LO1: Synopsis of top ideas

Idea 1 : Stainless Steel

In this documentary I would explore Sheffield's heritage and discover the reason why Sheffield is the 7th largest city in the UK, in this documentary I would include several establishing shots of the Steel Steps of Sheffield, graffiti that includes cutlery and metal used in Sheffield.
I would interview elderly people who used to be a key part of Sheffield's Steel scene and for them to involve aspects of the Sheffield Blitz and depict how big Steel was in the making of Sheffield.

Idea 2 : Sheffield Blitz 

For this idea I would look at the history of Sheffield during WW2, Sheffield was heavily bombed due to its manufacturing of stainless steel that was used in creating machinery. I would explore how Sheffield has re built itself after the heavy bombing but would also include clips of the bombing to demonstrate the contrast of the Sheffield Landscape. I would use interviews with Sheffield Seniors that were around in the Sheffield Blitz and would get a first account of the events.

Ideas 3 :Green Spaces 

Another idea I think would work really well is looking at Sheffield's green spaces and the city's attempt at becoming a greener and environmentally friendlier city.
I would speak to the friends of Norfolk park and would get some really nice establishing shots in high peaks of Sheffield demonstrating the green space.
This documentary could also cover more environmental tips and be more instructive looking at places in Sheffield where you could improve your waste and plastic usage.

Idea 4 : Environmental issues 

Sheffield's environmental problems, looking at the city centre and the rubbish around it, giving advice on how to improve everyday activities with the environment in mind and visiting zero waste shops in Sheffield. The premises of the video will be on how to improve your lifestyle to save on plastic and to help the environment in day to day actions.
Sheffield  is known as one of the greenest cities therefore I want to include this into the documentary.

LO1: Short Film ideas mindmap

LO1: Short Film Analysis

SCI-FI

 - Sight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK_cdkpazjI

In this short film we see a range of techniques used, its genre is sci-fi and this is very clear immediately with the visual effects used very early on, we see the protagonist surrounded by a blue 3D graphics that create visuals that only the audience and protagonist can see. The use of bright blue 3D graphics allows the audience to immediately understand the sci-fi genre, the use of the colour blue also creates connotations of  a futuristic and dystopian future. The narrative of the video is that now many apps and games are accessed through sight and are seen through contact lenses, this engages the audience as its an interesting concept of technology in the future however not too unrealistic to make it fantasy-like.

We are introduced to the main character as we watch him complete tasks using the  contact lenses to help him cook/work out and even interact with people. 

The narrative of the story develops as we see that he is going on a date, on the date we see that he is using the event to heighten his score on a dating app, this is later uncovered by the date after they both return to his apartment after she tries to leave we then see the protagonist access her mind and force her to stay leaving the short film on a dark cliff hanger and creating a very ominous tone for the film.

The camerawork and editing used in the video is very important to ensure that the story line is developed and perceived by the audience, we begin to see different perspectives from the characters in the short film and this is done to demonstrate the technology and really emphasis all the additional support they are receiving off their technology, this is important as the audience can truly understand particular motives and movements made as well as the dependancy the characters have formed around the technology which is almost an ironic nudge to the dependancy we have to technology and social media that you see on a day to day basis, the story line is almost placed as a warning about the development of technology and how it could be used as a weapon.

COMEDY 

- Rope a Dope

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5xAbp1SW5c

Rope a Dope is a comedy short film where we see the characters day reset every time he gets knocked unconscious, the film grows in comedy as we see the protagonist train to beat bullies who are knocking him unconscious, the film is  a light-hearted and the main character becomes very loveable as you see him change over the duration of the video.
The narrative is clever enough to keep you engaged but simple enough for it to be understood by a range of audiences, the characters are very distinctive which is generic to comedy where the clear roles of protagonist and antagonist are defined immediately.
The short film begins the film with an unlikely protagonist, we see his bedroom which is made up of bare mattresses and his fridge is full of leftovers, this is isn't a conventional protagonist due to him appearing lazy and unbothered however this allows the audience to form a loveable attachment to him as we see him trying to better himself and we see a more meaningful journey as he trains to beat the bullies.
In looking at camerawork we see a range of shots and angles, the clever use of the camerawork is that every-time the protagonist gets knocked out we see the exact same shots to demonstrate his repeated actions, theres a range of camerawork and shots used to keep the viewer engaged and interested we see many different levels of shots e.g we see a pan of his walking feet cut to an establishing pan, the contrast between these shots keeps the audience enticed to watching the protagonists actions.
The editing of the video is majority of jump cuts, this allows the audience to witness time passing without losing interest of watching excessive amounts of similar footage.
The short film has quite simple editing in comparison to Sight, it has been filmed very seamlessly therefore the editing is mainly the cuts from scene to scene however this is done well and the plot is very easy to follow and understand.
The end of the plot being that the bully gets knocked out and he also is in this seemingly never ending loop of his day being reset due to him being knocked unconscious, this brings context to why he is so quick to fight anyone that slightly threatens him and allows the film to end on a plot twist but adding context to the plot allowing the viewer to feel fulfilled in terms of narrative.

DRAMA 

- Hit it and Quit it 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGNXQuzOvI0&app=desktop

The drama called Hit it and Quit it depicts a messy breakup between two American teens, we see the protagonist Vanessa parked outside her ex boyfriends house whilst trying to make him come out and talk to him, we see her leaving a flurry of voicemails showing that the breakup was not civil and they are not on great terms. 

In this relatable narrative we see Vanessa vent her frustrations on voicemails to her ex Art, the protagonist seems at this point quite needy and obsessive and this is further secured by the accompanied editing in which we see various jump cuts to different voicemails she's leaving and the change of emotions she's going through, the jump-cuts demonstrate the amount of messages left and the time that has passed this also creates a comedic element to the short film as the change of emotions is very contrasting.

The narrative then changes as a confrontation between Vanessa and Art means that Vanessa finally gets the message she's not wanted and she should leave however as she's leaving she runs over Art's dog, whilst we see this we see a range of shot types demonstrating Vanessa's emotions and how frustrated she is. The lighting in this particular scene is very dark and relies on silhouettes to show Vanessa's actions, this connotes her sadness and confusion for the audience.

As Vanessa runs over the dog we see this scene from a low angle and almost from the perspective of the dog, this allows more than one perspective in the movie and keeps the audience engaged due to the variety of shots.

The characterisation of Vanessa deepens throughout the film and by the end of the film we see her in a more caring nature and this makes the viewer understand more about her full personality and this acts as an excuse for her earlier actions. 

DOCUMENTARY/SPORTS

- The Ridge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ_IQS3VKjA&t=9s

This documentary outlines Danny MacaSkills amazing cycling ability, we are introduced to Danny by seeing him rowing to a remote island. This brings intrigue to the video and poses the question of where is he going to the viewer, this automatically creates a pull and engages the viewer. There is no dialogue throughout the video and we hear a Scottish themed music to represent the location that he is being shot in.
We see a huge range of shots and nearly every shot is included in the video, we see lots of drone footage and the varied shots keep the short film exciting, this is important as the basis of the film is watching Danny cycle without the mix up of shots this could become tedious and boring for the audience due to the lack of dialogue or narrative.
The shots also include photography techniques such as shallow and deep depth of fields, this is a technique used to make the viewer focus on certain aspects for example we see shallow depth of field when Danny is rowing across to the island, the focus is on the water which contains seals and otters, the editor wants the viewer to focus on the sea-life therefore the back of Dannys head isn't in focus demonstrating to the audience the lack of importance.
We see shots such as close ups on the bike tyres this demonstrating the fine skill Danny has in judgement, we see the bike tyres on narrow ledges such as tree branches and on uneven rocks the close-ups are placed with definite purpose to show this dangerous path, the dangerous element which is further outlined by the close up adds tension and excitement to the video this keeping the viewer engaged and nervous to see if he completes the video safely, this is a hooking technique to entice and keep viewers entertained throughout this none narrative documentary short film.
The editing of the video is like rope-a-dope, its not incredibly noticeable and because the main focus of the video is in the videos filmed and not in added 3D graphics or CGI this allows the filming to be more obvious than the editing, this is very stereotypical for documentary short films due to normally the main focal points are in the footage rather than it being added in post production.

DOCUMENTARY

- A Place like this 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_WzVVndUCY

This documentary 'A place like this' is focused on an old WW2 veteran who has created a beautiful garden after seeing horrors of the war.
The documentary opens with shots of establishing shots of the garden alongside sounds of wildlife and birds, this opening gives a very serene connotation to the viewer and they expect this tranquil ambience to be continued throughout the rest of the video.
After establishing shots of a garden we then hear dialogue of an old man, this narrative then depicts the things he witnessed in the war, the huge contrast of stories of death and violence in comparison to the peaceful noises of wildlife and accompanying music is acknowledged by the audience with emotions of both melancholy and admiration of Alex's happiness he has found after such a traumatic experience.
The lighting in the clips vary from a warm sunset to daylight, the fact that the narration is taking place in the daylight demonstrates the contemplation and consideration Alex is feeling for the comrades he's speaking about.
We see many insert shots of Alex's hands whilst he's telling his story, these shots are placed so the audience can understand how the terrors of the war are still apparent in Alex's life and he cant speak about it without an ease of discomfort.
We do see a vary of camerawork throughout the clips shown, we see a vary of shots which is important as especially whilst shooting nature this can be get dull if all the footage is similar, at one specific point we see a worm eye view of the tree above, this shot gives a huge contrast to shots from an eye-line view which is used to film Alex whilst he's narrating.
The editing of the documentary is done very purposefully, the audio of the video is a continuous narration from Alex however we see cuts from Alex's interview to shots of his garden this combination allows his story to have more meaning as we see that Alex has finally got his dream of having a garden when many of friends didn't make it out of the war alive, this adds sadness and admiration that the audience feels for Alex.