The Chopping Block - short film (scene)

Here's a short scene that I wrote and directed for a film-making masterclass (by Werner Herzog) exploring the use of "subtext" in the narrative (guiding the audience to a specific conclusion). This kind of scene would form part of a greater story arc where setting up the audience's expectations can be useful to introduce twists to the plot. Production quality is lacking, especially audio quality due to the quick turnaround time, but the focus was on exploring narrative technique rather than production value. The main brief was really to explore the 180 degree rule in cinematography, which I was already familiar with. I decided to flip over to the other side of the line of action to enhance the tension as a new relationship is established between the individuals - inferring that there is now a new understanding between them. I felt this worked fairly effectively. The two actors have no prior on-screen experience and performed really well. I specifically wrote their parts based on their personalities and didn't want their performances to seem contrived as I didn't have access to professional actors at the time. Using stock music for the soundtrack was quite frustrating so I hauled out my old midi keyboard and did a bit of my own scoring. I would have preferred using a minimalist approach to the music but unfortunately had to hide some of the less than ideal audio quality, so the music is a bit "heavy". Other than that this was a great learning opportunity for me as I have little prior experience with screenwriting. It was also a great experience in terms of getting a good performance out of actors with no prior experience.

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