When I learning film 3, I always feel struggle about what I need to create, will I do a documentary or a drama? Then I growly realized that I do not have to limited with the types of film. Actually, we may evoked some ideas from the exercises and just create our own ‘film’. We might apply the methodologies of drama production or documentary to the making of this short film. When I watching one film, I was attracted by the usage of split screen in it, I thought it is so different and interesting. So I was thinking that what if I make totally a split screen film. That might be so interesting and challenging. So I generally summarized some usages of spilt screen, I’ll use some clips to explain it. Firstly, showing the similarity between different things trough the comparison.

The Second usage is the artistic visual effect of scenery in film.

In addition, the director used spilt screen to show more information in different perspectives about one situation or place to viewers in the same time, especially used in horror film or detective film. The audiences have an omniscient point of view when they seeing the film.

In week 5 exercise, I already tried the first usage of spilt screen. It is too short but not bad. In the new project, I plan to combine more different usages of spilt screen. The theme of this short film is reflecting the overseas life of student. What they are seeing in Melbourne, how they conquer the trouble and adapt this new environment. In order to make this film more clear and logic, I divided this film to three parts. The first part is showing the cityscape of Melbourne. I’ll select some symbolic locations of Melbourne, such as the area of Flinder station, the crossroad in front of Building 80, and the graffito street.

The part two of this film is using comparison to show the normal people’s daily life in this city. So compare with the part one, this part is more emphasize the action of people. Such as the vehicle they chose, the walking step of them and so on.

The part three is the essential of this whole film. In this part I’ll temporarily designed some scenes to reflect how overseas student live in this strange city and how they adapt this new environment. Those scenes respectively are the first time they arrive in this city, the differences they realized in daily life such as the transport light, and the effort they made, such as improving English through different ways, and the embracing situation they get into. Those scenes come from the experiences of myself, I will contact my friends asking more good experiences of them and choose some suitable materials.

This film is really challenging for me. In order to successfully and naturally edit this split screen film, I have to shoot so many footages as soon as possible. Also, the design of sound is not easy. I’ll try to layer different soundtracks in the same time to create suitable soundscape. Moreover, I ‘ll design a monologue of one people in this whole film.

This whole film will shoot by Ex3, I responsible for director and photographer of this film. Also, I need at least two partners, one is the protagonist of part three, and another is the sound recorder. I’ll start shooting from this weekend, firstly, I will complete the part one. I will observe the shooting place in advance. In the rest of semester, I have to keep learning more skills through watching some examples, and get some inspirations to help my shooting and editing. I hope I can successfully complete this film.

In the beginning of this week, I have an individual talk with Robin. I showed the plan of my split screen film to him. In week 6, I just have a general idea, not so clear. But during the mid break, I finally confirm the theme of my project. I decided do a theme of overseas student’s life. This split screen film divide to three parts, I ‘ll combine different usages of split screen in those parts. Robin gave some advices about my project, like the suitable actor foe part three and the sound design of this whole film. Also, after this meeting, I know how to use a logic way to explain my project in presentation. Here is the draft of my project.

Though the presentation, I listened so many interesting ideas from other classmates. For example, the project of Mona is quite cute and adorable. She mainly documents different cats, their life, actions, traits and so on. I believe she will do a really good and cute film. Also, the idea of Chin Yee Kuan is interesting too. The social software deeply embedded in people’s daily life. So this theme must resonate with people, and the film style she chosen is relaxed, comic one, iwhich is so good. I really expect the final project of us, hopefully, we both can create a good film in the end of this semester.

Week 6

This week we wrote a short script about documentary, I already post this script on my blog. On Thursday class, my classmates went to shoot two short scripts, because I already did this exercise in last semester, so I stay in the classroom and discussed my previous project with Robin. Robin gave me a useful feedback. He supports the split screen idea, which I used in my project. As he said, we have to evoke some ideas from this class, and create our own ‘film’. However, the thing I should improve is the specificities of theme. In the design of split screen, I am mainly focus on the daily general routine of people, rather than a specific and meaningful area. So in the next split screen project I ‘ll try to find more specific area to present.

On Friday class, I wrote a basic draft of my next individual project. Undoubtedly, the style of this project is a split screen too. Before I did the project I generally analyzed the usages of split screen, however in the first exercise, I just focus on one of those usages. In the next project, I hope I can naturally and suitably combine those different usages together. For example, I may use the split screen to show the cityscape, which emphasize the artistic visual effect. Also, split screen is able to show different perspectives in the same time. So I will use split screen to instead of frequent shot cutting, this must be so interesting. Actually, this is a big challenge for me, because compare with the normal film, the split screen film must have more footage in the same length. And the director have to consider how to make the shot be logic and not chaotic. I will continue consider and design it in a clear way, I hope I can finally successful complete this special film.

 Documentary

《Daily Life》

People have their own life track. Those tracks might have something in common and have some differences in the same time. Helen and Hannah live in two different countries. Helen working in a company, and Hannah is a free-painter. Every morning they both get up at 7am, Helen open her chest finding her formal career suits and wear it, on the contrary, Hannah choose to wear her favorite cloth- T shirt. At 7:30am, Helen is doing her make-up, and Hannah prefers to use some daily skin care products. At 8am, they both going outside, one wear beautiful high heel shoes, one wear comfortable sport shoes. Helen has to take the crowded subway to her company, Hannah bring her painting paraphemalia and riding her bicycle to park. Helen efficiently and industriously works with other staff with a confidant smile. In the same time, Hannah sits down one the grass, enjoy the sunshine, and drawing the beautiful view with a happy and satisfied smile. Every one has they own personal choice about their own life. IT may different, but the important thing is we need sincerely chooses it as soon as possible, and enjoy what we choose, also love it.

I will use split screen to show this documentary, so that, we can compare their daily life in a same time. Viewers have ability to feel the theme of this documentary directly.

Week 5 epiphany

In this week, we shoot and edited individual exercise in a group of three. We played different roles in others work, such as a cinema photographer, actor, director and so on. This is a really good chance to enhance our cooperation, also let us know what we need to do in our role.  I acted twice time in the project of Mona and Xiaochen. Being an actor, the most important thing is understood. Understanding the requirement of director, understanding the role you act, and the actor also need keep focusing the orders given by director during the shooting process. In addition, being a director, we need have a clearly plan about shooting.

I used the split screen in this exercise. I think spit screen is pretty cool and interesting. And generally analysis some usages of split screen:

1, strong comparison between different things. When people use their own eyes in daily life, it is hard to capture the lots of things in the same time, so they have less opportunity to directly compare the similarity from the different things whilst they seeing. Nevertheless, the usage of split-screen creates the opportunity to audience. Such as the man with a movie camera.

2. Showing more information in different perspectives to viewers in the same time, especially used in horror film or detective film. The audiences have an omniscient point of view when they see the film, they will easy feel excited.

3, The artistic visual effect in film.

4, showing the salute for traditional comics form, such as the Hulk.

In this time, I firstly try the first usage. It is a good way to compare the different life style in one day of two people. I shoot several single shoots of their action to reflect their daily life: sunglass/ glasses, Pick up garbage/ ignore garbage, Auto door/hand control door, walk to stair/ elevator, paly computer/ writing on notebook, ear phone/ headphone, drinking water/juice

In editing, I put those shots in a logistic sequence. In this case, it reflects a real school life of people. Even, my group members act those actions，but in fact they are so natural and realistic.

Actually, I met a little problem in the shooting process. As we know, the consistency of different shoots in split screen is significant. So, when we individually shooting their action, we must notice the compositions and focal length，the exposure whether reasonable or not. However, I have not draw the storyboard of it, I just remember it in my mind. During the shooting I feel a little bit confused about the composition of two compared shots, which I will put to one frame. Some problems also emerged in editing. For example, there are two shoots I respectively shoot inside and outside. When I put them together, I found the white balance of these two shots is different. It is might be a little bit strange.  Furthermore, the focal length or focal distances of each subject are used different. So, when I put them together, I found the size of subjects is distinct. I have to zoom in the small one through the PR, finding a balance between them. Though the edit, I fix the part of problems as soon as possible. Due to the particularity of those shots, I did not record sound of it. So I add lively music to it, I think it is so proper.

In general, it is not bad work I think. And I learned lots of thing from this exercise.

 

Exercise 2A

This was a funny exercise for our group, we did this one in a relax atmosphere. Actually, this is a single 50 seconds take, showing a “description” about the student coming in elevator. However, there are lots of people occasionally walk into the camera, and we wait the elevator in a long time, so I cut this single take to three shots, and put them together. In this way, this video might have a great sense of rhyme. Through the cutting, the time of waiting elevator is shorter than before.

Exercise 2B

In this task, we shoot someone perform an action in which they have some expertise and/or manual proficiency. Then, film someone else who without the skill. As I already mentioned, this exercise have some problem, such as the white balance and exposure. In the shot of Mona, we cannot see her face very clearly, it is a little bit blurred. In addition, I hope there are obvious comparison of the action between the experienced people and the raw people through the editing. However, we haven’t shot their action in different suitable perspectives, so I feel hard when I doing the editing.

 

One more Outside exercise

Actually, this work is same with the exercise we did in week1. I used one single 50seconds take to document one real event in our daily life. I choose this place, because, in the time of sunset, there are many people will stand or walk in here, it is very beautiful. But, as robin said to me, the “time” is so important. When I shooting, there are not any people, just have two dogs! Anyway, those two dogs are so cute, they are palying with each other under the beautiful sky. The sun almost fallen, and I used backlight to shoot, so the dogs seems a little bit dark I think. I change the speed of this video, because the dog run so quickly. I added lively music in here to emphasize the relaxed emotion.

The locations of my story have to be two different places. One is a room in one house, another one is the street out of the house. In the beginning of my story, I describe a raining situation. So the room in the house must have a window to show the scene of outside. This light of this room might be cool color, emphasizing the raining situation, and create a depressed emotion. The second place is the street out of the house. The raining already stop, and the weather turn to be cloudy. The light of the street scene can be a little bit lighter than the room one.

        

          

                                                                             Executive Creative Director: Pawel Podwojewski
                                                                          Art Director / Lead Digital Artist: Dmitriy Belozertsev

I researched some pictures from the Internet. These photos from the website MOTYW. The locations and visual style of these photos are close to the scenes, which I imagined in my mind. Especially, the dog sitting in front of the door is really same with the description in my story. However, I need some shots in the room. For example, the MCU shot for the girl when she looking outside from the window.

Actually, my script is hard to shoot, because I wrote lots of dog’s action in my story. However, at least now, I think I cannot achieve it in the real world.

 

 

In Thursday class, we systematically learned the sound mixer. This is a good chance for me, because even I had used the sound mixer in last semester, but I am not so professional with it. After this class, I deeply recognize the usage of this gear, I hope I will use it more professional in future exercise.

In addition, we edited the group exercise3A we did in last Friday. We reviewed each shot we took, and find some small problems about it. The composition of this shot is not good, the space in this shot seems a little empty. Actually, we can move the camera position a bit more forward. In this way, the frame could be more balance.

                                                     

In the editing process, we found that the different combination of footages produce several meanings. The theme of our exercise is pedestrian, we want to focus on their action, life in this city. It is a documentary for them, rather than a story. However, when we editing those footages we shoot, we found it might be a story. We designed two shots, one is Mona and Xiaochen sitting on the stairs, another one is that they walking on the street. Those two shots aim to show people’s daily life in a specific way. Although, those two shots have kind of ‘staging’, but actually, it is a way that we represented one specific real situation in the daily life. In addition, because of those two shots, the ‘abstract’ shots have a story through the editing. We put the sitting shot in a second place of the sequence, so the third shot can be a Pov of them. Then, we related the walking shot to the tram station shot, it looks like they walking to station and plan going some place together. Next, we change the speed of those shots, and add one relax, lively music to them. In this way, the style of this video change to a comic one. So, the choses of editor are very important. Whatever the shooting types we did, like the abstract montage or fiction story, in the editing process, we still have to use our own logistic to consider it.

 

In the first initiative post I talked about one documentary of Vertov. He use camera to capture the life moments of people. In order to show the diversity of life activities, he used montage skills to create the actual feeling on the abstract footages, such as the low motion, stop motion, time-lapse and fast-motion, split screen. Actually, Vertov used the montage to provoke the truth. However, when the technical tolls emerged, some things have been changed. The professional-quality 16-mm cameras, and the lightweight, new sound recording equipment, which offered high quality and new mobility on-location sound help directors are able to conveniently and effectively behind of the camera to record the reality. (Chychota, 2003)

Depending on those tools, the director also can record the synchronous sound during the filming process. As a result, the new filming style appeared. We may call this style- Direct cinema. In direct cinema, director must remain true what is actually occurred during the shoot, meanwhile, the director has not used the dazzled edit skills, While, the hand-held shots and long takes are used more often. As the remarkable film Don’t Look Back directed by D.A Pennebaker presents, the whole film do not have narration, instead, only have a synchronous sound of the filming subject. Also, this is film shooting depend on the real people and thing, which is a record of the United Kingdom tour Bob Dylan had in 1965. This record in combined with the concert and backstage conversation between the manager and band members of Bob Dylan.

The director want to shows the different genuine aspects of Bob Dylan, his glory, frailty, talent and insecurity as natural as possible, so the camera records his daily life as complete as possible. For example, in some conversations in this film, the camera usually immediately zooms in, zooms out and moves to other sides. Those usages remain viewer that the director totally records the real moment which occurring in the shooting progress. The director seem like an observer who has never get involved into the film. This is a big difference with The Man With a Movie Camera. Even they both aim to show the truth to viewers, but the montage supports the latter one.

Whereas, Don’t Look Back not objective in one hundred percent. Admittedly, Pennebaker add his subjective mind in this film. He edited the materials, as he believed it is should appear. (Pennebaker, 1968) Setting an example in the editing parts of this film. When the journalists ask some basic questions to Bob Dylan, the scene suddenly cuts to Bob Dylan’s youth performing. It seems like Pennebaker acknowledges that this film affirm one opinion of Bob, which is that everything all in the music.

Reference

Chychota, J. Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment, CM Board, Manitoba Library Association, Winnipeg, 2003

Pennebaker, D. A 1968. Dont Look Back. New York: Ballantine Books. Print.

 

《Cloudy》

Half month, the weather has been raining half month. No one knows how long it will be. No sunshine, no any outdoor entertainments. Ellen’s dog is lying down on the floor with a depressed emotion. Ellen setting down with her dog, and gently strokes his fur. “ Hey, I know your feeling.” Suddenly, she stopped talking. She stands up, and walking to the window. She looks up and down. She suddenly smile, and jump in place. “Oh my god, it is finally stop.” She turns to her dog. Her dog looks like understand what her said, his ear stand on end, and running toward the door. Her dog excitedly walks around with the door. Ellen quickly wears her shoes, and opens the door, then she running to the street, he dog following with her. There are numbers of people in the street, some of them throw away the umbrella, and some of them take off their hats. Many dogs are running around with people. Ellen deeply breathe the fresh air, and looks around. She is thinking that this is not a sunny day, actually it is a cloudy day. Even the sunshine haven’t come, she still feel happy, because, as everyone seeing, everything is getting better from this moment.