Audience feedback and Final Screening

• What did you think was particularly successful about our film?
• What would you change?
• Who do you think the target audience is? Do you think we are reaching out target audience? Please comment.
• Where do you think you would find a film like ours? (websites, cinema, TV, etc)
• What do you about the performance of both actresses?
• Do you think that the message of despair is brought across clearly?

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Above is the version of our short film which we showed at our second screening. This version has the addition of the credits, title, music, voiceovers, effects and is also shorter in length than our original rough cut. We decided not to include our old iFlooky logo (from our AS opening) because we felt it didn't suit the sombre mood of our film; alternatively we used a simple spaced out font to show the seriousness of our short film. The title 'Bringing Back Hope' was created using using the 'Light Rays' video effect which began at 0 at the start and then was increased to create the blurring effect and finally a fade video transition was used to flow into the next scene.
The music for both the beginning and ending of our short film was a choice between Gymnopedie No 1 (which we found was copyrighted by Erik Satie), Feather Waltz and Sovereign. All three pieces of music (found on Incompetech) are on piano which we thought suited our film well-the piano can be used as an emotional device to bring across sorrow. Feather Waltz is a very calming song, which we initially thought could be used for the transitions into the flashback scenes but decided it didn't quite suit. This left us with our final choice of Sovereign which we thought suited our film perfectly.
Below is our final version of our short film Brinng Back Hope

Bringing Back Hope - The Review

Written by Stella Anaman
Contributed to by Priscilla Amankwah and Tosin Oluyadi
Layout by Lorna Dean

Above is the review page for our short film Bringing Back Hope. Created entirely on Adobe InDesign 

In the review we looked at existing reviews in order to emulate the layouts and the language used in film reviews. We knew we had to add shots from within the film that made it all the more interesting but didn't give away too much, and we decided to use our second poster as it displays the theme of despair quite well.

Editing film on final cut

Priscilla and I were editing the film on final cut, and our editing had improved a considerable amount, when a friend asked to look at a bit of it, she commented that the cuts were done quite well and that the continuity editing was done very well as it flowed.

while editing we did a lot more things than we had done last year, such as using a soft focus effect on the flashbacks and changing the hue and saturation to brighten or dimming particular scenes such as the flashbacks, so that they contrasted with the scenes with hope in her bedroom.

Problems that we came across while editing was that it was still way over the 5 minute limit and deciding on what to cut out, even though certain shots were really well done, we had to sift through what exactly was necessary.

This is a screenshot from the film of the sister (priscilla) crying, I decided to put a black and white effect, plus a soft effect to connote the sadness of the sister, and how this was in particular a dark moment for Hope, it is only at this point that the flashbacks are no longer bright, as this was the last time that Hope remembers seeing her.

Casting

Girl (Hope)
Tosin Oluyadi: 
Plays the main sister. She is devastated by her sister's loss. She often gives her sister a reality check about the way she behaves and tells her to grow up. She gets frustrated with her sisters behaviour because she finds her annoying. She is the more outspoken sister.
Initially, we named the young girl Jessica so that the audience can relate to the character more. If she were to be nameless the audience may feel disconnected. We have now decided to call her Hope due to the irony of the name contrasting to the theme of the short film (Despair).





Sister
Priscilla Amankwah:
Plays the sister that has died. She often feels her sister is unfair to her and doesn't understand her. She feels her sister always has a say in everything she does. She gets frustrated when her sister takes her things away. She expresses her feelings in a diary, rather than saying things outloud to her sister, but she would rather keep her feelings inside. She is the more shy sister.
Deep down inside the two sisters have a strong sibling relationship and they stick by each other in the end.
We have not given the sister a name because we do not want the audience to get too attached to her character because the viewers attention will be drawn away from the main character.

Moodboard - Despair, Loss and Isolation



Moodboard showing images which represent Despair, Loss and Isolation
 By Lorna

Despair, Loss and Isolation
Despair also known as hopelessness, is the feeling of no hope, that something can't be resolved or is inadequate and far beyond the point of optimism. The pattern of thinking is one of being in trapped misery.

Despair can take someone to a whole new place and level of depression. They don't feel any encouragement to go out or do something. Most people in despair will be in a place where they feel comfortable; for example their bedroom. More often than not people wish to be alone and away from the rest of the world.

The thing that can trigger despair is a trauma in someone’s life or an overwhelming loss of something close to a person.

A dark room is one of the most common signifiers for despair. The room has low key lighting and gives the feel of isolation. A small ray of light breaking through the curtains could signify hope. We are hoping to use this visual image in our short film.

About losing a loved one

Death and grief

*People react both emotionally and physically to death and grief. The feelings we usually associate to loss are sadness, worry, fear, shock, unprepared, confusion, anger and emptiness.

*Some people find they have trouble concentrating, sleeping and eating.

*People lose interest in activities they used to enjoy and often turn to alcohol.

*The intensity of grief may be related to how sudden the loss was and how you felt about the person.

Acceptance

*Acceptance is when a person agrees to experience a situation, to follow a process or condition without attempting to change it.

Bereavement

*The five stages of grief are: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance.

*There is often a Numbness along with the mourning until finally the person lets go and accepts.

Treasuring Memories

*Treasuring the moments you shared with the person, for example remembering the places you went together with the person.

*You can remember a person by keeping items that belonged to them.

Personal Possessions which show the relationship between the two sisters could include:

Necklace - A heart shape to represent the love between the two sisters. Could be a necklace inscribed with their name(s).

Journal - Personal diary entries which could tell the story of the two sisters through one of their eyes. A note inside the journal apologising to the sister about a fight that they had.

Rose - Slowly withering and dying. Connotes the death of one of the sisters. No one lives forever.

Teddy bear - Sesisitive side of the lead character. She hasn't quite matured enough to accept her sister's death.

Camera -  This shows still moments of memories that are precious. It can connote the memory and the mind, by the things contained inside of it.

Good times in the past give you hope

*Past memories encourage the person of the good times they spent with their love one that’s passed away and it gives them the hope to carry on.


*Talking about the person can help accept the death of the person by avoiding the death of the person by not reflecting on them at all.

*Also, when a person loses someone they could consider looking up to the sky. This could represent the person looking towards brighter days despite the loss of a loved one.

1.     Alienation- Tend to close themselves off from everyone, since they fear further pain and rejection.

2.     Forsakenness- Individuals feeling alone in their time of greatest need.

3.     Uninspired- Unmotivated to do anything creative or enjoyable

4.     Powerlessness- One feels incapable of navigating one’s way toward desired goals.

5.     Oppression- The individual feels crushed or emotionally overwhelmed.

6.     Limitedness- Individual feels deficient, and lacks the right stuff to make it in the world.

7.     Doom- they feel as if their life is over.

8.     Captivity- can’t leave something because of the feeling of attachment.

9.     Helplessness- feels as if they can no longer live safely in the world.