Post eight: Decisions & Revisions

Although at first  the creation and development of our scripts seemed like a relatively simple task, it was infact a lot harder than i first though despite all of the class notes and the workshop with Becky Knapp that we recieved. Initially I began the process by finding ways to develop my idea, the first step was to create a time line panning out the events that would occur in my short film, this including the two key turning points. This timeline enabled me to firstly, have a clearer idea of the best order in which to have events occur in my short and secondly, helped me have a much clearer view on the timings of my six minute short film.

After the creation of the time-line we discussed the layout, timings and plot of all of our scripts and gave feedback on what we thought would/wouldn't work and what could be improved. The next task I completed in order the get the the stage at which I could begin my script writing was to create my character profiling. Although we had characters in our coursework task last year, due to the fact that it was only the opening of a film, not a film in it's entirity the characters were not developed at all. Developing the characters for this coursework task required a signifcant amount more detail, instead of just focusing on the physical appearance of the characters I also had to focus of the emotional state of the characters at different points during the plot. In doing this I helped myself get a clearer visual image of my characters and a clearer insight into their lives.

The penultimate task I engaged for research was in was the study of texts that relate to the desired message, theme and plot of the short film I plan on creating. I decided to watch was a string of NSPCC adverts. The NSPCC is a world-wide organisation focused around preventing the abuse of children, Child abuse is classified as an adult harming a young person under the age of 18 and last year alone the NSPCC worked with approximately 250,000 children or adults concerned about children.


The first advert I watched was Cruelty to children must stop - full stop. This TV advert beings by establishing the vulnerability of the children, the victims of the abuse in the advert; this is done through the use of the camera work, e.g. high angle shots such as the following in which the vulnerable is placed low down, on the floor and the camera is in a position of power over the victim. The advert then plays of the emotions of the viewer with the use of audio, match-on-action is used as the advert contains sad music to match the tragic events we assume are happening. The third thing that the advert uses is the actors, the actors show their fear, grief and gloom clearly and successfully.

The next advert I watched was the most recent NSPCC advert, NSPCC - Open your eyes. This advert is based upon the lives of three children, ranging in age from a 1/2 year old boy left crying in his cot, a young girl who is beaten and a boy who is being abused outside of his own home, showing that there is no age limit on abuse. The main tool used to establish the abuse of the children and to create the sympathy and correct emotion desired from the audience in the advert is the use of emotive imagery e.g. close ups on childrens face's to show the unhappiness. Emotive music similarly to the first advert I watched is also used, different music but it creates the same desired negative and hyper-emotional tone to the advert. 

The third and final advert I wached was NSPCC - Talking helps, this advert unlike the previous two is not based on the abuse of younger children, the victim in this advert is a teenage girl which relates more to the short film that I am creating. This advert also differs from the previous two in terms of the focus of the footage, the focus of the other adverts was visual where as the focus of 'Talking helps' is based upon the affect of audio. There is no music in the advert, just a teenage girl sat on a bus replaying the abusive words and violent noises of an older male who the viewer will most likely assume to be her father. At one point the girl begins to speak, she stutters and does not regain her motivation to finish her sentence, this links to the title due to the fact that the girl cannot speak out but 'Talking helps'.

The final task I engaged in was to research real-life stories of abuse and the advice/help provided. I found a website for the organisation 'Tronie Foundation' who's focus is to prevent child abuse, much like the NSPCC. The websites includes information on types of child abuse other than domestic and sexual abuse e.g. human trafficing. The next website I studied was Child Abuse Effects, the website is full of useful information on how to cope with child abuse and also contains a section of tragic child abuse stories.