Anyone want to have a go?

Hope you all find the project brief and production hints useful.

BENCHMARKS                     Project Brief

Walking from Cromer Lighthouse to town, and along the promenade you will see that many of the benches have memorial plaques. Some have quite poetic inscriptions.

To create a 2 minute film you will be thinking about sound and vision as two discrete and separate elements, to be assembled during the edit.

Project Aims: To gain competence with flip camera operation and to get you thinking visually in storytelling terms.

SOUND: Your task is to collect the most interesting inscriptions (excluding actual names, and simply repetitive phrases like “in memory of”) then assemble them as a scripted piece to be performed by one or two voices.

Select a suitable piece of copyright free music for intro and outro if neccessary. (I have a selection of CD’s for you to choose from.)

VISION: Most of the benches look out over spectacular views, your shots should aim to incorporate the benches and the views/settings. The benches should mostly be empty. (see note 3)

HOW TO CREATE VISUAL INTEREST

A film-maker must aim to guide the eye of the viewer, and for this project the mood and style should be elegant and simple. You must avoid visual jumps so stick to the rule of the “golden section” when framing shots. A few extra pointers:

1.  Keep the horizon line on the top third of the frame:  If you string shots together with a horizon line dodging all over the frame it will become unwatchable. (try shooting a short piece this way as an experiment... and see the effect!)

2. Vary your shots: Shots of single benches will become repetitive and boring, aim for singles, groups, static shots, zoom through bench backs to view beyond, side shots etc.

3. You might like to try “the disappearing act”.  Using a tripod, film a person or two on the bench (yourselves). Back view, almost in silhouette, leave the camera running then exit the bench to leave it empty.  In the edit we can slowly mix the two together... Hey Presto ... disappearing people!

A simple, and evocative technique.

4. You might like to take this further and create a dramatic storyline as an extra element for the piece.... shadowy people meeting, relating, leaving, alone, gone.... you may notice some floral tributes on the benches here and there to add to the story.

5. Enjoy your film-making!