Change of plans

After having a word with Jon, Rachel and I came to the conclusion the project would be easier to finish if it was filmed in my house, instead of Rachael's. The storyboard might have to be modified slightly, but apart from that I think everythig should start falling itno place from now on.

Problems with our main actress

Our creative project was put on hold, since our main actor (Beth) has not been able to attend the filming sessions in the past weeks.
Due to this problem, Rachael and I have been obligated to get another actress.

The end

After reading out the possible endings to random people, and asking for their opinion, I have come to the conclusion that the 'blender story' is better for our creative project for several reasons. One, it is an interesting ending, all shorts need a twist, or something to get the audience's attention, and Rachael and I believe that cutting her hands off works very well for that. Also, it is an ending relatively simple to achieve, and fun to make.

Second thoughts...

Rachael and I are planning to start filming on this coming weekend (15th-17th of November). The filming will be done in Rachael's house and garden.

But after having a chat with Jon Towson, we aren't sure anymore if our project will be an extract from a full length film, or a short film in itself.
If it was to become an extract, the synopsis and action plan would have to be completely re-done, which is why I think it's a better idea to stick with a short film.

An idea I had, if our creative project were to be a short film ,was to make it as though there would be a happy ending, with the main character and her friend (who, we've found out, also has a problem with stealing) getting on a bus to go to a clinic and get expert help. On the way there, they pass a clothes and accessories shop. They both see the shop, and then they look at each other. The screen goes black, and we hear a "beeeeep" (the sound the bus makes when you press the STOP button). We never know if the girls were the ones who pressed the button, and became stealing partners, or if they ended up getting help.
personally, I don't really like this plot, because I feel it won't have the desired impact on the audience. With this in mind, I thought of another possible ending:

The objective is to make it seem like the main character was sick of stealing, and, unable to get help from outside, she decides the only way she can stop her hands from grabbing anything they can reach, is to get rid of them. This ending, itself has two 'conclusions':

1. She finds this huge pressure press (I've looked for anything remotely similar on the internet, and it doesn't seem to exist, so it'll be hard to do this ending, but it'll be worth it if we do). The press goes up and down, once, say, every five seconds, making a horrendous noise every time it goes down. The main character observes the press for a while, plays with her hands, anxious and afraid, while the loud noises sound in intervals. In the end, we see her trembling hands (CU) moving closer to the press. just before the press goes down again, we see her nervous face (ECU, focusing on the eyes). Then, just when we hear the loud noise again, the screen goes black.
2. She gets a blending machine, and, using the same principals used in Reservoir Dogs (Q. Tarantino), when a police officer gets his ear cut off, we only see her turning on the machine, and slowly moving her hands towards it. The camera then looks away, and the audience is left with only the sound of the blender destroying her hands. This works nicely in two ways: one, the impact on the spectator is much greater if the he/she can't see what's going on, but is left with his/her imagination, which is normally a lot more gruesome, and the sound to guide it. And secondly, it means that the scene would be a lot easier to achieve, given that we don't have to actually blend somebody's hand, or even worse, try to fake it well enough to make it realistic. 

Creative Project Storyboard

Audience's expectations questionnaire

What does the word GREED mean to you?

Take the word greed, what would you expect a short film film to include just by this title?

What does this word mean to you?

What do you think about when you hear this word?

Do you think greed is completely negative?

What type of person would you think of when you hear the word greed?

Just because someone is portrayed as 'greedy' does this make them a bad person?

Do you think there is a positive element to greed?

Do you think people have control over greed?

Does greed necessarily mean having 'a lot' of materialistic things? 

Short film analysis by Rachael

The editing in this short film is key; it has all been slowed down to indicate the slow passing of time. This is because the woman is desperately waiting and trying to win over the 'rock monster' to gain food, therefore time is passing so slowly because his decision could go one way or another. It also creates tension when she walks over to the 'rock monster'. It is a strange looking beast and therefore the audience doesn't really know what to expect. It also enhances greater concentration on her movement, showing us how she is desperately trying to get food. Not only then, as the food falls down into her basket in slow motion, it almost makes it appear like a dream, it is as though she can't believe it has actually happened. 
The low angle of rock monster dominates the screen and indicates who has the power in the scene, indicating that the woman looks up to the rock monster and worships it. The panning shots and zooms in enable the audience to focus on the movements of the character and also her surrounding; indicating the poor conditions of her lifestyle which makes the struggle for food appear more detrimental. 
Her performance compliments how poor she actually is, it shows her desperation for food and shows us as an audience the struggle she is going through. Her facial expressions enhance the conditions which she lives in; connoting the desperation, this suggest how important it is that she gains food from the rock monster. That then creates more tension on whether or not she will actually get food or whether the rock monster will send her away. 
Using natural, warm colours within the mise-en-scene may suggest that the conditions which she lives in is overheated and abandoned; it could be why she is desperate for food. Along with the handmade clothes it suggests that she lives in a poorer country that can't afford food to feed their families which is why she becomes so desperate to get food from the rock monster. 
Creating tension is also done by the music, more tension is made when the non-diegetic sound becomes louder and deeper. It co-insides with how the main character is feeling as a decision from the rock monster is about to be made and therefore she becomes more paniced and nervous. 
All of this being done follows the conventions of the genre, Drama. Even though, like pencil face, it has fantasy eliments, it still indicates real life struggle of povety in 3rd world countries. It then creates an emtional response from the audience as we form an allegience with the character, hoping she will get the food she deserves. It also teaches us how difficult it is for some people to get food, whereas we as an audience can get food easily from a shop. 

-Rachael