Short film planning - Step by Step

 Short film planning - Step by Step

1. Treatment

The opening to the film will act as a crucial introduction to our main character and a set up to the rest of the film, whilst leaving the audience interested in what is to come next. Simply referred to as Agent 58 - a Hitman, we are given a close up of a man, wearing a suit, and looking somewhat mysterious. With the use of a sound bridge from the black title screen to our Hitman, we will hear the voice coming from the burner phone he is holding of what is his boss telling him, “This is it. One last mission. No mistakes. Do what you need to do. No matter what." Next, we flip to the Hitman looking at a crime board, linking up different images that bring to the centre a blurry CCTV image of someone with a drawn question mark on it. We then flip to him practicing whipping his revolver out and shooting blanks. We get multiple different angles of this scene – angles down the barrel that zoom inwards with every click of the gun, and an extreme close up on his eyes, cold and focused. The aim will be to build tension and add to themes of preparation, detachment, and violence as a ritual.

 

We will then cut to our Hitman, dressed in clothing that clearly suggests he is undercover as a gangster or ‘roadman’, carrying a bag. We will have shots of him travelling at night – the cameraman walking with him from behind, shots of the surroundings such as streetlamps, trees rustling etc. I will make sure to get no other people or moving cars in the scene so that we are simply focusing on our protagonist. I will use ambient sound to add to the mysterious and tense atmosphere, with a police car siren in the background, the sound of trees rustling, and the Hitman's footsteps. He will then turn into an alleyway, where we watch him walk over and stop from the POV of the person he is meeting. From behind the Hitman, the camera moves to the side so that we can see the man standing, facing him, 5 metres away. We get a Dutch low angle of this person, dressed similarly, looking confident, unhurried, and slightly threatening. They start to talk, discussing the trade that they are here to do. Then, the mystery man pulls down his mask to cough.

 

With the use of a vertigo shot, the Hitman recognizes the man’s face and realizes who he is. As soon as this happens, a non-diegetic humming noise is introduced, quiet at first, but becoming louder. We will get a flashback to an event where the man saved/spared the Hitman's life on a previous job, where the Hitman was masked, yet the man was not. Back to the present, we are given a wide shot, and then an extreme close up shot of the man’s eyes, showing him to be slightly emotional and shocked. The man leaves the scene shortly to get whatever he is selling, and at this moment, the Hitman takes his revolver and removes half of the shells from the chamber of the gun, and we notice the slight hesitation and mess of thought on his face. As soon as the man returns, the Hitman pulls out the gun and points it at the man. The humming noise is now much louder, creating great suspense. We get many different angles of the man pointing the gun, with shot reverse shots of both characters’ eyes – hesitation and coldness/acceptance. We hear non-diegetic sound of heavy breathing and heartbeat sounds as this happens. Then, an angle to the side of the gun, where the Hitman pulls the trigger, instantly flicking to black with all sound stopping completely. We don’t know if a bullet or blank has been shot.

- Reflecting on the treatment after filming - I changed many smaller aspects, but kept the broad picture of the film in place. 

- The Hitman is forced through threat by a mystery phone caller into completing his final hit. We're given the idea that it is kill or be killed. He later realises the target spared his life in the past, and has to choose whether he too spares/kills. 

- First image of film (AI used)

 - Crucial vertigo shot

- Final shot before cut to black

2. Research into audience

A lot of my inspiration has been taken from popular shows that explore a realistic depiction of street/gang life, such as The Wire and Top Boy. I want to create a film which has a similar sense of dread and foreboding violence to these shows, inspired by their dim aesthetics and genre of conflict. I want to therefore resonate with a younger audience who probably empathise or are more aware of street/gang life and its consequences. 

3. Location plans

I will look to film in realistic locations, whilst also allowing for cinematographic originality. Introduced with a phone call, the main character will be situated in a dimly lit room in my house, allowing for an appreciation of instant themes of ambiguity and anticipation. The next locations will be streets nearby, with street lamps and the surroundings adding to cinematographic styles and suspense.

- Reflecting on this after filming, I found that a much more secluded location for the 'meeting' sequence was more ideal.

- Lighting was crucial in displaying a certain mood/atmosphere, especially when shooting at home.

4. Cast/Costumes/Props

In terms of casting, my friend Ayrton will be playing the Hitman who is undercover as a gang member. He has a good understanding of camera work and has experience in proffesional acting, and is a very accessible actor who I can coordinate easily with.

I will be casting another friend as the gang boss that the Hitman is meeting. I will need to find a good actor who is again accessible but someone who I can coordinate well with. 

When on the phone, I will introduce the Hitman in a suit to portray his importance, and will further emphasize his role as an undercover personel for the agency he works for. He will then be wearing the usual streetwear outfit, such as joggers with a puffer jacket to imply he is now undercover. The target will be wearing the same.

The crucial prop is going to be the Hitman's revolver, which will be constantly referred to in the film, helping to constantly bring up themes of anticipation and engage the audience.  

- Reflecting on this after filming, I can say that I very much did not stick to my initial plan!

- I casted my Dad as the Hitman and my uncle not as a gang boss, but as 'the target', as it was much easier to access them than the friends I originally casted.

- Props stayed the same, but I changed ideas for costumes - I had my dad in a more straightforward outfit - jeans and a crew neck, and then wearing a trench coat for the meeting. My uncle was wearing a similar outfit that was still believable for a criminal.