LO1: Short film Treatment - Single Use Sheffield

Single Use Sheffield Treatment

The short film 'Single Use Planet' is a documentary genre short film that will focus on the plastic waste in Sheffield and have informative elements about how we can help to change our lifestyles to accommodate the crisis of single use plastic and everyday unrecyclable products.

We will approach this subject with a youthful point of view, the point of view of the younger generation that are having to petition to make politicians understand the importance of change. The subject of climate change is so relevant right now in politics and current news that this documentary will be at the forefront of the crisis and we will analyse and inform the audience on the problem and how to reduce plastic entering the environment.

As mentioned previously I am creating a documentary in the short film requirements, the documentary will include interviews and Vox-pops to ensure that the non-fiction genre is really clear to the audience watching.

The people and human element of the film will be included in interviews, Vox-pops and narrative dialogue, the interview in the film will be conducted with the owner of the Bare Alternative, this being a zero waste shop in Sheffield that promotes zero waste shopping e.g bringing your own containers with dispenser units. 

Having interviews with people in Sheffield who are actively trying to make a change will demonstrate to the audience that this is an effort that everyone needs to partake in, the interviewee will be guided with open ended questions such as 'What do you do in a day to day basis to reduce plastic', this will create a detailed answer and ensure that the content is keeping the audience interested throughout.
I want to include charities and organisation into the documentary to demonstrate the urgency of the topic and the ways donations could be given to further increase the positive impact the documentary could carry.

The narrative that the documentary will follow will be a mixture of informative and non-fictional information, we will have a narrative in the background that will depict events that have lead up to the state of irreversible pollution we have created, and after this introduction I want to demonstrate how Sheffield as a location can battle the problem as a community. To achieve this I will film many opening shots demonstrating overflowing bins, polluting trains and plastic packaging this demonstrating that the problem isn't far from home and impacts can be seen worldwide this will hopefully appeal to the audience to start taking on board tips and and information given in the short film.
To film the short documentary I will be working in a group of 4, this will enable the big filming task to be split and managed with more care, the documentary wont include any of the group as actors and the group will act as a filming crew throughout the production.
Mia Bellamy, Mia Rehman and Beau Longley will form my group, we all have a similar interest in the topic of global warming due to the lack of a sustainable future we all face.
To create the end product we will need equipment for our production and post production stages, we will need a DSLR camera this will be either a Cannon 350 or a Sony 4K, its important that we use a DLSR camera to ensure HD quality and the best focus possible.
Alongside the cameras I will also need a tripod, this will be used for panning shots and keeping the camera level whilst recording shots, this will be very important to once again ensure a  professional  outcome for the film.
I will also needed smaller equipment such as SD cards and changeable lenses, to have changeable lenses will be crucial to keep the audience engaged due to the varying shots. To create this variety of shots I will ensure i have lenses such as a macro, wide angle and even more alternative lenses such as a fish eye lens.

For post production I also need specific equipment such as software like Adobe Premier and Photoshop, this will ensure that in editing stages of the film I can add editing elements such as jump-cuts, CGI titles and end credits and other effects that will allow the short film to contain conventions of the documentary genre.
Due to the short film's narrative surrounding pollution in the city of Sheffield, locations that the film will be shot in will be around Sheffields city centre and most polluted areas.
Specific locations are Park Hill Flats, Sheffield Amphitheatre and areas of the city centre that are known to be decayed and littered, the aim is to show the audience that this is a problem that involves everyone, no one is exempt form the dangers of global warming and its happening in every town and city, by using well known places in Sheffield this will allow the audience to recognise and identify with the places filmed.
Filming in locations such as Sheffield Amphitheatre allows great views of the city that can be easily recognised and would be great visuals whilst accompanied with a narrative overlaid, alongside this idea I want to start my introduction off with shots of CO2 being produced in Sheffield and plastic in natural environments such as rivers.
Locations where I could find this visual aid could be places such as Sheffield Train Station and river openings around Sheffield city centre.

Here is a production schedule that I have created to help with the production of the short film, as you can see the three different colours are placed to demonstrate the three stages of production e.g pre/production/post.
I have added headings such as time frame and milestones to allow me to work on my time management throughout the project.
I have also placed contingencies and resources so I am fully prepared to carry out the activities without any disruptions this being key to being efficient and producing the best product possible.