The Gain from Studio

My expectation for myself as well as for the studio is to make my own film(s), as I mentioned in my first post, it is my ultimate goal. I would not say I have completely achieved my ambition rather than taken another significant step to it. Throughout the studio I have picked up this thorough system of filmmaking, working step by step towards the final product. The idea of filmmaking is now an ever-evolving process to me rather than just rushing through the production to do what is “planned”. By using animatics, drafts, and multiple versions of cuts, filmmaking has become more about exploration towards its best form of outcome in practical instead of its false ideal.

I do not consider that I have successfully made a film because I am annoyingly strict with the concept of film. I do not consider it as a failure of the studio but a failure of myself. During the production and post-production stage of my final film, I realized that my knowledge in technical terms, mostly in camera, is insufficient, not to mention my lack of experience and preparation in light and sound. Not that I haven’t comprehended that lecture in class, but I do need more practice on such aspects. I have always believed that there is a certain cinematic visual aesthetic in film, in other words, what a film should look like. At the end of the studio, I feel I have got closer to the aesthetic of film that I look up to, but also feel there is still distance.

I understand that the goal of this studio is not to make a ‘finished film’, or there is no such thing as a ‘finished film’ (I think Paul mentions that from time to time). But I just realized, in the studio, that I have progress to make if I want to live up to the standard I set. I also said in my previous post that I expect this studio to help me determine what my next step to be; this goal is somewhat accomplished and I have decided to continue my education after one or two years after my undergraduate. During this one-or-two-year break, I want to take time and keep attempting to make short films on my own so I can develop my skills and techniques based on the system learned in the studio of Deliberate Film. That being said, another thing that I comprehended in the studio is: I, like a film, will never be a finished product either. I shall remember not to rush things just like not to rush the making of a film.

 

The Final Work from Studio

(Final Film Product. ‘The Box’, originally ‘Lenny Injured’)

I think the most worthy of being reflected on is the test shooting experience. It was new and strange to me because I never thought of it until being instructed to do so in this semester. I think this approach has value in showing what is missing or flawed in the original plan. In the past, I often realised there is something else I could have done to improve the quality of my film, but it was after I put everything together in the post-production stage. When it is too late for a reshoot, I can only ‘make do’ with what I have. But the test shooting prevent this situation. 

For example, in my first series of storyboards, I designed for Sharon (Joyce) to get out of the car and walk towards Lenny (Vincent). I would have used two wide shots to capture it and continue on to shoot the dialogue. I did this in the test shooting and put it together, it looked plain and boring. So I made notes to introduce Sharon in a different, more impressive way and executed it in the final shooting.

I think test shooting is more than a trial, it not only prevents the situation I described but also opens new possibilities for the film. I think of it as the first draft of filmmaking, part of what comes out of it will be kept as the process continues, while other parts will be remodeled and brought back to test again.  The test shooting is also different from a storyboard or an animatic. Some ideas may look interesting in storyboards but not in the film, because storyboards in nature are independent stills aligned next to each other, some issues cannot be noticed until it is in a moving sequence. Compared with storyboards, animatics have duration, but once again, they are just stills.

However, I think test shooting should not take as much time or energy as the actual shooting. It does not have to possess all the details but just to be used as a reference or a guide.

(Plans I made after the test shooting)

The other aspect I want to reflect on is ‘making different versions’. This idea has come up repeatedly in our studio, we are always encouraged to make different versions of either shots or edits or color grades. I think it opens multiple possibilities for a film. During the editing of this final film, I planned and shot an over the shoulder shot in a long take. I wanted it to present the protagonist’s perspective, show where he is looking at and walking towards. I put the shot in my rough cut and Paul sent me to cut it down because it looks like the point of view of someone behind the protagonist while in fact there is no one. I was not aware of the issue until he pointed it out. I think what happened is I constructed the shot and I took time to accomplish it, so I was not thinking there could be another way to do this or there might be an issue with this shot. It is a matter of subjectivity. Every time I watch someone else’s film, I would recognize what they can do to make the film better. This is me “making a different version” for other people in my head, but it is hard to do for myself. After cutting half of that shot off, that segment of the film becomes the protagonist getting out of the elevator and walking straight to the pillar. In comparison, the previous version seems long and confusing, the audience may ask ‘why is he looking over there?’ I realised that the shot may work if there is a bigger story but in terms of this short film alone, it does seem unnecessary.

Making a different cut or using a different shot regardless of what I feel about the existing work, the outcome may be better or worse. The process is about exploring a better way to construct the film but more importantly it helps reflect on what worked and what did not work with the previous versions. Also, the final outcome can be very different from the original plan, which corresponds with the aforementioned idea that filmmaking is an ever-evolving process. When we say we are learning the essence of filmmaking, I think it means we are not simply translating a script into a film just by capturing what is described in it. I think the essence of filmmaking is an idea a little metaphysical, it means what we are doing and what we are thinking when we make a film. Making a different version is a way to highlight this process of thinking. Thinking differently can result different versions of the product, but sometimes a different product comes first and catalyzes different thinking too. 

(Compilation – Including the test shooting and comparison of the aforementioned long take over the shoulder edits.)

Collaboration in the Studio

In terms of collaboration, I had the opportunity and pleasure to work face-to-face with a classmate, Joyce. The plan was to be each other’s actor only and not participate in the ‘making’ behind the camera, but it happened inevitably. During the shooting of my film, I came across an issue with the camera; a pattern of black bars started to appear on top of the footage like a half-transparent filter. Luckily, Joyce is an expert of photography and she kindly gave me advice on how to set the shutter speed to avoid such issues in the future. I am relatively weak in the technical aspect of filmmaking; I always consider my strong suit to be the creative part such as shot construction and editing, etc. Although the technical aspect is not this studio’s main concern, it still got me thinking about what it means to be a filmmaker, or more specifically, a director. If I were to work on a different project, I can just hire someone like Joyce as my cinematographer to realize my visions, but I always fear in this way the film would be less of mine to take credit for. I have always struggled with this issue, to be capable in both technical and creative aspects is a goal for my future. But just in terms of this collaboration experience, Joyce helped me out to fix an issue; in turn I also offered some insights during her shooting by suggesting she shoot certain shots from a certain place, and I saw that she did use some of the shots I suggested in her rough cut. In general, I see this collaboration experience as a great opportunity to acknowledge our own specialties and weaknesses, and learn from each other’s strengths.