Since 2024, until now, I have made notable progress within the development of my work, and this alone has stood as an achievement for me. However, these projects helped me to individually achieve my specific goals;
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-The Unit 8 FMP from the 1st year of my course was my first short film, and it had introduced me to filmmaking.
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-The Unit 9 Audiovisual project from the 2nd year of my course was my latest short film and helped me to perfect my application of skills.
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-The Unit 12 project was a contextual research project and allowed me to develop my knowledge of cinema.
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-My second short film was created during Summer 2024, outside of college – It is my longest final product to date.
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-Finally, I had creative media work experience during the Summer of 2024 with CCEA, and it had allowed me to further develop my technical skills.
I have great strengths that have only improved since the beginning of this course – such as visual storytelling, editing, directing, and planning.
However, with these strengths, I still have weaknesses that I plan to dedicate my time to focus on – these include audio, character, writing, marketing/distributing, and audience engagement.
I have a lot of fresh knowledge that I have acquired and improved on to date that include:
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-Technical skills/knowledge – Camera, lighting, editing, design​
-Creative skills/knowledge – Storytelling, style, aesthetics, symbolism​
-Personal skills/knowledge – Budgeting, time managing, leadership, & resilience
Some existing knowledge that has influenced my project proposal would include:
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-Directors (and their existing material, like Billy Wilder and Stanley Kubrick)
-Classic cinema (Around 1940s-1960s)
-Phenomenology, which is the study of experience itself
-Theology and mysticism
-And psychology, the focus of mental being
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Each of these that have allowed me to strengthen my vast knowledge have also led me to specifically construct a story within a short film that is represented of their material and complex concepts that I have taken and adapted from them.
Concept – (15-20 minutes) story circulated around hypothetical catastrophe – ‘Everlasting darkness’, which is metaphorical for one man’s spiritual journey. Shot all at night. Depicts theology and phenomenology through symbols, shots, and messages.
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Aims – To educate, relate to, and engage with an audience, deliver an impactful/meaningful message, and to express individual style.
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Format – Audio-visual short film story
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Genre – Mystery, psychological thriller, romance fiction – Heavy focus on ‘psychological’ itself
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Location – Forest at night-time and dark interiors, and the ocean at the ending to symbolise the unconscious mind and its unexplored depths.
Cast – Preferably minimal, around 3-5 people – For time-efficiency and focus of individual characters
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Crew – Preferably minimal again, yet still comfortable and efficient, so around 3
Atmospheric style – Mysterious, enigmatic, symbolic, philosophical, theological, spiritual, and mystical
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Cinematography style – Dark, contrast, long shots, use of layered editing, mesmerising, beautiful, and grandiose
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USP/Appeal – It’s a story that stands out due to its cryptic nature of deep meaning and unique themes that’s symbolic of an individual’s spiritual and psychological journey. Use of meaning, change of environment, style, symbolism, and experimentation.
For my project, I understand that I must outline potential concerns that may be apparent within my audience or production plan before proceeding with its creation.
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1st Concern = Obscurity within story, topic, and themes.
Solution = Plenty of clarity at the end of the story, with a relaxed pace which allows the story to finally be taken in and understood.
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2nd Concern = After considering the dark and cryptic themes, it may not be suitable for an audience that wants to be entertained.
Solution = The story will be unpredictable and thrilling. Just because it won’t be funny, doesn’t mean that it can’t entertain and engage with an audience, and leave a great impact.
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3rd Concern = Style will be influenced by classic cinema, which may be unappealing to some, especially those my age.
Solution = Continue to be ambitious with classic inspirations which will improve the aspect of my work that makes it unique and different – Which will help to interest the audience, as it will stand out.
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4th Concern = The story involves a plenitude of knowledge that may not be known to all.
Solution = Specifically craft my work to help involve all this information/knowledge in a way that easily educates the audience.
Before my assigned proposal and pitch, I put a lot of thought into compiling different materials such as beginning inspiration collecting, thought gathering, and analysis of research.
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-I took many notes over two months to understand topics and themes that I want to replicate within my work.
-I gathered a lot of inspiration including movies, songs, and imagery.
-I decided on three different books to begin the topic research for my project. These books include:
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-‘Phenomenology’, by Chad Engelland – It’s an introduction to phenomenology and its thesis, antithesis, and synthesis belonging to writers that expertise in that area.
-‘Critique of Pure Reason’, by Immanuel Kant – Infamously well-known for its difficult comprehension, clarity, or understanding, it further goes into precise description of phenomenology and its applicable presence into the world in which we experience, and don’t experience.
-‘The Ego & The Id’, by Sigmund Freud – Discusses the mental states within the mind; unconscious, preconscious, and unconscious, which compose the ego, superego, and the id.
The preferences and expectations are initially difficult to outline, however, by applying a brief understanding of who I am delivering my project to, it is as follows:
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-Using the technique of ‘Hypodermic Needle Theory’ – The idea that presented media has a direct and powerful influence left on the audience, whether this be subliminal or disguised. This theory is oppositional to the technique I used in my Unit 8 FMP; reception theory.
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-YouTube audience – Understanding the preferences and expectations of what this audience is likely to initially click on, and furthermore stay engaged with whilst watching.
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-A survey will allow me investigate the needs, preferences and expectations of my peers and tutors that are apart of my audience. I plan to fulfill specific preferences, but also exceed expectations of quality and impact.
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-I plan to also target an audience that is interested in spirituality as the theme and topic of my project will help to strongly resonate with them.
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-I naturally plan to cater towards the preferences and expectations of philosophy readers as they will be interested in both the inspiration, and formed concepts applied to my final product/message.
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-I also plan to cater towards the preferences and expectations of those that are classic film watchers, as they would have a strong interest within my style.
A few similar products that have inspired/influenced the beginning of my project planning include:
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-‘The Root of All Suffering (2024)’, by SchyGuyy – An impactful short film story that has existential and phenomenological themes to deliver a unique message, and also due to its unique style.
-‘2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)’, by Stanley Kubrick – A very powerful and outstanding film for it’s time. Philosophical/deep meaning and minimal cast. Desolate/enigmatic themes.
-‘Chinatown (1974)’, by Roman Polanski – Psychologically impactful, smooth pacing, and a well-known thriller. Also has great soundtrack.
-‘Twin Peaks (1989)’, by David Lynch – A series that has heavily impacted the inspiration of my project; nostalgia, emotionally-impact, obscurity, and that it’s incredibly symbolic.
For research and ideas that will support or catalyse the production of my project:
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-Delving into the thesis and antithesis of different philosophers that disagree with each other or have different ideas will help me to acknowledge my own understanding of what I agree with or what resonates with me to create my own synthesis on the matter.
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-Focusing and analysing on ‘Critique of Pure Reason’ by Kant will help to grow my understanding on what many find to be incomprehensible, furthermore setting apart my own work from others.
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-Director interviews to discover new skills and techniques that will be effective in the production of my project.
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-Furthermore, studying the concept of phenomenology will allow me to deliver the message and topic within the story in which it is vital towards the plot itself.
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-Understanding metaphysics and its involvement of being, intrinsic knowing, and perception links into the topic of phenomenology and will help me the furthermore understand it.
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-Researching and reading upon theology will help me to write the story for my project.
Here is my proposed timeframe for my project, composed with awareness of already set deadlines, and an understanding of my capabilities/work speed.
Some essential resources and equipment that will be necessary towards the development of my project include:
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- Equipment – Computer, internet, WIX, Studiobinder, camera, microphone, lighting
-Software – Premiere Pro, Audition, Photoshop, Word, PowerPoint
-Material – Props, costumes, furniture, makeup
- Skills I need – Directing, writing, editing, acting, cinematography
I strongly consider the impact that reflecting and evaluating my work has as it will allow me to understand my strengths and weaknesses, and how to grow or progress. How I will proceed with doing this is as follows:
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-Having a journal to update on the daily and writing a weekly evaluation to understand learning outcomes and my standard of work.
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-Using and updating a website to display and present my work to a high standard. Which will inspire me within itself to produce my work to a high standard as well.
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-I will acknowledge any collected feedback from my tutors to understand the quality standard, success and flaws of my work, and also keep them in mind for future projects. I also plan to create an end of project survey to gather thoughts and questions from my peers and tutors.
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-I plan to compare the intention (that will be evident within content of proposal, pitch, research, and pre-production) to the outcome of my work (the video itself, production, post-production, and evaluation).
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-The last thing that I want to attempt once again is festival submissions – This will allow me to understand if my work is of industry standard.
The assignment brief for this project states a clear objective for our aims during the stages of this creative media process. The scenario involves 'Creative Visions NI', in which they have welcomed the innovation of young creatives in Northern Ireland to submit their best work for the 2025 showcasing awards. This can be any kind of creative digital media format.
After looking at their website, it's apparent that Creative Visions NI is a hub dedicated to inspiring young creatives in NI, however, with the objective of this year's site being to showcase the work from students in SERC, Bangor, to a global audience.
They continue to explain that the deadline is May 2025, and they emphasise their encouragement of use of creativity, and to be able to showcase flair and talent for media production.
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Having the opportunity to have my work showcased and promoted on a platform accessible to a global audience is a great opportunity. My approach to this objective is to craft my production and final product to a very high standard and quality through each task (in which there is 7), and use the grading matrix and the learning criteria within the assignment brief alongside my work to ensure that I am producing media to the level of a distinction.
I will also strongly factor that Creative Visions NI should be strongly valued as a part of my target audience, and I should appeal to their platform and audience.