In this clip screened in the lecture from the Coen brothers’ ‘Blood Simple‘ describe what is happening in terms of the edits specifically in terms of the audio and video. Also name the different kinds of audio you can hear.

In the clip from ‘Blood Simple’, the director deliberately constructs a tense environment, which eventually climaxes when one of the characters shoots the other. Part of this construction is done through editing. In terms of audio and video, one of the main ways the tension is created is through the cutting of shots between characters. Instead of just having a one shot of each character as they deliver their lines, the editing sometimes has the audience see the face of the character who is NOT talking, and thus it is their reactions and facial expressions which are shown. Showing the characters react tensely to each other draws attention to the fact that not everything is straightforward in this scene. It subtly hints at the notion that there are other motives at play here other than what is being verbally conveyed, as clearly shown by Visser’s betrayal at the end of the scene.

Other sound elements present in this scene, aside from the characters’ voices, include the humming of machinery in the background, which contributes to the atmosphere and the sense that the space we are in is somewhat claustrophobic, sinister and shady. Also present are sounds coming from the bathroom. While the viewer does not actually see what goes on in the bathroom, sound effects and Visser’s visual reaction of discomfort is enough to clue them in.

Consider Sandra’s lecture “Directing Actors” and describe at least a couple of points that you took away from it (even if you’re not the director).

-Sorting out A and B scenes: Before the day of the shoot, planning out which shots are the most vital and which ones are most disposable is very important, because it allows the director, producer and A.D to really prioritise what to shoot first and what to skip if the schedule demands it. Something interesting that I found about this point was the suggestion that only a few people should have knowledge of what the A and B scenes are, so that while they are always aware of contingency plans, the rest of the crew is still going into the shoot with the intention of getting every shot that the list dictates.

-Dealing with actors and their interpretation: Actors should not be spoon fed direction about their performance. Getting them to actively interpret the script themselves can lead to more genuine and in-depth performances, as the actors will have a sense that they themselves are a part of the creative process, and not just objects for the director to move around. Even if their interpretations are completely off from what the director had in mind, this is still a useful technique, as the actors can then be coerced into thinking that their perception of the script is only slightly off. With some guidance from the director, the actors can then pull off more compelling performances because they have confidence about their knowledge of their own characters’ mindset, goals and motivations.

In this scene note the choreography of the actors, camera, frame and focus. As covered in the lecture describe the things Antonioni would have have to consider when directing the actors and the camera.

In Week 9, the lecture covered the choreography of actors, as well as working in conjunction with the camera. The elements discussed can be seen in  Michelangelo Antonioni’s ‘Blow Up’ (1966).

In the longer scene inside the upstairs studio, it’s apparent that Antonioni would have had to blocked out paths for actors David Hemming and Vanessa Redgrave in such a way that the action would complement the camera. It would have been a conscious decision to keep the pair about six feet from each other during their conversation, in order to depict their spatial relationship with each other and the studio setting. Additionally, the movement would have needed to be planned so that neither of the actors came between the other and the camera at any moment. This movement would also be choreographed to work in conjunction with the framing of the characters in the scene. Furthermore, the camera’s movements would also need to be planned out in order to capture the scene as the filmmakers intended. An example of this would be when Hemming dives to answer the phone and the camera pans to follow him. The flow of both the actors and the camera’s movements would have needed to be established beforehand in order for the take to turn out satisfactorily.

Select from one of the readings from week 5, 6 or 7 and describe two points that you have taken from it. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you.

I have taken two points from the ‘Developing a Crew’ section of ‘Directing: film techniques and aesthetics’ by Michael Ragiber.

One that intrigued me was the description of the role of the Director of Photography, partly because it was my role in our short film project. Another reason why I wanted to learn more about this was because, before starting this course, I had always wondered what a Director of Photography’s job really was. After seeing the title in so many movie credits, I still had not been able to differentiate the doings of the DOP and the director. After doing the reading though, it’s become pretty clear. The DOP is in charge of the image: they take care of the lighting and are the authoritative voice on what the camera captures. While the director may have the final say, their focuses should more or less be geared towards the performance of the actors, leaving much of the responsibility to the DOP.

The second point, and the one I feel was the most important when it came to the shooting of our short film, was about how important it was that a film crew have a solid structure in terms of roles and chain of command. Each member should have a clearly defined role and be informed of their duties and responsibilities, as well as which person they should communicate with for each and every situation. While of course this helps since it means that everyone remembers what they have to do to contribute to the process, I feel it’s also very important because it means that everyone remembers what they don’t have to do. In a team setting, especially something like a student film, it becomes easy to want everyone to contribute a little bit to every aspect of the project. However, this isn’t as efficient as keeping the responsibilities within boundaries, and trusting each member to do their own job. Being First A.D. on the shoot (I had to switch roles) I at first found it difficult to separate myself from much of the creative practice going on, but I realised that in trusting the DOP or director or whoever to do their job well, I could stress less and focus more on doing my own job well.

Things I learnt from the Lenny shoot:

• It is important that everyone is familiar with their roles so that things run as smoothly as they can on the day.
• Pre-production and planning is vital. Don’t rock up to a shoot and just ‘wing it’.
• If you want to be as productive as possible, you have to be ruthless with timing. Ditch shots that aren’t as important or are taking too long in favour of the vital ones.
• When choosing a location, also be mindful of sound. A place might look secluded and empty, but a bustling street full of traffic nearby will take away from that effect.
• Be prepared for all types of weather, especially in Melbourne. Rain can appear in the middle of a sunny day, just like how harsh sunlight can randomly break through an overcast sky.

Outline some points you took away from the lighting lecture.

One of the most memorable and useful points I got from the lecture was the power of cutters and blacks. Previously, I had underestimated the utility of using pieces of white or black cardboard to control light, but when they were used to demonstrate how to either increase soft light or take away fill light, it became clear that these little bits of equipment would be invaluable in a film shoot. As Robin pointed out in a tutorial later, if the choice was given between taking extra lights or extra cutters, blacks and C-stands, the latter should be chosen basically every single time.

Another point I found interesting was simply the relationship and contrast between hard and soft light. While I sort of knew what the difference between the two was before, it was useful to see the difference in full effect, when a light was shone directly onto a subject, and then bounced off a cutter onto the subject instead.

In the tute we screened a short film called Rolling – a film made in Film-TV1 a few years ago.

I found that Rolling’s strongest points were the simplicity of the plot and the performance of the leading actor. The film’s focus on a simple but comic premise allowed the attention of the audience to be concentrated on the protagonist’s actions. His timing and delivery definitely helped in setting the film’s quirky and light-hearted mood. Another thing I liked was the way the film opens. The shots of the apartment full of toilet rolls is interesting, and builds the viewer’s curiosity for what happens next.

However, something I found distracting was the choice of angles. During a lot of the one-shots, the camera is angled too far upwards and leaves a lot of head space. Normally this wouldn’tbe that severe a problem, but because it appeared in the most important dialogue shots over and over again, it started to distract from the storytelling.

Select from one of the readings, up to but not including Week 5, and briefly describe two points that you have taken from it. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you.

The reading I chose is Bresson’s ‘Notes on the Cinematographer’. The text contains many effect points about filmmaking, specifiically about how to utilise sound:

‘What is for the eye must not duplicate what is for the ear.’ This point, while basic, really illustrates well why we shouldn’t just be happy with taking and using a single microphone recording from a shoot, and leaving it in the final product untouched. We spend so much time worrying about the visual -lighting, mis-en-scene, framing, angle, costume, design- yet too often the audio does not receive the same amount of care. Ideally, the sound needs to be constructed with as much detail as the image. This construction doesn’t just end with a good recording at the shoot. Sound effects, atmos, foley, musical cues, redubs, and a slew of other things should be added to the mix to really build an aural experience for the viewer that might not necessarily realistically correspond with what is happening on screen.

‘Image and sound must not support each other, but must work each in turn through a sort of relay.’ This point confused me at first, and admittedly it still does a bit now, but what I gather from it is that the brain is not capable of devoting equal attention to both sight and sound at any one time. One must be given prevalence. It’s how we notice things. When watching a film, you’ll notice the image first, and then maybe realise what the sound was like later, or it could be the reverse, where the sound grabs your attention and then your brain takes in the image in the next moment. Good films take advantage of this. One simple example is having a new and surprising sound cut into a scene unexpectedly, yet its source is still left off screen. After the characters react to this intrusion, the film then, and only then, cuts to whatever has made the sound. The initial sonic cue grabs the viewer’s attention, and the image backs it up and fills in the details. It is in this way that audio and visual material should work in tandem, pushing and pulling at the audience’s perception and attention.

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?

One of the ways Clown Train utilises sound to maximise its effect on the viewer is through the use of atmospheric/environmental sound. The dull, underlying drone that permeates the conversation between the two characters creates this sense of unending tension, especially when it comes to the fore during the long breaks in conversation, between lines. However, it is not this sound that causes the most tension. Arguably, it is when the sound is removed altogether and silence is allowed to dominate the soundscape. The abnormality of it immediately struck me as a viewer, highlighting how bizarre and ominous the scene was.

In a similar way, Martin Scorcese’s ‘Shutter Island’ employs sound, or rather, the lack thereof, to build dramatic tension. For example, in the scene where Leonardo Di Caprio’s character walks through the most dangerous part of the asylum, the soundscape consists of virtually only the sound of his match being struck to keep his only source of light alive. The absence of other sounds, aside from the most subtle musical cues, heightens the intensity of the moment and really encapsulates how isolated and vulnerable he is in that scene.

One of the readings for week 2, Slogans for the Screenwriter’s Wall, I found a few very interesting and effective points to discuss:

“Movies SHOW…and then TELL. A true movie is likely to be 60 to 80% comprehensible if the dialogue is in a foreign language.”

This slogan, the first in the collection, stood out to me a lot because it reminded me of those times when, as a child, I would watch along with my parents’ Vietnamese or Filipino language films. I wouldn’t be able to understand a single word that was being said, but I’d still become engrossed in the film and be constantly wanting to find out what happened next. I guess that’s a key to take from screenwriting: audiences are more interested in what HAPPENS, than what is SAID.

“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.”

A powerful point, as it explains one of the reasons I struggle with finishing scripts. Sometimes I’ll be so proud of my beginning, so sure it’s the right one, that I’ll do everything I can to avoid altering it. Then, later, I’ll wonder why I can’t find an ending with which I’m happy, and because I’m so reluctant to touch the beginning, the writing of the story just grinds to a halt, and it’s never finished. I’m reminded that nothing in writing is untouchable, no matter how perfect you think it is. Which brings me to the next statement…

“Screenplays are not written, they are REWRITTEN and REWRITTEN and REWRITTEN.”

If I want to start writing properly, I do need to get accustomed to the concept of cutting. Getting to attached to parts of a script can bog everything down, since a story with less does more. Hoarding all the ‘good’ ideas and protecting them can end up to the whole thing sinking from being to cluttered and crowded, and even if one part is extremely, amazingly well-written, if its removal leads to the strengthening of the rest of the story, then it should be cut.