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K-film final “Beginnings and Endings”
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Analysis and Reflection #6: ‘editing’
‘In this clip screened in the lecture from the Coen brothers’ ‘Blood Simple‘ describe what is happening in terms of the edits specifically in terms of the audio and video. Also name the different kinds of audio you can hear.
The comprehensive combination of audio and video editing is the source of all suspense within this particular scene. The scene hinges on the use of both diagetic and non-diagetic sound to propel narrative event and heirachises the volume of sound effects and pieces of dialogue as they relate to the action unfolding in the visual aspects of the scene. In many ways, the scene is structured so that sound is significantly more descriptive than vision, as it relates to event or development within the scene. Indeed, it could be said that vision serves largely to depict character reaction to event which is established through sound. This is most evident when considering the gunshot sequence, while many movies would linger on, almost fetishising the action of shooting a character, or the gory wound which ensues, the shooting itself is communicated entirely through sound, the visual elements of the scene concerning itself with quick cuts of the sweaty faces and shellshocked expressions of the characters. This is such that audiences are initially unsure which character has been shot. A similar effect is achieved as non-diagetic vomiting is heard when a character exits a scene having seen a photo of the person he has put a hit on, a dramatic contrast to the onscreen visual of his bemused partner. Visual metaphor features heavily within the scene as it frequently cuts to a bundle of dead fish on the table, oftentimes replacing or bookending sections which would traditionally feature images of graphic violence. A complex soundscape similarly contributes to a sense of tension in the scene, with sound effects: the rustling of papers, scraping of furniture and urgent footsteps being woven between character dialogue, each gaining dominance through volume control as they become pertinent to narrative event.
Analysis and Reflection #6: ‘editing’
‘Consider Sandra’s lecture “Directing Actors” and describe at least a couple of points that you took away from it (even if you’re not the director).’
As the director of my group’s project, Sandra’s lecture was particularly useful to me, largely as she directly answered a number of significant questions I had with regard to preparing for and running a shoot in order to best accomodate the film’s actors. Sandra stressed the importance of rehearsing actors prior to shoot day and specifically detailed the manner in which this should be undertaken with an action based script. As our film contained minimal dialogue, I had not considered rehearsal a priority prior to the lecture, upon Sandra’s suggestion that movement should be discussed, mapped out and practiced, the film’s cinematographer and I went on to meet with actors in the area we planned to shoot the film, detailing the route that would be taken in the film’s running sequences and the physical dynamic which would exist between the characters. Furthermore, at various points on shoot day, when we were short on time, our group found ourselves considering the method Sandra discussed in which shot lists are modified so that large sections of action may be covered in as few shots as possible. Lastly, I was able to speak with Sandra directly with regard to maintaining continuity in scenes, which had been a concern of mine, while she stressed the process was a challenge, she clarified the notion of ‘crossing the line’ and how important it is that cinematographers and directors be alert to this.
Intergrated Media final self evaluation
What did you do well?
First and foremost, I felt I performed strongly in the area of class and symposium participation, I surprised myself as I found it quite easy to engage with the themes discussed and even to an extent the programming capacity of Korsakow (this is unusual for me). I took various opportunities to contribute questions to Symposium discussion which I found to be quite gratifying as well as essential with regard to clarifying the issues which form the basis of the course work.
What have you learnt to do better?
Naturally I have been forced to familiarise myself with the technical requirements of Korsakow, shooting and formatting footage so as to be compatible with the program for example. Perhaps more valuably however, I have felt more capable of analysing and engaging with subject themes than I expected, particularly with regard to the potential and value of non-linear narrative, both as a free standing media form and in the manner in which it relates to discourses regarding communication theory and story-telling
What could you have learnt to do better?
I could have more stringently followed the participatory constraints I assigned myself, I engaged with the course differently than I initially assumed I would so they were not as accurate in indicating my progress as I had hoped. By all accounts however I could have made greater effort to complete and consider course readings.
Analysis and Reflection 5: ‘Blow-Up’
Blow Up is a 1966 film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni.
In this scene note the choreography of the actors, camera, frame and focus. As covered in the lecture describe the things Antonioni would have have to consider when directing the actors and the camera.
Due to the dynamic nature of the scene, choreography and direction of actors would have proven a major priority in its construction. Not only would Antonioni have been required to consider and establish clear paths of action for each of the actors in the scene, taking note of how each interacted with the other, it appears that he has taken care to establish certain energies–reflected in the movement and positioning of actors in the scene, these in turn denoting character and intention. While the male character is frenetic and erratic in his movement and relation to the female character sprawling across the floor at one point, the female character contrasts this in her reticence and unease, often being shot from behind obstructive beams or oddities.
Similarly, Antonioni must consider the constraints which come with shooting in both open and confined settings. While confined spaces require a more acute consideration for focus, open areas prove just as challenging in creating a particular point of interest within the frame. At one point this is evident as characters are shown walking through an open plan room, rather than being in complete focus however, the characters appear partially concealed behind the large panels of smoky glass which appear in the foreground. Focus is rarely a dramatic feature throughout the sequence as it is shot with a relatively short depth of field. At various points however, focus might be seen to shift from shot to shot between character or toward certain unusual objects in the frame.
Analysis and Relection 5: Lighting
Select from one of the readings from week 5, 6 or 7 and describe two points that you have taken from it. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you.
Malkiewicz, K. Film lighting : talks with Hollywood’s cinematographers and gaffers, (p. 99-115, 128-135). New York: Pretence Hall, 1986.
While Malkiewicz largely concerns himself with lighting an indoor scene or soundstage, many of the notions established in the reading prove both interesting and valuable with consideration for my group’s own film. Only some small portion of the film’s events occur indoors, however time of day is of considerable significance with regard to the narrative events of our project. As such I found it particularly exciting to read the section he had written on establishing temporal significance and accuracy through the selection and positioning of key lighting. As Malkiewicz writes, early morning and late afternoon light enters a room at a low angle, the glow of sunrise or sunset can be simulated by the placement of an orange gel over the light source. furthermore, when lighting a daylight interior scene, where possible it proves most realistic to light through windows, these being the primary light source in a regular room, this proves particularly convenient to bear in mind as the setting we have selected to shoot our project contains several interior windows.
Completely separate from the work my group and I have been considering, are the notions regarding character lighting Malkiewicz discusses in a later point of the reading. While I was familiar with this in the most melodramatic sense, initially being reminded of film noir, I was surprised to learn the technique was still actively and subtly employed to the present day to infuse characters with certain traits and motivations. Naturally as Malkiewicz outlines, this comes with its own set of challenges, character lighting must accomodate the moving subject as well as taking into account the contraints which accompany the specifications of setting.
Analysis & Reflection 4 ‘Lenny’
First and foremost, shooting a Lenny reminded me of the importance of establishing clear boundries between the roles within our film group. This of course proves challenging as no single position exists in a vacuum, while for example it is predominantly the director’s job to coach actors, cinematographers and sound designers must be consulted on their performances in order to achieve optimal results. Similarly, effective scheduling will be essential in order shoot a scene with as little tension or confusion as possible, this proves particularly evident as both the lenny exersise and the final project are shot to time constraints. Furthermore, while the excersize allowed us to explore to some extent the variety of shots available to us using the ‘shooting to edit’ method, it highlighted the importance of ensuring continuity throughout, a task I must admit I am dreading.
Analysis and Reflection #4 ‘Lighting’
Please outline some points that you took away from the Lighting Lecture. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you, perplexes you or even one you take issue with.
Knowing as little as I did, anything I picked up from the lighting lecture will probably prove to be pretty useful when it comes to shooting a film. Perhaps most interesting to me was the integral role played by lighting in infusing meaning into a scene and the accompanying hardware (lights of various kinds, blocking boards etc) that is necessary to infuse a piece with emotion, tension or emphasis. That is to say that while I could probably fathom the pragmatic application of lighting equipment before the lecture (mimicking daylight, maximising visibility etc), I had never properly considered it as a creative tool, while for example, soft lighting might subliminally give a scene a close air, sharper lighting might make the same scene appear cold or clinical, both can be adjusted so as to carry positive and negative connotations. While this offers filmmakers a wealth of effect and symbolism to draw upon, it could also be viewed as the largest challenge to come with the lighting options available to them, that is the large number of variables which must be effectively considered in order to create a seamlessly lit scene.
Sketch Film
INTEGRATED MEDIA, FILM ESSAY –‘Best Spent’ 2010
Ellen Rule (s3433590) tutor: SETH KEEN
“This project relies on an extensive series of quotes to contextualise the videos,” begins the description for 2010 sketch film ‘Best Spent,’ which details the routines, tasks and interactions which guide a collection of individuals through their daily lives. While the quotes, which appear periodically below the film’s Snus have clearly been compiled with much consideration for both diversity and meaning (including everyone from Ghandi to Fatboy Slim), they quickly become superfluous, the candid rhythms of the day speaking in their own endearing poetry.
Due to the nature of the Korsakow platform which the film employs, Bogost’s suggestion that “Lists, divide or leave divided the things they include … offer(ing) only the relationship of accumulation” (Bogost, 40, 2012) becomes particularly pertinent. What is depicted in the film is effectively an unrelated ‘list’ of actions, the viewer may only deduct meaning from this list as the number of reference points they are given accumulates, assuming connections based solely on the fact that each has been grouped with the others. When considering this, if viewed without prompting, any of the film’s Snus could be grouped or rationalised into a vast array of categories. As such, the film’s success in communicating message or ‘content,’ comes in some large part from a complex understanding and application of notions of ‘pattern’ and ‘interface.’
By the very nature of the film and its medium, no obvious pattern is initially apparent in the piece without consideration for the explanation provided by its creators. Rather, the viewer might note reoccurring characters, styles and aesthetics being provided by various group members. While one displays a preference for shooting objects and scenes (pots boiling on a stove, washing machines) another prefers to record her housemates and friends (charades). As the characteristics of each group member’s style becomes increasingly evident, each example of this interacts with and may be differentiated from clips provided by other members, providing in itself a pattern of sorts.
‘charades’
‘washing machine’
Further viewing displays more notable patterns, for example, each group member appears to have recorded one or more clip based on various shared routines (‘Every day: brush teeth,’ pictured). This could be considered a device employed to highlight fundamental parallels existing in lifestyle and mindset, not only between group members, but within a wider society or humanity.
“Every day: brush teeth”
As Bogost suggests, “Lists disrupt being, spilling a heap of unwelcome and incoherent crap at the foot of the reader. In doing so a tiny part of the expanding universe is revealed through cataloging” (Bogost 41, 2012), that is to say, that while what is displayed in the film could be seen to have been selected on an arbitrary basis, there is no denying it proves fundamentally, albeit benignly relatable to a vast group of people, prompting the viewer to consider further patterns or points of connection.
Notions of ‘pattern’ within the piece rely intrinsically on the construction of an ‘interface,’ both as it appears physically in the aesthetic of the film, and in its metaphysical construction–the webs of unseen connections which are drawn in order to create a sense of transition or indeed progression within the piece. While the film sports a relatively linear format: a grid of up to nine thumbnails alongside a larger window in which Snus are played, it affords the viewer a diverse array of options beyond the capacity of many of its counterparts. This stems in some respects from the sheer number of clips available to the viewer at any given time, but could more interestingly be attributed to the complex transitions which have been encoded into the piece. While some Snus might retrieve a full grid of related results, others deliver a smaller set, added to this, certain Snus appear on higher rotation than others, being linked using multiple or more common keywords. This forms the primary basis of the film’s construction, allowing it to branch out into increasingly complex avenues. For example, keyword links attached to certain Snus are programed so as to shift over time, previously viewed selections link to entirely different clouds when revisited (this proved particularly frustrating when trying to screenshot example clips!).
Decisions made in the construction of the piece’s interface further infuse it with a sense of pattern and intent. A pair of clips, more conceptual in nature, appear within every grid combination (pictured), these highlight the purpose of their more mundane counterparts, elevating their creative value and reminding the viewer that the Snus presented have indeed been selected, not randomly, but with the intention of proving a point or creating an aesthetic. Similarly, in allowing thumbnails to run parallel to each other in the grid format, the film’s creators reenforce a number of the thematic concepts around which the piece revolves, each thumbnail might be viewed in a manner similar to a montage, highlighting in one stroke differences and similarities in time, space and lifestyle.
“Basic Interface”
more conceptual SNUs
When considering the overall ‘content’ of the piece, one might take into account not only the effective combination of ‘pattern’ and ‘interface,’ but the extent to which these have created a working sense of narrative. Judging by the criteria Ryan provides for classifying this, one might fairly say they have not. The film fails to instill any sense of ‘closure’ or ‘causality,’ no ‘significant transformations’ are undergone by the film’s subjects (one might not even call them ‘characters’), nor is any greatly ‘meaningful’ information communicated to the recipient (Ryan, 2006). Rather, the routines depicted could be seen to span on and on, developing only with the subtle motion of time: from morning to evening, day to day, childhood to adulthood.
While Ryan stresses that the lack of certain narrative factors in a piece does not automatically negate its narrative status, its this which forms the very basis or ‘macrostructure’ of Best Spent. One might go so far as to say that the forces of narrative and realism were directly opposed within the piece, any effort to instill a sense of the former proves to degrade the latter and vice versa. This is evident when considering the editing of certain Snus. While doing so might add a certain sense of purpose or self-contained narrative complexity, it destroys the almost voyeuristic experience which is otherwise instilled by the nature of the clips and activities depicted.
Perhaps Best Spent might be most appreciated where its pattern and interface contribute to a soothing cacophony of mundanity, highlighting parallels of human relationships and dynamics rather than exposing fundamental truths or dramatic transformations. This is the primary advantage of the non-linear medium, while its counterparts rely on the heavy delivery of connections and conclusions, work in such a field may be subtly infused with these, unfolding so as to allow audiences to chance upon them of their own accord.
Word Count: 1,130
REFERENCES:
- Bogost, Ian. Alien Phenomenology, or What It’s Like to Be a Thing. Minneapolis: University Press of Minnesota, 2012. Print
- Ryan, Marie-Laure. Avatars of Story. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2006