This week we focussed on our proposals and what we would like to achieve by the end of semester.

In Wednesday’s class I started thinking about the end result. I know that by the end of semester I would like to have created a scene. I now need to start thinking about how I am going to achieve that. At this stage, I believe that I will need to a lot of research and exploration into what aspects of a scene I would like to focus on.

These are some of my initial thoughts and ideas on my scene:

I am going to try identify myself within the scene that I create.

I am not trying to make a scene that is narratively entertaining, I want to have a pure focus on the art of the scene, the coverage, the performance, the lighting, the location, framing, mise en scene. I find it exciting to produce something that is not concerned with narrative. I feel as though my past short films have had a sole focus on story. I have judged my film on whether or not the story is a success rather than the visual product being a success. I like the idea of not having to think about the cause and effect of the scene within a narrative.

I am going to focus on having a vision for my shots- could look at other directors visions.

I would like to focus on the movements of the camera and the shot coverage-want to experiment with different shots-trying to create dynamic camera movements.

I think that it is important to shoot to edit. I want to make sure I think about how my shots are going to work when it comes to editing

I would like to centralise my scene around how it looks visually, particularly by having a focus on the framing.

I want to work from a script that my friend has written- I don’t want it to be a conventional script- I just want the script to contain the one scene which is specifically for my shoot.

I don’t want much dialogue within my scene and I want to restrain myself to one location.

Epiphany:

My epiphany this week came from a practical exercise that we did in class which focussed on spatial continuity. I realised that you can cheat with the camera and cheat the background. With the camera and our actors we created an illusion of the background which made it appear as though our location only had black walls. Once again, just by picking up the camera and putting it into practice I was making discoveries that I wouldn’t otherwise find just by reading.

Starting and Serendipity.

With every piece of work that I do, whether it be writing this blog post to making a scene, I have trouble starting. Starting a project and starting the methodology is by far the most daunting part because I have a fear of it not turning out as planned. Overall, I would like for my scene to be aesthetic, convey style and stimulate emotion. If this isn’t my final result, I will have learnt something from the process of creating my scene and hopefully serendipity will take place. Paul introduced me to the wonderful word ‘serendipity’ in Film-TV and it has become part of my everyday thinking. When something goes wrong, something bad happens or something doesn’t turn out how you wanted it to be there is always something good or even better that comes from it.

Just the Visual- Moments of silence and stillness.

I would like to try and create a scene with little to no dialogue and moments of stillness and silence. I want my audience to be focussed on the movement of the actor and the aesthetics of the scene. I believe that moments of silence speak louder than words.  In the pre-production stages of my scene, I want to start with just creating the visuals. These visuals will be silent shots of the characters which tell the audience something through movement and performance. I aim to convey as much information to the audience through visuals and performance. Any information that I cannot show to my audience through the visuals will then be shown through dialogue and then through music. I believe that dialogue and music is used to tell the audience something that they don’t already know from the visuals. The dialogue and music should only be used to stimulate feelings within the audience that cannot otherwise be created through visuals. Therefore, when filming my scene, I want to have a wide array of shot coverage, incorporating every element of information within my scene and about my character before sounds play their part.

When we began shooting our scenes at the start of this course we knew that there were going to be flaws in our performance. None of us are experienced with acting in front of the camera, we haven’t been trained, and we haven’t practiced. Our understanding of the performance is limited to the actors we observe in films, the performance of our everyday life, our mannerisms, expressions and body language.

In the scenes that we have filmed so far, particularly the “stairs” scene from week 4, the performance has been mostly improvised. At no point have the actors practised their lines or had time to get personal with the characters in which they are performing. They have been directed where to stand and where to move around the space but there has been little emphasis on the overarching detailed aspects of performing such as facial expressions, mannerisms, speaking and body language. Our focus has been on shot coverage, framing, composition and movement. The fact that our focus has purely been centred around the camera rather than the performance has allowed the actors to work with no pressure and no expectation.

In Schechner’s Performance Studies: An Introduction (2013 p28) the notion of performance is explored:

‘To perform is to do something up to standard-to succeed-to excel […] performances mark identities, bend time, reshape and adorn the body, and tell stories.’

In the “stairs” scene, there were problems with continuity, the space didn’t allow much room for performance and the camera work didn’t show the details of the character’s facial expressions. Despite this, it was still a performance that ‘succeeded’ and ‘excelled’ as the actors stood in front of the camera confidently delivering their lines-without training or much rehearsal.

When editing the “stair” scene and reviewing the performance, I noticed it difficult to match up the shots as the actors were inconsistent with their actions and movements. This is largely due to the fact that the actors were improvising in front of the camera. It would have been good if we had someone working on the continuity whilst we were shooting so that the scene looked more fluid when edited.

On the Friday of week 5 we filmed another scene which involved two actors, an ‘executive team’ and ‘support crew’. I found this to be a much more successful performance as the actors expressions were clearly depicted on camera. We tried to give the actors motivations and goals for the actors by making it more personal to them. At first, the performance seemed uncomfortable and awkward but after a few rehearsals the actors became more comfortable in front of the camera. Still we no expectations set upon our actors, they felt that they could improvise more and take risks with their accents and body movements.

Something that I have noticed throughout most of the performances within this course is that they have been comedic and somewhat unrealistic- this might have something to do with our lack of experience with acting. I found it interesting nevertheless and I am wondering how we could perform something more serious and realistic. I feel as though rehearsing the lines, mannerisms and body language before shooting would help to eliminate the awkward comedic performances.

Another aspect that I am interested in with regards to performance is the difference between a theatre performance and a performance on camera.

What does the camera do for the performance that theatre does not?

-the camera can capture the facial expressions of the character in close ups

-the camera can create visual motifs and symbols connected to a performance which theatre cannot.

-the camera can use point of view to allow the audience to see a subjective performance.

The performer conducts themselves differently on a stage in front of an audience in comparison to how they conduct themselves on camera. Their actions, body language, mannerisms and expressions are much more dramatic and emphasised on the stage so that the audience can capture the story and emotion. The performance on camera is much more subtle as the close ups can clearly capture every detail of actor’s expressions and body language. If a theatre performance were to occur on camera it would appear melodramatic and ultimately unrealistic.

References:

Schechner, R 2013, Performance Studies:An Introduction, 3rd edn, Routledge, Abingdon, England.

I wasn’t in class to film our “stair” scene however I still found it a valuable exercise when it came to editing the scene together. The space that we used for this scene looks as though it was quite restricting and difficult to film in. There are distracting background sounds and the lighting is not ideal, however the sound and lighting was not our focus. Our focus was on the shot coverage and how we could effectively use the space to create a short scene for editing.

The scene opens with a medium-long shot of the stairs which helps to establish the location. The two characters walk from the lower left corner of the frame, in front of the camera in a close up and then position themselves in a medium shot. Character 1 stops walking on the stairs near the centre of the frame, his head is slightly cut off at the top of the frame as he looks down at character 2. Character 2 stops walking, positioned in the lower right corner of the frame as she looks down and then looks up to talk to character 1.  The camera is static throughout this shot. As character 1 begins to walk up the stairs his head is cut out of frame. The shot then cuts to a medium shot of character 2 looking down and talking to someone who is positioned at a lower level on the stairs. The stair rail is in the foreground of the shot and character 2 is positioned near the end point of the rail. The stair rail distracts us in this shot and we are unable to see the face of character 2 or 3. There is also too much head room above character 2. This shot then cuts to an over the shoulder shot of character 3 looking up at character 2 and talking. Character 3 is positioned to the right of the frame, we can only see a little bit of his head and shoulder as he looks up at character 2 who is framed in a medium-long shot. Both characters are positioned awkwardly within the frame and the shot doesn’t look balanced. There is too much head room above character 2 and she is not positioned in the centre of the frame. The low angle is quirky but may have been more effective if the characters were slightly closer together on the stairs as we don’t really get to see the details of their facial expressions. The shot then cuts back to the previous shot of character 2 positioned at the end of the stair railing, we still are unable to see character 3’s face properly. The conversation continues between the characters, alternating between these two shots but the camera coverage never allows us to come up close and personal with the characters. I would have liked to have been able to clearly see their facial expressions in a close up shot. The next shot is an over the shoulder of character 1 looking down at character 2 who is framed in a long shot.  The stair rail can still be scene within this shot and within each shot can be seen as an object which helps to direct our eyes to the characters. In this particular shot our eye is drawn down to character 2 as she makes her way back up the stairs. The shot then cuts to character 2 walking in front of the camera where we can only see her back and arms as she makes her way up the stairs. In this shot we get more of a glimpse of character 3’s face however the stair railing is still blocking most of him and he is positioned in a long shot which makes it more difficult to see his face. The camera cuts back to the over the shoulder shot from behind character 3. Character 3 turns towards the camera and walks out the right side of frame as character 2 is positioned in the left corner of the screen walking up the stairs. The scene ends after character 2 has walked past the camera out the right side of the frame.

The camera is static throughout all of these shots. I would have liked to have scene more movements with the camera to create variety in the shots.

In this week’s Wednesday class we watched over the door and stair scenes that were shot on Friday. In seeing these scenes we noticed a few problems with the continuity and with shot coverage. Being inexperienced actors, it is really hard for them to remember the positioning and actions that were made in previous shots-this made it tricky during the editing process to produce a fluid and smooth scene to watch. I don’t believe that there was enough variety to the shots within the scene- they could have been filmed from different angles and perspectives. This would have allowed for a much more dynamic scene. If we were to have used varying shots within the scene, there would have been more room for experimentation and alternatives throughout the editing process.

Once again, the framing is an aspect that still needs work. Next time, I would like to emulate the shots from a film in a scene that has stood out to me. I feel as though it would help me gain a better understanding of the camera coverage, movements and framing. Paul also suggested that a good way to set up the framing and plan the shots for the scene is to take photos on your smartphone. I think this is a really great way to help create the vision for the film and allow all collaborators to see exactly what it is that the director is aiming to achieve.

On Friday, we collaborated with a group to create two scenes (one long-take and one regular scene) working off a script. The collaboration process and choosing the roles felt fast paced and rushed, however, I feel as though everyone is starting to grasp a solid understanding of how to shoot a scene efficiently and successfully. I thoroughly enjoyed shooting the long-take as I was able to compare it to the long-take we did in our first class of Semester. The acting is less daunting now and the film crew is much more decisive. Our group was good at thinking about the actors positioning within the long-take. We wanted to choreograph the actors in an interesting and aesthetic way.

Epiphany:

This week I grasped the notion of filming to edit. It is really important to think about how the film is going to look when it is cut together in post-production. I have realise that planning and storyboarding is essential in order to cover as many shots as possible. As a result of this, dynamic coverage can be achieved and there are varying scene possibilities to work with in the editing suites.

Identifying my vision. Identifying my themes. Questioning my artistic identity.

I have decided that I want to focus on creating a scene that I care about, something that is personal to me. The book,  Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics (Rabiger 2003) conveys that it is much more likely the work will be ‘intense’ if it is something that is personal to the director. Ragiber explains that it is important to make sure that ‘your early filmmaking’ is not ‘just an exercise in skills but about something’ (2003, p. 24). I think that if I am using a script that my friend has written and that I have had an input in I will be more likely to create something distinct and successful.

Being an individual creator of film, a film artist. An “auteur” cinema.

Within all the tasks that we are doing in class, the focus has been centralised on creating your own individual scene. When I think of our work as being individual I immediately think back to the work of the Cahiers du Cinema.  If film is seen as an art form then there must be an artist in the creation of the art (Thomson-Jones 2008, p.40). According to the Truffaut and the Cahiers critics, auteur film ‘bears the mark of an original and creative cineaste’ (Thomson-Jones p. 40). In this course I keep wondering how the scene can be my own- how do I leave my mark and style in what I produce? We are always cooperating with others in order to make a scene so what can determine the scene as belonging to me?

In the book, Aesthetics & Film, Thomson-Jones explains that the director can be

‘the sole author of a film because his role in supervising and coordinating the activities of others determines the aesthetic significance of the film’.

She further states that there can be multiple authors for a film depending on whether their role ‘determines the aesthetic significance of the film’. She explains that there are lots of different ‘artistic collaborators’ who work on a film.

Taking Thomson-Jones’ notion of the author into account, I believe that in creating my own scene I will be collaborating with others who help to produce the aesthetics of the scene.

My individual style and mark will be evident in the way that I direct and fundamentally evident in the artistic selections I make-whether they are ideas from my collaborators or myself.

References:

Thomson-Jones K 2008, Aesthetics & Film, 1st edn, MPG Books Ltd, England.

Bazin asks, ‘What is Cinema?’, and Metz replies, ‘cinema is a language’.

In Aesthetics & Film Thomson-Jones touches on the codes specific to film and the message of the film to its viewers. I’m thinking about how I can apply a message within my scene; something for my viewers to unravel. I have always been interested in the semiotics of film and thought it would be interesting to focus on semiotics when making my own scene. In pre-production, I aim to think about the connotations of my shots; I want my shots to have symbolic meaning. I’m not thinking quite as deep as Metz when I look into my scene- I don’t feel as though cinema is a language, however, I do like to think about the symbols and meanings in the production and post-production of my scene.

(Thomson-Jones 2008 p. 62)

Thinking about the role of the actors and performance within a scene. I think it’s really important to block the scene to determine how the actors will move within the space of the scene. The blocking of the actors can allow for a more planned and concise shot construction. I worked on a short film recently which had a 7 minute long-take. Within this 7 minutes of filming, the actors had specific spots marked out which guided their movements during the scene. During the pre-production stages of the long-take, a choreographer worked with the actors. The choreographer was needed to create a visually pleasing scene in which the actors moved naturally within the space. Choreographing the actors within a scene is something that I would like to employ within my scene. Does the choreographing create a sense of theatrical performance rather than cinematic performance however? This fine line between cinematic and theatrical performance is prevalent in the film, ‘Birdman’ which uses many long-takes throughout.