For my A2 Media Studies foundation portfolio, I have decided to created a short film. To begin with, my group have came up with three ideas for the short film that are briefly described in quick note form below.
We have already decided that the short film, like the film created at AS, will include characters during the teenage years. This is because we know that our target audience is going to be teenage boys, and we want the short film to be more relatable to them.
This is the least favourite idea that we have came up with, so it contains the least information.
Lá Bealtaine
School students reluctantly go on a trip to shoot their film for media studies in school, very half heartedly preparing for their movie, just wanting to present enough to pass.
Their film is called 'monsters and caves' for some reason (not mentioned) , they are filming at the local seaside by the caves. They use their own halloween decorations and things found around the house that sort of fit in the theme of monsters but not really. The movie (film within the short) is meant to be presented as amateur and lacklustre.
3 characters, 2 of them commit sin in different ways giving off a jerky, disrespectful attitude, misbehaving throughout the film. The 3rd character is quite timid and doesn't involve himself with the bad behaviour of the other two kids he has been placed in a group with. the two jerks tease the timid child having 'banter' throughout the film. The quiet one of the group is the only one who is focused on creating the boring film, trying to make it as good as possible with the pathetic resource they are stuck with, by bringing all of the props, his car, his camera etc. Only one of the two disrespectful boys brings a very unfitting monster pyjama onesie on board with him.
One of the students notice multiple St. Bridget's crosses hung around different sections of the boat. The captain tells the students of ancient Irish mythology, rambling on about scary stories which the 2 annoying children don't believe, joking about him, mocking the myth. The quiet boy turns to the captain and is attentive to his story. He speaks about the pagan wildmen that live on these islands, speaking tales of sacrifice, which the wildmen believe is necessary to keep the crops from failing. As it all might seem like a big joke to the 2 kids, the captain stated that the tradition was not to be taken lightly by the students when entering the islands. The St Bridget's cross is used to ward off the evil spirits on the island.
The group arrive at the island, jump off the boat and immediately begin to prepare to shoot for their film. The shy boy does not feel comfortable, feeling an odd presence, where he and his class mates are not welcome. During the process of the group filming, many things are 'off' and weird things are happening around the island, hearing things, seeing things that are unnatural. The 2 naive characters think nothing of it, taking no notice to some of the odd distorted objects and human like figures that the main character is seeing.
The final scene shows 4 towering figures, all dressed in pagan costume, not happy to see the boys filming. The sailor turns the boat around leaving them stranded on the island against the pagan wildmen, he yells in an ancient dialogue to the pagans from the boat encouraging them to advance with the ritual. The 3 are taken away and their lives are taken for the benefit of the pagan's customs.
Draft 2 - Movie / Script Plan - First Draft
*The movie opens with black screen, fading in to a Spearhead Productions logo*
Filmed at Donaghadee pier, Bangor:
SCENE 1
Establishing shot shows picturesque views of the beach, harbour and the pier, 3 different shots showing a dull early morning. Setting the scene of location.
Long Shot shows car pulling in to left of the shot. The car pulls right up to the camera but doesn't fill the shot, just under half the screen. 2 people get out of the car, they are characters 1 and 2. Character 1 is serious and almost aiming. Character 2 is annoyed and condescending looking at the location.
The next shot is a black screen with some muffled voices from 1 & 2 being heard in the background, the boot opens up to reveal a shot from inside the boot. We used this shot in Dropout. A bag of equipment, 2 packed lunches, props include cheap Halloween decorations (skeletons, costumes, masks) shots directed in similar style to Robert Yeoman POV shot.
Character 1 walks over to character holding the props in his hands
Character 1- ‘Here, you hold all this’ handing some props to character 2. character 1
Character 2 looking at the props disheartened, and sighs ‘Why have we not just given up this movie's gonna be horrible’
Character 1 ‘well you could have actually done a bit of preparation for this and it wouldn’t be so horrible’
*Mid way through Character 1’s response, camera switches from a Mid shot from the side of the 2 characters to a symmetrical Over the shoulder shot, with 1 and 2 in the middle of the screen filmed from the boot of the car, there is an unknown person walking towards the 2, tension builds as C1 and C2 bicker about how 2 did not prepare.
This is going to be a, popularly used in horror, 'false scare' where the viewer may expect it to be a monster reveal, but it is just Character 3 in a onesie. An anti-climax.
The next shot is over the shoulder shot in the middle of character 1 and 2 reveals character 3, arriving to the set dressed in a pathetic monster pyjama onesie outfit.
Character 3 makes a loud 'monster' noise to scare 1 & 2
2 shot of C1 and C2. Character 1 is unamused and his annoyance is shown growing, while character 2 sees the funny side of it and starts laughing, the two shot shows the contrast between the two.
C1- 'what is that... why are you a lion'
C2- *still sniggering* 'yeah where's your da's Freddie Kreuger costume'
C3- 'He's using it today'
The 2 just look at him in complete confusion again.
C3- 'Do we have everything?'
C1-'Have the props, shot list, camera, script etcetera etcetera...' *As he lists the accessories, shots show C1 from a POV angle grabbing them one by one. on 'etcetera, etcetera...' it will show character 2 holding said necessities for the film.
C3- 'right sorted, and... where's the boat'
C2 “oh here lads, you wanna see what I hit last night.. unbelievable. Met her dwon in Thompson,s… she’s a dancer in there, incredible body. Fit as Didn’t get to sleep to after 6 if you know what I mean
C3 “What’d she look like?
C2 “Wee blondey thing, fit as lads..’
C3 “I think that’s my cousin Chantelle-
* Enter Captain Cooper, shot from outside the boat walking to the edge holding a mug of coffee*
CAPTAIN INTERRUPTS
Captain- Is this Spielberg and the crew
Blank faces
Captain- The film students?
SCENE 2
* 3 quick shots show the all over the boat, inside, front and side of the boat *
* A mid shot pans across the boys one by one standing together looking at the boat *
Cooper- 'What are ya waitin' for! Jump on, we don't have all day!!' (He laughs a little and walks back in to the inside of the boat)
* The first shot on the boat, shows the 2 sitting together in boredom twiddling thumbs, while character 1 is at the edge getting some establishing shots for 'Monsters and Caves' *
Cooper- 'don't be lookin' all dull and spiritless, there's a lot in store for you today'
C3- im so cold and hungry, i'm just gonna eat now
walks over to C1, while he's filming outside of the boat
'what do you think of the islands, any good pictures'
'Well theres no lighthouse on lighthouse island and yeah I'm taking some video'
*Captain shakes head and walks to the middle of the boat to make an announcement*
Captain - "Have any of you boys ever heard of Samhain? Or better yet...
Captain looks at C1 with a serious expression, C2 looks at him with a blank look on his face and C3 sniggers.
Captain - ‘You think this is something to be joked about?’
C2 - ‘sounds like it’
Captain - ‘Well we’ll see if youre laughing about it by the end of the day. I dont know what i expected from a bunch of kids, so naive to the ways of the world.’
C1 is beginning to look worried
C2 and C3 laugh at each other
Plan 2
1 = sean
2 = fergus
3 = angus
Captain = eammon
* 3 quick shots show the all over the boat, inside, front and side of the boat *
* A mid shot pans across the boys one by one standing together looking at the boat *
Captain: 'What are ya waitin' for! Jump on, we definitely don't have all day!!' (He laughs a little and walks back in to the inside of the boat)
Shot shows all three characters, slightly confused about the underwhelming boat.
When on the boat, 1 2 & 3 tell the captain about the movie that they’re making, called ‘Monsters and Caves’. That the movie is going to centre around old Irish monsters on the island that they're going to.
1: "yeah so basically, um, we've got all our props here that we're gonna have to set up around where we're filming, is that okay?"
(Mid to close-up Shot shows captain's face looking down in front of him)
POV shot from captain's perspective shows him looking down at 3 holding the black bag full of props, with a skeleton hanging out. The POV pans upwards from 3's legs to his face.
3 laughs
2 explains to 3 how he had sex with a girl last night after going to a club.
2: 'aw boys I haven't even told yous about the girl I got last night? Blonde. Proper great.
During the dialogue on the boat, close up shots on each character will be used to show their 'attitude' to the movie that they are going to the island to make.
Characters 1 & 2 become slightly scared as the captain explains the Samhain holiday. 3 is putting his hands in the water and doing other foolish stuff.
This continues on to have the captain tell them about sam hain and the traditions that used to be around.
Captain: (with a close up of him looking scary) "you know, the island has some serious history. the way the people on this island once were, back when important journeys were completed and evil spirits were removed from the mortal world. There were simpler times when the gods were actually pleased by men on this island. Things come at a price in the world today, but it's never worth it. Not like it used to be."
3: "Riiiigghhtttt, you sound a lot like my da right now. What? Are you scared of the future? Is it the wifi? Do you want me to tell you how it-"
He is cut off by the captain telling them to take something to drink. It is in a flask.
Captain: "here, this will.... settle your stomach a bit. all of you drink from it else you'll get sick"
So While on the boat, the characters Captain gives them a drink to ‘settle their stomachs’. This drink is actually going to make the characters slow, sloppy and sick when they reach the island.
When leaving the boat, character 1 is just as drowsy as the other two and it switches to his point of view to show three dolls of the characters sitting on the boat.
He sees them but ignores (maybe have flashback to 3 crosses shown at the start of the movie with a soundtrack or string sound of some sort ? - connect to wicker man sounds)
The captain tells them where to go and what to watch out for, he foreshadows their death
The captain and the boat stay at the shore of the island. Over the shoulder Shot of captain from inside the boat shows three characters walking up the island with all their camera equipment
Character 3 complains about the smell of the island foolishly, and 2 saying 'smells like your ma'. This is all said while walking, and the viewer sees 1 annoyed at everything.
In scene 3, there may be a lot of walking dialogue between the three main characters.
Character 1 realises some things out of place. POV shots to show what he says to make him see things out of place.
Character 1: 'guys you don't think what eamonn was saying could be true?'
2: 'you serious? You aren't serious are you'
3: 'yeah man sam hain is out to get us oooohhhh'
....
This progresses to the three characters all ending up being sick and falling to their knees except 3, who stands but slightly slumped over.
The captain has walked on ahead and the camera is pointed towards the three characters, with 1 & 2 being sick on the floor and 3 looking up, horrified. He drops the bag of props and the camera quickly changes to a shot from down at his feet, where the bag drops in the middle of the screen with the skeleton hanging out.
In front of him is the captain standing in front of 3 pagans in the costumes. He has his arms spread out wide with the eyes drawn on them.
He is whispering And looking to the skies.
A pan is used to go around the captain to show him whispering and looking to the skies. This shot mostly focuses on the sky and his shoulder-area.
When he stops whispering, the camera stops and his head moves down to look at the three. He moves his hands up beside his head so that his drawn eyes are above his shoulders.
The pagans in the costumes have no dialogue, they just stand. They are all equipped with weapons.
They advance towards the characters as the characters scream and plea for their life, 3 has now fallen and 1 is praying to his Christian god. The next shot is from outside the island area where they died and simply has the characters final screams.
The final shot of the move is the 3 pagans heads and the seaside in the background. This is a video taken to put the credits above their heads. A creepy string soundtrack should be used for the credits.
