The Film Essay Brief

This is the brief for this year’s film essay:

Make a film which includes 2 scenes filmed in the same space: once with 2 characters, another time with the same two characters plus 1 or 2 others. The situation and the issues will be different between these 2 scenes, with a different mis en scene.
These two scenes should be in a constrained space, whereas the other scenes making up the rest of the film should be in open spaces.
The film will last a maximum of 8 minutes.

So what are they asking us to do?

We need to make an 8 minute film, with two main characters, and several supporting characters.

There are two key scenes featuring our two main characters, which will be filmed in the same ‘constrained space’ location, but filmed in a different way each time.

We can choose what else happens, and where, but these other scenes will all take place in open spaces.

So our real challenge is to come up with a story that fits this brief, and choose locations that maximize the dramatic possibilities.

Notice that the two main characters will be in the same place twice, once alone together, and once with other people – these are the two key scenes in our film, so we need to think of a story that dramatically exploits this set up.

Is this about a relationship between two people that is altered by the presence of others? (perhaps an unlikely friendship or shared interest)

Is it about a secret that two people share, which has implications for everyone?

Maybe the film explores the consequences of the two characters first interaction in the constrained space?

These are just jumping off points, does anyone else have any initial thoughts or responses to the brief? It would be great to start a discussion about it.