Assignment #2

What you were trying to achieve in terms of critically communicating about Symmetry and the Arc Shot in Film and explain the method in which the editing process was used to attempt this?

The arc shot is defined by Deguzman (2023) as a “360 degree shot…orbits the camera around a subject.” Traditionally in film, the camera is stagnant while the subject is moving, however, the arc shot subverts this, making the movement in the shot come from the camera. This type of shot is used to centralize the audience’s gaze on the subject. If there are multiple subjects in a scene it can also create tension or unity. For my project, I implemented this theme of tension in the first scene. The camera is slowly moving around the two subjects as they are stagnant sitting at a round table. What is a seemingly normal interaction, is then building pressure by this constant moving around these two characters. We know that this is an office as the arc shot allows me to capture different aspects of the setting. Tension is also achieved through the editing process, adding in sound that has a momentous build-up to the moment he gets fired. To break this tension it then cuts to a mid-close-up of the boss mouthing the words “blah blah blah” with a muffled voiceover on top of a ringing sound. While we are hearing this the shots are overlayed creating a disorientating effect. As he closes his eyes and opens them again the colour changes from a cold white hue to purple. This edit was signifying a flashback of when he got fired. As Risk (2020) suggests colour in film has the ability to affect us emotionally without being aware of it. In the editing process, I colour-graded each scene so that the viewer would subconsciously be able to feel what the subject is feeling. Throughout the middle portion of the video, there are several 180-degree arc shots side by side. Symmetry is also set up here having him lay in the middle of his bed with pillows on each side. As the story continues the camera moves around the one subject demonstrating how isolated and unmotivated this character is. The arc shots stay the same because he has not changed positions which is symbolic of what is happening in his life. It then goes to another overlayed scene where the colour is changed to blue. Signifying his feelings of sadness and disorientating dizzy effect for the audience to show how out of control his life has gotten. This is supported by the music and sound effects edited on top. Having multiple sounds at once becomes overwhelming while he seems to be dissociating. The arc shots throughout are cut beside traditional mid or close-ups to draw the viewer’s attention to something else like what his searching for on his laptop. When he finally gets up from bed the music and lighting change at the same time as the camera moves around him in a 360 degree shot. The music is light and momentous, while the lighting changes to warm and yellow/orange. Complimenting what we see on screen and suggesting to the viewer that he has had a breakthrough. Overall the editing process was greatly used in conjunction with the arc shot to portray an emotional story to the viewer through sound, colour and orbiting of the camera.

How did your preproduction/production/post production process go and what would you do differently/improve next time?

My Pre-production process consisted of producing an elevator pitch that explored a storyline that could follow a three-act structure. It centres around one person to make the focal point, and how their surroundings change, as 360 degrees can take in more of a setting than most shots. The genre has a mix of drama and elements of a dark comedy. After my idea was set I continued by drawing up storyboards. Inspiration for colouring came from Euphoria( 2019) and Drive (2011) where there was high contrast from lighting. Inspiration for my arc shot came from an example we watched in class from Inglorious Basturds(2009) where they sit around a table with the camera moving 360 degrees around the subjects. After the storyboards were complete, I continued writing a script for the first act of my film. Finally, I did test lighting with my subject to see what shades of blue would be achieved. Next time I would prepare better for sound during the dialogue scene as I didn’t have time to organise sound equipment.

During production, I filmed using a DSLR for the first act of the film as I wanted it to mimic a more professional and pristine aesthetic for the office environment. It was then switched to recording on my iPhone for the last two acts. I chose to do this method to further develop this theme of technology taking over his life gradually. Our point of view is from a screen because that is what he is fixated on. We feel this shift from observer to a more intimate position when we switch the camera. Lighting was also a major aspect of production that led to the emotional arc of the film. I already had a coloured bulb in my room which I could use with a remote to quickly change colours. However next time I believe the production process would have gone more smoothly with some sort of stabilizing object for the cameras. I found it extremely difficult to move around the subject steadily, especially on a mattress. Also in one scene my camera focusing was an issue that I mistakenly overlooked during production.

Postproduction was a vital step in achieving the story I needed. I took priority in colour grading and sound design to develop the emotional weight of the story. In the first two acts of the film, there is constant white noise after he gets fired, which was designed to make you feel overwhelmed and detached from what’s happening. This is also achieved by overlaying two shots which reoccurs in the film in moments where he is losing a sense of control. There is also a reoccurring sound effect that is loud and momentous whenever there is a climax in the film eg. getting fired and later getting inspired. This is done purposely through editing that signals to the audience how to feel. In my next project, I would like to focus on experimenting more with abnormal editing to further develop my character’s disorientating feelings.

What you thought the most and least successful parts of your Symmetrical Arc Shot were, and why so?

I believe the most successful element of my film was my sound design and lighting in its ability to move the story. I was also able to achieve symmetrical balance in the arc shots by having the setting and surroundings be equal on each side like the office and his bedroom. As the arc shot is so unique I knew my film had to have unique elements that would complement the arc shot. Lighting was central to the story, especially in the last two acts where we see conflict and the solution being him rotting in bed to then inspired to get up and finally leave his room. The dominant coloured lighting was a significant mode of storytelling to represent the character’s feelings. Also, the secondary lighting from his screen is equally important to note, as its what lights his face but also creates a contrast between what he is seeing and reality around him. He is lit up by his laptop but around him is a dark-filled messy room that goes unnoticed by him because he is distracted. The sound element was also a huge part of expressing the tone and genre of the film. There are comedic elements in the film like the title, the boss and the TED talk but ultimately it had a more serious underlying tone that was conveyed through sound. I also believe my film had a successful three-act structure that was still experimental by the use of flashbacks and unique editing. The sound and music were a successful element in my film in communicating how the audience is supposed to feel and adding a layer of depth that creates a more cinematic atmosphere. My least successful element would be the steadiness of the shots. Although it can complement the style of the story of him losing his self-control. I would also note that the first scene’s sound wasn’t as successful as I would have liked it to be and would change in the future.

Make reference to (and cite correctly) at least 3 ideas from the weekly required readings and demonstrate a critical appreciation and understanding of the key texts.

For this project, I was inspired by colour in film and how Risk (2020) describes how it can enhance storytelling. We previously looked at Wes Anderson for symmetry which was applied to this film but he is also an inspiration for his use of colour and the importance it has in his style of filmmaking. For this project, I was more inspired by neon lighting that creates high contrast between lights and dark tones. Risk continues to imply the importance that colour has in the overall effect of what we see in the frame. While Wes Anderson uses balanced (bright) tones when showing a depressed character, I wanted to have the opposite. The colours (dark) mimic his depressed tone. As Risk mentions there are different components of colours. Hue, saturation and brightness all evoke distinct feelings. I relied heavily on these components during production and post-production to establish them as a major part of the mis-en-scene of my film.

References:

Risk, Mary. 2020. How to Use Color in Film: 50+ Examples of Movie Color Palettes. [Online]. Available at https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-use-color-in-film-50-examples-of-movie-color-palettes/

Deguzman, Kyle. 2023. The Arc Shot- Examples and Camera Movements Explained. [Online]. Available at https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/arc-shot-in-film-definition/

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