“It feels like I’m sinking.

A production by: Leo Harling

 Final idea outline:
For my final idea I intend to produce a short film documenting a teen/young adult’s
experience with depression. I will be working individually on my production (besides from
acting) to ensure that my idea is fully translated into my finished film and to give myself full
creative control with each stage of development during the process of creating my
production.
I intend to convey a dark and serious tone in my production that highlights and explores the
feeling of all consumption that comes with depression. I will be showing the stages of my
character sinking deeper into a dark mental state whilst time and the world around them
slowly fades from their existence. I intend to convey the paralysis and feeling of sinking that
is caused by depression and the loss of hope and motivation to carry on due to feeling empty
and emotionless.
The story follows a young teen who has reached their 18th birthday and is unsure of where to
go next. They are currently studying at college and can feel themselves suffocating in the
workload. Throughout the story they become aware of how little they remember feeling
happy due to being in a constant state of work and enduring immense stress. They develop a
state of mind where they don’t see a point of continuing in life if all they will be spending
their time doing is work. This is where their state of depression begins to develop. As they
continue to carry the weight and pressures of becoming an adult and needing to be
independent, they feel themselves sinking deeper into a depressive state of mind until they
find that they are all consumed in darkness with no way out. We follow the journey that this
character takes as they search for purpose and a reason to keep going before it is too late.
(This narrative idea is due to change and develop whilst researching for my production.)
I will be researching the affects that depression has on young people to gather a deeper
understanding of the topic and to discover more elements of the illness to include in the film.
 Target audience:
The target audience that I intend my production for is young adults & teenagers between the
ages of 16 – 19. I have chosen this age group as my target audience because I feel that
teenage depression is something that I will be able to convey very well due to my own
personal experiences with the topic. I also want my production to have a very modern and
youthful feel with its cinematography and music choices which I feel will aim stronger
towards young adults and teenagers. As I have chosen young adults and teenagers as my
target audience, it will be much easier to gather feedback and opinions from them as I am
surrounded by young adults and people of my own age group daily. This will also provide me
with more information when performing primary research for my production and will give
me multiple different perspectives from different people on the topic I have chosen for my
short film.
 Client/Festival information + rules and regulations:

About the festival:

The festival I will be submitting my production to is the London Cinematic Horizons Film
Festival.

Organizers
Festival Director
Sasha Marie
At the London Cinematic Horizons, we believe in the power of diverse storytelling. We celebrate
films that challenge conventions, provoke emotions, and leave a lasting impact on audiences.
We embrace stories from different cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives, as they enrich our
collective understanding of the human experience. We encourage filmmakers from all walks of
life to submit their work and contribute to the vibrant tapestry of cinematic excellence.

Rules & Regulations:

- The call is open to all national and international works.

- Each participant may submit more than one work, but will have to perform registration
for each one of them.
- All films must be submitted with English subtitles.
- Filmmakers are responsible for sorting out the copyright on their own materials.
- By submitting to us, you give us the right to screen your film in front of a live audience.
- We may promote clips from your film on social media.
- We retain the right to change the date and venue of the festival under special
circumstances. All filmmakers will be informed about any changes through our online
platforms.
- Registration can only be made through the FilmFreeway online platform.
- No withdrawal is accepted after the film is selected.

Information Sourced from: FilmFreeway. (2024). London Cinematic Horizons. [online]

Available at: https://filmfreeway.com/LondonCinematicHorizons [Accessed 25 Apr.
2024].
 Legal & Ethical issues:

Due to depression being a sensitive and personal topic for many people I will need to be
respectful and treat the topic with care when portraying it within my production.

Things I will need to consider: Safety of the audience and respectful & appropriate treatment
of the disease.

To provide care and safety for the audience & potential viewers of my film I will provide
trigger warnings during the opening credits of the film to provide warning of the sensitive
topic that is to be portrayed in the upcoming picture. This will prevent any traumatic
responses to my film and will ensure the safety of my audiences' mental wellbeing.

I will also provide warning for any graphic content or flashing imagery for any viewers who
struggle with these topics.
WEEK 1:
DATE TASK TO COMPLETE CREW MEMBERS
NEEDED
16/4/24 Focus group Idea generation Focus group with: Isla
Tuesday Sykes, Tyla Wilson & Sean
Pow
17/4/24 .Analyse Focus group No crew members needed.
Wednesday .Write out proposal
.Create production schedule
18/4/24 FINISH TASKS FROM No crew members needed.
Thursday WEDNESDAY IF NOT
COMPLETED.
19/4/24 Choosing a film No crew members needed.
Friday festival/client.
Provide information about
festival on website.
Create problem solving
table/document.
Create Brief Booklet.
Weekend Complete any additional No crew members needed.
20 – 21/4/24 tasks that aren’t finished.
WEEK 2:
22/4/24 Begin topic research. No crew members needed.

Production Schedule: