Evie Stylianou's Blog

When publishing my work from researching the professional short films, to coming up with my idea, to planning, through to the making of my short film, I primarily used this digital platform (Blogger). When researching the suggested short films, using a digital platform allowed me to post my initial ideas on the films, and then return to the area, having watched them again, in order to edit or add ti what I had initially taken from watching the films. This was useful as I was able to add to, and develop my ideas about the films on different occasions. In terms of planning my own film, I mostly planned my work on paper before transferring it onto the area for it to be published. This allowed me to collect my ideas, before placing them into an order and format that made the most sense to me. This reproduction of my work from paper to the digital copy, enabled me to find creative clarity in my ideas during the planning process. Other advantages of using this digital space was that everythi...

Many influences for my film come from 'me, earl, and the dying girl',  which is a film about a boy who befriends a girl that has been diagnosed with leukaemia. One of these influences is the use of costume in this film. These stills show how Rachel, the girl who has been diagnosed, is wearing very bright colours with bold patterns. I really like how these bright colours contrast with the background, which is more dull. The fact that she is wearing bright colours could suggest an ironic contrast with how she is feeling inside, which I find interesting and would like to explore in my film. Therefore, in my film I would like Grace to be wearing a brightly coloured green jumper, and a bright yellow skirt. In contrast, I want her Mum to be wearing her dressing gown, to suggest the normality of their family situation that she is trying to upkeep.

A second location that I am using for my film is Elizabeth's house because it is convenient and works well for the outdoor scene because her road is quiet. Secondly it is very bright, so I can use natural, morning light to film

One of my locations is Richmond park, which I visited in order to take these photos and videos. I chose Richmond park because it is very big with lots of open space, meaning that I will be able to film the part where Grace runs around the grass easily without there being too many other people around. I also especially like the Isabella plantation, where I will shoot some of the film as it is very cinematic. Whilst I found that in terms of sound, it is very windy and would be difficult to hear speech over the wind, the scene that I am filming here is purely voice over, which means that sound isn't an issue.

I have decided to cast my friend Elizabeth as Grace in my film. I think she will really bring the character to life as she is an extremely talented and experienced actress, taking part in both school drama and out of school plays. She is also a good friend of mine and will be reliable for filming. For the Mum I am using Elizabeth's mum as it will be easiest for filming.

This is a list of the props that I will need for my short film, which is important as I need to make sure that I remember everything when I am filming. rucksack hoodie headphones 'The Fault in Our Stars' book bread crumbs in a container newspaper orange juice carton glass plate toast and butter pecan pie fork flowers letter in envelope wine wine glass

'There is nothing like sitting with your popcorn. You've got the shaking of the speakers and the black when the lights go down and you know the film is just about to start'. 78% of UK population are cinema goers wanting new experiences and ideas, allowing them to be able to feel emotions that they don't always feel. The medium of cinema is able to engage a different audience to that of other mediums that struggle to reach audiences such as 16s-24s. For over 100 years, cinema has celebrated and showcased the best writing, acting and storytelling talent there is. When pinpointing the unique cinema experience, cinema-goers often refer to numerous factors, such as the quality of the ads, the size of the screen, the surround sound and other 3D technology. 51% of cinema goers are women, showing a strong interest in mediums of film from women. My short film is about a female relationship between a mother and her daughter, which will hopefully be relatable to the majori...

This is the first draft of my script. 1 1.    BLACK SCREEN. V.O GRACE I’ve always wondered what it would have been like to have cancer in the olden days. 2 2.    INT. MORNING. BEDROOM. GRACE sitting on bed, packing belongings into a rucksack. V.O GRACE Would there just be people left, right and centre dropping dead from the plague or having their heads sliced off by a sword or something? And you’re just there with your little tumour friend who’s invading your surrounding tissue, and you probably don’t even really know what cancer is or that you have it. GRACE looks up at camera. GRACE CONT’D Well I do, and my tumour is called Tony. 3 3.    INT. MORNING. KITCHEN. GRACE and MUM sit at table. GRACE is pouring orange juice into her glass whilst MUM is reading the newspaper in her dressing gown. V.O GRACE Another thing that I always wonder is what accent Tony would have if he could speak. I said this to my mum at breakfast ...

1. Black screen 'I always wonder...' 2. Long-shot of Grace on bed packing bag 'would there...' 3. Close-up, tracking shot of Grace piling up belongings 'And you're just...' 4. Close-up of Grace looking at camera 'Well I do...' 5. Cut to black - title 6. Close-up of Grace pouring orange juice 'Another thing...' 7. Mid-shot of Grace eating breakfast and mum reading newspaper 'is what accent...' 8. Mid-shot of Mum, she lifts newspaper down from her face 'what would you...' 9. Mid-shot of Grace smiling at Mum 10. Mid-shot of Mum smiling back at Grace 'that killed me' 11. Mid-shot of Mum and Grace, Grace has a bite of her toast 12. Mid-shot of Grace having a bite of her toast 13. Close-up of Grace speaking with her mouth full 'I like to think...' 14. Mid-shot of Mum 'so what would you...' 15. Mid-shot of Grace 'I don't think I would...' 16. Mid-shot of Mum smiling 17. Mid, trackin...

Narrative/Plot Sequence 'A girl with terminal cancer embarks on a journey to ensure that her tumour does not 'win'', is the pitch of my film. For me, the idea of a journey is important as it captures both the physical and metaphorical nature of the word. She is physically travelling closer to her death, yet is also on a metaphorical journey that reflects the nature of her journey as a cancer patient. Due to the film being about two sensitive, emotive topics; cancer and suicide, my aim is to tell the story primarily through the excessive use of voice over and dialogue, whilst keeping the camera work simple and clinical. My opening shot is a long shot of Grace sitting on her bed, packing her belongings into a bag. She packs belongings into a bag that she uses during her journey, allowing the audience to infer the precise, pre-planned nature of this journey. This will hopefully cause the audience to ask questions about where she is going before they actually find out,...

'Echo' is a short film, written by James Walker, and directed by Lewis Arnold. The narrative is inspired by a real life incident that was witnessed by the writer, James Walker, in central London. The narrative explores the devastating and prolonged effects that a father's death can have on his family. Arnold wanted the audience to "still feel like the character exists" after the end of the film. He also hoped that the audience would, "take ownership of that character in their own mind". In order to achieve this effect, Arnold had to carefully select the actress to take on the role. He therefore rightly selected Lauren Carse to play the character of Caroline. Carse would often have strangers approaching her whilst she was on set offering her help, as a result of her brutally convincing performance. The short film does cause the audience to interpret it in their own way, allowing them to ask questions such as, 'why is she reliving her experience?' ...

• Where do you watch films? I usually watch films at home or at the cinema. e.g. East Dulwich Picture House or the Ritzy. • What devices do you use to watch films? How does this change the viewing experience? My laptop or projector screen at home. When I watch films on my projector screen the experience with the film is more interactive - I usually enjoy the film more as there is surround sound speakers and the screen is larger. Whereas, when I watch films on my laptop I do not always connect with the film in the same way and tend to get distracted more easily. • Are there certain films you prefer to see at the cinema? If so which? Personally, I prefer to watch films at the cinema that are known to be about a serious or sad topic. This is because I feel as though I can connect with the film more than when I am watching it at home, as my entire attention is focused on the film. For example, I wanted to see Dunkirk at the cinema as the sound and aesthetics could be appreciated mo...

'Over' is a short film, directed by Jörn Threlfall. The film is told through a series of static shots, enabling Threlfall to create a very different approach to the telling of his story. This enables the audience to be involved in the unravelling of the story. This technique largely relies on interest in order to keep his audience interested. Threlfall explains this by saying, "I make the viewer be the detective." He goes on to explain that he, "Didn't want to tell it in a conventional way. The story was so sad and desperate it needed a different way of telling... It's like shards and fragments, it was quite an intense way of making sure the viewer stayed with it. In the cinema I see viewers leaning forward, as if they want to go closer but can't." The film starts with a slow zoom into the road, where the story takes place. The zoom signifies an acceptance for the viewer, into the story, allowing them to be part of what is to come. Howeve...

'Tight Jeans' is a short film directed by Destiny Ekharaga. It is about three black teenagers who are waiting for the friend. They are all sitting on a wall, bored and aimless; the perfect conditions for starting an interesting discussion. Whilst they sit there, a white man walks past wearing very tight jeans, which sparks an argument concerning race and culture. The film was loosely based off personal experience from the director and writer of the film, Destiny Ekharaga. Destiny and her brother were walking down Deplored High Street in London, and a man walked past wearing very tight jeans. Off the back of this encounter, she wanted to create a film that reflects everyday conversation, whilst depicting her observations of how young black men speak to each other. She feels as though her approach is different as this is not something that is usually seen on mainstream media. 'Tight Jeans' is an interesting short film because it is a comedy that touches upon the issue of ...