#2 ASSIGNMENT
What you were trying to achieve in terms of critically communicating about Framing in Film and explain the method in which the editing process was used to attempt this?
My goal for this in-res was to explore the psychological impacts of framing in my genre, which was horror and suspense. I chose to film my main character in a room and only the room as it added the storytelling mechanism while creating an enclosed Claustrophobic composition to relate to her mental state within the video. Another element within this was the static TV, which I placed in the centre of the frame to create a point of focus. While editing, I focused on the mood I intended for with match cuts, where I placed two shots together based on similarities. When editing the sound, I achieved a sense of unease that was slightly slow-paced. This was done through heavy breathing and static noises from the TV in my sequence. The reading by Chris Cable highlights how framing and mise-en-scene can create symbolism in cinema. I drew upon this when using visual framing to show the lead characters’ internal conflicts. The editing phase played a significant role in achieving the media res structure. I attempted to time each scene to reinforce the visual rhythms.
How did your preproduction/production/post production process go and what would you do differently/improve next time?
During preproduction, I create a script and a shot list; I find making these super helpful in knowing exactly what I want and need to be filmed. Creating a storyboard gave me a visual preview of ideas for specific framings and lighting that I would want and need. Reaching from weekly readings, I got inspiration from David Lynch and Vince Gilligan. I focused on planning how my frame would look and how I would want the emotion to be portrayed.
During production, filming in a confined space or in a room where limited change could be made got me thinking creatively yet challenging. Filming in low light did make some footage grainy, but it also created a static over-the-phone on-the-floor scene, which I had to shoot a few times to reduce the appearance.
The video piece was compiled during post-production.
For post-production, I used Adobe Premiere Pro to create my rough cut. Then, I refined the pacing before I was to add any effects and final touches. During post-production, I layered audio pieces that I found, all royalty-free, to create a sense of psychological mood. For improvements, I’d like to plan a rehearsal to get the pacing right and ensure that the shots I take complete the storyline I was hoping for. I also want to invest in an external mic to allow better clarity with vocals, as it was deemed an issue in a few shots. Another improvement is to think about symbolic shots to create different framed shots. Another post-production process I did was colour grading. I opted for cooler, desaturated colours. For sound effects, I included sounds such as door opening sounds, breathing, and TV static sounds to allow for within the video.
Another aspect would be a better time management event; setting up specific frames was difficult, and a lot of time was used. Something I would do differently next time would be to ask for images of the location or visit the area to better prepare for shoot day. Some other issues arose, such as audio problems that were causing static, as the house we were filming in had some lousy wiring and was causing audio interference. If that is the case next time, I will prepare another location. Another change I would reach for would be trying new editing styles and transitional features within my scenes, including sound mixing techniques to create a complete audio experience.
The most and least successful parts of your In Media Res sequence were, and why so?
The most successful part of my sequence was some of the framing. I framed my character’s position in certain areas of the room to apply some meaning or feelings. I put my actor off-centre to communicate her fear and her isolation in the situation she is in. Another successful part would be the reflection from the static TV on the actor and props. This reflection of colour allowed the segment to feel realistic and engaging. My structuring was well-made and stood out. I got an insight from Siobhan Lyons’s reading in Flow journal about the aesthetics of peak TV and how streaming prioritises cinematic visuals to stand out. This made me think about my sequence and how I was to structure it to emulate prestige TV.
My least successful part would be the door scene. Given the location I was filming, there was no peephole I wanted in my script; it didn’t give the visual qualities I wanted. I tried to redeem this by centring my actor between the two doors to make it symmetrical. Symmetry is a topic explained by Susan Hayward; they explain how visual codes such as symmetry and focal points play a big part in visual language. These ideas and explanations helped me choose how to use objects and spatial balance to represent themes and interpretations within my sequence. Another aspect is that I did not shoot a scene that would give a point of view of the actors’ faces and how they were feeling during the TV scene; I think it could’ve shown her in a different state of mind, thus adding to what we learnt throughout weeks four to six.
Conclusion
Concluding this assignment gave me a better understanding of my initial understanding of key concepts and processes. These assignments are helpful as im learning new things every time and building upon my knowledge. I will apply all I’ve learnt from these weeks, including challenges and accomplishments from this assignment.
References
Cagle, C. (2007). Two modes of prestige film. Screen, 48(3), 291–311. https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/hjm031
Hayward, S. (2002). Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts. Routledge.
Lyons, S. (2020, March 2). A Streaming Comes Across the Sky: Peak TV and the Fate of NostalgiaSiobhan Lyons / Macquarie University – Flow. Flowjournal.org. https://www.flowjournal.org/2020/03/streaming-comes-across-the-sky/