Initially, I had the idea of capturing performances and the process leading up to a performance such as dance, solo singers, bands, street entertainers etc. and experimenting with interesting ways of capturing the movements they create in doing so. However, after discussing with Robin I realised it could easily end up leading too much in to music video production, which may result in something much less intelligent or appropriate to our studio.
My second idea is one that I feel really excited about. One which will be quite a challenging yet satisfying endeavour for myself and will aid in the progression to improve my camera skills. I’ll be looking at a kind of performance which doesn’t involve direct music, therefore – much more unlikely that it will end up seeming naive. I’ll be focusing on the coverage of skating, rollerblading and cycling. Showing the way the body can adapt to working with wheels as mode of transport rather than on foot as nature intended.
Asides dabbling over my lifetime, I’ve not had all that much to do with skating itself, although I am very interested in it as a skill. I decided this may be an opportunity to explore interesting ways of documenting the skill, movement, balance and coordination it takes to use the array of wheeled objects. Documenting skating particularly, will take me quite far out of my comfort zone.
Another thought I had was looking into how point of view (POV) shots are used. I may decide to focus solely on this with a range of topics, or I may just incorporate it into my skating idea to give more variety in the scenes I create. I’m happy about this choice as I think it will be really exciting and adventurous, so I feel like I will end up just incorporating POV into the concept theme
NOTES ON CLIPS IN EXAMPLE MONTAGE FOR PRESENTATION
PARANOID PARK
Experimental, uneasy, often off centre, distorted, seems home-video-esque, one very long take
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Clean shots, quick cuts – builds drama of the chase, use of shot cuts at the end very impressive and has been skilfully edited to appear as though the jumps happened smoothly and gives different perspectives to keep it interesting for viewers
LORDS OF DOGTOWN
Establishing shot of the size of the pool, the camera bobs around almost as if it’s emulating water, the size of the bowl is accentuated when the guys are all touching the walls and all you can see around them is primarily the blue of the bowl, the shots up at the guys who are outside of the pool also accentuate this, more personal – close up shots are used when they are actually doing the tricks and even closer are the ones emphasising the failures – showing the risk in the hobby
AIRBORNE
Swaying shots which follow the side-to-side motion of rollerblading
GOLD
Use of the roller skaters disappearing as they travel away from the camera holds a mysterious and distancing aspect which may be interesting to explore, the shot trailing off away from the women also gives a different kind of distancing effect
THE QUIET SEASON
Simple establishing and relatively easy to achieve shots which remain aesthetically pleasing
BMX BANDITS
Establishes that the actors are preparing for something active and maybe dangerous, gives glimpses of what is to come, the shots under the bikes and along the pedals are interesting and definitely aid in getting viewers to feel like their part of the action
In class we were asked to think of an idea which we would like to focus on in terms of exploring coverage of a scene. We will be choosing a topic and sticking to it for the next five weeks of our studio – so making the right choice will be important! Robin has told us not to worry too much for now about whether our ideas are totally right for us, because even after we present our ideas to the class next week – we are still able to adjust or change them entirely. Right now it’s more a matter of brain storming!
I’ve emailed Robin about my idea of covering performance. Dance. Bands. Solo singers. Street performers. I’m interested in exploring more experimental ways of filming and capturing their movement in their performances. Documenting the processes in the lead-up and the actual performance.
I’ve yet to find some inspiration on performance documentation which pushes several boundaries, but I do like the Black Swan dance clip as a starting point:
I think I’m drawn to the jolty actions which heighten a kind of stress from a form of dance which is generally elegant and soothing.
Here’s a video of a music video I got to be a part of when I was younger, I’m really inspired by the way this is filmed as it cuts between two different scenarios. I got to see how it was all filmed and found it captivating at the time, watching the technical side of it. Sort of gives me ideas of how I may film something in its vain as well…
Clearly, it’s a music video but I feel like it does tell a story which is left to the interpretation of its viewers.
“It can happen that a particular scene thought out at a desk doesn’t work when you drop it into that particular environment and it is necessary to transform it, modify it.” – Michelangelo Antonioni
This reading on Michelangelo Antonioni was really interesting, because I haven’t really seen many of his films and I wasn’t really aware of how much of an influence he had been in the craft of direction in film. It’s clear that he had a very important role in the way directing developed to execute creative visions.
Upon discussion and understanding of découpage, a plan of action in creating a film through segmentation, Antonioni had altered the relevance of this definition of the word. The quote above points out that he had an understanding that découpage of a film must, in segments, be initially constructed and reconstructed to work appropriately to the specific environment it it played-out within.
One of his actors, with very little acting experience, Mark Frechette, while shooting Zabriske Point (1970), noted that “working with a guy with his reputation and with what he knows about cinema” he “wanted to learn something. But he wasn’t teaching.” pp. 168 This frustrated Frechette. Antonioni’s approach to filmmaking was much more of a particular personal vision. He did not feel that the actors needed to understand why he made the creative choices he did because only he himself was aware of what the piece looked like as a whole – after all, it was his ideas that must be presented, under the title of ‘director.’ Frechette’s annoyance of the matter is totally understandable. Yet, these controlling traits of Antonioni have, more often than not, amounted to an end product of excellence – for he would not be so well-known and applauded, if his personal approach had been of a different nature.
Another mention from actor, Vanessa Redgrave, on the topic of shooting Blow-Up (1993), showed example where the actor and director saw eye-to-eye. “He was the first director who I’d worked with to whom it was a matter of absolute importance the shape one made as one sat, where the chair was, where anything was, and the movement or space between, above, below or transecting, that either a living object – a woman – or an inanimate object made.” pp. 176. Redgrave seemed to understand that he aimed to hold focus on what he was creating rather than having to cloud the vision by explaining himself. He drew meaning into everything he placed, positioned and moved within the frame. The shots in their entirety, were seen as a whole – “no one else could see but him.” pp.176.
It seems to me that there is a very obvious notion of potential personality clashes between a director and an actor which can hinder the quality in executing the director’s vision. This may be a reason many directors, such as Wes Anderson, often use the same cast members. They all understand one another and know who wants what.
Cited readings:
Forgacs, David, 2011, ‘Face, body, voice, movement: Antonioni and Actors [Excerpt]’ in Rhodes, John David (ed.) & Rascaroli, Laura (ed.), Antonioni : Centenary essays, Palgrave Macmillan, New York/Basingstoke, pp. 167-181.
Cited films:
Antonioni, Michelangelo.Blow-Up (1993)
Antonioni, Michelangelo.Zabriske Point (1970)
Today’s class was split into two different tasks. The first was Robin explaining to us that we were to gather a rough idea of what we may like to film over the next five weeks of our studio. The second, beginning the editing process of the footage which was shot yesterday.
At first, upon initial explanation, I was really confused about what sort of ideas we were meant to conjure up for our film focus. Robin explained well, but I was still trying to get my head around it. Luckily for me, Robin followed with some really great presentation examples of the kind of ideas we might like to explore. He used film clips to back up his topic choices which really helped to paint a picture and get ideas flowing for me. Two that stood out were example one; ‘Ellipsis’, and example two; which focused on the coverage of ‘running’. Ellipsis looked at putting shots together to appear as though there are missing sequences to question what kind of story can be created from that. It looked at deliberately leaving sections out to create this effect as well as deciding on leaving them out in the editing process to create the effect. The running piece detailed different approaches to following and covering running and how to make it interesting and/or captivating.
I have a vague plan of maybe looking into the way different performances are captured. This could be quite interesting. Looking at the processes and lead up to performance and the actual performance itself.
Our second task of the day was editing the shots captured yesterday, into a cohesive scene. I didn’t have enough time to finish mine unfortunately (and ended up leaving directly after class ended because I felt so sick).
Whilst editing Rob’s scene, I realised there was a major issue of crossing the line. His scene consisted of an investigator (Serena) and a suspect (myself) sitting at either end of a really long table. Shots of both of our faces were taken from over the shoulder of the other. However, Serena’s was captured from one side of the table, and mine from the other. This made the beginning of the scene jolty and very difficult to read. I thought about mirroring the shot but there were too many things in the background which may have looked peculiar if flipped.
Here is an altered excerpt from my friends’ web series called BURBS which I used. The series was shot in suburbs in my hometown, Wellington, New Zealand. I actually was lucky enough to be back home at the time they filmed this episode, so I was able to witness a small-scale production process first-hand. I also got to be an extra, which was hilarious.
The whole series is definitely worth a watch, very impressed with their efforts!
Our filming timeframe was really rushed unfortunately as we ended up having about 5 people in our group and we each only had half an hour to film everything – some went over, some went under. I had Rob play Hamish and Serena playing Alice, they were both really easy to work with which was ideal and helped speed the process along.
I made a shot list to work with and ended up changing things around whilst filming – but it more or less stuck to the basic outline of what I had initially planned. There were a couple of less important shots toward the end which I ended up leaving out as I was afraid that I would go over time and cut down other members’ allocated time.
Tomorrow we will be discussing assessment 3 and then editing in the suites – hopefully we will have time to complete the edit of one of our scenes! Looking forward to having a play with the footage we have collected. As we have to edit someone else’s work from our group, I think I may edit Rob’s as I want to see how the shots look together as he got closer and closer to his subject (myself) when separate lines were said – his aim was to build tension in the dialogue by doing so, so I’m interested to see whether this will shine through or not.
The choice of shots and of camera angles and movements is called découpage. The order and the length of shots correspond to the task we call editing.
– Henri Agel, Le Cinéma (1954)
In this week’s reading, this quote really stood out for me. It helped me to further get my head around what découpage is. Basically, there are several definitions of the term, particularly because it seems to translate differently in every language – this muddies a solid definition and unfortunately leaves us with several variations of what it really means. After delving into Timothy Barnard’s exploration of the term among several different people, it is apparent to me that having knowledge of these altering viewpoints makes découpage seem like a very broad term. It hoods the entirety of what makes up a film. The pre-planned direction of every element involved with the production process. The artistic choices in imagining the film as a sequence of shots which are individual motion-stricken canvases.
Barnard, T. (2014), Découpage. Caboose, Montréal. pp. 3-8
Today our class split into our groups for filming the scene from the script provided by our tutor. Ours was quite a peculiar one to try and understand…
Assigned position of the director, I decided on the blocking for the scene which was to be filmed on the stairwell and in the hall of the edit suites at RMIT. The blocking I decided on seemed to work alright whilst filming. However, myself and another class member had a few disagreements about certain aspects which was frustrating – probably for both of us.
During the process I was concerned about ‘crossing the line.’ I tried to film everything from one side of an imagined line – but I’m not sure what it’s going to look like, or whether I actually managed to achieve staying on one side of the line appropriately.
Because there were many reflective surfaces in the area where we were filming (all the doors) our crew members were seen in the reflections of them whilst filming which was almost impossible to avoid – we did try our best to stay out of them as much as possible though. This is obviously something we would have been able to avoid better if we had another option of where to film.
Although I was not filming today – I struggle to appropriately focus the camera (I feel my eyes aren’t very good at gauging whether something is focused or not). I’m hoping to pick up tips along the way in this studio of how to better my camera-working skills.
I really wish that we had the chance to edit the pieces we’ve worked on, just to see whether they have flow or any potential. I think next week we may have the chance to actually edit something as we were told to bring a script/idea to class with us which we could film in a 30 minute period in our next class – we then will have someone else to edit our shots. I’m looking forward to this task, it won’t be perfect (in only a 30 minute time frame to film, it’s very difficult) but it will allow for a little bit of much-needed practice and time-management in the field.
Over the time I have been using camera equipment, I still don’t feel like I am an expert whatsoever. I have definitely gained more knowledge with the equipment we/I use, but I constantly have to re-learn skills. I have to remind myself through practice, of the creative ways I can use the equipment.
Often I try to keep my ideas relatively simple with what I film. However, I’m getting to a point where I want to challenge myself by trying to capture my content more intricately. I feel as though I will be able to achieve this as long as I put it into more of an everyday practice.
Even when I visit my hometown, Wellington, in New Zealand. I try to capture glimpses of what goes on there to just test out different ways of filming;
(Filmed on a GoPro and Cannon D3100)
(Filmed entirely on iPhone 6)
Obviously these are just mash-ups and don’t tell a particular story, but it does often give example of the camera techniques I’m interested in to make something interesting visually.
My creative aspirations for these sorts of clips are clearly not pre-planned, they’re more a matter of working with what I’ve captured. My creative ideas in the shots are only ones which I think about just before or whilst filming in this case. Normally, when I actually think of a creative idea, plan it out and go forth with it, it doesn’t always turn out the way I intended – and this is usually due to my lack of expertise with my equipment. I find experimenting in the now of filming much more rewarding than actually planning out my creative aspirations and trialling them, but failing. I realise that this is almost a naive way of approaching my work, as pre-planning is extremely important, particularly when a storyline is imagined. When we begin working on our own tasks, I’m definitely going to be attempting a more organised approach, where I lay out my creative ideas and try for appropriate execution of them. Clearly, this may fail on several occasions, but really it’s more important that I work like this and learn from my mistakes – and pick up skills on the way by doing so.
For me, the relationship between creative aspirations and technical skills is rather challenging – as I really don’t like setting my goals too high in case of failing to match my imagined reality. But I do entirely understand that it’s important do go beyond your comfort zone and I plan to do so with my next project.
Today’s class consisted of everyone getting involved and having a role. I ended up having a very small role, as the film clapper! I was really looking forward to actually clapping it – but apparently it wasn’t necessary as we were only using one channel of audio.
Once the class members were assigned roles, we took to our script and worked on it accordingly. We shot the work in alignment with what is written on the sheets and I marked each shot. I’m hoping we get to edit these, but we may begin working on something else.
CREW setting up camera and sound equipment
ACTORS waiting patiently to begin their scene
In this class I learnt that there are a couple of things to have called out in order for everyone to check they’re all ready to begin shooting, it is no longer just ‘lights, camera, action!”
This is called “calling the roll” and the first section is conducted by the first assistant director (1st AD):
1st AD: Quiet on Set! Roll sound.
Sound Recordist: Sound speeds / Speeding.
1st AD: Roll camera.
Camera Operator/s or Cinematographer: Camera speeds./Rolling.
Then the second assistant camera (2nd AC) will slate with the clapper board and call out the current scene and take numbers eg: Scene 25 take 2.
[clapper is clapped to allow the syncing of the audio and video media]
Camera operators cinematographer will say “Set” when their camera is in position and focused properly.
Director or 1st AD: Action.
and once the action is over the Director or 1st AD (or possibly camera operator): Cut.
“Sam and Suzy’s First Encounter”
EXCERPT OF SCENE:
0:00 – 1:35
0:00 – 0:01
CU establishing shot in scene is of a poster which reads “Summer Pageant 1964” production of ‘Noye’s Fludde’ at “St. Jack’s Church” (an opera intended for amateur performers/children) about the biblical story of Noah’s arc. Gives the impression, and sets a premise that the children of the film will be involved in this scene. The poster is of focus as it is centred, so the wording can be appropriately read. On top of this shot, a male singing voice is heard from a seemingly large empty space, this enforces the feeling that, as viewers, we are about to enter a church setting.
0:01 – 0:05
MS fully establishing the location of the play, “St. Jack’s Church” noticeboard teamed with a cross above it, frames the poster in its centre. These two first shots establish the setting of the scene and the singing teamed with it establishes that their is action occurring beyond this point. The performance ‘advertised’ to viewers is currently on.
0:05 – 0:09
MS Noah singing. This character is central action within this frame. We are now seeing the action which we were set up to believe we would see.
0:09 – 0:23 Travelling shot which zooms out to become WLS where Noah is centred at top third of the frame’s composition, the middle and the bottom thirds are taken up by the staging of the arc.
As the camera backs up through the middle aisle (likely by use of crane) between the pews which the audience are seated, the shot accentuates the size of the arc. This gives its viewers a perspective of Noah ruling this large boat as he expresses himself through song, capturing the attention of the audience who face him. Compositionally, he is focused on by use of lighting in this top third. It is not often that action is focused at the very top of the frame with as much negative space as this one. However, this is used to depict height and power, as he is the central character of the play.
The shot, too, allows for the audience of the film to see the imaginative and captivating visual experience which the movement and lighting upon the staging creates.
0:23 – 0:25 MS of centred musical conductor, facing to their left (our right) to conduct the trumpet players. This frame adheres to the central/person of importance aspect which we just experienced with Noah until this point. Sticking to certain compositional features such as this, often creates better flow in and reading of a film.
0:25 – 0:26
M/L WS of audience members with their backs to a wall, looking to their right (our left). This shot assumes that this particular group of audience members are sitting to the right of (while facing) the stage. These audience members are not at all central and they frame the space in which a central character would be positioned; in the middle, between the pews. These characters are mere audience members, therefore do not need the blocking privilege which Wes Anderson provides, to be central. This is not to say that they aren’t important, but the shot has been put here to show a surrounding of ‘the centre of attention’ and draw attention to it by seeming as though they are actively watching the performance.
0:26 – 0:27 M/L WS of audience looking to their left, some even facing to their left (our right). This shot assumes that they are to the left of (while facing) the stage. The same principles as the last shot, apply to this shot as well.
0:27 – 0:39 The camera then switches to an MCU facing an (older) scout in one of the pews, because we have seen other members of the audience looking toward the stage, this assumes the position that he is facing the stage, front on. The scout looks to his left (our right) which signals when to begin the smooth transition into a panning shot, which follows along the line of his vision – to see what has caught his attention.
This shot pans in a sweeping motion across all of the row of seated scouts, coming to a halt at our main character, Sam, who is positioned leaning up on a barrier in front of the pews. He is facing the camera as it stops at his face. This halt of movement centres Sam in a (portrait like) CU shot. This shot establishes that he is potentially doing something he is not meant to be, as the older scout’s attention was drawn to him, away from the action on the stage. The CU details Sam’s fiddling hands and look of boredom. The shot focuses on this facial expressions which deliberates the indication that he may be preparing to ‘escape the boredom.’ He leaves the setting, without regarding the consequences of what anyone else thinks. He does not catch any eye contact with his ‘scout peers’, and this is clear.
0:39 – 0:42
An MS shot to our right of Sam captures him leaving the pews through a gate into a side aisle. The aisle is again, centred to keep up the stylistic continuity.
0:42 – 0:43 This next shot cuts back to an MCU of the first, elder scout we saw before the panning shot, where he has become very alert in noticing Sam leave the audience. The scout watches, failing to capture Sam’s attention. The shot follows Sam (looking stealthily over his left shoulder) as he backs up to the doors of the church. This shot brings the film audience’s attention back to the idea that Sam is doing something he is not meant to.
0:43 – 0:43
MLS of Sam backing up the aisle, centrally framed, but uneasy as it follows him. This shot may be handheld or on a gimbal to create the motion of walking away – making a getaway.
0:47 – 1:02
Cutting to a MLS from outside of the church, establishes the door Sam is about to exit through in his journey, where children who are about to enter the church and perform, are waiting.
The shot turns into a panning/tracking shot of Sam walking out the door. The camera is following his movements as he makes an escape from the audience into the outdoor space. The camera work creates the idea that as an audience we are following him on a journey.
He passes the children dressed in animal costumes by weaving from foreground to background of among the groups.
The shot ends with with a halt as he is about to exit the frame from of our left.
1:02 – 1:08
We now see a M/L WS of Sam appearing at the right of this frame, this follows from where he exited at our left of the frame – creating a sense of direction. He passes a group (practicing the recorder) on the stairs to the left of the frame. He exits back right of the frame.
1:08 – 1:13
W LS is established when Sam then appears, in this shot, from the right of the frame. He is then central, walking down the hallway with several doors either side. Again, he is followed by the handheld camera creating that same walking motion which was initially used when he first walked down the church’s aisle. He turns to the left of our frame, looking into a room.
1:13 – 1:15 WS where child in chicken costume is centred, facing to the right of the frame (therefore towards the direction which Sam was walking), brushing their teeth over a sink. Shot keeps the central framing style apparent.
1:15 – 1:18
A MS from the opposing direction from which we were initially following Sam down the hall ensues. He spins around to face the camera, the camera is now facing him as he walks down the hall, the camera (travelling backward) is being used in the same fashion which it was when he was walking before, handheld and slightly unsteady. This switch of direction is perhaps used to capture more of the action Sam creates, that he has spun around from facing the door he was looking in (now on the right of the frame).
1:18 – 1:22
W MS follows him again from the back as he walks further down the hall. The shot captures the hustling children as they dart into rooms, establishing that these are likely to be dressing rooms. He passes the costumed children. He reaches the end of the hallway where a rack of clothing stands in the final doorway, in the centre. He stops, as does the camera. This alerts the audience that he has come to a halt in his journey.
1:22 – 1:23 Unknown darkness. Yet, it can be assumed that he may have just travelled through the sea of clothing.
1:23 – 1:25
The WS captures Sam parting the clothing from his POV. The shot looks upon a row of costumed girls with their backs to the camera, facing a mirror, fixing their hair and makeup. The use of reveal shot keeps the dynamic of the film interesting. Giving different perspective. This shot is used to make the audience feel as though they are part of the action, they’ve been placed in Sam’s shoes. Teamed with this, knowing these girls are currently unaware of his presence, can aid in creating tension for the viewers, wondering what their reaction (essentially to, them, the viewer) may be.
1:25 – 1:30 The camera has now flipped back to face Sam in a MS as he parts the clothing further. This shot is the “potential view” the girls will have of Sam. He has been revealed. He walks towards the camera and emerges from the rack of clothing. We now have a slightly low angle CU of Sam.
NOTE: Camera alternating between facing girls, and then Sam allows knowledge that the camera is likely to be positioned in the middle of the two and creates an appropriate (to the whereabouts) conversational element.
1:30 – 1:32 We now see a closer WS of the girls at the mirror, the shots get more compacted as Sam draws closer to the subjects in frame. Assuming that this is where Sam aimed to be, he clears his throat in order to get the attention of these girls.
The slight low angle of the previous CU, the way he approached the camera and his throat clearing informs the audience of his lift in confidence as he attempts to get the girls’ attention. They all turn to face him. All attention is now on him.
1:32 – 1:35
The same CU of Sam. He pauses, tilts his head a little to the left and right and looks centrally towards the group of girls. After his quick throat clearing from in the last shot, the shot depicts him confidently asking “what kind of bird are you?” to one of the girls. Reinforcing that he has a reason he came there, he’s asking a question he set out to find the answer to.
