When given the opportunity to make a project that was my own, I wanted to make sure it was reflective of my beliefs and that was something I am passionate about. I have always been interested in animal welfare but wanted to create a film on a topic that is less well known. I have always enjoyed making films and I feel confident in understanding the process. Sapiens comes under multiple genres including thriller due to some suspenseful scenes, for example when one of the sapiens gives the main character a deserted look. It is also a social science fiction film as it is concerned with sociological speculation about human society. Not many people know about the cruelty that goes on in dairy farms and keeping it all hidden means people can’t change. I wanted to combine my passion for animal welfare and my love of film making to help expose the more heartless acts. 

 

The main aspect that makes my film unique is the idea.  My film gives the audience a new perspective of what it would be like to live in slavery. The idea was also one of the risks I had to take as it was a challenge to try and portray humans as animals in a serious way. I overcame this by not seeing the sapiens too often so that the audience understands they are farming humans but it isn’t too forced that it becomes humorous. The skin coloured costumes  represent them as exposed and defenceless as if they are naked, so the audience can see how powerless they are. I think this worked as I didn’t receive any negative feedback on how the sapiens came across.

 

I looked into some studies to see what I could do to make the audience more active and change their behaviour. A study by Janis and Feshbach compared different levels of fear of dental hygiene. They found the low-fear group learned more and improved by 50% even if they found it boring. Students in the high-fear group had a quick emotional reaction finding it disgusting but only 28% improved their behaviour. After researching into this I decided to be more suggestive of the cruelty than graphic. For example in the barn scene instead of seeing the baby getting shot you only hear the gun shot. The reason I didn’t show anything at all is because I didn't want to bore people, however I also didn't want to shock the audience too much that they don’t change their behaviour. This taught me that fear arousals can be helpful in changing behaviours, but it is important that the level of fear is tailored to each audience. It will take a few months before I can see for sure if my audience did think and behave differently after watching my film. From responses that I have received so far they have mostly either always thought cruelty on dairy farms is bad or the film has made them think differently about the industry. This is a very positive result and shows that my film is making a difference. (The Power of Fear, in Chapter 15, by Russ Dewey,  Janis, I and Feshbach, S, 1953, David Clarke, 2012) 

 

I contacted Magda Olchawska a professional screenplay writer through email. I had never written a script before so was keen to get some advice. She told me to get my script copyrighted so that my idea doesn't get stolen. Unfortunately with her busy schedule she wasn’t able to give me proper feedback on my script. Further to this I read the book ‘Writing Short Films’ by Linda J. Cowgill to help me develop my script as I needed a deeper plot. Understanding how to structure my plot and how to make sure everything was connected really helped me add depth which made my story more interesting and entertaining. Looking back I should have contacted more script writers so that I could have got first hand feedback on how to improve my script. This would have expanded my knowledge and possibly made my script more powerful. (Linda J. Cowgill, 2005) 

 

I wanted to make sure my film was technically strong and that I had a good crew and  equipment. I was pleased to have secured a cinematographer who had a RED MX camera as it visually looked very professional due to it being able to film in 4.5k. However this did bring some difficulties when editing as the footage was so large that it kept making the computer freeze so I had to edit each scene in a different Premiere Pro CC project. I had to learn the best ways to improve the situation. I learnt from working at Karl Taylor how to use media browser in Premiere Pro CC which allowed you to go into different projects whilst still editing on your current timeline. This helped enormously when editing each scene in a different project. Having to find ways to make it work and especially having to use different projects made the editing process take longer than I had scheduled for. Reflecting upon this made me question if it was worth having footage of such high quality when not many screens will be able to show its full effect. However I am happy with how it looks and it was a learning experience having to adjust to working with equipment that I’m not used to.

 

Another challenge I had to face was working with a professional crew as I hadn’t experienced this before. I made contracts to make sure I was working to the industry standard but regrettably I didn’t include all the details. I hadn’t explained that they would have to find their own way to the location, accommodation wasn’t provided and that food was only supplied when on set. This meant I had to pay more money than I had budgeted for. However it taught me in the future to cover myself by double checking all the information and making sure that every aspect of the contract is clear so that I don’t end up paying any unexpected costs. Working with a professional crew was definitely daunting and it made me lack confidence as I felt they knew more than I did. The more we got into filming my confidence grew and I was able to be more authoritative with my directions. I wish I had shown confidence from the start as I felt the crew didn’t respect me very much as most days they showed up late. This had a knock on effect to my schedule and the overall atmosphere when shooting as everyone was conscious of the time.

 

The theorist Ferdinand De Saussure wrote about semiotics or signs, it is something we see and what’s important is how we read them. He said ‘signs are made up of two parts’, signifier and signified. The signifier is the physical thing in the real world and the signified is the mental concept evoked by the signifier. (Modes of Address [ONLINE], Semiology  Semiotics. 2015. [ONLINE])  I used this theory in many ways throughout my film. The colour grading and lighting is dark representing the dull truth of slavery. The blue tint in my film shows the scary elements as it is similar to films such as ‘The Ring’ and ‘Saw’, this creates the uneasiness that something is wrong. My film is mainly colour graded to match the film ‘Children of Men’, this is because it shares a similar genre and I like how the nature is still bright showing hope but the rest is dark, blue or in the inside scenes more orange. The orange colours in the context of my film reflects danger and that something darker is becoming unravelled like a fire. The action of the farmer eating horribly and treating the sapiens inhumanely creates a twist like he is the animal. This portrays him as an almost Hannibal like type character. All these factors helped create the uncomfortable feeling and set the tone of the film.

 

I was pleased with the story, however some scenes could have been developed more for example the scene where Johnny changes his mind about having the sapien slaughtered. This would have been a more defined moment if the audience could have seen his change more gradually, so that his change of heart doesn’t appear so sudden. I tried to do this by having shots of him in deep thought to show he knows inside what he is doing is wrong, but I don’t think it’s clear enough. Perhaps it would have been better if I had a scene of Johnny alone caring for the sapien towards the end, to show he is starting to think differently about them. 

 

Researching my audience enabled me to pin point my audience’s needs and wants so that they are more interested and entertained. The stereotypical demographics and psychographics of the type of person who would be interested in my film would be young adults around the ages of sixteen to twenty-five. They would be quite indie and diversified. They would be typically students at sixth form or university. At this age students are very independent and as I want people to independently make a change for what they believe in, this is the right kind of person who wouldn’t be too affected by change and not too fixed in their ways. Being independent gives a sense of freedom by not being tied down by the expectations of society or from peer pressure to dress, eat and act in a certain way. So even though society is pretending dairy farms are ethical, my audience wouldn’t blindly except that.

 

My questionnaire showed that what I had researched about my target audience was correct. I used this information to help me know where to promote my film, for example I regularly post updates on the Sapien website, Instagram and Facebook so that my audience feels involved. I also targeted specific groups by following people who like animals and who are vegetarians as well so that they are aware of my film. However as the results from my questionnaire showed exactly what I expected it makes me doubt if it worked, maybe I was too suggestive in my questions or the answers were too obvious. I found it hard to know what questions to ask in my survey to find out who my target audience is. Looking back I should have researched more into how to discover your target audience instead of making a survey with little knowledge. 

 

I hope my film encourages my audience to be active after watching by wanting to find out more into the issues addressed in the film and become passionate to make a change. The theorist Halloran quotes “We need to get away from the habit of thinking in terms of what the media does to people and substitute it for the idea of what the people do with the media” As a society we are becoming more and more active and not taking things for face value. This makes my films’ purpose more topical and makes me feel hopeful that I can make a change through filmmaking. (Halloran, James D, 1970)

 

To get feedback on my film I did a survey, I sent my film to my crew, to my lecturers, to a professional photographer and filmmaker, to a professional editor and to students who study media. I also posted my film on social media and I am still awaiting feedback from festival sites who can give me professional feedback on my film. I showed my film to other people studying media so I could get their feedback. They took notes on sound errors and suggested better ways to sequence some scenes. What was really helpful was one person suggested cutting out some of the beginning car shots and dialogue as they knew I wasn't happy with it either. Cutting that scene down made a stronger start to the film and tightened the film up so that only what was necessary was included. I also had people come up and ask me if they could watch it which was good as it showed people were interested in my film and I could see the reaction to my film from someone who knows nothing about it. Having students give feedback on my film was very useful as I had missed some parts that needed improving. Being able to have people look at it with a 'fresh eye' helped me improve on the details of my film.

 

I sent my film to my cinematographer Haridas Stewart to get his opinion on the film. He gave me lots of useful feedback and sent me a document with time codes on how to make it better. I took on board all of his suggestions and changed the things I could. I agreed with a lot of the fixes he mentioned and I think the changes made a big improvement to the film even though some changes where only small. I also made a survey so that I could get specific answers to people's opinions of my film. I wanted to know what people thought of the edit, the story and what they liked most and least so that I could adjust my film and improve it. I learnt a lot from the comments and I changed things where I could. I am really pleased as the majority really liked the film. This meant that a lot of the decisions made about the film suited the target audience and overall they had a positive experience from watching it. 

 

I found the responses on what they liked most and least very useful. Some things I couldn't change for example someone commented on the girls acting but fortunately only one person thought that. I was pleased people liked the location, it was hard for me to produce a film in England when I am from Guernsey as I couldn't rely on family and friends so I am happy I found somewhere that wasn't just suitable but was a positive aspect of the film. A few people had mentioned the music saying they found it very influential as a signifier to enhance the emotion in the scenes. It was motivational to hear that people are wanting to make a difference after watching my film and that they care about the issue. This has inspired me to keep trying to improve my film and to make more films in the future so that I can keep making a difference.

 

Understanding my target audience was very important as it helped me make decisions based on what my audience would like. For example having an ending with a good result as the sapien didn’t get slaughtered but also not too positive as the practice continues. This gives hope for change and shows the audience that they can be active themselves and help improve animal welfare. This will give my audience a sense of purpose that perhaps they are missing. 

 

I kept a blog to make sure I was on schedule and to keep track of my process. This helped to highlight when things went wrong so that I could look back and learn from them in order to not make the same mistakes again. If I could go back I would take more control when directing and not take on so many roles. I had never worked with so many actors and crew and having an assistant director would have meant I could have spent more time with the actors by going through bit by bit how I want the characters to come across. Taking on so many roles meant it was a bit manic at times on set trying to get everything in place. It didn’t help only having three days to shoot as that meant everything was more pressed for time, making some scenes more rushed.

 

I am most grateful for my friends and backup actors that stood in at the last minute when all my sapien actors cancelled the day before. As the sapien roles were only small I think the actors who cancelled didn’t care too much if they had the role or not.  I should have made sure to get double or triple the actors I needed so if any had dropped out it wouldn’t have been such a disaster. Even though the sapien roles weren’t a big part they were vital for the story. Experiencing all the actors drop out was so frustrating and upsetting as I felt helpless and thought we weren’t going to be able to film. I contacted everyone I knew and messaged actors directly and luckily I had people who could step in. This effected my budget as I had to pay them as it was the only way they would come on such short notice. One of the comments from my feedback survey suggested having more sapiens to create a bigger impact which I agree would have made the film a lot better but I got as many as I could considering the circumstances.

 

I shot my film early on so that I had back up time if I needed it. I had to be very organised to make sure I had it all ready in time, especially as I only had three days to film. Having learnt from previous projects the importance of timetables and shot lists this really helped me stay on schedule and I managed to get what I needed. If I were to do it again I would have given myself an extra day to film which would have reduced my stress and given me more time to get extra shots that could of added more depth to the story.

 

Looking back at the project as a whole it was one of the hardest things I have done due to the amount of pressure riding on it being my final individual project and the chance to prove myself. I was very determined and I am glad that I stuck to what I am passionate about and I feel proud of my film and what I managed to achieve. I accomplished my goals and aims of creating a new way of looking at the cruelty on dairy farms in a thought provoking but not forceful way, which I hope will make people think twice. I grew as a person in confidence and learnt valuable information both practically and theoretically that I will take with me after university.  In the future I want to be an environmentalist filmmaker. Having this film as part of my portfolio will really help to show my skills and passion and hopefully make it easier for me to get into the sector I believe in.

 

References

 

Semiology // Semiotics. 2015. Semiology // Semiotics. [ONLINE] Available at: http://people.ucalgary.ca/~rseiler/semiolog.htm. [Accessed 11 October 2015].

 

Linda J. Cowgill, 2005. Writing Short Films: Structure and Content for Screenwriters. Second Edition Edition. Lone Eagle.

 

 Janis, I and Feshbach, S. (1953) - Fear Arousal | Psych Yogi. 2015. Janis, I and Feshbach, S. (1953) - Fear Arousal | Psych Yogi. [ONLINE] Available at: http://psychyogi.org/janis-i-and-feshbach-s-1953-fear-arousal/. [Accessed 10 October 2015].

 

David Clarke, 2012. OCR A2 Psychology Student Unit Guide New Edition: Unit G543 Health and Clinical Psychology. Edition. Philip Allan.

 

(Vegetarians are on the increase in Britain says new research | Health | Life & Style | Daily Express. 2015. Vegetarians are on the increase in Britain says new research | Health | Life & Style | Daily Express. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/517246/Vegetarians-are-on-the-increase-in-Britain. [Accessed 10 October 2015].)

 

Farming dairy cattle - Farming - Dairy cattle - Farm animals . 2015. Farming dairy cattle - Farming - Dairy cattle - Farm animals . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/farm/dairy/farming. [Accessed 03 November 2015].