Hideaway Short Film Pre Production package by cheyenne Joseph

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Director's Comments - 6 My Role - 9 Synopsis - 10 Character Biographies - 13 Director's Statement - 22 Film Inspiration - 35 Test Shoots - 41 Equipment List - 69 Crew - 73 Branding - 77 Marketing - 85 Script - 95 Shot List - 119

"Suicide is the UK's number one killer for men under 35." - NHS Online 2017

"Black African and Black Caribbean males are the most likely to end up in hospital due to mental health." - NHS Online, 2017

My goal with this project was to create something that would never lose value. Mental health to me is something that should always matter and never be forgotten because it is such a vital part of our lives yet it is often taken for granted as well as ignored, especially within the Black community. With the high rates of suicide for men and experiences that I've witnessed through friends and family, it is clear that there is a level of communication that lacks due to stigmatised views of mental health.Thus causing a lot of hidden emotions which sometimes take it's toll on the mental health of those suffering. With the statistics so high regarding men, it is clear that it's something we should keep shining light upon. The aim of this film was to illustrate how we can all make changes to check on those around us and to not be scared to speak up when we notice something isn't quite right within ourselves or others. I also wanted show that it's okay to follow your dreams no matter how unconventional they may seem. There's artistry within all of us and I want to show that it's okay to express this.

For this project I decided to challenge myself with this role as it allowed me to multi-skill and take on many responsibilities, especially since I decided to work on my own instead of a group. Creating a great story about Depression and it's effects required me to take on the role of a Researcher to ensure all characteristics portrayed were accurate and not glamourised. After gathering all the information I needed, the Writer side of the role meant I would create various draft scripts until it reached a professional, cohesive standard with the help of my lecturer. After the script was complete, the Director part of the role required me to think about HOW I wanted to create the film. HOW I will get the story across. From sourcing equipment that would best suit the project, to thinking about what shot types should be used to best express the story. The Writer/ Director Role also meant multi tasking and acting as a Casting Director when finding the right people tp portray the characters from the vision I had. The role included other responsibilities such as budgeting and researching the relevant audience outputs to the film. It has been a pretty full on role but I can fully say that I have been able to bring my vision to life with careful planning and consideration for all aspects within making a production.

Hideaway is a short film which explores mental health through the eyes of a young man struggling to deal with the pressures from his family, his friends and generally his whole life. Isaiah is 17 years old and not sure where he is heading. Is it art school? Hanging with his friends? Pleasing his parents? Daily life is a constant struggle and only briefly does he find peace by the waterways near his home, which eerily draw him ever closerâ&#x20AC;Ś closer to the edge. He unexpectedly begins to find refuge within the company of Lily. Her confidence and drive to do well in an art project allows him to effortlessly express himself through the painting and learning new techniques with her. Art is a passion he always had since he spends his spare time drawing in his sketchbook, However, he did not take it seriously because he was made to feel as though art was not something worthy of perusing due to the negative views from his friends. As time with Lily moves along, an unexpected burst of confidence is created due to the exciting new art project, but the pressure slowly becomes the demise of Isaiah's mental health. Thoughts of doubt start to formulate as his parents fail to acknowledge his art work, causing Isaiah to no longer trust his creative ability and eventually his ability as a person too. The constant pressure to be there for Lily takes it's toll and causes Isaiah to hide his true emotions. Not only to Lily but to everyone around him, including his parents. It is the lack of communication and constant bottling up of emotions which eventually sends Isaiah on a spiralling journey where the only way to stop these thoughts are to stop thinking altogether, by attempting to take his own life. Does Isaiah finally get the peace he so longed for? Hideaway is a story of hope and perseverance but also illustrates how easy it is to miss signs of depression as well as how easy it is to hide them. Sometimes there are no signs at all and therefore It aims to challenge discussion on what steps we can all take to approach these issues to ensure greater efforts go into having a positive outcome.

Gender: Male Age: 17 Height: 5' 11 Hair: Brown/Black Eyes : Brown

Traits: - Very shy, Introverted until approached - Caring person, would do anything for those he cared about - Creative and intelligent Isaiah is a soft spoken young boy who is passionate about art and painting. He loves to engage with his sketchbook to free his mind and express his creativity. He uses art as a means to temporarily escape the things he dislikes about his life. He always struggled to come to terms with his creative ability as art isn't something thats taken seriously within his household. Isaiah comes from a working class background. Both parents work extremely hard in order to provide a comfortable living environment for Isaiah. Although he is provided with the basic needs such as a roof over his head and food on the table, since his parents work so much, he often spends most of his time alone with his own thoughts and his sketchbook.

He was born in London but his parents were not. He is of a Caribbean descent since his mother and father are both from Trinidad and Tobago. Isaiah is very much a 'London boy' but is very culturally aware as his parents are still deep rooted within their culture. They try to keep the culture flowing by cooking him native dishes from his country which they all often get to indulge in. As well as taking a trip back to Trinidad once every few years, Isaiah understands where he comes from but somehow still doesn't understand who he is as a person. Isaiah has always been an extroverted yet introverted boy. In primary school, teachers would often have to establish Isaiah's lack of communication and input to his parents during parent's evening. It wasn't that Isaiah didn't have the right answers, it was a constant fear of being wrong and facing rejection for that split second, which made him not want to put his hands up in class. This trait has been carried within him throughout the years and manifested into Isaiah being able to hide his feelings very well. In primary school, Isaiah found it easy to make friends as he was able to almost morph into their habits like a chameleon, but the ability to adapt to new surroundings all the time allowed Isaiah to always feel lost and unaware of his true self. He continued to search for friends that allowed him to become something new. Although he understands his roots, he never really understood himself or what his purpose was. These feelings continued from Primary school, up until now. In sixth form, Isaiah tried to make friends in the way he always new, by adapting new habits in order to fit in. He was able to do this with his group of "hoodlum" friends. A group of disruptive boys who often wouldn't follow the rules and would get in trouble. One day, his teacher noticed Isaiah's way of trying to fit in with the boys after he joined in with the paper throwing in class. He told him that he's better than falling into the wrong crowd. This lead Isaiah to become even more confused about his identity, so much so that the only way to clear his thoughts was to draw. Isaiah continued to draw in his sketchbook from the start of sixth form, all the way till the end. He struggled to find his identity, morphing from crowd to crowd meant that he didn't realise his identity was the creative artist all along. His realisation of this only really happened once he started hanging out with his new friend Lily. 15

Gender: Female Age: 17 Height: 5' 3 Hair: Brown/Black Eyes : Brown Traits: - Confident - Creative - Loves to talk to people - Expressive and extroverted with her emotions Lily is a 17 year old girl who's very focussed on her artistic ability and loves to encourage people to try new things. Hence her keen interest in Isaiah. Lily comes from a high class background where her father is an investment banker and is never really home. Whereas her mother is now a stay at home mum who used to be a teacher. She occasionally does home tutoring lessons for younger children. Lily usually spends some time with them before rushing off to her summerhouse for art. She was born in Italy since her parents lived there for 5 years. They stayed there for two more years after she was born before migrating back to London to raise her there instead.

At a very young age, Lily's parents allowed her to engage in a variety of after school activities and dance lessons. She started playing the violin at the age of 6 and danced ballet from the age of 4 up until 15 until she found new interests. Art.

In primary school, Lily was always a confident young girl who always got involved with the tasks. She was commended for being punctual and received a certificate for 100 percent attendance. Lily has always loved school because she enjoyed meeting her school friends and engaging in activities. This mentality carried on all throughout her secondary school life as well as her time in Sixth Form. Along the way, Lily has made plenty of friends who she occasionally keeps in contact with when she's not creating art work. Lily's love for art developed after she accompanied her parents to the National Portrait gallery in London when she was 12. She was always amazed by how different everyone's art work can be so she decided to dedicate her time to being part of that and experimenting with a variety of art techniques. She still hasn't found her own specific style but she enjoys the practising.

When Isaiah is comfortable and in a positive mindset, he usually wears clothes with bright pops of colour

When Isaiah isn't in a good state of mind he tries to hide himself away in dark, baggy clothes. 18

Lily loves to wear comfortable, oversized clothes. She loves shirts because she can wear them over anything.

(Isaiah's Mother) Gender: Female Age: 47 Height: 5' 7 Hair: Brown/Black Eyes : Brown Traits: - Enjoys cooking - Enjoys Looking after the elderly - Religious - Quite introverted with her emotions Mariette is a 47 year old Caribbean woman who moved to the UK when she was 25 in search for a better life. She met David whilst working as a cleaner for a Barbershop in London and eventually got married 4 years later.

Mariette's upbringing was not a pleasant one as she is the eldest of 4 brothers and was always made responsible for their actions. She had to be a responsible child even though she was young herself and that eventually took it's toll on her motivation for achieving her goals. Her parents didn't mind what she did as long as she helped out around the house and with her siblings. She always wanted to be a surgeon but never got the opportunity to study for it due to her big family commitments. When she was of age, she came to London in hopes of studying to become a nurse. She is currently a carer for the elderly which means she often gets call outs and home visits all hours of the day. Because of her busy and ever changing schedule, she is tired most of the time but always makes effort to cook for her family when she can.

(Isaiah's Dad) Gender: Male Age: 48 Height: 5' 11 Hair: Brown/Black Eyes : Brown Traits: - Very chatty - Loves to mess around and play practical jokes when he can - Extroverted with his emotions at times David and Mariette first bonded when they found out they were from the same country, Trinidad. He moved to London with his family when he was young but managed to keep the accent as he was constantly surrounded by it. Upon meeting in the barbershop where David frequently went, He first approached her and they started off as great friends before he asked her to marry him. He currently works as a manager of a home department store and often works extra nightshifts to help provide for the family. David was a fine craftsman with wood and was often commissioned by his peers to build them things such as chairs and wardrobes. He thoroughly enjoyed this but had to give it up due to a bad back injury but he is also happy with his current job as it is decent pay and allows him to get extra money for his family. 21

Tone and Mood: The tone for the film will have a cold and sombre tone running throughout. Although this will be juxtaposed by the main character's happier interactions with his companion when they create art, the overall story will dip in and out but still eventually return to it's sombre state, illustrating that because the character left his problems hidden, they still managed to creep back to the surface. It is important for me to allow the story to blossom with positive notes throughout as it is important to have elements of hope. Visually, I want Hideaway to maintain a raw and realistic visual style but also have natural elements that allow bright pops of colour to create some cinematic depth. I have taken inspiration from a variety of short films which have been broadcasted on Vimeo. I looked very closely to this platform throughout my planning stage as I felt this platform would allow me to get an understanding of what styles are current being created. It allows me to keep my ideas fresh and relevant and also gather information on how things are being filmed. I found great examples of visual styles that I will be incorporating into my piece ranging from documentaries to short narrative films.They all consist of realistic, yet visually appealing techniques that would really suit my narrative. When thinking about my character Isaiah and his passion for art, my aim is to get up close and personal with his hands as well as the colours he uses. In "Oliver Jeffers", this documentary focuses on the life of an artist and how he enjoys creating illustrations. The documentary constantly features up close shots of the work he created. What I love about these scenes is the way the natural light illuminates his eyes and hands. I also really like how close we get to the main character. This is something that I aim to incorporate as I want to show my character in his 'Zone' to heighten his passion for art.

'Oliver Jeffers' 2017 - Written and Directed by Bas Berkhout

When thinking about lighting, I aim to have enhanced natural light sources within the scenes to create better depth and more pleasing visuals. The light will be able to bring out the character more and enhance the overall look. As shown in 'Nothing Ever Really Ends' (2017), a short film about a couple who's relationship develops over 3 years, they make use of natural light sources to enhance their scene.

Nothing Ever Really Ends (2017) - Writer/ Director: Jakob RĂ¸rvik Light from the laptop screen as well as the sparklers in this short film is very compelling and allows you to really engage with what is happening. This is something that I want to incorporate into my film as I also have scenes where my character is engaging with electronical devices as well as having intimate moments around a bonfire. If a light source that I am using isn't bright enough, I will make use of artificial lighting to make it seem as though the light is coming from the natural light source as I want to make this look as realistic as possible. Minimising the obvious use of artificial lights will help keep the narrative at focus and not distract from the main message. For example, In their sparkler scene, You can see that the light from it illuminates their faces. In this narrative the couple are also watching fireworks. It is possible that there wasn't actual fireworks taking place at this time, but their use of a flickering light that changed colours allowed this narrative to carry on smoothly. 25

After shooting raw, I will be able to enhance the colours and create my desired tone and mood. Since my story will be following a young boy who shows signs of depression, I want to enhance his mental state by having a cold toned film with blue hues to enhance the sadness he may feel at times. As established in 'St Louis Rises', a documentary about the racism and lack of unity within St Louis USA, the documentary gets up close and personal to the contributors in order to illustrate the raw emotion and culture they experience. They capture intimate moments between people but also illustrate the normal every day surroundings within St Louis. The colour palette that is used seems to be subdued and not over saturated. In some places you can tell that the real image would've been much more brighter but the desaturated look helps keep the focus unified. St. Louis Rises - Directed by Andrew Litten Executive Producer: David Kwon Kim

Similar to St Louis, my character will also spend a lot of time outside in natural surroundings as well as a river. I love how the tones of the river almost matches the undertones of the person. In reality his shirt was probably really white, but in this, with the tightened green hues and desaturated look, his shirt does not stand out but becomes one with the surroundings.

The intended style of Hideaway will be a mixture of hand-held and stabilised shots. I will use hand-held movement for his everyday movement as well as deliberately increased movement for when my character's mental health starts to destabilise and decline. This will further illustrate his anguish and allow the viewer to have a greater connection to how it may feel in that situation. I will use stabilised, smooth shots for when my character spends time with his best friend and for when he creates art in order to illustrate how at peace he is around her as well as how relaxed he is when he's in his zone expressing and creating. Since this is short film which aims to evoke emotion and create a greater understanding about the character's situations, I think it is important to be within the character's personal space to further illustrate what he's going through. This means I will mostly have a mixture of Close ups (CU's), Medium Close ups (MCU's) and Mid shots. The CUs will have a very nice effect on both my character's features as well as the art process when the paint flows across the canvas. The Mid shots will be used when my characters come together and interact. This will enhance the intimacy between them. I will make use of Wide shots for when my characters are outside, embracing their surroundings. It's important that I get clean, crisp, well lit shots when getting CU's and MCU's. Having great Depth Of Field is key when achieving these shots as it allows the audience to feel closer to the subject. This is established in The Cage (2017). The main character is established in a variety of Close ups and Medium Close ups. The background is blurred which means they have a shallow depth of field. To achieve this, I will make use of the Canon 50mm Lens as this allows me to get close to the subject without standing too close. This lens is great for portraiture as it is known for allowing a nice amount of light in to create clear, crisp shots as well as fantastic depth of field. The only downside to this is if you want anything bigger than an MCU, You'd have to stand very far, thus illustrating its usability for closer shot types. This lens can also be used with the Sony A7s when paired with a Metabones adapter so I will be able to get the best of both. For the medium shots ,I will be using a lens that allows me to have a good range whether that is shallow depth of field but also crisp and clear long shots. Since a Riverside is an important part of my story, I have to be able to capture it as much as possible. I aim to obtain a Wide angle lens as well as a lens that allows me to do both. 27

There are a variety of editing techniques that I will be incorporating in my film to enhance and maintain the desired narrative. Techniques ranging from parallel editing, Montage editing and elliptical editing. It is important that I maintain a real and raw atmosphere throughout this film. My main character often feels uncomfortable and at times disorientated due to his developed clouded thoughts, therefore it is important that I portray this in ways the audience can almost feel what he feels. Generally, this means I will hold shots longer than usual so the audience can also feel a little uncomfortable as well as cutting to next shots abruptly to almost throw off the flow. For example, the bath tub scene where Isaiah is trying to relax, the dripping tap becomes noisy for him and he results to sinking himself into the bath tub to drown out the sound. I aim to hold the shot of his face for much longer as the tap drips, showing his raw emotions in that one take will really help to keep the raw vibe of the scene. I will also make use of a shot/ reverse shot where I abruptly cut between his reaction and the dripping of the tap, making the time between the cuts shorter each time will really enhance the irritation he feels whilst he's in the tub. The juxtaposition from fast pace cuts to slow pace cuts is something that can really emphasise the audience's viewing experience and understanding about Isaiah's mental state.

(Also known as cross cutting) This editing technique is the process of alternating between two or more scenes that seem to happen simultaneously but in different locations within the world of the film. With most films that utilise parallel editing, the corresponding scenes usually eventually meet or have some sort of connecting action. A famous example of this would be Silence Of The Lambs (1991) where two juxtaposing scenes are continuously cut between each other as action progresses, thus building tension towards the final scene as viewers are continuously lead to believe they are approaching the same house where the action is happening. Director Jonathan Demme utilizes the technique to perfection as we watch the FBI raid a house they believe belongs to Buffalo Bill. We even see Buffalo Bill react to the bell in his dungeon, which correlates to the FBI agent ringing the bell in the secondary scene. However, when Buffalo Bill answers the door, we realize that agents arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t on his front step â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but Clarice Starling is. The crescendo that was built had a big impact because of the journey it took the audience on.

Parallel editing doesn't always have to seem as though it is happening "right now" in the world of film. The simple use of juxtaposing cuts put together to illustrate a contrast in character can also be used effectively. As Illustrated in Godfather (1972) Director Francis Ford Coppola contrasts the biblical declaration Michael Corleone is partaking in to the acts of violence he asks his henchmen to do. 29

As Michael watches a baptism takes place, he partakes in a biblical declaration;

The images of violence which is almost the opposite of the holy declaration he partakes in is shown.

This increases the pacing and tempo of the scene and, in turn, makes the baptism portion of the scene so much more powerful.

With this technique in mind, I aim to capitalise Isaiah's hidden emotions by illustrating the difference he feels when he's at home vs when he's with Lily with the use of cross cutting. The juxtaposition of Isaiah's conversations in comparison to his true feelings of sadness will play a huge part in my story line since he often hides his emotions from everyone around him. In the scene where Lily speaks about how happy he always seems, I will cross cut to the scene of him attempting to take his own life. This is a major turning point for my story as the main message is about depression and how lack of communication can lead to seemingly irrational consequences is shown. This also illustrates how powerful it is to write a story with editing in mind because they both go hand in hand when trying to create powerful narrative imagery.

A montage is a style of Elliptical Editing as it allows a a variety of fragmented shots to be put together, creating a sequence where time can be fragmented to suit the narrative. It is often used to speed up time and illustrate a collective of events that lead up to a singular moment/ event. A famous example of this would be Rocky, where the main character's process of preparing for a big fight, is shown with a sequence of fragmented actions.

This is simple yet effective because it allows the story to be told in a faster, effective fashion as it creatively gets to the point. It is necessary for the storyline and therefore shouldn't be used when it isn't needed. A montage is needed within my storyline as I have to show the process Lily and Isaiah go through in order to create art work for their exhibition. Creating art is a long process and I realistically do not have time to show them create each piece from start to finish. Therefore I will have to fragment the process and show the development with this technique.

To maintain the realness of the story, I will refrain from over using a soundtrack. Instead I will have necessary music play from sound sources within the "world of the film". When it comes to sound effects and general actions within the story, I will enhance it in a way that singles it out, illustrating how it feels to Isaiah. For example, I will enhance the sound of the dripping tap, making it louder and more pronounced. It is a diegetic sound as it is coming from the narrative of the shot. Another example of this is when Isaiah's bicycle wheel is spinning whilst he has clouded thoughts. As it slows down, he begins to get clarity, I believe these subtle techniques can really allow the audience to feel what he may feel and enhance the narrative as a whole.

(scan over to hear) If any music is used within my story, it will mostly be ambient songs without any words to distract from the action. It will be used to enhance and not drown out. A few examples of ambient songs I would use are; Bonobo - Migration This song would work beautifully with my film as it would allow the emotions conveyed by Isaiah and Lily to really come across better. The sounds themselves create an emotive atmosphere and would compliment the innocent actions the characters engage in when they paint as well as sit in front of a bonfire. The song also changes pace a little towards the middle and would really be able to illustrate the intensity of a scene.

This song barely has any audible lyrics and features dark elements and tones to it. A song like this would really suit when my character goes in and out of his clouded thoughts as well as the end scene where he tries to take his life. Although there are lots of sounds in this song, if paired with scenes of stillness and tranquillity, it could really enhance the scene.

Clams Casino - All I need

The cage follows the trials and tribulations a young boy faces as he tries to break free from the negative lifestyle he's faced with daily. What I loved about this short film was the way in which you're able to really understand the pressure that the main character faces when he has to make important decisions about his life, simply by his actions and expressions but also the proximity the audience is placed throughout. We spend a vast amount of time within his personal space, this allowed greater connection to the character. This piece is far from being dialogue heavy, you rarely hear the main character talk but when he does, it serves a purpose and is very necessary. This story isn't being told in a conventional way as there is a clever use of a voice over. His father is in prison, giving him advice on how the choices he makes could seriously impact his life. It was very poetic in the way it was done because the images matched the things he said but not in a direct way. This initially inspired my thought process on how voices can be used to move a story along. Because of this short film, I was then able to creatively introduce the juxtaposing conversations between Lily and Isaiah to enhance his feelings of hidden emotions. 36

The Cage - 2017 Written & Directed by: Ricky Staub

Sleep Well My Baby - 2017 Written/ Directed by: Aaron & Winston Tao (TwinTaoers) This story illustrates a true story as it follows the misfortune of the main character's mission to break free from Korea. Along the way she's abused and eventually has her baby taken away from her and sold by her abusive husband. In this scene, The main character is being physically abused. But instead of you to actually see it, with the use of some visual effects as well as some clever sound design, you can only hear her muffled screams, you can really feel the emotion but it is also quite artistic in the style. This showed me that there are abstract was you can show a character's turmoil and still have a powerful effect.

Another way this film inspired me is the use of having a factual statistic shown first. It makes what is shown to be a lot more powerful because the viewer is now aware that this is something that is currently happening. Although this may be a narrative story line, it is based on a true story and true events. This inspired me to add the statistic at the end of my film so people realise the severity of this situation being portrayed 37

George Washington - 2000 Directed By: David Gordon Green The first thing I noticed when being introduced to a character, you are shown individual actions before seeing their face, this gives the audience an indication on their characteristics without just watching them fully. It adds an artistic feel to it also. When looking at the framing through out the film, I would say it is very simplistic yet effective. They would either place things centrally or within the 'rule of thirds' as pictured below and would hold that shot just a little bit longer than you'd expect. Thus indicating the importance of what is shown but also gives you a moment to think about it and also sets the scene a little bit more.

When it comes to characters having conversations, there was a similar pattern of shots used through out. Characters would usually be centred in a simple 2 shot, in an intimate setting with minimal cuts. I noticed that the dialogue was quite lengthy as well, each character had significant things to say which really illustrated their character and helped maintain a realistic, natural feel.

There are many reasons Moonlight became an inspiration to me. I closely watched how the director chose to illustrate the characters story. Similarly to my story line, the main character spends a lot of time on his own and has these intimate moments between himself and his friends. You really get a sense of how he's feeling due to the amount of time we spend within the proximity of the character throughout.

Moonlight - 2016 Directed by Barry Jenkins

The films also has a recurring theme within. Water and the beach was shown at the start, this represented his happy time. We later see him by the beach again with his best friend, seemingly his love interest. In this scene, you don't see the water but you hear the water and the breeze. It's almost as if the peacefulness is always there with him as he somehow always manages to end up where the ocean is. These little recurring theme adds depth because a character's feeling is represented in a more abstract way. When writing my story, I already had a recurring theme of water but after watching this I was able to make it become a more significant part of the storyline. This became a big turning point for my story. This story illustrated the character's turmoil so well, he does everything to oppress his feelings, tries to enhance and change his exterior but somehow still ends up back where he started, his true self. I really enjoyed the messages it had throughout, this inspired my thinking about how I can show passion between two people without actually having them interact sexually as well. 39

Test Shoot 1:Maidstone Riverside Kit: Canon 7D, 50mm 1.8, 18- 135mm This was my first test shoot where my aim was to get an initial idea about the lenses I can use as well as how this will effect the depth of field. I wanted to see if I would be able to capture the emotion of the main character by being within his personal space. How could I make it look as if we are really up close to the character without actually being super close? This is where I made use of my 50 mm lens as I knew it would allow me to get great shots. I also wanted to see where else I could place my character as I realised he spends a lot of time in rural areas of greenery. I wanted to see what places I could evoke the same emotion and if it could work better in areas that were more public or generally quite bland.

I wanted to experiment with placing my character in areas that could have a somewhat aesthetically pleasing element about them. For example, The yellow staircase adds a pop of colour yet the main character and his demise is still central and doesn't really distract from what he may be feeling. And in order to really feel his anguish, the 50mm lens allowed me to get up close and personal with the character.

As you can see, The 50mm lens gave a good

depth of field effect and allows the character to stand out in front of the background. This will be the case for the majority of shots that I use in the short film. I decided to take my character to another possible back up location. This allowed me to visualise what he would look like in the first choice location but also let me experiment with how he would look in the back up, just in case we weren't able to use Mote Park. I really like how the river looked as you get an idea that the water is really deep and also the background is quite pretty.

Although this location is nice, I still think I will prefer the Mote Park location as it features more greenery that will convey a much more peaceful atmosphere. This location was also noisy as it is based right next to a bridge and a main road. This meant that for the really intimate shots between the two characters, there would be a lot of disturbance which defeats the whole purpose of having them in a peaceful place. What I learnt from this preliminary test shoot was the importance of checking the weather before shooting. As soon as we started walking, it started to rain and therefore the camera got wet and it became a nuisance to shoot. Even though a grey, overcast setting would fit my character's mood, it is better to be prepared for this. I also learnt how great the 50mm lens is. You are able to get close shots with narrow depth of field effortlessly. I will definitely be using this lens when it comes to the actual shoot. 43

Test Shoot 2: Night time, indoor shoot Kit: Canon 7D, 50mm 1.8, 18-135mm The aim of this shoot was to experiment how I could light a scene to make it seem as though it would naturally be coming from the light sources in the scene, when in reality it is artificial light used to enhance the scene. I knew this would be important as my character often finds himself in his bedroom at night, looking at the computer and laying there whilst he over thinks his emotions. I also wanted to experiment with colour correction as I know I want it to have a blue cast to enhance his sad moods. Below are images where I experimented with a 50mm lens and a mixture of light placements to enhance the scene. I struggled with the camera set up at first because even though I kept adjusting the ISO and shutter speed, I struggled to find the aperture control and therefore opted for Troy's Canon 700d which allowed me to easily access the relevant changes I needed to let light into the camera.

In these shots I attempted to use the Laptop as a natural light source but it was very dark. It was a struggle to do this without losing detail as you can see there is a lot of detail loss with the amount of black that came through. This lets me know that using this room won't necessarily be a good idea as it doesn't have much room to place lamps. Even if I did this shoot with the light on, It wouldn't have the same darkened effect. Artificial light is definitely needed within this room. 44

Below are images that I shot where I used the LED Lights on the lowest setting and faced it against the wall to create a much more subtle effect. Since I didn't have a lamp to make it look like the natural light source, I wasn't able to include that in the shot so it makes it seem a little bit more artificial than I would want for the actual shoot.

With this lighting set up you can see that you are able to get a little bit more detail come through but it is still too dark. The monitor on the camera made it look a lot better than it actually was so once I uploaded the pictures I was able to understand the actual state of them. Since these are so dark, I now know that I need to pay closer attention to how I light scenes in the dark. This also reiterates the benefits of using a Sony A7s mark 2 because this camera is known for working better in low light situations with it's high ISO capability. So by pairing this camera with a better lighting set up, I will be able to get the desired effect of having the laptop seem like the original light source.

Test Shoot 3: Art Studio Practice Set-up Kit: Canon 7D, 50mm 1.8, 18-135mm I decided it would be a good idea to test out the summer house space as this is one of the main locations in my story. I took a few supplies from my house as I was unable to transport some of the bigger canvases. However I believe I was able to get enough bits together to visualise what it will look like when I fully dress the set. Since this summer house is my friend's, they temporarily had some boxes in there which I tried to hide with a white sheet. When it comes to the actual shoot, those boxes wont be there. Viewing and dressing the place made me realise how long it will actually take to fully dress the set and make it look natural. So now I know to do this well in advance of the shoot to save time and to ensure it gets all the attention to detail it deserves. The aim was to imitate the shot types I will be using in the real shoot to see if it is actually feasible.

As it stands, the set looks very bare in some ways. I will have a larger canvas leaning up against the wall as well as sketches pinned against the wall. I also want it to seem cosy so with the use of fairy lights and fluffy cushions, It will give the desired effect. What I loved about this location was it's ability to have natural light as well as the studio spotlight lighting. This made everything look very clean and clear so I will definitely be using this location. I created a video to further illustrate and test out what it looks like in moving image. For this, I made use of both 50mm and the 135mm lens. I used the 50mm to get shallow depth of field on the objects as well as the painting action. I loved the way it looked as the 50mm allows you to get up close and personal with the details of the painting. Each shoot I do I realise how useful the 50mm is for my project. I will also make use of a DJI Ronin stabiliser for the Sony A7s in this location because when editing the video, I realised the smoothness of the shots could really enhance the peaceful atmosphere my character will be in. This is a creative decision that I will be making once the real shoot comes.

This shoot was my favourite shoot as the location fit so perfectly with what I already had in mind. It was better than expected. The aims of this shoot was to scout the location and see how feasible it would be in comparison to my story line. Since the script often referenced my character standing at the edge of the river, I was still unsure if this would be possible due to health and safety reasons but also, there might not actually be an edge to stand on. Another aim was to test how daylight would come out on camera. Since I conducted a preliminary test shoot in cloudy weather, I wanted to see if a sunnier day would have different effects. Especially since I knew there would be a river, I also wanted to see if the light would increase the glistening of the water, amongst other effects. I took both pictures and video in hopes of almost documenting the best parts of the locations so when it came to the real shoot, I would know exactly where to go. The aim of this was to take pictures in a similar style to the preliminary test shoot where I wanted to see if it would look better having my character in more of a grey/ city area as opposed to a naturalistic location. When obtaining video, since I knew I did not have a stabiliser, I therefore tried to shoot as smooth as possible so I'd be able to amend this with the Warp Stabiliser tool in Premier Pro. This will give me a better idea on how it will look when I pair the Sony A7s with a DJI Ronin M stabiliser. The following images have been colour corrected to my preference.

After taking these images, I decided to colour correct them in order to experiment with the different looks I can have for the final piece. I experimented with 2 different looks. One was a lot more natural with blue hues, another was much more editorial and contained more green hues. I genuinely like both equally but for different reasons. However, I am steering towards the second option because I feel as though it has more of a cinematic look. The only doubt I have is it might not look right if the whole film has this type of tone, meaning I will have to continue to find the perfect balance. Perhaps a balance between the two styles would be the way to go. From this test shoot I learnt the importance of thinking outside the box and being able to improvise with your surroundings in order to create great imagery. For example, I did not plan on shooting the image below but whilst on location, I made a creative decision to shoot from far with a varied depth of field as the branches give a nice effect as if he's in a cage or a nest. This subliminally enhances my storyline since the character often feels trapped. In my opinion, being able to improvise and make creative, unplanned decisions creates better imagery than sticking to planned shots only. Therefore I will look out for any extra shots I can pick up whilst I'm on location.

There were a few things that I noticed when shooting these pictures. Since I was outside, I was shooting at around 250 ISO, F.3 with the 50mm lens and often stitched between the 50 to the 135mm lens. The 135mm lens doesn't allow me to go to a low aperture meaning it was hard for my shots to become over exposed once it was at the correct ISO. But I noticed that although the subject and water was in focus, the sky had been burned out. When shooting, I tried to accommodate this by lowering the ISO to cater to the over exposure, it made my subject too dark and I begun to lose detail. This showed me that for the shoot, I will need to get my hands on some ND filters.

What are ND Filters? (Neutral Density Filters) All the settings on cameras are tools to create the images that we have in our minds, there are limitations with these tools as we can often alter them to try and fit the setting, but even then, it may not be enough. If there is not enough light, the next thing to do after you've made all the necessary adjustments would be to add external light. So on the other hand, when its too bright and you've made all the right changes on the camera, you then have to use an ND filter which almost acts like a pair of sunglasses for the camera lens. They can help when you have a target aperture that you want to use at a certain focal point for your preferred depth of field, and you're shooting in sunshine, adding an ND filter will allow you to keep you camera's settings.

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(youtube.com)

Here is an example of when an ND filter is applied. I did not have an ND Filter at hand and therefore this example is from the internet. But it is interesting to know what preparations I will need for my major project shoot. 67

After having a nightmare shooting in Troy's dark room with minimal lighting, it is clear that I need equipment that will allow me to have greater range in low light. Therefore I decided to look at the Sony A7s for my final project. Why Sony A7s? Well, since I was test shooting with the Canon 7d, I was already limited with what I could do when it came down to low light as it has an ISO ranging from 100 - 6400 (can be extended to 12800). The Sony A7s is a mirrorless, full frame sensor camera with an ISO ranging from 100- 102400. (expands to 50409600) depending on what lens is used. Thus meaning some of the issues I experienced when shooting in a darkened room would already be illuminated with just a basic lens. Not to mention I would also be able to use the canon lenses once I purchase a lens adaptor. I will be able to get those crispy depth of field shots with the use of my 50mm and even a 24mm. â&#x20AC;˘ The 50mm is almost perfect for when I want my central character to be focused and for the background to be blurred out. I learnt that this will be great for scenes where Isaiah is in distress as I really want the audience to have a greater understanding about his feelings. I will be using this in conjunction with a wide angle lens to make most of the scene setting shots when Isaiah is outside in the park. â&#x20AC;˘ I also realised that when scheduling I need to allow time for set dressing the summer house as this is where most of Isaiah and Lily spend their time. It is important for me to get that detail across.

Sony A7sII Lilliput HD Monitor HDMI Cable SDI Cable SDI to HDMI converter GoPro Hero 4

Canon EF Lens for Canon EF - 50mm - F/1.8 Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Wide Angle Lens Canon EF Lens for Canon EF - 24mm - F/2.8 Metabones Canon EF to Sony E-Mount Smart Adapter IV

DJI Ronin-M 3-Axis Hand-held Gimbal Stabilizer V3 Hague CSM Camera Shoulder Mount Camera Rig Track and Dolly Go Pro camera attachments

Zoom H4n Handy Recorder Rode NTG Boom Pole Blimp with dead cat Sennheiser lapel mic and radio packs 71

Aperture Amaran 1 LED Video Light Set (x 2 lights) Tiffen 77m ND Filter 0.9 filter Lighting gels Reflector Light diffusers Light Meter

Sam Creamer Camera Operator / Director Of Photography

Sam Elliot

Sound Operator

Rosie Penn Sound Assistant

Troy Smith Lighting Operator

Sianon Foster Production / Lighting Assistant 1

Rimike Omolekulo Production / Lighting Assistant 2

The Idea My aim for this pre production book was to imitate the sketchbook my character Isaiah uses within the story. As it is described as being filled with delicate sketches and art, I wanted to include this within my package to further push the branding of the project as a whole. I wanted to further enhance the reality of my story and allow the reader/audience to feel like they are also a part of it in a way, almost as if they are reading the journal of Isaiah. But in order to do this, it required me to fully understand who my terget audience is so I know what elements could appeal to them best. My branding focus is separated into 2 main topics; Audience and Visuals

My first step to ensure I create accessible content as part of a successful brand, is understanding the importance about knowing who my target audience is. That includes gaining knowledge on their viewing activities and also get to know what platforms they use. This allows me to accurately distribute and promote my short film effectively. Hideaway focuses on one main character who is a 17 year old boy, However, it illustrates a serious topic that effects people of all ages. Therefore I have to ensure there is a right balance of elements allowing the accessibility to both the age that portrayed within the film but also relatable to an older audience. Hideaway will be aimed at 15 - 24 years olds but the general bigger message within the film is applicable to all ages.

"In 2015, 15-24 year olds made up the largest proportion of the UK cinema audience, at 29%. " - BFI.Org.uk

Knowing that 15 to 24 year olds are the largest age group to engage in cinema activities gives me confidence in the fact that there is a better chance my film would reach the right audience. Below is a statistic that illustrates how Laptops and Computers are the third highest medium for which films are watched, thus meaning there is a good chance that once marketed properly, my targeted audience will be able to access this film bette

According to the BBF ( British Board of Film Classification), this is what a '15' should / should not have;

Hideaway fits well with this classification and I am therefore confident that it will reach the intended audience when distributed on the relevant platforms.

So when considering branding, I wanted to make sure I would get it right the first time so I went online to get tips on how to create a good visual brand.

The main points I will be taking out from this is the idea of; A colour palette - Fonts - Texture - Photography 81

Font Style and Colour Considering all the elements my short film has as well as the target audience. I want it to have an urban, yet sophisticated feel to it. I want to convey the seriousness but also maintain a pop of colour to attract the target audience. The colour scheme I have chosen is grey scale. This would be the sophisticated element of it. The urban element comes into plat when the manner in which these colours used are displayed.

As displayed throughout the book, the art theme is carried throughout. I have maintained this by hand drawing the titles using SketchBook Pro- An ipad app that lets you draw with a myriad of colours and textures. I have selected a crayon tool as I felt like it gave the right amount of realistic texture to get the art style branding across. Displayed below;

To further illustrate branding and how I am able to keep it consistent. I have created a mock up poster to give an idea of how all the colour schemes can work together in a sophisticated yet urban manner. The scribbled words are actually irrational thoughts that some people claim to have when they are depressed. Phrases such as "why me?" "I hate myself" "life would be better off without me". All of which are embedded within the poster. I decided to scratch off the eyes due to the phrase "eyes are the window to the soul" Without seeing the eyes, the identity of the person remains hidden. Therefore fitting with the overall theme of Hideaway. To keep the theme of art embedded, I decided to sketch over his face to make it a little less realistic. The real poster will contain white condensed credits at the bottom and also have the real actor. This is just a mock up of an idea.

Social media platforms ranked by effectiveness for content marketing in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2015 to 2016

(www.statista.com) This chart shows which sites are good for marketing content, thus meaning it is a platform which allows companies to reach a wide range of their targeted audience. Twitter seems to be the one platform that has grown the most from 2015 to 2016. I will make sure I create a twitter account for my film and distribute/ advertise through there. 86

This chart shows the age range of twitter users.

18- 29 year olds come out on top so this shows me that if I advertise properly, there is a real opportunity for me to get my film seen by my target audience. Having my target audience in mind, I wanted to make sure this film would be distributed on the relevant platforms. It is important for me to understand the viewing activity for certain outputs in order for Hideaway to reach it's target audience better. 87

Youtube This platform is huge as over 400 hours of video gets uploaded ever minute (statista.com) This means there will always be viewers from all over the world since over 80% of Youtube views are from outside of the US. (youtube.com) More content means more users, which can also mean more viewers once marketed correctly. This is important for me as I want to get the message out to as many people as possible. I want it to be readily available also, hence why I will be placing it on Youtube. Vimeo Vimeo is a well renowned online platform which specialises in the distribution of high quality, independent motion picture content. Unlike Youtube, this platform is niche and therefore attracts like-minded audiences who may interested in specialised short films and creative visual content. They have specialised "Pro" accounts where film festivals repost films onto Vimeo's timeline. Vimeo also has a "Staff Pick" profile where they choose a new short film to repost. By following the staff pick profile, viewers are able to know they will be kept in the loop with the most recent and creative content. It is almost like a mini film festival in itself as many people who upload onto Vimeo hope to be selected by the Staff Pick profile as this allows them to gain exposure and networking.

BUFF Film Festival

Which stands for British Urban Film Festival - It is Officially, the leading film festival for diversity in the world (Metro.co.UK, May 2016) With its urban content directed at the younger, 18-24 year old audience, it is no doubt that this film fits this festival's target audience and theme. It is up and coming as well as and it is London based which is local for me. Although it isn't free to enter, I am confident that my film fits the brief and will therefore look into applying in the future. Sadly I will miss the application deadline as the show is in March but I will happily wait until next year.

East End Film Festival the East End Film Festival is one of the largest film festivals. An annual multi-platform festival held in London, the EEFF presents a rich and diverse programme of international premieres, industry master-classes, free pop-up screenings and immersive live events. It's focus is first and second time directors and they really try to push the newcomers. This is why I think this festival would be great to apply to, as a first time director of short film, a festival like this would give me all the right tools to network and get my film recognised. Sadly I will also miss this deadline but I will happily wait until next year.

I aim to get in touch with Mind.Org as I want to direct the audience to their site as they do great charity work and dedicate their time to educating people about mental health. Getting their feedback on this project would be great.

Please visit Mind.org.uk in order to find out more about mental health! 93

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