Unit 24: Script to Screen – writing a short film script: Task 1 – Working as a Writer

Commissioning a script

When a script is commissioned by a film production company for a new film a writer is selected to write it. The script then goes through several drafts before the final one is produced. Even then while the shooting of the film is taking place, there will be small changes in dialogue to better suit the setting of the film.

Writers contracts and employer expectations

When a writer is hired to write a script the production company will make them sign contracts so they won't sell the script to other companies. The production companies expectations is that the script is well written (Though sometimes it is doubtful that production companies know what a good script is sometimes) and keeps to the story of the proposed film.

 Legal and ethical expectations that concern writers.

The legal expectations for writers is that once a production company commissions a film for the script. They essentially own the script so you can’t sell it to another company. The ethical expectations are that they have to be paid well, except that they are not when they provide the skeletal structure for the film.

Unit 30: Self-evaluation of Christmas adverts

The theme of the project was Christmas adverts which were intended to test our skills for narrative creativity and editing skills.

We developed our ideas by group discussion such where and when we should film the adverts. Our work didn’t change throughout the project by much. Although we did change our shots to fit the location we were shooting at.

I don’t believe that the research materials I provided assisted the project much because I researched copyright although I did help with the health and safety slightly. I think I should have done a lot more to assist the project both in pre and post production of the advert.

Other examples I looked at were the Christmas adverts that John Lewis has released over the years such as “Monty the Penguin” or “Man on the Moon” so that I could understand the types of techniques that were used in them.

The techniques that were used included slow focus, and panning shots with a mixture of long and mid shots.

My skills have not developed much during this project. Because most of the time I stood in the background making sure everything technical was working right such as the tripod and camera. While my team mates worked with the cast member.

The aspects of my studies I wish I further explored was my research I feel like I should have done more of it and took a greater part in gathering the research.

The decision to do the shoot on one day and in one location I think was good in concept but I think that if it was done over two days we could have gotten better shots as the child actor we used kept smiling during filming 

The meanings and messages I wanted to convey is that no one should be left alone on Christmas.

I am mostly happy with the final piece however it is without music and the logos aren’t exactly accurate. To the proper adverts but that’s minor.

I think I would change the layout of the advert and maybe use a different actor. Because the one we used as previously stated kept smiling while we were filming.

Unit 30 - Adverts via YouTube

Hello there here is the final product of my Christmas adverts I apologise if the music is slightly distorted or the video quality is low. I look forward for the feedback

what we did today 14/01/2016

Today we are presenting our completed adverts to a focus group for feed back to make final changes to our adverts, however the advert that I made is still lacking music and logos but thankfully my version of the adverts are not being be used. So yeah. I will report back when the feedback has been received


*Edit the feed back was needed a shot showing the boy entering the front door and a shot showing the boy's grandmother other wise it's child neglect.

Unit 16 - Auteur task

Film 1: Grand Budapest hotel
Clip 1- the police arrive at the hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yFPjtGQvaM
Subject Matter,  the police arrive to arrest Gustave H for murder.
Cinematography, the final shot when Gustave speaks to the police and then runs away. the clip has several uses of long shots
Mise en scene, the lobby boys Zero has a coat hanger and the police inspector has a warrant for an arrest.


clip 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOs-4J6rr-w the society of the crossed keys.


subject matter: fellow hotel concierges help Gustave anyway they can by calling each other
Cinematography - repetition of mid shots with the concierges calling each other with other little inserts.
Mise en scene - the concierges call each other. they have the same layout but they each have their own unique outfits that match the hotel they work at.


clip 3 -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B28JEFkBzxc - The Lobby Boy


Subject Matter: Zero's position is to be approved by Gustave


Cinematography the main shot of this scene is a tracking shot that follows Gustave as he is interviewing Zero but is interrupted several times throughout the shot.


Mise en scene: Gustave has a small note book in which he notes down Zero's credentials

Unit 26 - Research for short film

For making the Eternal Wanderer I looked at the Highlander movie Franchise, Doctor Who, Dracula and Disney Pixar's Wall-E for the inspiration.


Highlander was for the story of two Immortals fighting each other across the eras. Doctor Who was for the Immortal wandering across the world. Dracula was for the Evil Immortal wanting to spread chaos across the world. And Wall-E about someone who has been alone for so long falls in love with a girl.



For inspiration for the characters themselves I used Connor Macleod (Highlander), The Doctor (Doctor Who), and Wall-E (Wall-E) for Nathaniel because of how they have lived their lives as Immortals who open up their hearts but when their loved one pass on they remain young except for Wall-E who is a robot that cleans up the rubbish left behind by humans when they left the planet but when a female robot arrives to survey the earth to see if it's habitable. Wall-E after centuries of being alone is instantly attracted to her.




I used the Joker from Batman and the Master from Doctor Who as well as Norman Bates from psycho for Perseus because they are insane and have grudges against their respective heroes.


I used Mary Jane Watson from Spider man because of the Damsel of distress trope and Clara Oswald from Doctor Who because of her caring nature for Charlotte.






Connor MacLeod is a Scottish Immortal born in 1518, when his Immortality was first discovered he was threatened to be burned at the stake because of witchcraft but was banished instead. Over the centuries he fought Immortals while fighting other to the death. the prize being able to die which is a desire I think Nathaniel the protagonist from my short film would have after being alive for centuries.




The Doctor is a time travelling alien who is roughly two thousand years old. During his travels he had numerous companions who are usually Human and female, however he has had several non human companions who also been female but he has had at least two mechanical companions traveling with him a dog-based robot called K9 and a shape shifting humanoid robot called Chameleon. he has had several male companions bot human and non-human the female companions hold the majority. When the doctor is mortally wounded or his physical age gets to certain point the Doctor has the ability to regenerate literally becoming a new man (Height, voice, eyes, hair, skin colour even his personality is changed.) Through varying circumstances his companions leave him either death, they walk out the doors/get left behind or they forget him. The reason I used him for inspiration for Nathaniel is for the wandering across the world. as time changes he does not.


The Joker is a psychopathic comic character that was first introduced in the 1940's and has had numerous iterations across the decades. the particular version of the Character I am drawing inspiration from, is from the 1990's batman animated series iteration voiced by Mark Hamill. He Joker while working in a chemical plant fell into a vat of chemical waste that bleached his skin, turned his hair green and his lips bright red. said disfigurement rendered him insane. The Joker is a champion of chaos and destruction willing to kill everyone on a whim.


The Master is from the same species as the Doctor. they were even childhood friends but when they left Gallifrey they chose different paths. The Doctor chose to explore the universe and to help where he could. whereas the master chose to conquer the universe. his personality changes with each iteration but like the doctor a few things remain the same. His intelligence, his ruthlessness, his complete lack of regard for sentient life and his determination to take over the universe.


Patrick Bateman is a from a wealthy American Family so he has taste for the finer luxuries of life. but he is also a psychopath who kills his co-workers just for having better business cards then him. the reason I chose him for inspiration when coming up with Perseus is because in the original novel he is slightly schizophrenic.
I used Mary Jane Watson for inspiration for Charlotte mainly because of the damsel in distress trope in which the protagonist and antagonist fight over her in a final battle. which is what happens.
I used Ashilda/Me from Doctor Who for inspiration because she is Immortal and I can't think of any other Immortal Female characters that aren't either gods, witches or demons. Ashilda was born in Scandinavia several hundred years ago in a Viking village. After the Doctor helped the town repel an attack from a warrior alien race. in which Ashilda died. The Doctor using alien medical Technology brought her back to life however doing so made her essentially Immortal.

Unit 26 - comparing movie posters

The Star Wars Poster has use of special effects, it's cluttered with multiple characters and objects in it where as the Indiana Jones Poster just has the title character roughly in the centre of the poster and the supporting characters and one of the antagonists in the corners.

the genre of the Star Wars poster is science fiction which can be seen with the lasers and space ships

where as the genre for the Indiana Jones poster is action/ historical/ fantasy which can be seen in the way the poster is styled. is looks like it was painted

Interestingly Harrison Ford is a main character in both movies.