Thoughts on film-making - 3rd Exercise

  Working on a thriller concept for an experimental short film is not an easy job, but it was pleasing and quite interesting, especially because I tried to integrate a game concept as well. I knew from the beginning that in experimental films there is no need for a filmmaker to put a lot of details visually, but mingle the meaning with the audio part more.

   In my opinion, a short film needs a really strong connection between image and sound whatever the subject matter would be, because this approach can make the short film more appealing in the eyes of the viewers. That’s why for this 3 minutes short film I created foley, consisting of plenty of different sounds like underground noises, domestic sounds, loud and strong vibrations, in order to build the suspense and tension a thriller film needs.

   Knowing that this type of experimental short film should work with some signs or symbols (placed in close-ups), since it’s based on the shadowed mastermind’s game pattern, I included a few of them portrayed by the Christmas decorations and by a few main city signatures as traffic lights, signs, driveways and so forth. 

   However, when speaking of the lead male character, who is trapped into this suspicious game for his wrong-doings, I tried to make him as peculiar and mysterious as possible, even for myself. The challenges received via cell phone are unknown, as well as the results of his trials, not being aware of his win or loss. Therefore, no one knows why is he trapped in this world from the first place and what does he need to accomplish in order to get closer to his escape.

   When the other slightly similar characters appear on screen, pursuing the seemingly identical design, I aimed for an erroneous and glitchy aspect of the film, trying to indicate that the game is near crashing and that the creator lost control over his own creation. At the moment you start to work on a game and you devise it for one character only, doing a specific set of actions, it’s obvious that if something new appears it can tend to crash multiple times or to simply shut down. In addition to this I want to point out that this is just a testing game, a sample, therefore the non-professional appearance.

  In the process of making the short film ‘Outsider’ I didn’t encounter difficulties or hardship, but stress and sleepless nights. Attempting to make a good short, I presume that it's not that easy for anyone, but because of the fact that I want to make everything beyond perfect, most of the times I overwork myself in order to have the outcome I desire. About this film I can say that I’m quite pleased about its final product, although I think that it could’ve been better a million times..

  I chose the title ‘Outsider’ because I wanted to define the main character’s condition, since he was suddenly thrown into an unknown place for him and transformed into a puppet. Moreover, in the ending cut, when a completely new character shows up and disappears along with the train, it can be understood that maybe at least one of them succeeded in exiting the tremendous game, becoming an actual outsider in the real world.

Link to the short film: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kF1cxKlkv3X8KEPmfrwusrFK5mBkt3Vy

3rd Exercise - Scheme

   The short film will be devised on a game-like-movie pattern, in which there is a mastermind (not shown) and the only one character that will be trapped into a limited space, accomplishing the challenges given by anonymous users (via phone). If the challenge will turn into a success, nothing will be change visually, but the player will unconsciously get closer to the ‘exit’. If he’ll fail, a new similar character will be born, but will have a distinctive coloured item which will symbolize one of the main colours of Christmas (green, red, gold, white, blue, purple – colour motif).

·        Inspiring movie: Nerve (challenging strangers within a dangerous game, via phone or other gadgets)

·        Inspiring movie: Coherence (the characters are multiplied after a comet lands on Earth, creating confusion and terror within the circle of friends and relatives when the same people in appearance show up, but with different attitudes and different light sticks’ colours)

   The main concept consists of juggling with the two totally opposed vibes and emotions, defined by the Christmas atmosphere (bliss, charm, chills, joy, ethereal beauty, delight) and by the tremendous game (confusion, tension, suspense, terror, uncertainty, stress)

·        Inspiring folkloric character/urban legend: Krampus/Evil Santa (during the Christmas season, he punishes the children who  have misbehaved, but in the short film instead he will take the form of a shadowed mastermind who devises his own game in order to punish the main protagonist, portrayed as bad human-being) – Inspiring mastermind: Jigsaw (Saw horror franchise)

   The action will take place around the City Center, Sheffield, because there needs to be a lot of people, attractions, buildings, shops etc. The main protagonist doesn’t have to be alone and isolated in the game, since the creator wanted the game’s layer to look exactly the same as a busy city in the middle of the Christmas hustle.

·        Inspiring movie: Hunger games (a game design similar to the real world, where the players are actually trapped into a laboratory manufactured realm)

   The limits of the game will be portrayed by a few spots in the City Center, altogether creating an invisible and strong barrier which cannot be crossed by the main lead.

   The short film will need to be shot at a crepuscular light, but also in a pitch dark one, since it’s necessary to create the connection between the scary game vibe and the Christmas’ glow.

   The final cut will show the protagonist (in one of the various forms) getting on the train, leaving the audience with no certain ending. The mastermind behind could be thought as acknowledging the victory of the character or as leaving the viewers to believe that he escaped the game completely, enjoying the new life as an outsider.

   Here, the character won’t be aware where he would be thrown, it can be another layer of the game or the real world, becoming an actual outsider. (implicit meaning)

·        Inspiring movie: Cube (even though it may appear like the characters would be able to escape after surviving one room/layer, it turns out that the exit leads to another layer, thing that happens all over again)

   Speaking of techniques, there would be a lot of handy camera, in order to look like someone is following the main character, long and close-up shots, maybe extreme close-up shots as well (making a certain detail to be more visible for the viewers), camera tilts, using foley more than the original sounds, in order to create the specific type of audio background for the thriller/mystery genre.

   As symbols or signs, there would mostly be Christmas inspired things and the spots/objects that will be found at the boundary.

Possible titles: Outsider, Christmas bucket list,

Chiller, Merry Dare, Sweet Dares