulation beyond the hands of the producer, which makes it insightful but pointless to me. 

Primary/Secondary/Tertiary Audience Engagement-Turnstall

Turnstall analyses the level of attention that audience's maintain when viewing a media product. Primary Engagement will be classified as audience's going to the cinema to watch a film or having a movie night with friends, where the sole intention is to engage with the film. Secondary Engagement could mean watching a TV show on Netflix while chatting to your friends on your mobile, multitasking. And finally Tertiary Engagement displays the film as a piece of background amusement, to which little focus is paid. As you can probably see this is not relatable to my own task because it expresses a psycho-analytical investigation into audience's mindsets, and doesn't achieve anything but state the possible contexts in which the viewers engages with the media. 

Ideological State Apparatus (ISA)-Althusser

Althusser was a marxist and saw mass media as a capitalist way of gaining conformity from audiences. Apparently the mass media operates in a way that transmits the dominant ideology to the audience, who internalise it and become cooperating members of the system. The reason why I rejected it is because although I still agree with Althusser regarding media like the news, advertisements and newspapers, when it comes to film I think that the credibility of the ISA has been made quite redundant. Through indie film and the more free expression of ideas and stories in the 21st Century I feel like this approach has become dated and is a true analysis of the past, but no longer applies to the present. 

With certain theoretical studies offering useful insights, particularly the Reception Theory and Hall's Encoding/Decoding, I believe I am ready to start looking at audience on a personal basis, accepting the broader theories but acknowledging that they may not be useful to me in deciding a target demographic. 

Finalising My Plot

Out of my five potential ideas, I am immediately going to exclude Good Cop Bad Cop from my list. As much as I like the concept of combining a crime thriller and psychological thriller, I feel that the problems lie not in the narrative, but in the practicality of the editing. Personifying the different sides of his conscience as separate characters would provide great drama, but I do not possess the editing skills to impose three identical images (the officer, his good side and his bad side) into one scene. As a conceptual narrative this is excellent, but for my current abilities this is slightly too ambitious. 

This brings me down to four. I think that my Hitman short film and my Moral Crime short film, which both follow the basic idea of committing crime to provide for family, are emotionally engaging and suspenseful, but too common. The idea of people indulging in criminality to provide for their family is a recurring plot thread in a lot of contemporary stories, such as Breaking Bad, A Place Beyond the Pines and Hell or High Water. They are quite formulaic plots, but the fact that many people make critically acclaimed films/television (like the examples above) proves that the formula is still a successful way of engaging viewers. That being said, personally I would like to try something a little different, partly as a way of discovering my own creativity, but also because there is no way I can replicate this formula to a level on a par with something like Hell or High Water. 

This leaves me with two, Mistrust and Blame. Mistrust sounds quite reminiscent of Triple 9, Reservoir Dogs and the opening scene of The Dark Knight, about robbers with a deep apprehension towards one another. So again this idea isn't wholly original, but with my twist at the end where the snitch turns out to be his best friend, I think it could add a new dynamic to the suspense, something which is expertly demonstrated in Point Break.

Nevertheless, despite my passion for Mistrust, there is a blunt simplicity to Blame that doesn't rely on twists and turns, just the complex unravelling of the protagonist. To me it seems like quite an inventive narrative and would combine aspects from Breaking Bad and Sons of Anarchy, so I feel like it honours my inspirations while allowing me to branch out with my own authentic direction. So to conclude, I will be opting for my Blame narrative. 

My Final, Detailed Story

The protagonist, a young man called Dylan, sits thoughtfully in his car. He looks emotional and vulnerable, staring with a trance-like intensity out of the vehicle. We jump back in time, as a detective tells him that his brother has been killed in a car crash. It is revealed that the two brothers had a rough childhood indulging in criminal activities, but the detective informs Dylan that the death is completely accidental, and that it is unrelated to any of their illegal street business. Nevertheless, he is hellbent on revenge. We jump back to the present, and we see that Dylan is stalking the person who killed his brother in the crash. Sat on his lap in the car is a gun, and he watches the man in the distance with a predatory anger. He gets out of his car and sticks the gun in his hoodie, following the man. It turns out the man is meeting his son and wife in the park, and Dylan watches in surprise, realising that this is a caring man and a loving father, not the violent thug he is expecting to find. With this profound realisation, the brother continues to follow the family, curious and thrown off guard. He then walks away, accepting that humanity is capable of redemption and forcing himself to realise that his brother's death was not an act of hatred. 

As of yet, I am not entirely sure how I want it to end, but the rest of it is more or less correct. 

Plot Ideas

The one problem I have found with the coursework this year is the level of freedom we are getting, because this has been both a great opportunity and a nightmare trying to limit my ideas to one plot. As of yet, I have no singular plot which leaps out for me, but I have to bear in mind the limits on cast, locations and budget when planning my narratives. 

So far, these are the potential plot lines I am considering for my short film. 

• Hitman A hitman is standing in an isolated, abandoned car park, awaiting his business partners. When their car pulls up a tense standoff occurs as they exchange the money, but then the hitman is double crossed and stabbed, narrowly escaping. As he bleeds out while driving away, we see him drop off the money on a doorstep and park on the seafront, dying, watching the sunset and holding a picture of a young girl, presumably his daughter. 

• MistrustTwo separate cars pull up in a forest clearing. In one of them, a man is bleeding out in the back seat, and the driver is covered in his blood, they are best friends. In the other, one man drives alone. They are all bank robbers. Their accomplices are dead, and they realise they have been snitched on. The drivers of the cars  are apprehensive about trusting one another. Then in an act of greed, one of the bank robbers kills the other so that they can take the rest of the money, and before he leaves, he checks his coat. This is not the snitch. He looks into the coat of his friend, who is too wounded to resist, and realises that it was his friend who had snitched on them. 

• Moral CrimeSimilar to the bank robbery aftermath above, this plot would follow one bank robber into a clearing, who is already bleeding out from a bullet hole. He has got the money slung over his shoulder, and is about to limp into the woods to escape, but a detective pulls up in his car and demands that the robber surrender himself. The robber explains that he needs the money for treatment for his dying daughter, and the detective is forced to make a decision on whether to let the robber go or not. The film would end with a black screen followed by a gunshot, implying that one of them is killed. 

• BlameThe film opens with a young man in a car, staring emotionally in a trance. Through a flashback we see a detective telling the young man that his brother has been killed in a car crash. We learn that the brothers were street thugs, but the car crash was completely accidental and unrelated to any of their criminal enterprises. The young man has a violent past, and is hellbent on revenge. We jump back to him in the car, and see him staring at the man who killed his brother, walking along the road. The younger man gets out of the car, a gun in his trousers, and starts to follow his brother's murderer. The man is out on a walk to meet his son, and the young man freezes, seeing that this is a good person and a caring father. Perhaps the best course of action would be to spare him, and the film ends with the younger man having a profound change of heart and choosing to forgive for the first time in his life. 

• Good Cop Bad CopA detective sits in a dark living room, a half-empty bottle of whisky on the coffee table, along with a gun and his detective badge. He looks emotionally unstable. He walks out into his kitchen, where a man is tied up, beaten and bloody. Then the detective starts to speak with both sides of his conscience, the good cop and the bad cop. The good cop encourages him to arrest the man and do right by the badge and by the law, while the bad cop encourages him to shoot the man and avenge his dead partner. The detective gives in to his darker side and shoots. 

All of the above have practical potential. I know locations which would be suitable to stage the scenes and all of the short films would not need a huge cast. The difficult job is narrowing down my choice to one. 

Inspirations and Influences

So, my aim is to make a drama/thriller which adheres to the sub-genre of crime. This is still a very broad field. I thought that now would be a good opportunity to look into my own personal favourites and acknowledge which films/television shows fit into the criteria above. 

My creative vision will be substantially influenced by the following films and television shows, quite simply because they are the peak of cinematic mastery. They are, in my opinion, some of the perfect thrillers and dramas, or a perfect combination of the two. I hope to produce something original yet equally evocative, taking inspiration from these narratives. I do acknowledge that in a television show a lot of the emotional engagement is constructed over multiple seasons, which is why I have tried to select some standout scenes which are superb in their own right, and don't rely too much on context or a long continuation of drama. 

BREAKING BAD

Simply put, Breaking Bad has set the bar for combining consistent suspense and powerful drama. With a small cast and simple premise, it relies on the psychology of the characters to propel the narrative. Such sequences like Jesse's speech in 'Problem Dog', Hank's face off in 'One Minute' and 'Ozymandias', or Walt's cancer speech in 'Gray Matter' could function as short films in themselves, and it is scenes like these which inspire me to produce something with a profound, lasting impact. The dialogue and cinematography give it a very memorable style, and the suspense is often established through its patience.

THE DROP

The Drop portrays a gritty, atmospheric world of crime at a local level. The quiet urban setting and choice of locations capture the poetic eeriness of Brooklyn and the diminishing legacy of a gangster. The juxtapositions of the two lead characters represent a modern and outdated ideology which are used to emphasise the film's emotional input. Again, tension is established through the undertones of the film and like Breaking Bad, prefers to be patient in the pay off. It is a slow and quiet gangster film that never seeks to explore more than the contrastive perspectives of the lead characters, and thrives on implementing the gangster story as almost a subplot, not in the forefront of the narrative. So although the narrative is very much a crime thriller, the story is told from a more dramatic perspective. 

SONS OF ANARCHY

Sons Of Anarchy is a TV show that explores crime at an emotional level. Some scenes, like Jax following Abel and his adopted parents in 'Bainne', Jax hearing Juice's confession in 'Suits of Woe', and the final ride in 'Papa's Goods' are standalone scenes which provide emotional catharsis. When balanced with the extremity of violence it depicts, the series makes for a reflective and often controversial analysis on the life and legacy of criminals. I used this for lots of inspiration in my music magazine last year, and I think that it holds even more value to this year's coursework. It is very well written and a mature examination of inner conflict and how this leaks into external conflict. 

OUT OF THE FURNACE

Out of the Furnace is set against the backdrop of industrialisation in urban America. The locality of the narrative is like The Drop because it focuses on a distinct setting and creates compelling characters around it, linking them to their situation with a foreboding sense of inescapable confinement. The plot follows two brothers, one who lives contently working in a steel mill, the other is an unhinged soldier who spends his days bare knuckle boxing in the criminal underworld. The overarching theme of decay, both in terms of economy and humanity, gives the film a double meaning and depicts the characters as products of their society. Emotion and suspense in the film is subtle, slow-paced but confidently constructed. 

HELL OR HIGH WATER

Rather oddly,  Hell or High Water follows a similar format to Out of the Furnace, focusing on the lives of two brothers and their struggles in a decaying Western community. Like Out of the Furnace, it functions better as a drama, but uses the sub-genre of thriller to convey the tension and personal stakes. The narrative is sufficiently slow paced,  complementing the theme of being gradually forgotten about. There is a poetic nature to this film, more so than in the rest, that leaves a profound effect on the viewer as they come to terms with the story of two men who uphold their beliefs. Hell or High Water never demands attention or expresses its themes with bluntness, rather it opts for more of a silence which speaks volumes in itself. 

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Whether it is subconsciously intentional I don't know, but a lot of my favourite dramas and thrillers, in fact all bar The Drop, take place in rural America. Friday Night Lights is perhaps the most uplifting of all my influences, and is definitely a drama, not a thriller. It is a TV show which delves into adolescence, adulthood, marriage, occupation, young love and friendship, grounded around a high school American Football team. Sometimes it may verge on being cheesy or cliche, but the coach's speeches, both on and off the football field, are motivational and emotionally engaging. It provides a very realistic depiction of modern life, from a familial perspective and a teenage perspective. The reason it has made this list is due to its ability to evoke lots of emotion without ever appearing exaggerated or forced. Everything taking place is believable. 

Different Stories, Recurring Traits?

In summary, there seems to be a recurring trend between all of my examples. First and foremost, there is a reliance on a uniquely individual setting. Be it the town of Charming in Sons of Anarchy or the town of Dillon, Texas in Friday Night Lights, all of these choices thrive on using the setting as a place to contain the narrative as well as a place we as the audience become familiar with. Furthermore, in all of them the protagonists have an antiauthoritarian relationship with some form of authority. Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, The Drop, Hell or High Water and Out of the Furnace all throw their characters into situations where they must enforce there own brand of justice, often breaking the law and extending into vigilantism. Even in Friday Night Lights, the protagonist Coach Taylor must often undergo a moral conflict between doing what he is told, and doing what is right, putting him at odds with other schools and his superiors. 
Similarly regarding the protagonists, they are all established as people to be sympathised with, even though sometimes their roles blur the lines between hero and antihero. This has to happen, otherwise who would watch something where the main character is completely despicable and not compelling in any way? Jax Teller commits atrocious acts of violence in Sons of Anarchy, but he does these things for the greater good of his club and his family. Walter White is also forced to kill or make desperate decisions, sometimes out of selfish fear, other times out of consideration for others. What is compelling about these characters is that we don't know how to respond, we understand their justifications, but often struggle to relate to them.
I have found these conventions very interesting, and something to bear in mind as I come up with a few story pitches, which will be my next post. 

Choosing the Genre

Although it has taken a long time to get to this stage (arguably too long), I definitely believe that the time has been well spent. Breaking down and reviewing possible genres has been an insightful  and pivotal part of my research that has informed my final decision. 

Now I can confidently say that I am going to conform to Henry Jenkins' theory and make a hybrid short film, combining the drama and thriller genres. The reason I am excluding the action genre is because I don't feel confident enough in producing an aesthetically choreographed action scene. In addition to this I've noticed that action short films have a tendency to sacrifice characterisation in favour of visual thrills, whereas I would like to create a film with a clear sense of character development and a film that evokes certain ideals. This is why I want to use the drama genre, because its conventions will give my product an emotional epicentre. 

To make my film engaging and suspenseful, I think that the thriller genre will enable me to build a narrative which confronts darker tones and thought-provoking content. A combination of the two is, in my opinion, the perfect option. They are both genres which are grounded in reality, and adopting the thriller conventions will enable me to explore grittier subjects. When I say thriller, I do not mean thriller in the sense of  'Knowing Too much' and 'Guilt', which were a conspiracy thriller and psychological thriller, respectively.  Instead I mean a thriller which taps into the sub-genre of crime. 

Since I am still following my coursework structure post, my next step is to start thinking about my narrative, characters and arc. So in a way, this post officially recognises the start of my planning stage. 

Thriller Short Film Analysis 3

Interpretation

In my third and final analysis I have found my favourite thriller short film so far. I had considered analysing Echoes, a psychological thriller, but upon watching Interpretation I found it's quality too difficult to ignore. It has won awards at 24 film festivals for best narrative, and so it is both a professional and critically acclaimed piece of work. 

The short film starts with a couple out on a date. They have just been to watch a movie at the cinema, and are discussing it as they walk home in a vibrant city. The narrative changes to follow a trio of thugs walking in the same city. They too are having a discussion, talking about the philosophies of conflict. Both the couple and the thugs cross paths on a back street, where the thugs decide to rob them after reading the passage 'attack promptly where the enemy is most vulnerable' from their book. No one is around, so the thugs demand money from both the man and the woman. Once they have emptied their wallet and purse, the thugs talk about ushering them into a nearby apartment, with the implication of raping the woman. The boyfriend resists their demands, and a gritty brawl ensues. The man displays good fighting skills as he manages to immobilise all three thugs and emerge victorious. As he starts to pick up the money from the floor, he sees the book that the thugs were reading from: The Art of War. He recites a quote himself, revealing that he has read it. Making sure his partner is okay, the couple continue to walk away, leaving the thugs unconscious on the street. 

Dialogue

Dialogue is very key to this short film, which is the first I have analysed to place such an importance on speaking characters. Although the plot is basic and easy to interpret, the dialogue adds a level of complexity that complements the title 'Interpretation' and conveys a message to the audience, albeit an ambiguous one. The dialogue is not intended to give clarity, but to open the viewer's mind to the words being said. For example as the thugs state 'attack promptly where the enemy is most vulnerable' it can be interpreted from the perspective of both the protagonist and antagonists. Although the back street could be seen as the place where the couple is most vulnerable, it also turns out to be the place where the thugs are most vulnerable. Therefore throughout Interpretation dialogue is intended to provide philosophical arguments, as well as establish a sense of character. The couple are presented as comfortable in each other's company, while the thugs are depicted as naive in their attempts to study military tactics. 

Camera Shots/Angles

• Tracking Shot: The tracking movements used here foreshadow the conflict and set up the meeting of the characters. When the camera tracks the couple, they are walking in the right direction, whereas when the camera tracks the thugs, they are walking in the left direction. Therefore even though we are following two separate arcs, the viewer is aware that the characters are going to collide. It frames them in a way that makes their interaction an inevitable coincidence. 
• Two Shot: Simply put, the two shots frame the two characters as a couple. Their is a sense of unity to their movements and this evokes the sense of companionship that later motivates the man to intervene against the thugs. 
• Over the Shoulder Shot: Again, over the shoulder shots are used between the couple to distinguish their solidarity and make their interaction seem realistic. In contrast it is also used to establish a scene of tension when the thugs confront the couple. The over the shoulder shot frames the conflict with a claustrophobic intimacy that builds suspense and anticipation. 
• Mid Shot: Throughout the fight sequence, mid shots enable the viewer to accurately trace the action whilst also being given a gritty view of it from a nearby position. This way the audience is not detached from the action but they're also not too close to have the action obscured. 
• Close Up: Close ups have a pretty universal focus; to bring the viewer's attention to a certain facial expression. A number of emotional responses are demonstrated in this short film; amusement, happiness, uncertainty, apprehension, and as a result the close ups capture the arc of these changing emotions, particularly in the male protagonist. 
• Extreme Close Up: An extreme close up has even more specificity than a close up, but focuses on something with distinct relevance, which doesn't necessarily mean a facial expression. When we see a shot of the cash on the floor or a shot of the book, this is an example of an extreme close up. The book in particular is a symbolic shot that captures the deeper complexity of the film. 
• Long Shot: Notably the film ends with a long shot, showing the couple walk out of the frame and then lingering on the three unconscious thugs before fading to the credits. A long shot is a common way to conclude a piece of cinema because it resembles how we are departing from the action. The camera is physically detaching us from the action to imply the events are finished. 

I'd like to note that the camera shots here are static leading up to the confrontation, but when the couple are approached by the thugs the camera starts to adopt a shaky cam motion to physically resemble the uneasiness of the exchange. I think this is a brilliant way to show the transition from equilibrium to disequilibrium through practical ways as well as through narrative. 

Editing

At the beginning of the film, while the credits are rolling, we here the background noise of a street and so this prepares the viewer for the setting. This is an example of a J Cut, where the sound precedes the visuals in order to allow viewers to be introduced to the forthcoming setting without seeing it straightaway. 
Also towards the start of the film, parallel editing is implemented to juxtapose the two alternating storylines before they converge. This immediately builds suspense because the viewer is anticipating the circumstances under which these contrasting partnerships will meet. Despite not being fast cutting, the dynamic nature of the shots adds a quicker pace to the scene, so although everything seems normal, the viewer is on edge. As the fight is initiated, fast cutting is used to highlight the spontaneity and quick reactions of the characters. This creates a scene of intensity as the camera frequently uses match cuts to offer new perspectives while following the continuous nature of the brawl. During the brief shot where the protagonist is smashed with a bottle, the editor uses slow-motion to capture the pause as he is thrown off balance, which acts as both an interval to the action as well as to show that the protagonist is only human after all. 

Diegetic/ Non-Diegetic Sound

The diegetic sounds of the busy street and traffic help to depict a busy atmosphere, which is later used to greater effect in the back alley where there are no background noises, creating a contrasting atmosphere of isolation rather than inclusion. Also the typical diegetic noises of dialogue, punches and smashes are evident, but I think that the punching sounds are far less expressive than some action films, and this complements the gritty realism being attempted here. 
In terms of the non-diegetic score, it only starts as the two groups come into contact with each other. Consequently it is possible to infer that the soundtrack is a method of suspense and unease in this film, another indication of the disequilibrium occurring. That being said the score is very unobtrusive, it is never overwhelming or blaring in a way that transcends the realism of the film, it simply complements the tension. And at the end the score adopts a cathartic change in tone to highlight the victory and return to normality, once again acting as an emotional indicator accompanying the narrative arc. 

Mise-en-Scene

Without doubt the mise-en-scene is mostly symbolic in the form of the book 'The Art of War'. Not only is it used to portray the thugs as thoughtful and engaged, subverting stereotypical expectations of thugs, but it also represents the film's central exploration. The shared connection between the thugs and the protagonist is through the book's meaning, both of whom interpret it differently. While the fashion choices aren't quite so deliberately opposing, the protagonist's glasses could be seen as a way of lowering audience's expectations. Glasses aren't really associated with an environment of violence and crime, so the fact that the protagonist wears them means that the viewer is not expecting him to be as physically able as he turns out to be. Furthermore, once his lenses have been punched off of his face, this could represent his transition from normal man into focused warrior. 
In terms of setting, the vibrancy of the city streets at the start juxtaposes the drab and sombre setting of the back streets. The lack of lighting alerts the audience that this place is not particularly pleasant but more importantly not very busy. 

Review

I have to say I love this short film. It combines everything I have enjoyed over the last couple of weeks. Not only does it dedicate time to establish the protagonists, but it also develops the antagonists and even establishes a common ground between them in the form of the book. In addition I think that the action is very well choreographed and executed, and I love the depth of the philosophy that elevates such a simple narrative from a basic thriller into a complex story. The relationship between the antagonist and protagonist, although oppositional, is still somewhat understood as an acceptance, based on the interpretation of the book. 

Having examined 8 short films and viewed many more, I can honestly confess that my two favourites are:

• Passing
• Interpretation

They will be the benchmark from which I can now start to develop my own short film, as this extensive exercise has given me the understanding I need to advance into the planning stages.