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Category Archives: 360MC CWK2: For Assessment
FMP | Locked-In – Test Footage
As well as keeping with the stop motion theme I have also tried out a time lapse using an app on my phone, I like how this works and will try and incorporate this into my final piece with better equipment. I feel that I could use this technique for when the couple are at home and to show the breakdown of the relationship.
FMP | Locked-In – Budget
Canon 5D MK2 Hire for three days: £210
Actors – £20 per day each for two actors for max three days: £120
Hospital Gown: £10
Travel to and from locations: Approx £10 per day
Fake blood: £3
Rental for house: Possible £50 for one day
Spare SD cards: £30-50
External Hard Drive: £40
Total: £513 max
In my presentation I have outlined the definite expenses these are others that may be needed closer to the time but could also be free/borrowed so the total is an estimate.
FMP | Locked-In – VO’s
These are examples of my voice overs as read by my confirmed actor Ben Beckett who has recently graduated from Theatre and Professional Practice at Coventry University.
FMP | Locked-In – Script
Above is a sample of my script for Locked-In, as you can see the narrative is mainly driven through VO’s from Nick’s perspective. This is a very first draft and rough at best and after reading through a few times I am already aware of some of the changes I wish to make. For example I find Nick to be too ‘wordy’ I want to experiment with his VO’s being more conversational however this style will also depend on my actor and how he reads it.
Aside from the script the rest of the action will take place in silence with ambient music so the sections of dialogue I do include have to further the plot and will be needed if the photos need extra explanation. As well as this I believe the script will also change a lot and possibly even on the day depending on the photos coming out different than expected. I plan do a thorough storyboard so I know exactly what shots I want and when. This will make shooting on the day much easier due to the style being complicated.
FMP | Locked-In – Casting
A few days ago I put an ad up online for my film including the synopsis, I have worked out I will need two actors, male and female, and potentially a third male to play Chris however I would only really require a photo of him and a few photographs of him in a car so if I do pay my actors like intended then I will most likely use a house mate for this section. I have had responses for the male lead but none as of yet for the female part. As previously explained the female will not necessarily have to act, for example she could be a model as it is all about facial expressions and body language. I will contact the Theatre department though to see if any of their students are interested.
The replies I have had from the males include Joe Higgins, Ben Beckett and Martin Anthony Howe. They are all local and it will be easy for them to get to the locations. I will audition through a reading of the script and by how they hold themselves. As the VO’s are essential to the script I will choose the actor that reads them in the style that I am looking for.
UPDATE
Ben Beckett is confirmed if I choose to use him and Martin Anthony Howe is also interested. Joe Higgins has now responded saying he will be unavailable. My next step it to get recordings from both actors and settle on one for the lead role.
FMP | Locked-In – Location Research`
After looking through my outline I have put down the following potential locations;
Hospital
These are three examples of hospital locations I could use. The first is from the Coventry University student ward and the most easily available to me. I have e-mailed Nina Godson to ask if I can use this area to film and I’m now waiting on a response. This location would most likely be the best for me however I will have to visit it to see how true to life it is. The second is from a semi-private room in a care home, I have chosen to look at this as a potential location as patients will a long-term condition are often moved to a more permanent residence. I have asked Heather Reale who works at the Minster Lodge care home if she could find me a name to contact about using an empty room for a day. The main problem I can foresee is that is filming could cause a disruption to the patient’s routines. Lastly I have looked at the Coventry and Warwickshire hospital, this would be the most difficult to be able to film in due to Health and Safety and although this would be the true to life location I think it will be too difficult to get permission.
Cafe
I have looked into three possible locations for the first date scene, Cafe Desire, Browns and the Herbert Art Gallery Cafe. Cafe Desire is opposite my house and I have been in there a few times, out of the three this is my favourite location as I simply like the decor and how small it is. I plan to visit over the next few days and ask for permission, as the scene would only be photos I believe it will be easier to use it. Browns has a nice feel about it and would be my second choice of location, again this is due to the decoration. Lastly I have looked at the Herbert Art Gallery Cafe, this I feel would be harder to gain permission but I have sent an e-mail detailing what I would use it for as a back up in case the other two locations fall through.
Home
I have contacted Park Road Properties asking for permission to film, the e-mail is below.
Dear Sir/Madam,
My name is Laura-Jayne Meades and I am currently in my final year of study of Media Production at Coventry University. I am enquiring as to whether I could use one of your properties to film in as for my final project I require a modern apartment as a location. I would greatly appreciate it if you could tell me whether this would be possible and if not any alternative properties I could use. I will give full release forms and a letter from a senior lecturer as proof of my project if you require them. I look forward to your response.
Regards,
Laura-Jayne Meades.
I shall tailor this e-mail as I look at other properties as well as ask friends and family. I have also phoned Taylor Wimpey but have been declined to use their properties so I will have to look into other avenues.
UPDATE
I have had a response from Jackie Johnson who is happy to let me use one of her properties providing the tenants move out in March as planned. These properties are the most modern looking and my preferred choice and I’m looking forward to filming there if everything goes to plan.
FMP | Locked-In – Initial Outline
Locked-In is the story of Nick who after being hit by a car is left with a rare form of paralysis known as Locked-In Syndrome. This short film will explore the events that occurred before the accident through photography. As Nick can now only communicate through blinks he lets us into his thoughts and explains the eventual breakdown of his relationship with a young woman.
Outline
1. Nick lies in his hospital bed motionless, machinery beeps as he explains about the accident and that he has been left paralysed.
2. Through narration Nick tells us about the weeks leading up to the accident. He had been living with his girlfriend for two years and was planning to propose. They have a simple lifestyle, easy jobs, nice home, happy, comfortable.
3. Nick takes us through their first date, this section will show the couple at their happiest, snapshots of a perfect life.
4. We see the couple back at the house and it is obvious to see that they are obsessed with each other.
5. Nick explains that after a while the relationship became stale and his girlfriend became more and more interested in her work colleague.
6. There are snapshots of her arriving home looking like she has been out all night. Nick doesn’t confront her and lets her carry on with her lie.
7. Nick turns to drink and is often intoxicated when she comes home. You can tell that she is becoming increasingly frustrated with him.
8. The work colleague accidentally leaves an answerphone message on the home phone which Nick finds and listens to over and over again.
9. Nick’s girlfriend arrives home late again and this time he doesn’t let it go. He questions her which results in her storming off and ringing the other man. Nick overhears the conversation and confronts her once more, this breaks out in a scuffle and we hear a thud before seeing she is on the floor of the kitchen.
10. Nick is still very inebriated and is struggling to understand what has happened, he tries to pick her up and is covered in blood. He instinctively runs outside in a blind panic once he realises what he has done to get help and is hit by an oncoming car.
11. Nick wakes to find that he can’t move any of his limbs. The machinery beeps as he explains that this is his punishment.
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I plan to film the hospital scenes but everything else will be photographed, this is because I want to show a disjointed memory as though we are in his mind. I think this will add to the style of the piece and keep it interesting. Also with the photos I will have sections where they are out of order, this technique I plan to use for the montage of their dates as though you are looking through a photo album.
FMP | Locked-In – Research
When someone suffers a spinal cord injury the nerves joining the cord will either be partially or completely cut off resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia. The nerves below the injury will be trying to send signals to the brain, however these signals will be broken due to the injury. Everything above the injury will function as normal.
Types of Paralysis
Quadriplegia/Tetraplegia – This condition also termed tetraplegia (paralysis of four limbs) is when, as the name suggests all four limbs are paralysed. The abdominal and chest muscles are also affected which results in laboured breathing and the inability to cough or clear the throat properly.
Cervical (neck) injuries usually result in four limb paralysis. This is referred to as Tetraplegia or Quadriplegia. Injuries above the C-4 level may require a ventilator or electrical implant for the person to breathe. This is because the diaphragm is controlled by spinal nerves exiting at the upper level of the neck.
Paraplegia – This is when the person suffers an injury below the first thoriac nerve, this can result in partial paralysis of the legs to complete paralysis of the legs, abdomen, chest up to the nipple line. A person who has paraplegia has full movement of their arms and hands.
Paraplegia describes complete or incomplete paralysis affecting the legs and possibly also the trunk, but not the arms. The extent to which the trunk is affected depends on the level of spinal cord injury.
Treatment – If a spinal cord injury diagnosis is delayed the patient can increase the injury as they continue moving and putting pressure on the spine and nerves connected. The earlier the diagnosis can be the difference between complete and incomplete paralysis. Sometimes function of limbs can be regained after intense rehabilitation and physiotherapy. This is simply known as re-wiring the body.
People with Quadriplegia/Paraplegia
Joni Eareckson Tada
Joni is a Christian author and motivational speaker, who, after a diving accident where she broke her back became quadriplegic. She has a weekly radio show called ‘Joni and Friends’ and has written over thirty books. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1949 and suffered her accident in 1967 at the age of 18. Unable to properly use her arms or legs she taught herself to paint holding a brush in her mouth as a source of emotional outlet.
Jesse Billauer
Jesse born in 1979 suffered his accident at the age of 17 while he was surfing and hit his head off a shallow sandbar. The accident left him instantly quadriplegic and doctors told him he would be unable to surf again. However, he was determined to prove them wrong and set out to adapt his equipment to his current condition. He became an inspiration to both amateur and professional surfers and was sponsored by huge companies such as Honda, Boost Mobile and Channel Islands Surfboards who developed a Billauer model. He is a motivational speaker and is involved in a non-profit organisation called ‘Life Rolls On’ which promotes awareness of quadriplegia and spinal cord injuries.
Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking is a well known physicist who is celebrated for his theories on cosmology and his significant contribution to quantum physics. He attended St Albans school where he was a good but not excellent student and went on to go to a University College in Oxford to study mathematics but changed to physics after one year. He left Oxford for Cambridge and soon after motor neuron disease struck. His is now severely disabled by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. Sources say he was quite healthy as a teenager and often took part in sport to relieve the boredom of University. The disease struck at twenty-one just before his first marriage and doctors told him he wouldn’t live more than three years. He gradually lost the use of his arms, legs and voice and now uses a synthesised voice.
Christopher Reeve
Famously known for his role as Superman, Reeve was paralysed during an equestrian competition and spent the remainder of his life in a wheelchair. He founded the Christopher Reeve Foundation which helped improve the quality of life to people living with disabilities. In 1995 he suffered his accident which left him paralysed from the neck down, after being thrown off his horse he landed on his head and paramedics explained that it was difficult to get him into the ambulance and spent the rest of his life on a respiratory machine. He died in 2004 from a heart attack but prior to his death he described that he could feel pain, hot and cold and his body could of supported him if there was a cure.
Locked-In Syndrome
After doing some initial research I came across another condition known as Locked-In Syndrome, this is where the patient suffers complete paralysis of their legs, arms, neck and face. The patient is aware and awake but cannot move or communicate. This is due to damage of the brain stem, this leaves the person quadriplegic and only some will be able to make small facial movements.
Patients who have Locked-In Syndrome are fully aware. They will know exactly where their arms and legs are, and unlike paralysed patients, they can still feel sensations of pain and touch. Some patients may have the ability to move certain facial muscles. The majority of locked-in syndrome patients do not regain motor control but several devices are available to help patients communicate.
There isn’t much treatment for locked-in patients, and there isn’t a cure. Sometimes limited motor function can be regained by physiotherapy but it is very rare for patients to recover considerably.
Jean-Dominique Bauby
A few years ago I came across the story of a Parisian editor of ELLE magazine called Jean-Dominique Bauby. In 1995 Bauby suffered a stroke, when he woke he found himself with locked-in syndrome. By blinking an eye he dictated a letter at a time and wrote a book called ‘The Diving Bell and The Butterfly’ which has subsequently been made into a film.
Nick Chisholm
Nick Chisholm has lived with locked-in syndrome since July 2000 after an accident during rugby. He suffered a mild concussion but shortly after collapsed and was rushed to hospital. Whilst in hospital he suffered many seizures and several strokes which left him with severe damage to the brain stem and locked-in syndrome. Nick has been known to describe his condition as frustrating as doctors constantly misjudged it. He talks about suicide but that he could only think of it as his body couldn’t perform it. Nick unlike most paraplegics made some recovery but it was mainly due to sheer willpower and desire to be ‘normal’ again. The difference between Chisholm and Bauby is that Nick is determined to recover however Bauby accepts his existence and this I find to be very interesting. Below is an extract from an article found on BMJ.
Newspaper Articles
Mail Online: Able to think, unable to move: The devastating story of a stroke victim raising her children by blinking.
BBC: How I found the key to unpick locked-in syndrome. This article explains the story of Kate Allatt who suffered a stroke but eventually regained enough motor skills to be able to run again. This type of recovery is very rare.
Telegraph: Pensioner tells how he beat “locked in” syndrome after a massive stroke.
Guardian: ‘I do feel happy’ – living with locked-in syndrome.
BBC: Locked-in syndrome man Nicklinson wants the right to die. This video explains the same feeling Nick Chisholm experienced, wanting to commit suicide but being unable to. The video below is of his wife talking about how she want to help him die.
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