Following on from last week’s filming, people’s individuals edits were presented to the class and discussion ensued. Robin argued that whilst filming the cameraman/DOP/director should frame and shoot scenes with more precision. Everything in (and out of) frame should be purposeful and informed. We’re now at a stage where we should think about whether that should really be there or if something has been framed ‘properly’.

I also got to view the edits of the other members of my group. I found that there were only slight differences to mine. Everyone’s edits of ‘A’ were very similar, and this is because we shot it in a way that only allowed for one ‘line’ or ‘pattern’ of editing. In one way, this could be a positive thing. If it’s how the director envisioned the final product should look like, then each edit would play out similarly. However, even edits of ‘B’, which was directed and shot by other members in the group, were similar to edits of ‘A’. I think it is because we were working in the same space and with the same script, that creating a scene which was different to the first one was so difficult.

Generally, I would say the way I work is informal. I tend to plan things roughly, mostly in my head. If I do put it down on paper, it would most probably be done in the form of a list because my drawings are beyond comprehension. It’s actually quite weird that I’m so rough when it comes to pre-production stuff since I’m usually a pretty meticulous person when it comes to planning. Sometimes, I find it is better not to set in concrete what should happen on a day since issues with the weather or technology are bound to arise. Before the production stage, having a good feel for what the location is like is also helpful. At this stage, I’m also forming a image in my head as to what the final product may look like – how the scenes that will be shot, and how they might be edited in post-production.

When it comes time to film, I follow the rough plan that I’ve got but I’m flexible. In regards to cinematography, I would say the way I film things is simple. The camera will usually be on the tripod, there may be some panning, but hand-held shots are unlikely. This is because I’m not confident with handling the camera with my shaky hands – I should probably practice this more in our exercises. I do enjoy creative ways of production, though I do believe that the mis en scene should accommodate the narrative rather than distract from it.

Recently while I was editing one of our class exercises, I noticed that even though I try to honour continuity as much as possible, at times I favour expression, action, or dialogue. I had two shots to choose from, one which guaranteed continuity, and another one which didn’t. In the end, I still opted for the second shot because the characters’ expressions were much more pronounced.

In conclusion, I am an unrefined worker. I probably need to change that.

The Wizard of Oz (1939) – Ruby Slippers

The chosen scene involves an outburst of chaos as the Wicked Witch of the West arrives in Munchkinland. This occurs towards the beginning of the film following the Munchkins’ welcoming parade for Dorothy who mysteriously ended up in Munchkinland after a tornado swept through Kansas city.

The scene begins with a birds eye view or high angle shot which shows all the munchkins scrambling to safety as the Witch makes her grand appearance through an explosion of red powder. The vibrant costumes accentuates the characters’ movement and the dramatic background music and screaming accommodate the chaos ensuing onscreen. The witch is positioned left of centre while Dorothy and Glinda are positioned to the right on a platform which places them slightly higher than ground level.

A mid close up of the witch gives the audience better look at her facial features and colour. A mid close up of Dorothy emphasizes her shocked expression. This shot-reverse-shot pattern with the medium close ups of each party will continue to be used throughout their exchange. The characters are filmed only at a slight angle, almost front on and don’t show the other party – unlike in over-the-shoulder shots. This may have been to establish a greater sense of distance and hostility since the exchange is more like a battle rather than conversation.

As the witch approaches the left side of the screen, the camera follows her while zooming out to a mid long shot to show where she is headed. A medium shot shows Dorothy’s worried expression, however this time Glinda appears on screen supporting her from behind. As the Witch accuses Dorothy of killing her sister, Dorothy is frantic to appeal to her innocence. Her frightened behaviour is contrasted against Glinda who is visibly at ease.

Again, the camera dollies with the Witch to the pair of ruby slippers, though soon they disappear. There seems to be a moment of discontinuity as the lighting becomes darker when the Witch looks over her shoulder and exclaims “They’re gone!”. This may or may not have been intentional, however it does make her exclamation more dramatic. We see the ruby slippers are now on Dorothy through a medium close up of them. A cut back to Dorothy reveals her surprised expression which is juxtaposed against the Glinda’s knowing smile. The Witch attempts to probe Dorothy into returning the slippers, however Glinda is quick to defend her. A mid long shot displays the jabbing exchange between the two while Dorothy is helpless in the middle.

In the end, Dorothy and Glinda win the battle as the Witch eventually decides to flee the scene, but not before making a final jab at the two. A long shot displays the Witch running back to her initial position, disappearing into the red smoke.

All in all, there were approximately 5-6 camera set ups. The coverage and blocking was quite simple – Dorothy and Glinda remained on the platform while the Witch walked and back and forth between the house and the platform. The camera was still for the most part, and only moved when the Witch did. In this scene, the focus was on the dialogue and characters’ expression, though the set design, costumes, and vibrant colours were also quite prominent.

So last week everyone got to play director and basically become boss for the production of one shot.

We discussed the experience in our tute today and I think my group was pretty unanimous with our thoughts. We found it was difficult to delegate roles and really stick to them. Being a director, we still had a habit of asking others for their opinions and physically moving the camera or acting out how a performer should behave. We were still concerned with how we were doing time-wise, and I think we did rush our shots slightly because at the back of our mind we calculated, “There are x number of people who have to do their shots after me; I have to leave enough time for everyone else”. That’s how I personally thought anyway.

Also, I found it hard to articulate what I was seeing in my head since the one shot we had to do was so singular. I felt that there was not enough time to go through the backstory, the movements, dialogue, rehearse, and shoot so I just decided to skip the synopsis. In hindsight, I’m not sure if that was such a good idea. It probably wouldn’t have taken that long either, though when I became director I just became pressured not to use up so much time I guess. An interesting exercise would be to work from the same scenario, and become director of one shot from that same scenario. That way, the whole crew at least have an overall idea of the ‘feel’ of a particular scene. However that might restrict the types of shots people can experiment with..

Ultimately, even though we were instructed to be a director, and be only concerned with directing, I found it was easy to be distracted by other things. If this is so for such a small production, I can only imagine how it is for directors of larger productions.

For this week’s studio we worked individually editing the footage that was shot last Friday. I found that my editing skills had rusted over the long break, though eventually I got into the groove of things and was able to complete the edit relatively easily.

I appreciate in this course the practical work that we do every week because although filming and editing aren’t necessarily difficult tasks; the more practice we get, the better we become at using technology. Similar to playing an instrument – it’s not hard to play an instrument, but it is to play it “well”. (On a side note, the greatness of something is always iffy for me. How do you do something well? What is a good edit? When does someone become a ‘pro’ at filmmaking? When they are recognised for it? But I digress…)

Prior to this course, I had never used one of those chunky cameras before (I don’t even know what they’re called), but after having a go and reviewing the footage I filmed I realised what mistakes I made and am able to make a mental note of it. Actually, it may be for the best that I make the most mistakes I possibly can in this course and learn from them. I’d like to leave this unit with a head full of notes and tips about anything to do with cinematography.

In the chosen scene, the two protagonists are engaged in conversation. The scene starts with a long shot of the two characters and forms into a medium close up as they approach the camera. Lee is positioned closer to the camera while Carter follows along, attempting to convince him. The camera follows the two until Carter turns to face Lee, stopping his tracks.

In the next shot, an over-the-shoulder shot is used to frame Carter as he begins his reasoning. Mid-way, a medium close up of Lee shows us his reaction to Carters speech. Another cut brings us back to Carter as he finishes. Lee’s speech, however, is filmed in one length, and is also an over-the-shoulder shot. These shots continue back and forth until Carter turns and exits to the right.

The simplicity of the camera coverage reinforces the dialogue in this scene. The hand held camera movement at the beginning puts us in Carter’s perspective, as if we’re chasing after Lee. Halting the camera movement, enables Carter Lee’s full attention and likewise, the audience. Using medium close up shots throughout highlights the actors’ facial expression.

This week’s studio began with a discussion of how filming is usually undertaken, in what order the shots are done, and why. Wide shots are usually done first as a safety guard, then MCU and CUs of each actor, and inanimate objects last. This is especially important when paid actors are involved – the more efficient filming is, the less expensive it should be and this highlighted the importance of planning for me. Since I’m usually really lazy when it comes to planning (I just have an image in my head that’s kept there and not recorded), I realised I’ll definitely have to change my pre-production ways.

For our activity, the scene was ‘edited in film’ where during playback all the shots carry on from one another. The camera changed positions more times than usual, which is pretty much the opposite of what we discussed, but at least it was fun.

In today’s class we filmed a one-shot scene where we could only tilt or pan the camera. Groups received scenarios which matched with another groups, although they were written differently, and of course the end results differed. Afterwards, we were shown the original scenes that were taken from the film.

With these kinds of exercises, it’s always interesting to see how people interpret and develop scenes. There are so many possibilities and combinations of camera movement and movement within the frame, it can be overwhelming sometimes.

The difficulty of shooting a scene and ensuring it’s dynamic, creative, but doesn’t exaggerate itself was reaffirmed today.