Reflective Analysis

Reflective Analysis: Storyboard of A Life In Death

My storyboard was designed for a target demographic of 14-25 year olds as my film is a historic adventure-drama and this age range is appropriate for the films content and what certificate I deem it to fit into.
I titled my film A Life In Death as this is a connotation that references what happens within the film and its story as the title character within my film dies at the end of the movie, but as this occurs the constant struggle with underlying problems, more notably infidelity is solved at conclusion of my piece. The basis of my character is upon myself but also upon a person frequently seen within the age group he is apart of and this is another reason why the film is targeting a teenager demographic and I feel a relationship can be made between the story and the audience thus giving the film more meaning and relevant to its audience. The key micro focus of my storyboard was both camera angles and editing, with small doses of sound work.

The conventions I chose to try and follow where those of modern films and of the Director Wes Anderson, using and channelling similar camera angles and shots of those used in such movies as ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ and ‘Rushmore’ as well as maintaining a narrative of family, family that although struggling through events out of their control, still keeping an essence of correct morals and of an overcoming of adversities that can unfortunately arose. The colours I chose for my story where vivid, vibrant and clear in attempt to convey juxtaposition to some of the murky situations that were emerging and coming apparent.

I attempted to use a variety of camera shots and editing in trying to convey different means and emotions; within my film there were making extreme close ups of the main characters face, I did this to show the feelings of my character at almost a painstakingly close level, I felt this to be of good strategy as the movie is very character based and although not resolved in a happy ending, it being allowed to be carried through the relationship between the characters and the kind of things they shared. Another use of the Close Up that I used was within activities between the character and his hands coinciding with the note, a note that explains what is to come and also within the resolution of the film as the character is knocked over whilst conversing with this prop.

Another thing I used was the use of High Angle and Low Angle shots, a High Angle shot showing the street being vulnerable from the weather conditions e.g. the snow and this that quickly changing to Low Angle shot of the car showing it as being dominate, although these shots are seen as being an antithesis, I used them in conjunction with one another to form the progression of the scene as the weather effects the conditions of the surroundings and thus having an effect on the cars ability to stop which subsequently is resultant in Frank’s death.

I used a variety of different shots such as over the shoulder and mediums shots to make the sequence more interesting, but whilst doing this keeping the consistency of the film and where the story was going. I also used a point of view shot to show Frank lying prone through this own eyes, I strategically used this only at the conclusion of the film to finally symbolism a direct connection to the character and to finally see the proceedings from his direct thought.

Another thing I focused on was the editing of scenes together, whilst using cuts I also tried to have transitions between characters and there surroundings by using tracking both in and out to have the events within the scene to run more smoothly, this was symbolic to prior events as the movie was full of turbulent situations and as it ran into its poignant culmination, I am trying to convey that although the means of the scene maybe unnatural that this ending involved the least traumatic although it was the scene in which my character died.

I did use much diegetic sound through the characters narrative on the phone, as well as the sound of the encroaching car, but I also used non-diegetic sound within the soundtrack placed into the final sequence. In one area I also specified that there be no sound as the car hit Frank as I felt the sound of silence added effect to the affecting progressing of the scene, as well as intending it to keep the scene understated and euphemising the impact of what is occurring.

I showed the storyboard of my film to my teacher and class who were of the targeted demographic and all understood what had happened within the scene although there was much diversity in angles and editing and therefore felt that these elements were used to the correct effect to tell the story which also containing much underlying connotation.