Short Film based on Suicide.

[Inu]

Shooting a short Film based on Suicide.

Hey fellow filmmakers,

I'm shooting a short film in a few days and could use with some tips and pointers to get the most out of my shoot!

Basically, my film will be based in one location. Looking at a unused room (no furniture.) in short, the story is about a guy wanting to commit suicide and his friend talks him out of it. So it's mostly going to be dialogue, switching between the two characters.

What can i do to make this film look credible? Any tips or ideas in terms of wardrobe to the look of the set are welcome! I'm pretty much a newbie still so all help is appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[GuerrillaAngel]

Why this topic may I ask?

Festivals often steer clear of suicide themed films.

 

[Zensteve]

Looking at a unused room (no furniture. (...) What can i do to make this film look credible? Any tips or ideas in terms of wardrobe to the look of the set are welcome!

Why the empty room? Does the room have a story of its own?

Is the room interesting in any way? Or will the camera be treated to the plain boring off-white blank walls that look like a cheap college-kid's apartment, with no set dresser?

If there's nothing to physically fill the room, give 110% to your lighting & atmosphere.

 

[Inu]

Why this topic may I ask?

Festivals often steer clear of suicide themed films.

It's going to have a comedic twist to the story. It's not going to be one of them very serious film based on suicide. Whilst suicide will be the main subject of my story, the intention of the video is to make the audience laugh. But i want the beginning of the video to be very serious to throw the audience of.

Why the empty room? Does the room have a story of its own?

Is the room interesting in any way? Or will the camera be treated to the plain boring off-white blank walls that look like a cheap college-kid's apartment, with no set dresser?

If there's nothing to physically fill the room, give 110% to your lighting & atmosphere.

The room is the only vacant room i could get my hands on for free. Currently this is the only option for me. It's a very basic living room. The only furniture in the room is two chairs and a worn out fireplace. The wallpaper have been ripped out by hand from what it seems like. Getting some sort of furniture in is a possibility though.

 

[GuerrillaAngel]

But i want the beginning of the video to be very serious to throw the audience of.

One, I don't think your target audience will hang around long enough for the punchline, that is, if they watch it at all. Secondly, the kind of people that WILL sit through the film may not appreciate the joke.

While you've a right to shoot whatever you want my hunch is your film will end up in a closet, mostly unwatched. Suicide isn't a topic to take lightly unless it's obviously comedic from the get-go, but even then, maybe.

Good luck.

 

[Steve_in_MD]

One, I don't think your target audience will hang around long enough for the punchline, that is, if they watch it at all. Secondly, the kind of people that WILL sit through the film may not appreciate the joke.

While you've a right to shoot whatever you want my hunch is your film will end up in a closet, mostly unwatched. Suicide isn't a topic to take lightly unless it's obviously comedic from the get-go, but even then, maybe.

Good luck.

Agree 100% with this.

One of the first things I learned when taking up the craft of screenwriting was avoid cliched topics, and suicide is a big one. No one really wants to watch a suicide movie. They're often melodramatic and even if it's a "comedic" take on suicide, I don't know who your audience will be. Suicide isn't really funny.

 

[Inu]

There seems to be a little misunderstanding about my objectives. Indeed, i agree with you that suicide is not a funny matter and i by no means will the comedy side be taking light of it.

Although, now because of this thread i have learnt that the subject of suicide in a film is not very well received