My Creative Critical Reflection for The Shocking Shell

 

Making my short film The Shocking Shell was honestly one of the most fun (and chaotic) projects I’ve ever truly worked on. It started as this silly idea in class that I brainstormed about a babysitter getting a little more than she ended up bargaining for, and somehow it turned into a full short film that really came to life in the end with my sister and me playing all the characters, and my own pet turtle Potato starring as the turtle in the film.

The story plays with some modern issues and stereotypes that we have in the world, especially around social media and in the parenting scene. The Influencer Babysitter is one of those people who only care about likes and followers and not actually doing their job the way they’re supposed to. The Military Vet Babysitter is super intense and acts like babysitting is a warzone but still gets jumpy over small sounds. Ms. Burns, the turtle’s owner, is a bit overprotective and dramatic about her pet as if it’s a real child. Lucy, who I also played, is the only normal one in the entire duration of the film, which helps the audience feel grounded and balanced in a sense when things start getting crazy. I loved playing with these characters because they start out feeling like stereotypes, but then the film kind of messes with those first impressions in a fun and lighthearted way. Unfortunatley, in the end I had to remove the other potential babysitters due to those clips not flowing/working together the way I anticipated. I still wanted it to be known what those characters characteristics were and what they would do but in the final version they didn't make the cut.

One of the things I wanted to do was make the movie feel like it had its own unique style. I mixed suspense and comedy together, which honestly was really tricky when you’re just staring out with film making, but nevertheless I think it made the film stand out compared to others out there in the world. The way the interview was made, made Lucy feel even scared and confused, and the random “jump scares” and intense music and sound really added to the suspense, even if the “monster” was just a turtle. That whole part with Potato (yes, that’s actually my turtles name) going crazy and destroying everything in his path was one of my favorite scenes to film and edit. I think the randomness and chaos gave the film its own weird little brand and my turtle got his fresh air for the day away from his tank.

When it came to connecting with the audience, I really tried to flip their expectations. Like, they think it’s going to be a creepy kid or even just an odd child who likes to cause chaos, and then boom—it’s a turtle. And not just any turtle, but one that somehow causes total destruction no matter where in the house he ends up. I also used quick editing with iMovie and funny dialogue to keep the energy up and going, especially during the chase scene with Lucy. Speaking of Lucy, her reactions to just about everything made it feel more relatable with the audience, and I think her being the calm one surrounded by all these strange people makes her easy to root for just as some people deal with in real life.

Before I started writing, I did some research on movies that have a similar vibe and theme to it. I watched Napoleon Dynamite and Juno because they both mix weird humor with a kind of quiet storytelling nature. They helped me figure out how to balance the funny and the serious parts in the film. I also looked into character stereotypes, which helped when I was writing all the different kinds of babysitters. I wanted them to feel familiar but still have their own unique style to them.

Filming it was a whole other challenge. It was literally just my sister and me, so we had to keep switching characters, changing outfits, and trying not to laugh every time someone broke character even though the other babysitters didn't make it into the final version. It was especially hard trying to set up the camera in the angles that truly felt right. I found myself grabbing my laptop and random objects to try and position the camera just how I wanted it. Directing myself was honestly kind of awkward at times especially when my dad was home and I had to speak out loud while he was near by giggling at me, but it also gave me a lot of freedom to experiment with shots and reactions. And believe it or not, the turtle was actually super chill and didn’t need much directing at all. 

Editing was probably the most time-consuming part but the most peaceful for me out of everything. I had to make the turtle scenes look fast and intense even though turtles move like, two inches per hour and it was just me moving him around because my sister wouldn’t do as much as look at him. I used fast cuts and funny sound effects to make him seem like this sneaky little menace, and somehow, I feel it really worked. The whole montage of him escaping and destroying stuff ended up being one of the most fun parts of the whole movie to film.

Lastly, for my film’s branding, I made a lobby card and ran a small social media campaign on the platform Instagram. The lobby card has a somewhat of a dramatic look to it with a black-and-white photo of my turtle Potato with bold red text, which makes it look intense but also kind of funny and silly because it is just a turtle. The line “How crazy can one turtle really be?” matches the film’s weird and suspenseful vibe. On social media, I posted multiple clips and quotes that gave off the same energy to keep things fun and interesting. On top of that you can also see my film pitch and some behind the scenes clips.

Looking back, my short film The Shocking Shell turned into way more than I expected but in some cases more is better in the end. It was funny, dramatic, kind of weird, and definitely unique. I learned a lot about how to tell a story in a short amount of time, tell it the best way I could, and how much of a difference things like camera angles, music, and editing can make. I also realized how much I enjoy turning small, everyday ideas into something creative and entertaining for other people to enjoy just the way that I do. And I feel the biggest lesson of all in the end…Never take a turtle out of its tank. Trust me. I would know.