Filming Day Three

For this day we shot the character dancing at a concert. On this day we were attending a concert at the O2 Arena in London. Because of the location, we were unable to shoot on a high quality camera, due to the rules of the venue. Therefore we shot the footage on an iPhone 6, which still enabled us to achieve a fair quality shot.

Call Sheet 3

Filming Day Two

For our second day of filming we filmed a rotating camera shot of the main protagonist blowing out candles on a birthday cake. The camera begins in front of the character then rotates around her in a semi circle. When we reached the back of the chair the character was sitting on, we redressed the scene. We then continued tracking the character, but in the new scene she is younger, and blowing out candles that display the number 15, rather than 19 in the first scene.

PICTURES

We began the scene with Molly portraying a 19 year old. We therefore dressed her in more mature clothing and added contour, eye shadow and dark lipstick to make her look older. Then in the second shot we used much lighter makeup, such as highlighter and blush, in order to create a younger look, as in this scene she was portraying a 15 year old. We also dressed her in more loose fitting clothing as we believed that this would depict a younger character.

PICTURE

We used a birthday cake as a prop in this scene. For the second scene we decorated the cake in order to make it look like a different day. We also used numbered birthday candles to suggests the age of the character in each scene.

Call Sheet 2

Filming Day One: Fireworks

For our first filming day, we shot a scene in which our main protagonist watches a firework display. We shot the fireworks both in an out of focus as we felt that the lights looked interesting when they were distorted by the camera.

We also shot Molly watching the fireworks. For this filming day did little prep in terms of makeup and costuming, as Molly's face is lit only by the firework display.

Call Sheet 1

On the 5th of November we plan to film a scene in which our main character watches a firework display. For this we will be attending Bloxham firework display with our leading actress to film.

Change in Casting

Initially we had planned for Nadia to play the best friend of our protagonist. However due the large quantity of filming days that we had to plan, we soon realised that both girls were unable to film on the same days, due to other commitments. Therefore I will be replacing Nadia as a friend of the protagonist. This ensures that we will be able to film on every day we have planned. Also, as I am working in partnership with Lucy, she will be able to film the majority of these scenes whilst I act.

Planning: Locations

The generic locations for a coming of age drama are:

• A teenagers bedroom
• A housing estate 
• A school 
• A family home 
• A shopping centre 

It is likely that the majority of these locations will be featured in our film. As we are following a storyline that is conventional to the coming of age genre.

For interior shots in which the protagonist is presented as being at home, we will be using Lucy's house as a location. We believe that this is the best suited location because the house is fairly modern and spacious. Therefore filming will be made easier as we will have room for the camera to move and achieve varying angles. Also, as it is a modern house, the setting will appear more relatable to our target audience. On top of this, Lucy's bedroom will be a realistic setting for many of the scenes as she herself is a teenage girl.

For exterior shots, we have chosen a variety of different locations. For one scene we plan to shoot Molly watching a firework display. We have chosen to attend Bloxham firework display to shoot this and will contact the event manager to ensure that it is okay for us to film there. We will also be featuring a scene in which the character scratches out some initials carved into a tree. For this scene we will be filming at Newbottle forrest. It is likely that we will be unable to carve into one of their trees, however we will still be filming shots of Molly in the woods as it is a scenic and pretty location.

Another scene in our storyboard is of the character spending time with her friends. For these exterior scenes we will be filming at shopping centres and in town. For these shots we will be travelling to Oxford, and filming our actress walking past and among the high street shops. We have chosen this location in particular as we feel that, as we are filming this scene around Christmas time, it will be a pretty location with the christmas lights and decorations. 

Choosing Software

We will be using Adobe Premiere Pro to edit our short film. We have chosen this particular software as for our last project we used iMovie and found that this in some ways limited us in how creative we could be during the editing process. Therefore we have chosen a new software, that is renowned within the film industry as a one of the best editing programmes. We also feel that this will enable us to achieve the fast montage editing that we plan to include in our short film. We will also be using this software to create our titles, in which we plan to use stop motion to make the titles move.

Planning: Lighting

Our film will be edited as a montage and will present various locations and situations. Therefore we will be shooting in a multiple locations, both exterior and interior. Consequently, this will mean that our lighting will vary between each scene. For the exterior shots we will be attempting to shoot in good weather conditions in order to maintain a consistent uplifting and happy portrayal of youth. We will also be shooting in front of a sunset in order to create a golden toned scene. The warm colours will draw positive connotations from the viewer and thus depict a positive image of growing up.

For interior shots we will be using natural lighting to cast a gentle, pretty light on to the scene. However, there are a few scenes in our film in which we are attempting to portray our protagonist as stressed or upset. For example, when she is revising for her exams.  For these particular scenes we will be using artificial lighting to create a harsher, colder atmosphere. There are also scene of our protagonist at a party or concert. For these scenes we will be using coloured lighting to create a more exciting and fun atmosphere.

We will be taking advantage of studio lights and good weather conditions in order to portray particular tones in different scenes. Lighting is a key element of our filming process as it will allow us to depict the tone of the scene and further the atmosphere we are trying to create in that particular moment.

Planning: Naming Our Film

After researching coming of age short films, we found that short, simple names were the most effective in conveying the narrative of the film. For example 'Youth' by Tom Petroni portrays a similarly positive image of growing up as our own film. 'Youth' successfully conveys the genre of the film to the audience, and suggests the types of the characters involved and what narrative the film may follow. We have taken inspiration from this particular film and have decided to name our project 'Growing Up'. Again this is a simple name that successfully conveys to the audience that this belongs to the coming of age genre. It also coincides with the narrative of our film, as our protagonist grows in age and experiences multiple defining moments throughout the film. Our film is also a reflection on 'growing up' and presents a message of not wasting your youth trying to mature quicker; to enjoy being a teenager.

Planning: Classification

Many coming or age film have a rating of 15. This is typically due to their use of offensive language, drug and alcohol use and criminal behaviour. However, our film does not include these types of graphic scenes. We have only included minimal alcohol use and this would not justify a rating of 15. Therefore we have chosen to our film a 12A. According to the BBFC website guidelines 12A films:

1.  Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. 
- Our film does not include this and therefore conforms to this guideline.

2. Misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamourised or give instructional detail. 
- Our film does include minimal use of alcohol but does not dwell on the issue or glamourise it. Therefore we also conform to this guideline.

3. No promotion of potentially dangerous behaviour which children are likely to copy. 
- Our film focuses on the lighter, happier elements of growing up and thus does not include and imitable behaviour.

4. There may be moderate language. 
- We do not include any taboo language in our film so therefore we are not opposing this guideline.

5. There may be nudity, but in a sexual context it must be discreet and brief. 
- There is no nudity or sexual behaviour in our short film.

6. There may be moderate violence but it should not dwell on detail. 
- Again, this is not included in our film as we are attempting to portray a positive image of childhood and growing up.

Our film therefore fits neatly within these guidelines. Although we will take into consideration the guidelines for displaying misuse of alcohol when editing that scene into our final film.

Planning: Audience

From researching the coming of age genre I have found that a typical target audience includes both genders between the ages of 12 and 25. This is because it is common for the young age of the protagonist and their experiences because of this, to resonate with an audience of the same age. Therefore we will be targeting a similar demographic.

We have chosen 12 year olds and the youngest audience members for our film as we have decided to rate it as 12A (according to the BBFC guidelines). We also believe that the reflective tone of our film may be too mature for an audience younger than this as they may not have experienced many of the events our protagonist experiences.

We have chosen 25 as our oldest audience as they are likely to resonate with the reflective tone of our piece. This age group is likely to have had the same experiences as our protagonist and therefore may relate more to the message of our film about enjoying your youth.

Our short film conforms to the same conventions as the coming of age short films I have analysed. Therefore we will be targeting the same age groups as these films, however, we will primarily be focusing on a female audience. We believe that, due to our protagonist being a teenage girl and the secondary characters in the film also being girls, our film would be more relatable, and thus more enjoyable, for a female audience. However the overall concept of the film is to enjoy growing up and enjoy your youth, and this is a theme that can relate to both genders. Therefore we will not be excluding males as a possible demographic for our film.

Planning: Storyboard

This is the story board for our short film. We have created a basic outline of the scenes we wish to include and the order in which we will put them. However it is likely the order will change during the editing process, and once we have begun writing the script. Below each drawing we have explained what will happen in the shot and how we will shoot it. We have also included arrows to display which direction the camera will be moving in some of the scenes. We have not included description of what sounds will be included in each scene as there will be very little diegetic sound in our film. Instead we will be using a voice over along with instrumental music.

Planning: Casting Consent

As both of our actresses are under the age of 18, we will need to have a consent formed signed by their parents to allow us to film them and upload the footage online. We will also need consent from the actors themselves to be in our media project. On the form we will be notifying both the girls and their parents of the locations we will be filming at and the dates that we will be visiting these locations. We will also be asking for and providing our own phone numbers so that if anything changes or goes wrong, we will be able to contact one another easily.

Planning: Filming Equipment

The main camera that we will be using for filming our short film is the Panasonic Lumix GH4. This camera is capable of filming in 4K, whilst still being compact and portable, therefore making it the perfect fit for our project. It also features settings such as brightness adjustments and focus control, which will ultimately give us more control over what the shot will look like.

We will also be using the Canon G7 Mark II as a secondary camera for more crowded filming locations. This camera also films in HD so we will be able to achieve high quality shots, however it is much smaller than the GH4 and will therefore make it easier for us to capture shots in locations such as a concert or a crowded shopping centre.

For many of the shots we will be using a tripod to film. We have chosen to use the Velborn CX 888, as this is a tripod that Lucy already owns. This piece of equipment will allow us to capture professional, steady footage at varying angles and distances.

We will also be using a dolly for certain scenes such as the opening shot of our character blowing out the candles on her birthday cake. We have chosen to use a dolly as we will be able to achieve a more professional and steady camera movement. The model we are going to use is the Velborn D-11, which we will be hiring out from the school.

Planning: Communication

We have chosen to use a Facebook group chat as our primary source of communication with our actresses. We have chosen this particular platform as we used it last year for our AS project and found it to be an effective way of quickly getting in touch with our cast to organise filming days. We have created a new chat that includes myself, Lucy, Molly and Nadia. We have made sure that the privacy settings are activated on our chat to ensure that only members can see the information that we are exchanging.

We will also be creating an iMessage group chat with our cast to ensure that there will be no loss of communication. Both of our actresses also attend the same school as Lucy and myself, which will make communication easier with the two girls.

Planning: Risk Assessment

Planning: Costumes

Costuming is another important element of the production process for this film. Along with makeup, costuming will allow us to make our characters look younger or older. Therefore we have selected certain styles and types of clothing to convey the girl's age in each scene. For the scenes in which the character is between the ages of 14-15, we will be dressing our actress in clothes such as hoodies, baggy jumpers, leggings, skinny jeans and trainers. This style of informal clothing conveys immaturity and therefore youthfulness. We will also be choosing outfits that feature brighter colours as they also express the characteristics of a younger person.

For the scenes in which our character is 17 years old or older, we will be dressing our actress in much more mature clothing. This will consist of darker colours and more revealing clothes such as crop tops and ripped jeans. We will also have Molly wear jewellery and heels in order to express her maturity and new found individuality that is common within this age group. We will also be choosing outfits that are current and trendy in order to allow our audience to relate to the protagonist.  

We will also be dressing our supporting cast in a similar way depending on the age of the protagonist. For example Nadia, the actress playing the best friend, will have to be dressed in a similar way to Molly as the characters are both of a similar age with similar personalities.

Planning: Makeup

Makeup is an important part of our film as we will need to make Molly (our actress) look younger or older depending on the scene we are shooting. This may also be necessary with our other actress, Nadia. Nadia will be playing the best friend of our protagonist and therefore they will have to look the same age in each scene.

For the scenes in which the characters are between the ages of 14 and 15, we will be using minimal makeup. Our aim for these scenes is to make the characters look youthful and innocent. Therefore we will attempt to make their faces look radiant and young with foundation, blush and mascara.  The image below demonstrates the effect that we will be trying to achieve.

For the scenes in which the characters are 17 or older, we will be creating a more dramatic look. We will use heavier makeup such as eyeshadow, eyeliner and contouring powders to achieve this. By using techniques such as these we will be able to make the girls look older and more sophisticated. Again, the picture below demonstrates the look we will be trying to achieve.

Overall, the makeup looks we plan to create will be fairly natural. We do not intend to use any theatrical makeup in our film as this would be out of place in the realistic atmosphere that we are trying to create.

Planning: Casting

Main Protagonist: Molly Braggins

The protagonist of our film is a young, teenage girl. Throughout the course of the film she will be differing in age. Therefore, Molly will be playing the character at ages 15 to 18. We have chosen Molly to play our leading role as she 17 years old and therefore, with makeup and costuming, she will look convincing as both a 15 year old and an 18 year old. Molly has studied drama and therefore we felt that, with her experience, she would be able to bring an element of professionalism to the role. She has also acted in other media projects at AS level, and thus will understand our production process. We also felt that as both myself, Lucy and Molly go to the same school, availability and scheduling filming days would be less of an issue.

Friend of the Protagonist: Nadia Hambidge 

For this role we needed an actress who was of a similar age to our protagonist. Therefore we have chosen Nadia as she is also 17 years old. Her age also results in her being a suitable fit for a character within the coming of age genre. Again, Nadia attends the same school as myself and Lucy, thus making it easier for us to communicate with her to organise filming days. Although Nadia does not have a lot of acting experience, we trust that she will be able to bring an element of sophistication to the role. We are also not overly concerned by this issue as she will ultimately feature a lot less in our film than Molly.

Planning: Props

Throughout our film we will need to use a variety of props that are appropriate to our character and conventional of the coming of age genre. By including these props we will be able to attract our target audience and create a greater sense of realism around our protagonist.

One prop that is likely to feature multiple time throughout our film, due the age of our character and our chosen target audience, is a mobile phone. We have decided to use different models depending on the age of our protagonist in the scene. For example if we are shooting a scene in which the character is 14 years old, we will use a model similar to the slide up phone shown above. We may also use an older model of iPhone, such as the iPhone 4s, for these scenes as this phone is more accessible to us. Whereas if we are doing a scene where the character is 18 years old, we will use a modern phone such as the iPhone 6. These props will be used in scenes where the character is texting or taking a selfie for example.

Another prop that we will use is a birthday cake. For our opening scene we plan to do a rotating shot of the character blowing out the candles on her birthday cake. For this scene we will need both a cake and candles that demonstrate the age of our character. We will be using numbered candles for this purpose as this is the most effective way for us to convey the age of the character to the audience.

We will also be including scenes of our character binge eating unhealthy food. We will be buying food from a fast food restaurant such as McDonalds to use as props in these scenes. We feel that this is a recognisable brand and the audience will therefore relate more to the character. This brand also carries a well-known stigma for being bad for your health, thus conveying the message of the scene to the audience. 

We are including a short montage of shots within our film of the protagonist listening to music. Therefore we will need to use headphones as a prop for these scenes. We are going to use iPhone earphones as we believe that this is a brand that our audience will recognise and can relate to. 

We will also use a variety of other props for the purpose of dressing the scene. For example we will use a notebook and pen in a school location in order to make the scene look more realistic. The character will also be carrying a school bag in these scenes, again to create a sense of realism. We will also do this to the girl's bedroom. We will dress these scenes with makeup, makeup brushes, perfumes and a laptop as these are all common items for a teenage girl to own. This will therefore allow us to create a greater sense of realism. 

Planning: Narrative Mood Board

This mood board is a visual representation of our narrative idea. It includes elements of the coming of age genre and presents some of the ideas for scenes we have thought about including in our film such as the bonfire and blowing out candles on a birthday cake. 

Planning: Chosen Idea

From the three ideas we have developed, we have decided that we are going to run with the first storyline of a girl growing up. We feel that this idea will allow the most room for interesting camera work, editing and narrative techniques. We also feel that this idea would be most conventional to our chosen genre.

Within this narrative we will include techniques such as voice over and flashbacks/ montaging. This will allow us to develop our creative skills in planning and script writing. Along with this we will also be able to use skills in editing and post production. As our film is a collection of events that will run alongside a reflective monologue, we will have to take care in making sure that the visual elements of our film run smoothly with what the character is saying in the voice over. Also we will have to include interesting camera work in our production. As our film is required to have a duration of 5 minutes, we will need to make sure that the film is visually interesting, and therefore unique and creative camera work is a necessity.

Mis en scene will also be important in our film. We plan to use the same actress throughout the filming process and therefore we will have to make sure the character's environment matches her age. For example, if we are portraying her as a 15 year old in her bedroom, then later as an 18 year old in the same setting, we will have make adjustments to the bedroom in order to create a sense of realism. Costuming and makeup will also be important, as we will also use these to portray the character's age.

Therefore, overall this idea will allow us to demonstrate a variety of skills and in the end produce a film that is both compelling and visually interesting. With this film we will target an audience of girls between the ages of 15 to 21. We feel that this audience will connect the most to our storyline as the younger age groups will identify with the character in her younger years, whereas older age groups will relate more with the reflective tone of the voice over narration.

Planning: Developed Ideas

Following our pitch, we took out time to reflect upon our ideas and used the feedback that we received to develop each idea further.

Idea One: 
This storyline will follow the experiences of a girl growing up. It will be filmed and edited as a montage of varying events in the girl's life, such as her first breakup and arguing with parents. In order to bring these images together to form a narrative we will be using a voice over. The voice will be of the main protagonist. She will speak in a reflective tone about what advice she would give her younger self.

Our protagonist will be female. We will see her throughout various milestones in her life and therefore she will vary in age throughout the film. We will make this clear to the audience through costuming, makeup and props. In the voice over, the character will be an adult, in order to convey the reflective tone that we are trying to achieve. We took inspiration for the voice over from 'The Division of Gravity' by Rob Chiu, as this portrays a similar tone to the one we are trying to achieve.

This film will be conventional of the coming of age genre as it will feature many of the common themes and locations. For example there will be a love interest, a sense of self discovery and themes of friendship. We will also include locations such as a teenagers bedroom and secondary school.

Idea Two:
This idea is for a music video. As we explained in our pitch, although we want to create a short film, we found it difficult to come up with three interesting and unique ideas. Therefore, we found that this storyline would be more suited to a music video rather than a short film. It was unlikely that we would chose this idea to run with, however we believed that if we presented the idea to a small group of people within our target audience, we would receive useful feedback on how to combine elements of the idea with our other storylines, in order to create a compelling shot film.

The narrative will follow a teenage girl, who is experiencing issues at home. The video will begin with her walking out of her run down home, looking depressed and defeated. As the music begins to play we will see her walking to a series of different locations. Then, as the tempo increases, she will begin dancing. We aim to make this an interesting film to watch by linking the different locations with graphic matches. The character will be doing the same dance in each location, therefore we will match her actions between each cut and transition. The music for the video will be Jack Garratt's 'Surprise Yourself'. This song features many dips and rises which will allow us to convey differing moods throughout the film, such as carelessness and letting go and then restriction and hopelessness.

This idea is also conventional of the coming of age genre as the protagonist is a teenage girl. She is also experiencing issues at home, which she chooses to overcome through escaping in her dancing. It will also feature locations such as a family home, which is also conventional of the genre.

Idea Three
This plot will follow two teenage characters. We will witness them developing a friendship through taking turns to write to one another on a school desk. They will eventually meet and as the audience we will witness their friendship progress as they overcome issues and help one another.

The protagonists of this film will be a 15 year old boy and girl. For the first part of the film we will see the two characters through a dual narrative. The film will begin with the male character, bored of his lesson, scratching 'hello' into the desk. We will then cut to the next day with him sitting down at the same desk, realising that someone has replied. We see him writing a message, then the scene will cut to the female character reading the message. There will be back and forth editing between the two protagonists as they write messages to one another on the desk. During this section we will introduce interesting editing techniques such as stop motion editing of the words appearing one by one on the desk. When they finally meet they will aid one another in overcoming their personal issues, such as an abusive family member.

This storyline will follow a theme of friendship and overcoming issues together. Both characters will be around 15 years old, therefore making them conventional to the genre. We will also introduce elements to the personality of each character that will make them even more conventional to the genre.

Planning: Initial Ideas, Pitch Reflection

We conducted a presentation in which we pitched our three initial ideas to members of our target audience. We received valuable feedback during our pitch that has ultimately helped in deciding which idea we will be moving forward with. The most positive response was seemingly for our first idea; a short film about a teenage girl growing up/ coming of age. When asked at the end of the session, which idea do you like best, we had a unanimous response of the first one. We also acquired some interesting points on how we could further develop and improve upon our idea.

The group liked the idea of the voice over. However, they highlighted potential issues that we could encounter with our monologue, such as it's overall length. We agreed that it would be best if the voice over was intercepted at intervals with music and images that visually support what the character is saying. They also suggested that we could perhaps include three different voices, representing different stages in the characters life; a child, a teenager and an adult. We will be taking all of these responses into consideration when choosing our final idea and storyline.

We also received feedback as to the visual aspects of the film along with possible scenes that we could include. The group said that they liked the idea of the character arguing with her parents, but brought up the issue of finding actors. This is something that we will have to take into consideration as the protagonist we will be interacting we other people throughout the film and therefore we need to make sure that we are able to find actors for each role. They also offered ideas as to possible scenes that we could include. One idea was to feature the character experiencing her first day of secondary school. We then explained that we hoped to be using the same actress for the whole film, and use props and makeup to make her look either older or younger. They therefore suggested using distorted shots, for example just the back of a young girls head to represent her as a child. They also suggested using home footage of the character as child. Again we will take all of these points into consideration when planning our final product.

The audience was less enthusiastic about our other two ideas. The group believed that our final idea could be repetitive and limiting with camera shots. Due to this we will likely run with out first idea. However, we did receive feedback on how we cold combine elements of our other two ideas into our final product in order to improve it. For example, they suggested that we could use the graphic match editing styles that we planned to use in our music video idea, in our first short film.

Taking all of this feedback into consideration it is likely that we will choose our first pitch. However we will be making adjustments and improvements according to the feedback we have received.

Planning: Genre Mood Board

Research: What I Have Learned?

After having completed multiple analysis' I have noticed specific conventions and codes that are prominent within the coming of age genre. I have also found that the ways in which narratives and character representations are handled in short films differ greatly from that of a feature film. These are all things that I will have to take into consideration when creating the plot for my own coming of age short film.

Characters:
Within the coming of age genre, I have found that there are usually only a few main characters and one key protagonist. The protagonist will generally rely on the other characters for support as they overcome an issue in their life. In short films, it common for the individuals to be conventional of their archetypal character types. This is due to the limited duration of the film not allowing enough time for significant character development and depth. Therefore in my own short film I will have to make sure that my character's are easily understandably for the audience.

I have also found that short films within this genre include a protagonist that is having to overcome an issue, usually in their personal life. This issue tends to be relatively conventional, for example in 'The Division of Gravity' the characters are experiencing a breakup. This will usually result in the main protagonist going on a journey of self discovery and growing in maturity and wisdom.

Narrative:
Within the coming of age genre, it is likely for the protagonist to be experiencing a personal issue that they must overcome by the end of the film. However, from my research I have found that, in short films, a resolution is not always met by the end of the film. For example '9 Meter' by Anders Walter was left on a cliffhanger as the protagonist made one final effort to save his dying mother. This is something I will therefore take into account for my own film as it may be difficult to come to follow a common narrative structure in which there is a satisfying resolution at the end.

I have also found that it is possible to create a coming of age story within a short space of time, with limited character development and depth. From my analysis of 'Youth' by Tommy Petroni, it is clear that a coming of age narrative can be achieved by imply including many of the typical conventions. 'Youth' does not follow a particular narrative structure, it simply provides an individual perspective of growing up, thus providing an interesting take on the genre.

As coming of age is a sub-genre of drama, it is common for the narrative to include elements that are typical of the drama genre. For example in 'The Division of Gravity' we see one of the main characters experiencing a mental breakdown, thus displaying the 'drama' element of the narrative.

Camera:
In short films, it is common for certain camera shots and angles to be used in order to further enforce aspects of the narrative. In my research of both coming of age and non genre specific short films I have found this to be true. For example a high angle may be used to show the vulnerability of a particular character. This is an aspect that I will have to take into consideration when creating my own film, as due to the short duration of our film, it is important that we use camera to back up our overall narrative.

Editing:
Complex and interesting editing sequences are also commonly featured within these short films. These innovative styles of editing make the film more interesting for the viewer and can often work to further enforce elements of the narrative. For example in my analysis of 'Youth' I found that match on action and graphic matches can be used to make juxtaposing scenes transition smoothly into one another.

Mis En Scene 
The locations and settings of the coming of age shorts I have researched remain largely conventional to the genre. However, a way in which I have found that these shorts differ from feature films is that the action tends to take place in one main area or location. This is due to the low budget and short running time of the film. If there were multiple locations in a film that has a duration of 5 minutes it may become confusing and hard to keep up with for the audience.

I have also found that props and costuming may be used to convey certain traits of a particular character. For example in my analysis of 'Youth' I found that the inclusion of skateboarding in the film portrayed the theme of childishness and immaturity, which gave the audience further insight into the characters.

Research: Genre Specific Analysis of 'Youth' - Tommy Petroni

'Youth' is collection of home footage from the director Tommy Petroni. He filmed it over the span of four months when he was a teenager. The film is part of the coming of age genre as well as being a documentary.

Narrative
This film is made up of a collection of documented moments from Petroni's teenage years. Due to this, the film does not follow a particular story line or narrative. However, the film does follow a purpose. The intention of this film is to display a real-life perspective of youth and childhood. 'Youth' also fits well within the coming of age genre. All of the 'characters' in this film are teenagers. They are also shown drinking alcohol and visiting locations such as family homes, teenage bedrooms, built up areas and housing estates; all of which are conventional of this genre. The idea of 'Youth' is successfully portrayed in this film as we see an individual's experience of growing up and the adventures that entails.

Character Representation
Although all of the people featured in this film are real, they are conventional of the stereotypical character types often seen in the coming of age genre. They are likely between the ages of 16 and 19. Throughout the film we see them in varying scenarios. Many of these have a rebellious tone such as the scenes in which they, start fires, hold onto cars whilst skateboarding and drink alcohol. Rebellion is a key theme of this genre as it is typical for teenagers to rebel against what they are told in an attempt to be their own individual person. This also fits within the theme of 'finding yourself', which is another common element of a coming of age film.

There also appears to be an equal quantity of both genders, providing the audience with a general view of growing up that includes both female and male experiences. This also complies with the common themes of relationships and sexuality within this genre. In several scenes we see shots that suggest that this theme was intended by Petroni. Although these themes are not prominent, they are clearly featured.

Mis En Scene 
As this is a documentary, it is unlikely that specific lighting and set designs were used in each scene. However, in many scenes, the natural lighting and settings provide an insight into the narrative. For example, the opening shot of an old record player suggests that the characters have vintage or retro taste. This could also suggest the idea that these characters are unusual and thus 'outcasts'; a common character type in the coming of age genre.

Mis en scene is also used to reflect the mood of scenes in this film. For example the campfire scene conveys a relaxed, lazy tone. This is presented through the lighting of the scene. The sunset in the background provides warm, hazy lighting to the scene, which reflects the laid back atmosphere and mood of the characters. Props are also used to convey this. The inclusion of make-shift stone seats suggest a remote and natural environment. And the two characters playing guitar are common aspects of a typical 'campfire scene' in which everyone is relaxed and at ease.

The costuming and props of the characters also enforces the theme of 'youth'; the most prominent theme of this film. For example, in multiple scenes wee see the characters riding on skateboards. Thus connoting a youthful playfulness that enhances the theme of adolescence in this film. Costuming also works to the same effect as the characters are seen to be wearing casual clothing such as checked shirts and jogging bottoms. This again connotes a laid back attitude that is commonly associated with teenagers.

Sound
The score of this short film is one of the key elements of the narrative. It is the sound design of this film that provides an upbeat, reminiscent tone to the montage being displayed. This music increases in intensity as the film progresses, thus creating a nostalgic and lively effect. Although diegetic sound is featured within this film, it had been turned down so that only loud laughs and shout are audible. This again adds to the feeling of this being a joyful montage of youth, as the characters are only audible when they are loudly expressing their happiness. The film ends with an elderly man saying 'don't waste your youth growing up'. For this scene the music fades away, thus enforcing this as the message of the film and making it more prominent for the audience. This is also the only real piece of dialogue in the film thus enhancing its importance as the overall message of the film.

Editing 
This whole film is a montage. It is a collection of different moments put together in order to provide an insight into the everyday adventures of a the average teenager. However, Petroni has used a variety of interesting techniques in order to link particular scenes together in order to create a sense of continuity. For example, graphic matches are commonly used during this film. One example of this can be seen at 1.19, where a girl begins to lick her lips, then the shots cuts to a dog completing the same action.

Match on action is also used in this film at 1.24, in which a girl jumps from a platform onto her skateboard and the scene is completed with a boy doing the same action in a different setting. This is effective in creating a sense of continuity and makes the transition between the two scenes more fluid and thus more interesting visually for the viewer.

Another, simpler method Petroni uses in order to create a sense of fluidity between the scenes it to match shots based on their tone and colour. This is used for a few scenes in order to create a sense of continuity. For example at 1.49 there is a scene in which the sun is beginning to set and therefore is bright and prominent in the background. This is followed by a shot of two girls stood in front of a sunset, which is similarly bright and also stand out in the background. This creates fluidity as the tones of the shots do not juxtapose one another and therefore a smoother transition is achieved.

Camera 
It is likely that, as this is a documentary, the shots used in this film were not planned. This in turn means that there was not a huge variety of different angles and shot types used. The entirety of the film is shot with a hand held camera, connoting a sense of these scenes being personal to the creator as the are not staged or prepared. Many of the shots used are tracking shots from a hand held camera. This conveys a sense of the audience being part of the scene. For example at 0.19 we follow behind a boy and girl walking down the street conversing. For the audience, the camera movement provides a feeling of involvement as you move with the characters.

Particular shots have also been used to convey the mood of the scene and/or the overall film. For example a few shots have a sunset in the background, with a silhouetted figure in the foreground. This connotes a dreamlike environment thus further enforcing the themes of reminiscence and memories; which are prominent within this film.

This film also features night-time shots. The lighting in these scenes is generally quite make-shift as the majority of these scenes were not initially planned. The fact that they were shot at night time also suggests an element of rebellion, as these teens are staying up late and hanging around the town. This further suggests elements of the coming of age genre as the characters appear rebellious and therefore young and immature; which are strong character traits within this genre.

Close up are also used in this film, usually for a comedic effect. In these scenes the characters tend to be messing around and having fun, thus further enforcing the idea of immaturity which is common within the coming of age genre.

Conclusion 
Overall I believe that the editing of this film was a key element. Therefore I will refer back to this film for inspiration when I am editing my own project. The interesting transitions between the scenes along with the upbeat music provided a nostalgic and positive tone. I believe that it was in post that this film all came together, as the majority of the shots were random moments from the directors life.