Research & Planning

我的爸爸是条龙 is a creator on Douyin (Chinese version of TikTok) that I adore. Their style of combining animation and real footage is exactly what I want to achieve in my short film. I realised the majority of their real footage is actually just a picture and then the frame moves up or down/zooms in or out. The amount of real footage is actually not a lot, but I quite like how they incorporate real people into the videos, yet they still feel like a part of the animation by having g

In class discussions, we returned to the briefs and considered the differences of short films and music videos, making sure that I don’t accidentally segue into music videos. With that in mind, I’ve decided to change some things to make it more like a short film – more narrative driven. I’ve decided that in the second to third scene, when he's about in his early twenties, he’s in the studio working on a painting, something reminiscent of the one from when he was a child. Th

I decided to change a bit the ending, focusing more on Gary's personal journey, rather than how he applies that to his relationship with his child. I also want to put more emphasis on the painting as that is kind of what symbolises his relationship with his masculinity and how he expresses it. Gary is coming home from school, looking at a piece of artwork that got an F with tears in his eyes, his father scolds him disappointedly and telling him to “suck it up” and that “be

I have been thinking about how to showcase the other characters without having to fully animate them, so that it doesn’t distract the main character’s story too much as well as making it easier for myself, time and skill wise, to not have to animate other characters fully. I was thinking some of the shots could be shown from the wife’s POV, the other characters could be looking off camera. They could be shown via shadows, just their hands or body, or even low angles so we onl

Before going into researching specific films, I kept in mind these differences: SHORT FILM Smaller budgets ​ Usually less locations and sets, cast, equipment​ Single, simple narrative ​ Imagery and plot can be a lot more experimental (more niche) FEATURE FILM Larger budgets ​ Usually can have more elaborate sets, cast and equipment​ More complex storylines​ Multiple characters + arcs​ Three-part structure​ Usually more for commercial consumption, so not as experimental GENERA

The ‘grumpy old man’ archetype is not necessarily gender exclusive, but is mostly about an old person that enjoys complaining about how things were better in his day, how kids show no respect these days. They may have unexpected wisdom. In certain instances, they may be cold and distant, but have a heart of gold, slowly warming up to the company of kids. They usually are fiercely protective towards their loved ones and would do anything for them. One of the best ‘grumpy old

Short film idea: about a man who finds his tears I was inspired by the books ‘A Man Called Ove’ by Fredrik Backman and ‘The Five People You Meet in Heaven’/ ‘The Next Person You Meet in Heaven’ by Mitch Albom. All stories are about self-discovery and showing how feeling/expressing our feelings is more beneficial for our mental health compared to bottling it up in the long run. About how impactful other people's or our own words or actions can be in our lives, even if we don’t

Story!! – working title: “BOYS DON’T CRY” Specifically decided on using the words ‘boys’ instead of ‘men’ because it’s about going back to the root cause, where even as children, these societal pressures have already been placed upon them. Rough timeline of the film: Starts off with a sniffling child being scolded after injuring himself playing in the playground. He is being told to “suck it up” and that “boys don’t cry”. Alternatively, it can be him coming home from