Casting Sugar

I held a casting in BMC's TV studio for all roles in the film.  This ranged from doing a read through of the script, to monologues I had prepared for them, to having an informal chat about the character and how they seen them in their own head.

For the main characters Josh Sugar and Dan Groves, I decided it would be better to use a scene that was heavy in dialogue.  This helped me discover whether the actors really 'got' what it was I was going for in my writing.

The groundskeeper only has one line and therefore to get a better idea of how intense the actors could play Dirk Nixon I prepared a monologue for them to read in the style of our evil groundskeeper.  This worked well and really showed who could and couldn't get into the head of Dirk when performing.


After the casting I narrowed it down to several actors for each role.  After many production meetings, using the following casting video I made, we decided on roles for each.

Josh Sugar: Richard Andrews

Dan Groves: Ryan Sloan

Groundskeeper: Dave McCaughey

Chelsea: Hannah Gallagher

Old Man: Patrick Allen

One of the guys who auditioned for the groundskeeper we felt really deserved a role in the film and therefore we have changed the old woman character to an old man.  Ryan who initially auditioned for the role of Josh, I felt was much better suited to Dan, as he just had a better look.  I feel that Richard really understand the role of Josh and I am looking forward to seeing what he can bring to this character.

Crew, Assemble!

I have hand picked my crew purely on their ability on their respective fields.  Each person brings something unique to their role and it certainly makes things a lot easier as a director knowing you have a strong crew standing beside you.

Producer, Victoria Wilson.

Sound, Pearse McKeown

Director of Photography, Conor Shearer

Make up Artist, Anya Patton

.....and finally not forgetting,

Writer, Director, Andy McComb

Reading the Signs

Horror is not a genre that I would normally spend a lot of time watching as I have previously mentioned.  I have therefore been trying to force myself to watch many of these repetitive, plot-less stains to the film industry.
I have found that I have enjoyed these horror films much more in the cinema or a dark room at night.  This seems to give the mind a chance to completely focus in on the subject and in turn, makes it a lot easier to be shocked when something jumps out at you.

One of the first films I remember jumping out of my seat at in the cinema was the film 'Signs', starring Mel Gibson.
Throughout the film it makes the audience wonder whether there are aliens invading or not, giving you quick glances at what could or might not be visitors from another world.  This false sense of security works well towards causing shock when an alien is flashed onto the screen.

In this scene Mel Gibson is watching the television, a task that the audience will have done a thousand times before and will therefore will relate it to nothing particularly scary.  Just to solidify the 'nothing is going to happen' atmosphere, a child's birthday party is taking place on the screen.
Just when we are at our maximum amount of tension as to what could possibly happen, we are looking down the side of a building unsure of what we are actually looking for, an alien struts across the screen.


With the still I have provided this seems like it shouldn't cause too much panic but with the added shock horror music chords blasting over the top of a quick 2 second preview of our 'villain', this scene got a scream from many a grown man.   This kind of scene, building up tension through using an everyday scenario is something I will definitely try to include within my own script.

The opportunity to show my work in a dark, quiet cinema may not be something I have at my fingertips in this early stage of my career and I think I should grasp this chance with both hands.  I want to leave a lasting impression on my final year film's audience.  Applause will come whether deserved or not, screams and laughter will take a little more work.

Mr and Mrs Dislocation

I can now see the characters in my head and who I want them to be/look like.  Below you can see some character descriptions.  I will set up a casting for a week's time.  Adding actors will interject life into this story, that so easily takes it away.

Character Descriptions

Josh Sugar:  20 - 25 years old. His features consist of his shaggy hair, bearded face and open mouthed smile that is constantly waiting on a round of applause for the latest 'hilarious' thing he has said.  Checked shirt and grubby looking jeans drown his skinny frame.  He tries so hard to be smart but everything he does always ends up making a fool out of him.  Hero is certainly something he would consider himself to be, but deep down he believes this as much as anyone else would.  

Dan Groves: 20 - 25 years old. He's slick and smooth, neat shirt and trousers with tidy gelled back hair.  Even the tone in which he speaks oozes 'hero'.  Always quick with a witty reply even in the hottest of potential burns.  The only thing sharper than his comebacks is the knife used to end his life.  The hero that never got to be a hero. 

Dirk Nixon - Groundskeeper:  30 - 50 years old.  Silent with a deadly stare.  Christmas comes more often than a blink does for this man.  Dressed in dungarees and a tattered, dirty white t-shirt holding his trusty shovel when outdoors.  When inside his weapon of choice is a narrow evil gaze.  All his teeth show when he speaks.  

Chelsea - Young Dead Girl: 15 - 20 year old.  Bedraggled and pale, features drowned in hair with scratches and cuts littering her face.  Expressionless until speaking when she screams every word.  

Old Woman: 50 - 80 year old woman dressed in a long coat no matter what the weather.  Her grumpy attitude and lingering point is matched only by her gaunt, judging expression.  

Cruella De Vil

I will always remember the scene in 101 Dalmations when Roger is writing 'Cruella De Vil', his wife asks him why he hasn't got any words for the song and is merely humming a tune.  Roger replies, "Melody comes first, then come the words."

I feel that this method can work well when writing a script.  If you have found a piece of music that you feel works perfectly for a certain theme then I don't see the harm in letting the words fall into place later.

I have found a song called 'Hate or Glory' by Gesaffelstein that I feel will work well with the idea I have for my horror piece.  I can easily see a scary chase scene and a strobe effect light flashing on a close up of someones face when I listen to this music.

Hate or Glory - Gesaffelstein

It is in the next scene that his imposed inspiration arrives and the words famously fall into place for Roger.  Let's hope it's not too long before my own Cruella De Vil walks through my door.  

Proposal

Proposal - Dislocation

A short horror film with a magic realism theme involving two young men following the massive treasure hunting style online phenomenon known as 'Geo-caching'.  When they finally find a cache that no one has ever been able to locate before, they stumble upon some lost treasure they wish they had never set loose.

Synopsis: This comedy horror short film sees best friends, Josh Geller and Dan Groves, drenched in sarcasm,  'Geo-caching' (an international GPS treasure hunting community) for a rare, mysterious cache, 'Dislocation'. 

Dan Groves is the hero this story never gets, he oozes slick, witty charisma.  His best friend, Josh Geller is quite content catching the rays Dan's shadow provides.  When the pair disband to try to increase their chances of finding the cache, Josh meets an inconceivable figure that is desperate for him not to reiterate his mistake and increase his chance of living.

Friendship brings them geocaching.  GPS brings them into the forest but as their target draws closer, redemption brings them to the cache.  The classic Geocaching terminology 'Find or did not find' brutally re-establishes itself as live or die. 

1) PURPOSE – What’s your goal?
Overall I want to entertain people, whether people find it funny or scary, as long as they were entertained for five minutes that's all that really matters.

2) AUDIENCE – Who will be watching?
My colleagues, friends, family and teachers will all be attending my end of year show to see this film however after when it is available online the general public will be able to see it.

3) CONTENT – What do you want to say?
Satire battles redemption.  Two Geocaching friends search for an evasive cache deep in the forest.  Will they find their surreptitious reward, or will it find them?  The overall message in this film will be that everyone and anyone can be the hero, even when you feel out of place.  

4) VOICE – How do you want to say it?
This is going to be a fictional magic realism piece in the horror comedy genre.  Dialogue will be delivered heavily with satire and dry wit.

5) IMAGERY – What do you want to show?
People, places, projects, activities, case studies, stats, logos, urls.

6) STYLE – How do you want to show it?
Most of the film will be tight, slick high definition shots through the forest.  However when we get to the cabin scenes it will turn into more of a handheld style to allow the audience to feel as though they are really there.

7) TONE – How do you want your audience to feel?
I want the audience to laugh more than anything with a few cries of fear thrown in for good measure.

8) PLATFORM – Where will it be viewed?
Our final year show will be held in the Odeon so our final film will initially be shown on a big screen in the cinema.  After this Youtube will be the primary method of viewing.

9) PROMOTION – How will it be shared?
Facebook and Twitter will of course be a massive media outlet for us when sharing our end product and even when casting for actors.  We can also send it around various media websites in the UK and Ireland such as Panic Dots and Following the Nerd.

10) BUDGET – What can you afford?
We will have little or no budget with this film.  Locations will have to be local to cut down travel costs and the majority of props will have to be borrowed from friends and family.

I could do that.

An idea that I have stumbled across for my final film has originated from a friend of mine making me watch several horror films over the summer.  I am of the opinion that there has not been a good horror film made in the last ten years at least, yet horror films are still incredibly popular.  

My friend loved these films and can't get enough of the awful repetitive and predictable plots.  I noticed that the film itself could have little or no plot, structure or point to it and my friend would still be happy as long as they supplied him with appropriate amount of scares.  

Paranormal Activity is of course a terrible movie, yet it was made with a budget of $450,000 bringing in an amazing $89,748,343 in profit.  People like to be scared and by the time they calm down the movie has moved on ten minutes without them missing anything getting them ready for the next pulse racing out from the darkness fright.  

I have never wrote a horror film or even felt the urge to, but I couldn't help but look at these films and think, "I could do that".  Therefore I have decided that for my final year film I will attempt to write a short horror film with plenty of jump scares, perhaps with a little plot thrown in for good measure.  

Hotel Crap-alier

For inspiration in making my final film I watched Wes Anderson's 13 minute short, 'Hotel Chevalier'.

"Hotel Chevalier is a short film written and directed by Wes Anderson and released in 2007. Starring Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman as former lovers who reunite in a Paris hotel room"

I found watching this film to be very worthwhile indeed.  It was worthwhile in the sense that I have now solidified my thinking that this is exactly the kind of film I do not want to make.

Arty, holier than thou and quite frankly boring sum up films like these for me quite well.  If the words on the tip of your tongue right now are, "You just don't get it.", then not only would the description I gave the short apply to you, you would also be right.  I didn't get it.  At all.

Give me a lens worth a few grand and a few shots of Paris and I could probably make a beautiful looking short film where nothing actually happens too.

When I say I didn't get it, I don't mean I didn't understand it.  To truly dislike something I believe you first have to understand it.  I understand that Natlie Portman's character has some sort of psycho-sexual hold on Jack that he either refuses to acknowledge or refuses to accept.  I understand that the bruises on her body tell the story (that the director can't be bothered to tell with words) of the abusive lover she's running away from to reoccupy her preferred role as the dominating partner.  I just don't get why I am supposed to enjoy a film not having any sort of plot or ending.


To bring this short back to my theme, 'Dislocation', I think it mainly comes down to the colour scheme speaking on the actors behalf.  Throughout the short the colour pallet is all yellows which makes for very nice (arty) looking shots.  Jack is comfortable in the yellow and this to me sets the basis for 'normality'.  When he knows Natalie is coming to his hotel he changes into a dark suit which was inharmonious to say the least.  The contrast in colours here represents his discomfort for the situation and dislocation from his previously subdued evening.

Finally, I am a firm believer that you can't try to be pretentious with your work and still use product placement throughout it.  Being set in a beautiful timeless looking French hotel room allows the film to really be set anytime that the audience's mind allows.  Then the Apple infected source of the emotion dispensing music is unnecessarily revealed like dropping a Lamborghini into Ben-Hur.

I don't know if Wes Anderson made this short for himself, for Apple or simply to plug his upcoming feature length film continuation, but he certainly didn't make it for the audience.

Introduction to the Conclusion

For my 'bundle every technique I have been taught in 2 years together and tick as many boxes as possible', or end of year film as it may also be known, I have been given some restrictions to abide by.  

The Product - a short film, 5 minutes long

The Theme - DISLOCATION

Film Classification - 15

In the majority of the short films I have produced over my two years on an HND Creative Media course the biggest constraint has always been duration.  I like to think all my scripts have been ambitious and that I never let locations or cast affect my writing or become problems for producing a short film.  I do however suspect having to stick to 5 minutes will be my biggest challenge of this entire course.  When I write a script I don't have a time limit in mind, I get to the place I want to go to in whatever time that may take.  I am the first to admit I feel like cutting out things I have shot to maintain a time limit is like cutting away a tiny piece of my ego every time.  Having previously been marked down by a lecturer for going against their advice and not cutting out a scene that I felt was good and they thought was unnecessary, I have since learnt that when making a short film, feed the audience, not your ego.  Something I will keep at the back of my mind throughout this project.   In this case however it would be more of a case of feed the ego of the person marking your film. 

I look forward to researching, 'Dislocation' and finding out exactly what is meant by it in terms of film.  Instantly I get the feeling it means out of place and a bit lawless.  With a theme being entirely subjective I take comfort in the fact that I may have a restriction on my creativity but as long as I can justify what I do produce it should be well within the lines.