Parent Permission

We had to construct a letter to send out to the students’ parents, to seek permission due to the video being published to the internet. We had to do this for legal issues, below is the draft in which we will send to the parents. 

Dear Parent/Carer,

We are writing to you as two students from the Ash Hill Academy Sixth Form. We will soon be staging a short film around the school and were hoping to use Y11 Media students as our actors. 

Once the film is finished, it will be published onto a private page, accessible by people with the link. This means that only Mrs Williams, the examiner and a small focus group will see the final project.

Please sign and return the below slip to grant your child permission to feature in this production.

Thank you,

Lauren Robinson & Georgia Berry

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hereby give permission for ___________________________ (Childs Name) to take part in the filming of the Media Short Film project. I understand that this will be seen by a small group of people and assessed for examination. 

___________________________ (Printed)             ___________________________ (Signed)

___________________________    (Date)

Due to the guidelines of the school board, we had to email the draft over to Mrs Cartright so she can read it through and change whatever she feels necessary. 

Script Draft

Here is mine and Co-Producer Georgia Berry’s draft of the dialog which is featured in the film. Now we just need to sit and format the script correctly. 

FADE IN:

EXT. SCHOOL GATE - MORNING

In the gloomy Doncaster village. A group of children prepare for another day of lessons at Ash Hill Academy.

The faceless character, a student at the school follows on behind.

V.O

(Hesitant and softly spoken)

I wonder what they are talking about. Are they talking about me? Of course they’re not, they probably don’t even know I’m here. They are probably planning a party, another one I’m not invited to. I want to go to a party.

CAMERA PANS UP SLIGHTLY UNTIL IT COMES TO AN ABRUPT STOP INFRONT OF A GATE CRASHING SHUT.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOOR – MORNING

Deep in the school, students frantically run past each other in a rush to get to class.

V.O

(Absentmindedly and irritated)

Move, move, excuse me, move, gonna be late, got to get to…

IN A RUSH A BOY KNOCKS SHOULDERS WITH MC.

V.O

(Surprised and annoyed)

Ouch. Really? No apology?

CUT TO:

INT. CLASSROOM – MORNING

In a classroom, students gather for a discussion on Of Mice and Men.

MRS WILLIAMS, an English teacher in her early 40’s. Walks into her lesson and puts down her things.

MRS WILLIAMS

(Confused but in an authoritive tone)

What are we doing? Oh yeah, Of Mice and Men.

Tragic ending. Thoughts?

MAIN CHARACTER RAISES HAND, MRS WILLIAMS LOOKS AT EVERYONE AND IGNORES THE MAIN CHARACTER.

KELSEY, a self-absorbed popular girl, selfishly thinks that her opinion is more important than that of other people.

KELSEY

(Spoken confidently, cutting off the main character)

Well miss, I think that…

V.O

(Dishearten and disappointed)

That’s the last time I make an effort. Am I invisible or something? Does my opinion not matter?

EXT. SPIAL – AFTERNOON

Students gather round in groups at dinner time while they catch up with their friends.

MAIN CHARACTER sits with their friends but does not interact, instead being preoccupied with their thoughts.

V.O

(Frantically thinking)

What’s so funny over there? Maybe more party planning. Maybe they’re telling stories. Maybe she’s telling the story about me, she’s probably proud of it, thinking she’s done a good deed. Well maybe she shouldn’t be so rude next time.

CUT TO:

INT. COMMON ROOM – AFTERNOON

Congregated inside the common room, students continue to plan the weekend party. 

KELSEY

So girls, I got this new dress at the weekend. I think that I’ll wear it Friday night. What’re your outfit plans?

 The four girls all start talking over one another.

MAIN CHARACTER

(Louder than expected)

Huh, pyjamas.

The group of girls turn around and look directly into the camera.

KELSEY

(Confused and surprised)

Wait, what?

MAIN CHARACTER

(Startled and embarrassed)

Oh, noting. I was just talking to myself. It was a joke, see, because I’m not invited? Never mind…

KELSEY

Not invited? Of course you are, it’s an open invitation. Friday, 8 o’clock Joes house. See you there?

Risk Assessment

Before filming "think." the short film, we were required to do a risk assessment on the shown locations and how we would fix the hazards which were in place. I took the time to risk asses the designated classroom and corridor. 

And my co producer Georgia risk assessed the metal gate outside and common room. For the tables, please visit http://georgiaberrymedia.blogspot.co.uk/

To come find a solution to possible health and safety hazards, I had to email the site manager Tim Butterly to inform him on the problems and seeking help to come to a solution.

Script Writing

The progression of script writing

When it came to writing the first draft of the script, both me and Georgia spent an equal amount of time into coming up with the idea.

It was a struggle, leading to us both laid in the middle of an empty class room and brainstorming with what is going to happen during the film.

Firstly we decided on the location, how we will portray the character and how we will use the lack of dialog to make it have an impact on the audience. 

The voice over was the easy part when coming to the film but the rest, such as other characters and their actions took the longest amount of time.

But we both came up with the ideas and drafted it together. 

Script draft

FADE IN:

EXT. SCHOOL GATE - MORNING

In the gloomy Doncaster village. A group of children prepare for another day of lessons at Ash Hill Academy.

The faceless character, a student at the school follows on behind.

V.O

(Hesitant and softly spoken)

I wonder what they are talking about. Are they talking about me? Of course they’re not, they probably don’t even know I’m here. They are probably planning a party, another one I’m not invited to. I want to go to a party.

CAMERA PANS UP SLIGHTLY UNTIL IT COMES TO AN ABRUPT STOP INFRONT OF A GATE CRASHING SHUT.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOOR – MORNING

Deep in the school, students frantically run past each other in a rush to get to class.

V.O

(Absentmindedly and irritated)

Move, move, excuse me, move, gonna be late, got to get to…

IN A RUSH A BOY KNOCKS SHOULDERS WITH MC.

V.O

(Surprised and annoyed)

Ouch. Really? No apology?

CUT TO:

INT. CLASSROOM – MORNING

In a classroom, students gather for a discussion on Of Mice and Men.

MRS WILLIAMS, an English teacher in her early 40’s. Walks into her lesson and puts down her things.

MRS WILLIAMS

(Confused but in an authoritive tone)

What are we doing? Oh yeah, Of Mice and Men.

Tragic ending. Thoughts? You. Go.

MRS WILLIAMS points at MAIN CHARACTER

MAIN CHARACTER

(Fidgeting and hesitantly)

Oh, uhm, me? Ok, I think uhm George…

KELSEY, a self-absorbed popular girl, selfishly thinks that her opinion is more important than that of other people.

KELSEY

(Spoken confidently, cutting off the main character)

Well miss, I think that…

V.O

(Dishearten and knocked down)

I didn’t want to speak but that was just disrespectful. In her privileged mind she probably thinks she was doing me a favour. Who does she think she is?