When going in depth of learning about shot-construction, story boarding and floor plan, ideas for the group project were non-stop coming up. Firstly, when going through shot construction in the lecture and in the tute, main key points were raised as:
1 Color
2 The frame’s angle,
3 view of objective, viewpoint of subjective and the point of view,
4 area of shot and shot size,
5 Movement of focal length
6 Depth of field.
The results of the movie parties have been that all the members of the group project wanted to create something unusual that we could build on. After receiving the reminder that we would be insane if we didn’t plan ‘shot construction of both Lenny and our own project’ resulted into the pre-production of this and raising new questions.
Firstly, to start the pre-production of storyboarding and floor planning as showed in the lecture, the group had different approaches and experience of these. As the lecture taught upon how scenes are deconstructed as in Taxi Driver, it was clearly determined upon the basics of the character and the style used in the shot construction.
Here, aspects of cinematography are recognized in how the frame is set up and how characters, details and camera movements are placed. Comparing the use of colours in the opening scene of Taxi Driver (at the cafeteria) and our set up, the differentiation of using colors as yellow, brown and other dark colors emphasize the scene set up and also the shot construction.
How do we in the group project do the same thing?
How can we include a lot of dimensions of the shot?
How can we regulate the depth of field both internal and external?
As Taxi Driver is shot in nighttime, this sensation of ‘cold’ is something we would use in the shooting of the group project. Why? Because the dark and cold colors reveals the ‘homeless culture of Melbourne and the characters involved’ telling the story of ‘Sneaker Spastic’ by showing a lot of information instead of telling it. By emphasizing aspects of night time and cold colors and daytime with candy warm tones this strengthens the characters emotion and develops art – by adding meaning and conveying information through artistic visuals.
An attempt on what was discussed in the lecture and the tute upon shot construction and shot de-construction, the group decided to throw another movie party and do the pre-production of Lenny as an exercise upon the main group project.
After hearing Paul’s voice that we would be crazy if we did not start to do this, the floor plan and the story boarding of the Lenny projects got made. While doing this and brainstorming questions and issues for both projects I had questions stuck in my mind: what do I as the director want out of the actor? And are there any other camera movements involved in this that we have not thought about?
After post-constructing Lenny, I learned that first of all following the scrip is not always what happens (as we saw the change of Di Niro’s underworld’s details changed as a connotation to the underworld belonged to). As a group we have to analyze the Lenny project and the selected script with colors, frame, angle and viewpoints. These viewpoints are crucial to evoke meaning and feelings and also work as an dynamic effect on the original script.
As movie parties were being held, a couple of favorite short films containing the weekly key points were favorized. For viewpoints, we decided to extend this into semis (semi-medium, semi-extreme and semi-close ups) and into over the shoulders and into birds view. These Points of view shot would be different and funny to play around with. Shot size and area of shot would determine on the test shot done as in ‘failures’ of the Lenny project and also in our own project. Its importance is recognized in what to focus on and what the film maker wants to speak out to the audience.
Lenny Project
The interesting camera movements done in the Lenny project became the next task in the Pre-Lenny project. As we flicked trough movies to find these pans and zooms to convey emotions and be focus drawing, the winner of the short film competition TROPFEST with ‘Sharon and Jason’ and the Schweppes short film festival with ‘eraser’ were the details of the script were overemphasized and practiced into its reality. In ‘Sharon and Jason’ the characters clearly touches upon both Mackendrick and Boormans article of acting. What the group will use of this is broadened up in the section of the main group work.
While exploring camera movements in the short films, the Evian Water commercial of the rolling skating babies had an interesting end where the camera is placed in a frogs view, but panning. ‘Jason and Sharon’ and ‘Eraser’ contained a lot of interesting shots and movements that the DOP is brainstorming and as we prepared the Lenny Project, we dedided to go really in depth of it even though we are meant to ‘fail’ on this exercise. We figured out, after doing the storyboarding and the floor plans how much time it will take, and we can learn out of this project how to make the shooting log on excel.
As the group is learning the script of ‘Sneaker Spastic’ and reflecting on the learning materials of sound and cinematography, what Paul showed in the lecture of Scorseses article is what the group is exploring now. Film interpretations and Paul’s love of this, reminds me of what the first thing mentioned early this semester: “If someone asked me to do a short film as a course assignment, I’d be so happy to do it! I mean that’s what we are here for and that’s what we want to do!” As we shared experiences of this in the group, I heard Paul continuing his statement: “Plus it is a great thing to have your port folio as a demonstration of skills and how organized you are. And everybody loves film, everybody loves watching film.”
Film interpretation here was seen in the movie, where Di Niro repeated the underworld and the ‘magic’ he was performing with his masculine sexuality. Further on, this was a good way of breaking up this scene. The use of zoom is something I personally don’t prefer but instead the mere use of tracking and panning. Just because its more natural for the eye I think. Static use of camera and a the dolly is what we will be doing in the project, and we are getting the equipment to play around with it to see the flexibility of the use of a tripod on something with wheels (desk chair) how much this allows us to do with the camera.
Paul’s storyboard was…ok I suppose but as we were drafting one for Lenny we realized how hilarious this process’s outcome can be! It was tempting and we had to give it a go and I’ve never seen any weirder Lenny or Sharon figures before as my home made line folks, they just look ridiculous and Goi and Vannessa would not stop laughing, and the floor plan remains in the same funny category! We love post production!
When doing this, and learning how important cinematography really is, I started visualizing not just the Lenny Exercise, but our project. I can’t simply wait for the casting to start and look for the actors of the characteristics we are creating and I can’t wait to reflect upon week 6’s readings that involves this. Details, as costumes, props and color mode will definitely be the high lights of the group project. I love looking for this in movies, shot films and films in general and creating and finding them for our own project is tempting, as with the imaginary characters. When doing all this, so much detail learned in lectures and tutes and there rules we just knew on our finger tips (like the 180 degree rule), camera movements and shots and its great to finally implement this into a whole, as a our short film.
‘Sneaker Spastic’
Finally! This is it! It’s the time for our group project to really start and the best things are; it’s OUR project and its MOVIE LAND and EVERYTHING is possible to shoot! We could not simply wait with story boarding, floor planning, check listing and could not wait entering the role as a director. And the freedom we have here, its so large it’s scary! One example is the questions raised upon some detail changes of the script, but so far it remains unedited. The freedom here is just one of many, as Di Niro’s change of outfit, without changing the meaning of it.
And the camera movements we are using, I know this sounds cliché but I have to say it: how much fun is it, to see other short films and thinking we’re doing that movement, we’re using this speed and slow it down, look at that prop doesn’t make sense and lastly the characters presented in these short films and their performance. Movie parties are fun and learning full and opens up the reality of the short-film industry; everything is possible! We found our style and this really set the basics for ‘Sneaker Spastic’ and what characters we are showing.
So acting is as simply as doing it’s said in Boorman’s article. I wish I knew Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep but I don’t. However, this is not a good or maybe a proper example but these characters do the job for ‘UNWATCH’.
The parody of the Swedish Governmental spending of Tax money is here presented as money to UN, for the poor fighting Swedish soldiers in Liberia, where they shoot a ‘Baywatch Liberia’ film.
As a director, I have to know what I am looking for with the actors and what character I want to create. I was hoping this short film/music video would give me some ideas and it did. And no, I’m not thinking patriotism but how to make actors evoke feeling and meaning. And here I also flicked through ‘Love Field’ again and both these clips presents strong characters, each in their own way and style.
I want to be a somehow Sydney Pollack and drawing on this reading key points I think were helpful were:
-Set up routines, even though we’re not shooting in the morning as Pollack did.
-Don’t work towards results but causes and give the actor a real life example they have to deal with, not tell him/her what to do (page 61).
-Avoid cliches
-Eisensteins theory of montage: about the close up of a man, a clown and a child.
-Emotion = a product of the unconscious.
-No self-manipulation
-Know what to look for in the casting
-“Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances. We can create a Redford & Streisand / Reford & Streep moment, YES we can, this is movie land!
MAINPOINT: get the characters into doing not acting (the ‘listen’ example).
And from Mackendrick’s reading;
-The relation ship between the actor and director.
-Thought, knowing and the gut thing.
-the make-believe.
-Knowledge about the eye-lines and eye contact.
-Reaction = Action
-The sense of conscious control
-Visual information: the eye, facial expression and body language = expression of feelings.
-The technique of humility.
-Always have the overview by knowing the script, the story boards, the floor plans and the characters on the fingertips.
MAIN POINT: The act of imagining the action: what we are recreating.
I don’t think there’s anything as information overload within reflective learning it demonstrates what I’ve learned, and I simply love writing! Paul said we would be silly if we had not started post-production. But we have and checklists works for me and overall for the group project, this is what we’re doing in week 6-7.
-Group Folio – in progress
-Logging sheet.
-Shooting sheet
-Permissions from councils.
-Learning the camera, sound recorder and the script.
-Meet the author.
-Bookings of editing suites and equipment
-Continue floor plans, story boarding and character descriptions.
-Plan casting
-Learn manuals
-Music copyright
-Production forms
-Release forms and insurance
-Safety report
-Group collaboration contract?
Let ‘Sneaker Spastic’ begin!!
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