Nine-Frame Analysis Comparison

When comparing the films 'Honorbound' and 'Ranger' I noticed that begin with an establishing shot that is followed by a narration by the protagonist. The start of both films also use a lot of close-ups and shots that follow the characters on some form of journey. A common element in fantasy films is the notion of going on a quest which was also included in both films. Both films also include mysterious figures such as the dark shaman in 'Honorbound' and the elvish woman dancing in the forest in 'Ranger'.

These results led me to the decision that my film will probably involve a quest or a journey of self-discovery (such as what Ranger goes on in 'Ranger') and that I should use elements of mystery in regards to the characters. I also really like the idea of starting with a narration from the protagonist or an important character.

Nine-Frame Analysis - Ranger

Watch the film here.

The next short film I looked at was the film 'Ranger' which was inspired by the original story by J.R.R.Tolkien called Beren and Luthien (which can be found in The Silmarillion). As this was inspired by a piece of fiction by one of the most famous fantasy authors I was not let down when examining the content of this fantasy film.

The first shot similarly to the one in 'Honorbound' sets the scene in a hilly and stereotypical mystical, 'far-over-the-misty-mountains' sort of place (likely filmed in the UK or somewhere like New Zealand) whilst at the same time giving the audience a voiceover which introduces the audience to the protagonist named Ranger. The shot of having Ranger in the landscape suggests that the protagonist might be designed to appear as a mystery himself and it makes the audience feel that his character is distanced and perhaps more difficult to identify with.

The second shot introduces us as the audience to the character of the elvish woman who Ranger falls in love with. The camera focusing only on Ranger instead of the elvish woman makes the audience realise that she will play a key role in the film. This is later seen in the third shot when Ranger is shown leaving her to go on a quest in order to obtain her hand in marriage as a challenge set by the elvish woman's father. This wide shot introduces the audience to the disruption in the plot and lets the audience understand not only the elvish woman's regret for having to bid Ranger farewell but we also understand that the quest is important for Ranger so that he can return for her.

In the fourth shot the audience return to being part of the action when Ranger encounters an orc on his quest. The over the shoulder shot prepares the reader for the threatening dialogue between the characters and also establishes the method Ranger will use in order to take the gem from the dragon. The later close up shot (five) of Ranger holding the jewel lets the audience know that the jewel is what Ranger's quest was all about and that it has almost ended. 

The stereotypical characterisation of the damsel in distress can be seen in shot six as Ranger's love interest as the elvish woman waits with her father. The close up again lets the audience understand the emotions of both characters as well as making the audience realise that the father also has hidden antagonistic qualities.

In the seventh shot Ranger returns as the hero after having been shot, followed by a battle between Ranger and the dragon. The close up of Ranger holding the jewel and the angle used makes the audience feel as though they are watching that action alongside Ranger's love interest which is later changed to Ranger's point of view as seen in the eighth shot when the camera looks down at the corpse of the dragon.

The ninth shot the audience is shown that all has been successful with Ranger gaining the elvish woman's hand in marriage and being accepted by her father as well as surviving loosing his hand in the battle against the dragon.

Nine-Frame Analysis - Honorbound

Watch the film here.

I firstly looked at the short film 'Honorbound' which has a Scandinavian and viking theme to the entire plot, including a dark shaman which is very mystical and fits nicely with my chosen genre.

The first shot sets the scene, giving the audience a voiceover from the point of view of the protagonist and narrator. The dark beginning has the audience curious as to what is going on and is also mildly sinister and creepy when the camera finally shows the narrator's face with blank black eyes. The close ups of the the candles suggest an escape from darkness which could hint to the narrator's suffering after the events that follow in his account of the mysterious traveller and the shots of tomes that the narrator is flicking through makes the audience understand that he is searching for something.

The second shot introduces us as the audience to the figure mentioned in the introduction but also to the narrator in their youth. This helps the audience establish who the protagonist is and makes them feel like they are part of the journey with the protagonist. The wide shot of snow and mountains also sets the scene for where the film is set in a Scandinavian inspired country.

The third shot is part of a sequence of multiple shots portraying the protagonist travelling with a cloaked figure which further sets the scene for the film. The figure remains a mystery even though we as the audience are made to realise that he is significant. This also makes the audience become part of the action, travelling with the protagonist and sharing the same feelings towards the cloaked figure.

In the fourth shot we finally see the face of the cloaked figure, although his eyes are still obscured by his hood. This is something of interest for the audience as they - alike to the protagonist - learn about the cloaked figure's past as being part of a fading society of people. The close up shot of the cloaked figure focuses the action as the figure is placed under a spell and the audience is made to wonder how both characters will escape the danger.

In the fifth shot the audience is introduced to the antagonist of the film: a dark shaman who is set on killing the cloaked figure. The close up of the shaman introduces their role as an antagonist and directs the audiences fear towards him as the camera is positioned to face up at the antagonist as though they are smaller and belittled by him.

The sixth shot introduces the antagonist's weapon of choice after the audience have already witnessed his dark magic. The close up of the morningstar (his spiky weapon on a chain) that is dripping with blood emphasises on the impending threat on both the cloaked figure and the narrator. It also isolates the action as to slow down the pace of the fight sequence and seems to drown out everything else as the audience solely focus on what the antagonist will do next.

In the seventh shot the incident with the antagonist has been resolved and the cloaked figure, now freed from the antagonist's control, promises to help cure the narrator. The close up of the figure pledging to come back with a cure for the narrator (who has just saved his life) emphasises on the truth of his words and also makes the reader realise the importance of this moment in the film.

The eighth shot returns to the narrator sitting amongst his tomes in the darkness and surrounded by candles. The use of a ken-burns shot slowly zooming out from the narrator's desk adds to the mystery and slight creepiness to the elderly character with the black eyes as well as emphasising how truly isolated the character is. Until in the ninth shot when the audience are shown the cloaked figure trudging wearily through the snow towards the old cabin where the narrator resides. The shot similarly zooms out which makes the audience aware that all has been resolved and that it is the end of the film when all fades to black.

History of Short Films

Short films predate feature films by over a decade and have ranged from cartoons, music promotions, student films and amateur cinematography. They can last anything from 15 seconds to 45 minutes. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits".

During the early years of film production, all films were short. This began with the pre 1920s silent era cinematography which was full of short films varying from newsreels to comedy sketches. Feature films began to become increasingly favoured by the major film studious and therefor drove short films into the less favoured and unknown side of film production. This allows filmmakers a greater freedom of expression as they develop their craft. 

Nowadays, few cinemas show any short films other than adverts and trailers - with the exception of some children's films. Short films instead can be found chiefly on television channels and the internet. In the UK, television has been crucial to short films such as the 'Wallace and Gromit' and 'Shaun the Sheep' series which reached enough popularity to qualify for their own films. Whereas, on the internet short films enjoy huge popularity with the infinite range of the internet, especially for short film-makers who can’t afford to distribute their films on DVD. They are also often screened at local, national, or international film festivals and made by independent filmmakers for non profit, either with a low budget or no budget at all. Therefor they are seen to be used by filmmakers to gain experience and/or prove their talent in order to gain funding for future films from private investors, entertainment companies, or film studios.

For many years short films have provided a regular training ground for newcomers to the industry. Many directors have started their road to fame through careers in short films such as Ridley Scott with his short film 'Boy and Bicycle' made in 1965. One of the UK's greatest film practitioners, Humphrey Jennings, worked largely in short film. The UK has a strong tradition of fostering the talent of new filmmakers. The UK is famed for setting up of the London Film School and National Film and Television School and new filmmakers have been in constant training for many years and shorts are the films that usually emerge. However, professional actors and crews still choose to create short films as an alternative form of expression.

DreamWorks Animation and Disney often produce short sequels to include in the DVD release. Also, Warner Brothers often include old animated shorts on the DVDs of classic WB films. In 2010 and 2012 Warner Bros also released new Looney Tunes cartoons before family films.

Short filmmaking is growing in popularity as equipment becomes cheaper. This is because professional cameras are becoming cheaper and free or low costing software is also capable of video editing.

Fantasy Film Conventions A-Z

Ancient World
This features analogues of Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire, among others. This links to Medievalism.

Dark Lord
The forces of evil are normally led by a Dark Lord who possesses dark qualities and normally possesses dark magical abilities. Examples of Dark Lord's can bee seen in 'Lord of The Rings' (Sauron) 'The Inheritance Cycle' (Galbatorix), and 'Harry Potter' (Voldemort). They are normally outcast and therefor a lone figure who is typically unmarried although some have been known to marry and even have children (e.g. Valentine in the Mortal Instruments).

Good vs Evil
Good versus evil is one of the most common themes in fantasy films; stereotypically evil characters venture from their own lands to invade and suppress the good characters and their lands. Fantasy author J.R.R.Tolkien can be seen using this idea throughout 'The Lord of The Rings'.

Hero
Another extremely common element of fantasy films is the hero - which can be found in both genres of high fantasy and sword and sorcery. These characters are potentially normal with average backgrounds or perhaps a maltreated person who grow throughout the film to become the hero of the story via the fulfilment of a dream. They occasionally also turn out to be unknown royalty which could arguably be symbolic of the recognition of inner worth amongst the characters and perhaps the audience.

Magic/Magician
Magic normally has an overwhelming presence throughout both the genre in films and literature. It can be portrayed via a magical land such as Middle Earth (Lord of The Rings) or a hidden element within life such as the Shadowhunters (Mortal Instruments).
Someone who can wield magic is also portrayed as uncommon element within a world and so this normally makes them major roles in the fantasy genre. This means that a character such as a magician, wizard, sorcerer, warlock or necromancer are common protagonists or secondary characters within fantasy. Interestingly, the Star Wars franchise is considered part of the fantasy genre as well as science fiction and the Force is essentially a magicl power.
There also magical items within the genre which play a key part in the story such as the One Ring (Lord of The Rings) as the most common are magic swords and rings.

Medievalism
Many creatures from the fantasy genre are drawn from myth, legend and folklore such as dragons, unicorns, griffins, giants and goblins. Interestingly, races of intelligent creatures such as elves, dwarves and gnomes are often drawn from medieval or pre-Christian roots of origin.

Prophecies
These are one of the most common parts and are often used as a plot device. It is extremely rare for a prophecy in a fantasy film to be false.

Quest
These are also very common in fantasy and one of the most stereotypical ideas within the fantasy genre. There are many examples of this which can be seen throughout the genre such as in 'Lord of The Rings' when Frodo leaves to ultimately destroy the One Ring or in the 'Inheritance Cycle' when Eragon leaves to avenge the dragon riders and train as one himself with his dragon, Saphira.

Races
Many fantasy stories involve unique fantasy race instead of humans. An example of this can be seen in J.R.R.Tolkien's series 'Lord of The Rings'. Non-human characters range from dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings, half-elves and half-orcs. Anthropomorphic animals (humanoid creatures that appear like animals, such as wolves, bears, boars and other animal species) are also common.

Fantasy Short Films

The first film I chose to look at was an Award Winning Fantasy Film about time travel called Paradox. Although it did not follow the idea that I wish to pursue of setting my film in the modern day with more hints to stereotypical fantasy, I thought that this film was very interesting and enjoyed the spin at the end.

I like the idea of twisting the fate of the main character of the short film into doing something or having something done to them which is completely unexpected. I am considering doing something like this at the end of my own short film.

Unlike 'Paradox', the second short film I decided to look at was 'Honourbound' - which is not an Award Winning film. I liked the medieval or viking themes to the film. This film was a zero budget film and I was astounded by the quality and the professional approach to the editing that was used.

I like the idea of the narration at the beginning as well as the whole mystery around the cloaked figure. The editing is extremely well done an am hoping to use a similar technique throughout my own short film. The use of magic in this short film is also very well done and very realistic. This has given me some ideas which I am considering placing in my own film.

Daenerys Targaryen || Throne

Recently I edited this new video and used a completely different type of filter compared to my coursework piece from last year and edited the video in a completely different style as to what I normally use. I prefer the filter I have used in this as it brings out more of the lighter colours in the video itself. This would be far more suited to my short film as I am planning to film in autumn meaning that there will still be a lot of colour about which I would like to attempt to enhance due to some of the natural elements I wish to incorporate into my coursework.

The Comic-Con Experience

© Photography by CP

In May, I and a couple of friends journeyed to the London Excel Centre for the MCM London Comic-Con. I hoped it would help me draw some inspiration for my A2 coursework due to the many stalls, experiences and of course the cosplay.

By 10am we were ready with me and my friends cosplaying as a dark elf, a skeleton and the Wicked Witch of the West. We had some very odd looks in the car on the journey into London and we felt completely out of place until we neared the Excel Centre where we saw a variety of cosplayers walk past.

After having got lost in the car on the way there, we arrived just after midday and the place was already packed. Due to the mass amount of cosplayers we didn't feel out of place and on numerous occasions throughout the day we actually forgot we were wearing makeup that made us look...well...not like ourselves - so it was a bit of shock when you tried something on in the mirror.

When I went to Comic-Con I was hoping to draw some inspiration from some of the stalls and costumes. The top five most common costumes were Deadpool, Spider-Man, Harlequin, The Joker and Poison Ivy and I'm pretty sure we saw at least fifteen of each so I was a little disappointed. However I did decide on my idea for my short film for my coursework (which I will blog about later). Although there were many of the same costumes going about, I did take some inspiration from the trip and I will be blogging my ideas later on.

So it's back to the drawing board for now...