We had watched the all previous week’s exercises in the Wednesday class. Some scenes of those exercises is so impressive. For example, the scene about drunk man which use a pov shot of drunk man making the scene be simple but so interesting and attracted.  In addition, the close up shot of Ella give me a deep impression.  This scene is beginning with a middle shot of Ella’ s back side, then the lens quickly zoom in when Ella turn left, the scene change to close up shot of her face. It is so unique in all exercises, also can create surprising effect. To some extent,  their good scenes give me some inspiration.

We completed our new big group exercise in Friday class. We had to shot the scene time, so we both need as a different role. It is so cool, also challenging. I feel if we want have a perfect and successful filming process, we must have a clear plan before we film, i thought our group did it so well. All the people cooperate with each other, we have a efficient and interesting shooting. Hoping we can edit it well too.

Film: Happy Together (Wong Kar-Wai)

Quick Film Summary: Happy Together mainly shows homosexual love relationship between Ho Po-Wing and Lai Yiu-Fai. They expect to have a new beginning, so they left Hong Kong and come to Argentina. However, in Argentina, they are lost again and again in this bustling and gorgeous city. Finally, Lai Yiu-Fai broken up with Ho Po-Wing, and comes back alone to Hong Kong.

The time of the scene, which I will analyze, is during 01:23:08 to 01:25:56. After Lai Yiu-Fai left, Ho po-Wing come back to the apartment they had lived. He clearly wipes the floor, and fixes the light. He opens the door expecting Fai coming back. Finally, he loses control and cries loudly with the blanket in his arms.

 

Shot List:

1. Hand-held shot, following with Ho Po-Wing, and gradually change to medium shot.
2. Medium C/U for Ho Po-Wing.
3. Hand-held shot, Following with Ho Po-Wing ‘s movement, and gradually change to medium shot.
4. Long shot of Ho Po-Wing wiping floor. (High angel)
5. Hand-held shot, following with Ho Po-Wing, he walking to the chair beside the door, and keep wipe floor.
6. Long shot of Ho Po-Wing wiping floor.
7. Long shot of Ho Po-Wing sitting on the chair.
8. Medium shot of Ho Po-Wing opening the door.
9. Medium shot of Ho Po-Wing fixing the light.
10. Long shot of Ho Po-Wing fixing the light.
11. Hand-Held shot of Ho Po-Wing looking at the light, and slowly close the light.
12. C/U shot of light in different perspective.
13. Extreme C/U shot of the picture on the light.
14. Crane shot gradually close to the door, using canted level and low angle.
15. Long shot of Ho Po-Wing holding the blanket.
16. Hand-held shot of Ho Po-Wing crying, and slowly zoom in, show the medium shot, the tilt down which following with Ho Po-Wing’s body movement.

Analysis: In this scene, director use mobile framing to increase the information about space. From the shot list, we will realize that there are many hand-held shots used in this scene. In fact, not only in this scene, but also in this whole film, we can find the large usage of hand-held shot. In my perspective, I think this is a part of Wong Kar-Wai’s film style. He like to create the marginalized role who wander in his world, they are easy feel lonely, they are really need emotional confront. such as the role in Chung King Express and In the Mood of Love. So hand-held shot may show their feeling in a better way, because this shot create the senses of anxious or emotional movement rather than smooth change. Such as shot1 to shot no.3, the camera continually shows that Ho Po-Wing put the cigarette on the table and cabinet. Firstly, the camera focus on the cigarette on the table, then it move to Ho Po-Wing’s face, next it following with Ho Po-Wing move to the cabinet, This whole shot is totally same with what Lai Yiu-Fai did in the previous plot. We can feel Ho Po-Wing’s regretted and gloomy, unpeaceful emotion through the unsmooth movement that hand-held shot have.

The long shot (no.4) and hand-held shot (no.5) both shows that Ho Po-Wing wipes the floor. The shot4 use a high angel to film, this angel emphasize the lonely and frail impression of Ho Po-Wing. I think the movement from hand-held shot (no.5) to the long shot (no.6) and long shot (no.7) is quilt interesting. In the no.5 shot, Ho Po-Wing walk towards to the chair beside the door, and keep wipe the floor. This shot mainly emphasize the details of Ho Po-Wing’s gesture, then the camera immediately draws back to show a long shot of a same gesture. The usage of these shots are aim to show the clue and the development of the plot in larger context. Therefore, in the long shot (no.7) Ho Po-Wing stop wiping the floor to sit on chair. Next, the shot change to medium one (no.8), Ho Po-Wing sit on the chair, then open the door beside him, and look at outside meantime. This medium shot insure viewers are able to clearly see his face expression, also, feel his miss for Lai Yiu-Fai. In fact, I think the shot no.4 to shot no.8 seem as a sequence, all the different shots are repeatedly link characters with details of their environment. Leading viewers to see it in a continuous way.

From the no.9 shot to no.13 shot, the viewer’s attention attracted by the light. This light is a significant proof in this whole film, it represents the  love between the two protagonists. The C/U shot (no.12) uses a different perspective with the shot11. Also, this shot tightly connect with the next shot. Because, from the perspective used in shot no.12, viewers can see Ho Po-Wing slowly turn the light to other side, in which have a picture. Immediately, The shot no.13 shows the extreme close up of the picture, which has a two people sit together to see the waterfall. This picture represents Ho Po-Wing and Lai Yiu-Fai, however, finally, they are still haven’t see waterfall together. So this extreme C/U shot emphasize the regretted and sorrowful emotion of Ho Po-Wing.

The shot no.14 is so fantastic and artistic. Director use canted level to film, and the camera slowly close to the door in this level. It gives viewers a felling of dizzy, and creates disruptive effects. In my perspective, I feel that this shot visualize the depressed, disordered and complicated felling of Ho Po-Wing. In fact, this type of shot usually has been used in Wong Kar-Wai’s film. Such as the film names Fallen Angels. He likes to reelect the mind world of character through this artistic and visualized way.

 

 

 

In this week, we had shown our own version for the editing. To be honest, this is my first time to efficiently design different shoots depends on concrete script with my group members. Also, we had individually edited it based on same footages. It is so interesting and meaningful experience. Firstly, I get more intuitive feeling in the area of camera coverage, such as the necessity of camera movement, the reason of shot changing, the different way of story showing and so on. Secondly, I think it is a good way to learn useful thing from others editing. We had saw sorts of projects of different groups, through their projects, i found that diverse elements will affect the whole edited scene. For example, the train scene my group filmed was totally same footages, I haven’t added music, but one of my group members did. As a result, I found his edited scene be more attractive. The music tempo will lead the viewers have different emotion. Besides, as the classmates said that because we did not know the whole story, so we just made one scene according to the script, we cannot leave anything to audience.

In the Friday class, we experienced the role of director in 10 minute. Seriously, I think that is not easy to me. Since the basic thing of a director is able to control the situation, he need know what is he want, and can immediately and efficiently arrange people in different area. However, in the film process, I thought I haven’t efficiently communicated with others both in language, unfamiliar and nervous reasons, also, the shot which I designed is a bit complicated. As a result, I think I didn’t successfully have a shot that same with I designed in my mind. But anyway, that is really good practice to realize the shortage of me. I hope and believe I can do better in next time.

Found Scene

 

Film: The Shop Around the Corner

 

Quick Film Summary: The time of this scene is during 07:33 to 09:56. The boss Matuschek ask Kralik to see the new products which is a imitated cigarettes box, and he want know Kralik‘s opinion, however, Kralik totally disagree with him. Then Matuschek feel a little annoy, so he ask other soldiers Vadas and Nocotni giving him ideas. Obviously, they both support Matuschek. However, Kralik still think this cigarettes box is inadvisable, and he gives a convictive reason. Finally, Matuschek shut at a man who selling the box, and angrily walk in his office.

 

 

Shot List:

1. Medium long shot of Matuschek and Kralik first talking.
2. Medium C/U of cigarettes box.
3. Medium shot of Matuschek and Kralik talking.
4. Medium long shot of Vadas.
5. Medium shot of Matuschek,Vadas and Kralik, Nocotni.
6. Medium shot of aother staff Pirovitch.
7. Medium shot of Matuschek,Vadas and Kralik, Nocotni.
8. Medium C/U of Matuschek face.
9. Medium C/U of Kralik face.
10. Medium long shot of the woman staff that asks Matuschek.
11. Medium shot of calling.
12. Medium long shot of Matuschek, Kralik, and two other staff.

 

Analysis:

This scene begins with a medium long shot (no.1) of Matuschek and Kralik. This shot introduce the main purpose of this talking conversation that is the box. Also, it is show the surroundings of this scene. Then C/U shot (no.2) of box directly draw viewer’s attention to the box. Next the shot change to no.3. This change is due to the intensity of talking between Matuschek and Kralik, so we need to see the emotion of them. No.6 shot also so interesting. Because, this shot has interior meaning. The filmmaker use this shot when Matuschek say he need honest opinion. As a result, it is have the usage of irony.

No.8 and No.9 shot are medium C/U of Matuschek and Kralik. These shots clearly show how is the camera change depends on the dialogue. When they argue, theses medium C/U show their face emotion directly.

 

 

 

 

 

In the class on Wednesday, we had an experience of changing camera position in one scene. After we read the script, we predetermined the general frame. Then, in the filming process, we also ask the actors to adjust. In the conversation, we follows the role’s dialogue to change the shot, in order to let viewer pay the attention in the right place, also, to show the correspondent emotion which depend on the actor’s lines. In addition, in the end of the shot, we had broken the cross line rules, in order to show the different perspective, this is so challenging.

 

 

Before i chose studio, i already studied the introduction cinema study. That is so great, because i like cinema, and this course firstly open the door of cinema to me. Also, to be honest, that class is hard to me, both in language and professional knowledge. Finally, i had tried my best to complete that class. And i realized maybe that class has too much theory. So this is the one basic reason about why i choose this studio. I expect this class not only have theory, but also have some practices. Indeed, after the first class, i thought the studio is same with which i dreamed. We are able to know how is the camera covered in the each scene of film, and can practice in a different way.

In the first class, we had a special and interesting filming practice. We had been to be divided to several groups to film one scene. I think this is a good way too cultivate our cooperation ability, after all, the making process of a film is depend on a massive group. In this group, we should find our role, such as photographer, actor and so on. Trough this practice, i got one deep feeling is that the camera position and actor movement will decide the frame have different planes. Also, it will emphasize the main part and guide the viewer’s understanding of the event itself. In the Friday class, through the scene analysis, i in further realized that the usage of camera in talking conversation.

The first week have a good start, i hope in the rest of classes, i will clearly know the camera coverage and the setting in scene, and another important thing is to film it properly with my group member.