The Plan: Dog

We have constructed a plan for the short film we have been given about a dog. We have each been given a responsibility; mine is to be in charge of the lighting and camera. Therefore, I will set up the lights to the create the correct lighting for the shoot as well as making sure the camera settings are correct so we make no mistakes as we film. We have chosen our locations, actor and bought all the necessary props we will need. The next stage was to draw up the storyboards including a written storyboard (as shown below) and to write up the risk assessments. We have now been given the all clear to film by our Lecturer, I am keen to start filming and will hopefully will be able to upload short preview clips soon.


Written Storyboard:

1. INT . KITCHEN . DAY

Cupboard doors are flung open and rapidly slammed as the cupboards are revealed as empty. Eventually….. one cupboard is opened and shut quickly and then re-opened. We see inside. There is a dog bowl, and a tin of dog food. [Freeze frame]

Man (V/O)

Ordinarily I wouldn’t have considered it but…….

Camera will be in the cupboard in darkness, the doors open to revel the mans face looking in. He will look disappointed for the first 4 cupboards, then face lights up as he opens the fifth. The camera will be half blocked by a tin of dog food, then a reverse shot from the mans perspective of the dog food and dog bowl on the bottom shelf.

INT . KITCHEN . DAY

The plate of dog food sits on the table . The knife and fork are straightened to become perfectly aligned.

The man gently drops a sprig of parsley onto the dog food.

He picks up the knife and fork and stares at the plate.

Directly above view just shows the dog food and cutlery on the table at first, no arms. One arm comes in to straighten the cutlery, and place the parsley sprig. Both arms then pick up the cutlery, scene cut.

1. INT . LANDING . DAY

From outside the toilet we hear a difficult shit taking place.

Focus on the toilet door, sounds of a difficult shit, and cut to a clock which winds forwards 3 hours, then seeing the toilet flush and the door begin to open.

1. EXT . STREET . DAY

Our man is walking down the street. He has a distinct, pronounced spring in his step.

Our man will be walking down the street whistling to himself, smile on.

1. EXT . STREET . DAY

We see our man sitting in a café. He is talking ten to the dozen.

We will be using the student union café (costa part) and have our man speaking really fast and not really making much sense. ( Mr.Bean style)

1. INT . KITCHEN . DAY

Our man unloads his shopping. Tins and tins of dog food, plus some herbs and milk.

We are going to have the camera in the shopping bag, looking up the mans arm towards his face, trying to portray that it is part of the shopping, then we will see the bag being put down on the table, and the camera will be unpacked and put on the table with the cans of dog food, like it is a can of dog food.

1. INT . KITCHEN . DAY

What follows is a montage of a series of jump cuts as plates of dog food are eaten, piled up, eaten, plates clean, knife and fork switching sides and spoon and fork. Different plates. Each time a sprig of parsley is left on the plate uneaten, sometimes the plate is a bowl.

1. INT . LANDING . DAY

From outside the toilet, we hear a difficult shit taking place. It is so difficult our man is still trying to defecate as day turns into night.

We see our man going into the toilet, then we have a shot of out the window, but still with the sound of the man trying to shit. Day turns to night, and then we go back to seeing our man leave the toilet.

1. EXT . PARK . DAY

Our man studies a pile of dog shit. Slowly he stands and shuffles off, almost under his breath we hear him growl

Filmed from dog shit perspective , very close up shot, just see a nose drop into shot from the top of the frame

1. INT . FRONT ROOM . NIGHT

Our man sits and watches television, picking up his glass of water he begins to lap it up with this tongue.

Very dark scene, using the television light to flicker different amount s of light onto the characters face. Extreme close up when he laps up the water.

1. INT . KITCHEN . DAY

Our man slowly spoons dog food onto his plate, the plate is maller than any we have seen before

We will shoot this with exactly the same view as with the bigger plate, so that the plate is noticeably smaller.

1. INT . KITCHEN . DAY

Sitting at the table our man slowly, reluctantly eats the dog food, as he turns to eat, tears run down his face.

Shot from the opposite persons view so you are looking straight at him, the camera switches between that persons view and an extreme close up of the character chewing.

1. INT . FRONT ROOM . NIGHT

Our man runs around in a very tight circle, He is trying to see his back, as he runs he barks.

Filmed through the window, a shot for a woman walking her dog and noticing the strange behaviour so come to peek through the window and we get he point of view shot.

Visual Storyboards:

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