Treatment Planning 2 - Cinematography

14/07/15

This post includes information on the shots and other filming elements I hope to include in my film.

Mise-en-Scene
-Casting: Two characters, either a boy and a girl or two boys are the most likely casting choices.
-Location: Either in a hall, located at my previous primary school. Or, in and outside a Church. Both of these locations are readily accessible to me, I just need to decide which is most appropriate - a location recce of each could be carried out.
-Costume: I don't think the costume will matter too much, as long as it portrays the character of each individual somewhat.
-Lighting : With a strong link between my project and film noir already, I hope to film with lighting constantly in mind, as I will be overlaying the footage with a black and white filter in post production.
-Non-verbal language: This is vital for my film. There will be no - or at least very little - dialogue in the sequence. Thus, the story must be told through filming and the characters' actions.

Shots
-Shot distance: This will vary from long shots (LS), mid-long shots (MLS) and close-ups (CU). This will enable me to incorporate a good representation of the location, scenario and character actions.
-Shot types: There are limited shots I can actually make use of during the production of this film, for I do not have all the equipment a professional film would. But, I am able to produce POV shots, over-the-shoulder shots and hopefully tracking shots (dependant on availability of equipment).
-Camera angle: Camera angle is very important in connoting a sense of power differentiation between two characters. A character seen in a higher position in frame is often the most dominant individual in that scenario.
-Camera movement: Kassovitz makes sure very few of his shots lack movement; he does not often allow for static shots of characters. I would like to incorporate a bit of both in my film - fluid movement in shots but also static ones to enable the audience to view everything. Tracking shots, pans and tilts are the most simple forms of camera movements; these will be included. One of my favourite shots from 'Fierrot Le Pou' is the 180 degrees arc shot and so I would like to replicate this, if it is possible.

Sound
-SFX: Natural sounds will be included throughout the sequence. It may be necessary to include one or two audio clips that will have to be recorded especially. This can be helped by the use of including audio files found on FreeSound.com in the post production process.
-Dialogue: There will be virtually no element of conversation in my short film.
-Soundtrack: I would like to include a soundtrack somewhere in my film. It is most likely that this would be towards the end of the short.

Editing/Post Production
-Cuts: I cannot say anything significant about the cuts I will use in my film. The cutting rate will most likely support one character more than the other; connoting that the audience is positioned with them as the main protagonist.
-Sequence type: The film will be a continuity sequence.
-Screen time: One character will be prioritised more than the other. I would say that one character will occupy about three quarters of screen time, whereas the other will only be seen in a quarter of the whole film's length.
-Post production: A black and white overlay is the most visibly noticeable part of post production I am hoping to carry out. Titles, credits and sound editing is also included in this heading. Cuts, transitions and trimming is also a part of what I hope to achieve in editing. I will be using either Adobe Premiere Elements or Windows Live Movie Maker. I am confident using both programmes, it just depends on practicality. I only have access to the more professional Elements at school.

Next, I will fill out a post that presents a storyboard of my film's treatment.