BRIEF

DEVFILM are looking to produce a 5 to 10 minute short film, to be released as part

of our upcoming slate of online shorts.
What we want from this short film, is for it to have experimental qualities, and to use
the tropes of surrealism (rejection of mainstream tropes and methods of story telling)
The films must all be narrative shorts, with at least 3 named, speaking characters.
The final film must be delivered to a high technical quality, in 4K Ultra-HD quality,
NEGOTIATED BRIEF
DEVFILM are looking to produce a 5 to 10 minute short film, to be released as part
of our upcoming slate of online shorts.
What we want from this short film, is for it to have experimental qualities, and to use
the tropes of surrealism (rejection of mainstream tropes and methods of story telling)
The films must all be narrative shorts, with at least 1 speaking character.
The final film must be delivered to a high technical quality, in 1080p HD
 Mystery
Silent
Surrealist

IDEAS Paranormal
Experimental Comedy
Romance
Science Fiction
Musical
Genre
Live action
Claymation
Silent
Dialogue-driven Types of film Short Film Medium Animated Paper cut-outs
Narrative Moving drawings

Plots Somebody processes the

Duration
< 1 minute loss of their romantic partner
30 45 minutes by revisiting places they
1 3 minutes went together, in order to
20 30 minutes A super natural phenomena, process his grief.
3 5 minutes and what it means to
5 7 minutes 10 20 minutes society and individuals.

7 9 minutes
 Short Film Idea 1 Short Film Idea 2

A super natural phenomena, Live action Live action

and what it means to Somebody processes the
society and individuals. loss of their romantic partner
by revisiting places they Romance
Surrealist went together, in order to
Paranormal process his grief. There would
Experimental be heavy use of flashbacks.
Mystery
Silent
This idea I feel fits the brief because it deals with unusual Experimental
subject matter, in an unusual way, giving ample opportunities to
experiment and play with film form, to create meaning in non- I feel that this idea fits the brief, and is engaging, because
conventional ways. while it tells a very familiar story, it does so in an unusual and
experimental way.
The genre of surrealism lends itself to this, as the audience
surrenders itself to the idea of not everything making complete I feel that the themes of loss and love are universal and
sense, they open themselves up to being communicated to it interesting, quintessential elements of the human condition.
unusual ways. Also, they give lots of ways to be creative within its confines.

Also, creating confusion can be a greater expression of the

human condition than any traditional story.
IDEAS
IDEA ONE:
In the middle of the night, Matthew wakes up. He leaves his house, and ventures into a woodland to pass the
time. There, he finds a strange, floating picture frame, suspended in mid air.
Come morning, everybody else wakes up to find that the frames are everywhere - in England alone there are
hundreds, placed randomly in public places. Nobody can explain this supernatural phenomena, and there is
hysteria in the media and in the news.
As days pass by, the hysteria dies down, its clear that they pose no threat - you just see yourself reflected
harmlessly back at yourself, stood in the frame smiling. While they remain scientifically unexplained, public
interest stops dead extremely quickly. Matthew, however, has not been able to sleep since their arrival.
As days pass by and Matthew struggles more and more with sleep deprivation, he searches for some link
between the frames and his insomnia,
IDEA TWO:
A silent film: A man walks sullenly through parks, shops and cafes. As he arrives at each, we see flashbacks of
the time he spent at each location with his best friend. At the end of the film, he sits at the side of the road, and
we flashback to see the moment his friend was run over here, and we understand that the man is processing his
grief at the loss of his friend.
FOCUS GROUP
QUESTIONS:
1. Which of the two ideas appeals to you most?
2. Which do you think better fits the brief?
Response:
The response from the focus group was overwhelmingly that idea one has more
appeal, and that it better fits the brief.

I will go forward with idea one, for this reason.

https://youtu.be/gl1k9GVoV_o
MOODBOARD
MOCK UPS - VFX TEST

This initial tests were to experiment with video compositing inside Adobe After Effects
CC, to see how easily this can be achieved, and how effective the finished shots are.
Fortunately, the test revealed that the effect is easy to achieve, and fairly effective.
 MOCK UPS - VISUAL FLOWCHART

Matthew wakes up in the he leaves his house and discovering an

middle of the night wanders aimlessly unexplainable, floating
picture frame

The supernatural phenomena doesnt go away for days but come morning, others begin in his tired disorientation
and weeks. They seem to be harmless, nobody minds them. to discover frames. state, he must be dreaming
But Matthew hasnt slept since their arrival.
MOCK UPS STORY BOARDS
SURVEY MONKEY IDEA FEEDBACK, VFX FEEDBACK, AND TARGET AUDIENCE
SURVEY MONKEY RESPONSE IDEA FEEDBACK
AND VFX FEEDBACK
Idea 1, being carried foreword from my brainstorm after being more popular in the
focus group, was rated an average of 4.3 out of 5 in my survey, suggesting that it is
a suitable idea for the brief that is worth working on. Suggestions for improving the
idea were to consider using black and white rather than colour, and for the music to
be dramatic.
Feedback for the VFX test was also positive, with a unanimous rating of 5 out of 5.
This reaffirms that the effect is sufficiently convincing, and will work well within the
context of the edited piece.
SURVEY MONKEY RESPONSE TARGET
AUDIENCE
In the survey put out to gain feedback on the idea and the VFX, respondents were also asked
to say who they thought the target audience of the idea would be.
Respondents stated unanimously that they thought that there was not a gender skew in the
audience. While this is what they said, film that are not specifically about girls or about
feminine things tend to be marketing towards men. As marketing towards men is how films
generally achieve a fairly unisex audience, this film will be marketing and produced with men
primarily in mind.
Although respondents gave varying answers about the age of the audience, 100% agreed that
it was suited to 15 to 19 year olds. This group will therefore be the core audience, who the film
is made and marketed with in mind.
The majority of respondents (roughly 85%) agreed that the socio-economic group of the
audience is group E, unemployed and students. This reinforces what was learnt by asking for the
age, as most people within this age range will fall into this group.
PROGRAM DESIGN FORMAT
The short film will be distributed online, using the platforms YouTube and Vimeo, making them
free to view, and easily accessible to the target audience. This is because of the target
audience falling into the group of unemployed students aged 15 to 19. They dont have a
large amount of disposable income, so distributing it free-to-view makes it accessible to them.
On top of this, online platforms are how this demographic consume the most media, so
publishing in this way is a good way to find an audience, and ensure that a large amount of
people will have access to it.
It will be uploaded to the official DevFilm YouTube channel. The platform is intended to be the
method by which the majority of viewers find and engage with the product.
There will also be an official website for the film. On this page, the film will be viewable
through a YouTube plug-in on the page. However, this page is intended mostly just for the
purposes of promotion and branding.
According to official reports by Google, over 1 billion unique visitors come to YouTube every
single month. It is a huge platform that allows the film to be potentially viewed by almost
anybody in the world.
AUDIENCE FIGURES As the film is being uploaded online, audience
figures are generated by the YouTube player. The
complex YouTube services, user monitoring, and
analytics, even allow for detailed analysis of
demographic and location of each viewer, as well
as the exact times that each of them watched the
video, and how long they watched it for.
Online video sharing platforms, YouTube being the
most prolific, have become a place that a lot of
short films are shared.
The right shows the top 5 results when googling
YouTube short film revealing shorts between
almost 2 million, and almost 90 million views!
COMPETITOR PRODUCTS RESEARCH
To determine what the film will be in competition with, I
searched for surreal and experimental short films, also
given broad release on free-to-view online platforms.
I found Gordon on YouTube, and Orpheus on Vimeo.
Gordon - https://youtu.be/JG9JTwHdpSo
These films use experimental techniques and the tropes of Orpheus - https://vimeo.com/65015977
surrealism to create something unique and yet very similar
to the pieces of work in the same category.
COMPETITORS GORDON BY JAKE LOFVEN

Gordon - https://youtu.be/JG9JTwHdpSo
This film is similar to my own, in that while it very briefly includes other characters, the
majority of the runtime features only a single character, following them through a
number of locations.
Elements of surrealism include a lack of clear cause-and-effect as well as objects such
as a knife and a telephone. Also there is a close proximity to death and randomness,
two major element of surrealism, as the story revolves around Gordon
accidentally/deliberately killing his friend with a cake he didnt think she would eat
Low contrast images with washed out colours are also used to build to the surreal
atmosphere.
COMPETITORS ORPHEUS BY JAMES BUTTON

Orpheus - https://vimeo.com/65015977
This film, like my own and the previous, centres around a single character with others only appearing very
briefly. Also like mine, it is devoid of dialogue.
Elements of surrealism include shocking imagery, close proximity to death, randomness and chance, and scenes
being linked together by emotional connections rather than a logical progression of plot.
To achieve surreal visuals, like mine, the short was shot on 16mm motion picture film, and makes use of simple
special effects (achieved through a combination of practically shot elements and digital compositing).
Like my film, it has a plot that was very clearly in the creators minds, but is difficult if not impossible for a
viewer to distinguish.
Orpheus |rfs|Greek Mythology
a poet who went to the underworld after the death of his wife and secured her release from the dead, but lost her
because he failed to obey the condition that he must not look back at her until they had reached the world of the living.
MARKET RESEARCH
There havent been any new mainstream surrealist films or short films released recently that have made
their way into the public eye.
Surrealist media has been popular however on television, in the form of comedy, such as Noel Fieldings
work, The Mighty Boosh and Luxuary Comedy. The closest thing to a serious piece of surrealist work is the
drama series Life On Mars? which used some surreal elements to dramatic effect.
This all suggests to me that the public have an appreciation for surrealism, but that there is a gap in the
market for which my serious and purely surrealist film to fill.
There are a number of different UK based short film distributers, which DevFilm are in competition with.
This includes Spafax, DazzleFilms and Left LTD.
The market for surreal content is very large, with the season premier of Twin Peaks season 3 gaining TV
network Showtime their biggest single-night driver weve ever had according to the
independent at http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/twin-peaks-2017-season-3-
premiere-ratings-episode-1-and-2-live-streaming-on-demand-showtime-a7752716.html
TIMESCALE AND PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
Date Type of shoot / details
20/05/2017 This shoot will take place at SL6 3GW, in the fields, woodland, and the bedroom of
Lukes bedroom. All bedroom, and field shots to be completed. Lead actor and camera
operator needed.
22/05/2017 This shoot will take place in the same place as the previous, this time to complete all of
the shots in the woodland. Lead actor and operator needed.

23/05/2017 In Henley town centre. All shots in the centre to be completed. Lead actor, cameoing
extras, and camera operator needed.

24/05/2017 All remaining shots to be completed on this date, wherever necessary. Lead actor and
camera operator needed.
TEAM MEMBERS + ROLES
CALL SHEET DEVFILM Production: FRAMES (working title)
Director Daniel Crocker 07450 851907
Lead Protagonist Matthew Crocker - 07482 316961
Runner and Extra No.1 Luke Mendivil 07732 334973
Runner and Extra No. 2 Kieran Hogan 07941 625094
RELEVANT LEGISLATION LEGAL ISSUES.
PRIVACY, COPYRIGHT, DISCRIMINATION ETC.
I will ask my main actor and my cameoing extras to sign release forms, to ensure that I have the legal right to
use their images in the finished film.
Though everybody featuring in the film will come from a middle class, white English background, I have
considered people of various backgrounds for the main role and for the cameoing extras. Those in
consideration for the lead part were both male and female. Marginalised groups will not be implicitly
depicted negatively through dialogue or themes.
I will need to ensure that I have legal permission to use the found music and sound effects for my soundtrack,
otherwise I will be unlawfully distributing other peoples work. This also goes for stock footage and VFX
elements, permissions must be acquired and licensing agreed upon.
There is no legislation determining what can be shown on YouTube or distributed online (apart
from content that is illegal under defamation laws and the Copyright Protection Act).
Online content is subject to voluntary rating by the BBFC, who rate films for cinema and home
video release. My film would get a PG certificate from the BBFC, because while it does not
have any graphic or obscene content to warrant a 12A rating or higher, but it has enough
foreboding and threatening content to make it unsuitable for a U.
 H+S RISK ASSESSMENT
Activity Hazard(s) Risk Precautions Review Reviewer
(H/M/L) Date

Shooting in a forest. Tripping up on uneven ground, walking Low risk. Walk slowly and thoughtfully, not rushing or 04/05/17 Dan
into low-hanging branches. messing around.

Shooting with a steady-cam. The camera operator being distracted Medium Have a spotter, whos only job is to watch 04/05/17 Dan
by what they are shooting, as they walk risk. and to guide the steady-cam operator.
and move about.

Using the home made wooden rig to It is very heavy. If carried in the wrong Medium Separate the individual pieces and share 04/05/17 Dan
hold up the frame way, or accidentally knocked over once risk them among crew members
standing, it could injure.

Shooting in a busy public place Walking into or knocking into members Low risk Walk slowly and thoughtfully, not rushing or 04/05/17 Dan
of the public messing around. Have a spotter, whos only
job is to watch and to guide the steady-cam
operator.
Shooting close to a road Accidentally stepping off the pavement Medium Walk slowly and thoughtfully, not rushing or 04/05/17 Dan
into the road risk messing around. Have a spotter, whos only
job is to watch and to guide the steady-cam
operator.
 LOCATION RECCEE FORREST AND COUNTRY PATH
Type of area: Publicly accessible
woodland
Address: Manifold Way, Waltham
Road, Maidenhead
Post Code: SL6 3GW
Near Train Satiation? No
Near Bus Stop? Yes
Lighting Information:
There is a lot of natural light during
the day time and golden hour so
long as the day is not overcast.
Sound Information:
There is only very quiet background
noise, nothing intrusive.
Power Information:
It is very far away from any form of
mains power supply.
Hazards:
There are a lot of tripping hazards
and uneven ground.
Solutions:
Bounce boards can be used to
redirect light, and artificial lights to
add to what is available.
Solutions:
Apart from dialogue, none of the
sound has to be shot at the same time
as the visuals.
Solutions:
Have back-up batteries for every
piece of lighting and recording
equipment.
Solutions:
Walk slowly and thoughtfully, not
rushing or messing around.
 LOCATION RECCEE HENLEY TOWN CENTRE
Type of area: Publicly accessible area
Address: Town Hall/Market Pl,
Henley-on-Thames
Post Code: RG9 2AQ
Near Train Station? Yes
Near Bus Stop? Yes
Lighting Information:
There is a lot of natural light during
the day time and golden hour so
long as the day is not overcast.
Sound Information:
There is only very quiet background
noise, nothing intrusive.
Power Information:
It is very far away from any form of
mains power supply.
Hazards:
There are a lot of tripping hazards
and uneven ground.
Solutions:
Bounce boards can be used to
redirect light, and artificial lights to
add to what is available.
Solutions:
Apart from dialogue, none of the
sound has to be shot at the same time
as the visuals.
Solutions:
Have back-up batteries for every
piece of lighting and recording
equipment.
Solutions:
Walk slowly and thoughtfully, not
rushing or messing around.
 LOCATION RECCEE BEDROOM
Type of area: Real bedroom
Address: Manifold Way, Waltham
Road, Maidenhead
Post Code: SL6 3GW
Near Train Station? No
Near Bus Stop? Yes
Lighting Information:
There is a lot of natural light during
the day time and golden hour so
long as the day is not overcast.
Sound Information:
There is only very quiet background
noise, nothing intrusive.
Power Information:
There are many near by access points
to mains power supply.
Hazards:
There are a lot of tripping hazards.
Solutions:
Bounce boards can be used to
redirect light, and artificial lights to
add to what is available.
Solutions:
Apart from dialogue, none of the
sound has to be shot at the same time
as the visuals.
Solutions:
Have back-up batteries for every
piece of lighting and recording
equipment.
Solutions:
Walk slowly and thoughtfully, not
rushing or messing around.
DISCUSS POTENTIAL ISSUES + SOLUTIONS
There are a number of things that will be relied upon in the shoots. These are the
locations, the lead actor, and the cameo extras.
The cameo extras, and their availability or their cancelling at the last minute, are the
easiest to plan contingency for. As they are inconsequential to the plot and feature so
briefly, anybody can fill their places. I will ask more friends than I will need to be
free on the shoot day that extras are needed.
The locations, also, can easily be swapped out. For the eventuality of the planned
locations being unexpectedly inaccessible, I have planned alternative shooting days
in secondary, back up locations.
These alternative shooting days are also the contingency plan in the eventuality that
there are issues with my main actor, such as sickness.