MESS

Alexandra Russell: Small Things Final Post

 

What I got out of the Small Things Studio

The Small things studio exposed me to all different roles and crafts that go into film making and not only helped me re understand how they can all work together but challenged me in learning new ways of film making and perfecting my own craft. I learned the basics of equipment use, equipment safety and advice on how to make the most of your cameras/tripod/ microphone/ lighting kit etc. whilst practising that knowledge through practical filming exercises. This balance of theory and practise was crucial to bettering the physical and creative skills to film making and understanding how to adapt to a new idea or concept when the original one is not as effective.

I learned about the differences in how things are shot and what meaning they imply. The importance of pace, continuity, eye lines, shot framing, a well considered production design and team work. Other things that I found to be so valuable in the course were the learning of the different roles in a film shoot and what people in those roles are really in charge of doing and how they can work effectively with other members of the crew. I learned how to make a film, from start to end confidently and to a high standard.

Our Film “Mess”

Part 1. Pre Production

After we decided that we were going to be using Jack’s two line script from earlier weeks in the class, we got to work. The script itself was very visually detailed and driven, with three lines of dialogue spoken throughout the entire film and so we knew that we had to increase the amount of shots we would be using slightly as there would be more opportunity for cutaways and shots that captured little moments between the characters. Personally I really liked the script because it didn’t rely heavily on the dialogue but rather the visuals and shots which was what we had really been trying to focus on in the whole semester.

During weeks 8 & 9, we worked together to sort out the important elements of preproduction. We decided to plan our dates for week 11 of the semester to film (the 3rd and 4th of October) and based that off whether or not everyone was available which luckily they were. The main ideas regarding the script were that in terms of casting that we were going to be fairly open about it. It is not directly hinted what the relationship between the two characters is and we all really liked the idea of that. If you give the audience too much information it can sometimes lead to stereotyping and have an expectation of how that type of relationship should be shot or portrayed, but with how this story was written there’s a bit more appeal to many different dynamics; they could be friends, brothers, lovers housemates or something else. Its really up to the audience.

In the pre production classes one of the first things we discussed after looking at the script was the location. We needed a living room, a bedroom and a hallway (for Sam to walk down as he leaves the door). Andrew our Producer suggested a friends share house in Coburg and got onto messaging them to see if it would be available. We then got into a props and costuming brainstorm and wrote down what we would be needing. There were props such as alcohol bottles, opened mail and newspapers which we could bring from home but we knew we needed a dressing gown for the character of Michael as well as a backpack as per the script. After consulting with our teacher Paul, we decided to change the backpack to a suitcase as it would look a bit more cinematic and focused on “casting the suitcase” for what we were after.

Epiphany 1 that I kinda already knew but wanted to mention* Planning is important and can help move the project (even if it evolves into something else) more quickly.

In week 9 having confirmed our planned location, shot lists, and script, we pitched what we had to Cass and Jana who are working professionals in the industry and got some really valuable feedback including things like;

-Cass mentioned that the line in the script “I hope you find what you’re looking for” needs a bit or work as it could come off sounding a bit passive aggressive and that it might not suit how the character of Sam speaks to Michael and intends to leave things between them (we discussed later in the group that we wanted to make it seem like this wasn’t the end for the relationship between the two characters so changing the line or the delivery of the line could really help aid this).

-They also liked that the relationship was ambiguous

-Because there is such little dialogue in the film, the other senses and the visuals in the film need to make up for this. Really think about mise en scene, the direction of the acting, the lighting, sound, pretty much everything etc.

-An idea Cass had was that to show Michael isn’t really coping, it’s important to think about props e.g we could include heaps of mail that hasn’t been opened, a messy room, maybe dirty plates that still have a bit of food on them etc.

-Another point was they thought the idea of it being set in the morning would be really interesting to do and that even having Michael in a dressing gown, whilst Sam who is leaving is dressed and more put together will really help to distinguish the difference in the characters in terms of how they are/aren’t moving forward.

-Really decide what the emotions of the characters are, this will inform the point of view shots e.g if we are watching Sam leave from Michael’s point of view, this could be a menacing thing depending on how it is shot/ Michael’s facial expression.

Getting Feedback was really great and helped us figure out what we needed to focus on in many different areas of the production and implicate that feedback where we could.

Casting wise, we were given a really good example from another group who were kind enough to send through their written ad to the actors on Star Now as a template for what we should include in ours. This way we got applicants and could choose who we wanted. We found actors Matthew and David who were available to shoot on the days we specified and were really lovely about working for us.

When we had photos of our location, the living room featured two blue couches and so that was the basis of the colour scheme of the film particular finding a blue dressing gown so that it felt like Michael blended in with the couch as he’s been there so long. The suitcase was something that I had brought from home. Whilst it is actually a picnic basket, when sending through photos to everyone, they felt it was a cool option and had a bit of character to it as a suitcase and that it would help contrast Sam’s character to Michael’s (the warmer tones in Sam’s clothing/props against the depressing blue tones of Michael’s scenes).

Filming wise, we decided on using a dolly for one of two shots of the production and were able to have a day in class to test setting it up and using it to film which was super helpful and confirmed to us that we should definitely use it somewhere in our shoot. The safety report and call sheets were completed around the time of this class and we felt ready to move into the next phase of production.

Production

My official role in the shoot was as First AD or assistant to the director. My tasks included making sure that we were on track timing wise and to ready the rest of the crew/cast when we were about to shoot. As my role required more work when we actually called action, I began by helping set up out craft table, as well as helping dress the set and talk to everyone else about what shots we were going to be starting with.

Epiphany 2 When you are filming with a small crew the best thing to do is just get in there and fill in the gaps where your needed. It makes the shoot run better and there’s no tension over why a job wasn’t done or looked at.

As assistant director I had printed off all the documents we needed for the day (call sheet, spare scripts, shot list, safety checklist and kept the production on track for the two days of shooting we had with our actors. It was an amazing experience to be in such a collaborative group, we all seemed to gel brilliantly and always asked questions and talked about ideas for the shoot and really acted like a team. I loved my role because it had a nice balance between creativity but also taking on a role of being a planner and feeling less concerned about getting all the shots done when you were a key person in ensuring that.

Having a fantastic crew to work with made the shoot a breeze, everyone had a great attitude and was genuinely happy and interested in their job. The director and camera operators framed our shots beautifully, the lighting was well thought out, sound was recorded consistently and effectively and we had actors who were excited to film with us and were open to collaborating. As per what Paul had recommended we limited the takes for each shot, A. to keep the actors interested and B. To save time and but we also remained flexible which was important; if the director was hoping for another take, we did one.

A moment I loved during filming was when one of our actors Matthew was seated on the couch (as Michael) and we were going through the scene when Sam walks into the room then picks up his keys from the coffee table. Matthew who was a bit shy to suggest anything asked us after doing a take whether he should look at the keys when they are being picked up (they are our of shot) and we agreed. When I was editing, it was something that was such a small moment, but for a film with such little dialogue, it says so much about the body language of the characters; (Michael can’t really look at Sam but he’s watching every last one of  Sam’s movements).

Post Production

As far as the editing of the piece went I learned that the earlier you start editing, the better the edit will become and the more time you have to work through any issues that come up or any new editing techniques that you will need to master. For me, sound was the big one. This studio was the first studio where I had the chance to learn and practise syncing up audio during shooting and in this final edit I had to learn how to edit the sound that was recorded.

Having been sent a tutorial by one of my group members on how to use the de hummer in adobe audition was a really great starting point, but I had to really practise being patient with learning how to transfer the footage into adobe audition then back to premiere pro. Having as many different edits that I did was a new thing but it definitely brought the end product up so much to a standard that I didn’t assume I would get to in the last few weeks. Continuously seeking feedback was crucial in confirming whether or not the story made sense but was also effective to an audience member who didn’t see the script and watched it for the first time.

In all honesty, I have a love hate relationship with editing. On the one hand its really time consuming and having to watch back all of the footage and sort through it all is a big process even for a short film, but at the same time it teaches you not to get to close minded about your film and that you are editing to someone who does not know the story. If it doesn’t make a lot of sense or is too slow/fast/ overexposed/jump cutty then you haven’t communicated it well. And film is all about your ability to communicate something.

Here is the link to my vimeo edit:

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1-tOiUUI54iSQNsJ9oxeeRYz1DXuXVTGg?ogsrc=32

Collaboration

Having had really great experiences with collaboration in this studio I have learned how crucial it is to a production. It allows for more creativity and experimentation and your able to really be in the moment as a film maker. Collaboration requires respect for each person that you work with, inclusivity throughout each stage of film making, and more than anything it requires you not to be selfish. Often personalities can clash and people often try to take over another person’s job because they secretly want to be a director or a producer whose vision is better etc.

I’m sure throughout the film industry these people are scattered around, but it takes the skill to be a team player and do the role that you are given and to do it with grace, hard work and a desire to help the project along. Other things that I found when collaborating is how much you can learn from the people around you both in theory and practical stuff. You are always going to be around others who know more about film making or editing or something else and its important to look at it not so much as your being inferior but more so you being presented with a chance to soak up more information and become a better film maker and media practitioner. I learned to work with a much bigger range of people and how to keep focused on the project at hand…and also had a lot of fun.

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