Tag Archives: test 2

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.

 

film/tv test 2 – question 2

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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.”

Film/tv test 2 – question 4

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on first impression, i enjoyed the film “rolling”. while it’s difficult to recall it in much detail as i only saw it once a number of weeks ago, i will try to analyse what i thought worked and didn’t. to me i enjoyed the middle of the film but not the start or the end as much. i am unsure of whether or not it was intentional but the lights changing and going greenish during the opening where the male character was walking down the aisle threw me off. i couldn’t tell if this was a directorial/creative choice or just a problem with lighting and white balance but i couldn’t work out why it would be an intentional choice because i couldn’t find a reason for it being there.

i also didn’t like the ending as much, i felt it left a bit too much hanging and i would have liked to have seen the story continued for at lest one more scene once the girl had entered his apartment. i understand that this was meant to be left to the audiences imagination but i feel like a well written reaction from the girl in regards to the toilet paper could have been funny and more enjoyable than being left wondering what she would say.

on the other hand, i thoroughly enjoyed the majority of the film, the entire middle section. i thought the actors were great and had been cast well and the dialogue was believable and funny. the comedic timing was done well although i thought the cuts between shots were a little slow sometimes. the locations were great, in particular the boy’s apartment because it was a small room which really emphasised how terrible the situation he had gotten himself into was because he was practically submerged in the toilet paper. on the whole i did enjoy the film.