Scene descriptions with detailed camera shots

Scene 2

[Shot from within the box as he take it off his head] Jake then slowly takes the box off his head and is mystified from what has happened. He looks around and sees that he is in a sports field, all alone. The box has allowed him to travel and he now knows how to use it, but he doesn’t have a choice where it takes him. [Extreme long shot and medium shot rotating round him] Now he knows the power of the box, he places to the box onto his head, travelling to another destination.

Scene 3

[Shot from within the box as he take it off his head] He looks around and sees that he is now in a different location, a path within an urban area. As he looks to his he, there is a man who is walking counting some money, as he now realises the opportunity that the box brings he slowly follows behind the man, and picks a moment to grab the money off him. [Medium shot – camera man moving with characters]. Jake now knows that if he just simply puts the box on, he cannot worry about anyone chasing him, therefore he does and moves to a new location.

Scene 4

[Long shot showing him taking the box off his head] Jakes new location is very different to his previous one, it’s much more mysterious as he has appeared within the woods. As Jake looks around to try and find his bearings. Suddenly he hears a noises, branches breaking, breathing and the wind whistling. He starts to get agitated, looking over is should and spinning around trying to see who is around him, if anyone [Medium of his different actions]. The two pursuers from the begging are within the woods chasing Jake down as they have found that he is the new owner of the box [Panning shot in the woods of pursuers running]. [Close up of Jake and then cuts of medium shot of pursuers standing] Jake suddenly turns around and see the pursuers standing at a distance opposite of him, as he then asks what they want with him He starts to run away as the people follow him running, while Jake is going through his mind and is thinking why they are chasing him, suddenly thinking about the note that was left with the box [image of note comes in shot while running]. Jake keeps running as he is gaining a lead but as he can’t see them he hides behind a tree thinking he is safe, then using the box to get him out of the situation, however it’s not working. He looks around the box and sees that there’s an expiry date on the box which makes him out of time. He takes the box off his head and sees the two pursuers directly in front of him [cut to black].

Progress update - writing our treatmeant

Today we have gathered together as a group and began to write our treatment for the production. We have researched how to write an effective and professional treatment online so we could follow this as a guideline for ours so that we make sure we go into a clear and sufficient detail in our treatment.

Travelling Into The Unknown

Thomas Morgan – Director

Steven Everest – Sound

Robert Harden – Scripting

Bradley Arnott – Camera man

Tak Lung – Editing

Log line

"Travelling Into The Unknown" is a fast flowing thriller where one day you receive a mystery box, there’s nothing within, no instructions but… a note. This begins a journey into the unknown as the box has a unique ability to travel anywhere that you want. However the box is always being perused by those who know its power.   

Scene 1

A quick foot chase is on the cards, 2 men chasing another who is the current owner of the mystery box who want to take this possession off him. [A low shot of the feet running after another, the shot then cuts to a long shot to show the people that are within the scene]. They start to run up the stairs of the multi-storey building of flats [low shot of them running up the stairs]. From a Birdseye view you can see the distance between the pursuers and the owner, who then runs through an open door, [with the camera behind him, with a slight tilt as he pursues into the door] while the men who are chasing him take a misleading turn to the right, therefore losing the box owner. The pursuers slowly give up as they do not know what direction they are in. The owner is hiding for his safety within the room the he entered, panting and struggling to breathe [medium shot with character back up against the door]. Looking through the peep whole within the door he can see the pursuers walking away [panning shot through the peep whole]. The owner then takes out his phone, and texts an unknown number to inform him the he is going to leave the box, due to the danger it brings to himself [over the shoulder shot of him texting].  He then leaves the box outside a dorm door, while taking out a note from his jacket and places it inside the box. Quickly, he knocks on the door and hurries away so no one seems him [long shot to show the whole corridor].

Jake Holiday – Opens his bedroom door slowly from the unexpected knocking to see a random box placed outside of his room [Camera tilts from the box to a full body shot]. He gradually walks back into his room with the confusion of why this box has been placed outside of his door. He sits on his onto his bed, placing the box on floor, still confused and then opens it to discover there is nothing but a piece of paper within [camera shot from the box’s perspective]. He starts to read the note which turns out to be a riddle (related to time) that he can't really get his head around, [overlay of speech while reading note] but this gives him an insight to what the box holds. Jake then places the box on the floor, getting on with his everyday tasks that he does in and own. A short while later he is walking to the bathroom but suddenly trips on a loose wire, he then falls head first into the box, and will soon find out what power it holds [several medium shots].

Story board planning & Influential film Vertigo

We are currently in the phase of writing our storyboard. I have chosen the opening location for the chase scene which I will film in my apartment building as there is an open plan lobby and three floors of stairs in which the chase scene will be filmed. I have taken inspiration from Hitchcock classic film vertigo and below I have posted the shots I wish to replicate in my production as I feel it expresses the feeling of vertigo to the audience and accentuates the danger of the chase.





I have currently drawn out the first nine scenes with a detailed description of the story which is commencing and I have carefully written the camera angles which I feel will be imaginative and will best grasp the speed of the opening chase.

Research: A transition that will be used in my production

In my research into short films with the corresponding title to my film task, I came across this production I feel that its story is very mainstream and has been done a hundred times but some of the editing effects are great. One that particularly caught my eye is from 1:34 on wards and is a transition in which the scene is shown with the character running away from his stalker whilst a ticking clock is transparently faded over the scene which creates a really imaginative effect of time running out and the character being under pressure.

I will defiantly be incorporating this transition/effect into my production as it really will relate to the title "Out of time" and is a good way to express to my audience that the characters our under a time constraint in my production.

Telling a story with no dialogue

Whilst researching influential short films online I came across this production, the film really grabbed my interest and intrigued me as it conveys how an effective story line can be so good that it can be engaging without the use of any dialogue.
The film conveys how easily we prejudge people due to tier physical statue and there line of work. I Believe that the strong moral of the film is becomes clear and allows the audience to back the underdog which in this production is a janitor until you are hooked and want to see the denouement of the production.

I have found this influential as I similarly want to create a production that is based around a strong meaning as it gives the production worth and I wish to leave my audience thinking about whether they can relate to my film.

The idea of prejudice and being judgmental has spouted the idea of in my production the "out of time" could be to do with a persons character and they way they treat people and whether as there life draws to a close will they change their ways.

Influential production: Camera angles and editing techniques

Unfortunately the video link wont upload to blogger but it can be found on YouTube under the search: Swipe- student short film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfszDTc3Bro

The story of this short film seems unclear to me however some of the camera angles and camera placements in this production I think are very professional and I will defiantly be using some of the camera placements in my production.

For example the opening scene 0.00 til 0.07 has a great low shot which is shot from as low to the floor of possible showing the feet of a women walking up towards the camera. The shot ends as the woman's boot turns from the camera. I love this shot as i feel it creates a sense of mystery to the women as why are we not seeing her face? it shows us the  location were in a building/ library through the boots clothing it clearly identifies the character to be a women. And i feel its quite an unusual shot which I feel is unusual yet interesting which differentiates from the mundane camera shots and through using this shot our audience can think wow these producers are individual and creative.

Then from 0.11- 0.20 the speed up effect is used as she unloads all of her books on the desk, i like the idea of going from normal pace to the speed up effect to normal pace on scenes which could drag so I have considered using this in my production. Also whilst the speed up effect is used there is an imported sound effect which sounds like a pen scribbling really fast I also found this effective as it enhanced the sense of the scene going faster then average life.

Throughout the production allot of extreme close ups are used on objects and people who are loud and aggravating to heighten the girls thoughts of insanity. This is effective as it focuses on the object and signifies its importance to the production. There is nearly no dialogue in the production so the extreme close up on the charters library search "signs of insanity" conveys the basis for the story, in my production i want to do something similar as you get the idea of the character from inside there head and what they are thinking and feeling.

Theirs also a moving camera angle pointed at the ceiling lights as it moves forward with the sound of footsteps the effect of this is to show the change in location without having to show the scene which again i will manipulate into my production.

Influential productions for our short film

Whilst researching student short films to give us help with our production I came across this film the main concept in which attracted me to this production is that the film is filmed in reverse. This concept I feel was executed very effectively as by starting the production at the end of the story and then reversing the production to the beginning it keeps the audience guessing and contemplating how the story had begun for things to end in such a huge climax.
I hope to mirror this concept of reverse editing in my short film production as I feel it makes the film really unique and engaging to the viewer.
Having a moving camera in the film I feel was very effective as for the running scenes it enhanced the characters sense of urgency and makes you the audience feel as if you are watching from inside the scene.
The film also relates to our project title out of time as it conveys a character who through consuming a certain pills by mistake has only a short period of time left before he dies from an overdose therefore he has to choose his last moments with what he finds most valuable in life.

Film ideas

Idea 1

Box delivery

Items in the box: Medicine, bomb, blood, drugs, heart, Doll, money, empty, note, letter, key,

But cannot open the box/goes to open the box and gets a phone call not to or note

Area to take the box – A door number/Warehouse/Public place/abandoned building

Main Character has a phone on them and receives phone call from the anon who is watching him and telling him what to do

As he bumps into a couple of people from the street, 1 person is nice to him and the other is rude.

Or

Receives phone call from another scared person who has been getting anon phone calls also

Be on the phone in a public place, directing him.

Ending cuts to the shot of the mysterious silhouette

Idea 2

Someone shown running being chased, leaves box on doorstep as he has experienced it already.

Pursuers track person really wanting the box end up killing him to express how valuable the box is and that they want to cover up the idea of the box. 

Box has an expiry date on it,

Box allows you to travel,

User doesn’t know about this date,

Keeps using box to go to different destinations,

Box runs out of date and cannot get home – out of time

Note in box “Enjoy it while it last”- Hint to title out of time

Opening entry

University of Kent
EL342: Moving image
04/02/14
Team Number: 3

Thomas Morgan :  tm379
Bradley Arnott   : ba249
Steven Everest   : se231
Robert Harden :   rh417
Tak Hong Lung :  thl7