Evaluation – Final Major Production

For my final production I decided to make a short film and my

course has also made rules such as showing no type of nudity
no bad language specifically cussing and things of that nature,
which I kept at the back of my head moving forward. I
specifically did a multi genre and that included the following
genres:

 Crime
 Thriller
 Mystery
The reason why I chose to do three genres instead of one was
because I wanted to challenge my self and I took some
inspirations from the TV series “Dexter” which actually
included the genres that I did for my short film and much more
as seen below:

It took me quite a long time to come up with Ideas but once I focussed and did a little research, I came up with quite
a lot of them but settled for 3 ideas. My first idea was about a group of skilled hackers discover some very dark
information on the government and plan to blackmail them to make a fortune. They will try and outsmart security
systems and plan out virtual heists to get what they want which is the money, this was going to be a thriller & crime
but didn’t go for it because it felt quite simple and basic when it came to stuff like nice en scene, and I was
struggling to figure out how I was going to make this entertaining for the audience. Next it was a science fiction
short film about a group of teenagers find a time machine hidden in one their parent’s basement which they were not
allowed to go but went anyway as curiosity got the best them and so they go back through time and come back to the
present time in a middle of war which they started. The problem about this idea was that I was going to find it way
too difficult to record and edit as it was going to have to involve a lot of CGIS a field that I am completely clueless
about, so that left me with my last Idea which was originally only a mystery & drama about a suburban
neighbourhood is recently scared by a mysterious event, and so the teenagers from that neighbourhood decides to
work together to find out the truth. As they find out each other’s secrets they find out that one of them is a psycho
killer this was my favourite Idea out of the bunch but still send through survey’s, putting together some focus groups
also to determine y final Idea.
After sending my survey to a couple people I asked them which idea they preferred out of the three and rate
them from 1 to 5 stars. After analysing the graph my audience seemed to enjoy my 2 nd idea best which is a
about the suburban neighbourhood and my personal favourite too and about 42.9% gave it a 5-star rating
which meant that I now had to take the idea forward and develop it, but I still had to be a 100% sure about my
idea so I did a focus group on my ideas. What I got from the focus group for my 1st idea was maybe adding
more depth to it when it comes to the background, setting, location and how am I actually going to showcase
how am going to blackmail the government and I also need to give my protagonist a bit more depth. (gotta
complete here and website)
 I than done some in depth primary research and asked my target audience a couple of things to help
me out with my production. I asked them stuff like how old my target audience is which helped me
understand the type of humour and entertainment which suits me very well because I am also a
teenager. I than asked them if they ever heard of a multi genre and most of my target audience said
yes which made things easier for my production to be much more appreciated because of its
complexity. I than asked them to give me any examples of a multi genre film or series and got results
like Parasite, Shaun of the dead, Alien 3 and Zombieland which are actually quite similar in genres to
what my production is.

I also asked my target audience if they knew or heard

of any serial killers (fiction or non-fiction) and got
results like:

 Dexter
 Jack the Ripper
 Ted bunny
 Jefferey Dahmer
 Bundy
 Jason
This helped in my production and secondary research
as it helped develop my protagonist further and found
out serial killers’ motivations, there psychology and
their impact on society and I took a lot of inspirations
from those serial killers specifically Dexter and his
whole dark passenger thing which I did implement in
my production but feel like I could have done so much
more better in certain scenes of my film.

The genres I researched and used in my production were crime, mystery, and thriller. I used crime in my production
to showcase the torturing and killings in my film which I honestly think I could have shown more of. I also included
mystery in my production which I feel like I successfully presented in my production.
Especially when it came to colour grading which is why during my production specifically my improved one is
mostly grey dull colours which I feel like it agave it that eery look that most mystery film and series have like
the foggy streets of London in Sherlock Holmes stories which creates an atmosphere of mystery & danger that
is almost uneasy and perfect for my short film and I feel like my audience appreciated what I did. The last
genre included in my production was thriller which I think I successfully included in my production especially
when it came to my music selection throughout the short film and also had a theme song for my serial killer/
protagonist which was “Stone Garden” by The Psycho Realm and I picked this song because it had a very dark
message and sound to it that went very well with my short film.

I believe that one of my strong suits is definitely music and sound selection but still feel like I could have
added a variety of other sounds and maybe add foley sounds that would have probably made my production
even better.
Moving on to my teacher’s feedback on my short film was to change the song on loop which I did and
improved by lowering it and fading in and out specifically for my protagonist’s theme song I also got told to
lower the screams as they were too loud especially when being played somewhere with big speakers and also
got told that. The colour grading used on Kyle (Shay) to showcase his in thoughts and psyche was too red and
probably didn’t showcase what I wanted to showcase which was to be in the killers state of mind and know
what he was thinking, so as an improvement instead of having a red colour grade I added bars whenever he
was talking in his head and sort of gave it an effect where the background is black and white as Kyle (Shay)
does his dialogue which I feel like works better.
My film analysis really helped me get an understanding of what I want my film to look like films like
American psycho set back in the 1980’s which is about a man named Patrick Bateman who is part of
the high-end class in society that think are superior to the rest and the main characters is a sadistic
serial killer. The cinematography in American psycho shows various camera angles to enhance themes
of detachment and isolation which is also what I tried to do in my production by having quite a lot of
scenes in a forest which is an isolated area or in a basement which is an isolated area. The POV shots
used in the film American psycho places the audience in Bateman’s perspective, creating a sense of
unease in his actions which I also tried to recreate in my short film and I also used the POV of the
victim Kane (Jamie) to intensify the seriousness of what’s happening. I also tried to use close up shots
like the film “The silence of the lambs” as they frequently used them to capture the intense emotions
and psychological state of the characters, particularly Clarice and Hannibal Lecter. By focusing very
closely on their faces as I did with Shays when his talking to himself which should make the audience
feel very uncomfortable and uneasy. In the film Se7en the camera angles also play a crucial role to set
the tone and atmosphere. The director would frequently use low angle shots to showcase the power
and dominance of a certain character which I tried to do when Adil (Tom) and Clayton (Willie) went
to the abandoned house.

The use of colour grading in the film “The silence of of the Lambs” is subtle but very effective and
that’s what I tried to convey in my short film. Demme used cool colours and I went from having a
bright red colour on my protagonist to a cool grey colour grade to showcase his psyche. The colour
grade In the film American psycho is just as cool and cold as “the silence of the lambs” However
some vibrant colours are used to highlight the lavish parties and expensive designer clothing. What all
these films have in common is that the colour pallets are all grey which rembles the bleak and
oppressive atmosphere for the film “se7en” or the sense of detachment and loneliness for the film
“The silence of the lambs” or the some of the vivid colours which serve as a symbol of superficiality
and materialism.
Improvements from my peers

“I think that you needed to add a beginning where its more obvious there’s a serial killer on the loose,
as I think it started from middle to end instead of start to end.”

“The scream sound effects clipped a little bit so make quieter I’d say.”

“Some of it was repeated and some around where to loud.”

“Have some clearer voice overs and maybe make the storyline longer (maybe go into why the serial
killer become a serial killer.”
I think that all these were great improvement suggestions. Two of my peers suggested that I should
have added some sort of backstory for my serial killer, and I must say I completely agree with that
statement. Including a backstory would have provided a deeper understanding of Shay’s (kyle)
motivations and psychological state. This addition could have significantly prolonged the length of
my short film, which would have allowed better character development and maybe a connection with
the character and also a better plot. Furthermore, the twist I was aiming for would have been ten times
more impactful too as it would have given the audience more context. Another suggestion was that the
scream sound effects were too loud. This was also pointed out by one of my teachers, which
emphasises the importance of audio and sound in any type of production. Loud sounds can actually
shake the audience and interrupt the audience’s concentration towards the film. Recognising this, I
made sure to adjust and improve the sound levels in my new and improved production. By ensuring
that the scream sound effects were at an appropriate volume, I was able to maintain the tension and
suspense without overwhelming the audience. Additionally, I accidently included the same clip twice
in the original version of my short film. This mistake likely happened because I did not give myself
enough time at the start of my editing week, which unfortunately lead to a rushed production. This
mistake highlighted the critical importance of careful planning and time management. To prevent this
from happening in the future, I need to ensure that I allocate sufficient time for each stage of editing.
Incorporating these improvements has already made a noticeable difference in my ne production.
Adjusting the scream sound effects has created a more pleasant experience, maintaining tension
without overwhelming the audience and by giving myself more time to edit I was able to correct my
mistakes, resulting in a more polished final product.

Strengths from my peers

“I liked the introduction scene down the road, giving us an establishing shot”.
“Panning and tracking shots”.
“Very good camera work and goof work on the sound after something happened.”
“Close up shots”.
“I liked the colouring”.
“Quick snappy cuts and sound effects”
“The colour grading and how you used the running away and panting with camera”.
“The music and cuts”.
What I got from all those things that I did well in is that my introduction scene, featuring an
establishing shot down the road before my new and improved edit, which is now just some footage, I
created on Canva to get a cool introduction to my film which I think I did very well in, as shown
below this actually reflects my production perfectly as It has a very dark and

unsettling aura to it. My panning shots were

also very liked by my peers it was used in
mostly the whole production and that was
because I wanted to add panning shots as a
auteur signature of mine as I feel like that Is a
skill I am very close to mastering and my
tracking shots were also loved and I feel like I
did well in when Shay was chasing Adil
(Tom) through the woods as POV which I
must say looked great in my honest opinion.
Another thing that my

Peers liked was my close-up shots which I used as a powerful tool to highlight Shay’s (kyle)
emotions specifically when he is talking to himself. In a thriller, they can be used to focus on a
character’s fearful or serious expressions, in my short film I feel like the close-up shots draw the
audience’s attention to Shay’s thoughts which is a crucial part of the story. This not only enhances
the emotional impact of shay’s psyche but also aids in portraying my film and its narratives. Colour
grading was also one of my strengths which I feel like played a significant role in my production
apart from the bit where say is too red before it got improved but apart from that I feel like my
colour grading played a significant role in setting the mood and atmosphere of my film. It evoked
the right feeling that I wanted to showcase in my film which was a sense of dread, confusion and
hope which I feel like I could have done better by maybe having my killer have a backstory as my
peers clearly highlighted before as my improvement. But overall, the careful use of colour grading
can influence my audience’s perception making my film more immersive and emotionally resonant.
During my character research I looked into multiple serial killers, mostly serial killers from films and
I tried to use Hannibal Lecter’s savagery in my production. I showcased this in my short film by
getting Shay (Kyle) to cut off Kane’s (Jamie) hand off as a form of torture and showcases shay’s
(Kyle) savagery. I also tried to give Shay (Kyle) Norman Bates psychological complexity which if am
being honest don’t think I did well to represent it in my film, as Norman Bates had a very traumatic
upbringing which means he had some sort of backstory which I didn’t include in my film. I also used
Patrick Bateman’s character as an example of what I want my protagonist to have which was his 2
faced persona which I feel like I vaguely included in my film as Shay is seen and none of his friends
realise what he was at the start of my short film on the table scene. Another thing I regret not adding
in my production was having some sort of moral code for Shay (kyle) to have Like Dexter as it would
have made the audience root for him and have a better connection with and it would have also made
the audience question their own morals.
 In conclusion all these characters helped me create my protagonist/ serial killer as I added some of
these characteristics all together to make my own killer and make it my own.

I wanted to submit my short film into the London short festival film which is a competition that
happens each January and present up to 500 British and international films the submissions were open
to short films which was exactly what

I was doing. I also chose to do this competition

because all genres were accepted- Drama,
Thriller, Comedy, Horror, and Sci-fi which was
perfect as my short film included at least two or
three genres and it has to be under 45 min. I am
confident that I followed the competition
guidelines. My film is only about 5 minutes
long so I have definitely completed that rule.
One of the things that led me to pick this
competition was that the best UK short film
award winner will receive a £1000 cash prize
and a special mention runner-up will receive
£500 towards their next project. I believe that
my original

Film stood no chance of winning the competition as it was rushed but I am confident that I do have a
chance with my new and improved short film to make it as a runner up and have a chance to earn those
£500 I’ll say the only thing to let me down would be the length of my short film as it is only about 5
min long whereas most of my classmates are about 10 min.
Overall, I feel like I have achieved my goal creating a mystery, crime and thriller short film that kept the
audience interested in the plot. I feel like I did well in a lot areas such as:

 The establishing shot

 The Panning and tracking shots

 The good camera angles

 Close up shots

 The colouring

 Quick snappy cuts and sound effects

 The colour grading and how it affected the scene

But I also got my negatives which are:
  Not having some sort of backstory of a serial killer

 Having some repeated clips

 Colour grade not looking great on my original

 Might have been too short of a production.

Even though I am going to go to university am not going to be doing anything related to this subject
as I want to do something that would make good use of a skill set that am very proud of and that
would be my multilingual skill, so instead of doing something with media am going to be doing
international business which should be a step closer to my dream of becoming an interpreter in the
future. I am very proud with my second year Final major Project. I have enjoyed the course but also
found it stressful at times. I have learnt a lot of skills such as writing scripts, making storyboards, and
editing on premiere pro. This project has allowed me to showcase s]my skillset that I have learnt in
the past 2 years.