Screenplay | Blog post #7

How necessary is a screenplay for your type of production?

A screenplay isn’t really necessary for my project because the dialogue isn’t a big part of the short film. It is more focused on using camerawork and sounds to create the vibes of the story rather than the dialogue. Since the actions, camerawork and other specs can be displayed through a storyboard, the storyboard is much more essential than the screenplay.

At one point in planning the project, I even considered not adding any dialogue since the only thing I had ideas for was the action and I didn’t really know where to add the dialogue. But after thinking for a while, I found that the dialogue can add more emotions and information about the character which is why in the end, there’s still some dialogue in the screenplay.

Are you focusing more on dialogue or on plotting the action?

I am more focused on plotting the action. The action and its order are much more crucial to the story since there is little dialogue. The dialogue can be improvised however, the actions are very important for the overall story as well as the transitions between scenes.

I even started building the story from particular locations and actions that I felt would match the location. Adding dialogue was quite a challenge for me because it might ruin the story that I’m trying to build and can even not match the genre that I am aiming for. Unlike the actions, I had to edit and think about the dialogue a lot more. Since I still don’t have a clear idea of how and what to add to the dialogue to help with the overall story.

But after a while, I think I have figured out what I want to add to the dialogue and how it will help in conveying the overall meaning of the film.

Do you already know which actors will be performing?

I knew from the start that I would be performing in my project. The film is based a lot on my own experiences and it would be hard for me to describe the character to others since the film itself is trying to describe the character. I also don’t trust that anyone would be able to display the emotions that I am aiming for which is why I would be acting in my own short film.

I understand the character the most and I know what kind of performance that I am aiming for in the short film. Since I am also confident in my acting skills, I think that it would be better for me to perform rather than having someone else step in and not perform how I want and expect. Furthermore, the actions are the main part of the story and are what's building the overall meaning, so it is crucial that it is performed perfectly or else I won't be able to display all of my intentions through the film.

Mood Board and Rough planning | 07.10.2022

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" SMEC | Blog post #6

Sound

Sound is huge in this particular clip, it is used to add certain effects to the clip, emphasizing certain things to add extra information for the audience as well as setting the tone to make the audience feel a certain way. There are a lot of non-diegetic sounds used in this clip. Most notable is the soundtrack. The asynchronous sound of Evelyn singing from the universe where she is blind matched up with the visuals of the main Evelyn fighting in the office. It takes away the realism of the scene, showing the fantasy side of the story. The action scene also matches up to blind Evelyn’s performance, making Evelyn seem like she’s performing rather than fighting others. This makes the action unique from what we usually see.

There are a lot of stings, incidental music, and sound effects used to add realism as well as set a certain tone for the scenes. It builds tension, preparing the audience for the action as well as catching the audience's attention to certain objects and actions. The sound effects are also used as bridges to connect different scenes from different universes, adding ambient sound to give the audience extra information about Evelyn’s location in each universe. Allowing the audience to easily identify each universe.

Mise-en-scène

All of the scenes seem to be filmed at a location which adds realism to the film. Because of the diverse wardrobe choices and different locations, we can clearly identify each time Evelyn travels to another universe. The locations matching up with the costumes that Evelyn wears in each universe add to the realism of the scene. The random objects match up with the objects from each universe Evelyn travels to, allowing the audience to see connections between the universes. Each location has a different colour scheme to it, allowing the audience to easily distinguish each universe.

Editing

Editing also plays a huge part in this clip. The visual effects show Evelyn travelling to another universe. The graphics and actions match are used to connect the universes and show the audience the contrast between the universes. The slow motion in action highlights Evenlyn’s move as well as matches it up to the sound. All of the editings helps to connect all of the clips and the universes, setting moods and creating suspense.

Camera

A wide range of camera techniques are used in this clip. All of them are to highlight the actions, the feelings of each character, and objects that play an important part in the scene. We can see the use of close-ups, over the shoulder shots at the beginning of the clip to show the emotions of the characters and the relationship between them. Long shots, and mid shots during the action scenes so that we can see the characters' body and their actions. There’s also the use of both steady and shacky movements, shacky to add a sense of drama and chaos. The changes in framing set a tone for the clips, making the audience easily identify each clip, from normal framings to flashbacks to action.

A lot of things are happening in these clips and all of the camera movements, sounds, editing techniques, props and costumes are used to allow the audience to feel like they are immersed in the action as it builds suspense in them. The elements add realism to the scene but also remind us that this is a sci-fi film about multiverses by using certain techniques to make it unrealistic.