Self-Assessment

What did you do well?

I feel like I was very committed to the subject (attending lectures / class) and taking what I learnt outside class. The constraints were really fun to do, and I found myself putting a lot of thought into what I would do for them. I also thought I did well at Korsakow (just not the exporting part). Worked well independently

What have you learnt to do better?

Use the program – as I didn’t know how to use it in the first place.
Look at other peoples blogs (the constraints)
Other short video sites – vimeo / vine
Not everything has to have a story – non-linear

What could you have learnt to do better?

Read instruction throughly and Korsakow – the program. I think more practise into this would have helped me a lot more, although I did all the basics of it, I feel as though if I put more time into doing projects independently (not class related) to get to know the program, this would have helped me throughout the sketch and to gain a larger understanding  of the program. Wrote more about the readings instead of just reading them (put that within my ‘contract’ next time).

Analysis / Reflection 5

Lecture 7 Lighting: What was covered? Do you think the content is relevant to
your project? And why?

Lighting in general contributes to a scene and a mood – and throughout the last couple of weeks I have come to realise how important it really is. I have also learnt how it can make or break a film – it can increase or decrease the standard of the film overall irrelvent to what the script is.

In week 7’s lecture, we look more into how to acomplish different types of lighting – and what lighting equipment to use. Specifically we looked at controlling light – to allow for a realistic lighting setting and to acomplish the over all mood of the scene that is being shot. It’s incredible how much lighting is needed and worth doing – I learnt this while shooting our short film. I also learnt how time consuming it is and how much thought and pre-planning should go into it. But also at the same time, you can’t help certain circumstances on the day, so you have to make do with what you have. Lighting has a huge impact, and I think learning about it was very relvent because it has allowed for me to be able to problem solve on the spot.

In the lecture Paul and Robin spoke about how certain lighting can illuminate a person’s face and features. They spoke about how light can highlight certain parts of the face and how different light can alter how certain features look. It was interesting to see how much the rotation of light, different lighting equipment and directions can alter someones face.

Select from one of the readings from week 5, 6 or 7 and describe two points that you have taken from it. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you.
It is recommended to read all of the readings.

Ch. 5. Lighting a scene (extracts). In Malkiewicz, K. Film
lighting : talks with Hollywood’s cinematographers and gaffers, (p. 99-115,
128-135). New York: Pretence Hall, 1986.

– Lighting faces: I usually photograph people and I always find lighting something very difficult to get right. But once it is right – it makes such a huge difference, it’s actually incredible. Going from still photography to cinematography was difficult for me (generally because I am such a perfectionist and there is so much control in still then there is with movement). While filming, I was really pushed to compromise some of my views to what something should look like – and this was really good for me. It allowed things to happen naturally. Within the reading it speaks about how to light a face and how much certain light, such as diffused, can really allow for highlighting of certain features – features that compliment.

– Hard light: Hard light can cause such a negatuve affect when its unwanted. When I shoot still and it’s outdoors, I always hope for a cloudy day. Its easy to work with and control the light. When ever I shoot, I will take a white card or a reflector. This can allow a diffuse of hard light and allow is to become softer. What I took from this part of the reading was how important a white card is – it can create a soft and gentle light, that isnt harsh and allows for a realistic and wanted effect. ‘Bouncing’ light off a white card or a reflector creates softer shadows.

Blow Up is a 1966 film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni.
In this scene note the choreography of the actors, camera, frame and focus. As covered in the lecture describe the things Antonioni would have have to consider when directing the actors and the camera.
This film had a lovely feel about it – a certain rythmn and a constant movement. The relation with characters and props found to be very important, as the audeince found themselves to behind objects peering onto the characters. The rythmn of the film was light and the camera seemed to follow the main subject. Placement of structures with characters constructed most of the scene – there never seemed to be a standstill.

Loz Lion

I am really excited to work with Ellen, Laura (Loz) and Kate in the final K Film piece.

We have generated a lot of idea’s and have gone with the idea of – Beginnings and Ends.

To me, this is like a start and an end. Many people focus on what they have started from to what the wanted to be. In a larger sense, a lot of people say ‘its all about the journey’ – but with this film, we want to cut that bit out (journey) and focus on the start and end.

It also has to do with relativeness – how we can relate a start to its end. For example, a Banana being peeled (start) to just the banana peel (end). The journey or middle part is cut out but the audience can relate it to themselves or their knowledge – the banana was eaten.

Loo

REFLECTION #4 – Lighting

Question 8

  1. List the things that you learnt from this experience – this could be things that went well or not so well.

    Lenny: The Box (Monday 1230 Group 3) from s3359186 on Vimeo.

– The experience to do it in a limited amount of time really taught me about how little time you actually have. Although it was really good to gain the experience of being under the pump and thinking on your feet

– Pre-production lacked in the Lenny, and I feel it really shows. We didn’t have storyboards, an order or even plan – and I think this lost us a lot of time discussing what we should do.

– With my group – it was good to see how we worked together and how we are ‘on set’.

– With so many constraints it made the Lenny easier to shoot – just because we weren’t thinking of crazy ideas to do. It made us think more realistically and rationally.

REFLECTION #4 – Lighting

Question 7

  1. Please outline some points that you took away from the Lighting Lecture. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you, perplexes you or even one you take issue with.

    Lighting is so essential to the production and the film. Lighting it something that HAS to be thought about. I have always felt I don’t have enough knowledge on lighting than I should. I find it so complex and hard to get it perfect – and even keep the same tonal light in each scene. Not having the same light can really break up a film take away from the realism.

    I would really love to work on it more. Because I do find it hard – but what I find most difficult is how you can’t particularly ‘pre-plan’ the lighting, because you never know what you are going to expect on the day. But I feel if you have a general knowledge of what to do, and plan the look that you want, then it can be made easy. It’s up to personal choice and preference – but it must not take away from the film.

     

Sketch Film – Technical

I found this one of the most frustrating thing to ever do.

Making it was interesting and somewhat easy – once you get use to what your doing and know the basics. The technical terms like snu, had me confused. Interfaces, pattern and content… more terms which I thought one was another and all were each other. But I read up on these things, and started getting use to them and realising that they were actually somewhat easy.

It was the EXPORTING that had me frustrated.
I can’t even explain how annoying this was. I did it wrong I think about 4 times in a row. I missed a step in notes, so it was all my fault, and it’s partly because I am horrible at understanding these types of things. But I had one of my friends to help me and it was all sorted.

All in all, I think it was a pretty good experience and Korsakow is a really interesting way to communicate.