Outline

Hey Cambridgeee,

As I said in my previous blog posts, my partner and I decided to create a short film, specifically a comedy short film, for our project. After looking at different genres and watching examples in class, we felt comedy would work best for us, especially since we want to focus more on visual humor than on dialogue.

Today in class, I worked on the outline of my project. I wanted to figure out the full idea and story before moving on to anything else. I also wanted to take inspiration from Skipped, which I talked about in one of my previous posts, and structure my short film into three segments. The film will start with the main character picking up a penny from the ground and realizing that every time he flips the coin, he teleports to a new location.

Once he starts teleporting from place to place, he decides he might as well try to do something good with this ability (this is where the kind acts come into play). His goal becomes trying to do kind acts for people wherever he ends up. Slight problem… every time he tries to do something nice, it ends up backfiring (in a funny way). So each time he teleports somewhere new, he sees an opportunity to help someone, tries to do something kind, and then the situation goes wrong.

Even though things keep going wrong, he still keeps trying to help people. That is something I want to connect to the message of the film. I want the theme to show that kindness still matters even when things do not go perfectly.

At the end of the film, the main character teleports one last time and finally manages to complete a kind act without anything backfiring. When he tries to flip the coin again, attempting to teleport, nothing happens. The coin stops working. This is supposed to show the real point of the coin, which was to push him to do something nice for someone. The film ends with him realizing that he does not need the coin anymore and that he can still help people even without the teleportation.

Visual Humor (genre research)

Hey Cambridgeee!!!!

Something I realized today while researching comedy is that it is not just about funny dialogue. A lot of humor in comedy films actually comes from visuals, editing, and sound. This is important because I am thinking about having very little dialogue in my short film.

In Project X, the cinematography makes everything feel really chaotic. The handheld camera makes the party feel real and out of control. As the night goes on, the visuals show that the situation is getting worse without much dialogue (which I am taking inspo from). I like how the visuals alone show that things are getting worse without the characters having to explain it.

Another great example is Home Alone. Even though it is more family-oriented, it is a good example of visual comedy. Some scenes have very little dialogue, but they are still funny because of exaggerated sound effects, close-ups, fast editing, and the dramatic music during certain scenes. The reactions and sound effects made the small accidents feel a lot bigger.

From researching these films, I have learned that comedy can be very visual. Silence can build tension before something embarrassing happens, and music can completely shift the tone.

For my short film, I want to focus on visual humor. I think using close-ups of reactions, quick cuts during chaotic moments, and maybe even a music shift when things start going wrong could help make the backfiring situations more entertaining.

Character Types (genre research)

HIII Cambridge!!!!

In my last post, I researched a bit about how I want the structure of my short film to be. Today, I wanted to research the types of characters that usually appear in comedies. I focused on teen comedies to get inspiration for the type of characters I want to have in my short film.

In The DUFF, the main character finds out she is labeled the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) of her friend group. She feels insecure but decides to try to change how people see her. The film incorporates a relatable character who feels misunderstood. Having a relatable character is important for the type of film I am doing, especially since the target audience is teenagers and young adults. It has the classic roles that most teenage comedies have, like the love interest, the messy best friends, and the
social hierarchy. A lot of the humor comes from the main character attempting to fix her image, which honestly just makes things worse.

Another good example is 10 Things I Hate About You. This film uses humor and exaggeration to make normal high school situations feel bigger than they actually are. The strict dating rule creates unnecessary drama, which leads to awkward setups and funny misunderstandings. Patrick is charming but unpredictable, which creates tension and keeps the relationship interesting.

Both films show that teen comedies rely on character contrast.

From these films, I can see how exaggerating simple problems can make them funnier. For my short film, I could take a normal situation and make it feel way more dramatic than it needs to be.

Structure.. (genre research)

Hey Cambridgeee!!!!

Now that I’ve officially chosen comedy as my genre, I wanted to look into how teen comedies are usually structured. I am especially interested in films where everything backfires because I feel like that structure would work really well for my short film.

One film that clearly follows this chaotic structure is Superbad. The whole movie is based on one simple goal. Two best friends just want to buy alcohol for a party before graduation. But every single step of their plan goes wrong... They deal with fake IDs, police officers, awkward social moments, and miscommunication. They start off with making small, simple mistakes, but each mistake leads to a bigger problem. By the end, everything completely spiraled.

- The goal is simple and clear.

- Small mistakes start happening.

- Each mistake leads to a bigger problem.

- By the end, everything has spiraled.

Booksmart has a pretty similar concept. Two girls who focused on school their entire lives decide to party the night before graduation. Just like in Superbad, every time they think they’ve figured something out, something new goes wrong.

From these films, I’ve learned that comedy often depends on escalation. I want my short to follow the same type of storyline. One small mistake or problem leading into a chain reaction of disasters.

chosen genre..

Hey Cambridgeee,

I have finally chosen my genre… comedy!! I honestly didn't know what genre I wanted to do at first because I don't really watch a lot of short films. But after my partner and I watched a few in class, we both liked comedy the best. Comedy films are a genre that focuses on making the audience laugh through humor, exaggerated situations, and entertaining characters. The target audience is usually teenagers and adults. A lot of comedies take everyday problems and turn them into something dramatic. I’m still not exactly sure what I want to do, but I want to create something with very little dialogue, so I think this genre might work best.

The short film that stood out to us the most was Skipped. This short film is about a man who realizes that every time he sneezes, he time-travels. He is at work, sneezes, and suddenly, all of his papers are magically filled out. I liked how at the beginning, there was no music and no dialogue, and it was just him alone in an empty office. Then it slowly transitions into upbeat music when he realizes his ability to sneeze and time travel. After that, the music shifts into more intense, almost horror-like sounds when he starts taking advantage of his ability. I really liked the shift between those three parts of the film. It makes me want to do something similar in my project, especially with using music and tone to show changes in the story.

Hashmic House Films. (2017, August 6). Skipped | Sci-Fi comedy short film [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGS48Kcax5k

Another one that stood out to us was One-Minute Time Machine. It is about a guy who has a time machine that sends him back exactly one minute. The film starts with a guy sitting on a bench trying to impress a woman. Every time he talks to her and messes up, or she reacts awkwardly, he presses a button to go back one minute and fix what he said. At first, he thinks he is just resetting time like pressing a time travel button. But by the end, he realizes that each time he goes back, he is actually creating a new timeline. The previous version of him doesn't disappear... In those other universes, he ends up dead. So every time he tries to fix a mistake, he is leaving behind another version of himself who dies. That twist made the film way deeper than it first seemed.

Avery, D. (2023, February 10). One-minute time machine – The short film that (probably) helped Rick & Morty win an Emmy [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfNTF-9J_jY

Both of the films I researched have similar concepts, and they definitely gave me inspiration for my own short film. I want to create something with a similar vibe, with the strong music and the way the films are edited. I am not 100% sure about the full storyline yet, but it is definitely going to involve teleportation. I am excited to start planning it out more.

Schedule

Heyyy Cambridge!! My goal for this project is to stay organized, so I don’t fall behind. I made a calendar on Canva with the specific days I should post each blog entry. It’s more of an outline to keep me on track, and I’m going to try to follow it as closely as I can. I also created a weekly schedule that breaks down what I should be working on each week.

Week One (2/17–2/22)

• Introduce the short film project choice
• Create a detailed timeline
• Brainstorm possible genres
• Start thinking about story ideas

Week Two (2/23–3/1)

• Research multiple possible genres
• Identify conventions for each genre
• Analyze real media texts
• Compare different genre styles
• Decide on a genre

Week Three (3/2–3/8)

• Create an official social media page for the short film
• Create story outline
• Develop main character ideas
• Begin storyboard
• Create rough shooting schedule
• Post group meeting summary

Week Four (3/9–3/15)

• Finalize storyboard
• Finalize shot list
• Confirm filming locations
• Gather props and materials
• Begin filming (hopefully)
• Reflect on filming progress
• Adjust plan if needed

Week Five (3/16–3/22) – Spring Break

• Continue filming
• Film any remaining scenes
• Review footage
• Make necessary changes
• Begin organizing clips for editing
• Research print components
• Begin designing the postcard for a short film festival

Week Six (3/23–3/29)

• Begin editing footage
• Reflect on editing decisions
• Start planning Critical Reflection

Week Seven (3/30–4/5)

• Continue editing
• Finalize postcard design
• Critical Reflection

Week Eight (4/6–4/10)

• Complete final edits
• Write final reflection post
• Upload completed short film
• Post final updates on the official social media page
• Review all blog posts

Here we again!!

Hiiii Cambridge!!

For my A Level AICE Media Studies portfolio project, I chose Option 4: Short Film Package, and I am excited about it!! I was stuck between doing the documentary and the short film because they both seemed interesting. But I already did a documentary project earlier this year, so I wanted to do something different.

Here's a sneak peek of it...

I chose the short film because I can create a short story from start to finish, which I haven't done anything like before. I also really like creating characters and making mood boards. I also liked that this option includes creating an official social media page for the film. I think that is going to be really fun. 

I do not have the full storyline yet... but I am excited to start planning and seeing where it goes!