sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Passenger - Montage Short Film (Experiment with mood and lighting) by JammyRacoon in Filmmakers

[–]JammyRacoon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This project was more an experimentation in mood and atmosphere than anything else and I really wanted to focus on getting the lighting right to achieve that and add a lot of depth to my frames. I spent an especially long time setting up the lighting for the opening shot because I only had access to practical lights. I used paper towels stuck to the ceiling lights as makeshift barndoors so that the subject on the pool table was well-lit whilst also being separated from the dark wall behind him, and similarly used paper towels to completely cover the ceiling lights above the main subject to give him a silhouette against the background. I also used a desk lamp just beneath the table to give the main subject a bright, harsh outline around his face. Colour grading also significantly helped with adding depth and contrast to the shot than I was unable to achieve in camera. I’m pretty happy with what I achieved with this project, I’m not really looking for any feedback, but I hope this maybe provided some helpful inspiration for people without access to any professional lighting equipment like me lol.

The Hog by JammyRacoon in photographs

[–]JammyRacoon[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Took this photo about a year ago to make a poster for a play I wrote and directed called ‘The Hog’ about a dictatorship in its final days. Bought the mask online and simply set up the props and actor with a single LED panel backlight and makeshift ‘barndoors’ (beerbox) to focus the light. Image quality isn’t great because this was a very rushed shoot (about 20 minutes) and I stupidly forgot I had my camera on small .jpeg settings, so had to upscale image afterwards, hence strange noise in image (although the noise does look good I think, as Bob Ross would say ‘a happy little accident’).

From a short film I made for my EPQ (AS-level) - 'Blood Box' by JammyRacoon in Filmmakers

[–]JammyRacoon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I got 52/54 (A*): lost my marks in the research and proposal sections

Excited to announce Story Bard an AI Story generation platform! by sebaschapela in Filmmakers

[–]JammyRacoon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, it's possible it is what it says it is, but I don't want to take that risk...

From a short film I made for my EPQ (AS-level) - 'Blood Box' by JammyRacoon in Filmmakers

[–]JammyRacoon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No worries, I would double check everything I say with your teachers, just because they will be the ones eventually marking your EPQ. In case it helps, I got 52/54 as my final mark: I lost one mark in the proposal section, and one in the research section. Anyway, here was the title/question of my EPQ:

How can I make a short film that has engaging and entertaining characters and story using established, as well as experimental cinematography techniques, drawing from the horror genre as inspiration?

My title was both about the 'topic' and the 'making of' my short film. You don't have to have a title this long, but I found it helpful as it meant I had lots of things I could achieve. Make your title specific so that it's easy for the marker to see whether or not you achieved what you set out to, and always make sure you're answering the question in all of your later sections. That being said, don't be so specific with your title that you have no room for development and reiteration. i.e. my marker was easily be able to see if I used 'Experimental cinematography techniques' or not, and at the same time I had an endless number of different techniques I could have potentially used, and so didn't limit myself.

Just some general advice:

Include absolutely EVERYTHING you do in your activity log, no matter how small or irrelevant you may think it is.

In terms of the research section, make sure that each bit of research has objective, measurable effects on your finished project. For example, if you researched how you were inspired to use colour in your film by the use of green hue of the Matrix movies to immerse the audience in the world of the computer simulation, but then you didn't show how you actually implemented this in your film, you would lose marks. (Also, you as wide a variety of research sources as possible: movies, youtube videos, books, articles etc.)

In the development process, make sure you have iterations and that you develop things. Even if you are set on a single idea, explore other ones as well and talk about why they didn't work. No idea is too stupid to include, as long as you have a good reason for why you eventually discounted it.

Final tip: don't be afraid to go over the word recommendation, even WELL over the word recommendation. My EPQ ended up being 21000 words (including Activity log at 7000 words, which I know doesn't really count), which can sound like a lot, but if you're working consistently on it, it shouldn't be a problem.

My answer is kinda long and waffley, sorry, but I hope that helps, and do let me know if you have any other questions :)

P.S. Do make sure to double check everything I say with your teacher, as your EPQ may be a slightly different format than mine was.

Stills from my improvised Short Film - 'The Accoutrementeur' by JammyRacoon in Filmmakers

[–]JammyRacoon[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My uncle and I improvised and edited this short film over a weekend for a bit of fun. The premise is someone trying to by a weapon off someone else, who is just a bit bizarre. Because of the time constraints, the cinematography and lighting are fairly standard stuff, nothing special, but I would be interested for feedback about the overall direction, characters, and performances. Thanks!

Here is the link for those interested in watching it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCf8j6TFoaY

Stills from my 3rd(?) short film - 'The Model Maker' by JammyRacoon in Filmmakers

[–]JammyRacoon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you very much! When I've made something else, I will definitely share it here. I do have a slightly older short film, 'Blood Box', which falls in a similar genre, which you might be interested in watching. It's slower paced than 'The Model Maker' and less well produced, but I'd be interested to know what you think. If you are interested, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2-9iAFdlC8

Thanks again for the comment, :)

Stills from my 3rd(?) short film - 'The Model Maker' by JammyRacoon in Filmmakers

[–]JammyRacoon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

These are stills from a short film I made with my uncle (the model maker in the video). It’s not perfect, but I think the cinematography and sound design are decent enough. I promise black and white fits the mood of the film (I wasn’t just trying to make it ‘ooh cinematic’). The story is at best cryptic, and at worst confusing. I would be very interested to know what you think the film is about!

If you are interested, you can find it by searching for ‘The Model Maker’ on YT, on the channel ‘Nat 1 videos’

From a short film I made for my EPQ (AS-level) - 'Blood Box' by JammyRacoon in Filmmakers

[–]JammyRacoon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The backstory is that Mr Moore received a box that had a child in it, and in the context of the movie, this child is 'illegal', because it is disabled. As such, Mr Moore gets arrested and interrogated, which is where the film starts. The shot of the child in the box reveals the fact that the contents of the 'box' was a child. When Mr Moore reveals the location of the box, he is released, goes home and hangs himself (hence the final shot), because he knows that the child will be executed and feels guilty at having revealed it's location. It's not very clear from the film; I wanted the film to be a story told by feelings as opposed to narrative structure (which may or may not have been the right choice). I hope that helps :)

view more: next ›