The Crusader (short film)

The scene is set in your generic council estate as the first shot reveals. The next few sequence of shots signify a far less 'super' lifestyle than you might expect from the true Crusader, as images of kebab leaflets, council tax notices, picture of him and his wife on their wedding day reveal. He mentions the loss of his wife, which sparks up thoughts of your generic superhero story e.g. losing a loved one, and either responding with vengeance or striving to spread truth and justice. Instead, we see images of fast food remains and a playstation controller. Is this what fuels the ''Tower of strength'' ?

we next see him out on his patrol as he cruises his 'batmobile' down local roads as he is questioned on his superhero roles and experiences e.g. "have you ever been injured?" (he nods)...."been stabbed eight times".  Shortly after, an egg is chucked at his car. Lee reacts as though a bomb has gone off. Again, more bark than bite!

Once you realise- through the egg 'confrontation'- that he's not so super, your speculation draws to a conclusion that he is indeed more of a fraud than a hero (hence the cut back to the concil estate). "you said before, you were on state benefits. How do you intend to pay your legal fees?"......"phone up the advert ain't I. Y'know, 'no win, no fee'...".  A conditional fee is any fee for services provided where the fee is only payable if there is a favourable result (suing Warner Bros.). The prolonged silence instigates the stupidity in what he just said.

The sequence cuts to a close up, profile shot of him on the top of a building. "Do you ever dream of having a normal life?"..."to me, this is normal. I've never known any different".  This section of the short film actually allows me to perceive some genuineness e.g. he takes a drag from his cigarette (a normal activity), the spacing of shot attributes (how far away civilisation seems to be). I begin to see a figure who possesses the generic superhero/vigilante downfall (outcast), with no super strengths to compensate.

stop motion

Stop motion (also known as stop action) is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence. Clay figures are often used in stop motion for their ease of repositioning. Motion animation using clay is called clay animation or clay-mation.

I've known of this technique for some time, but up until recently i haven't appreciated it in its entirety. I have come to realise the undeniable hardship that goes into creating a piece of stop-motion. It seems to take eons to produce a quality product, by i am reluctant in thinking that the results aren't worth it!

This is a great example of the kind of stop motion that i believe can be achieved at this level (with great patience and determination!). Produced by GinoEast

I find the use of a wooden model very interesting also, as i feel it wood set mine and Paddy's piece apart from others. I've seen A-level stop motion pieces in the past using toys, clay mache etc. But not a wooden model. The simplicity of its design (no face, basic natural colour) would also benefit the symbolism we will try to convey, as we want to represent real life happenings through a docile, easily manipulated object.

telling a whole story in a few minutes

The time boundaries for our short story pieces are limited between 4 minutes, 30 seconds and 5 minutes, 30 seconds. Now this may seem like a very simple task when compared to some 40 minute long films, but the burden of compacting your entire narrative into such a short space of time can present a rather large task. Essentially, more planning is required in sculpting your story's arc in such a way that your character's journey becomes defined and progressive.

It is entirely possible that my partner (Paddy) and I end up with far too much footage and will be pressured more on which shots will deliver the greatest effect, rather than just shoving in whatever we can salvage.

what is a short film?

A shortfilm is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits".

The North American definition tends to focus much more on character whereas the European and Australasian forms tend to depend much more on visual drama and plot twists. In this way, the North American form can be understood to be a derivation of the feature film form, usually acting as a platform for aspirant Hollywood directors. Elsewhere, short films tend to work as showcases for cinematographers and commercial directors.

Short films are by no means considered mainstream, due to the opportunity which is provided to explore unusual plots, characters etc. They're contemporary non-commercial motion pictures that are substantially shorter than the average commercial feature film. This fact gives you far more freedom on how to structure a short film. You have no restrictions, and so the possibilitiies are endless!

'Cloverfield' poster

initially this poster seems quite dull with a lack in captivation e.g. the dark, bland colour scheme and the fact that certain aspects aren't aimed at you (statue of liberty facing away, dark underwater path headed towards the city). As far as your general feature film poster is concerned, it is out of the ordinary, and the same could be said for the film itself.

a great deal of symbolism is present within this image, for example, the destroyed statue of liberty may signify the dismemberment of freedom. The increased level of contrast around the edge of the poster can be interpreted as the constriction of light (humans). Also, the phrase "some thing has found us" blends in quite effectively with the background colour arrangement- even this could signify the aliens covertness. After all, the monstrous alien's initial line of action was awfully like a surprise attack. I say 'monstrous' due to the fact that a few skyscrapers appear to have been severely decimated. Even if you haven't seen this film, i'm sure you'll expect something big to land on your screen! Taking all of this into account, you'll notice how the poster actually quite effectively draws you in. Alike the statue, you're looking towards the city. 'Some thing has found us'.....''What 'thing' has caused all this carnage? might have to find out! ($$$)''.

This feature film is by no means star studded (lack of actors names). In fact, when i first watched it myself, i couldn't recognise one actor throughout the entire duration of the film. Due to this, i actually found it far more believable, and hence more enjoyable. The whole film is shot using your average camcorder, much alike 'The Blair Witch Project' and 'Paranormal Activity'.  This technique, being fused with a widely unrecognisable cast, simply adds to the realism of it all (despite a monstrous alien laying a path of destruction in its wake)! It lays more focus on the storyline itself and allows you to indulge in the characters state more thoroughly; i believe that the less you know the actor, the more believable the character will be.

common conventions of the film poster

key features of your generic film poster will include:

• Being eye catching and captivating
• a large title that is easily read
• a tagline, which is usually evident
• age certification
• release date
• use of famous actors to effectively promote
• suggestion of film genre
• directors and production company displayed

short film-rough plot

Begins in character 1's dimly lit room (plastered with superhero posters, ornaments, newspapers annd action figures). After logging off his computer, he leaves, shutting the door. Three shot sequence of a poter, ornament then an action figure.The shot focuses on this specific action figure which is prolonged for a few seconds (short example of stop motion-twitch). Cuts to character 1 entering the cafe (door rings). Another 3 shot sequence (random customers, staff serving coffee, shot of main group of friends + him sitting down). conversation commenses. Character 1 remains fairly reserved as character 2,3 and 4 talk away. Conversation involves a mixture of storytelling, arguing and general chat. Cross cuts arise regularly to the bedroom as the action figure mathches the audio narration (conversation). By the end, each character peels away for various reasons (work, appointements etc.) character 1 and 2 are left. Character 2 looks at character 1 in wonder. Character 1 leaves in embarassment. Character 2 looks at the camera and winks