Learning Contract
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
baggage: unpacked analysing the short film and its place in the world Michael Noonan BA (Film and Television Production), B.Bus (Acc) Faculty of Creative Industries Queensland University of Technology Master of Arts (Research) (Film and Television Production) Submitted: August 29 2003 Revisions: July 26 2004 Completed: November 8 2004 paragraph for cataloguing Baggage is a short film about memory, identity and camcorder voyeurism. This paper will explore the film’s approach to structure, cause-and-effect, character identification, suspense, style and substance. It will also evaluate the state of the short film in Australia, its importance in the development of emerging filmmakers and the realistic and most effective avenues for exhibition and distribution. iii abstract In the seedy confines of his one-bedroom apartment, reclusive loner Harris Babel delights in watching the camcorder images of others: images he buys from a strange, smoke-filled store at the end of an alleyway. They are pre-recorded trips to faraway places, memories he pretends are his own. Holidays to Madagascar, trips to Lord Howe Island, tours through Kakadu National Park -- there are no boundaries. But Harris’ claustrophobic world takes a disturbing turn when he receives a phone call from the airport, claiming he left luggage behind from a trip he doesn’t remember. A trip he never went on. Or did he? From script to screen, Baggage was an exhausting 14-month journey, beginning with the first draft of the script in May 2001 and culminating in the exhibition of the film in July 2002, two days after the final sound and vision cut was completed. At its heart, the film is an exploration of identity, memory and the childhood demons that haunt us. It is about loss and abandonment, camcorder voyeurism and the obsessions that make us human. On reflection, it is a film with many flaws. But the process of recognising these flaws and better understanding the filmmaking process is an essential part of development and growth. This paper will explore the writing and directing process involved in the making of Baggage, analysing structure, cause-and-effect, character identification, suspense, style and substance. It will also evaluate the state of the short film in Australia, its importance in the development of filmmakers and the avenues for exhibition and distribution. v table of contents Paragraph for Cataloguing ........................................................................................iii Abstract ...................................................................................................................... v List of Supplementary Material ..............................................................................viii Statement of Original Authorship............................................................................. ix Acknowledgements .................................................................................................. xi PART 1: THE SHORT FILM Government Support .................................................................................................. 1 A Stepping Stone ....................................................................................................... 2 Beating a Path ............................................................................................................ 3 The Research Project.................................................................................................. 6 PART 2: PRODUCTION The Concept ............................................................................................................... 8 Plot and Structure..................................................................................................... 11 Cause-and-Effect...................................................................................................... 15 Flashbacks................................................................................................................ 17 Character Identification............................................................................................ 19 Suspense and Surprise.............................................................................................. 20 The Twist Ending..................................................................................................... 22 Direction and Style................................................................................................... 25 Substance and Meaning ........................................................................................... 28 PART 3: EXHIBITION Finding an Audience ................................................................................................ 31 Short Films and the Internet..................................................................................... 32 Broadcast Opportunities........................................................................................... 33 The Festival Circuit.................................................................................................. 34 Shorts Overload on the Web .................................................................................... 35 PART 4: REFLECTION Strengths................................................................................................................... 45 Weaknesses .............................................................................................................. 46 BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................................... 51 APPENDICES ......................................................................................................... 55 vii list of supplementary material DVD (PAL) Baggage (2002). Written and Directed by Michael Noonan. Produced by Michael Noonan and Hugh M Jesse. Running Time: 23 minutes (approx.) © 2002 Boom-In-Shot Productions. viii statement of original authorship The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted for a degree or diploma at any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made. SIGNED …………………………………………………………………………… DATE ……………………………………………………… ix acknowledgements Gary MacLennan, John Hookham, Angela Romano and Terry Flew for their assistance in the completion of this thesis. The QUT Film and Television department, including Wayne Taylor, Jeanette McGown, Stephen Frost, Peter Laughton, John Hookham, Rob Matthews, Elise Weightman, David Glazier, Dave Harvey and Jill Standfield for their assistance in the production of the short film Baggage. A dedicated cast and crew for their tireless work on the film Baggage, including but not limited to co-producer Hugh Jesse, director of photography Tony Luu, editor Brendan Cahill, production designer Mairi Cameron, sound designer Matt Smith- Stubbs, music composer Liz Elliott, lead actor Ron Kelly and first assistant director Anna Cadden. Special thanks also to caterers Elsa and Bo Westerberg, who endured the most underrated and unrewarding job of all. Carine Chai, Tanya Schneider, Dana Carsley and Karlo Bran for their encourage- ment and support. xi part one: the short film The short film is a fundamental starting point in a filmmaker’s career. Before Steven Spielberg made Jaws (1975) or Raiders of the Lost Ark (1980), he honed his skills with a 23-minute short called Amblin’ (1968). Before Martin Scorsese directed Taxi Driver (1976) or Raging Bull (1980), he was experimenting with blood and gore in a grisly short piece called The Big Shave (1967). Government bodies in Australia pump millions of dollars each year into short films and their reasons are generally about development. Their aim is to nurture up-and- coming filmmakers and give them a platform to show their worth. GOVERNMENT SUPPORT In the nine months to May 2002, the Pacific Film and Television Commission -- the Queensland Government’s agency for the film and television industry -- had allocated $640,000 to short film production (12 projects), the most ever allocated to such production by the PFTC in any one year (Pacific Film and Television Commission, 2002b: 1-2). Short film production in Australia totalled $3.5m in 1999/2000, with 53 businesses involved in production. Sixteen shorts, totalling $624,731, were funded by the Australian Film Commission in the 2000/2001 financial year (Australian Film 2 BAGGAGE: UNPACKED Commission, 2001a). The Australian Film Commission, the Australian Govern- ment’s agency for supporting the development of the film, television and interactive digital media industry, has a notional annual allocation of $900,000 for short films (Australian Film Commission, 2001b). The Pacific Film and Television Commission administers an annual Short Film Fund, providing production and post production funding, in addition to random initiatives such as the 2002 Jumpstart Film Fund, which provided funding for 10 short film projects up to the value of $25,000 each. Other government-funded bodies assist in the production of shorts. QPIX, a Queensland-based screen resource centre, helps develop quality independent production in the Queensland screen industry, linking the State independent sector at national and international levels (QPIX, 2002a: 11). With funding from the AFC, the PFTC, Arts Queensland and the Australia Council, QPIX provides support to short filmmakers by offering low-cost equipment and facilities hire. In the year to February