Intertextuality

ESSENCE

Intertextuality

In my short film I make both visual and sound references to Richard Donner’s ‘Superman: The Movie’. This is because I feel the journey Clark Kent is similar to that of my main character, Ben #38. He begins as someone who is not truly at home in the world he lives in, but strives to find purpose. Similar to Superman: The Movie, the inciting incident is also that of a loved one dying.

There are two instances where Superman: The Movie is referenced in my short film: at the beginning of the film, Ben #38 is watching the film on an iPad, and this is where we first hear the line from Pa Kent, ‘you are here for a reason’. Later on in the short, Ben #38 finds a Superman-themed backpack in the bedroom, which he picks up. At this moment, my own original score ceases for a moment and we hear the Superman theme softly on piano; and Pa Kent’s voiceover returns once more to tell Ben #38 that ‘[he is] here for a reason’. This gives him the strength he needs to search out his purpose in life.

I find intertextuality to be important because it gives a wider context for Ben #38’s feeling and emotions, and it reinforces his motivations by comparing them to something else that the audience can recognise.

Print Research

Link to: the Print Research.

Avoiding Copyright Infringement

Link to: the Avoidance of Copyright Infringement.

Original Soundtrack

Link to: the Original Soundtrack.

Lighting Tests

ESSENCE

Lighting Tests

Due to a lack of much technical equipment, I had to rely on natural light for much of the shoot. In the pre-title sequence, it was cloudy so the sun wasn’t out. This meant the lighting for this particular moment in the short film was very balanced, not over / under-exposed - just right; so relying on natural light for this scene was the right decision. I also relied on natural light in the second and final scenes. Again, it was quite a cloudy day for scene two so the lighting was suitable for the scene. Where using natural light did become a problem was in the final scene, where it was pitch-black night. I had to wait until it was this dark because there were certain images I wanted to capture that involved back-lighting a dark frame. However for the remainder of the scene, it left the frame’s visibility very low.

When I was using artificial light, I usually just had to rely on whatever light was already pre-installed in the room; like in the bedroom and in the kitchen where my only source of light was the main overhead electrical light. This often limited how I could alter the aesthetic of the frame in post-production, and I feel the light needed to be defused more to stop it looking so over-exposed. The only instance in the short film where I feel light was really used effectively was at the end of the second scene where I solely relied on the lava lamp for light - it created the mood and gave the colour I really wanted for the shot.

Equipment

ESSENCE

Equipment

The equipment I used for my short film was limited. On the technical side of things, I used an iPhone 5s for the high-quality camera, a tripod (with a phone attachment), and a flashlight in some instances to increase visibility at certain points.

In terms of props, I used a wide array of things like: a fold-out chair in the first scene, as well as headphones, and an iPad. In the third scene, the lava lamp plays a prominent role for the visuals, and in the fourth scene I use a mobile phone. Finally in the final scene, I use a knife with ultimately puts an end to the protagonist.

Locations

ESSENCE

Locations

In the pre-titles sequence, it was important to find an area that - through editing - could appear both utopian and dystopian, without actually altering it in-camera. So, I chose a small forested area, that by simply changing the contrast and saturation of the colours, appeared quite lush and full of life, and then the complete opposite of that. This area was a  simple pathway surrounded by grass and trees; the pathway connotes that in this world, people have somewhere to go - someone like our protagonist has a future ahead of him, even in dark times (the time of year, that being autumn, also helps illustrate this with the falling leaves and such); but as the setting becomes more and more dull and dystopian as expositional text appears on the screen, the audience is subtly told that in this world, that might not be the case.

For the second scene, a different, larger but similarly forested area was chosen. I wanted to shoot this scene outside in a pleasant environment to contrast it from the rest of the short film, which takes place entirely in the house. To maintain this feeling, I chose to present this scene in black and white so that the audience didn’t notice the time of year, as it was important to keep the tone of the scene light and summery. The time of day was important, too - the daylight helped capture the warmness of the environment and of the two friends. The area is surrounded by trees, to create an isolated feeling; but one that was opposite to the house. This is isolation by their own choice. It’s private and intimate - a place where they can be free.

The remaining scenes all take place in Original Ben’s house, to create that claustrophobic, trapped feeling. The sets within the house are small, which only accentuates this; and this is especially noticeable in the primary set in the house - the bedroom. It’s tight, which helps elevate the threat of Original Ben in the opening scene. Similarly, the kitchen was a versatile environment that allowed for different moods to be created just by the filter is shown through. When we eventually reach the garden, the use of natural light (or lack there of) allowed to capture certain visuals to again paint Original Ben as a viable threat to Ben #38. It also retained the through-line of isolation and entrapment with the bolted gate and fences all around.