https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe Brad Forsyth en-us 2016-11-08 09:59:47 UTC 2025-05-19 17:57:37 UTC hello@padlet.com BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177571799 One of my main locations will be at Wembley Park. This park oversees the stadium therefore will have the inclusion of a cityscape. I felt this environment was ideal particularly as the benches laid out around the area were very much like those a patient would be sat if speaking to a physiologist. As my piece is an open letter where my character discusses their emotions; trying to come to terms with the way things have worked out, this setting is ideal and perhaps relate-able to the audience. ]]> 2017-06-27 16:25:50 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177571799 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177572804 To show the two sides of my character, the good and bad, I could use a technique I have practiced previously with an old piece of coursework but this time perfect it. This technique is almost like cloning but shows the same person appearing twice in one shot often facing themselves. I will get it to work this time by ensuring it is shot in a short space of time allowing the light to look the same on each side. This would happen because in the space of ten to fifteen minutes, the sun would not end up moving as far as it would do if filming takes an hour. They will be playing a  game of chess reflecting that whatever move he makes, another barrier will get in the way. This was somewhat inspired by a scene in Doctor Who where the Doctor is trying to fight the mind control of a cyberman whilst playing a chess game. This scene will have a similar concept as Ryan will be playing against his bad and good thoughts. For added emphasis and to make this scene stand out that little more, I could have red chess pieces for the bad and white for the good therefore appearing as a metaphor for heaven and hell. ]]> 2017-06-27 16:39:47 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177572804 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177573303 Initially the shot below would have been very different. I planned to have a cut to black as a transition from the previous shot so that the following one would reveal Luke's character digging the book out of the sand. This would been in the similar style of a point of view shot. As disappointed as I was, this shot could not be used in the end for practicality reasons. If I went ahead and filmed this way, sand may have damaged the camera or corrupted previously filmed content by getting into the battery pack or SD slots. ]]> 2017-06-27 16:46:32 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177573303 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177573629 This shot of Ryan was experimental as I came up with it whilst filming. Panning downwards to reveal Ryan in this position, I felt added mystery to the unusual character and kept his identity a secret as his whole face was not revealed. This did not stay in the final edit as I believed it would lose the attention of the viewer because most of his face is not visible. Furthermore the lack of changes of shot would have caused the scene to become boring. ]]> 2017-06-27 16:51:36 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177573629 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177573868 There were numerous occasions whilst filming on the beach where I would need to halt filming or re position where I would be shooting so that my shadow or the cameras was not visible. Although this was a pain, it did not really hinder filming as the sun went into the clouds frequently. ]]> 2017-06-27 16:54:34 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177573868 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177573877 This Earth Effect was the first part of my short film I worked on. In the original script this would have been the opening. It was created using Google Earth Pro's tour recording feature and adobe premiere pro and after effects. The solar effect was made in after effects to portray the glare from the sun. I felt that this was a fitting way to introduce the protagonist, zooming into their location as they do not see the World around them as they are trying to survive day by day blocking out the noise inside their head let alone the outside World. As the first draft ended on a cliffhanger where the audience is unclear on wherever or not the character survives, the background to my credits would have been a heart rate monitor slowly fading. This would have played on the suspense and uncertainty the audience would be left with at the end. ]]> 2017-06-27 16:54:42 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177573877 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177573891 For my final short film I used an array of non diagetic sounds to help set the tone and keep the audiences attention so if one scene perhaps wasn't as fast paced another, the sounds would catch them off guard.  

Doctor Who - TARDIS Interior Hum:
When I wrote the heavenly glow coming from heaven into my script, the sound of the TARDIS interior used from 2010-2012 instantly jumped into my mind as the effect that should be edited in. For me this sounded 'organic' and 'other Worldy' which seemed fitting seeing as beyond that light, the audience have no idea where the character will end up. 

Heartbeat:
At one of the most climactic moments of the narrative, I used a heartbeat to portray that of the character's getting faster as the realization hits that Ryan can't leave his head as Luke's pain is his food source for survival. I increased the speed of the heartbeat in Adobe Premiere Pro changing the speed of the sound clip by 200% each time. 

Schizophrenic Head Noise:
As background noise that represents the sound of the brain functioning for Ryan's scene, I needed something that would stand out and even be believable as a sound inside Luke's head. Seeing as it was the 'Sound of the Mind' I was looking for, I typed into YouTube the exact same term. This led me to a fascinating video of an MRI scan converted to audio of both a regular patient and one with schizophrenia. I took the sound of this and overlaid it with my original video and sound footage, increasing it as Ryan became more intimidating. In my final edit I did not end up using it as much as I intended as I felt it would overpower the dialogue and throughout editing I came up with additional sounds that could be put over his other scenes. 

Horror Whisper:
Inspired by the horror genre but also used because it felt it appropriate with the story line, I used a mysterious whisper sound effect as it emphasized the additional voices other than Ryan that Luke could hear. These voices are the problems of the past and future constantly being heard as a reminder so that he doesn't forget and knows of the further torment yet to come. 

Sound of the Waves:
With the beach being quite busy and the fact that I required clear audio for my dialogue, I could not capture the sound of the waves without the noise of passers by or the wind. After capturing the dialogue in ADR, I found the sound of waves online and synced it to be in time with the waves coming to the shore in my video footage so that to the audience it would be the same as if on location. 

Clock Ticking:
To reflect on time running out and Ryan being stuck inside Luke's mind for what seems to be for the rest of his life, I used the ticking of a clock as a sound effect. This was used for the monologue Ryan says about being around for 'every moment' where a clock also appears on screen. 

Prison Cell Closing:
Another Idea I had in the edit that I was very keen on was the visuals of prison cell bars closing in on Ryan. This to bring the audiences attention to the point that in this scenario Luke is trapped. For this visual I found the sound of prison cell doors closing and added it at the point the bars start to close. ]]> 2017-06-27 16:54:49 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177573891 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177575010 This shot was definitely one of my proudest however it was also one of the most difficult shots to film out of the entire production. Panning from the pillar of the pier to reveal Luke clinging for dear life was the dramatic closing shot I was after. It was difficult however timing the pan before Luke revealed himself as there were numerous takes where he came into shot to early. This was down to timing being slightly off. After a few takes we found a countdown system that worked for both of us, giving me time to pan and time for him to peer from behind. ]]> 2017-06-27 17:12:00 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177575010 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177575301 It was something I was considering for a while in order to make the story more engaging and stop the story dragging out. I settle on the idea after my evaluation because I knew for certain it was what I wanted to do. My teachers and peers felt it would also help with the progression of the story. Using overlay and changing the opacity to 50% I merged the two character's scenarios so that both events played out alongside each other. I felt this made the voice inside his head more believable, giving the audience the opportunity to experience what it is like for the character being looked on by others seeing nothing whilst in actual fact Ryan is there almost for the whole time. Where he appears out of nowhere, the uncertainty Luke's character faces comes to life. The audience ends up being in the same situation, not knowing if each time will be the last time Ryan appears. ]]> 2017-06-27 17:14:40 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177575301 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177717853 Even though the main reason for my short films final idea being changed was due to ill health, unavailability of actors and lack of equipment and a filming space, another reason  had a really big impact. Before the complete rewrite, the original script would have undergone drastic changes in order to simplify it so that a final film could be produced to a high standard without barriers getting in the way that would prevent that from being possible. Additionally this would have stopped it from becoming such a complex idea that may have been harder for the viewer to follow the narrative without asking questions. 

Issue 1: Lack of Actor's
In the first scene Ryan would have been surrounded by the mysterious cloaked people. Due to the fact that there was a limited number of actors available, my alternate plan was to make it appear that it was just part of Ryan's imagination. Therefore close ups of his face and shots of him looking behind his shoulder would have been used. From this the audience would have been likely to infer that the character is imagining people around him. 

Issue 2: Crowds
Towards the end of the first scene as Ryan is approached on the underground, the rest of the platform has to be empty. This was unlikely as I could not film too late due to safety issues. Seeing as we would have to film earlier, there would be crowds underground with commuters making their way home. 

Issue 3: Inability to acquire props and change of location
For the scene set in the forest I required an array of props including clocks and lanterns. At short notice and with no budget I could not get them ready. After I came across Wembley Park, the location changed, feeling much more suitable, with the space relating far more to my story line of Luke expressing how he is feeling inside. I took advantage of the therapy style benches and the props were no longer required. If the lanterns were used health and safety would have been considered so that I did not get burned or so that no trees were set on fire. 

Issue 4: Technical ideas but with a short deadline 
I wanted my final major project to be a big accomplishment incorporating all of the skills I have learnt over the last two years. At the same time I wanted to put myself to the test and try out new techniques that although are difficult to make, really increase the quality of my piece. I wanted to have Ryan run through a mirror as if it was a portal and as he comes through the glass smashes so he can't escape. This would have been impossible for two reasons. The editing in after effects to create a broken mirror and portal would have taken much longer than what the deadline would allow. Moreover health and safety would have been breached as an actual mirror would have been broken and care would need to have been taken to ensure myself and my actor is not injured by shards of glass. ]]> 2017-06-29 08:00:43 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177717853 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177729457 This is the final shot used in the short film where my shadow is no longer present. ]]> 2017-06-29 10:37:57 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177729457 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177729608 This is the test shot prior to a suitable countdown being made. I had already panned the whole way but Luke had not fully stepped away from the pillar. ]]> 2017-06-29 10:40:52 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177729608 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177756988 These notes show alternative plans for my short film including one that would have featured Ryan on his own. This idea came about at the time where I was only able to film with him for a short time and did not appear to have any back up due to the many problems I came across from no actor to no equipment. It also shows my initial ideas coming together for the final short film that I ended up producing. This also shows early music plans that I felt would be fitting for the opening and closing credits. 'Pray for Me' by Rick Astley did not end up getting used however Human by 'RagNBone Man' remained as my opening sequence song choice. In my opinion this was the best choice for song seeing as the piece explores humans emotions that many experience in a lifetime at different levels. ]]> 2017-06-29 16:36:37 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177756988 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177757183 These are the ideas for my short film continued. This gives a somewhat detailed character description, a sample of the script and a shot idea that ended up not being used due to the tide only going so far out.]]> 2017-06-29 16:39:21 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177757183 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177758328 At one point it looked like things were back on schedule for my original idea therefore I booked the TV studio and had lab equipment picked up from a factory. My actor was available for a short time and some equipment was available however due to the studio being double booked, I lost my space therefore causing this plan to fall through. I was going to make the scene look more realistic and terrifying by adding food colouring mixed with water in the beakers to make unusual looking potions. ]]> 2017-06-29 16:58:06 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/177758328 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/178380586 2017-07-10 10:21:42 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/178380586 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/178380800 2017-07-10 10:24:57 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/178380800 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/178381040 2017-07-10 10:28:26 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/178381040 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/178387356 Leading up to the night of the exhibition, I created a short teaser trailer to attract a potential audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPGhJ2soP_Q]]> 2017-07-10 12:21:56 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/178387356 BradBMiller https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/178387504 The completed short film with all the adjustments necessary put in place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s7a0rH8B0I]]> 2017-07-10 12:24:35 UTC https://padlet.com/bradbmiller/4f24n316rufe/wish/178387504