What Do I Need To Do?

At the beginning of the year, I didn't really feel as though I was sufficiently dedicated enough to keep up a level of consistency and quality on this blog. However, as time has gone on, I've got my act together and I'm glad that I'm posting more regularly and, most importantly, I think I've been putting a lot more effort in my posts. With the deadline for the pitch looming, I feel as though this is an appropriate point to assess where I'm at and what I need to do in order to get to where I need to be in the next couple of weeks. As well as making sure I've fully caught up on my research, I want to ensure that I begin to formulate a pitch that is of a quality standard. Therefore, I'd like to make a note of what I need to be doing in order to be fully caught up on my work, ready to present my pitch;

Finishing Research:

-To finish the remaining 6 posts analysing short films. This will take me up to a total of 10, which has been my target.

-Add a detailed analysis of my survey results.

-A few paragraphs reflecting upon my research process- what I've done well, what I could've done better and what things I should still continue researching.

Pitch Work:

-For my pitch, I want to create a presentation on poster-size writing sheets, to act as a reference when presenting my pitch. On top of that, I want to create a booklet for my audience to look at. Also, I want to be able to memorise a script so that I can deliver my pitch efficiently, economically and professionally.

-Mock-up poster: at the moment I'm still deciding on whether to take a picture and use this for my poster, or whether to draw up my ideas. When making my poster, I plan to make a post on my experiences with Photoshop, what I've learnt, and what I still want to learn about the software before creating my final draft.

-A mock-up review: I'm not going to write a proper review, but I want to create something that shows my structure and layout in designing a review. Using a format similar to Empire's reviews, I need to take a shot on my camera that will act as a promotional still- it should be ambiguous, as well as featuring who my main  protagonist's are going to be.

-Script: Write a rough draft to demonstrate the thought process I've gone through to create dialogue that is appropriate for my film. Note that this is only a rough draft, and I won't be too fussed whether it's too long or too short for the 5min length: what's really important is that I've shown that I've begun working on dialogue/plot.

-Storyboard: I'm admittedly a bit of a perfectionist, and so my storyboard (hopefully by the point of the pitch), won't just be stickmen. The reason for this is that I want to show to my peers that I'm confident in my vision for the pitch, something that can't be adequately displayed though the old draw-some-stickmen-and-that's-good-enough process.

-Animatic: Not as much of a priority as the storyboard and script, it would be a nice flourish to be able to show off an animatic. But, well, um, I'm not exactly sure how to make a really good animatic so this is perhaps going to be on the back burner for now.

-Mood Board: I want to create a collage of different things that have inspired me: newspaper cuttings, magazine cuttings and TV shows/Films that demonstrate costumes and styles that fit my vision for the short film. Not necessary, but I think this will be able to directly show the link between research and my own short film. 

-Location/Actors: Pictures of where I'm planning to shoot and who I'm planning to cast. Bare in mind, this is a work in progress and changes are liable to be made.

-My script: this is where I want to demonstrate my ability to deliver a pitch in a sophisticated and technical manner. I want to prove that I've thought about my idea, and that there is some method to what I'm trying to achieve. Therefore, I'm going to refer to the questions that were asked by my teacher (see previous post). Also, I want to be well versed in questions that could possibly arise from the audience after my pitch which, personally, would help me feel more confident and less anxious about presenting before others.

-Equipment/Software/The Technical Stuff: Finally, I want a page on my poster presentation to encompass the technical aspect of film-making; I'm more of a creative mind than a technical one, and so this is probably the part of my pitch I'm most distressed about. But, well, its important to tackle your weaknesses, so yeah. I want to discuss the equipment I'm planning to use, as well as the software that will make my poster, review and film happen.

-My presentation: This is mainly going to reflect what's already been written in each of my booklets. Basically I want my presentation to act as a visual aid; to bring my ramblings into focus, if that makes sense. Including pictures that I've taken, cartoons that I've drawn, I want my  vision for this film to feel as though it's clear at the end of my pitch. This is where the significance of the poster-pad comes in.

So this is what I need to be doing in the next two to three weeks. It's a lot, and I have high hopes for what I want my pitch to be, but I feel as though this is important to prove to my teacher and my peers that I'm most definitely focused on my work and my film, now that I'm posting on a more regular basis and I've caught up with my work. If you've read all of this, you're probably wondering what my actual idea is. Well, I've got my ideas, and I'm going to relay these ideas onto my blog shortly. In the next couple of days, I'm going to finalise my idea. So, this is what I'm up to; watch this space...