Posted on in Media, Networked Media, Production

Reflecting on my visual aesthetics on film: farm buggy shot

I’ve had a tumultuous past couple of weeks ranging from some sort of creative menagerie in addition to some nasty “Winter is Coming!”-type of cold or whatever, but alas, it always surprises me how easily I can open up Premier Pro and string some pieces together and assess my visual aesthetics.

Of course, this is a very important aspect for a director. Very important. Filmmakers, though we’ve seen plenty productions that look and feel and seem very much alike, this often always is not the case. Shall we study my Spanish-er, my directorial language then?

(excuse the quality of the videos. DSLR is not my forte.)

~ Yarra Valley Shoot ~

Farm Buggy.mp4

This was a coincidence shot. I was roaming around with the camera, mostly focusing on the surroundings when the buggy violates my peripheral vision. It was going faster than you can say pull focus, so I zoomed, framed and as best I can, follow (pan) the buggy as it works it way on the path.

Notice my frame. Again, I reiterate the composition. The trees “blocking” the buggy from view made me think of a hide-and-seek vista. The camera doesn’t do the work for you, instead, the audience’s eyes have to do the work themselves. I tried and evidently failed towards the end to allow the buggy to leave the frame as I focus on my framed end shot, but you can somehow tell (I hope).

This particular exercise taught me two things: i. the power of colour (refer to The Girl In Red scene in Schindler’s List (1993), and ii. my preference of intimate, tight framing.

In post, I tried to up the contrast from softer hues to a higher degree of polarity to highlight the colour of not just the trees, but also the red-orange colour of the buggy. This helps the audience in the “seeking” side of the H-and-S capture. And for tighter framing at a distance, what kinds of lens is best to use? 50mm so both foreground and background remain in focus? (I was on 35mm)

If this shot was part of a narrative, the focus is on the buggy, seen from a character’s point of view. It could also be a motivated shot to show the audience that there is more to the buggy than what a wide-angle shot could portray:

Wide angle – establishing shot, shows the general “setting” of the scene where a buggy so happens to pass by.

Tight frame shot – like above, there is an intent, a reason that as to why the buggy’s view is blocked and why it follows it specifically. It’s preparing the audience for the scene to come and/or making sure the audience keeps this buggy at the back of their minds to be later address in the film/narrative.

Posted on in Media, Production, Ways of Making

a variety of exciting projects and what I garnered from them

During today’s presentation of ideas, I thoroughly enjoyed the eclectic mix of project proposals each person had in mind to create and produce by the end of the semester. From an exploration of lighting and mise-en-scene, to the philosophical, the long-take and what makes editing good or bad, the thought process and the means to do so are both encouraging as their fellow media-maker and also a stimulant to one’s creative plotting and/or scheming.

What I garnered from the proposals that could perhaps lend itself to my own project is directed more towards those who were interested in mise-en-scene, framing and composition, lighting (I am horrible also and I aim to befriend thy project-owner so you can teach me your skills), and editing, particularly the action-editing sequence.

Action-editing: this particular component (editing in general, really) is crucial to the way I will be structuring my short film. Would a variety of cuts ranging from close-ups, medium-shots, etc. would allow for more freedom in using cinemagraphs in a variety of ways and thus, convey the narrative aspect of the short film more fluidly?

Screen Shot 2016-04-21 at 11.37.34 PM

Framing and composition: I am aiming for a more intimate feel as an aesthetic and also as to ease the burden of ambitiousness. But stay tuned for this because after writing a script or shot list, it may just change. Besides, one must think about feasibility always.

 

First things first: SCHEDULING. Will return with a more updated schedule for short film production!

Posted on in Media, Production, Ways of Making

Presentation: Static Movement and the Narrative Form

My project is summarised under what I would like to call as Static Movement. This phrase stems from my directorial inspiration, Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki, a master filmmaker who uses a combination of simplicity and the essence of humanity in his films to tell a powerful and evoking story.

My research on his works has then led me to question as to how animated feature films “soothe the spirit” and envelop you in its fictional reality better than some of those found in non-animated feature films. And this is where static movement comes into play.

The answer to the enigma of static movement is on emphasis. Miyazaki doesn’t just choose the main protagonist or a certain character in his films to show movement and action, but he complements this with another feature that also moves before making everything else static so we viewers are attuned to only what moves on screen.

Us viewers are given a different form of entry into the world of the characters that you are following on screen: we are given entry to not just what matters to the advancement of the story, but to them as characters whether they be a child or an adult, a monster or some form of creature.

In saying that, my project will be a narrative short film using static movement and normal filming principles.

My approach on this subject is simple:

  • First, I will be making a series of my own cinemagraphs both for practice and investigation – these cinemagraphs will help me in figuring out whether their use is specifically as an establishing shot, a transitional shot or something I can use in the middle of an action.

In terms of the filming process, I will use either a DSLR or a video camera. I will use both in two different investigations and see which one yields the result I want: a crisp, as high-quality as possible cinemagraph.

  • Then, I will be compiling a shot list – this list of shots will be governed by two things: capturing the emotional intensity of certain characters, and shots that can be used for the progression of the story (i.e. a cinemagraph of a moving train then cuts to a crowd of people walking towards the station).

This particular area will allow me to improve my skills as a filmmaker in regards to directing actors, setting up the frame and the dressing the set also.

  • I will also be investigating a particular locale where the film will be set. I was previously thinking of an “ancient world” and mythology aesthetic based on a novel that I am interested in, but I have to assess the feasibility of this option. My other option is setting the film in the 1930’s or 40’s because there is already an underlying conflict there (the world wars happen at this time) and would be a great setting for emotional intensity and to set a narrative.

I am thinking of approaching this in two ways too: I write a script or I stick to a shot list.

I’ve made a 30 second sample of what I hoped to achieve with this project below:

Note: cinemagraphs here were used as establishing shots. Further investigation would be using cinemagraphs in a different way.

Posted on in Media, Production, Ways of Making

presentation ideas: an outline and cinemagraph research

presentation talk:

For the presentation on week 7, J. Master Paul has decided that I must don my Julius Ceasar toga and speak oratory, the details of my project – approach, process and methods. To supplement my speech, I also intend on providing a neat visual aid through a blog post with some pretty pictures and diagrams, mood boards, etc. and top it off with a sample video of what I would like my final project to look like.

cinemagraphs:

I’ve been doing some researching on the web for some cinemagraphs and collecting them to create both my sample video and mood board. Below are some I have in mind:

If you’ll notice, these cinemagraphs does not exactly align with my vision of the “ancient world” aesthetic and of course it boils down to those who are credited for making above cinemagraphs. To stage and dress in the ancient world aesthetic is a challenge in resources and budget restraints. I am glad I found these cinemagraphs, however, for they opened an avenue of new thoughts for me in regards to this project.

How about I centre my project in a more feasible and easily-accessible era, also one of my favourites, the 1930’s-40’s? It is very possible…

Also, a last note, most of the cinemagraphs I have collected and am interested in is for the purpose of “establishing” my scene. As I have mentioned in my post here, I am interested in investigating the use of static movement and normal filming principles to portray a narrative sequence that evokes emotional empathy. As such, should I use cinemagraphs in the midst of an “action” in the story or are its uses limited to just establishing and transitional?

Posted on in Media, Production, Ways of Making

reflection: production mixer – an audio activity

Today’s class particulars were around production mixing and the use of audio equipment. Does my musical brother’s background and my talent for being incredibly rudimentary with unnamed musical instruments give me a slight edge in this area of expertise?

Absolutely not. But the main thing is the fact that I took something out of it and will therefore not look as “uncool” as I was in my previous disarray.

Sound’s prevalence in film is to the utmost, whether it comes from a musical score, a soundtrack, dialogue or diagetic energies in each scene. Noting that in every feature film, sound plays an incredibly important part in the orchestration of each scene by scene, one after another. Even if it’s a silent film, silence itself is integral to the message the filmmaker is conveying to their audience. As a filmmaker, to know the basics is to know how to breathe.

I wished someone had given me “Top Ten Tips on Sound Recording” by David Carlin, a SCENARIO:

Team (un)cool cats decides to film a short film on location at a fellow filmmaker’s friend’s restaurant. Two main characters, boy and girl are on a date. Outcome is a dialogue-heavy short. 

  • Light set up looks good, very au naturale
  • Actors look spiffy though a little nervous and tense (it’s 8.30 in the morning) but that’s easily fixed, thanks director.
  • A.D. with the shot list – CHECK
  • Camera Operator ready to go – CHECK
  • Headphones plugged in on camera jack – CHECK
  • Audio guy with headphones on and boom pole as close as appropriate – CHECK
  • Refrigerator background noise in the background – CHECK
  • 8 hours of filming – DONE AND DUSTED

Enter post-production stage and the background noise from the refrigerator has completely destroyed our audio. There is nothing we can salvage from it, especially with using different types of footages with different distorted sounds thanks to said refrigerator. We even recorded atmos/room on location but the voices are underscored by the buzzing fridge so it was of no use anyway.

No, we didn’t follow rule number one which is to 1. reduce background noise nor rule number 6. never allow sound to distort or 7. monitor dialogue to understand every word.

It’s a shame since the visuals look top. *whispers to self* learning curve, learning curve, learning curve…

 

 

 

Posted on in Media, Production, Ways of Making

movie list – what inspires me?

So folks, I’m sure I’ve been quite nasty with my abundance of descriptions underlined with much excitement towards the project that I have in mind. This post will begin the journey towards its making by listing down some of the movies that I could garner some inspiration from. I move towards making my mood board and a sample video of what I would like to see for my final project.

At the moment, I’m still very much on the “ancient world” mindset so here are some movies/television shows that are centred around this particular world.

After my chat with Paul previously in regards to the novel that I would like to base my project on, I have decided, instead of explicitly adapting the material, to take some scenes, characters, motivations, and themes, and underscore that with mythology free and in the public domain. By converging these aspects together, I rid myself of the “copyright” inferno. Score.

I will be re-watching and taking note of particular clips and scenes in the list above and will be archiving them on Premiere.

 

Posted on in Media, Production, Uncategorised, Ways of Making

Investigation: location scouting and static movement + normal filming principles + narrative = could it work?

Destination: Yarra Valley

Mission: Scout, Locate, Film

Chance of success: A bucketful of sunshine

The Yarra Valley Roadtrip from one end of the earth to another proved aplenty:

  1. Nature churns the creative bubbles. As soon as I sat myself down, I haven’t stopped writing my thoughts and plans, which I hope to regale you all here too.
  2. There are so many dashing locations that are, of course, obstructed by “Private Property” signs, electric fences or a huge lake and you do not own a boat . Shame.
  3. Good establishing footage, check. Shoot to edit, not so much. Abstract, but it gives one a sense of place and further practice of framing, composition, exposure and pull-focus.

In all the trip’s entirety, however, what I garnered is yet again, something that alludes to static movement and its use. My premise? Static movement and the mundane must be shot in consequence of each other.

I know that it could be rather ambitious to include a narrative into the picture, but I want to investigate the possibility of it anyhow because I cannot help but be empathetic. Example of such wizardry below:

Screen Shot 2016-04-09 at 10.27.13 PM

Excusing the liberties I’ve taken with scriptwriting rules above, I’ve been contemplating on how I could possibly introduce Static Movement into a short film without just making a series/sequence of cinemagraph scenes one after another. What I want to achieve is the collaboration and the amalgamation of static movement and normal filming principles to make one, cohesive film/short without making it too stunted nor overtly artsy. I would like to be able to tell a story, evoke emotional empathy and at the same time use above filming principles all in one project.

Using the scene above, I would like to investigate the fluidity of the transition from the static movement shot to the Close Up of The Roman’s face, which leads to the progression of the story. What will the outcome be? Will the transition be too jarring? Or will it punctuate the emotional resonance I am trying to achieve in this scene? And if it turns out incongruous and incompatible, could the application of 2D animated static-movement techniques (i.e. Studio Ghibli films) help even this out?

We start with the basics first, so like above, capturing the emotions before moving on to something like an action scene or ones with lots of movement.

In approaching this investigation here’s a list of to-do’s:

  • Make my own cinemagraph…or a thousand because practice makes perfect
  • Ask the fellow padawan learners and J. Master Paul of what he thinks of above
  • Re: feedback, work on writing a shot-list/script
  • Create a mood board
  • Presentation of ideas to class for feedback
  • We start from there

ps. A sample mood from Julien Douvier, simulacres, simulation

Posted on in Media, Production, Ways of Making

Initiative post: inspiration and the study of Static Movement

On my previous blog posts, I have listed a number of directorial inspirations who all shape my creative endeavour in the industry. I focused on Studio Ghibli’s master filmmaker Hayao Miayazaki for a number of reasons that are all encompassed under simplicity and the essence of the human condition. I would like to point out one of the main reasons as to why I think the 2D animation of Studio Ghibli (complemented superbly by a powerful and evoking story), encapsulates this simplicity and essence in an almost indecipherable way to those who are entranced by them:

Static Movement.

You may think that this is a contradiction, but I’ll give you a few scrolls down to see for yourself the very meaning of this phrase.

86f39e836a26b90273ed9bd2d05d6671

ce546633dfd35a3c66e8b40568c2a169

 

tumblr_o4ksimz1a11uzu9lyo1_500

tumblr_o27yrsMdrf1v1u6k0o1_500

I inundated myself with titles upon titles from Studio Ghibli and of the same type of animated feature films as an investigative initiative, propelling myself to come down to a conclusion as to why animated feature films really does “soothe the spirit” and envelop you in its fictional reality better than some fictional realities of non-animated feature films.

I found Julien Douvier‘s cinemagraphs, a combination of cinema and photography (black and white photos above), as the answer to the enigma of static movement. Miyazaki doesn’t just choose a certain character (mostly the protagonist) in his films to show movement and action, but he complements this with one another feature in the scene that moves before he completely makes everything else static so the viewers are attuned to only what moves. Miyazaki builds upon the innate ability of humans to sense movement and draws his viewers through this and the explicitness of it, thus making for a profound play on the senses.

Example: the everyday and the mundane

tumblr_nwlp703fEq1slsovvo1_500

Miyazaki juxtaposes the idiosyncrasies of fantasy and realism in an understated energy that flows though the powerful tool of scene selections. The sounds of the scratching of pen on paper, the scene of the protagonist turning a prawn tempura cooking on oil (above), or even a character simply breathing. In previous studies of films and even in writing books and novels, most discourage the inclusion of the everyday, the mundane or the innate (the human elements that we take for granted i.e. breathing) for it does not egg the story on.

But that is the power behind these films: the marriage of static movement and the inclusion of the mundane. Instead of jarring the viewers, they are instead given a different form of entry into the world of the characters that you are following on screen, you are given entry to not just what matters to the advancement of the story, but to them as characters whether they be a child or an adult, a slippery monster or a gigantic frog.

 

Technicalities:

I did my internship with a great team, super talented, incredibly professional and who knew the ins and outs the film life very well. I admired the director because she knew exactly what kind of shot she wanted and what lens to use specifically in each shot and when the cinematographer would ask if this length is good, she would sometimes agree and sometimes she would suggest a different length instead and I know for sure that to learn this is very very supercalifragilisticexpialidocious- important.

These above gifs make it seem really simple and easy but how does one actually do it? Please, someone actually explain this to me because I will be extremely grateful. And depth of field, I am still very much at a loss as to how to calculate this and how to actually do this using a cameras but I WILL KNOW by the end of this class and don’t you forget it!

Anywho,

Inspired:

Under this context, I venture off in this class particularly, to study the elements of cinemagraph (how exactly to do this using a video camera) and static movement, and to play around with characters and actions and cinematography that would yield results similar to above: an experience of the human condition and the simplicity of realism and fantasy at the same time.

I am also very much interested in learning the the basic technicalities of types of lenses and depth of field to be able to further experiment and successfully make happen combination of cinemagraph and static movement for my final project.

 

Final Project Inspiration:

For my final project, I have decided to research, build upon and produce a project that is focused on static movement. This could be a non-animated short that feels like and is shot using the principles of static movement and cinemagraph. More on this very soon!

Posted on in Media, Production, Ways of Making

Exercises on Capture and Edit: Three-shot

I enjoyed this particular exercise for the reason that though it was rough, the team was able to pull together, find a location, and think up a sequence of shots on our feet, film it and rock and roll through the editing process.

Title: Blissception
Scenario: Bliss ties her shoelaces, gets up, walks towards the elevator, enters then exits out on a different level.
Goofs: *spoiler alert* Continuity goof because which floor did we start in again?

Types of shots:

  • CLOSE UP – tying of shoelace
  • WIDE SHOT + PAN – Bliss gets up and walks towards the elevator doors
  • LONG SHOT – Bliss presses the elevator button and enters
  • MID SHOT – Bliss enters the elevator, turns around to press the button and the elevator door closes
  • MID TO CLOSE-UP SHOT – Elevator doors open and Bliss walks out straight towards the camera before FADE

Simple, quick and easy. The main character is motivated and goes through each shot with ease. Shooting the scenes in sequence allowed us more time to shoot other shots (i.e. establishing shot of the elevator numbers going up/down) that then in turn, helps in the editing process.

I know that on a professional film set, it is rare to shoot films in sequence (Paradise Road team, I salute you) but that is exactly why it is important to have a SHOT LIST that dictates what will be shot on certain days and the kind of shots these will be too. These are important for the editors, especially, to make their work a lot easier also.

Learning learning.

Choosing your shots wisely gives the final product colour and texture. Unlike in the first exercises we did in class where most were simply mid-shots and wide/long-shots of this or that that was, for no better word, boring, it is useful to think up of a scenario and picture it not as you would see it with your naked eye but see it as one would see it on screen or whilst you’re reading a book or even dreaming. An example of such experimentation (because we know what the outcome will look like) below:

Posted on in Production, Ways of Making

Exercises on Capture and Edit: Abstract Image

Abstract Sound & Vision Exercise

During the Abstract exercises, I conclude that my strength is filming intimate, subject-driven shots and that my weakness…is the very same thing. Whilst editing the footage we captured, I was struck-dumb in three things things, mostly: one, we did not have enough shots to work with, two, it may/may definitely have been a hot day and my brain was a fried, burnt egg, and three, I could not think of a story that will put two and two together to create even a something. I do not have the edited footage right now but I will update once I’ve got them compressed and exported, but I hit a stump staring at our footage we captured. I tried to add some effects like slow-motion and some form of colour distortion to make the video appear bizarre and poetic (yeah, right). That made me feel worse.

I reflect on the fact that natural-occurring sounds in this exercise is the bane of my existence BUT, I could work around this by removing the sounds and adding a music track instead because abstract videos are often not dictated by a narrative and I need to embed that in the back, front and sides of my head. Sound has a profound power that can give meaning to what seems to be inconceivable. 

After having a quick chat with our Jedi Master Paul and further explaining to him what I want to get out of the course, he motions me to focus instead on the other exercise (whose name escapes me) that focuses on shots, framing and composition. However, with abstract image, I am still determined to overcome this particular creative bane of mine and experiment on what sounds and music could do. It would help particularly since I am also learning much about documentary studies and the incredibly contradicting cinema verité and how this form of documentary is motivated by the all-seeing behind-the-scenes eye of the filmmaker.

How does the filmmaker do it? How did D.A. Pennebaker collapse the footages in “Don’t Look Back (1967) because I, personally did not enjoy the abstract ride he put me through mostly because I felt that nothing was going on and nothing was motivated to push the theme forward. If there even was a theme?