"Remorse" storytelling in One Word Film.
The One Word Film Project was to create a short film about one word for 1 - 1.5 minutes. We used camera angle technics and editing to create a visual message without any dialogue. All images, sounds, and shots must tell the story through only 15 clips.
Me and my teammates were assigned the word "remorse", which means to hold feeling of regret. We came up with a short story that examines the common issue of bullying, but in this case, the bully feels bad about his actions.
Ideation and Planning
While brainstorming, we focused on communicating guilt through expressions, body language, and camera angles. Even without speaking, we wanted to show the meaning of remorse. Our brainstorming sheet helped us decide where to put the camera and how to show remorse.
Visualization storyboard
We created a 15-frame storyboard to illustrate. Each frame showed a story point, such as the encounter, bullying, or guilt. The storyboarding helped us visualize the scenario so we knew which shots to capture during filming.
Filming Issues
The idea felt more authentic since we filmed in our school's halls. However, continuity was difficult because we filmed for two days and wore different clothes.
iMovie editing
Since the project required team members to edit their content separately, I edited my film with iMovie. Even though we utilized the same material, our short films differed slightly. Our teacher needed a snapshot of our editing assignment to track our progress and see how we structured the film.
As the story takes place only in one setting, I utilized cutaways and dissolves to smooth transitioning. I also used slow-motion in some clips to smooth the flow and emphasize critical moments. Despite its small setting, I employed the Ken Burns technique to give some movement, making the video more dynamic.
What Was Good and Could Be Better
Success: I think the emotional tone and the character's regretful thoughts at the end were well conveyed without us talking.
The subtle transitions and effects kept the audience engaged despite the location.
I wish to improve:
I'd like to try other camera angles to improve the images, such as a shot of a school building to start the story.
Link to our project: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15BOPX_9Q5cWkWN9s2IPrQLPZsd-GzOD7/view?usp=sharingLinks to an external site.
