3 minute silent film! Need a story.

drc

drc

For one of my classes, I have to create a 3 minute silent movie. There can't be any dialogue but we can add music. The music and the images have to tell the story.

I thought posting it here as opposed to the screenwriting section would be more appropriate because directors often focus on the nuances and fine details of visuals to tell the story.

ANY ideas for a story are greatly appreciated.
 
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I'm thinking maybe a chase scene? You could have the music and the speed be in sync so someone could be running=fast paced music and it could seem like they got away music slows down then picks back up once the chase is on again
 
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DanGoloborodko said:
I'm thinking maybe a chase scene? You could have the music and the speed be in sync so someone could be running=fast paced music and it could seem like they got away music slows down then picks back up once the chase is on again
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Thanks for the idea.

The thing about chase scenes is that I don't have any equipment to use so I would have to hold the camera and run with the people and that would cause a shaky look. I could have one shot from a tripod and the characters run through the shot but that seems boring to me. It would, however, work well with music. Thanks though.
 
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Have one main character, and have them make a choice. Maybe there are two buttons a man is choosing between, and one of them will set his wife free, and one will kill her. You can show all of that through images: shots of the buttons, sweat on the man's brow, death devices rigged up and ready to go. Use the music to build tension. When he presses a button, you can show the release or death, his reaction, any number of things.

Or, have a man go to the store and buy something relatively innocuous, like duct tape. He's pleasant, the mood of the music is nice. It's a sunny day, he walks through the park, he sees a pretty girl, they exchange glances. He walks home, practically skipping with excitement, tossing the roll of duct tape into the air and catching it playfully, opens the door to his apartment - and through the doorway, you see a girl, tied to a chair, bloodied, scared when he enters. The music is gone. Duct tape over her mouth. He smiles and closes the door, the sound of duct tape peeling off the roll and her sobs...

That's all I got for the moment. Good luck with your classes!

gelder
 
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drc said:
I could have one shot from a tripod and the characters run through the shot but that seems boring to me.
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So many more possibilities than having characters run through the shot.
I spent the first three years of my filmmaking shooting kick-ass chase
scenes. I learned so much - about the 180 rule, editing, camera placement,
lighting, storytelling - by shooting nothing but chase scenes.

drc said:
The thing about chase scenes is that I don't have any equipment to use
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What do you mean? You have a camera. You have a tripod. What more
do you need?
 
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directorik said:
What do you mean? You have a camera. You have a tripod. What more
do you need?
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I don't know, a dolly, crane, jib, something to create a smooth look. My concern is that if I'm following the chase (assuming I don't do steady static shots that characters run through) it will come off as shaky and sloppy and hard to comprehend.
 
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drc said:
I don't know, a dolly, crane, jib, something to create a smooth look. My concern is that if I'm following the chase (assuming I don't do steady static shots that characters run through) it will come off as shaky and sloppy and hard to comprehend.
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You can do an amazing chase scene with static shots on a tripod. Don't think that just because you're limited to static shots that your scene will be boring.
 
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It's not the equipment that's limiting, it's your imagination. One of the biggest genres in music - Rap - was started by people using in innovative ways the technological cast-offs of the rest of the music industry; the same applies to Techno. Sounds from both musical genres have since become ubiquitous in the music industry.
 
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drc said:
I don't know, a dolly, crane, jib, something to create a smooth look.
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You don’t “need” those things.

If the need for those pieces of equipment stops you from making a
movie then you will never make a movie. There will always be
something more you would like to have.


drc said:
My concern is that if I'm following the chase (assuming I don't do steady static shots that characters run through) it will come off as shaky and sloppy and hard to comprehend.
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But you don't know it will come off as shaky and sloppy and hard to
comprehend. This is for a class. This is where you learn. Try it. Try it
with the equipment you have. If it comes off as shaky and sloppy
and hard to comprehend then you try it again - with the equipment
you have. Work on making it less sloppy and easy to comprehend.

Why are you resisting? Is it because you think that your first movie
for this class may not be excellent and perfect?
 
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directorik said:
You don’t “need” those things.

If the need for those pieces of equipment stops you from making a
movie then you will never make a movie. There will always be
something more you would like to have.



But you don't know it will come off as shaky and sloppy and hard to
comprehend. This is for a class. This is where you learn. Try it. Try it
with the equipment you have. If it comes off as shaky and sloppy
and hard to comprehend then you try it again - with the equipment
you have. Work on making it less sloppy and easy to comprehend.

Why are you resisting? Is it because you think that your first movie
for this class may not be excellent and perfect?
Click to expand...

Yes, you're right about trying it and learning. It is, after all, for a class.

Well I mean it's not that I need to be perfect. It's more so that I don't want the shooting quality to take away from a good story, good acting and great music.
 
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drc said:
Yes, you're right about trying it and learning. It is, after all, for a class.

Well I mean it's not that I need to be perfect. It's more so that I don't want the shooting quality to take away from a good story, good acting and great music.
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Okay. So my question:

What if you do? What if you shoot a scene with only the tripod and
handheld and the shooting quality takes away from the good story,
good acting and good music? What happens?

Compare that to what might happen if you don't even try.

And then think about the other, "what if?" What if you try it using
only the equipment you have and it works?

Are you certain that you need a dolly, crane, jib, something to create
a smooth look? If you had them, do you know how to use a crane or
a jib effectively?
 
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Directorik is awesomeness in a can!

Makes ME want to grab my iphone and do a chase scene right now.. maybe I will.. I hope nobody calls security.. first though, Ill need to rig up a high hat stand for the iphone.. hum. yes where is that stapler ...???
 
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directorik said:
Okay. So my question:

What if you do? What if you shoot a scene with only the tripod and
handheld and the shooting quality takes away from the good story,
good acting and good music? What happens?

Compare that to what might happen if you don't even try.

And then think about the other, "what if?" What if you try it using
only the equipment you have and it works?

Are you certain that you need a dolly, crane, jib, something to create
a smooth look? If you had them, do you know how to use a crane or
a jib effectively?
Click to expand...


Yea, I see your point.
No I have no idea how to use any of those. The entire dolly/crane thing came up because I didn't want to do a chase scene and one of the reasons was that I didn't have access to equipment. I don't think I would've done one if I had the resources though.
I see your point though, a lack of resources should never stop someone from trying something.
 
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Here's a 30 second movie. Have a guy standing at the bus stop, arms full of books. He has so

many books he can hardly hold them. Hell, add some loose leaf paper for added effect. He

looks at his watch. He looks for the bus. Checks over his shoulder, to the left and to the right.

The bus pulls up. The guy is one step from entering the bus. A different guy runs up and

nocks everything out of his warms with supreme prejudice and starts belly laughing. Show

dejected look of first guy. Roll credits.:)

If you want to make it three minutes, just have the guy take a journey. He's going from his house to school/ work, and just as he arrives, BOOM. Books on the floor.
 
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Murdock said:
Here's a 30 second movie. Have a guy standing at the bus stop, arms full of books. He has so

many books he can hardly hold them. Hell, add some loose leaf paper for added effect. He

looks at his watch. He looks for the bus. Checks over his shoulder, to the left and to the right.

The bus pulls up. The guy is one step from entering the bus. A different guy runs up and

nocks everything out of his warms with supreme prejudice and starts belly laughing. Show

dejected look of first guy. Roll credits.:)

If you want to make it three minutes, just have the guy take a journey. He's going from his house to school/ work, and just as he arrives, BOOM. Books on the floor.
Click to expand...


I'm borrowing your idea ;)
 
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Murdock said:
Here's a 30 second movie. Have a guy standing at the bus stop, arms full of books. He has so

many books he can hardly hold them. Hell, add some loose leaf paper for added effect. He

looks at his watch. He looks for the bus. Checks over his shoulder, to the left and to the right.

The bus pulls up. The guy is one step from entering the bus. A different guy runs up and

nocks everything out of his warms with supreme prejudice and starts belly laughing. Show

dejected look of first guy. Roll credits.:)

If you want to make it three minutes, just have the guy take a journey. He's going from his house to school/ work, and just as he arrives, BOOM. Books on the floor.
Click to expand...

The guy waits for the bus, heavy loaded with books. The bus arrives, the guy drops his books while getting on. The guy misses the bus (he needs to pick up his books). The guy waits for the next bus. The bus arrives. (And then) a silly teenager knocks the books from his arms. The guy misses yet another bus.
That's hilarious :lol:

Edit: I'm borrowing this idea too :)
 
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kinglis said:
The guy waits for the bus, heavy loaded with books. The bus arrives, the guy drops his books while getting on. The guy misses the bus (he needs to pick up his books). The guy waits for the next bus. The bus arrives. (And then) a silly teenager knocks the books from his arms. The guy misses yet another bus.
That's hilarious :lol:

Edit: I'm borrowing this idea too :)
Click to expand...

GDmit! I'm gonna star charging.:)
 
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