From Script to Screen, my first film breakdown: The preparation
Writing my very first short film, I it took a while to start but moving bit by bit a lot of influence passes by me to create something that I am proud to showcase. An immigrant finding solace in his new home. Reminiscing the stories his grandfather told him during his time as a trader.
Backstory
Living in Cornwall having Celtic heritage, I learnt about their past as a trading town along with the stories of pirates in the region. Meeting locals and professionals into the Cornish history. Some of their history was in Tin mining and the kaolin (China Clay since the mid-18th century for the porcelain industry.
With such a vast history and taking my own culture and experience, I tried to bring that into a world of possibility that as early Chinese traders would have had interactions with the western world, and potentially speaking to one in Cornwall. that backstory bringing it to my own experience as someone who was never really set on an identity and always searching for their next home, it was an idea to bring that story up to light on someone who always wanted to find home and see the world, just as stories from out culture is told of a vast world beyond that we always see in the western side of the world.
Script writing and planning.
Writing the script had to be something simple for anyone to understand my ideas, and I wanted to take the challenge of having it in both English and Mandarin. Having that extra emphasis to pay homage to my culture is something to try and bring forth to be authentic to the story and experience that I wanted to share. Writing it in English to start off the script, showcasing the emotion first off and telling a story off one’s experience, keeping it to one page and having the monologue sell the emotions as well, once i sit on it and read it multiple times, it was then time to translate it.
With the script nearing completion, looking at a shot that makes it simple and easy to see that it is around Cornwall. I started by looking at iconic locations around Cornwall, from Hollywell Bay, St. Ives to my decision of having Pendennis Castle in Falmouth. That was something that is familiar to any crew that I wish to work with, and it is iconic that by the shoreline we can have it in the background to make it subtle and not let it distract you from the story being told.
Having a mood board as well to plan for the edit and the final look helps a lot, I took some inspiration from various images to create that opening imagery that I hope is impactful enough to have it be remembered when the viewers see it. Thinking into something wholesome and heartfelt, I looking into a yellow to golden colour palette to have that warmth compliment the script. Keeping a shot simple it was something.
With all the preparation done, it was time to shoot. writing this was something fun and I think it unlocked a lot about myself as a creative and to dig deeper inside me for what I am doing in terms of trying to instill effects and emotions to the viewer.
Part 2 where I share my experience behind the scenes on set and how I break down editing each portion to grading and sound.
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