My Short Film takes place in a small town, involving two characters, one male, one female, Michael and Michelle. Both characters throughout the film explore the idea of “Great Minds Think Alike” and how they would like to meet someone who thinks alike to them, but are sceptical to the idea.
Both characters however are oblivious to each others existence only until the very end. Throughout the whole film the camera intercuts between their two separate locations, them starting and finishing sentences and always referring back to how two people can not think exactly the same and it would be extremely unlikely to meet anyone like that in their own lifetime.
Each whenever one character leaves a particular location the focus then moves towards the other character but for the entire film it is intentional that they do not meet each other until the very end, this adds a sense of tension as we wonder whether the two characters will meet at the end of the film.
It is only at the end of the film where we realise that they are living next door to one another and as they both come into frame from either side of the camera, they bump shoulders, apologise to each other at the same time and the walk off continuing with their own lives, still oblivious to the other leaving the audience the only ones who know the truth.
I decided not to have a love interest between the two characters as it seemed more dramatic to have them live next door to each other but have them completely oblivious to one another’s existence although at the end whether a love interest between both characters could manifest is left ambiguous.
For My short film, as my main influences I plan to look at the works of two film directors, one being David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club) and the other being Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho, Rear Window). Both directors for different reasons, David Fincher in particular for his use of his central characters directly speaking to the camera, making us relate to the characters, this is apparent in his film “Fight Club” where Edward Norton’s character is telling us about Tyler Durdan (Brad Pitt) what he does for a living and whenever Norton’s character starts to talk about going to group sessions he attends and the introduction of Marla Singer.
This technique in my film is very useful for me as throughout my film the two central characters are going to be talking to the camera in order for the audience to relate more to them.
I am hoping to emulate the particular camera styles and techniques that Alfred Hitchcock uses in his films; this is mainly because this style is considered as a hitchcockian trait and effective. Or rather than starting the film directly in the room/apartment have the camera start outside and then work its way up, this then makes the audience want to know where the camera is going to move to next. This particular use of camera technique and style is used in particular in the Hitchcock film “Psycho” the opening credits start off and the camera starts off panning across roof tops dissolving closer to the smaller buildings. I shall use this style in my film in particular for when the characters look onwards towards a happy couple, giving us a sense of what we can see through the characters eyes, this is apparent in the film “Rear Window” when the camera tracks around the courtyard, we see the courtyard through the eyes of the character “L. B. Jefferies” I plan to use these camera styles and techniques to make the audience aware that where the camera is focusing in on is going to be one of the central focus points of the film. I plan to use these camera style/techniques to make it seem like the camera is following these two subjects but also they are aware that the camera is there almost. This form of camera style is very Hitchockian and also very effective.
I plan to use these techniques to make the audience feel a sense of realism in my movie also having the camera track to the first character makes the audience feel as if this person is involved in the film in some way. The use of the two characters talking directly to the camera and the audience makes the audience relate to the characters, which is what I set out to achieve in my short film also, as if by fate, the two characters meet for the first time in the film, but they do not exchange pleasantries, they simply bump shoulders, apologise and walk on, I want the audience to feel some form of sympathy for the two characters as they believe they’ll never meet anyone who thinks and acts as they do and when they cross paths for the first time, they don’t talk or attempt to make conversation.
Other films that have the use of dual narrative which is what I hope to achieve in my short movie is shown in the movie “Vantage Point” in this movie the story is told from several different perspectives to intertwine together to form the main story and to then lead to the inevitable resolve.
In my short film I hope to have a lot of intercutting throughout the middle part of the film, where both characters are talking and finishing each others sentences. The use of intercutting is used in Finchers “Fight Club” where Brad Pitt’s character tells Edward Norton’s character to say “This conversation is over” to Helena Bonham Carter’s character. As Pitts’ character says one part of the sentence, it cuts between Norton repeating, this continues to when Norton’s characters closes the door, one taking the lead and the other following, the camera intercutting while this happens.
My short film itself I have decided to make it look as realistic as possible, using a lack additional lighting, the use of a split screen for particular parts of dialogue, straight cuts for whenever one point is finished by the other character, using these styles and editing styles rather than the likes of a cross dissolve cross dissolve. Make the film and what is happening in the film seem more realistic and that is how I intend to make my audience feel, as if this is actually happening. I also want my audience to feel as if this could happen to them, using the title “serendipity”, finding something by accident, or by fate also makes them feel that in life you never really know what’s around the corner.