With all of my filming completed, I am in a confident position to come up with a title that reflects the tone and content of my story.
When watching my film back, I feel like I need a title which captures both the simplicity of the story but also the complexity of the emotional depth. Therefore I won't use blunt titles such as 'Revenge' or 'Forgiveness' just because they are too abrupt and forthcoming, even though they would be suitable to the context of my narrative.
I want the title to be slightly ambiguous but clear once the story unfolds, and so I think that something metaphorical and allegorical would be the best way to approach naming my film. An ambiguous title will also make it better tailored to my mature audience through how it involves a deeper level of attention to reflect on and decipher its meaning. Looking at the tone I wanted to capture, which was initially dark and fast paced but manifests into a slower and cathartic release of emotion, I felt that the title needed to recognise both the danger and the kindness evoked over the course of the narrative. Below is the list of titles which I had thought of:
The two one word titles, 'Blinded' or 'Consequences', both seem too abrupt and harsh to me. One word titles tend to be given to films which are intense or filled with action. Even though ambiguity is successfully established in both, I feel that these are too elusive and misleading in terms of the tone.
The more metaphorical titles, 'The Clouds Burst', 'Shades of Reason', and 'Binding of Loss' add a sense of thoughtfulness and depth to the story. Whilst 'The Clouds Burst' is particularly applicable due to how I wanted the weather to reflect the emotional changes of my narrative, I think that the title is a little too light-hearted. It denotes ideas of hope and happiness, whereas I think that my story is about redemption and self-acceptance, which has much stronger connotations about the transition from darkness to light.
The two I am left with are very much the most ambiguous but also the best tease of what to expect. I feel that the 'Binding of Loss' is a reference to the parallels between Dylan and the Father, with the 'Binding' emphasising how their guilt and grief are what entwines their characters.
Similarly I think that 'Shades of Reason' also alludes to the way that the characters handle their situations differently. 'Shades' suggests variations of the same colour, and this is important in highlighting that there are similarities of good and bad in both characters. I also think it is clever because I wanted it to refer to how all of the characters are wearing clothes with varying shades of light and dark, thus representing their personal takes on the events.
I am going to call my short film 'Shades of Reason'. It was difficult singling this down, but as with my music magazine last year, I had to choose the title which best reflected what I wanted to achieve. Although the bond between the Father and Dylan is vital to my narrative, I don't feel that it encompasses all of the themes, and so 'Binding of Loss' isn't as complex as 'Shades of Reason', which embodies the film's central message.
When watching my film back, I feel like I need a title which captures both the simplicity of the story but also the complexity of the emotional depth. Therefore I won't use blunt titles such as 'Revenge' or 'Forgiveness' just because they are too abrupt and forthcoming, even though they would be suitable to the context of my narrative.
I want the title to be slightly ambiguous but clear once the story unfolds, and so I think that something metaphorical and allegorical would be the best way to approach naming my film. An ambiguous title will also make it better tailored to my mature audience through how it involves a deeper level of attention to reflect on and decipher its meaning. Looking at the tone I wanted to capture, which was initially dark and fast paced but manifests into a slower and cathartic release of emotion, I felt that the title needed to recognise both the danger and the kindness evoked over the course of the narrative. Below is the list of titles which I had thought of:
- The Clouds Burst: 'The Clouds Burst' is both literal in how the skies become brighter as the narrative progresses but also metaphorical in how Dylan's whole perspective changes and becomes more forgiving. This title draws more focus to the positive change that takes place in the film.
- Shades of Reason: Again 'Shades of Reason' works at both a literal and figurative level. The importance of colour in my film is captured through this title; where 'shades' could refer to the varying moral states of the characters and also the possibility that there is no right answer or right way out, just different ways of handling the situation. This links in with my clothing choice that has varying shades of light and dark to reflect the moral status of the characters.
- Binding of Loss: This title particularly focuses on the unspoken parallels between Dylan and the Father. Whether they know it or not they have been bound by the incident, showing how 'Loss' causes hate and contempt but also gives way to forgiveness and compassion.
- Blinded: 'Blinded' enforces the idea that Dylan doesn't see what is right in front of him, the loving and guilty heart of a father. It asserts that he is hellbent, too blinded by grief and loss to comprehend anything other than revenge.
- Consequences: I think that 'Consequences' can be interpreted in both a positive and negative way. The positive deduction is that it references the unexpected consequence of his brother's death, teaching Dylan to feel compassion and understand other people. On a darker note, it could refer to Dylan's psychological trauma as he struggles to cope with his brother's demise. Better yet, 'Consequences' is still ambiguous because it could apply to any of the characters here, who will all experience some form of consequences no matter what Dylan chooses.
The more metaphorical titles, 'The Clouds Burst', 'Shades of Reason', and 'Binding of Loss' add a sense of thoughtfulness and depth to the story. Whilst 'The Clouds Burst' is particularly applicable due to how I wanted the weather to reflect the emotional changes of my narrative, I think that the title is a little too light-hearted. It denotes ideas of hope and happiness, whereas I think that my story is about redemption and self-acceptance, which has much stronger connotations about the transition from darkness to light.
The two I am left with are very much the most ambiguous but also the best tease of what to expect. I feel that the 'Binding of Loss' is a reference to the parallels between Dylan and the Father, with the 'Binding' emphasising how their guilt and grief are what entwines their characters.
Similarly I think that 'Shades of Reason' also alludes to the way that the characters handle their situations differently. 'Shades' suggests variations of the same colour, and this is important in highlighting that there are similarities of good and bad in both characters. I also think it is clever because I wanted it to refer to how all of the characters are wearing clothes with varying shades of light and dark, thus representing their personal takes on the events.
I am going to call my short film 'Shades of Reason'. It was difficult singling this down, but as with my music magazine last year, I had to choose the title which best reflected what I wanted to achieve. Although the bond between the Father and Dylan is vital to my narrative, I don't feel that it encompasses all of the themes, and so 'Binding of Loss' isn't as complex as 'Shades of Reason', which embodies the film's central message.
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