Research

In order to get some inspiration for my own short film, I've watch some other short films that tackle the issues of mental illness. These are some characteristics and notes I've picked up while researching:

1) Many of these short films attempt to show the main character's day-to-day life.

This is very similar to what Jania and I have been picturing for our film since the very beginning of our concepts development. 

Alone by Eric Nguyen

Empty by Tom Smith

A lot of these films start off with shots of the main character laying in bed, not wanted to get up to start their day; an experience that anyone who has or has had major depression can relate to. These shots are typically combined with the sound of an alarm clock to signify the start of the day. This is done to start off the film chronologically, and to establish that the film will be following this character throughout the rest of their daily routine.

There is certainly nothing wrong with this format, however, Jania and I's original idea was going to be exactly like this, so I'm pleased that we want to do something more unique instead in it's formatting. Our goal is still to show a normal day in our protagonist's daily life, but we plan on steering away from the monotony of keeping it in the standard, chronological order.

2) One characteristic that I really want to utilize in our own short film is the absence of music. Using silence is a great way to artistically represent the empty, numb feeling that many people with depression or another mental illness often experience. The lack of music can make audiences uncomfortable because it forces them to focus on the diegetic noise and the visuals of the film. Doing this will put a significant emphasis on our shots and editing, which means we will have to make sure our execution is particularly strong, but, I believe it'll be worth it for the ambience of our film. 

3) Another common characteristic in these films is low-key lighting and dull colors in the visuals. It's another artistic way to represent how the protagonist sees the world around him or her because of his or her mental illness. 

Living with Depression by Kat Napiorkowska

For a film with this kind of topic, it's important to make the audience be able to understand and connect with the main character, even if they themselves do not battle with any kind of mental illness. It's the little touches like lighting and mise en scene that make doing so possible.