Analysis: "Knitting A Love Song"

Knitting A Love Song is a 2004 short film directed by Annie Watson. It tells the story of Pearl, a strange and usual, yet ultimately very loveable young girl, and her efforts to seduce an older boy in her school through her passion for knitting. Due to the parallels between Pearl and my own main character, Libby, I chose to search this film for inspiration. Fortunately, it provided.

I am very inspired by the performance of Holly Lucas as Pearl. I feel she conveys a lot of the sweetness and naiveté that Libby must embody in order for my film to work. Lots of Pearl's character is built up in ways other than dialogue, too, which are elements that I find particularly inspiring. One example of this is her bedroom, which is very quirky. I should explore set design and costume in more detail in my own film, as it will be these elements that really emphasise Libby's character.

Pearl's bedroom helps to non-verbally portray her personality

Another element I found particularly inspiring about Knitting A Love Song is the way the film is edited during the scenes where Pearl is daydreaming. Several of these scenes are present in the film, and they are instantly recognisable by the appearance of a 'light leak' effect. This is a very simple yet very effective method of portraying a detachment from reality that I could consider using during Libby's own 'dream' sequence. I would perhaps like to try something more adventurous, but this is definitely something we can fall back on if my other ideas do not work out - especially as an effect like this is easily added in post-production.

A 'light leak' effect signifies a detachment from reality

Overall, I found Knitting A Love Song to be a very useful film to analyse, as I feel it has given me some more guidance into how I shall direct Libby, as well as giving me inspiration for a possible method of making the dream sequence seem more surreal, through use of the light leak effect. The next step will be to explore other ways of connoting surrealism that are perhaps a little more complex. 

Analysis: "J'ai tué ma mère"

J'ai tué ma mère is a 2009 drama by Xavier Dolan. As its title ('I Killed My Mother') suggests, it deals with the tumultuous relationship between a mother and son. As I wish to explore a similar kind of relationship in my own film - the strained mother/daughter bond of Helen and Libby - I chose to look at this film for some inspiration. 

The director uses some interesting techniques to communicate the relationship that Hubert and Chantale share, and it is these elements that form the basis of the films stylistic approach: two shots are used to include both characters in the frame, and this is often done in a very stuctured and symmetrical nature. This type of frontal shot connotes confrontation and makes the audience feel uncomfortable, perhaps giving them an insight into how the characters are feeling in each other's presence. Dolan also pays careful attention to blocking in order to keep a substantial distance between the characters, representing the rift that has grown between them. This is a very effective technique, and also one that is very beautiful. I would love to experiment with recreating this kind of shot in my own film, though perhaps with less consistency than in J'ai tué ma mère, as I would also like to explore using wideshots of only one character at a time to emphasise their isolation. I feel these two techniques would go hand in hand.

An example of shot type, framing and blocking being used to convey distance between characters

Dolan also uses close-ups of Hubert's reactions to his mother. This emphasise and exaggerates the contempt he displays, as everything is much larger and by filling the screen with this, Dolan directs the entire attention of the viewer to Hubert's emotions. I love this effect as it is really successful and conveying how Hubert is feeling without using any dialogue, which is especially attractive as my film is quite dialogue-heavy. I would love to explore using close-ups of Libby in my film in a similar style, in order to communicate that she is an emotive young girl without having to use obvious dialogue. This technique will rely on high quality performance from actors and may require me to experiment with different directing styles in order for them to capture what it is that I want.

A close-up of Hubert giving his mother a disapproving look

Overall, I feel very inspired by this film. The subject matter of both films is very similar, and despite the plots being vastly different I feel that this allows the techniques Xavier Dolan uses to also be effective in my own film. I will definitely consider referencing Dolan's work to our cinematographer later in the project, as I feel this is a very good source of inspiration for our film. 

Project: Character profiles

To support our treatment in tomorrow's presentation, Lauren and I developed character profiles for each of our three characters. I enjoyed this task as it was inspiring to watch the characters come alive and become more realistic. I feel that, now that the characters have had some life and realism breathed into them, writing the script will hopefully be much easier as I can draw on their personalities and experiences in the writing process. All three character profiles can be found below.


Character’s Name: Elizabeth 'Libby' Castle
Age: 13
Appearance: Mid-length hair, mousy brown with soft curls, average height, clothes that are quite floaty/baggy/quirky,  gold necklace
• What is this character’s greatest flaw? Her odd personality
• What do you know about this character that she would never admit? She wishes she was popular at school
• What is this character’s greatest asset? Her intelligence
• What music does this character sing to when no one else is around? Edith Piaf
• In what or whom does this character have the greatest faith? Her grandma
• Does this character have a favourite article of clothing? Necklace passed down from her grandma
• Does this character have a vice? She often sees herself as being a victim, which is not always true.
• Name this character’s favourite person (living or dead). Grandma Dot
• What is this character’s secret wish? That her grandma was still alive
• What is this character’s proudest achievement? Getting top marks in her exams
• Describe this character’s most embarrassing moment? When some school kids called her a geek
• What is this character’s deepest regret? Not spending more time with her grandma
• What is this character’s greatest fear? Never making any friends at school
• Does this character have an obsession? Trying to contact her dead grandma
• Whom does this character most wish to please? Her mother, as she wants her to be proud of her in the same way her grandma was.
• Describe this character’s mother. *See Helen’s character profile* Libby has been distant from her mother since her grandma died 4 months ago
• Describe this character’s father. Libby’s father is not around due to her parent’s divorce
• Describe this character’s bedroom. Plain coloured walls with lots of posters of bands and popular films
• List the circumstances over which this character has no control. Grandma died
• Who depends on this character? No one
• How would a dear friend or relative describe this character? Very quiet and slightly weird in the way she spends her spare time focused on trying to contact the dead


Character’s Name: Helen Castle
Age: 37
Appearance: Short dark hair, tall and slim, wears pastel colours and often wears a cooking apron around the house. Very suburban looking.
• What is this character’s greatest flaw? She struggles to express her feelings - even positive ones - which has driven a wedge between her and her daughter
• What do you know about this character that she would never admit? She still loves her husband - he cheated on her several times before their divorce
• What is this character’s greatest asset? Deep down she is kind and caring, and loves Libby with all her heart
• What music does this character sing to when no one else is around? Robbie Williams
• In what or whom does this character have the greatest faith? Herself - "if you want something done properly, do it yourself"
• Does this character have a favourite article of clothing? Her handbag
• Does this character have a vice? She lives an expensive lifestyle
• Name this character’s favourite person (living or dead). Her father
• What is this character’s secret wish? She wished she had become a dancer
• What is this character’s proudest achievement? Graduating university with a 1st class degree
• Describe this character’s most embarrassing moment? When she kissed her best friends boyfriend in university
• What is this character’s deepest regret? Forgiving her husband for his unfaithfulness too many times
• What is this character’s greatest fear? That she will never find love again, that she will never re-establish a bond with Libby
• Does this character have an obsession? Buying expensive things
• Whom does this character most wish to please? Libby - both characters want each others approval, not realising they already have it
• Describe this character’s mother. *See Dorothy’s character profile*
• Describe this character’s father. Very attentive towards Helen as she was very much a daddy’s girl as a child
• Describe this character’s bedroom. Lots of expensive items, large wardrobe, photos of Libby and her parents
• List the choices that led this character to his current predicament. Divorced her husband and got a large sum of money from the settlement
• List the circumstances over which this character has no control. The death of her mother
• Who depends on this character? Libby
• How would a dear friend or relative describe this character? Tasteful, cares for her daughter, can be firm at times but very loving


Character’s Name: Dorothy 'Grandma Dot' Castle
Age: 67
Appearance: Short grey/white hair, wrinkles, short, slippers, floral dress, walking stick
• What is this character’s greatest flaw? Her forgetfulness
• What do you know about this character that she would never admit? She wanted to marry a different man to her husband, however she learnt to love him and they built a life together
• What is this character’s greatest asset? She always knows what to say to make people feel better about a situation
• What music does this character sing to when no one else is around? Edith Piaf
• In what or whom does this character have the greatest faith? She believes her granddaughter is destined for great things in the future
• Does this character have a favourite article of clothing? Her slippers
• Does this character have a vice? Her favourite biscuits
• Name this character’s favourite person (living or dead). Her husband became one of her favourite people but died several years ago. Helen & Libby
• What is this character’s secret wish? To marry the man she loved when she was 16
• What is this character’s proudest achievement? Her family
• Describe this character’s most embarrassing moment? When she fell off her bike in front of her husband and her dress came up, exposing her underwear
• What is this character’s deepest regret? Not having more children
• What is this character’s greatest fear? Her children/grandchildren will live an unhappy life
• Does this character have an obsession? Her favourite biscuits
• Whom does this character most wish to please? Nobody! Dot is very set in her ways.
• Describe this character’s mother. Passed away when she was 38, very sweet
• Describe this character’s father. Passed away when she was 29, strict but proud
• Describe this character’s bedroom. Very plain, floral bedding, old unfashionable curtains, wooden chair in the corner
• List the choices that led this character to his current predicament. Died of a heart attack
• List the circumstances over which this character has no control. Character’s death
• Who depends on this character? Libby depends on her grandmother even in death
• How would a dear friend or relative describe this character? Sweet, kind lady who has gained a lot of wisdom over the years

Feedback: Treatment

Today, we pitched our treatment to the class. These sessions are always useful as they allow us to edit our concepts and improve them, ultimately resulting in a better quality film that resonates with audiences more. As usual, we received some constructive criticism that I intend to explore when revising the treatment and script:

• LIBBY SHOULD BE YOUNGER
  I originally imagined Libby as being 16, however our peers and tutor suggested the story was more fitting for a younger girl around aged 13, as she would be on the cusp of growing up but still young enough to believe in magic. This made sense to me and I intend on changing this.
• MEANING SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED VISUALLY
  My concept was very dialogue-heavy and lots of important information was revealed simply through speech. This made it uninteresting and meant that when I come to start writing the script, I will likely struggle to word things in a way that sounds realistic. This was another very good point that I intend to rectify in my work.
• DITCH THE RITUAL/MAGIC SPELL
  My peers did not like the idea of Libby performing a magic spell as this seemed too cliche. I agree, but could not think of any other ways. Ideas that were suggested include brewing a potion in a cup of tea (which I did not like the idea of) or having her actually bake magic 'biscuits' that transport her to the dream world. I liked this idea a lot as it places the focus on the biscuits themselves, and I will experiment with this in my script.

Overall, I was very pleased with the feedback we got. People liked our idea as they said it was cheerful and uplifting, which is what we are aiming for. We received some very good criticism which I feel I can use to improve our concept and strengthen our chances in creating a good film. 

Project: Drama treatment

Tomorrow, we will be pitching our concept to Debbie and our class. Our film is in the early stages of conceptualisation, as I sometimes find this to be quite a long process and my ideas evolve and develop over time. I am hopeful that after presenting to the rest of the class, I will be inspired by the feedback we receive and will be able to develop this idea further.

The working title of our film is 'Biscuits'. The treatment in its current state can be read below. 

Libby is unhappy. She is bullied at school, has an overprotective mother and is mourning her recently deceased grandmother. After being sent shopping by her mum, Libby returns home with the goods. Her mother pesters her about school - "Did you make any friends yet?", "Are they still mean to you?" etc - as she begins to unpack the shopping her daughter collected. She soon realises that all of the items are wrong and scolds Libby, who insists she bought the right items and that she has not seen these ones before. Her mother is cross at Libby and says she must have picked up somebody else's bags by mistake. Libby tries to defend herself but her mother storms out of the house to do the shopping herself.

Libby takes a look at the shopping for herself to investigate. In one of the bags, she finds a letter addressed to her. Inside are some instructions for a spell that can be made using all of the items in the bags. Called the 'Elixir of Journeying", the note claims that drinking it would allow her to visit anyone, anywhere at anytime. Desperate to see her grandmother and already having the ingredients, Libby decides to try her luck.

The spell involves drawing a sigil on the ground using salt and placing candles at its points. She then mixes several of the ingredients in various bottles and flasks as instructed on the note. Finally, she combines the liquid into one bottle which is placed in the centre of the sigil and adds a crumbled up biscuit, her grandma's favourite. Instantly, the candles go out. Libby then drinks the gross-looking green liquid and quickly falls unconscious.

She is awoken by her grandmother and finds herself tucked in bed. Her grandma has brought her a cup of tea and wishes her a good morning, telling Libby that she thinks the two of them need to have a chat. Libby tells her grandmother about her troubles in school and at home, as well as how much she misses her. Her grandmother gives her advice about making friends and ignoring the bullies and tells her that her mother is only strict because she loves her. She says that Libby needn't miss her because she is always with her in her heart. Libby yawns and her grandma suggests that she should go back to sleep to get some rest. Libby asks if that will return her to the 'real world' and her grandma says that it will, but not to worry as she can visit her any time she likes, jokingly adding that she is only allowed back if she brings more biscuits. Libby laughs and lays back down, telling her grandma that she loves her. Her grandma says that she loves her too, and Libby falls asleep. 

Sometime later, though it is not specified how long, we see Libby and her mother doing the shopping together. Libby is happy and she and her mum laugh and joke with each other as they shop for groceries. Libby also mentions that she will be sleeping at her friends house the following night and so her mum will not need to cook for her. Libby picks up a packet of biscuits and begs her mother to buy them. Her mother laughs and allows her to put them in the trolley, commenting that Libby is addicted to the biscuits as she always asks for them. She remarks that they were her grandma's favourite, and Libby says "I know" and smiles. The pair walk off deeper into the store together and the film ends. 

Analysis: Short dramas

On Thursday, we watched several short dramas with the intention on breaking down their narrative structure. We looked at each of the four components of narrative structure in drama:

THE INCITING INCIDENT - the event that causes the drama to begin
OBSTACLES - things the characters must overcome on their way to resolution
CLIMAX - the dramatic moment that the film has been building up to
DENOUEMENT - things begin to get resolved

As I am directing for this project, I feel that it would be beneficial to undertake an exercise in which I try to identify these components in the short films were were shown.


SIGN LANGUAGE by Oscar Sharpe (2010)
Inciting incident: It is the character's last day at work.
Obstacles: His friends/colleagues seem disinterested that he will be leaving.
Climax: His friends reveal they were playing a joke and tell him to ask his crush out.
Denouement: He is accepted by the girl and starts his new job.

I loved the style of this film, as I felt the way that it was filmed in the style of a documentary was really interesting. This is something that I may consider using in my own project, however it would have to be suited to the concept as it would not work well with most ideas.


PUDDING BOWL by Vanessa Caswill (2009)
Inciting incident: The character's brother wants to go and play with his friends but he is babysitting.
Obstacles: He puts glue in her hair and their mother cuts all of her hair off.
Climax: The girl steals her brother's bicycle.
Denouement: She rides down the street in a surreal state.

This film was very charming and was my favourite one that we were shown. I loved the lighting and lens flares used during the surreal bike-riding scene. If my project has a surrealist element to it such as a dream or imaginary place, I will consider drawing inspiration from this as I feel it was done well.


ABOUT A GIRL by Brian Percival (2001)
Inciting incident: The character wants to live with her dad but he won't let her.
Obstacles: There are no clear obstacles, put perhaps it is her life, her youth or social class.
Climax: She throws her presumedly self-aborted (and previously unmentioned) baby into the water.
Denouement: She goes to get an ice cream.

I liked the surprise climax in this piece as it was totally unexpected. I understand that the seemingly banal conversation before it contributes in part to it being so shocking, but I feel that the rest of the film is not really enjoyable on the same level. I probably will not be inspired by this film with my drama.


RITE by Michael Pearce (2010)
Inciting incident: It is the character's birthday and he is spending it with his divorced father.
Obstacles: He and his father have little in common, and the character is made uncomfortable.
Climax: His father has a fit of rage and alienates his son even further.
Denouement: His homosexuality is discovered and his dad makes an effort to be supportive.

I loved this film as I felt it was very realistic but also uplifting towards the end. I feel like if I were to direct a drama, I would want to experiment with something happier and more uplifting. I will perhaps draw inspiration from the denouement of this film.

Project: Directing a Short Drama

For this semester we are required to create a five minute drama based on the theme of 'journey'. We will again be working in groups of six, with each member adopting a unique role that is different to the one they did in their documentary. Our group also must be a completely new crew who have not worked together before. 

I have put myself forward as the Director of this project. Directing is my favourite element of filmmaking as I consider myself to be a creative person, however I had never written or directed something that was explicitly narrative. I feel this is an important skill to have and so I leapt at the opportunity to direct this project. 

As Director, it will be my job to conceptualise and develop the film itself. I will be responsible for writing and pitching treatments, creating the narrative content and developing characters. It will also be my job to build upon this and write the script. I will also have some control over the formal elements of the film such as the cinematography, editing and sound, and this will require me to work closely with other members of the group in order to ensure my vision is properly achieved. However, this is a two-way relationship and I must also be willing to let other crew members contribute creatively towards their role. Essentially, my part in the technical elements of the film will consist of ensuring that the ideas my crew are exploring creatively in their fields tie together and are cohesive, through the lens of my own artistic vision.

I am aware that being the Director of this project will be a taxing role, as there is a lot of pressure to produce something in a short space of time, which I can sometimes find creatively stunting. I also tend to strive for unattainable outcomes and panic when these are not achieved, and this is something I wish to work on getting over during this project. I feel that, as I was Producer for the Documentary, I have already experienced a more stressful and intensive role, and so I am hopeful that this role will not be too difficult in terms of workload and time management, but will still allow me to have a significant input in the final outcome of the film.