Tag Archives: test

film/tv reflection test 4, question 8

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HJXolkZK5k

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

making the lenny was a really good and useful experience, especially to help prepare us for filming our major project in a few weeks.

the most important thing i found was the impact of being unprepared. we had nothing prepared prior and so a lot of time was wasted just trying to decide what to do. this will be especially helpful because now i know that going into our filming day we need to have absolutely everything prepared and mapped out so that we know exactly what to do. we lost so much time trying to work out where to film, what angles and shot sizes to use, who would play the character and how to do each shot when instead we could have just been filming. because of this issue, we did not have enough time to film a number of shots that we wanted to so we need to make sure that we are completely planned and prepared when we shoot our film so that we don’t lose any important shots.

the other thing i learnt was about making decisions. because i am directing our film, i was director of the lenny so this made going in unprepared even more difficult and stressful. standing there with 4 people looking to you and ask what to do is pretty stressful and made me a little anxious. but once we actually got started i realised that rather than worry about what i was doing or what the others would think, i just had to make decisions and go with them. i learnt that there is no point sitting, worrying and deliberating over something, but rather i just need to decide and agree with my choice and use that to move forward. i think this was the greatest thing i got out of the lenny excerise because it really trained me for directing my crew and how to trust myself.

film/tv test 3 – question 3

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From the week 4 lecture describe at least two reasons why we ‘shoot to edit’?

two reasons why we “shoot to edit” are control/continuity and timing.

shooting a film in chronological order (going by the storyboard) is a very time consuming process. certain things may only be able to be filmed at certain times and there could be shots or scenes on opposite ends of the film that occur in the same location or with similar shot set ups. it is far easier and more time conserving for everyone to shoot to edit rather than shoot chronologically so that shots that are aesthetically similar or in the same location are filmed together.

shooting to edit also allows for far greater control over all aspects of the shot being taken. far greater detail and attention can be paid to each individual aspect of every shot because they can be filmed, refilmed and refilmed again to cover for any necessary issues. this includes shooting for shot coverage and continuity, making sure that each take covers the ending of the previous shot and beginning of the next shot so that when the film is taken to the editing studio there will not be any missing seconds or continuity issues. for each individual shot lighting and setting and props and sound must be individually adjusted so shooting shots or scenes that have similar set ups will not only save time but allow for much greater control of these elements.

film/tv test 2 – question 1

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In the film Clown Train how does sound contribute to the atmosphere of this film? Describe what you heard? Can you make reference to another genre film and how they utilise sound to create tension and a unique filmic space?

the sound, along with lighting, are the most important factors in the film “clown train”. while the flickering lights do at to the overall suspense, it’s the music and sounds (or lack of sounds sometimes) that actually create the mood, drama and suspense of the film. the soundscape at the beginning of the film creates the entire environment before anything is even seen. not only can we tell that the film will be taken on some mode of public transport, but the soundscape has an eerie feel to it that leaves the audience uneasy. the distinct lack of any other sound except for dialogue while the characters are talking further enhances this, making it seem all the more isolated and tense. the sound effects, such as the noise of the flickering lights and the dramatic beats after certain things the clown says or does again just reinforce this eerie and tense scene and puts the entire focus one what is being said rather than try to watch the background. the creepy music slowly builds while the clown is telling the joke which increases the suspense as both the other guy and the audience is unsure of where the clown is going or what he’s going to do. all these different sounds and the occasional lack of sounds combine to make a thoroughly creepy film.

although not necessarily a genre film, there is a scene in the Hunger Games: Catching fire that demonstrates similar sound techniques. most significant is the lack of sound used. at the end of their first day in the arena, katniss’s alliance goes to sleep while she sits up to keep watch. we see her looking around at the others and feeling tired when all of a sudden, all the sound cuts out and all we hear is her breathing. this creates an incredible amount of tension and suspense. even though all the audience can see is katniss’s face in the close up, they know something bad is about to happen by the lack of any background sound. this use of silence seems vital in creating the mood for suspense scenes or films as it excentuates the characters actions and emotions and makes the audience become ultra-aware of their surroundings. like in clown train, the misc then begins to very softly build once katniss see’s the fog. however, it is still eerily silent. once she touches the fog, all sound returns in a sudden and very loud manner and the audience is shocked right back into the scene, similar to the sudden sound effects and increase in music used in clown train after specific things the clown says or does.

i believe that it is the relationship between silence and sound that play the most vital role in creating atmosphere in a horror or suspense film. without this relationship, there would be no tension.