What’s in the Box? Filmmaking Exercise

This is one of my favourite filmmaking exercises to start practising film storytelling. It’ll get you using shot size, camera position and movement to tell a simple story.

I’ve been very specific about what you should do. That’s because working within limits makes you focus your creativity.

The story

Someone sees a small container (a box, a bag or a bottle). They don’t know if it contains treasure or poison. They approach it anxiously, and then start to open it.

The movie

Make a 30-second film to tell this story. Your story should build a sense of tension and anticipation, and help us to understand the character’s feelings.

Don’t change or add to the story: it should end without revealing what’s in the box.

Follow the continuity system:

Use match on action with different shot sizes and camera positions
Follow the 180 degree rule.

Use a storyboard to plan your movie.

Use drawings or still photos to make your storyboard (no computer drawn images)
Include at least 15 shots.

When you’ve completed your storyboard, review it and check that it tells the story effectively. Could you improve it by adding extra shots or changing the order?

The shots

Be sure to use at least one each of the following shots:

Close-up
Big close-up or extreme close-up
Point of view shot
High angle or birdseye shot
Low angle shot

You should also include at least one, but no more than three, tracking shots.

All the other shots should be static (ie the camera doesn’t move).

Editing

Edit the film so it lasts exactly thirty seconds.

Use cuts between your shots. Don’t add any dissolves or effects.

Evaluating your work

Does the film tell the story effectively?
Does it follow the brief?
Did you film the shot sizes as described in the storyboard?
Did you follow the ‘rules’ of continuity?

Teaching

When I use this activity in an education context, I give students a deadline to submit a storyboard. They can’t start filming until I’ve given them feedback on the storyboard.

You can download a PDF with these instructions here.

You can download a blank storyboard, and a Powerpoint explaining the continuity system, from this page.

Top image: still from a film by students on UCL’s MA Digital Media (Education) course

You can download and use them for private study or for teaching/training in schools and not for profit organisations.
You must not sell them, host them on your own website, deep link to them, use them for commercial courses or include them in your own publications or resources without prior written permission.
You must not remove the Learnaboutfilm copyright notice and link.