For an initiative post, I went looking for something that pushes the limits of filmmaking and was a game changer of its time. Luckily I very quickly found a behind the scenes Featurette of the 2013 film Gravity. Though the film in my opinion is masterfully constructed, with a cast of stars and a beautiful score behind it, the things that draws me into the behind the scenes clip of the film, is how it relates to the course so well. To be more specific the fact that on this film they researched, tested and created technology through practical work that eventually turned into the finished product.

Firstly in the video, we get to take a look at a glimpse of how the director brought the film from script to screen. Seeing how the screenplay guided the creative process, gave encouragement to those going into the project and how it eventually took form in such a beautiful way. To see how the writers took the screenplay straight to the cinematographer after writing it, to begin to develop ways in which they could film it. The cinematographer used the word ‘naturalism’ to describe the way in which the shots were framed. For us to see the shots and feel like we are seeing a natural environment which translates to screen with what would appear as mistakes. From lens flares from the Suns rays, to strange camera movements here and there, however it is all carefully planned and very much created on purpose. For me this is really interesting, as we in the course already have been looking at how to set up a shot and get it the way we want it. Trying to manipulate it to our environment, whereas in Gravity they have purposefully used the natural surrounding environment as a tool for their shots.

The most amazing thing to see from the director was the creation of the ‘light box’. The ‘light box’ is made up of a robot moving the camera, the light box moving the lights and a rig to move the actor. This technology was specifically developed through the production of the film, to get the shots necessary to tell the story. Sandra Bullock, the lead actress of Gravity even says that they had to develop never before seen technology, “In order to make a movie that [the director] was told couldn’t be done”. They realised early on, that without taking a risk a making all new technological discoveries they would not be able to tell the story they had originally written. I think this is very interesting and relevant to the film 3 course, of course on a much larger scale. Since a major component of the course is to research and learn about putting together shots and films through practical and creative tests. Which is almost exactly what the creators of Gravity had to do, research and learn a new way of shooting their film through the practical use of testing and developing on the production. The behind the scenes clip really brings the scope of filmmaking to a new level in comparison to our course, however gives insight that there is so much to learn and to discover in the world of filmmaking and I think that is really exciting!