Rosy
A short film speculating happiness as a product.
A video story as part of the Video Prototyping curriculum
HCDE, Fall quarter, 2023
2 week sprint
The requirement of this class was to use video as a method of storytelling centered around a product.
For my directorial debut, I wanted to address the phenomenon of seasonal depression that comes with the change of seasons. Using this as my "problem", I delved into creating a speculative solution.
A solution that speculates happiness as a consumer product. My video would narrate the experience of the user with and without said product.
To create a compelling story, I used the structure of 3 components- Context, Conflict and Conclusion. This is an effective guide to prompt a seamless narrative to keep the audience locked in.
Context- Setting the context to understand the character
Character is a student going about their regular routine. The changing seasons means the weather is colder and the sun sets earlier. Low motivation to keep up with social interactions and regular routines.
Conflict- Identifying the conflict the character faces
Character feels a sense of hopelessness and apathy. Their regular routines are affected. Procrastination and bed rotting are their new found comfort.
Conclusion- The solution to the conflict
Character feels the need to get out the slump. Finds a solution (the glasses) that would coax them out of it. Negative impact of solution to show that happiness cannot be comodified.
To visualise the expectations of the film, I created a mood board covering initial ideas- colours, images and story outline. I used this as an initial dump to spring off of.
I created a storyboard to visually represent the sequence of the film. Each frame talks about key moments in the film and what they would represent. I went into detail about how each situation is set- the graphic represents the shot setting. I also used this a guide to come up with my extended shot list.
I detailed out my storyboard to create a shot list. This helped me design in advance all the shots I envisioned for the film- the setting, facial expressions, context, cuts, transitions and object placements. This also acted as a checklist when I planned to shoot my shots.
Budget- $0
I'm a student, I can only afford favours.
Actor- Sean Coveny
Asked a good friend for a favour and he delivered. Bought him dinner for the job well done.
Location- Seattle, WA
A city of gloomy weather galore. While the film was shot in the November of 2023, large expectations were around not getting enough sunny days for the "happy shots". But, weather is unpredictable and I was granted more sunny days than gloomy, contrarily.
My actor also offered up his apartment to shoot the interior shots. We used the power of colour changing lights to create moods.
Equipment- OnePlus 6t & Shaky hands
Everything was shot on my handy OnePlus 6t. Several of the shots are shaky, which gave off a home-made docu-style movie. This aesthetic appealed to me.
I used heart shaped glasses from a previous Halloween costume, which was the inspiration for the film.
I also used office sticker tags and drawn on tear drops to insinuate side effects and tear drops, which coincidentally added a comedic effect.
Time Frame- 2.3 days
I had to get all my shots in before my actor left for the holiday weekend. We managed to get all the shots in 1-2 takes. Other constraints, such as daylight because of shorter days, were an additional factor in speeding things up.
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It was interesting to note that I didn't fully commit to the original idea. Several improvisations occurred while shooting.
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I decided to bring in an actor because I do not have the skill to act.
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Just sticking to directing helped me focus on doing a better job at that, rather than both, acting and directing.
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Weather is unpredictable. Always need a back-up plan. I didn't rely on post-production because I'm still a beginner at video-editing.
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A camera stand/mount is a good investment towards stable shots.
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This was a fun experience, and I now have a new found respect for good camera shots and pans in movies. They're the unsung heroes of visual storytelling.
Next up: Leave me Beanie