Assignment 1 for the proof of concept- Luyi Ye

1.Write about what you want from this studio.

We had to come up with a long-form idea, and then find a way to boil that idea down into a short “proof of concept”project that proved we could build a whole story, characters.I think this studio has given us a better understanding of what the film and television industry is all about and it has given us “proof of concept”film examples to do practical activities to learn the content of this course. We’ll look at many examples of the film, explore the short film, and discuss its central concepts and themes to the audience. The studio uses creative ideas to write our own scripts, genres, characters, etc.

I want to be a filmmaker or a post-editing person, actually I’d rather be a post-editing person because I’ve studied video editing in previous classes. I think this technology is very important for me, because now we media is a hot topic, making videos is the young people in today’s society like to work, but I also like it. In fact, I think it takes a lot of brain to be a filmmaker, because I am not good at writing and my imagination is not rich enough. Maybe I don’t watch enough movies, and I don’t think too much about every movie I see. So I want to learn more about the concept of movies from this class. One of my little aspirations is to create a “proof of concept” that will help me figure out if my idea can be developed into an interesting and engaging microfilm. I think this course will help me see a lot of hit movies or “proof of concept” videos. I can also watch movies on Netflix, YouTube and other social media platforms. Watching other people’s works can not only help me absorb knowledge and discover filmmaking skills, but also help me develop filmmaking style and visual effects.

2.Outline your career goals as a filmmaker.

As a new filmmaker, my five-year plan in the future is to make my short films loved by the audience and get a lot of fans in the platform I release. If they can be included in the ranking films of Hollywood, it will be better. (But it’s a big dream to be in Hollywood’s sights no matter what the number is or to be loved by a lot of people in Asia. Or if the movie you want to make becomes a hit in your own city, which is easier to achieve.) What I need to do is to combine my favorite types of stories according to the content that the public is interested in to become the most popular short film at present.There are some realistic steps that I might take to achieve this as an emerging filmmaker:

First of all, I need to create a complete story, characters, setting, characters don’t have to be too complicated but I need to communicate one of the main concepts of my story clearly to the audience. Second, I had studied video editing before so I thought I could work as a producer and post editor, and then I needed to find another six or seven people. For example, the camera, two or three actors, the scene recorder, the lighting. Third, one of the things that producers have to think about is money. For an emerging filmmaker, there is a shortage of funds, because I have not received outside remuneration for my films, so I need to think about the cost of each scene when my funds are limited. I can find free actors on the Internet, which can save me a lot of money. After shooting the film, I will invite all the staff to dinner. My short film is long and the production content is not too big, therefore I don’t need a lot of staff. Last, I can upload my short film on many social media platforms to promote it and let more people see my work. (such as Tiktok, Youtube, Vimeo) Tiktok is a very popular app for contemporary people. The most important thing is that Tiktok can directly obtain profits from it without using a third party. I post my video and if I get a lot of followers and likes I get paid for it. When my short story is loved by the public, I can also make some film companies see it through the number of fans and the support of fans for my work. Maybe after they see it, they will want to cooperate with me and promote my work more.

The proof of concept helped me realize that as a filmmaker you need to write a story that is completely independent. This is like the ability, the condition and the idea that a filmmaker needs to have, which will help me prove that I have the ability to create a complete story and help me achieve my career goals.

3.The initiative post – This post is for you to research and write about proof of concept case study

‘The One Minute Time Machine’ (2014, Devon Avery) is a short film of about fiveminutes.They successfully ‘proved’ the concept of their long form narrative project through their short proof of concept project idea. For Devon Avery, his “proof of concept” is a short, fun, novel narrative that draws on the concepts of parallel space-time and time travel. The short film was “not only made as a stand-alone short film, but also as a complete narrative short film. Avery also proved that he has the ability to craft a complete story, a complete character journey.” (week2, p5) I think it’s important to choose a unique concept, and if you want to get noticed, you should look at what’s hot right now. Weinstein suggests that, “The content, the creativity, the innovation of the films, not only because they have high production values, but also because of the value of the films (2009,Weinstein,p20).” But following the crowd would definitely get me down because I wanted my film to be unique and new.

This example can help me to learn my own proof of concept idea development. For instance,not only I need to choose a unique concept, but I also had to find a clever twist. Writing a short film may become a feature film, but only if your short film is a completely self-contained story, not the opening three minutes of your dream. Whether I’m writing short drama, comedy, sci-fi, horror or anything else, telling a familiar story in a fresh way can get you noticed. Most of the best short films are based on solid stories, drawing on folklore, appeals or historical genres. Take these stories in bold new directions and you could win awards at short film festivals. I need to stick to one genre in terms of style and content and keep it simple.Weinstein argues that ,“Even with a short, never underestimate the power of the story.”

(2009,Weinstein,p14) When I’m writing a short film that will get noticed at festivals, it’s crucial to pick a genre and stick to it. Like a one-minute time machine (2014, Devon Avery)  The short film was only five minutes long, but it was cleverly conceived and struck a chord with many people. Weinstein suggests that, “It should be one scene, five minutes, and ideally comedic, because those program well at festivals.” (2009,Weinstein,p19)  There is always a lot of regret in life, want to adjust and correct in time. The man pressed the time machine so many times, just to chat up a woman. Is it love or lust? The heroine is also very special. After correcting the answer of the male major for so many times, she finds that she only wants the most direct answer and shows her most real desire.

I think every time the protagonists in the movies press the time machine, they’ve already died in a previous time. I believe there are parallel worlds. I think three dimensions are just what we humans can see, and what we can’t see is a space. Each choice we face splits into different parallel worlds, and we end up in each of them differently.

Reference list

1.Weinstein, A (ed.) 2009, Directing for the Screen, Taylor & Francis Group, London. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [20 July 2022].

2.Week 2,p5

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