Introduction

For this project, I am going to be working on the music for a short film. I will be working with my friend Danielle who has written a screenplay and a monologue/script. This short film will focus on the emotional journey of a woman who has passed away and is finding peace in the afterlife after a hard life. 

Me and Danielle hope to film this in the lake district, as that is her ideal location for the setting. Before filming begins however Danielle will come to Leeds where I can record her lines as all the spoken dialogue will be voice over/narration. 

Rationale

There are a few reasons for doing this project. Personally me and Danielle have wanted to work together on something creative since college and have not been awarded the opportunity until now. But another reason for this project was because of the subject matter, this project is quite personal for Danielle and it’s a way for her to express challenges she’s been through and highlight that people have these struggles with mental health and mortality. 

As for the rationale of my role in the project, I want my music to accompany the words and visuals, and help immerse the viewer. We are going to post this short film to social media such as YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. We both think these are the best places for this film to be posted as it can reach a much wider audience as I don’t believe this project has a specific target audience in mind.

Another personal reason for this project is that I have not worked on an artistic project in a  different medium before, so this is an opportunity for me to come out of my comfort zone and not just make music to serve myself but to serve a greater purpose, and I think that this project will help people in a way that makes them feel seen and heard. Therefore I have a greater responsibility to make sure this is done well.

Commercial/Social/Cultural relevance

The aim of this project is not for commercial success as we wouldn’t be making profit anyway. We also do not have the following on social media to be eligible for making money off the views. TikTok requires you to be a part of the ‘TikTok Creator Rewards Program’ to earn money on a video. To apply for the creator rewards program you need 10,000 followers and 100,000 views over 30 days. Me and Danielle do not have even close to this many followers and therefore are ineligible for this program. YouTube works in a similar way, and because we will be making a new account to upload this video to YouTube we will not be making money on it. YouTube requires you to have 1000 subscribers to apply advertising to be shown on your videos. Instagram monetises through affiliate marketing and sponsors. Once you have 1000 followers you can begin to earn through subscriptions. We will not be doing either of these as it would not be appropriate for the subject matter to be monetising this short film. 

I think there could be a strong social relevance for this project as mental health is certainly talked about more than ever in today’s climate, however there is also a rise in mental health issues in the UK, an article by ‘The Health Foundation’ between 2020/21 and 2022/23 in the NHS mental health referrals for children and young adults increased by over 50%. Although our short film does not aim to solve these issues, it does aim to be another voice for them and hopefully someone can watch it and not feel as though they are alone in their thoughts. Due to the perspective of the film being from a young woman I do believe this project will naturally cater towards a younger demographic and therefore the decision to post this on social media is a worthwhile choice. ‘Young Minds’ is a leading charity in young people’s mental health and they posted a guide about how social media can impact mental health but they also talk about the positive impacts such as seeing those that post about shared experiences, this is an outcome we hope for in our short film. In my experience of posting TikToks, TikTok has the most reliable algorithm for promoting content to the right people. Now although this short film does not have a target audience in mind I do think it will find its way into the feeds of younger people and those who would benefit most from seeing it, as TikTok will recognise people who interact with similar content and it will push it into their ‘For You’ pages. 

As for the cultural relevance, there is lots of content and media made around mental health, so this would fit in with today’s culture around mental health. As for if it made a cultural impact, I think it will a lot harder to make a lasting impact in the way that movies do especially on TikTok and Instagram, however YouTube videos tend to have a longer ‘lifespan’ in terms of relevance because YouTube videos are much easier to revisit unlike TikTok or Instagram. However in today’s social media climate, so much gets posted that, unlike 10 years ago, a long form piece of content will not be in the public consciousness for as long.

Contingency

In case this project does not end up going the way we want it to and I have to choose another project to work on, I had some in person discussions with my brother about working on some music for an animation he wants to make, however my brother is very busy with work so it would be a hurdle if he can’t find the time to work on it.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths 

• Me and Danielle have been friends for many years and therefore have strong communication. 
• Me and Danielle both have similar visions for how we want this project to turn out so planning has not been contentious.
• I have experience in writing and producing ambient instrumentals. 
• Danielle has experience in writing and making short films.  

Weaknesses 

• We are doing this project ourselves and therefore the time we have to work on it is spread across multiple jobs
• Due to just us working on this, I will be filming the shots for Danielle as she will be in front of the camera  

Opportunities 

• Working on this short film could also open doors for me to work on other filmmakers projects, this is something that interests me going forward. 
• Hopefully if this project is received well, it could lead to me and Danielle working together again but with a bigger team next time and so more time can be used on individual aspects. 
• Depending how well the short film turns out we could potentially submit it to short film competitions.  

Threats   

• A big threat to the reception of this project is if it does not get picked up in the algorithms on social media. 
• As for threats on the day of shooting, because we are hoping to shoot in the lake district, the weather can be very bad in that area so we are going to have to make the most of it or choose a week in which we are free and pick the best day for weather. 
• Social media is well known for catering to short form quick content so a longer 12 minute piece will need to grab attention and keep viewers engaged.

Conclusion

In conclusion I think this project is viable because there is definitely an audience for it. I also think that no matter how “successful” it is it is important that we make this film as even if one person can relate to it then we have successfully said what we want to say. Furthermore I personally want to help Danielle by assisting with the chosen outlet of which she wants to express herself. I also feel very confident in our ability to get this project up and running as most of it now is just planning when things are happening but in terms of ideas, we have strong ideas and we know how to execute them. I have also factored in responses I have received from peers who viewed my presentation to help with any potential pitfalls.

Example of Music

Here is an example of some ambient music I have worked on that will be similar to what is in the film.

Communication

Danielle has also worked on a brief draft for the script however it will be refurbished and extended.

Presentation Responses

Bibliography

Admin (2025). The Rise of Short-Form Content: How TikTok and Reels Are Changing Social Media . [online] Click Commerce Web. Available at: https://clickcommerceweb.com/the-rise-of-short-form-content-how-tiktok-and-reels-are-changing-social-media/ [Accessed 2 Dec. 2025].

Fonagy, P. (2025). Understanding the Crisis in Young People’s Mental Health. [online] The Health Foundation. Available at: https://www.health.org.uk/features-and-opinion/blogs/understanding-the-crisis-in-young-people-s-mental-health [Accessed 2 Dec. 2025].

TikTok (2025). Monetize on TikTok. [online] Tiktok.com. Available at: https://support.tiktok.com/en/business-and-creator/creator-rewards-program/creator-rewards-program#1 [Accessed 2 Dec. 2025].

YoungMinds (2025). Social Media and Mental Health | Tips and Advice. [online] YoungMinds. Available at: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/social-media-and-mental-health/ [Accessed 2 Dec. 2025].

YouTube (2024). How to Make Money on YouTube – YouTube Creators. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/creators/how-things-work/video-monetization/ [Accessed 2 Dec. 2025].