Tag Archives: film/tv

film/tv analysis reflection 6, question 7

by

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.

there is quite a lot of editing done in this scene. there a re very few wide shots with both characters but rather consistent cutting between the two characters from different angles and distances throughout the scene which would have required a lot of editing. there is also a large number of cutaways throughout the scene which would also require tedious editing as well as carefully editing cuts between character doing a single action between shots which would have to be done very finely to ensure the movement looks smooth.

the audio would also have taken a lot of time to edit as there is not just dialogue but a distinct background sound created through atmos or other effects, such as the crickets or the hum of what is assumed to be the fan, and also the inclusion of a large number of folly sounds including opening the envelope, turning on the tap in the next room and footsteps walking across the floor. each of these sounds would have required a great deal of effort to create in time with what was occurring in the shot and then edited in to match the scene as it unfolds. the scenes utilises a lot of juts and l-cuts which are useful for showing one characters reactions to another characters dialogue or actions. it also keeps the action of the scene flowing so the audience don’t get too bored by going back and forth. by editing the audio in such a way it keeps things interesting and constantly changing.

the different kinds of audio heard in this clip are dialogue, sound effects, foley sounds, background sounds and music right at the end

all the different sounds from the clip:

dialogue

envelope rustling

breathing

footsteps

tap running

tap turning

fly buzzing

opening safe and putting stuff in

chair squeaking

sliding money across desk

gunshot and echo

crickets

fan(atmos)

foot hitting ground

kicking gun

putting money in pocket

door closing

music accent at end

 

film/tv analysis reflection 6 – question 6

by

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 director of our film, i took a lot of really great points away from this lecture that i thought would really assist me when directing on set.

i felt one of the most important  points Sandra made was to always keep the script on me and keep  notes about the the emotions of each scene or shot written in the script. this is imperative for shooting to edit as the scenes and shots are filmed out of order and it is highly important to ensure that the correct flow is felt between shots and scenes when editing by keeping continuity running in regards to the emotion of whats going on in each shot. if these do not match up then the film will not come together well and will not tell the desired story. as the director the most important job is directing the actors to get the right emotion to tell the story properly and emotion is how to get the story across

another really useful point was when sandra discussed the standard way of shooting vs the not so standard way. she brought up some really great points that i would not have considered when shooting the film. first off… how to make it interesting. i had created a shot list for the film but Sandra’s point was to go beyond just the general shots that you can do to show the scene but to also take different kinds of shots that would tell the scene. make the audience see it in a different way and create a real emotion or feel to the scene. to do this, Sandra suggested to simply experiment. put the camera at odd angles or weird nights and interesting locations. create different blocking or framing or set ups. don’t just make it normal. also to think about cutaways. this is something that i think is really important that again i would never have considered. of course, cutaways require time which can often be a stretch on shoots, but they are still important and can add an extra layer to the film that just your basic wide shots can’t do.

lastly, a really grew point was about directing the actors. as this is my first time directing, this is a really important part for me as i have never directed actors before. a really good point was to rehearse with them before hand with a  camera, especially to cover non-dialgoue sections of the scenes. this is because o the day a lot of time will be taken up with working with the DOP so it is important to get a good relationship with the actors and let them know what i want before the shoot. another really great point was about how to talk to the actors on the shoot. these guys are volunteer and it may be there first jobs. i want them to be feeling as comfortable and happy as possible as they re doing this for us. Sandra said it is really important to be honest with the actors. however, she also mentioned we need to be delicate. if something looks wrong or isn’t working, don’t just tell them that, rather give a way to change it r a different outlook approach to it so that everyone can be working on the same page and can all try to get as much out of the scene as possible. i big issue for me will be correcting them as i am not one to tell people what to do or what not to do so the idea of telling them instead what can be changed rather than just saying they’re wrong was really helpful so that i can maintain a good communication with the actors on set.

film/tv analysis reflection 5 – question 3

by

although it seemed like a relatviely simple scene, that scene from “Blow up” was very technically complicated. there was almost always movement, either of the actors within the fraem or the frame itself. as a director, Anotioni would have had to have done extensive rehersals with both the actors and the camero operators to ensure that the scene goes smoothly. every action would have been choreographed specifaclly to suit a particular framing or a specific camera movement. thus, while directing the film, Antonioni would have had to have worked very closely with his actors to ensure they were getting each action and movement exactly right. this does not only require rehersals beforehand but a close communicative relationship with actors on the day of shooting will be vital to get the necessary movements.

similarly with the camera, there were a large variety of different camera set ups, positions and movements. these movements involved not just tilting or panning the camera but physical camera movement including dollying and tracking. these too would have required lots of rehersals to perfect the movements so they could deliver the correct aesthic. Anotioni would have been working very closely with his DOP and camera operators to get the right pacing of the scene through the movements of the camera and frame.

film/tv analysis reflection 5 – question 2

by

the week 6 reading was about developing a crew. while the primary idea of the article, picking and choosing your own crew, was not entirely relevant because for this project we have been placed into groups without being able to choose people, there were many other parts of the reading that had really interesting points.

while this point was about picking the crew, it is also important to consider when dealing with your crew on set; having the right people. mood is very important on set. the mood of the crew will influence the mood of the cast which will in turn influence how the film itself turns out. when ever i have made films in the past, i had really only considered the cast that i was picking, but never considered the importance of picking a good crew. without a good, well working crew, a film won’t happen. the reading said we need to make sure everyone knows what they want to get out of the film, that they all have the same idea and a positive outlook. we don’t want people who will be late or unenthusiastic or dismissive or rude or act as if they’re doing you a favour by being there. and especially don’t want people with negative energy. because that won’t just bring the other crew down. it will bring the cast down and the whole quality of the film.

the second point that i found really interesting and useful was the classification of the different roles, what they include and what kind of traits they need to be. most eye opening for me that i never knew before was the role of the assistant director as more of a producer/business role than  a creative one. the reading said that assistant directors almost never become directors but are more prone to becoming production managers or producers. i had never thought about it like that because i had always considered the role of the AD to assist the director (which they still do). but this job is more of an organisational role, managing time and budgets and locations and the crew in order to allow the director to have creative flexibility on set.

hopefully when we get on set everyone can work cohesively together and keep up a great work environment to get our film done well!

film/tv analysis reflection 5 – question 1

by

week 7 was all about lighting. many different things about lighting were covered including:

-different lighting techniques (three point lighting, hard vs. soft lighting, natural vs. artificial lighting),

-ways of utilising lighting to communicate themes,

-moods or character’s emotions or personalities,

-how important lighting is for cinematography,

-in terms of setting up and framing a scene,

-what equipment is needed to light a scene and what the different types of equipment can add

-exposure levels and the importance of maintaing them.

these points covered were all very important, useful and relevant to our own projects. lighting is a major part of any film as without light, you can’t see anything. as director, i hope to be working very closely with our DOP to create the right lighting not only in every scene of our film but in ever shot. one very crucial part that was mentioned in the lecture was about practice shoots. making sure that we have our story board and shot list ready so that we can get the gear and practice using it and learn how to set up the lighting which will give us an idea not only of what lights we want to be using for our shoot to get the right mood and feel but also of how we want our lighting set up on the day of the shoot. this is vital because on the day of the shoot, timing will be crucial so if we know exactly how we want our lighting set up for every shot we will not waste any unnecessary time moving lighting around the room. as the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

film/tv test 3 – question 3

by

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

by

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.

 

film/tv test 2 – question 2

by

for me, a really useful and interesting reading was “slogans for the screenwriter’s wall” found at the link provided. it had a lot of really useful points and tips that need to be considered when developing a script or screenplay for a film. for me this is incredibly important because writing is my weak spot when it comes to the production process so tips and tricks are greatly appreciated. i can imagine these being very useful when it comes time to try and plan out the story and write the script for our film in this subject.

two of the most interesting pointers from this reading were:

“If you’ve got a beginning, but you don’t yet have an end then you’re mistaken. you don’t have the right beginning.”

and

“If it can be cut out then cut it out. everything non-essential that you can eliminate strengthens what is left.”

that first point was a revelation to me. i had never heard that before but it was very interesting. one if the ideas which i came up with for the short film has in interesting story yet no ending. and i am still struggling to come up with an ending for it. i have thought of multiple different ways to solve the conflict however none of these have really seemed right. maybe, thanks to this point, i may need to strip back this idea and look at it from a new angle with a new beginning and this may help me work out what the ending will be.

the second point isn’t so much new as it is very useful. as can be seen by my answers to this and the previous questions, i can write a lot and often it is too much. especially when the film that we have to make is only 5 minutes long, e cannot include everything we want to include. cutting is very hard. especially a script. so it’s important to know that whatever i do cut will only make everything else better. if i can bear to cut it then it is not vital and therefore can be cut. our biggest issue going forward with our short film is too much dialogue/exposition and not enough action. it will be important to keep in mind what is necessary and what can be cut to only have the most interesting stuff left behind in the film.

i’ve included below some of the other points that i found useful from the reading, i just thing they’ll be useful to have here for future reference.

“character progression: if you’ve thought out what kind of character your protagonist will be at the end, start him or her out as the opposite kind of person at the beginning”

“action speaks louder than words”

“drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty”

“what you leave out is as important as what you leave in”

“if it can be cut out then cut it out. everything non-essential that you can eliminate strengthens what is left.”

“exposition is boring unless it is in the context of some present dramatic tension or crisis. so start with an action that creates tension, then provide the exposition in terms of the present developments.”

“the start of your story is usually the consequence of back story.”