After watching Jan Svankmajer's "Alice", I was really keen to experiment with the way that things can be played with in surreal film-making. I wanted to re-create "Alice" in a different way, just like Svankmajer had with Lewis Carroll's "Alice in wonderland".
So after looking into more surreal films, I put the idea to the group of changing Alice into Audrey Hepburn. They thought it was good and so we added that part in. Emily then came up with the idea of a human rabbit. This conveyed "Alice" really well, so we put that part in too.
Overall, filming for this project went really well, and I think that we conveyed surrealism really well. I also enjoyed filming on location because it was really exciting to explore another place and allowed us to expand our ideas.
Being given two weeks to complete this project was really good because we were able to thoroughly plan our ideas, and this helped our piece to look more professional. It also allowed us to change parts that we didnt like, and still have enough time to come up with something to replace it.
The feedback we recieved from our showing was positive, and we realised that we acheived alot in making this surrealists version of "Alice" because the audience said that it was enjoyable yet confusing at the same time.
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Gestalt - Blog.
Monday
We watched the short Nocturne this morning, and wrote a few notes about the Mise-en-scene. We then looked at a remake of the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll, author of "Alice in wonderland". After taking in some other forms of inspiration, we were given our brief.
We have to create a day to night sequence but the catch is that we have to film the piece in the day and use after effects to create the look of night. We also have to create the feeling of a surreal dream world, and take our cameras and equipment to Mount Edgecumbe tomorrow to film on location.
As a group, Tash, Rob M, Rob S, Emily, Lucy and I, started to plan our idea, we want to recreate Lewis Carroll's Alice in wonderland, by using a real life rabbit, and put an Audrey Hepburn figure in the place of Alice.
We created a shot list for the dream sequence;
We got to the ferry at about half ten, and arrived at Mount Edgecumbe at 10.50, we got our equipment together and set off look for a location. Because we hadn't been to this place before, it was really exciting to find new places to film. When we chose a spot, we set up the cameras and got to work filming, adding final touches to the costumes and so on, this part of filming took about an hour.
We then went off in search of a lost woodland type place, and quickly found one at the back of our first location. we filmed the next part of the piece, where the girl meets the bunny, and starts to chase it.
We then stopped for lunch, looked through the footage and decided that we had enough to work with and agreed that we were all happy with the outcome of the day.
We headed back to college and put all the footage on a computer.
Thursday
We started to edit today, and got some critiques finished on our influences. I looked at Jan Svankmajer, as his versions of Alice in wonderland, and also looked at some other surrealist films like Insidious and Tim Burton's Alice in wonderland.
Monday
Today we were given the second half of our brief, we had to create an everyday scene, including coloured dots that lead up to the dreamland sequence we shot early last week. We started to talk about ideas, and looked at a "Night of the living dead" because part of our brief was that our scene, had to follow the pace of the scene where a girl is searching for something. We decided that we wanted to take directed inspiration from "Night of the living dead" and opted for a house to be our location. We thought about how we could use the stairs and rooms to create a panicked pace, and eventually came up with our shot list:
Tuesday
Today we continued to edit the dreamland sequence, and Rob M incorporated some animation. We had to add in some extra parts to make the film seem even more surreal, so we pulled the green screen out, I took out some old books from the library whilst Tash got a tripod from the ERC and we started filming. We decided that we wanted the books to look like they were floating over holes, so we sat down holding out a blanket, and let the books fall. However when it came to editing, the books didn't quite look right and so Rob S came up with the idea of tying them to a stick so they floated. The effect was really good because he used invisible string. Tash then laid on the floor and rob filmed her arms and legs, to add into the holes that the girl is walking past. There was a few problems with lighting, but eventually they were sorted.
Thursday
After a test in the morning, we gathered our equipment up and set off to my house to start filming, we decided to put the dots in every shot, so Rob started to draw a countdown on them. We then started filming with a Zoom mic on top of the camera to catch ambiance sound. It took a while to film because we got around three or four takes for each shot, but in the end this allowed us to have more choice of what to put in. After we put the two parts together, and combined the real life with the surreal, I thought the video looked really good.
We watched the short Nocturne this morning, and wrote a few notes about the Mise-en-scene. We then looked at a remake of the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll, author of "Alice in wonderland". After taking in some other forms of inspiration, we were given our brief.
We have to create a day to night sequence but the catch is that we have to film the piece in the day and use after effects to create the look of night. We also have to create the feeling of a surreal dream world, and take our cameras and equipment to Mount Edgecumbe tomorrow to film on location.
As a group, Tash, Rob M, Rob S, Emily, Lucy and I, started to plan our idea, we want to recreate Lewis Carroll's Alice in wonderland, by using a real life rabbit, and put an Audrey Hepburn figure in the place of Alice.
We created a shot list for the dream sequence;
- Shot from behind bush shows girl lying on the floor
- Overhead shot slowly pans over the top of her
- Up shot of Bunny leaning over camera
- Down shot of girl opening her eyes and jumping up in surprise
- Up shot of Bunny looking surprised and running away
- Medium height shot of girl chasing after Bunny
- Low close up of Bunny feet running across bridge, girls soon follow
- Extreme long shot of bunny running behind a tree and disappearing, Girl follows and cant find Bunny, she looks confused.
- Long slow zoom out of animation down a pathway with girl floating down on tray of hands.
- Long slow zoom in of bunny hopping across pathway, girl is multiplied
- End.
We got to the ferry at about half ten, and arrived at Mount Edgecumbe at 10.50, we got our equipment together and set off look for a location. Because we hadn't been to this place before, it was really exciting to find new places to film. When we chose a spot, we set up the cameras and got to work filming, adding final touches to the costumes and so on, this part of filming took about an hour.
We then went off in search of a lost woodland type place, and quickly found one at the back of our first location. we filmed the next part of the piece, where the girl meets the bunny, and starts to chase it.
We then stopped for lunch, looked through the footage and decided that we had enough to work with and agreed that we were all happy with the outcome of the day.
We headed back to college and put all the footage on a computer.
Thursday
We started to edit today, and got some critiques finished on our influences. I looked at Jan Svankmajer, as his versions of Alice in wonderland, and also looked at some other surrealist films like Insidious and Tim Burton's Alice in wonderland.
Monday
Today we were given the second half of our brief, we had to create an everyday scene, including coloured dots that lead up to the dreamland sequence we shot early last week. We started to talk about ideas, and looked at a "Night of the living dead" because part of our brief was that our scene, had to follow the pace of the scene where a girl is searching for something. We decided that we wanted to take directed inspiration from "Night of the living dead" and opted for a house to be our location. We thought about how we could use the stairs and rooms to create a panicked pace, and eventually came up with our shot list:
- Extreme close up of flowers and grass
- Medium low shot of large house, person walks past house, everything is quiet
- Darkness
- Low shot, door opens and camera watched girl run from back of the house, onto the staircase
- Extreme close up of hand running along banister
- Extreme close up of feet running up the stairs
- Low shot of feet turning into a room
- Medium height shot of Girl moving around in the room, searching for something - tracking shot
- Camera follows girls eye line as she spots something on the bed
- The camera then falls as the girl does, onto the bed.
- Girl is still, camera is close up on her face.
- Fade to black
Tuesday
Today we continued to edit the dreamland sequence, and Rob M incorporated some animation. We had to add in some extra parts to make the film seem even more surreal, so we pulled the green screen out, I took out some old books from the library whilst Tash got a tripod from the ERC and we started filming. We decided that we wanted the books to look like they were floating over holes, so we sat down holding out a blanket, and let the books fall. However when it came to editing, the books didn't quite look right and so Rob S came up with the idea of tying them to a stick so they floated. The effect was really good because he used invisible string. Tash then laid on the floor and rob filmed her arms and legs, to add into the holes that the girl is walking past. There was a few problems with lighting, but eventually they were sorted.
Thursday
After a test in the morning, we gathered our equipment up and set off to my house to start filming, we decided to put the dots in every shot, so Rob started to draw a countdown on them. We then started filming with a Zoom mic on top of the camera to catch ambiance sound. It took a while to film because we got around three or four takes for each shot, but in the end this allowed us to have more choice of what to put in. After we put the two parts together, and combined the real life with the surreal, I thought the video looked really good.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Gestalt research - Jan Svankmajer - Alice
Jan Svankmajer is a self labeled surrealist, great film-maker and animator. He was born in Prague on the 4th September 1934. He studied puppetry for many years, influenced by the present of a puppet one Christmas when he was young.
Has he grew up, he experimented with different kinds of theater including surrealist, which was introduced to him by Vratislav Effenberger and manifested itself in his first surrealist film 'The Garden'.
After a few years in 1964 , Svankmajer began to create just shorts, such as 'Down to the cellar' and 'Dimensions of dialouge' but then after twenty years of working in the same area of film, Svankmajer, in 1988, finally got a chance for his long held dream, to make a feature film based on Alice in Wonderland - by Lewis Carroll.
"Alice" as it was so aptly named, was about a young live girl mixing with stop motion animation characters, as the pull her further and further into wonderland. Svankmajer "followed the film reasonably close" - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095715/plotsummary but was genius in the way that he made slabs of meat into characters and an old sock move like a caterpillar by just adding glass beads for eyes.
I think that "Alice" defines all the work that Jan Svankmajer has put in over the years, it conveys a true child's story, but he makes it strange, funny, and terrifying at the same time.
We took inspiration from Svankmajer to create our own Alice, using his ideas on creating characters out of nothing, taking the ideas of a un-wonderland, and so on.
Has he grew up, he experimented with different kinds of theater including surrealist, which was introduced to him by Vratislav Effenberger and manifested itself in his first surrealist film 'The Garden'.
After a few years in 1964 , Svankmajer began to create just shorts, such as 'Down to the cellar' and 'Dimensions of dialouge' but then after twenty years of working in the same area of film, Svankmajer, in 1988, finally got a chance for his long held dream, to make a feature film based on Alice in Wonderland - by Lewis Carroll.
"Alice" as it was so aptly named, was about a young live girl mixing with stop motion animation characters, as the pull her further and further into wonderland. Svankmajer "followed the film reasonably close" - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095715/plotsummary but was genius in the way that he made slabs of meat into characters and an old sock move like a caterpillar by just adding glass beads for eyes.
I think that "Alice" defines all the work that Jan Svankmajer has put in over the years, it conveys a true child's story, but he makes it strange, funny, and terrifying at the same time.
We took inspiration from Svankmajer to create our own Alice, using his ideas on creating characters out of nothing, taking the ideas of a un-wonderland, and so on.
Gestalt research - Insidious - Single camera scene.
Filmed in Los Angeles in the early part of 2010, 'Insidious', which was originally called "the further" tells the story of a family who have just moved into a new house. Strange things start to happen and when their son Dalton takes a fall in the attic after seeing something strange in the corner Renai and husband Josh dismiss it as a minor injury. However when Dalton doesn't wake up the next morning, he is rushed to hospital and doctors claim that he is in an 'unexplainable coma'. However when Dalton comes home to be cared for there, the devil trying to possess Dalton, comes with him.
'Insidious' is a horror/thriller directed by James Wan. The scene I have chosen to comment on is the part where Renai Lambert(Rose Byrne) is taking the rubbish out. She picks it up in the kitchen and puts some music on and then walks around the house towards the outside bins. A childlike figure changes the music and dances next to the player as the audience watch in a one 360 degree shot of Renai walking outside all the way around to her noticing the figure dancing. This shot, would not have been possible with a multi-camera technique because other cameras would have been seen.
The use of this shot is very important to the effect of the scene because by using a continuous shot, the audience believe that Renai is actually seeing this figure, it seems a lot more real than it would have if the figure was put in a different cut of the scene. Using a single camera, allowed the audience to follow Renai's eye line and therefore connected them to the character.
The sound used in this shot is very creepy because the music changes from classical, to a sad children's rhyming song. I think that the director (Wan) used childlike music and characters to almost trick the audience into thinking that Renai believes Dalton is awake and dancing as she runs towards the house, however when the common horror movie underline piano music starts, the audience and Renai realise at the same time, that this is not Dalton but another child.
I took inspiration from this film for the project Gestalt, by looking at the surreal characters in the film such as the life size moving dolly's and the idea of the further realms being underneath the ground.
'Insidious' is a horror/thriller directed by James Wan. The scene I have chosen to comment on is the part where Renai Lambert(Rose Byrne) is taking the rubbish out. She picks it up in the kitchen and puts some music on and then walks around the house towards the outside bins. A childlike figure changes the music and dances next to the player as the audience watch in a one 360 degree shot of Renai walking outside all the way around to her noticing the figure dancing. This shot, would not have been possible with a multi-camera technique because other cameras would have been seen.
The use of this shot is very important to the effect of the scene because by using a continuous shot, the audience believe that Renai is actually seeing this figure, it seems a lot more real than it would have if the figure was put in a different cut of the scene. Using a single camera, allowed the audience to follow Renai's eye line and therefore connected them to the character.
The sound used in this shot is very creepy because the music changes from classical, to a sad children's rhyming song. I think that the director (Wan) used childlike music and characters to almost trick the audience into thinking that Renai believes Dalton is awake and dancing as she runs towards the house, however when the common horror movie underline piano music starts, the audience and Renai realise at the same time, that this is not Dalton but another child.
I took inspiration from this film for the project Gestalt, by looking at the surreal characters in the film such as the life size moving dolly's and the idea of the further realms being underneath the ground.
Gestalt research - Nocturne (1980)
Nocturne is a 1980's short, about a girls dream of an intruder crashing through a window. She wakes up and calls her friend, it is about 2am in the morning. They discuss a trip that the girl does not want to take, from Copenhagen to Buenos Aires later that day. Her friend convinces her to go. Throughout the short they speak on the phone, about how their eyes hurt in the day and this is why she does not want to fly. Why they speak about their eyes is unclear, but I think that this is part of the surrealists view on the piece.
Genre: Surrealist
Mise en Scene elements
The whole piece is set in dark places with just light bulbs for light, I think that this signifies what the girls see in their minds, the girl is obviously afraid of the light, and therefore she has filled her mind with dark thoughts.
Soundtrack: Adds to surreal effect of piece, seemed like classic horror movie sounds which added to the gloomy mood of the scene and the personality of the girls.
Characters: Two women, discussing sight and a trip, they are both in the dark.
Aesthetics: Dark clothes, bed linings, a red light bulb (only real colour in the piece) dark windowsill.
Overall I think that the director (unknown) of this piece wanted to create the feeling of blindness, allowing the audience to see only as much as the two girls could see because to most people, not knowing what is happening creates the feeling of being scared.
Coffee Cup - Evaluation
After watching “Coffee and cigarettes(Somewhere in California)” directed by Jim Jarmusch, we started to look into more films about everyday events such as “Butterface” by David McLaughlin.
We found that the simplest ideas were the ones that worked the best, so we needed to create a situation that had a good Mise-en-scene and was easy to follow. After thinking of different ideas such as a picnic, or reading a book, we decided that we wanted to take it to the next step. We came up with the idea of two people in a car, arguing about directions whilst driving down a country lane.
So after agreeing on a set storyline, we started to look at location and mise-on-scene settings and decided on the Plymouth Ski Slope, and the disused track at the centre for the country lane. Using this setting would mean that we could set up cameras and the glide track without being disturbed by other vehicles.
It took us around four hours to film and afterwards we returned to college to edit. It was difficult to chose which parts to use because we wanted to keep the piece short so it wouldn't be boring. Eventually we decided on certain parts to put in to keep it interesting, and overall I was happy with the outcome apart from the end part. If we could do it again I would change the dialogue as I think it seemed a little unprofessional because it made the characters laugh when the overall mood was supposed to convey anger.
If I could re-do this project I think that I would choose a situation that was a little simpler because I think that the filming was too in depth for the brief and was also difficult to capture proper emotion because Rob was trying to drive and talk at the same time. However I think that the mise-on-scene came across really well and this was part of the brief so it was a success in a way.
Coffee Cup - Filming Blog
Monday
We got given the brief for ‘The Coffee Cup’ this morning, and firstly we had to choose a quote. In a group, Tasha, Rob M, Rob S and I, each chose our favourite saying from a song or poem. We then put them together and chose which one we thought would work best.
We finally settled with “Ticket to nowhere” from the song ‘Fast Car’ by Tracey Chapman.
We started to plan, creating a storyboard and shot list about a man and women in a car, who are lost and the man refuses to ask for directions. We decided that the location would need to be somewhere that looked deserted, like a country lane, but also somewhere that we were allowed to film and therefore settled on the Industrial estate/Ski Slope at Marsh Mills. We will travel there tomorrow and start filming at about 10am. I also rang the slopes Duty manager Helen Ambler to get permission to film and she agreed.
Tuesday
We got to college at 9.20am and booked out all our equipment from the ERC:
- A tripod
- A Reflector
We didn’t need to book anything else out because Rob M already had a Cannon 550D and a pocket dolly to take with us.
We left College at 10am after finalising shot lists and the storyboard and arrived at the Ski Slope at 10.20am. After a quick chat with Louisa, the Main manager of the slope, she allowed us to use the ambulance track, which resembles a lost country lane and this would mean that nobody would disturb us.
In all it took about four hours to film everything that we wanted, and we added a few shots it to create more of a Mise-on-scene. We also experimented with shots that we could create because we were using a single camera technique.
Thursday
Today we looked at the part of editing Rob M had completed on Wednesday and then each gave our input on parts that we wanted to include or take out. We changed the piece a little from the storyboard, but I think that this was a good choice because the parts we changed were unnecessary and were replaced with bits that added to the whole atmosphere of the Coffee Cup. We then handed the work in and started to write our evaluations.
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Coffee Cup - Treatment
"Ticket to anywhere" - 2 minute short about a couple arguing over directions, they are lost in a country lane until they finally take a turning into a car park in the middle of the nowhere, a full blown argument ensues.
We open with a dark screen, with large white writing showing the title 'Ticket to nowhere'. The scene fades out to show a black and white over the shoulder shot of a couple driving along a country lane in a car, the sound is the ambiance of the car. We hear as they start to argue and the girl huffs in disapproval, the boy asks her what is wrong and she replies "I just don't understand", We see the mans frustration as he lifts his hands off the wheel in defence. As the shot switches to a long shot of the car from the front, we can still hear the couple arguing and it is revealed that the girl wants to ask for directions and the man does not. Again the shot switches to inside the car, but now we can see the couples faces both looking very annoyed. The girl asks the man if he "would rather get lost" and the man looks dismayed as he big's himself up by claiming that he "planned ahead so I know where I'm going".
There is silence as the shot changes to an over the shoulder close up of the road. They continue to argue and it becomes more heated, the girl starts to comment on his driving and as she claims that "your driving is ridiculous" the man becomes even more agitated and starts to shout and take his hands of the wheel. The shot continues to switch back and forth between seeing their faces front shot, to over the shoulder watching the road and the continue to shout, the man claims "he is a one man GPS" and the girl repeatedly says "you're lost, you're stupid". As the car reaches a turning, we see the girl smirk as the man realises he is lost and the camera follows the car around. The scene switches to an extreme long shot as we see the car pull out into a car park and stop. We see multiple close ups of the car as it breaks, and then a mid shot of the back of the car.
As the car stops we see the girl pull out a map, the guy reluctantly looks at it. We then see, from the side, them arguing about the way they came including comments like "the bridge of joy" etc. There is then a sliding shot of the couple through the windscreen, as they throw their arms in the air from desperation and anger however it seems quite comical. The scene ends on a long shot as the man finally admits defeat and listens to the girl. Cut to black.
We open with a dark screen, with large white writing showing the title 'Ticket to nowhere'. The scene fades out to show a black and white over the shoulder shot of a couple driving along a country lane in a car, the sound is the ambiance of the car. We hear as they start to argue and the girl huffs in disapproval, the boy asks her what is wrong and she replies "I just don't understand", We see the mans frustration as he lifts his hands off the wheel in defence. As the shot switches to a long shot of the car from the front, we can still hear the couple arguing and it is revealed that the girl wants to ask for directions and the man does not. Again the shot switches to inside the car, but now we can see the couples faces both looking very annoyed. The girl asks the man if he "would rather get lost" and the man looks dismayed as he big's himself up by claiming that he "planned ahead so I know where I'm going".
There is silence as the shot changes to an over the shoulder close up of the road. They continue to argue and it becomes more heated, the girl starts to comment on his driving and as she claims that "your driving is ridiculous" the man becomes even more agitated and starts to shout and take his hands of the wheel. The shot continues to switch back and forth between seeing their faces front shot, to over the shoulder watching the road and the continue to shout, the man claims "he is a one man GPS" and the girl repeatedly says "you're lost, you're stupid". As the car reaches a turning, we see the girl smirk as the man realises he is lost and the camera follows the car around. The scene switches to an extreme long shot as we see the car pull out into a car park and stop. We see multiple close ups of the car as it breaks, and then a mid shot of the back of the car.
As the car stops we see the girl pull out a map, the guy reluctantly looks at it. We then see, from the side, them arguing about the way they came including comments like "the bridge of joy" etc. There is then a sliding shot of the couple through the windscreen, as they throw their arms in the air from desperation and anger however it seems quite comical. The scene ends on a long shot as the man finally admits defeat and listens to the girl. Cut to black.
Monday, 6 June 2011
Coffee Cup - Risk assesment
Production: The Coffee Cup | Assessor(s): Ellie Raymond | Date: 10th May |
Location: Plymouth Ski Slope | Signature(s): ERaymond | Date for Review: November 2011 |
Activity/Element | Hazard | Who is at Risk? | Existing Controls | Risk Rating | Additional Controls Required | ||
L1 | C2 | R3 | |||||
Cameras set up. Filming outside – Possible rain. Driving outside. Filming outside. Filming near roads. | Could trip on wires. Equipment could get damaged, electric shocks. Possible slippery roads. If hot, people can become dehydrated quickly. General Public, through traffic. | Cast and Crew Cast and Crew Mainly cast, some crew Cast and Crew Cast and Crew | Camera plan, wires taped down with bright tape. Covers for all equipment and dried off immediately if things get wet. Drive slowly, pay attention to road conditions. Ensure adequate breaks are taken to allow everyone to have a drink. Set up limits for possible crowds and stay away from the side of busy roads. | 3 2 2 3 2 | 1 3 4 2 2/3 | 3 6 8 5 4/6 | None Requires a written safe system of work Requires a written safe system of work None Requires a written safe system of work |
1Likelihood of Occurrence (L) 1. Improbable: probability is close to zero 2. Remote: Unlikely though conceivable 3. Occasional: Could occur some time 4. Probable: Occurs repeatedly/an event to be expected 5. Frequent: Not surprised if event occurs/will occur several times | 2Likely Consequences (C) 1. Negligible: Trivial injury (requiring minor first aid) 2. Minor: Minor injury/short term absence 3. Serious: Single severe injury and/or multiple minor injuries 4. Critical: Single fatality and/or multiple severe injuries 5. Catastrophic: Multiple fatalities | 3Risk Rating L x C = R 1-5 Tolerable: No additional controls required 6-10 Low Risk: Probably requiring a written Safe System of Work 11-15 Medium Risk: Written SSW required until risk is designed out 16-20 High Risk: Consider Permit to Work 21-25 Intolerable Risk: Cease activity | |||||
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
The Waiting Room - Evaluation
In small groups we were given the task of slowing down time whilst sticking to a brief of using Mise-on-scene to tell a story.
Firstly we decided what we wanted our scene to be about, and researched into the different ways of extending time (example: raging bull). We came up with many ideas but we didn't feel that we had one that was strong enough to challenge us, so we decided to put a twist on the brief: Instead of telling a story, we could let the audience decide for themselves what was happening.
So, we started to plan what we would need, props cameras, lighting e.t.c and also managed to book The Cove studio out for filming. This was really helpful as it allowed us to take our time and compose some really controversial and artistic shots. The story eventually was set up and we took our inspiration from the darkness of 'Saw' and the fact that you don't see the person who is committing the crimes. We see as two girls (myself and Tasha) are tied up in a dark warehouse, they are unconscious and a dark figure walks in and sets a time down onto the table, it is set at one minute. The girls are woken by the figure as it leaves, and spot the timer. We watch as they start to panic and struggle to release themselves, the audience are in as much of the dark as the girls are about what will happen when the timer runs to zero.
The film ends as the timer runs out, the dark figure returns and turns towards the girls. Blackout.
I really enjoyed filming this piece because it allowed us to be playful with the concept of time and light and we were also able to add our own twist to the brief. I think that not storyboarding this piece was a great idea because it meant that we could add in small parts that we may not have thought about before we actually got into the cove, and set everything up. For example, the shot where the light hits Tash'es eyes as she sees the timer, we would not have been able to plan because we did not know before hand where we could set the lights up.
Overall i think that the piece worked for what it was, and fitted the brief by creating a story using Mise-en-scene.
Equipment list
Firstly we decided what we wanted our scene to be about, and researched into the different ways of extending time (example: raging bull). We came up with many ideas but we didn't feel that we had one that was strong enough to challenge us, so we decided to put a twist on the brief: Instead of telling a story, we could let the audience decide for themselves what was happening.
So, we started to plan what we would need, props cameras, lighting e.t.c and also managed to book The Cove studio out for filming. This was really helpful as it allowed us to take our time and compose some really controversial and artistic shots. The story eventually was set up and we took our inspiration from the darkness of 'Saw' and the fact that you don't see the person who is committing the crimes. We see as two girls (myself and Tasha) are tied up in a dark warehouse, they are unconscious and a dark figure walks in and sets a time down onto the table, it is set at one minute. The girls are woken by the figure as it leaves, and spot the timer. We watch as they start to panic and struggle to release themselves, the audience are in as much of the dark as the girls are about what will happen when the timer runs to zero.
The film ends as the timer runs out, the dark figure returns and turns towards the girls. Blackout.
I really enjoyed filming this piece because it allowed us to be playful with the concept of time and light and we were also able to add our own twist to the brief. I think that not storyboarding this piece was a great idea because it meant that we could add in small parts that we may not have thought about before we actually got into the cove, and set everything up. For example, the shot where the light hits Tash'es eyes as she sees the timer, we would not have been able to plan because we did not know before hand where we could set the lights up.
Overall i think that the piece worked for what it was, and fitted the brief by creating a story using Mise-en-scene.
Equipment list
- Cannon 55OD
- Tripod
- Three large reflectors
- Three dedo lights
- Two black screens
- Zoom sound recorder
- Sound booth
- Props including - chairs, scarfs, fake blood, table, ipone, shoe.
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Mise - En - Scene
Mise-en-scene ("placing on stage") is an expression used to describe the design aspects of a theatre or film production, which essentially means "visual theme" or "telling a story" —both in visually artful ways through storyboarding , cinematography and stage design, and in poetically artful ways through direction. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_en_sc%C3%A8ne 26/05/11Examples of Mise-en scene
1. Man and lady are sat at the dinner table and their body language (hunched up) could indicate that they have either had an argument or have a decision to make. This storyline is backed up by the way that the scene is cut into three parts (Man/Table/Women) which signifies separation and a barrier between them sets the mood for the scene. The way that the Mise-en-scene is set up, also helps the audience to work out who these people are and their history. For example, the lady in this scene has got an apron on so this shows that she is possibly a housewife, whereas the man has a suit on, possibly a business man. The facial expressions used also adds to the scene, is this picture both of the people are scowling at each other with hands on their face, this again shows that they have probably had a disagreement.
2. The first part of the mise-on-scene that the audience see in this picture is the expression on the girl in the foreground. She looks fearful, as though she should not be in that house.The second thing we notice is the depth of field that separates the characters, they seem very detached from the girl, and this shows separation. It is clear that this girl does not belong, or is a worker or prisoner of some sort. The idea of being a worker is backed up by the clothing that she is wearing, and the bands around her wrist. The house that she is in also looks very well looked after, signifying wealth from the family that she is possibly working for.
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Mise en Scene
Coffee and Cigarettes (Somewhere in California)
Somewhere in California is one out of eleven segments that make up 'Coffee and Cigarettes' - directed by Jim Jarmusch. The clip was originally shot in 1993 but was only made part of the feature film in 2003.It shows Iggy Pop and Tom Wait meeting up for coffee in an old retro cafe and making awkward small talk.
The film is mainly shot from one angle, a master shot, showing the two of them hunched up at a small cafe table and the shot is split into three: Iggy/Table/Tom - this signifies a separation barrier between them which is enhanced by the uncomfortable body language and tone of voice. Another shot used however, is an over the shoulder shot, which shows close up facial expression that also convey awkward and competition.
The short is filmed in black and white, which creates a large contrast between Iggy and Tom, helped along with the use of dim lighting. This gives the audience the impression of a large difference between the two, and even if you were not aware of the history between to two, the audience can still tell by the dialogue that they are in competition as to who was more successful.
"with Iggy playing the shaggy, eager-to-please puppy while the edgy Waits finds ways to take constant umbrage." - http://chicago.metromix.com/movies/review/movie-review-coffee-and/158893/content - I think that this comment underlines the whole basis for conversation in this short which is brilliantly awkward and seems as though the only thing they have in common is the thought that they should reward themselves for not smoking, with a cigarette.
Butterface
'Butterface' is a three minute short, made for the BBC, written, directed and starring David McLaughlin. The short shows the story of a boy (McLaughlin) on a train, when an attractive girl sits next to him. The audience watch as he debates whether or not to talk to her. The piece is narrated by the boy, and this connects him to the audience really quickly, as they also start to hope that he has the courage to talk to her. The Mise-en-scene is set up really well in this short, because of the body language and facial expressions used by both characters that are both uncomfortable but willing at the same time. The main shot used through-out, shows a small carriage which gives the feeling of the two characters being close together, and therefore gives the audience the feeling of adding more pressure on the boy to talk to her.
Somewhere in California is one out of eleven segments that make up 'Coffee and Cigarettes' - directed by Jim Jarmusch. The clip was originally shot in 1993 but was only made part of the feature film in 2003.It shows Iggy Pop and Tom Wait meeting up for coffee in an old retro cafe and making awkward small talk.
The film is mainly shot from one angle, a master shot, showing the two of them hunched up at a small cafe table and the shot is split into three: Iggy/Table/Tom - this signifies a separation barrier between them which is enhanced by the uncomfortable body language and tone of voice. Another shot used however, is an over the shoulder shot, which shows close up facial expression that also convey awkward and competition.
The short is filmed in black and white, which creates a large contrast between Iggy and Tom, helped along with the use of dim lighting. This gives the audience the impression of a large difference between the two, and even if you were not aware of the history between to two, the audience can still tell by the dialogue that they are in competition as to who was more successful.
"with Iggy playing the shaggy, eager-to-please puppy while the edgy Waits finds ways to take constant umbrage." - http://chicago.metromix.com/movies/review/movie-review-coffee-and/158893/content - I think that this comment underlines the whole basis for conversation in this short which is brilliantly awkward and seems as though the only thing they have in common is the thought that they should reward themselves for not smoking, with a cigarette.Butterface
'Butterface' is a three minute short, made for the BBC, written, directed and starring David McLaughlin. The short shows the story of a boy (McLaughlin) on a train, when an attractive girl sits next to him. The audience watch as he debates whether or not to talk to her. The piece is narrated by the boy, and this connects him to the audience really quickly, as they also start to hope that he has the courage to talk to her. The Mise-en-scene is set up really well in this short, because of the body language and facial expressions used by both characters that are both uncomfortable but willing at the same time. The main shot used through-out, shows a small carriage which gives the feeling of the two characters being close together, and therefore gives the audience the feeling of adding more pressure on the boy to talk to her.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Single Camera Critiques
Floating is easy by Graeme and Katy McAulay
"Floating is easy"is a short film by directed by Graeme McAulay and written by Kate McAulay. The film explains the story of Alison, who has spent the last few years caring for her mother who has a severe case of Alzheimer's. Alison stops her mum everyday from leaving the house early in the morning when she forgets where she is, however one day when Alison for the first time in years sleeps in late, her mother leaves. A while later when Alison wakes, she finds the door open and "fails to raise the alarm".
"Floating is Easy" was filmed on location in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland and shot on HDCAM (Panasonic HVX900) by award-winning director of photography Paul Riley. The use of Camera shots in this Short, makes the story feel really personal. Using a single camera technique allows very significant moments to be caught such as when Alison is helping her mother get dressed and we watch as her mother is allowing herself to be dressed, but is also slightly fighting it as though she doesn't want to admit defeat to the illness.
The shots that a linked together throughout the short create a story within the story of Alisons life, and that is the story of her mother. For example, when Alison and her mother are walking through the park, a lady comes up to them offering them a flyer for a spa treatment, when the mother does not take it, Alison steps in and takes it from the lady. The next shot then shows her mother watching an old lady taking part in excercise on the grass. I think that these shots were put together to convey the fact that Alisons mother has almost given up on living and trying new things, but also longs to join in with other elderly people to be normal.
I think that the sound used in this short defines the relationship that Alison has with her mother and the outside world. With some voiceover and music including, the sound is mostly general movement sounds (i.e the door opening, bed being made, hairdryer) and only a few simple sentences are exchanged between the two. I think that this has been done purposefully to show how lonely Alison is because she is caring for her mother and does not have much to say to her. The Voiceover show a different part of the main character, the guilty side. By using sentences such as "the report said accidental death" and "means i did not kill my mother" it shows that Alison is feeling very guilty for not looking for her mum when she went missing, but is also trying to justify that it was not her fault, an emotional battle inside her. By allowing the audience to hear this at the very beggining, they watch in anticipation to decided wether or not she did kill her mother.
The use of editing in one particular scene, the first time that we see Alison stop her mother from leaving the house, is very effective because it is cut at the same pace as Alison running down the stairs, and this shows the struggle she has with caring for her mother.
Some single camera techniques are used to give the impression of multi camera, and a good example of that is when the shot switches from looking towards the door, then seeing outside of the window, and back again. It gives the viewer an impression of being able to see from all angles.
"Floating is easy"is a short film by directed by Graeme McAulay and written by Kate McAulay. The film explains the story of Alison, who has spent the last few years caring for her mother who has a severe case of Alzheimer's. Alison stops her mum everyday from leaving the house early in the morning when she forgets where she is, however one day when Alison for the first time in years sleeps in late, her mother leaves. A while later when Alison wakes, she finds the door open and "fails to raise the alarm".
"Floating is Easy" was filmed on location in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland and shot on HDCAM (Panasonic HVX900) by award-winning director of photography Paul Riley. The use of Camera shots in this Short, makes the story feel really personal. Using a single camera technique allows very significant moments to be caught such as when Alison is helping her mother get dressed and we watch as her mother is allowing herself to be dressed, but is also slightly fighting it as though she doesn't want to admit defeat to the illness.
The shots that a linked together throughout the short create a story within the story of Alisons life, and that is the story of her mother. For example, when Alison and her mother are walking through the park, a lady comes up to them offering them a flyer for a spa treatment, when the mother does not take it, Alison steps in and takes it from the lady. The next shot then shows her mother watching an old lady taking part in excercise on the grass. I think that these shots were put together to convey the fact that Alisons mother has almost given up on living and trying new things, but also longs to join in with other elderly people to be normal.
I think that the sound used in this short defines the relationship that Alison has with her mother and the outside world. With some voiceover and music including, the sound is mostly general movement sounds (i.e the door opening, bed being made, hairdryer) and only a few simple sentences are exchanged between the two. I think that this has been done purposefully to show how lonely Alison is because she is caring for her mother and does not have much to say to her. The Voiceover show a different part of the main character, the guilty side. By using sentences such as "the report said accidental death" and "means i did not kill my mother" it shows that Alison is feeling very guilty for not looking for her mum when she went missing, but is also trying to justify that it was not her fault, an emotional battle inside her. By allowing the audience to hear this at the very beggining, they watch in anticipation to decided wether or not she did kill her mother.
The use of editing in one particular scene, the first time that we see Alison stop her mother from leaving the house, is very effective because it is cut at the same pace as Alison running down the stairs, and this shows the struggle she has with caring for her mother.
Some single camera techniques are used to give the impression of multi camera, and a good example of that is when the shot switches from looking towards the door, then seeing outside of the window, and back again. It gives the viewer an impression of being able to see from all angles.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Single Camera Technique (vs Multiple Camera technique)
Single camera technique means the use of just one camera to film the whole of a program (usually tv programs such as Doctor who) where the actors will have to re-act the scene over and over again multiple times to get the scene from different angles, which is then edited later on in an edit suite.
Multi-Camera technique means that more than one camera is set up (usually four or five in a news room, soap scene e.t.c) and they are all connected to a video mixer. This allows the director to "live edit" by calling out which camera to cut to, therefore only filming the scene once or twice but still accomplishing many angles.
The advantages of the single camera technique are that the director has more control over each shot, the lighting can be changed regularly to fit each scene, more angles can be used giving the director more freedom to use artistic shots and also can be cheaper because less camera men will be needed.The disadvantages are that it can be more time-consuming and might not be suitable for quick turnover, for tv programs such as soaps that have a new hour long program every week it would be too slow compared to Multi-camera.
Some techniques used during single camera can give the impression of multi-camera, for example quick cuts between actors can make the shot seem like it is being filmed there and then with multiple cameras, but the actors have infact acted this scene out over ten times to create all the shots using one camera.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-camera_setup - "As its name suggests, a production using the single-camera setup generally employs just one camera. Each of the various shots and camera angles is taken using the same camera, which is moved and reset to get each shot or new angle. The lighting setup is typically reconfigured for each camera setup." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-camera_setup
"Single camera formates gives a director more control over a shot, however it is more expensive and more time consuming as a shot has to be planed throughly giving actors correct timing in which to step into a shot. Single camera formats are often used in films joining an array of tracking and panning shots. They are useful in films as they circulate the room and set the scene for the viewing audience." - http://connorrutherfordbtectvandfilm.blogspot.com/2009/09/single-camera-drama.html
Monday, 9 May 2011
Submarine (2010) - Critical writing
'Submarine' is a modern comedy drama, that follows the life of Welsh boy Oliver Tate and his journey to achieve goals such as losing his virginity before his next birthday, and keeping his mother away from an old romance who has unexpectedly moved in next door. The film documents Oliver's first real love, and how the awkward and unpredictable relationship unfolds with school-girl Jordana and also the other relationships in his life, such as the uncomfortable but friendly one he shares with his dad, and the "I'm going to pretend I'm crazy so you'll leave me alone" one he has with his mother. 'Submarine' is presented in a documentary style, with Oliver mainly commentating over the footage shown, and a little bit of Jordana's narrative as well.
'Submarine' was directed by Richard Ayoade (The IT crowd) and produced by Warp Films and Film4. The cast include Craig Roberts (The story of Tracy Beaker) who plays Oliver Tate ,Yasmin Paige (Ballet Shoes) who plays Jordana, Noah Taylor (Almost Famous) who plays the father and Sally Hawkins (Never let me go) who plays the mother.
The film is loosely based on the novel 'Submarine' by Joe Dunthorne, and after the rights to the book were aquired by Film4, Ayoade was brought onboard for his debut behind the camera. After extensive planning, the audition process began and within a few days, over 100 people had posted online auditions at thecastingscene.com for the three junior lead roles. After a short process, the final cuts were made, and the cast list was decided.
I really like the way that throughout the film, the different story lines were kept seperate, for example when the screen fades to red and the title Jordana comes up, the audience immediately know that this part of the film is going to be about her. I think Ayoade decided to create this effect to make the film seem even more childish, as though Oliver Tate was directing it himself. I also enjoyed parts of the love montage between Oliver and Jordana, because of the 'dreamland' kind of focus the camera had on them.
The soundtrack was very effect throughout 'Submarine', firstly because of the music created by Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner. He wrote the songs to fit with the film and I think that this added to the personality of both main character Oliver and the film as a whole. I also enjoyed the narrative, spoken by Oliver and Jordana, because I think that by letting the audience in on their inner thoughts and secrets, it encouraged the viewers to become connected to the characters and sympathise with them.
I think that the film works for what it is because of the target audience that it is aimed at, Teenagers. In a way, the film highlights some part of every teenagers life, whether it is Sex, Parents, School, or Friends, most of the intended audience for this film will be able to connect to some part of Olivers life and in turn, laugh when something goes wrong because they have probably experienced the same event in some way or another. This automatically helps the audience to put their own thoughts into the storyline, and therefore making it seem much more personal to each separate viewer.
This film makes me feel like laughing, because being a teenager myself, I can look at some of the things that Oliver does, and think about being in that situation and how I would react."You have a character who sees the world differently to everyone else...the idea of the film is that Oliver is kind of directing it."- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyInN7uHR7U&feature=related. I think that this shows that Ayoade fully had oliver in mind when filming, and wanted to bring across that familiar childish way of thinking.
I think overall that this film was a great success because of the team that worked on it, new director, fresh faced actors and a brand new soundtrack from a well known artist really helped to make the overall project a great coming-of-age comedy that makes people of all ages feel able to relax and laugh along with the storyline.
Thursday, 5 May 2011
The Waiting Room - Our Development
We were given the task of creating a single camera production, which explored the ways you can alter time and atmosphere using lighting, camera work and montage editing. We had to
1.) Convey atmosphere
2.) Distort time
3.) Build Tension
4.) Tell a Story
5.) Give the Situation a Story.
We got into a group of four, Tasha, Rob M, Rob S and myself, and started planning. We took inspiration from a short paragraph provided by Tim, which was very descriptive about how a room was becoming a prison, a ticking time bomb, and how the character's life within it was about to change forever.
We first thought about having a boy, sat at a desk in front of a phone, waiting for it to ring. He has a piece of evidence from a crime scene and the police and the criminal both want it back. However, after more planning we decided that it would be quite complicated to convey the whole story whilst also playing with the concept of time. So we started thinking up other ideas.
Our final idea came as we were booking out "The Cove" from the ERC. Being a dark place, it would be perfect to set up a hostage situation, and so after some thought, our idea became: Two girls, waking up in a dark warehouse, tied to chairs with a minute timer in front of them. They are beaten and bruised and are dreaming of a crash or crime (depicted with noise) but soon wake up and realise the situation they are in.
I am really happy with the way that the video turned out because i think that it allows the audience to make up their own minds about how the girls are involved, are they criminals, or simple bystanders that have seen too much? We wanted to play around with different lighting and atmosphere,so we set up only three dedo lights with multiple black screens and put a 50mm f/1.4 lens on the camera to give a shallow depth field and give better capture in a low light. I was also happy with the way the post production sound recordings fitted in with the whole video, i think that this is an result of good planning and really adds to the intensity of the tension. Overall i was happy with the way that the video was produced as a whole and also with how the video was perceived by an audience.
1.) Convey atmosphere
2.) Distort time
3.) Build Tension
4.) Tell a Story
5.) Give the Situation a Story.
We got into a group of four, Tasha, Rob M, Rob S and myself, and started planning. We took inspiration from a short paragraph provided by Tim, which was very descriptive about how a room was becoming a prison, a ticking time bomb, and how the character's life within it was about to change forever.
We first thought about having a boy, sat at a desk in front of a phone, waiting for it to ring. He has a piece of evidence from a crime scene and the police and the criminal both want it back. However, after more planning we decided that it would be quite complicated to convey the whole story whilst also playing with the concept of time. So we started thinking up other ideas.
Our final idea came as we were booking out "The Cove" from the ERC. Being a dark place, it would be perfect to set up a hostage situation, and so after some thought, our idea became: Two girls, waking up in a dark warehouse, tied to chairs with a minute timer in front of them. They are beaten and bruised and are dreaming of a crash or crime (depicted with noise) but soon wake up and realise the situation they are in.
I am really happy with the way that the video turned out because i think that it allows the audience to make up their own minds about how the girls are involved, are they criminals, or simple bystanders that have seen too much? We wanted to play around with different lighting and atmosphere,so we set up only three dedo lights with multiple black screens and put a 50mm f/1.4 lens on the camera to give a shallow depth field and give better capture in a low light. I was also happy with the way the post production sound recordings fitted in with the whole video, i think that this is an result of good planning and really adds to the intensity of the tension. Overall i was happy with the way that the video was produced as a whole and also with how the video was perceived by an audience.
The Waiting Room Research
Examples of extending real time - Raging Bull
We watched a clip from Raging bull (1980) that shows Jake Lamotta vs Sugar Ray Robinson in a boxing match. Throughout the clip, time seems to be slowed down in certain parts. For example when Ray is reaching out to hit Jake, the whole scene almost comes to a stand still as we see multiple flashes of cameras behind the character and shouting and screams coming from the audience. I think that the director, Martin Scorsese, created this effect to give a more fearsome and pronounced way of thinking, he wants the audience to hold their breath until the moment were the injured character gets beaten again. By using this method of slowing parts down were Sugar Ray Robinson is angry and against a dark background, i think Scorsese was also trying to give the audience more time to form their opinions and start to pity Jake Lamotta.
During the fight the camera also helps to distort time by mirroring the characters movements, for example when Ray stops hitting Jake, he stands back and the scene seems to slow down, however it is still playing in real time but the camera has also pulled back and grabbed focus on Ray, making the shot long and lingering. A different example of mirrored movement is when Jake falls onto the ropes, and then a shot of a man at home watching the fight on T.V is shown as he makes the same move into his armchair, signifying defeat.
Another example of when slow motion is used within the fight, is when Ray is continually beating Jake and we see blood slowing spraying from Jake's mouth and eyes. This gives the audience a better view of the trouble the fighter is in and therefore want the scene to end, however it forces them to watch by dragging the fighting out and making them watch all of the pain he goes through. This also will make the audience feel more connected to Jake as they have suffered alongside him and possibly make them more sympathetic later on in the movie.
We watched a clip from Raging bull (1980) that shows Jake Lamotta vs Sugar Ray Robinson in a boxing match. Throughout the clip, time seems to be slowed down in certain parts. For example when Ray is reaching out to hit Jake, the whole scene almost comes to a stand still as we see multiple flashes of cameras behind the character and shouting and screams coming from the audience. I think that the director, Martin Scorsese, created this effect to give a more fearsome and pronounced way of thinking, he wants the audience to hold their breath until the moment were the injured character gets beaten again. By using this method of slowing parts down were Sugar Ray Robinson is angry and against a dark background, i think Scorsese was also trying to give the audience more time to form their opinions and start to pity Jake Lamotta.
During the fight the camera also helps to distort time by mirroring the characters movements, for example when Ray stops hitting Jake, he stands back and the scene seems to slow down, however it is still playing in real time but the camera has also pulled back and grabbed focus on Ray, making the shot long and lingering. A different example of mirrored movement is when Jake falls onto the ropes, and then a shot of a man at home watching the fight on T.V is shown as he makes the same move into his armchair, signifying defeat.
Another example of when slow motion is used within the fight, is when Ray is continually beating Jake and we see blood slowing spraying from Jake's mouth and eyes. This gives the audience a better view of the trouble the fighter is in and therefore want the scene to end, however it forces them to watch by dragging the fighting out and making them watch all of the pain he goes through. This also will make the audience feel more connected to Jake as they have suffered alongside him and possibly make them more sympathetic later on in the movie.
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