Video + Blog Posts + Production Documents:

A4 Phantom Cinema Folio – (Yusuf Abas)

Video Link (Just in Case):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsJe-BzZ7ZU

Individual Blog Posts:

Blog Post 1

Blog Post 2

Week 4 Parody

Week 5 Satire

Week 6 Genre Hybridisation

INDEX POST

WEEK 1-3, Sketches + Reflections:

Week 3 Context/Story Humour

Week 2 Visual Comedy

Week 1 Comedy Sketch

Link to videos numbered 1-3  Media Factory Blog

SUBVERTING NARRATIVE STRUCTURES   (1)

This being the first short film we decided to reverse the three-act structure around having the end of the journey start at the beginning. By having the resolution at the beginning, we are subverting the way the story is being delivered and watched by the audience. We also wanted to make it relatively anticlimactic but also confusing to the audience about what the concept is (of course leaving it up to them). We began with spinning the camera at the train station, then a montage of the train  with build-up and some foley and then we ended with a super anticlimactic scene. While this is a subversion of narrative techniques and we are breaking conventions on narratives by reversing the three-act structure, we are still using somewhat of a focus on editing to help us further drive home the unconventional concept of breaking the narrative structure. As Studio Binder says the idea of subjective and objective shots exist on a scale that can be used to emphasise key moments. So, what we did was combine the edit with a unique use of the camera to give this breakdown of the three act structure some interesting depth.  

SUBVERTING CINEMATOGRAPHY AND PERFORMANCE  (2)

For this short film, we decided to film a monologue. We didn’t want this to be a regular monologue about nothing but rather have a thought provoking, poetic piece that touched on issues that could delve into the idea of surrealism and layered meanings that people could interpret how they wanted to.  

One of the main points of subverting the content was the delivery of the monologue. As discussed in Studio Binder, the concept of Mise – En – Scene Wes Anderson has very precise detail in his short compositions and appreciation of colour. Even though the surroundings are often bright and saturated and colourful, the characters are usually depressed or traumatised. We used this theory to play with the shots. Our protagonist is talking about how she tore her mum open at birth and has a wild temperament. We decided to shoot this handheld with a selection of pans and quick zoom on certain words. The zoom backwards is to show just how big the world is around her and how she is the centre of this unusual universe. The play on the way the script is delivered is on purpose as well. While this script does discuss something unusual and serious, we thought it would be more interesting to deliver the lines in a playful way that shows she’s a bit in touch with her reality, much like the camera angles, the whole thing is all over the place, but the character isn’t any better. That’s why we chose to do it the way we did, to break the conventions during the monologue and have unreal dialogue that was slightly monotonic, whimsy and robot-like.  

SUBVERTING CONTINUITY AND EDITING CHOICES   (3)

For this short film we wanted to mess with the flow of time and present the film in a non-chronological format. We kept it simple and just filmed a café making our coffees. Their eftpos machine wasn’t working that day, which further added to the chaos. We initially just edited it out of order but then decided to switch it up and subvert the edit by playing with the time and slowing everything down in parts and speeding it up in others. We played with the music as well and decided to use a horror – esque soundtrack to further subvert the idea of a simple coffee being made and make it have some type of awkward comedic undertone. Studio Binder discusses the concept of creating pace. How long to hold the shots, or when to cut the shots can really change the way a film feels. That’s what we wanted to do with this edit. By choosing to edit this film in a really unhinged way would further drive the concept of subverting the entire edit and the idea of continuity. So by consciously choosing to play with the pace and abolish the idea of continuity and added some weird sounds, something quite mundane becomes a bit creepy and leaves us not quite knowing whether someone is going to be stabbed or whether someone is just getting their coffee.  

The performance in the 2014 short film ‘Unedited Footage of a Bear’ is effectively demonstrated to communicate the difference of characters being shown in the film, specifically between the unnamed woman who we presume to be Donna and her alter ego, the main difference between her and the alter ego is the performance of the actor although there are aspects like makeup and costume that contribute to the audience’s sense of which character we are observing.

The performance of the unnamed woman in “Unedited Footage of a Bear” is unsettling and eerie, as the film aims to create a sense of unease and horror. The woman appears in a fictional television commercial for a medication called ‘Claridryl,’ which is supposed to treat allergies. However, the commercial quickly takes a dark turn and becomes increasingly disturbing. The actress’s performance effectively conveys a mix of fear, confusion, and distress as the commercial descends into chaos. The character’s portrayal however, coupled with the strange and unpredictable events in the commercial, leaves the audience with a sense of discomfort and a lingering feeling of unease. Naremore J. says “The audience remains present to the actor, sending our vibrations and signs that influence the intensity, pace or content of any given performance”. This is achieved thanks to the actress’s performance and behaviour as each character switching between happy and cheerful then leaning towards normal and concerned ultimately switching to the dramatic and unhinged actress.

As a filmmaker, being aware of this technique of performance as a tool for directing audience experience is made abundantly clear in the short film because without the contrast of a sane versus unhinged ‘Donna’ the message of the film and the audience’s reception of which character is being portrayed becomes skewed and unclear. The performance of the unnamed woman is crucial to the success of “Unedited Footage of a Bear” in delivering its intended message and creating a memorable and disturbing viewing experience

Reference List:

Alan Resnick, Ben O’Brien (director) (2014) Unedited Footage of a Bear [Short Film], Adult Swim, United States

Naremore, J. (1988), Acting in the Cinema. Univ of California Press.

The performance in the comedy film, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” which was released in 1975 (and is one of the most iconic works by the Monty Python comedy group) assists in breaking the convention of typical films based on mythological journeys. The film is a comedic parody of the legend of King Arthur’s quest to find the Holy Grail. It’s known for its absurd and surreal humour. Here are some factors that contributed to its unique performance and impact. Visual Comedy is a personal feature of the film that was a standout attribute for me. The Knights Who Say “Ni,” the Black Knight’s limb-lopping, and the absurdity of the Trojan Rabbit are just a few examples of the memorable visual gags that played on the convention of serious setbacks and obstacles in the hero’s journey. Another factor of the film is that it frequently breaks the fourth wall and plays with cinematic conventions “for the purpose of comedy and mockery”. This self-awareness and meta-humour added another layer of comedy for the audience. On top of that is the aspect of the film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” that utilises absurdity to satirise historical and mythological narratives. This approach allowed them to both mock and celebrate the Arthurian legend.

Reference:

Harness, T. (2022) How to break the rules of filmmaking to evoke emotions, Videomaker. 

https://www.videomaker.com/how-to/directing/storytelling/how-to-break-the-rules-of-filmmaking-to-evoke-emotions/