FM1 - Storyboard Exemplar 1) - 'A' Grade

1

St. Andrew’s Catholic School – 64135

FM1: Exploring Film FormCreative Project - Storyboard

Time is nigh Director: Callum Dawson

My short film, inspired by relatable events, features the stereotypically nervous student (Billy Jones) as he faces the wrath of an exam.

Though, this is no ordinary exam, as both the spectator and character will discover…

Crammed with sweat and tears to the penultimate point, spectators are left knowing wherever Billy will make it out alive. Through the preface of ‘Time is nigh’, Billy is anxiously waiting to be sent forward to the exam room. As he is the last one to be called out and the last one to enter, he wonders to himself to whether he will succeed. During the exam Billy is confronted by a series of challenges to which could oppress his sanity.

Times ticking…

This climactic suspense is constructed through the adoption of individual micro features. Primarily, Mise-en-scene is first devised in order to

‘signify’ (De Saussure) a dystopian school setting, while amalgamated with costume for the purposes of submersing the spectator into a tense

defying exam. Furthermore, Cinematography is taken into account as the most important in connoting the sense of inferiority between the

students in contrast to the supremacy of the Teacher, as demonstrated through camera angles. While this can be additionally significant

through the shot types designed so that the spectator can watch the film from a multitude of perspectives. Though the film is much

associated with the traditional ’suspense’ genre, the use of sound is cleverly incorporated, conveying a sense of irony (featured mainly at the climactic end), that juxtaposes with the preface of ‘Time is nigh’, where

it is dominated by a fast paced non- diegetic rhythmic pattern. In correlation, in order to emphasize the tension during the short film, I used a frequent collaboration of cuts, creating an exhilarating ride.

The target audience varies from young children to adults. For adult purposes, this short film is devised to relive the dreadful moments before and during an exam, something that is clearly ‘personally

identifiable’ (Katz), allowing the spectator to feel more emotionally attached not to the characters necessarily, but to their youthful self. On

Callum Dawson – 2039

2



the other hand, for child desires, this film aims to prepare children through the presentation of a daunting moment in their lives, though

there are subtle elements of humour featured.

Shot 1 Slug line: EXT. School playground (Bright but misty morning)

Action: Shot of students walking out onto the playground (busy and lively)- the bottom part of the shot provides the misty scheme of a cold and bright morning.

Camera: Shot Type:

Establishing shot (Crane shot) of the school playground.

Camera Angle:

High angle – looking down at the playground of the students in order to make them look inferior.

Camera Movement:

Static camera

Diegetic Sound:

Ambient sound - cars, wind and birds- Creates a sense of verisimilitude.Diegetic sound – mumbling from a Teacher talking through a megaphone- subtle, comedic effect.

Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A


3



Transition:

In contrast it CUTS TO a very silent environment in which some students are being called out for an exam.

Duration: 5 SecondsLighting Natural lighting from the weather (cloudy – producing low key in

parts of the setting)


Shot 2 Slug line: EXT. School playground ( Bright but misty morning)

Action: Teacher is calling out the student’s names for the exam to which they leave the line one by one.

Camera: Shot Type:

OSS- Over Shoulder Shot from Protagonist’s perspective

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:

Static camera

Diegetic Sound:

Ambient sound - cars, wind and birds.Diegetic sound – mumbling from a Teacher, calling out names.

Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Transition:

CUTS TO oblique (medium) shot of students departing from the line.

Duration:

3 Seconds

Lighting Natural lighting (continued) from the weather (cloudy – producing low key in parts of the setting)

4



Shot 3 Slug line: EXT. School playground ( Bright but misty morning)Action: Students departing from line.Camera: Shot Type:

OS- Oblique Shot - missing out the head to give the characters no identity

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:

Static camera

Diegetic Sound:

Ambient sound - cars, wind and birds.Diegetic sound – mumbling from a Teacher, calling out names - continued…..


5



Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Transition:

CUT TO the camera panning across to the left and tilts up to the point of looking down at the protagonist

Duration: 6 SecondsLighting Natural lighting (continued) from the weather (cloudy – producing low

key in parts of the setting)

Shot 4 Slug line: EXT. School playground (Bright but misty morning)Action: Introduction of protagonist – Billy Jones (Adam Fox)Camera: Shot Type:

MS- Mid- Shot

Camera Angle:

High angle - utilized to make Billy look inferior and weak.

Camera Movement:

From the previous shot, camera pans across the lower part of the students and follows a pedestal movement (up), to the point of looking down at the protagonist.

Diegetic Sound:

Ambient sound - cars, wind and birds.Diegetic sound – mumbling from a Teacher, calling out names - (continued)

Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Transition:

CUT TO a shot of protagonist's face sweating

Duration: 6 SecondsLighting Natural lighting (continued) from the weather (cloudy – producing low key in

parts of the setting)


6



Shot 5 Slug line: EXT. School playground ( Bright but misty morning)

Action: Facial expression of Billy jones – exemplifying a terrified boy

Camera: Shot Type:

CU - Close Up

Camera Angle:

High angle, slightly oblique

Camera Movement:

Technical code- of a Dolly zoom moving down to character’s face.

Diegetic Sound:

No ambient sound – silence – to build tension.Diegetic sound – footsteps of students walking.

Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Transition:

CUT-IN to the slow motion sequence of a droplet of sweat falling.


7



Duration: 5 SecondsLighting Natural lighting (continued) from the weather (cloudy – producing

low key in parts of the setting)

*Found footage shot of a droplet of sweat hitting the ground

Shot 6 Slug line: EXT. School playground ( Bright but misty morning) Action: From Billy’s forehead, a droplet of sweat begins to form and falls to the

ground in slow motion.Camera: Shot Type:

ECU- Extreme Close Up (slow motion)

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:

Static camera


8



Diegetic Sound:

input of a slow motion sound of the droplet hitting the ground

Non-Diegetic Sound:

Voiceover: Billy - “It’s going to be ok, it’s not like you’re going to die... it’s just an exam” irony and foreshadows the denouement of the film.

Transition:

DISSOLVE TO an empty line with Billy the only one left.

Duration: 5 SecondsLighting Natural lighting (continued) from the weather (cloudy – producing low key

in parts of the setting)


9



Shot 7 Slug line: EXT. School playground (Bright but misty morning) Action: Billy stands alone, as he is the last to be sent to the exam.Camera: Shot Type:

LS- Long Shot (broken frame, provided by wired fence.)

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:

Slow zoom out from character’s face (side on) to a long shot.

Diegetic Sound:

N/A – Silence for tension purposes

Non-Diegetic Sound:

A sharp pounding instrument (as featured in the film ‘There will be blood’-Corona Radiata by Nine Inch Nails) for the ideal use of establishing a ‘disequilibrium’ (Todorov) and eeriness as Billy realizes that he is the last one to be called out.

Transition:

CUT TO Teacher pointing at Billy as his name is called.

Duration: 6 SecondsLighting Natural lighting (continued), though due to the subtle disequilibrium in

the scene, the setting contains more of a darker tone from the clouds.


10



Shot 8 Slug line: EXT. School playground (Bright but misty morning) Action: Teacher points to Billy, sending him to the exam (in a demanding

manor)Camera: Shot Type:

OSS- Over Shoulder Shot from Teacher’s Perspective.

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:

Static camera

Diegetic Sound:

Dialogue- Teacher calls out his name “Billy Jones” in a deep, abysmal voice.

Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Transition: CUT TO Billy walking towards the exam building.

Duration: 3 SecondsLighting Natural lighting (continued), though due to the subtle

‘disequilibrium’ in the scene, the setting contains more of a darker tone from the clouds.


11



Shot 9 Slug line: EXT. School playground (Bright but misty morning) Action: Mid- shot of Billy, walking (slowly for dramatic purposes) to the exam

building. Camera: Shot Type:

MS - Mid shot

Camera Angle:

High angle

Camera Movement:

Tracking (steadi-cam) shot

Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Non-Diegetic Sound:

Sound of a Heart beating (medium pace) - (continued)


12



Transition:

CUT TO a shot of the exam building.

Duration: 4 SecondsLighting Natural lighting (continued).

Shot 10 Slug line: EXT. School playground (Weather has changed, evolving into a darker and colder environment)

Action: Shot of a sinister looking exam building, in which Billy is walking towards.

Camera: Shot Type:

LS- Long Shot

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:

Static cameraDiegetic Sound:

N/A


13



Non-Diegetic Sound:

Sound of a Heart beating (slow pace) - inspired by ‘the customs scene in’ Midnight Express’.

Transition:

CUT TO a shot of inside the exam room.

Duration: 4 SecondsLighting Low key lighting as the weather is evolving into this brooding

atmosphere.

Shot 11 Slug line:INT. Exam room (Desks and chairs set out neatly) - (Ambient + diegetic sound terminated when transitioning to internal setting)

Action: Billy walks into the exam room, some are already seated. The characters seated, all represent various stereotypes: The one who shows lack of care, the one who is always distracted and noisy and the one who is educated and serious.


14



Camera: Shot Type:

LS- Long Shot, taken from a window perspective (broken frame)

Camera Angle:

High angle

Camera Movement:

Static camera

Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Non-Diegetic Sound:

Sound of a Heart beating (fast pace- increasing) - (continued)

Transition:

CUT TO a worms eye view shot from under a desk, as Billy walks in.

Duration: 3 SecondsLighting High key lighting provided by natural light coming from the windows.

Shot 12 Slug line: INT. Exam room (Desks and chairs set out neatly).

Action: Shot from under a desk, as Billy enters room.


15



Camera: Shot Type:

MS - Mid- Shot (Broken frame provided by the desk legs – Desk leg in focus – Billy is out of focus.)

Camera Angle:

Low angle- under the desk looking up.

Camera Movement:

Static camera

Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Non-Diegetic Sound:

Sound of a Heart beating (getting faster) - (continued)

Transition:

CUT TO a shot of a chair in which Billy soon approaches

Duration: 3 SecondsLighting High key lighting provided by natural light coming from the windows +

lights in the room


16



Shot 13 Slug line: INT. Exam room (Desks and chairs set out neatly) - External environment as witnessed from the window denotes dark clouds as a storm is coming - pathetic fallacy.

Action: Shot of the chair, 5 seconds followed by Billy sitting downCamera: Shot Type:

MCU- Medium Close Up.

Camera Angle:

Low Angle- under the desk looking up. Broken frame provided by the desk legs.

Camera Movement:

Static camera/ lock down shot. For the purposes of keeping the spectator waiting for Billy’s appearance.

Diegetic Sound:

Monotonous sound of footsteps getting louder.

Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A- silence - suspense

Transition:

CUT TO an ECU of a Teachers lips, commencing the start of the exam.

Duration: 5 Seconds- this shot is longer for the intentions of keeping the spectator waiting for Billy’s presence.

Lighting High key lighting provided by natural light coming from the windows, while there is an element of low key as the clouds are turning grey.

*Found image shot from ‘Lord Of The Rings- Return of the King’ (2003– Dir. Peter Jackson) - Mouth of Sauron.


17




Action: Extreme close up of the Invigilator’s lips- surreal and sinful appearance.

Camera: Shot Type:

ECU- Extreme Close Up

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:


Dialogue from the Invigilator “This exam is one hour. You may begin” in an ominous, creepy voice to insinuate a sinister, dystopian atmosphere.

Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Transition:

CUT TO POV shot from Billy as he looks down at a piece of paper.

Duration: 6 SecondsLighting Low key lighting to provide the creepy atmosphere of the disturbing

shot of the lips.


18



Shot 15 Slug line: INT.Exam room (Desks and chairs set out neatly).

Action: Billy looks down at his desk, finding a blank piece of paper.Camera: Shot Type:

POV - Point Of View shot of Billy as he looks down at the desk.

Camera Angle:

High angle

Camera Movement:

Camera tilts down following the eye movement of Billy.

Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Transition:

CUT TO a Medium Close-Up of Billy looking around confused and panicked



19




Action: In response to the blank piece of paper, Billy looks around with awe and disturbance, in which his face is positioned cleverly next to a philosophical quote - Aristotle - “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” - Ironic purpose.

Camera: Shot Type:

MCU- Medium Close Up

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:


N/A

Non-Diegetic Sound:

Fast paced music begins to fade into the scene (Force Marker by Brian Eno from Heat) for the purpose of creating hostility and apprehension.

Transition:

CUT TO a shot of the paper and Billy’s head tilted looking along the paper and flipping it over.



Action: Billy is inspecting the paper by flipping it over to check if the question was on the back- in response Billy puts on a perplexed attitude to the situation.

Camera: Shot Type:

MCU – Medium Close Up

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:


N/A


20



Non-Diegetic Sound:

Fast paced music (Force Marker by Brian Eno from Heat) for the purpose of creating hostility and apprehension.

Transition:

CUT TO Extreme close up to Billy’s eye, looking around anxiously

Duration: 4 Seconds - (2 seconds - paper in focus/2 seconds - Billy’s face is in focus)

Lighting High key lighting provided by natural light coming from the windows.

Shot 18 Slug line: INT. Exam room (Desks and chairs set out neatly).Action: Extreme close up to Billy’s eye, looking around anxiously (his

conscience is confused to wherever he should do something – this is later denoted in the moral of story, in which Billy should of acted in response to the paper, but did not – thus leading to consequences.)

Camera: Shot Type:

ECU- Extreme Close Up of his eye

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:


Heavy breathing (sound bridged across shots)

Non-Diegetic Sound:

Fast paced music (Force Marker by Brian Eno from ‘Heat’ – 1995 – Dir. Michael Mann) for the purpose of creating hostility and apprehension.- Loudness decreased to emphasize on the diegetic sound of breathing.

Transition:

CUT TO a series of events that start distracting Billy, causing him to become agitated and distressed.

Duration: 2 SecondsLighting Subtle use of lighting providing low key in order to focus on the

shadows around his eye.


21




22




Action: Extreme close up of a pen clicking (begins to notice subtle sounds in the room and becomes irritated.)

Camera: Shot Type:

ECU – Extreme Close Up - of a pen

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:


Monotonous sound of a pen clicking and breathing (sound bridged across shots)

Non-Diegetic Sound:

Loudness of the music decreased (continued) to emphasize on the diegetic sound of the breathing and the clicking.

Transition:

CUT TO a clock ticking



23




Action: Close up to a clock ticking.Camera: Shot Type:

CU- Close Up

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:


Clock ticking, heavy breathing, pen clicking (sound bridged across shots)

Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A- in order to emphasize on the procuring sound of the clock and the other sounds- build tension.

Transition:

FADE IN to a close up of Billy’s face.



24




Action: Close up of Billy’s face – looking back at the blank piece of paper- worryingly (sweating).

Camera: Shot Type:

CU- Close Up

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:


Clock ticking, heavy breathing, pen clicking (sound bridged across shots - continued)

Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A- in order to emphasize on the procuring sound of the clock and the other sounds- build tension.

Transition:

CUT TO Billy fainting and falling on the floor.



25



Shot 22 Slug line: INT. Exam room (Desks and chairs set out neatly). - External environment as witnessed from the window denotes dark clouds as a storm is coming - pathetic fallacy.

Action: Due to the immense pressure, Billy begins to feel weak and faints.Camera: Shot Type:

MS- Mid Shot (Used a blur and vignette effect to simulate the fainting)

Camera Angle:

Dutch tilt - providing a sense of confusion and ‘disequilibrium’ (Todorov)

Camera Movement:

Tilt- tracking shot on Billy as he falls off the chair and onto the floor.

Diegetic Sound:

Banging sound as Billy hits the ground - followed by the sound echoing, thus giving the scene depth.

Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Transition:

CUT TO a shot of Billy’s head on the floor.



Action: Close up of Billy opening his eyes, finding the blank piece of paper on top of him.

Camera: Shot Type:

CU- Close Up

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:


Billy waking up, gasping for air.


26



Non-Diegetic Sound:

N/A

Transition:

CUT TO the piece of paper.


Shot 24 Slug line: INT.Exam room (Desks and chairs set out neatly).

Action: Billy then picks up the paper and there read - extreme close up - : ‘Time’s up. Life’s up’

Camera: Shot Type:

ECU –Extreme Close Up

Camera Angle:

High angle

Camera Movement:


N/A


27



Non-Diegetic Sound:

Voice over - from an ominous and deep voice - ‘Time’s up. Life’s up.’

Transition:

CUT TO Billy’s response and reaction (shock) to this climactic end.



28




Action: Billy’s face (shocked) in response to the text on the paper, falls back to the ground – fainting (again) – the spectator is faced with the decision of whether Billy survived the exam or not….

Camera: Shot Type:

MS - Mid shot

Camera Angle:

Eye level

Camera Movement:


N/A

Non-Diegetic Sound:

Music - Jim Croce ‘Time in a bottle’- starts playing - comedic/ ironic effect - continued throughout credit roll.

Transition:

CUT TO a punctuation shot- credits roll with film title- ‘Time is nigh’



FM1 - Storyboard Exemplar 1) - 'A' Grade

Education

Transcript of FM1 - Storyboard Exemplar 1) - 'A' Grade