Proposal

Red Sky at Morning

By Sam Miles









Date: 06/04/2014
Property of: Sam Miles
Contents
Original Ideas: Page 3-5

Content outline/Synopsis: Page 6

Product Research: Pages 7-8

Market Competitors: Page 8

Script: Pages 9-12

Script: Pages 9-12

Cast and Crew: Pages 13

Budget, Location/Props: Pages 14








Ideas
These were previous ideas that I had for the short film, but eventually decided on this one.

Analysis for IDEA #1
This first idea is for a British action-comedy with themes and elements of dark humour. The short
film will be about two up-and-coming British gangsters who have messed up in the past, and have
been given a second chance to show what they're worth. Although the two of them think they're on
a job for their boss, the boss may have other ideas for them.

I have written out key factors of the film such as Location, camera equipment, characters and story-
line.

Story-line:
The story-line is is sticking to a linear plot, but will also have a plot-twist throughout, but the
audience will find out about it pretty early on. I have already discussed what happens in the short
film in the brainstorm and on LO1. If you would like to see it, here's a link to LO1.

Location:
There are several locations featured throughout the film with the first being inside a small
location/room that is meant to be hidden and non-observable. This location will be briefed and
discussed further into the production process. The second location will be the car. In the short film,
the two British gangsters drive to the location of where their job is happening, and on the way there
they talk about a lot of stuff, that also foreshadows future events. The third location is on a random
bit of the countryside. This location is only for a bit of the film, and is there because the two of them
have got lost and have to get out a map. The fourth and final location is on a farm. The farm is the
main location where most of the action will be taking place. The location for the farm has already
been managed and has been negotiated with the farmers and land owners who work there.

Filming:
Filming will be done on either a Canon 60D or a Canon 5D mark III. I have chosen to use these two
because I know two people who would be willing for me to use their equipment, and they are also
top of the range filming equipment. I will be using a tripod for for stationary shots and will then
using it for panning and such. Other faster shots that I want to be stable, I will use a Steadicam.

Characters:
The two main characters are George and Gary. George is the active one but is always relaxed about
the situation in hand. Gary is the stressed out one and is never comfortable with a situation, but gets
it done anyway. Stephen is their boss, and has instructed them to go on a job. He's a big guy who
you do not want to mess with in any situation. Mick is the farmer who George and Gary meet up
with, but is actually a hit man. This man is very professional about his work and doesn;t like to be
messed with.

Analysis for IDEA #2
This first idea is for a British action-comedy with themes and elements of dark humour. The short
film will be about two up-and-coming British gangsters who have have messed up in the past, and
have been given a second chance to show what they're worth. Although the two of them think
they're on a job for their boss, the boss may have other ideas for them.

I have written out key factors of the film such as Location, camera equipment, characters and story-
line.

Story-line:
The story-line is is sticking to a linear plot, but will also have a plot-twist throughout, but the
audience will find out about it pretty early on. I have already discussed what happens in the short
film in the brainstorm and on LO1. If you would like to see it, here's a link to LO1. The only different
with this story-line is that George and Gary decide to leave the two of them tied up and drive off,
leaving the whole film on a cliffhanger.

Location:
There are several locations featured throughout the film with the first being inside a small
location/room that is meant to be hidden and non-observable. This location will be briefed and
discussed further into the production process. The second location will be the car. In the short film,
the two British gangsters drive to the location of where their job is happening, and on the way there
they talk about a lot of stuff, that also foreshadows future events. The third location is on a random
bit of the countryside. This location is only for a bit of the film, and is there because the two of them
have got lost and have to get out a map. The fourth and final location is on a farm. The farm is the
main location where most of the action will be taking place. The location for the farm has already
been managed and has been negotiated with the farmers and land owners who work there.

Filming:
Filming will be done on either a Canon 60D or a Canon 5D mark III. I have chosen to use these two
because I know two people who would be willing for me to use their equipment, and they are also
top of the range filming equipment. I will be using a tripod for for stationary shots and will then
using it for panning and such. Other faster shots that I want to be stable, I will use a Steadicam.
Another option for various shots could also be handheld for fast paces running shots, to show how
shaky the situation is.

Characters:
The two main characters are George and Gary. George is the active one but is always relaxed about
the situation in hand. Gary is the stressed out one and is never comfortable with a situation, but gets
it done anyway. Stephen is their boss, and has instructed them to go on a job. He's a big guy who
you do not want to mess with in any situation. Mick is the farmer who George and Gary meet up
with, but is actually a hit man. This man is very professional about his work and doesn't like to be
messed with. There is also Mick's wife, who is only referred to as 'Farmer's wife'. She also gets tied
up in the story-line.

I have decided to do the first idea for my short film. I decided to go with the first one because I feel
like it felt like it was compact with the content that it needed, and didn't add anything to itself that it
didn't need. I thought this because with the second one, there are characters added that I think did
not have to be there. This character was the Farmer's Wife. As much as she could a funny character
and she could be an inside joke to somethings, I didn't feel like she was necessary to the film.

Also in the second one, George and Gary run off and leave Stephen and Mick tied up, and also leaves
on a cliff-hanger. I didn't particularly want it to end this way because I felt like it should be concluded
at the end, like a normal linear plot to a short film. I think if I was to add the cliff-hanger, it would
leave people feeling disappointed about it and also feel unfulfilled.

There are elements to the second one that I like though and may add, such as the Handi-cam shots. I
believe these shots could add a whole new element of realism to the film and give it that edgier look
I was thinking of.


Content Outline
Synopsis of Red Sky at Morning
Red Sky at Morning is a British Gangster short film, with elements of dark comedy, action
and drama. This film will be between ten to fifteen minutes long. Red Sky at Morning is
about two up-and-coming teenagers who want to try out the life of a British gangster. Even
though they think theyre good at the job, it turns out they may not be as good as they
thought, and have to suffer the consequences.
The film will start with a shot of the two main protagonists sat on chairs in a poorly lit room.
The two main protagonists are named George and Gary. Theyre being confronted by their
mob-boss Stephen because previously, they didnt do a good job. Stephen then says hell
give them another chance on a job, and not to muck it up. Stephen then hands them a
suitcase and tells them to go to a specific location and had it over to a guy called Mick. They
are also both given a gun, but its only one gun between the two of them. George and Gary
go to their car that theyve been given and go to the location. On the way there, they start
talking about stuff that will foreshadow events that happen later on.
The two of them find themselves at a farm and look around for Mick. Gary decides that he
needs to go to the toilets so walks around the farm to find somewhere to pee, he takes then
gun with him. George walks around and then finds Mick. Mick tells him to put the suitcase in
the corner of the room/barn and then walk away from it. As George walks over to the
corner, you can see Mick pull out a gun and point it towards George. Just as Mick is about to
shoot George in the back of the head, Gary comes round the corner and puts the gun to
Micks head. Mick turns around and explains that hes been told by Stephen to kill them
because they did such a bad job last time. Gary then tries to shoot Mick but his gun doesnt
work. Mick explains that the gun is a replica because he didnt want to give you a real gun if
they were about to get killed. Gary then proceeds to hitting Mick with the butt of the gun on
the nose. Mick is now knocked out and they put him in the corner and tie him up.
When Mick wakes up, he explains the situation is clearer detail. George and Gary then make
Mick ring up Stephen and tell him hes completed the job. Mick doesnt do that but instead
tells Stephen that theyve tied him up, to which Stephen says hell come over to sort the
situation out himself. George and Gary now have to think up how they will control the
situation.
They decide to get him to walk through a barn, and then they both jump on him. Once
theyve tied him up, they talk about what they should do and excuse the situation theyre in.
The ending scene is the two of them driving away fast, and you see a piece of rope attached
to the end of their car, and then it cuts to credits.

Product research
For product research, I have watched many films that follow a similar genre and styles and
have used them as inspiration for my short film.
In Bruges
My first inspiration for my short film was a Dark-Comedy called In Bruges which was written
and directed by Martin McDonagh. The film is about two hit man, Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken
(Brendan Gleeson). They had been sent to Bruges by their gangster boss, Harry (Ralph
Fiennes). I was inspired by this film for my short film because it runs off of a similar plot line.
The humour throughout is very well done as well. It is very dark humoured but is only done
in good taste. Themes throughout the film are also done with dark overtones, such as
murder and violence. Character development is also a key part throughout this film and the
three main characters have to deal with conflict that they have set. With my short film, I
wish to add these elements throughout and also have similar dialogue throughout.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a British Crime-Comedy written and directed by Guy
Ritchie. The film is about a story of a heist, involving someone losing 500,000 playing
Poker, and various gangs and drug busts. This film is noted for its storyline and how the
separate stories come together at the end known as a Hyperlink storyline. This film also
has a very Soviet montage way of editing, by showing very quick images of what is
happening. The dialogue throughout is also very well done and plays into themes of the
films, such as them being in London and talking Cockney Rhyming Slang. In my short film, I
would like to be able to add elements of the dialogue because it all flows very well and feels
very natural. Guy Ritchie also has a very good directing style and would like to adopt
elements of his work throughout.
Leon: The Professional
Leon: The Profession is an American/French film directed by Luc Besson. This film is about a
hit-man who adopts a small girl to be a hit-man with her. Although the other two films are
heavy on themes of comedy, this film is not so much. Although there are elements of
comedy, it is not a main theme or genre. This film feels very European when watching it. By
that I mean, you can tell its an American action because of all of the shoot em up scene
that are heavy on the violence, but you also have scenes very heavy on the dialogue which
you find in a lot of British and European films. This is a concept that I like and I really
enjoyed the two elements of American and European cinema together. The visual style of
this film is also very European, and is one that I prefer and would like to add into my short
film.

Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction is a Dark comedy crime film written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino. This
film has a Hyperlink Storyline where different stories all relate to each other and come
together at the end. This film is about two men who are trying to get a briefcase for their
boss, and encounter different types of scenarios along the way. The visual style of this film is
very Neo-Noir and 50s based, although set in the 90s. This is a style that I like and could
add elements of it throughout my short film. The main thing that drew me to this film was
the dialogue. The dialogue throughout this film is easily the most notable, as people who
you may not categorize as normal (hit-men) talking about things that are normal in day-to-
day life, such as the Metric System. Quentin Tarantino does this to add realism to the film
and make you believe theyre just ordinary people. This is an element that I definitely want
to infuse with my short film and can see it working very well.
All of the films above have helped to inspire me towards a great Dark Comedy crime drama,
and I think it will be a great short film considering.
Market Competitors
The market competitors are films that have been released in the past with a Dark-Comedy
theme. There have been many dark comedies over the years which have done incredibly at
Box Office and in gross sale. Some of these films are:
Dr Strangelove: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Box Office:
$9,440,272)
Withnail and I (Box Office: $1,544,889)
Fargo (Box Office: $24,547,547)
The Big Lebowski (Box Office: $17,439,163)
Pulp Fiction (Box Office: $107,928,762 )
Shaun of the Dead (Box Office: $13,464,388)
Hot Fuzz (Box Office: $23,618,786 )
American Psycho (Box Office: $15,070,285)
In Bruges (Box Office: $7,757,130)
Seven Psychopaths (Box Office: $14,989,761)
This is my competitive market for Dark-Comedies and the last one that was made was Seven
Psychopath. This film was brought out in 2012 and the last one to be brought out before
then was a film called Horrible Bosses in 2011. This shows that dark comedys only come
out once every year or so, and I believe I can make the best Dark-Comedy in 2014.


The Script
I have written out the first scene of the short film so that you can read it and get an idea of
how the dialogue will sound and get a feel for how it will look overall.
INT. DARK WORKSHOP/ROOM - DAY
The room is dark and has been lit by the ends of cigarettes and
the smoky beams of light coming through the gaps in the curtains.
The camera starts to pan upwards from the floor with the view
behind a chair and a big man (STEPHEN) sitting on it. There's two
other people sitting on chairs opposite him and facing forwards.
(GARY AND GEORGE)
THE BOSS
It's George and Gary right? Good.
Now you know what you've done,
and I know what you've done. And let's
be frank, you've fucked up, ain't cha
boys? You've made a right dog's dinner
of it. Now me being in the position I
am, I can shoot the pair of ya, or send
you on another job. Now if I shoot you
two Muppet's, then I've got to send a
guy over here to clean you up and I
wouldn't get the smell out for ages. So
I don't want to do that too much... My
second option is send you on another
job. Give you a second chance. And if
you truly fuck up this one as well, then
yeah... So, which will it be?
GARY
Well we'll take the other job won't we?
I don't wanna be dog food any time
soon.
GEORGE
Shut up Gary you tit, we don't even know
the job yet.
THE BOSS
The job's simple. Just take this
briefcase to this location.
THE BOSS lays a briefcase and a map, with a piece of paper saying
the specifics to the location.
GARY looks down at the map and the briefcase with confusion.
GARY
Is that it?
GEORGE turns quickly to GARY with wide eyes.
GEORGE
Shut the fuck up!
(TURNS BACK TO THE BOSS)
The job's fine, we can do it.
THE BOSS looks at them both for a second, and then smiles to
himself.
THE BOSS
Good ol' boys! I wouldn't want to shoot
you anyway, would much rather someone
else did! AYE?
THE BOSS looks at them with a huge disheartening smile on his
face.
THE BOSS then breaks into laughter and turns out for a second.
GARY and GEORGE look at each other with concern.
GARY
Hey there, don't you think we should
have a gun or something? In case they're
packing heat as well.
THE BOSS
Packing heat? Haha! Fuck off 'packing
heat' you puff. They won't be 'packing
heat', don't worry. They won't be
carrying as much as a pencil sharpener.
GARY
Okay, but, for safety purposes...
THE BOSS looks at them both and then slowly nods his head.
STEPHEN
Yeah, alright then. That makes sense...
THE BOSS walks off into another room.
THE BOSS
Give me a second.
The door shuts and there's a two second silence between GEORGE
and GARY.
GEORGE
What the fuck as you asking for a gun
for?

GARY
Protection.
GEORGE
Oh protection! Do you want a hard hat
and some Johnnys as well?
GARY
You've seen what these deals are like!
We need to prepare.
GEORGE
Shut up you tit. Just don't say anything
stupid again.
Silence between them for five seconds.
GEORGE
Pfft, packing heat. Where are you from,
Grand Theft Auto?
GARY
Shut your mouth.
THE BOSS walks back into the room holding a gun. (Later found out
to be a replica)
THE BOSS
Now here you go. It's all ready to go so
no need to check it.
Both GEORGE and GARY stand up.
GEORGE
Right, well looks like we're off then.
THE BOSS
Well it was nice meeting you two. I'll
be seeing you soon. Well, hopefully not
too soon...
GARY
Why's that?
THE BOSS chooses not to answer and is silent.
THE BOSS
Right, good luck and all.
GARY
See ya later.
GEORGE
Bye now. And, thank you for giving us
another opportunity.
THE BOSS
Don't mention it.
GEORGE and GARY walk out of the room.
THE BOSS walks over to a phone and dials some numbers. He puts
the phone to his ear. You can hear it dial.
THE BOSS
Hello, is that Mick? Alright there mate
it's me... Yeah, not too bad, not bad at
all. Listen, I've sent those two fuck
ups your way, you still alright for
disposing of them?.. Beautiful. Thank
you for that, I just didn't want to be
cleaning up chucks of brain off of my TV
again, you know what it's like?
(CHUCKLES TO MICK ON THE PHONE)
Lovely. I'll get the money to you by
tomorrow, that sound alright? Good ol'
boy. I'll see you tomorrow. Have fun.
Bub-bye now.
THE BOSS puts down the phone, sits in his chair and crosses his
legs. He then smiles, nods his head slowly and lights a
cigarette.

With this scene, you get a feel for the characters and their attributes. The Boss is dedicated
to his job and his job only. This is shown through the fact that he is only names The Boss
and you never find out his real name. This is also shown by the fact that the two of them
have messed up and the only option is to kill them.
Gary is a playful guy, very easy to mess up and is quite nervous. This is shown when he says
lines such as Packing heat which is not a comfortable saying and is trying to impress The
Boss.
George is very serious in his work, but can slip up to Garys playfulness. This is shown when
The Boss leaves the room and theyre arguing with each other and having a laugh.

Cast and Crew
Cast and Crew is what makes the film happen. Without them, youve only got an idea. For
Red Sky at Morning, I will be having a small cast and crew because Ive worked with a bigger
film crew before and I dont believe it would be necessary for this kind of work.
My Cast for Red Sky at Morning is:
Gary Sam Miles
George Danny Pebworth
The Boss Mark Fussell
Mick Joe Walley
I have casted these people because I have worked with them before and I believe they
would be good for the role. I have casted myself as Gary because I have a clear
understanding of how his character works and how he would express certain lines. I have
also casted Danny Pebworth as George because I am writing the short film with him, and he
would have a clear understanding to the character and his mannerisms. I have decided to
case Mark Fussell as The Boss because he is a big guy with a Cockney accent, which I believe
would work perfectly in this role. I have worked with him before in an advert and he worked
very well with me directing. I have casted Joe Walley as Mick because he is a good actor,
could bring a lot of character to the role, and is easy to work with.
My Crew for Red Sky at Morning is:
Writer/creator/director Sam Miles and Danny Pebworth
Cameraman/sound/DoP Peter Killingback
Editor Sam Miles
I have kept the crew quite small for various reasons, and I believe this would be for the best
of the short film. I have decided to pick Danny Pebworth direct with me because he helped
develop the idea and think he could have a good visual eye as to what works well on screen
and what looks good aesthetically. I have chosen Peter Killingback to be my
cameraman/DoP because I have worked with him before and we have a good
understanding of each others work and how we like things to look. He is also supplying all
of the camera equipment which is of a semi-professional range. I have also decided to edit
myself because I feel if someone else was to edit, I may not be 100% in their methods and
techniques of showing off the entirety of the film.
I am confident that all of these people will do a great job on the film and will make for an
excellent cast and crew.


Budget
For my budget, I dont have a budget. With making films under an independent production
company or a non-existent one, you sometimes have to work off of no budget. This is being
made easier by the help of friends and family. As far as camera equipment goes, Im using
all of the camera gear that Peter Killingback already owns, so I dont have to pay for
anything extra. For location, Im filming on my friends farm and out in the countryside, so
that will be free as well. Props will all be loaned from friends so there will be no payment
there. As far as expenses go, I am only paying for one thing personally, and that is the food.
People are often very willing to help you out as long as you have food there. This should not
cost too much over the two days and should be affordable. Im planning on buying pizza for
everyone or McDonalds once the day is done. I have created a spreadsheet of the budget
for cast and crew below.

Location/Props
There are three locations of where Red Sky at Morning will be filmed. The Bosss office, a
car, and a farm. The Bosss office will be an office that my friends Dad owns and gave me
permission to use it. It will be an ideal location and wont cost anything to rent out for the
day. The second location is a car. We will be using Danny Pebworths car in the production.
We will not be filming inside the car whilst filming because we do not have the equipment
for that, but we will be filming inside the car once it is stationary. The third location is the
farm. The farm is owned by a friend of mine and said were allowed to film on it over the
two days. This was very kind of him because he did not ask for any payment either. I do not
have any photos of the locations sadly.
The only prop that is being used is a gun, and were using a BB gun borrowed from a friend
of mine for that.